Chapter 10: Grim Villainy
As the river Thetis was flowing peacefully under the bridges, in the canals of Creedwood, giving sustenance to the city, a young girl peered in the waters. Her long, strawberry blonde hair, embellished with red ribbons, slightly waving under the caresses of the mild wind, along with the skirt of her colorful dress; her amethyst-hued eyes thoughtful, locked in gazing the flowing river. Her expression was one of melancholy and remorse. Remorse caused from the thought of how much her words could have hurt her colleague, albeit unwillingly.
Fergus Rukhsher, the half-orc with whom she worked as an adventurer of the Guild, was an easy mark for jokes and playful jabs. Yet, those jabs hit at hidden scars that still ached, and may never heal completely. And perhaps, an unknown wrong is worse than a known one. Too easily, she had forgotten how his kin was feared and hated among men, and that the berserker's job was his best, if not only, chance for a better life. The very same life she fought to ensure others… In fighting for others, he had found solace for himself, and she didn't realize how her words could have hurt such a broken soul, longing for healing…
She let out a sigh as she kept peering in the water, contemplating those thoughts, without realizing that two figures were approaching her from behind: both of them dressed in black coats. Hey were a man with short black hair and amber eyes, and a half-elf with short silver hair and amber eyes.
"There you are, young lady!" Vincent called out, annoyance clearly audible in his voice.
"How inconsiderate of you to vanish from our sight, Milady!" Alfred added. Upon hearing their voices, the young heiress turned to them, a playful smile gracing her features.
"You have found me!~" she chirped.
"You intended to play with us yet again, did you not?" Vincent sourly remarked, to which Catherine nodded, playfully.
"Indulge me, Vincent." she replied "You know how I love to play hide and seek to drive boredom away, and what better place to play than the great Creedwood? Tee-hee!~" Vincent could only groan and let out a sigh, in front of his lady's reckless playfulness. However, something was still not sitting right about her statements.
"Boredom, Milady?" Alfred voiced the question lingering in the air "Or was it something else?" Upon hearing those words, Catherine's eyes widened, before shifting downwards.
"To be truthful..." she admitted "I had something on my mind… My thoughtless quarrels with Fergus, namely..."
"Ah, yes, Mr. Rukhsher." Alfred replied, understanding his mistress's feelings, and the meaning of her words.
"Surely, you've come to understand, how much this job means for him." Vincent added, more sternly "He places this job and the bonds he forged within it above all else, because they gave him long-sought solace, pulling him from a life of scorn. That is where his pride comes from, and to try pricking and wounding such pride would be the ultimate thoughtlessness."
"Indeed..." the young heiress of the Darlington name sighed "It looks like I still have a way to go, as an adventurer..."
"Quite." Alfred remarked "But in realizing your fault, you have made a step forward in your growth..." Vincent nodded in agreement at his half-elf colleague's statement.
"There is no need to rush." the dark-haired servant then stated "But at the very least, take a care to regard more seriously your duties, and their purpose. Hope, for yourself and for those around you. Such is your purpose. That is what you have to make an effort to keep in mind."
It was clear to see that the two servants chiding their mistress believed in her growth. So, Catherine took their words to heart, breathing in and out, and then smiled at them.
"Thank you, Vincent, Alfred..." she stated "That effort, I shall make." The two smiled back, and the silver-haired half-elf took out a necklace, handing it to her.
"Your Guild necklace, Milady." he said "In your haste to escape from our sight, you forgot to pick it up."
"Oh, thank you, Alfred!" The heiress chirped, before taking the necklace from her servant's outstretched hand, and placing it around her neck "I trust you two have picked up yours, as well."
"Of course." Vincent replied "Now, however, I think it would be best to head back to the Guild Office."
"You might be right." Catherine replied, with a nod.
However, as she was about to move her steps in the direction of the office, along with her mentors, she heard a cry.
"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"
A woman was desperately crying for help in a close by alley. Catherine and her two servants were quick to find the source of the cry by following the direction they had heard it from, and noticed a black-clad figure running along the alley, away from an afflicted-looking woman.
"My child! That man has kidnapped my child!!" the woman cried out upon seeing the young mage and her servants. The three quickly rushed at the crook. The young Darlington heiress took out her half-length staff, and aimed it at the mysterious, ill-intentioned figure, intent on blocking his escape.
"Water, arise and assist me!" she called, her words summoning a wall of water in front of the crook, taking him by surprise and halting his escape. Alfred took out his saber and swung a slash, generating a gust of cold wind that struck the wall of water, freezing it quickly.
"End of the line, you felon!" Vincent called out, while extracting his own weapons from behind his back, under his coat: two cylinder-shaped maces. Seeing that he had no choice but to face his pursuers, the criminal laid the child he was intent on abducting on the ground, right in front of the wall of frost, and turned to the three mages, his visage still covered by a hood, as he extracted two daggers from his mantle, before immediately leaping towards the three of them, who were quick to take fighting stances, and defend themselves from his assault.
It was Vincent who stepped up to parry the daggers with his twin maces, and was quick to strike back, and shove him against the wall of the alley. However, once he succeeded in repelling the assault, he, his fellow servant and his mistress, much to their horror, noticed that the wall of ice was gone, dissolved as if something had made it shrivel up in minuscule crystal, while the child and its abductor had vanished without a trace. Upon looking at the wall upon which the felon was supposedly shoved, Vincent discovered that there was no one…
"An illusion..." he remarked, ruefully "The bastard had us playing into his hands..."
All that was left to do for the woman whose child was taken away from was to sob in despair.
"Blast..." Alfred said "We have no choice but report to the City Guard."
"Edward's brother..." Catherine mused, as an idea came to her "He is a Commissioner of Justice! Surely he shall help us in gaining a better understanding of who that felon was, and hopefully retrieve the child, as well."
"Very well." Vincent replied, nodding approvingly "But we mustn't forget that this may be bigger than it seems. The Guild must know, as well."
"Fair enough." the young heiress agreed to her mentor's suggestion. In the meantime, her other servant walked to the grieving woman, intent on making an attempt to comfort her.
"Don't worry..." Alfred stated "That rotten crook may have escaped us, but he won't be able to hold onto your child for long."
"P-Please… F-Find him..." the woman begged, amidst sobs, to which the half-elf placed a hand on her shoulder, and nodded.
"We will, madam." he replied.
…
After the episode, Catherine and her mentors immediately rushed to the City Hall, hoping to find Jonathan Crowley there. What they did found was the constables guarding the area, who were quick to notice their discomfort.
"Pardon me..." a constable stated "Darlington, I presume? I can see you're looking for someone. Is it urgent?"
"Oh, constable!" Catherine was the one to reply "Yes, it is very urgent! We're looking for Jonathan Crowley. Would you happen to know where we can find him?" The guard looked at one of his colleagues.
"Well, I think his patrol should lead him to the City Hall, today…" the fellow constable stated.
"True… And it should not be that long before he passes by, either..." the guard replied.
It was then that two familiar looking commissioners came into view of the constables, as well as that of the people who had been seeking them.
They had serene, yet attentive expressions on their faces. However, Jonathan noticed three figures in the distance, next to the constables guarding the City Hall.
"Are those people…?" the raven-haired commissioner mused, yet, as he walked closer to them, his suspicion became certainty.
"Lady Darlington! Gentlemen!" he called. He could see that grave expressions were etched on their faces "What brings you here? Something serious, I take it."
"It is something serious, Jonathan!" Catherine was quick to reply "A child was tore from his mother and kidnapped before our eyes!"
"What?" Cedric exclaimed upon hearing those words.
"We tried to stop the culprit..." Vincent added "But he was able to quickly dispose of the ice barrier we had created, and vanish with the child, while keeping us busy with an illusion of himself..."
"He eluded you through illusion magic..." Jonathan mused, gravely serious, to which the young heiress and her two servants nodded firmly.
"Do you think that same crook is responsible for the abductions in recent months?" Cedric asked to his colleague.
"'Tis a possibility we cannot rule out, Cedric." The young commissioner replied, his words leaving the three adventurers prey to more shock.
"Do you mean this has happened more than once, before?" the young Darlington mage asked, her voice slightly trembling.
"Regrettably, it is so." Jonathan replied "In the past months, we have received word of repeated abduction of children, without distinction of race or gender. It has happened not only in Creedwood, but in other cities of southern Albion as well."
"We have no idea of where the culprits could be located." Cedric added "All that we have are mere conjectures. It is likely hat these grisly abductions are the work of an organization situated in northern Albion, away from the eyes of the authorities."
"With sufficient knowledge of Albionian territory in order to move with eliciting the least attention possible on themselves..." the raven-haired commission concluded "And with enough resources to hire or train rogues for such tasks."
"This matter may be graver than it might seem at a first glance..." Alfred mused, worriedly, to which his fellow servant, his mistress, and the two commissioners bringing them such grim news, nodded in agreement.
"Indeed." Jonathan replied "Hence why it may be best to refer this to the Guild, as well. They are aware of the repeated cases of abduction as much as we are."
"Of course! Edward and the others must know, as well..." Catherine stated "Thank you so much, Jonathan!"
"We thank you profusely for your help, commissioners." Alfred added.
"'Tis but our duty." Jonathan replied, with a slight bow, which was quickly reciprocated by the young Darlington mage and her mentors, before they made way to the Guild Office, to refer to Wildham what they had just heard.
"It looks like things are about to get messy, Jonathan..." Cedric mused, to which his colleague could only agree.
"Quite." he replied "We have no knowledge of when these criminals may strike next, so we all are to keep up our guard." His gaze was determined "I ignore for what pupose they abducted those poor, innocent souls, but I know that such vile depravity shall not go unpunished..."
…
Catherine, Alfred and Vincent were silent as they walked the distance separating the City Hall from the Guild Office of Creedwood. Upon entering the main lounge, they spoke to an Aasimar man behind one of the waiting counters.
"Pardon us, is Guild Master Wildham available?" Catherine asked "We would wish to ask an audience with him."
"Darlington, yes?" the man at the counter stated "Wait a moment, please." he then walked up the flight of stairs leading to the Guild Master's chamber, where only adventurers were admitted. The young heiress and her servants had to wait for about a minute, before the Aasimar returned at the counter and spoke again.
"The Guild Master can receive you. Please head upstairs."
After nodding in thanks, the three walked up the flight of stairs, where Wildham was waiting for them at the desk.
"Young lady Catherine Darlington." he spoke "What news do you bring me?"
"Dire news, I'm afraid..." the heiress replied "A child has been abducted. Sadly, we were unable to stop the culprit." Wildham's eyes widened upon hearing such words, but the adventurers were far from finished.
"He had eluded us with illusion magic, and succeeded in taking the child away." Vincent added "Furthermore, we have received word that this is not the first time."
"After speaking with the Commissioners of Justice about this matter..." Alfred concluded "We believe that this abduction and the ones that have happened in recent months are connected, ad that the multiple culprits may be working together for an unspecified goal..." The Guild Master stroked his long beard as he pondered what he had heard.
"I see..." he stated, before, after some instants of deep thought, giving an explanation of his own: "All information that we have seems to point to this conclusion. I cannot help but find this meeting timely..."
"How so?" Vincent asked, on behalf of his lady and of his fellow servant, as well.
"Surely, you recall that young lord Crowley has brought the remnants of a warlock staff upon returning from his last assignment..." Wildham replied.
"Yes, we recall." Catherine said "What of it?"
"We have looked through it." the Guild Master stated "We have concluded that it can only be the work of cultists of Myrkul." The young Darlington and her mentors were left in shock from the revelation.
"Myrkul?!?" Alfred exclaimed "The former God of Death, and of the Terror of Death?"
"The one and only, sir." Wildham replied, with a nod.
"Do you intend to tell us that the orcs fought by lord Crowley and his companions were devotees of Myrkul?" Vincent asked.
"No. We doubt it." the aging Guild Master replied "It is more probable that cultists have given the raiders directions towards the commercial convoy and the town of Rockham, and armed them with the staff. They knew that the closest city provided with a Guild Office, Creedwood, would have sent adventurers to assist the local militia, and that would have allowed the rogue to enter the city undisturbed, without obstacles, and carry out his vile task..."
"So the culprits are cultists of Myrkul, then..." Catherine mused.
"'Tis the best lead we have at the moment, my young lady." Wildham replied "We ignore for what purpose they have abducted the children, but it can only be something grim."
"I believe that a party of adventurers should be assembled at once, to pursue those despicable worshippers of death and terror and bring them to justice!" Vincent stated, strongly.
"Wonderful suggestion, sir." the Guild Master said, before moving his head slightly, to give a sign to a local worker, who immediately pulled a golden vertical lever atop of which a single blue diamond was embedded.
"The adventurers of Creedwood will now be recalled to the office, so that they may be informed of recent events..."