THE GREY MAIDEN 2

Chapter 2: To Saida village

Later that day, Prince Tua reached the infirmary and queried Physician Chen about Xuan, something about what General Lee said after his meeting with Sai Lung is bordering him

"Doctor Chen, I need to talk to you." Prince Tua walked into the doctor's office

"How may I serve, Highness?" Doctor Chen bowed

"Uhm… from earlier, when mister Sai came to retrieve his daughter, do you… see anything odd? I mean anything you can think of as strange, even the smallest thing." Prince Tua asked

Stroking his beard for a few moments, the physician recollecting

"Uh… strange? I don't think… Er… maybe there's one thing… it's hard to say… and I may be wrong, but when mister Sai came and after exchanged a few word with miss Xuan, she seems to be… afraid. When they walked passed my desk she was glancing at me, as if she was begging for help, and seem to be hesitated to leave with her father." Physician Chen replied.

"What do you think of miss Xuan when you tending to her? Do you think she might have mental health issue?" Prince Tua asked

"Highness, the amount of time she was here is too short for me to be of certain, but based on what I had assessed from tending her for the past 2 days, I'll says no. She's traumatized from being assaulted, and suffered a little concussion, but mental ill? I highly doubt that." The physician answered.

"Thank you, doctor. I'll take my leave." Prince Tua said and went back to his office.

When the next day arrived, General Lee reported that all the remain dispatchers has returned, except for the one. Prince Tua pacing to and fro in his office, hesitating, thinking on about how should he act next, after his talk with Physician Chen and now last dispatcher, the one who has been sent to Saida village still hadn't return, Prince Tua think Miss Xuan story is worth to took notice to say the least. But how should he handle the situation, can't just barge in the Sai estate to talk to her about these things, beside Prince Tua is with the military, this situation is not his jurisdiction but the local governor. And this borderland's inhabitant comprised of nearly 80 percent are immigrant from Chihan, the Sai clan is very respected and influential not just to their village but also to the whole region, they also have many connections from Chihan. Offended them may cause unrest in the immigrant population. Moreover, the behaviour of the governor is suspicious, why's he didn't do anything about these incidents? Perhaps, Prince Tua should investigate this himself… off the book.

With that, Prince Tua set out in the afternoon with two other bodyguards, dressed in civilian's clothes and heading to Saida village. Their rode till nightfall and took rest for the day at an inn in Vudai, a small bustling city and with charming houses build in a mix style between Varlann and Chihan's architect which also is the central hub of the entire region. When Prince Tua went to a local tavern to have dinner, a drunker was causing a ruckus in the tavern as the prince stepped through the front door, the drunk man was yelling incoherently about something related to his family and kept insulting the city's governor, waving his cup demanding more wine, throwing chopsticks and spoon as anybody looking at him in a funny way. The man going on and on like that for over 15 minutes until he passed out on his table, no one payed him any attention, nor stop him, only shook their head and give him a pity look. Curious Prince Tua ask a passed by waiter.

"Hey waited, do you know what the deal with that man?" Prince Tua pointed at the half-awake man

"Oh boy… that's just sad, my sir. You must be new in town, I assume." The waiter shook his head, look at the passed out man "his has been like that for… over a month by now, since… practically his entire family… well… disappeared."

"Disappeared? what happened?" Prince Tua asked

"I don't know much, but, rumour is. About two months ago his wife and their two kids went back to her home village to visit her parents and never return, no one knows what exactly had happened, the women have done such trip countless time before and the road was safe, her home village was not that far from the city either, it's just over a day of public carriage ride. He reported it with the governor but nothing was done, I heard. The poor sod searches and search, yet still…" the waited sigh "His wife and kids were just… vaporized into thin air, and so he came here every day to drown his sorrow since. Poor guy."

"So do you know where his wife home village is?" Prince Tua asked

"er… it's… Sa… Saida village, I think." The waiter answered

Prince Tua thanked the waited with a few coin and continue with his meal. Day break, he came to the governor's office to pay him a visit under the guise of filing a missing person report before heads to Saida village. But the prince only can meet the governor's secretary, the civic servant pessimistically shook his head and told Prince Tua that the governor is not in office right now. Also, he told the prince don't get his hope up, because there had been three reports of missing in recent time and not one case is being work on. He said, the governor hadn't tending to his duty for a few months now, all he does is locked himself in his study, even barely interacting with his own family, and sometime disappeared for days, no one knows where he went. After exchange a few words Prince Tua took leave and continue his way to Saida Village. The ride took about one night and a day and a haft to get to Saida village.

When Prince Tua reached Saida village, it already about near noon of the next day. What welcome them is an air of eeriness as they rode along the road lead into the village, passing through the village's agriculture land. There were a few villages tending to their field and their eyes were following the Prince and his bodyguards as they rode passed them, but not in a curious "who visiting us?" way, no, some of those eyes seem… lifeless, with blank face expression and an unnerving unblinking stare. And those who with that kind of gaze are standing still, mid action, like a statue or a puppet suddenly froze in space, only move their head to track what they saw.

After a while, the village's gate was within view. It was a typical tri-gate style of Varlann, but it differences than other village gate Prince Tua has saw, because how beautiful and ornamented it was. The gate has curved tiled roof, with reliefs of gate god and poem, carved into each column and colourfully painted, wish for a prospered life for the villager, safe travel for the visitor and ward off evil. Also a lia high, thick stone wall wrapped around the village for bandit protection, it's seem this village have a very generous benefactor.

They get off their velelis when reached the village's gate and proceed on foot after registered their velelis to the Public Carriage Stable's stable, as they walk toward the village's inn, the "welcoming" eyes of the few villagers on the road continue to fixated on them again, the abnormal behaviour of those villagers starting to get on their nerve. Inside the inn, they somewhat relieved when the man at the receptionist table shown surprise at the sight of customer, it's seem like he's one of the normal one.

"We… welcome my sirs, what can I help yours?" the man said

"Three rooms please." Prince Tua said to the receptionist, swept his eyes around and found the lobby of the inn was empty, he continues "Eh… receptionist, do you know where the Sai estate is?"

"Er… the Sai clan's estate? Is… northwest from the village just follows the road to the northwest after you reach the central square." the man replied

"Business is slow er?" Prince Tua smiled

"Ye… not very good these days" the man nodded

"So I heard… there was some commotion at the Sai estate a few days ago, do you know anything about that?" Prince Tua said, put a handful of coins on the receptionist table.

The man looks at the heap of coins then glancing at the windows and front door for a few second to make sure no one was near. Swiped the coins into his sleeve's inner pocket he talks "yes, my sir. It's did happen 4 - 5 days ago. I'm not sure what's the exact reason, but someone did witness a mob of some dozens men stormed the estate in the middle of a rainy night. But you know what's the weird part is? Master Sai Lung, the owner of the estate, who was in his estate on that night, claimed that there was no such assault at his estate. And if you see him, you can clearly saw a big bruise on his forehead."

"Really, well that's weird." Prince Tua nodded

"But it not ended there, no my sir, I heard the day after the allegedly assault there is a soldier from the Heitei fortress came to asking around about some girl who shown up at their doorstep. He was directed to speak with the Sai family, because… you know… they practically run this village." the receptionist said

"Is that so? Then what happened to that soldier." Prince Tua asked

"No idea" the receptionist shrugged "that all I heard about that, probably get some missing person info and then returned to his station I think."

The receptionist's words confirmed Missus Xuan story, then Prince Tua ask "Thanks, and one more thing, when I was on the way here, I saw some villagers were acting kind of weird, what the deal with that?"

The receptionist's expression changed, he lowering his voice to answered the prince "You're not hearing this from me, alright." He learns forwarded cautiously continue "I guess you'd meet those returned villagers? Ye… some strange things are happening in this village, people gone missing, some came back some don't, but the one that does will become like that. Furthermore, not long after all of the missing starting to happen, there were mysterious gatherings at night in the forest, I bet the returned missing people had joined some kind of cult. And then there were rumour about some strangers lurking around the village too."

"Strangers lurking about? When was that happened?" prince Tua curious about the new information.

"Well… a few days ago I think. I heard some hunters spotted on more than one occasion, some strangers loitering at the outskirt forest around the village, the hunter not sure if those were man or woman because they covered from head to toe, but he can be sure is those strangers is tall, towering over him, likely near two lias, he estimated." The receptionist said

"Where did that happened?" Prince Tua asked

"At the forest outskirt, just outside of the village, over the southern hill." The man said

"Thank you." Prince Tua smiled again and received his room