Unknown knowns and lies that history is written with.
On the round table sat 3, looking at each other and the food that table was full of. There were different dishes, such as fish, meat, various vegetables and drinks. Wines, juices and other alcoholic beverages were all around, making both young and old swallow mouth full of saliva and devour the food with their eyes.
Hans, who was keeping a stony face, observed the surrounding, he searched the house with his eyes before looking at the owner. Man didn't have a single hint of stress displayed on his face, neither did his body movements were giving it away.
Hans spoke first. "Let's talk about the job you have for us"
The man looked towards Hans and released a small chuckle, gesturing towards the table "Don't shy away, enjoy this wonderful meal with me, it is easier and much more comfortable to talk with your " he knocked on his belly with his palm and gulped down a glass filled with wine before finishing "belly full". "Ahhhh" he released a sound of satisfaction and continued to stuff his mouth with various dishes.
August looked towards Hans, with eyes round as a coin. His Adam's apple kept on moving with every gulp of saliva that was filling his mouth every other second. With a silent question, August patiently waitied for his teacher's command.
Hans released a small sigh before nodding his head and filling his glass with a wine from one of the jugs.
August, wasted no time, jumped on the food like a jaguar on his prey. Quickly filling his plate with chicken, pork, beef and stuffing it all in his mouth. Almost without chewing, he was swallowing all the meat, while gulping it down with water.
Unlike August, who was feasting on the food as much as possible, Hans was restrained. He ate a small piece of pork and gulped it down with several glasses of wine, avoiding to eat more.
It took a while before the man and August were fully stuffed. Just like a man did, August leaned on the back of the chair, extending his legs forward, releasing heavy breath, while having his hands on his belly that was inflated from the amount of food that was eaten.
The man looked towards Hans and started leaning on the elbow. "Let me introduce first. I'm Rirteld from the family of Gazing."
"Hans from Aedirn" replied Hans.
Rirteld's face slightly twitched at the introduction of Hans, but it quickly faded away, staying hidden from praying eyes, but one. "So I assume you came here to hear about the job we are offering?" inquired Rirteld.
"Yes. Can you tell us more about what is the job in greater details"
Chief took a hold of a jug and filled his glass with wine, before taking a sip.
"It all started about 3 months ago. There is a disaster nearby our village. It all started with a girl going into the forest. She went in the early morning, but never was able to return. Mariel was a sweet girl that could grow into a beautiful flower, but it seems that this world prepared something else for her. She went away in the early morning, but never returned. Others formed a searching party to search for her, but were never able to find even a trace. One of those that joined the search party spilled some nonsense that he heard her speak, he heard her voice, how she sang a song somewhere in the distance, but when he showed the place where he heard her to others, nothing was heard. "
Rirteld released a lungs full of air, looking down.
"It is no surprise, this boy is our local jester, or you can call him a fool. He is rare to speak anything clever or making any sense, but helps when the mood is down. I would not mention him here, but several days later, when everyone already agreed that the girl ran away to search for a better life in a different place. Place with better man and possibilities, another disaster happened.
Another woman went into a forest and disappeared, leaving no trace, leaving not a single stray hair behind. This time we had to agree that something was going on and hired some merchants that went away in search of Lisa. After several days they came back with a sack of bones.
They claimed that it was a monster, but they were brave enough to fight it off and defeat it. They brought bones that they claimed to be one of the woman a girl."
Hans interrupted Rirteld and asked, "Were the bones theirs?"
Rirteld released a short laugh and replied, "No damn idea! How can we know? I'm sure you see where we live. There is not a single person here that knows a single thing about medicine. There used to be a family long ago, but now they are gone"
August flinched hearing about a family that used to be here, but with a effort of will he squeezed his palms and remained silent.
"Anyway, what I was talking about? Right! About merchants. I paid them for the job done and they left. Guess what? Next week another girl disappeared, leaving no trace, only than did I understand that these were not merchants, but just bandits that feed off honest folks just like me."
"Anything else?" inquired Hans
"Others talk about creatures that like to lure their prays with sweets and then eat them alive. To do that, it appeared in front of their chosen one in form of an old lady and offers them a candy or something of those sorts. Her voice is alluring and charming, making anyone be easily compelled to move and walk right inside of her trap, where she skins them alive, feasting on every piece of their flesh"
"That's it?"
"Yes, it is. So what do you think ,witcher? Have you encountered someone like this before? Can you do this for our village and save us from a disaster that is hanging above us with a deadly shadow?"
"It depends," started Hans. "I need to see and hear about that from others' mouths as well, before I can set a price for the job done," finished Hans.
"We are no rich folks, but I will try to satisfy your needs Witcher, but be a nice lad and take a step towards me if needed, after all this is what you were born to do" said Rirteld with a small, almost invisible grin.
Hans looked at the man with his eyes slightly shrinking. "You mentioned a family that used to live here, can you tell more?"
Rirteld replied with a brief explanation, and waving his hand dismissing any seriousness of the question "Nothing to worry about, they were dark creatures that poisoned our community, with the help of brave knights they delivered god punishments, with their flesh and bones set of fire till turned to ash. Therefore, their souls were washed with holy fire, leaving no trace of darkness stains in the boundary of this village."
*Bang*
A door shut leaving two men in the house alone, leaving them without presence of the small Witcher.