Chapter 18
Aurelius and the Barrghest scan the workshop to see that nothing is out of place, at least no more than what they could guess. Tools seem to be neatly arranged and hung for ease of access, sheets of metal and scraps are where they seem to be designated, and nothing seems to stand out to catch someone's attention.
"What did the workshop look like the night of her disappearance.?" Aurelius asks the man guiding them along this tour.
"From what her father says, nothing was out of the ordinary. Some tools were scattered about as if she had dropped them, but there were no signs of struggle or of someone having broken in. The local mages didn't find any traces of magic either, unfortunately." The man explains with a dejected tone.
"If it is too traumatic for you to remain out here I will encourage you to head back inside with her family and assist them as you can. We will report to you with anything we might discover here before being on our way." Aurelius encourages.
"I appreciate the concern. We have recently finished cleaning the workshop to get it working again. I do not feel entirely comfortable leaving you two alone with their belongings, so I will be back periodically to check and make sure that you are here looking into the case and not just thieves. I hope you understand." The man says with a stern tone. He needed to be strong right now for Adelle's family, as best he can, she was his niece after-all.
"It's completely understandable. I assure you we are here to help, not take advantage of your loss." Aurelius assures the man with a smile and a few moments later he and the barrghest are alone in the workshop.
"What do you see here that is out of place?" Aurelius asks aloud.
The Barrghest scans the room, slowly and closely before discovering that there is in fact nothing out of place. "Nothing. Whatever happened, it did not occur in here. What does that mean?" The Barrghest asks, looking over to his companion.
"That the woman was moved elsewhere, with no struggle. She either moved of her own free will or someone convinced her to leave without a fight." Aurelius surmised. "Let's take a look around the yard to see if there are any clues that might have been overlooked."
The pair make their way outside and around the yard. The shed takes up the majority of the space, and to its left is another structure that is likely owned by the neighbor. To the right of the workshop is a small path that leads to a storage shed containing numerous metals and supplies for the shop to produce goods. Finally there is a path behind the workshop that leads out into the street, and something there catches the barrghest's attention.
"I smell something familiar. The same scent from the workshop, leads out into the street." He says to Aurelius as they poke their heads down the path.
"Do you think you can follow it off the property?" Aurelius asks.
"I can try." He replies before leading Aurelius down the path, off the property and halfway down the street. He then suddenly stops in the middle of the street and paws at the ground. 'The scent stops here, it is as if she suddenly vanished from this spot.' The Barrghest communicates through the telepathic link.
Aurelius is about to say something but the ground suddenly shifts and hands burst forth. Both Aurelius and The Barrghest react, darting out of the way as those around them scatter at the sudden burst. A zombified female roars out as she climbs from the ground, lashing out with hands and teeth at anything close enough to her.
"It seems we have found Adelle." Aurelius says, raising his hand and activating the glove on his right hand. Magic pours forth, creating a field of force around the zombie and lifting it into the air. "She shouldn't be able to escape the hand of force, I am uncertain whether or not we should dispose of her or subdue her now zombified form, i doubt that her family would want to see her this way." Aurelius says aloud, slightly annoyed that he could not access his magic without worsening the curse that had marked him.
'Let's take her back to the workshop and let her kin decide. They should be able to decide her fate, not us strangers.' The Barrghest replies.
A few screams sound from people rounding the corner and promptly returning from whence they came. One zombie might not be much of an issue, but the fact that it burst forth from the ground meant that this area would need to be investigated by the authorities.
Aurelius and the barrghest make their way back to the workshop, using the rear entrance and holding the zombie aloft for the trip. Its moaning was continuous for the trip there, chased away numerous others from the street and succeeds on catching the attention of the grieving family.
Aurelius motions for the barrghest to step forward to block the line of sight of the family members that have started crossing into the backyard, which he quickly obliges.
"What is going on here!" The uncle that had originally showed them around the workshop calls out, the mothers sobs broken by the sudden appearance of the noise of an undead.
"We believe that we have found your missing girl. Though you may want to brace yourselves if you are going to confront her." Aurelius' speaks up over the noise that the zombie is making.
"Please." the father says, holding his breath as Aurelius nods before moving the restrained zombie forward.
The sight causes the mother to break into tears and the father to collapse to his knees. After which Aurelius quickly moves the zombie out of sight. "We thought that it would be best for you to decide what happens to her."