The sight that greeted us in the crypt was nothing short of horrifying. The guard's limbs had been severed from his torso, the arms crudely embedded into his stomach with jagged, rusted daggers, while his legs were arranged upon his waist in a macabre mockery of human anatomy.
But it was not the arrangement of his body that caused my father to retch so violently, nor was it the charred remains of his face, rendered unrecognizable by the merciless flames that had consumed him,which will make recognising them more difficult. No, what truly elicited such a visceral reaction was the writhing mass of worms that infested his open wounds, squirming and undulating in a grotesque display of decay.
The sight was enough to make my gaze falter, my stomach churning with a sickening mixture of horror and revulsion.
As the stench of death and decay filled the air, I fought to maintain my composure.
"How long has he been dead?" I asked the guard, who kept his eyes downcast, unable to look upon the state of his fallen comrade.
"Few hours, young master," he replied in a trembling voice.
"Fucking hell..." I muttered under my breath, realizing that we were dealing with no bodyguard
"How is this possible?" My father questioned, his voice rumbling with anger and concern. "The body should not be in such a state after only a few hours."
"Where was he found?" I inquired, ignoring my father's outburst.
"On the road, your highness. Near the edge of the forest," the guard answered.
So he was attacked near the forest. But why would the killer leave the body out in the open? Why not hide it and delay discovery?
A chilling thought crossed my mind: perhaps the killer wanted us to find it. But why? Was it a warning?
I turned to the guard. "Gather 50 men for an investigation. I will lead it."
"Absolutely not! I am not letting you get any closer to whatever did this!" My father's voice boomed, causing my ears to ring.
"This is not up for discussion. The more we know about it, the better prepared we will be," I retorted firmly.
As I turned back to face the guard, I could sense his hesitation. It made sense; after all, my father held the power to give orders to guards.
"You can either send me with a group of men or I will go alone," I stated boldly, locking gazes with my father.
Father did that too, thinking that he could keep me down, but unfortunately it was not going to happen as I needed to know all I could learn.
After a tense moment, my father let out a tired sigh and spoke reluctantly. "Go and do as my son asked."
With that permission granted, I wasted no time in gathering a group of men and setting off.
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As our group of fifty men approached the village of Lucas, the atmosphere seemed to shift, as if the very air crackled with tension. Riding on horseback at the head of our contingent, I surveyed the scene before us with a keen eye, taking in the hushed whispers and furtive glances that greeted our arrival.
The villagers stopped their work, their daily tasks forgotten as they turned their attention towards us. Some wore expressions of concern, their brows furrowed with worry, while others regarded us with a mixture of curiosity .
I could feel the weight of their stares upon me as I rode through the village streets, my gaze meeting theirs with a steely resolve.
As our group halted in the center of the village, my gaze swept over the gathered villagers until it settled on an old woman, who visibly flinched as my finger pointed in her direction. With a commanding tone, I ordered her to approach, and though her steps were shaky, she obeyed, slowly making her way towards me.
As she drew near, I could see the fear etched into the lines of her weathered face, her eyes wide with apprehension. Despite her trepidation, she stood before me, awaiting my command.
"Take us to the house of the Grey family," I instructed, my voice firm and unwavering. In a gesture of goodwill, I reached into my pouch and withdrew a golden narloi coin, tossing it towards her with a flick of my wrist.
The old woman's fear seemed to melt away in an instant, replaced by a tentative smile as she caught the coin in her gnarled hands. Her eyes sparkled with newfound joy, and with a nod of gratitude, she turned to lead us through the winding streets of the village.
It's here, m'lord," the old woman declared, her voice trembling slightly as she pointed towards a humble dwelling at the edge of the village.
The house stood weathered and worn, its timbers warped and its thatch roof patched with scraps of tattered cloth. The windows were small and dirty, their panes cracked and obscured by grime. A thin wisp of smoke rose lazily from the chimney, carrying with it the scent of woodsmoke and hearth fire.
I sent her away with a wave of my hand , as I turned to my men ''Spread around on the village and ask people if they saw anything suspicious around here yesterday, tell them there is a reward for those who talks''
Sure enough the guards nodded and starting leaving the house, allowing me to search around in peace.
Entering the humble abode, I was immediately greeted by the warmth of the hearth, its flames dancing merrily within the confines of the stone chimney.Seems like lucas's parents left very recently...
The room was small and sparsely furnished, with wooden beams overhead and a rough-hewn table at its center.
I wasted no time in beginning my search, methodically moving from room to room, my keen eyes scanning every nook and cranny for any sign of foul play. I shifted furniture aside, overturned rugs, and peered behind curtains, searching for any clue that might lead us to the truth.There was nothing at all though...
As I ventured further into the house, I came upon a small room tucked away in a corner, its door slightly ajar. Pushing it open, I found myself in what appeared to be a bedroom, its walls adorned with faded tapestries and its floor covered in threadbare rugs
My heart quickened as I realized that this must be Lucas's room, and I wasted no time in scouring the space for any hidden compartments or concealed objects.
I meticulously combed through every nook and cranny of the room, pulling open drawers and rifling through closets. I even got down on my hands and knees to check beneath the bed and behind the headboard. But despite my thorough search, my efforts were in vain as I found nothing of significance. Disappointment gnawed at the edges of my mind, darkening my thoughts as I realized that all of this was for naught.
But what really troubled me was the absence of the money I had given him after burning his field. It couldn't have been spent in less than a month, could it? My mind raced with possibilities, trying to piece together what could have happened to it. Did he perhaps bring it with him during our intense battle? No, that didn't seem like something he would do.
As I sat there, my brow furrowed in deep concentration, a sudden thought occurred to me. What if Lucas had already prepared for the possibility of losing? And maybe he had informed his parents of the whereabouts of the money and instructed them to leave before I arrived? But then again, if that were the case, wouldn't he have made the parents leave before our battle instead of after? The puzzle pieces just didn't fit together, leaving me even more perplexed than before.
There was also the thing about the killed guards, and there was no way they had the strenght to overpower them...
Suddendly someone knocked on the door and entered.As the door creaked open, one of the guards stepped forward, his expression grave. "My lord, we received word from one of the villagers. He claims to have seen something suspicious and has come to report it."
I turned on my heel, facing the guard with a stern gaze. "Bring him inside," I commanded, my voice firm and authoritative, at this moment I was hoping for anything as the investigation was going through water right now.