Open Chronicles The Pain of Valour

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

Some Town...
Some where...

…click clock…click clock…

…click clock…click clock…​

A warm sun rose and painted the sky with hues of orange and pink, and cast tall shadows. He rode into a small town of wood and stone and cobble street - and quiet. There people here and there, going about their morning. There was a dreary presence in the air, like a fog that smudged the beauty above and made it dull and grey.

Atop his white horse he slowly rode, his eyes cast curiously on those who puttered about. Very few acknowledged him, and those that did looked at him with worrisome and uncertain eyes. For a time, he thought little of it, but before long he noticed that not one person here, not a single one could be any less than middle aged. There were no strong you men, or youthful maidens.

There were no children.

As he came to the town’s market square, he hitched his horse and approached a local vendor.

[Image]

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Her first solo job.

The notice had been hung in the Monster Hunters guild for a while according to the lovely young bartender. It looked it; the paper was faded and punctured with other little holes where newer notices had been pinned over the top. According to the young woman nobody had taken up the job because of how little it paid. It was a small town, barely more than a village in all honesty, and they were asking for charity. Whilst she believed in the mantra of the Monster Hunters to protect people from things that harmed innocents, she struggled still with the majorities violent attachment to coin. The woman had given her a look that was equal parts pity and condescension - clearly she thought the winged elf was stupid for picking such a job. But Cali had merely smiled and pocketed the advert. Coin mattered little to her, she had plenty. She had joined to help and this town needed help.

Something was taking all of the young.

When she had arrived she had reported to the man who had originally posted the advert to his shock. Quietly he ushered her into his home and began to fill her in on the problem the town had been facing for the past year and a half. It had begun with a single missing child. It was cause for worry enough in such a tiny community, but the wilds surrounding the village were dangerous and after weeks of searching it was put down to a horrible twist of fate. Life moved on. But then, a month later, two more disappeared. The abductions had happened at the height of summer but by winter nearly 20 children had been taking, at which point they had asked for aid. A year passed and no-one came, and the town lost more and more of its young. It didn't seem to have a preference aside from taking the young, the fertile, the strong. The town was beginning to struggle without its most able bodied to farm and harvest. Now spring had come around again and the people had lost hope entirely. Nobody had seen the creature, been able to track or hunt it. No sign could be found of their loved ones. Some young families had even moved away out of fear.

"We're at our wits end Ma'am."

The words rung in her ears as the door closed behind her, having thanked the man for his time. Her feet carried her to the pitiful excuse of a market to find something to eat. People passed her with dazed looks, their gazes going past her or sliding off her as if they didn't want to acknowledge her. The winged elf grimaced. How could no-one have come sooner?

She was eyeing up some sort of 'pastie' as the rotund woman who owned the stall called it when she noticed someone approaching the vendor next door. Her ears twitched slightly as she focused her eyes on the food, pretending to be debating over which filling to go for, as she listened to the conversation unfold.

"How's cannae 'elp you Sir?" the portly man wheezed as he took in the elf approaching him, eyeing up the white horse he had just come off.



[OOC: please feel free to control the man]

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

"How's cannae 'elp you Sir?" the portly man wheezed...

Erën drew near, drawing his cloak about him. It was well crafted cloth, but its color had lost its vibrancy and nicks and tears marred it. His hood rested atop his head, but not so much as to shade out his face. Careful eyes examined the man and his kiosk - a shanty thing, weathered far worse than he could ever be. He kept a few paces distance where he'd stopped, offering little more than an odd silence for a moment.

"I've not seen a place like this, how is it you carry on?"

"Ehh?"

"Where are your farmhands? Your plowmen? Your hunters, your loggers?" he drew closer, "where are your children?"

"There 'aven't been kids 'ere in some time, Mr... ehh?" he became uncomfortable, his eyes darted one way and one hand rubbed the other.

Erën paused, and nearly snarled at the man across from him. His eyes glanced overhead, where he saw a window. Inside was a woman, even for the glare that much he could tell. She was looking out and down at him, that much he saw also. But when his eyes had looked up in search of her, she withdrew. It was an omen in his mind, but not only this, he'd seen the signs of children scattered here and there. Gathered toys... little shoes. His eyes fell back to the man and he drew even closer, leaning under the shelter of his kiosk's roof.

"What has done this," he parted his cloak, revealed sheathed swords, "I will undo it."

The shop owner nearly went white, and he began to gather up his things an prepare to shut the lid, "there's naught no one can do m'lord, don't listen to what all anyone says!" Then frightened eyes locked with Erën's and he froze still a moment, "its hopeless for our lot, m'lord. Get out while you still can..." Then he slammed the lid down, locking it shut.

Erën's hand came up against the lid as it slammed close, and he stood there a moment in silence. Then with a grunt his hand fell back beneath his cloak, and he turned back toward his horse. When he was nearly half way back he stopped. He dropped his hood and turned to address Caliane Ruinë.

"It is unusual to see your kind here," he approached her, but like he initially did with the merchant he kept a generous distance, "per chance you understand what is happening here?"

He cast her an uncertain stare. For all he knew, she was the one responsible for what was up here.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

As she listened to the conversation progress, Cali debated stepping in on the stallholders behalf. These people had been through enough and they didn't need a man to snarl at them and demand answers. Glancing up at the woman opposite who was also glaring at the newcomer she had a feeling that if it were not her then it would be someone else pretty soon. However, just as she was about to say something the man spun on his heel and left. Cali and the stallholders watched him go for a second before turning back to what they had been doing - the man scuttled away and the woman went back to telling Cali what all the different flavours were. After a beat she passed the woman a silver for the 'pastie' when it was only worth a copper at the most, and bid her to keep the change with a smile. Just as she turned with the steaming curiosity in her hands, about to take a bite, she froze to find the stranger standing in front of her.

Caliane glanced to her cloak to check her wings were still hidden; did he mean rare to see an elf or had he seen a flash of feather? Her eyebrows pulled together in a frown as she noted the hint of ... blame in his eyes.

"A little," a hesitant admission. Cali couldn't wait any longer and took a bite of the warm food in her hands. Her eyes flicked between him and the horse; he didn't look like a Monster Hunter. Should she speak to him about such matters if he wasn't a part of the guild? A pause as she swallowed. "I'm here to try and find out more though." Another glance as she ran her eyes over him from head to toe before turning on her heel and walking in the direction of the latest victims house. It would be down to him if he chose to follow.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

Caliane glanced to her cloak to check her wings were still hidden; did he mean rare to see an elf or had he seen a flash of feather?

Careful eyes caught her look, but he knew not what she hid. He thought her to be an elf from Fal'Addas - one with something to hide apparently. Curious.

"A little...I'm here to try and find out more though."

Hmm...

He watched her turn and start down the worn out road. He contemplated her for a time, thinking that perhaps her coming here was no different than his own. He was a traveler, and it was his duty to protect innocents - from any foe. Perhaps that was her creed as well.

He clicked his tongue and started after her, the white horse leisurely following. On her was a well worn saddle with numerous bags, none too large or heavy.

His stride allowed him to gain on her shortly, allowing a more private tone to his words.

"No doubt you heard," it was rare an elf heard little, "there are no children here. In fact they all seem... aged. Humans grow frail quickly. I cannot believe that this is not a recent happening."

Caliane Ruinë

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

It was the horses hooves that alerted her to the fact he had chosen to follow her, a moment before he appeared at her side. She slowly slid her gaze to him then away, choosing to focus on methodically eating the food in her hands instead. Often when she was Hunting in The Spines Caliane found she picked up more pieces of information by just taking a simple stroll and letting her eyes wander, than if she were meticulously searching for a sliver of a clue. It was why Cali was taking her time to meander down the street. She had been given rough directions by the kind man who had put out the advert and had told him the story, but it was a small town so the chance of messing up even crude instructions was slim.

Seemingly at random she turned right.

Cali was silent for several beats after he had finished speaking, enjoying the last few mouthfuls of warm vegetables, before she decided to impart on him what information she had so far.

"Apparently something is taking anyone who is youthful, strong, or able. I thought at first it might be something more related to purity but last night apparently an entire family was attacked: father, mother, newborn son. The father was slain but the woman and child taken. Apparently he was 31, but she only 29. From the descriptions of the other victims it would appear that whatever it is likes its meals under the age of 30."

Another turn, this time to the left.

"It's Caliane, by the way," the angel put the piece of paper her food had been wrapped in in a bin as they passed.

Xyrdithas

 

[Jirou]

The ronin swung the shop door open with purpose. His eyes falling upon Caliane Ruinë and Xyrdithas immediately. He tilted his straw hat to fall behind his head, a hand gripping tight on his cane. His eyes were soft but held the intent of a man wanting answers and wanting them quickly.

"Eh, welcome." The man they'd been speaking to spoke as he entered. Jirou offered him a nod but kept his glare fixated on the two in the midst of conversation. He stepped forward with his cane and cleared his throat.

"Rumor has it this place has had a great deal of missing people. You all seem to know what this is about, based on what I heard outside. I am not one to know much but the rumors themselves, and would like to know what you know." He glanced at the man working here.

"You as well." He said with determination. "What is it you can tell me?"

The man shook his head. "You lot are crazy for thinkin' you can make any sort of difference ere'."

Jirou looked puzzled and back to the two speaking about the situation. "What is that supposed to mean?"

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

"Rumor has it this place has had a great deal of missing people...
...would like to know what you know."

As he made way to leave Erën gave the strange ronin man a peculiar look and said, "it seems there is little to tell, but we go to find out more," then he left to catch up to Caliane, who had just now turned to leave.

* * *
​

Erën carried on, uncertain if Jirou had chosen to follow.

When she first changed her course, he came to an abrupt halt. His head turned to watch her a few paces before he too turned and followed.

"Apparently something is taking...
...whatever it is likes its meals under the age of 30."

"It's Caliane, by the way,"

"Erën," he replied.

It all seemed awfully strange to him. With the information Caliane provided, it seemed to do little more than darken his already stoic composure. He too would have suspected something to do with purity, but no.

"Something..." he uttered, "or some one. It's an awfully specific criteria, wouldn't you say?"

Caliane Ruinë Jirou

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Two tag-a-longs.

Caliane could hear Jirou catching up to them and deliberately slowed the naturally swift walk elves seemed to have to a slower pace so he could do so. She liked meeting new people but she also needed to work and at the present they were a semi distraction. She hadn't hunted in a group for a while. She might end up missing a sign of something darker if she wasn't careful, and that could mean the life of more innocent people. Her eyebrows furrowed at the possibility.

"Nice to meet you Erën," it was nice to say an elven name, it sort of rolled off the tongue a lot more naturally than the Common Tongue she used for the rest of the sentence. It was at that moment Jirou seemed to have caught up with them. "Erën, Caliane," she pointed between the male elf and herself for his benefit as she kept walking. He had definitely said right at the rose bush and left at the weather vane.... then what was it again - ah! Almost missing it she sharply turned them right again. If they weren't quick on their feet they might even stumble to make such a last minute turn.

"They do seem to have a criteria," Caliane conceded, carrying on the conversation as if someone entirely new hadn't just jointed. Instead of repeating herself however she just incorporated what she had said earlier into her next few sentences. "However, going after the young is not actually an uncommon thing. A lot of monsters prefer to feed off the fit, the healthy, the strong. It's like humans eating a cow fed on the best grass, or one fed on dust. It effects the taste."

 

[Jirou]

The exorcist followed close behind Erën as he led him towards Caliane.

"Jirou."

He responded as introductions occurred. He still had very little idea what he was getting himself into but the idea of children and young adults going missing was right up his alley for missions to tackle. He'd have to trust that these two knew what they were talking about in order to deal with this correctly.

The ronin nodded his head at Caliane's observation.

"It's entirely possible it's no monster at all. Cultists, necromancers, the like. They'll take young for sacrifices and rituals. Obviously that doesn't rule out the possibility of something unnatural being the cause."

His eyes shifted around, checking his surroundings. A hand placed gently atop his cane.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

Indeed, there were many possibilites. But he thought if it were to be a necromancer or the like then there would be signs. Plagues, bodies, undead maybe. Sacrificial rituals? Maybe, but still it seemed odd for that.

As far as monsters went... it would have to be very careful, and illusive one. For as much of a state this place was in, it didn't show signs of any kind of struggling, or malevolence.

Just... a little run down.

They carried on for a few paces in silence, "you seem to have intent in your step. Where are we headed?"

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Jirou earned an impressed noise of agreement but otherwise stayed silent as the two men talked, she was examining the rest of the street. Every house was locked up tight and barred to friends and foes alike. The whole area reeked of fear. It was as she was studying one of the houses they went past with intensity that the elf asked her about their destination. Caliane opened her mouth to answer just as the little farmhouse that had been her target came into view.

She didn't need to really say that that was their destination, it was clear from the fact the front door was hanging by one hinge and a bloody hand print streaked across it.

"The family in there were taken last night - the father was found with his chest ripped open but his body was left behind. It's the first time they've actually seen a body left by whatever is doing this. His wife and newborn child are missing." It was the story she had told Erën earlier, she had just omitted the fact they were heading to said families house. Her voice was soft as she spoke, a deep sense of grief lay beneath every word for not having been there to help.

 

[Jirou]

"A ripped open chest?" The ronin asked in surprise. He didn't know of anything using that as its calling card. Perhaps he was giving whoever did this too much intellectual credit. It's very possible this was the result of a monster being feral because it's a monster. But would anything unintelligent go to lengths like kidnapping people based on criteria? There was a lot to question there.

Jirou moved into the house to look at the scene. A gruesome but not unfamiliar one. He moved towards the corpse and uttered a short prayer on one knee. When he stood up he closed his eyes. He truly hoped the father would show himself to Jirou. His death may have come too early for that.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

Erën looked ahead to the farmhouse before them. It was a dismal sight, but nothing any worse than most horrors this world harbored. He came to a halt just a few meters before the entrance and examined the surround.

There was a porch around the front, which he saw no damage to it or anything on it save for the front door itself. Windows were intact... and despite being unhinged he saw very little damage to the door as well.

Jirou brushed past him as he observed the home, prompting a side eyed glance from the elf. But then he followed the Ronin inside, drawing one of his swords as he entered.

He looked closely at the smudged hand print smeared across it.

Hmm...

"Be wary... we do not know what to expect here."

He drew close to Jirou, and looked down at the body that he prayed over. He offered his own wordless appeal while looking the deceased man over. His chest was torn open, and his heart left lying some feet away.

Not even...

The place was a terrible mess, with obvious signs of some struggle. But there was no sign of anyone other than the slain man at their feet - none so far anyway.

Jirou Caliane Ruinë

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane tried to smother a smile as the two men pushed past her to enter the house first, shaking her head ever so slightly. She followed them after a beat but took a bit longer on exploring the porch area. Her fingers ran down the blood smeared on the door and raised it to her nose to smell. Below the scent of human blood there was a hint of something other but she didn't recognise it when it was do faint. She ran her hands over the whole of the frame checking for any pieces of hair or other markings but it was clean.

When she stepped into the house itself her foot touched something soft: a teddy bear. Absentmindedly she bent down to pick it up, turning it over in her hands as she stood and moved to the kitchen area of the house. More blood here along with smashed plates and glasses. A single woman's shoe was left behind: so the mother had been taken from here. There was a backdoor that gently banged against the lock where someone had failed to close it behind them - probably the escape route whatever this was had used to leave.

"There is a chance as this happened last night the mother and child are still alive," Cali mused out loud, still staring at the bear in her hands. Clearly whatever was doing this wanted to take their time with the victims or they would simply kill them in their homes. "Have either of you seen something like this before?" she tilted her head. Her own experience was restricted to The Spines and there weren't many children to abduct up there.

 

[Jirou]

Jirou opened his eyes at Caliane Ruinë's question. Had he seen anything like this before? Merciless slaughter, yes. Kidnapped youth while the older are slaughtered? No. That was far too specific to be anything he'd dealt with before.

"I've seen werewolves deal some serious damage to people but they were never this specific with their actions. At first that's what comes to mind, as it would still be a human to an extent. Though werewolves typically don't discriminate for their food, from what I've experienced."

He turned, and closed his eyes once more.

It's okay. We are here to find answers. Please.

Nothing, silence.

Come now, I know you're here. I know you can hear my thoughts.

A small whimper rang in his head, coming from a chair in the home.

"Hold on." He stated to his two allies. The ronin approached the chair and knelt before it. The spirit of the father finally appearing before him. He was unsure of if they could see the spectre or not, but he would speak to it regardless.

The man was sobbing.

"I need you to tell me what happened."

"I can't relive it. Don't make me relive it."

"If there's any chance your family lives, we may be the only ones who can ensure that they continue to do so."

The spirit of the man wiped his tears before Jirou, taking deep breaths and trying to regain his composure.

"I don't know what it was. A monster. A horrible one. Something feral and it came for my family. I'm no warrior. Trying to protect them I failed and suffered. It took them away from here. Into the wilderness. That's all I know."

Jirou nodded to him and asked gently,

"Thank you. Now, do you wish to continue to exist this way?"

The spirit shook his head. "Every second is agony."

"Very well."

The exorcist drew his shikomizue from it's sheathe. He held the blade upward, his eyes closing again. The blade began to shimmer an ethereal green, and he swung it forward.

"May you rest now." He said as he cut through the spirit, dispersing him to the afterlife. He drug his sword across its sheathe and clinked it back into place, back to its cane form. He turned to the others.

"It seems we need to scour the wilds."

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

"Have either of you seen something like this before?"

Hmm...

He'd never before seen something quite so. However... during his time of study in Sharyrdaes - centuries ago now - he read quite a bit about monsters. It was well within the confines of his appointment to deal with the likes of such creatures, so he took an interest in learning all he could.

Much of that knowledge, like an unworked muscle, fades over time. However...

"Hold on."

"I need you to tell me what happened."

"If there's any chance your family lives...

...It seems we need to scour the wilds."

Erën half listened to the one sided conversation, all the while looking around to draw some kind of conclusion.

"It's odd no one has mentioned seeing anything coming or going, or of seeing any tracks."

He turned to Jirou. He assumed he had some otherworldly magic at play, and was somehow conversing with the dead and not just insane.

"What did you learn?"

He had no intention of just storming off into the wilds without good cause.

Caliane Ruinë Jirou

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane watched Jirou with growing interest. It sounded like he was talking to the spirit of the man who was laying at Erën's feet but she couldn't see such a thing. Her eyes roved over the chair to see if there was any glint or faded movement to indicate a spiritual presence but there was nothing. Her eyes moved back to her newest companion with more of an understanding of at least one of the men she was going to solve this mystery with.

Her emerald eyes moved to Erën as he spoke about witnesses and she turned her eyes to the door she was nearest to: the door she expected the creature had used to leave. It backed directly onto the wilds that lay outside the town so it seemed reasonable Jirou's suggestion of scouring the wilds was the reason why nobody had seen anything. But she couldn't help a niggle...

"Perhaps it is like Jirou's werewolf," Cali carefully stepped around the damage in the kitchen to the door. There was no force here like there had been to the front door, and the front door was so... clean. That was what was bothering her. It was like the thing panicked after killing the man. "The only sign of a creature is the body and the door; but the door is too clean to be a monster that is mindless. It was staged. And someone opened that door and left." As if to demonstrate her point she turned the handle to pull it closed and then pushed against it, it didn't budge. It took a turn of the handle to get it to budge. A crazed monster would not bother with such things. It would have torn the door from its hinges like it had the front.

"If that is the case, we also need to consider it could be someone from the town."

 

[Jirou]

"Not enough. Yet there's the possibility the rest of the family lives. And that wherever it is it's not on the main roads." He said, turning back to Erën.

"I want to believe it to be a werewolf still, but I can't say for sure. The man seemed to not have any idea what the creature was. I don't know about you but the idea of lycans are a bit common in Arethil. Didn't the storekeeper also show an odd attitude? I know this town is out of the way, but to turn down help?" Jirou shook his head.

His attention turned than to Caliane as she spoke her theory.

"Do you think this creature could have been let in?"

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

He nodded.

"Yes," he said, his voice firm, "when I spoke with the shopkeeper, well. I did not expect such behaviour toward one offering such help."

His arms crossed, and one hand rested under his chin. He'd read of some strange forms of magic, old and lingering curses left behind by bitter witches. Some of them sought to kill on the spot, but others were far more intricate. His arms dropped.

"I believe whatever this thing is, that I agree we should search the surround of the town. At the very least, we will know where the creature is not."

Caliane Ruinë Jirou

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane held Jirou's gaze for a long moment before nodding. She liked to only agree when she was sure, and on this she was. "I do, I think they knew its human form."

The winged elf went quiet again as she looked at the bear in her hands and then brought it to her nose to try and catch the scent of the newborn child or mother from its soft fur. Tracking was one of her strong suits; she had been able to follow scents through wind, rain and snow. Perhaps, if it was strong enough she could pick it up out in the wilds when they were hunting. She put it in her satchel in case she needed to refresh the smell later on.

"In fairness to them, they asked for help a long time ago," Cali sighed and took out the flyer she had taken from the guild hall and shook it open for them to see. "About a year and a half ago. Nobody has taken on the case because they have nothing to give anyone for their troubles. These people are scared, perhaps some even suspect the same as us. I agree about the wilds but please give me one moment." Her eyes moved to the body now. They couldn't very well leave it here - if they did find the mother and the child would they really want to come home to this? Walking over to it she very gently gathered the man up in her arms, uncaring about the blood and matter that got on her cloak. As if he weighed nothing she stood up in one fluid movement. Turning on her heel she went out the back that would lead them to the wilds and gently laid him down in the back garden. His eyes stared up vacantly, his face frozen in horror forever.

With tenderness she closed his eyes. As her hand trailed to the mans cheek a ripple of fire began to crack at his skin and then rippled down his body in a wave. It was a blistering intense heat but the flames did not leap out of control. In a few moments the body turned to fine ash which blew away on the wind. The elf seemed to hover there for a second more before she stood up and brushed off the grass that had got on her from kneeling.

"Which way should we start?"

 

[Jirou]

Jirou thought for a second on what could have transpired. If it was a set up did someone let them into the house to feed on the family? No, that seemed a bit far fetched. Even as strange as the town was they didn't seem people partial to straight murder. Couldn't rule it out but it didn't feel right in his mind. Now, if someone in the house had let that person in that would make a great deal more sense. A friend? There weren't any neighbors. Could it be..?

"What if it was someone who'd already been living here? The panic could have come from being caught kidnapping. As we saw, youth had all vanished from the town itself. Maybe the creature ran out of options to sate its hunger. It had to choose its own family. It tried to escape without alerting the father but failed. It left a mess because it was quick and in shock at both being discovered and its own actions. It turned tail as quickly as possible to avoid looking at what they'd done any longer."

"If you're all capable of handling beasts on your own, perhaps it may be best for us to each take a part of the area." Jirou proposed. "I have a very loud whistle, and can alert you easily if things go awry on my end. If you all have a way to signal if something is found, it may be our best opportunity to make sure we find these people as people and not food. If my theory about the beast is correct, it may find it to be difficult to devour its own family immediately. But I do imagine we're running out of time at the very best."

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

This wreaks of foul magic...

"If you're all capable of handling beasts on your own, perhaps it may be best for us to each take a part of the area."

"Perhaps..." he started toward the kitchen, and followed Caliane toward the door leading out.

He had no fear of facing any beast, or man for that matter. But he did have reservations about spreading themselves too thin to be picked off unawares. But from what he gathered, this creature only struck during the night. Perhaps the Monster Hunter would know.

He followed outside, and observed with folded arms the sorrowful finale for the deceased father. He watched the remains wisp away into nothing, and offered his own silent prayer.

"Which way should we start?"

Erën turned to look out into the surrounding wood. In the light of the sun, his eyes saw far and some ways down the treeline he saw signs of disturbance. He inclined his head, and walked toward the scene. He came near, and reached his hand out to touch a substance on a nearby branch of bush. He felt it, smelled it - blood. Small traces, like a minor wound that bled just so.

He looked into the shade of the trees, still well lit from light poking through the spotty canopy. He could see subtle signs here and there: upturned leaves, broken branches, and he could assume more blood to be seen.

"Perhaps we need not split up. Here," he said, gesturing for them to follow him in as he started into the wood.

Jirou Caliane Ruinë

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane mulled over what Jirou said once the body was gone and again inclined her head: entirely possible. It was a lot of speculation which was unnerving her, though again there was that niggle at the back of her mind of a very old creature she had given herself nightmares over when she was very young. It was an old myth about a monster that enjoyed the taste of youth itself but by day would walk among its victims. It would ask to come in with delicious wares for sale so that children opened the door when parents weren't home.

What was it again...

She looked up when Erën spoke and the name disappeared along with the memory. As she followed after him the smell of blood also filled her nose, but she recognised the scent from the bear now too.

"It is the child's blood," there was conviction in her voice this time, she knew it in every fibre of her hunter bones. "This monster is niggling at something at the back of my mind." Cali admitted to the party, the frustration was thick in her voice. "A story I read as a child of a monster who would pretend to be a sweet seller to get them to open their doors when parents weren't home... it was said it had enormous amounts of strength and could tear a mans chest open with one swipe. But it preferred the children to be asleep and happy when it ate, something about the taste..." by saying it outloud she half hoped someone else had heard a similar story or could remember the rest of it. The specific bit about how to kill it would probably be a good start.

 

[Jirou]

Jirou followed suit outside and witnessed the ash turn to sky as if it had always been its home. The man's spirit was at rest, and now was his body. He could only have wished the man had had a better death than this.

The ronin's attention directed back to Erën as he spoke of a possible trail. He stood beside the elf as he pointed out all the tell all signs. It was undeniable. The monster left quite a mess behind them, and due to this they were that much closer. Something dark bubbled in his mind. Maybe he was growing paranoid as the days went on, but he couldn't help but wonder why it was so careless to leave such an easy to follow path. Especially something as notable as a childs blood.

"Let's proceed, with extreme discretion."

He listened intently to Caliane's tale. Jirou knew the story of "Onibaba" but it was far too off. This wasn't a demon, either.

"Think on it while we move." He said sharply to Caliane. "I'm still going to hold out hope that we can save them. If it is a possibility, I'd rather not dawdle." With that he took the front. Moving through the path that Erën had pointed out.