Open Chronicles The Pain of Valour

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

Erën's eyes narrowed upon Jirou as he strode past to take the lead. If Caliane Ruinë was any more familiar to him he'd have admonished the man for his tone. But alas, this was not the time or the place for such a petty dispute. He waited a moment to allow for Caliane to take the next place, and he would follow at the rear.

As they progressed through the trees signs of struggle or any other track grew began to grow scarce until finally, a fair trek away from the village, there was an abrupt end. It brought them, though, to a small clearing. At the center the grass was matted down in the shape of a cricle and there at the center of the circle, the ground was scortched by a large sized fire, but there were no further signs of blood.

But there were small bits of torn fabric everywhere. Enough to be someone's full attire, he imagined.

He approached the beaten down circle and knelt by it. It was as though someone had stomped the impression in with repeated steps over the same ground again and again. Like a dance, or some kind of ritual.

"What do you make of this?" he asked, to no one in particular.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane raised both eyebrows at the tone Jirou took with her, stopping to watch him go. She was not one known to have a temper and it was probably demonstrated by the fact she merely gave a slight shake of the head and continued walking. As she stepped past Erën who seemed to be glowering at the man on her behalf she put her hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. A sign of understanding, thanks, that she was ok and he need not feel anger on her behalf.

As she started walking again she thought back to the story, the book her mother held as she read the story to her. The downsides to having a Scholar for a mother was that her bedtime tales were always grounded in facts, and sometimes it was the real world that was the scariest thing.

Seeing the dance suddenly brought everything into sharp relief. It was a ritual.

"It's a Wendigo."

Wendigo's were once humans. Humans who had tasted another humans flesh as part of a spiritual ritual. It created inside them a monster of horrific natures that continued to crave the flesh of man. Once the hunger got too much they would change into a horrific mutated creature that had the strength of 10 men. The worst was that they lived in your towns, were often even upstanding citizens.

They were also incredibly rare.

 

[Jirou]

In truth, Jirou had no ill will towards anyone. There was a child's life at stake. He wanted them to be moving as fast as they could. That was it. A sharp tongue was often good at hastening a scenario. He couldn't be bothered to worry about anyone's feelings at the moment. The ronin would apologize when this was over with.

When they came to the clearing, Jirou stood and listened. He had to hand it to them that without their tracking or lore, he would likely be lost in these woods. He'd find it, sure, but much too late.

"What does this indicate?" He asked, as impatient as ever. "Are we close? Or would the beast not linger around its own ritual circle?"

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

"It's a Wendigo."

"A Wendigo," he echoed quietly, slowly rising to his feet. His eyes looked around the scene of the ritual, in thought more so any kind of examination. He remembered reading about these creatures years ago, and from what he could recall they were quite resistant to magic. It would take the three of them to fell such a beast, at the very least. Hopefully not any more than that.

"Are we close? Or would the beast not linger around its own ritual circle?"

"I am not certain we would find any monster out here today... but we may yet find what remains of the others."

He locked his eyes with Jirou's, "they'll be long dead by now, I would imagine."

Then he turned to Caliane, "what all do recall of these creatures? Does it change shape only in the night?"

Jirou Caliane Ruinë

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane's mind was whirling, the cogs slowly turning as she tried to shift through hundreds of years of memories for the one where her mother had read her that story. It was clear from the expression on her face she was having a hard time with it and in the end she shut her eyes, crossed her ankles and dropped to the floor to concentrate; the two men talking was not helping her. Rubbing her temples she eased the growing headache and fought through the fog.

"They usually change when the hunger gets too much or they feel threatened but they can change on a whim, that's what makes them more dangerous than werewolves. It is however a painful process from what I recall, that seems to just fuel the hunger and anger turning them into beasts. The ritual I would imagine means they have turned back into their human form; the monster does not care for religions and paying thanks, that is purely human. Which means they either ate before this and we're looking at its feeding ground, or they have dragged them on further to wherever it keeps them and they plan to eat them later.

The have long claws which are extremely deadly and their bite can easily kill, they like to eat slow by draining the blood from the victims first and then eating the organs."

 

[Jirou]

Jirou repaid Erën's stare with one of his own. The elf was likely right, but he wouldn't admonish his own hope for the comfort of others. Even if they were dead there was no reason for them to act as if they weren't. Especially if the monster was close with the family. That gives them more time. The thing isn't a non-thinking wild beast. It has human tendencies. Meaning that their chances weren't zero. That was enough for Jirou.

"Well if the situation persists the same way, where else would it be? You don't think it would have gone back to town, do you?" It actually wasn't an impossibility. If this thing was completely conscious and thinking it may have an alter ego still.

"That shopkeep knew something. If we aren't to find the beast here then we can drag it out of that man."

Caliane rambled about the details of the monster, which Jirou was fine with, but deemed unnecessary. But she did agree with him on the possibility of them being dragged later. Considering how many people this Wendigo has probably already eaten, it's impossible to determine who's clothing this was on the ground before them. A human ritual was startling as well.

"Perhaps the whole town is letting the beast do this. Would explain why the don't want us snooping around."

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

The ritual I would imagine means they have turned back into their human form;

"That shopkeep knew something. If we aren't to find the beast here then we can drag it out of that man...

As the conversation carried on Erën paced around the site. He looked for any further signs, but he saw none. Whatever had come this way had ended here. His knelt once more and examined the ground again. He saw prints that he did not recognize mashed atop one another, making it hard to decipher. But he also saw the remains of the bare footprints of people, almost lost to the creature's stomping. There were different sizes, from small child to adult. They had stood here, willingly it almost seemed - but perhaps not. Perhaps they were instead frozen in fear of whatever horrors the beast unleashed upon them.

His eyes traced back toward the path they'd followed, and a curious thing became apparent. Footprints.

He had not seen them before, but then perhaps he had been too careless. His whirled one way and then another to ensure they'd not been followed, and then he inspected them further. Many prints led toward where they were now, away from the town. But... there was another set that though obscured, was clearly headed back toward the town. He followed the prints a ways before they were hidden as the trees once more closed in around. Whoever it was had done well to hide their tracks through the wood, but here in this clearing they had been careless.

Tired, maybe.

"Look at these tracks," he said, pointing out the ones he had seen. To their eyes and his, they looked to belong to a child, a young boy or girl perhaps around the age of 10... it was hard to tell but there may have been more than one set, leading back to town.

"Perhaps the whole town is letting the beast do this. Would explain why the don't want us snooping around."

"Perhaps it is worse than even that..." at this point he could on speculate, "perhaps the people are being baited, or deceived in some way to open their doors..."

He struggled to connect all the pieces of this puzzle, but at least some were still revealing themselves to them.

"Maybe we should head back to town."

He looked up. Though it was still daylight they had travelled far to reach here, and night would soon be upon them if they did not make way soon. And who knew what would transpire after dark.

Jirou Caliane Ruinë

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

So many theories resting on so little.

Caliane stood up and brushed the dirt from the backs of her legs as she listened to the two men batting their ideas back and forth. As the other elf pointed out the footprints she crouched down and smeared her fingers through the dirt and then closed her eyes, taking a deep inhale of breath. It smelled faintly of the door back where they had been but different, perhaps a relative of the monster who had committed the act. What she did pick up was the scent of the baby that had been taken from the home.

"It's got a child," the realisation began to dawn on her. "It's not hunting just for itself it's hunting for its child now too," that made more sense. A family unit. Nobody would suspect a family of killing other young families. They would be looked upon as potential victims not as the potential murderers.

"Yes, let's go back to the town, if it is a family unit then they will live there. Perhaps we should go and see your shopkeeper friend and ask where the other families are. Pretend that we intend to protect the families tonight as we suspect another attack. If we ask him in public and he seems to be the one causing the issue perhaps it will narrow our search more to someone in his circle."

 

[Jirou]

Jirou looked upon the tracks with a nod but deep down he hated the possibility of them being right. An entire village baiting and luring for the sake of one family made no sense. How special could ones blood be? There would be some questions answered.

One way or the other.

He stamped his cane into the ground. "Well I think it's high time that we paid another visit."

Then he turned to Caliane in confusion. A child? Of the wendigo? He began to walk back the way they'd came but stopping so Caliane could take front. After all he uh, didn't remember the way back.

"Would that child still be human?"

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

"...Perhaps we should go and see your shopkeeper friend and ask where the other families are..."

Indeed. The shopkeeper had proven to be quite...illusive. There could very well be much more to him than met the eye. It was strange... to be so afraid of offered help. Caliane had said this had been going on for some time, even the monster hunters had made no efforts to come here for over a year.

This whole situation discomforted him.

They started back, but Erën was sure to keep his eye on the surround. He felt as though they were being watched.

"Would that child still be human?"

A good question, but at this point... likely irrelevant. If the creature had offspring, it would grow to be no different no matter what could be done - to his knowledge at least. A terrible fate, to be twisted into a monster.

"Part of me... would hope not."

Caliane Ruinë Jirou

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Cali raised an eyebrow when Jirou hesitated about going in front, a ghost of a smile played across her face as she took the lead back the way they had come. Besides, she had the scent now at least of the child. It was faint but she might be able to pick it out amongst the others in the town. Her strides were long and confident, if the men wanted to keep up they would have to keep up with the brisk pace she set.

"It depends if it has eaten the meat of human flesh. It might explain the Ritual, perhaps the child is coming of age and they intend to turn it into one of their own," another theory but she was feeling more confident about this one. It was beginning to add up.

The rest of the walk she let herself lapse into silence, she was concentrating. Occasionally she would stop and crouch, unearth another footprint, take another sniff, and carry on in a slightly different direction. Her blood was thumping with the hunt. They didn't come out where they had gone into the forest, instead they seemed to come out on the other side nearer the main entrance into town, but Cali was angling for a house.

As they drew nearer the shopkeeper appeared, turned a deathly white at seeing the group, and slammed the door shut.

 

[Jirou]

Made sense. Make your child like you so they have no option of living their own life. No matter how tragic one's story is, it did not give them the right to force others into their way of living. Jirou felt anger rising again. He kept it inside though, as they were going to need each other more than ever if it meant the town was going to be a collection of people okay with letting one group devour the others.

He followed Caliane and Erën as closely as he could. Letting them take the lead again whenever they would stop to keep track of the trail they'd found.

Once in the town, the shopkeep had the nerve to show himself again. Not without immediately running and hiding in his shop, of course. The ronin had about enough.

"Forgive me for this." He said to the group before making his way to the door. He twisted the knob. Locked. Of course he expected this. So he promptly kicked the door down without concern for the repercussions. To his surprise, the man was nowhere to be seen. Trap door? Secret path?

Time to find out.

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

He stepped aside to allow Jirou access to the door. He made short work of gaining entry, and as he entered into the dark dwelling Erën nodded to Caliane Ruinë before following in after him, drawing his sword. As Jirou led straight in to the main of the home, Erën moved to the right. Nothing but a dark hall, and a closed door at the far end. There was also another door at the other end of the main room, left somewhat open.

"Check that door," he suggested, as he made his way cautiously down the hall toward the closed door. He opened it, and found nothing but a dark and empty room. With absolutely nothing within. He stepped through the door, to examine the room. There were markings scorched into the floor, which he glanced over quickly. The room grew cold... it creaked... he turned to leave.

All the doors slammed shut, and horrid screams cried out all throughout the home.

* * *

Osmund took across the main room, and fled through the door into the basement with haste. He couldn't let them find out what he was hiding, there was no way in hell he was going to let anything happen to his boy. Not like this... he had to find out how to undo this whole mess before these damn monster hunters ruined everything. He'd just moments ago murdered the family that the red haired elf has spoke to - something he should have done a long time ago... that damn guild.

He heard the screams echo from upstairs, and he knew now he only had a few minutes. It was a crude enchantment, more distracting than actually dangerous. The doors would seal them in for a time and the screams would agonize their senses, but he wagered it was only a brief buffer. He fled up another set of stairs which led him outside, and he ran as fast as he could to a nearby carriage. He climbed aboard as one of the monster hunters burst out from the home. He heard them - but he didn't look. He thrashed the reins of the carriage and the horses bolted forward.

The carriage disappeared into the darkness of the surrounding forest.​

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Forgive me for this...

"Jirou..." Caliane went to grab his arm but he was already moving into the house. Wendigo's were unpredictable; they had the benefit of being both human and monster in one and you never knew which one you were going to end up dealing with. She also didn't like the tone in the mans voice. He still had a soul and a great gift, she didn't want him to go in guns blazing and do something he would late live to regret. She hesitated and then followed Erën inside with her head bowed a little. Was she being stupid in wanting a plan before they ran in swords blazing? Jirou had gone flat out after the man so she decided to follow the other elf and see if they could find the child and mother.

Following her nose, the scent still thick in her senses, she took one of the doors in the hallway. Stepping into the room made her gag. The mother was strewn out in various pieces, but her face was turned towards the door, hand reaching out as if to stop the monster from coming any closer. Blood was still running down her throat. This was a recent kill, very recent. They hadn't been that far behind. Guilt slammed into her - if only she had figured it out sooner. There was a gurgling noise that drew most of her attention though for beside the woman was the little bundle of a child, shoved behind her. At first glance it appeared the child was dead, smeared in blood. But the cut wasn't quite deep enough, the baby was struggling.

Cursing she dropped to her knees in the blood, her wings growing sticky with it as she picked the child up and put a hand desperately to its throat. A soft glow came from her hand as she murmured the spell her mother had taught her all those years ago and very slowly, the cut healed. Soon the baby was crying the loud wail of an infant who was hungry and scared.

"Hush little one..." Cali murmured, pressing the babe to the crook of her neck and away from the smell of the dying mother. Just as she was about to turn to leave however a wail ripped through the house and the door slammed in her face. "No!" the winged elf hurled herself at the door. "Erën! Jirou!" she did not want to be locked in this horror of a room. She slammed her shoulder into the wood again but it didn't move. The screaming was causing her head to ring and the child grew more agitated in her arms. She needed to get out of here...

Turning, she looked at the window. Well. Guess they were about to find out her dirty little secret. Tugging off her cloak as she strode across the room she put her hand to the pane and melted the glass before throwing herself into the skies, her great white wings unfolding to keep her in the air. She shot to her right along to where Erën had gone - Jirou at least had headed for the basement after the man. With the baby in one hand she politely knocked on the pane before melting the glass from that too.

The carriage was peeling off and she could just make out Jirou going after it.

"We don't have much time," she held out a hand to him. "I hope you're not scared of heights." Once he took her hand she pulled him into the sky and shot off after their comrade.

 

[Jirou]

Jirou snapped his neck at the call from Caliane as she had the door shut her completely in. "Caliane!" He called back, drawing the blade from his cane sheathe he hurried down but was stopped once he heard the soft melting of the window. She was getting out just find. He had heard the tear of the carriage but felt nothing of it. He needed to know what had happened to Caliane down there, what had happened.

He ran back upwards and through the front door, blade still in hand. There he heard her, and whipped around to see her mid flight with the baby in her hands.

"What in the world..." What horrible person... It didn't matter. He was going to catch the bastard.

Not another word, he took her hand immediately. He could barely make out Erën from where he was. They flew high into the air and he kept his eyes on the ground.

"Get me above and in front of the carriage as soon as possible. We need to get you and the child to safety as quick as we can."

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

Erën wrenched on the door to pull it open to no avail. He struck it, kicked it. Nothing, like something held it with an unnatural stability. The room grew colder yet, and he whirled around to see black smoke rising from the scortched runes. He could feel that these markings were the source of this sudden curse.

It grew louder, the screaming causing his ears great pain. He hated it. If he had human hearing it would likely cause him discomfort - but this nearly immobilized him.

He thrashed at the clouds of smoke, and kicked at the marks to no avail. Then the window knocked - which he barely heard - and it was made open. He was unsure at first of what he saw, but was astounded to realize Caliane Ruinë's true self.

An Avariel, he mouthed.

Even to this day there are songs sung in the temple at Sharyrdaes, a lament for the loss of their kind, many ages ago. He could hardly believe his eyes.

"We don't have much time," she held out a hand to him. "I hope you're not scared of heights."

Still in astonishment, he grabbed hold of her hand and was pulled from the hellhole house with haste to follow after the fleeing shopkeep. He watched in amazement as the landscape sped by beneath him.

He'd truly never experienced anything so amazing as flying. His eyes looked up, and he beheld the child in he arm. Another shock - she had managed to rescue the child from that terrible place. Miraculous even.

He spotted Jirou drawing near, "my feet can carry me much faster than he!" he declared.

They drew down, and Erën leapt to the ground and dashed forward to follow the carriage on foot - moving with incredible speed, aided by some kind of magic. But even as he unnaturally sprinted forward, he saw Caliane Ruinë and Jirou pass overhead - her speed well beyond his.

In the distance just ahead, a great howling roar could be heard.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Cali wished she had fashioned a sling for the child before she had jumped in the air, flying with one arm cradling the screaming bundle was making her lopsided, especially when she was carrying the weight of Erën. She nodded to him when he said his legs could carry him faster and dropped him a few feet behind Jirou so that he could then grab the other and propel herself faster along the past to catch up with the carriage. Her arm was shaking with the effort of holding the man up as they soared over the top of it.

"Get ready!" Was the only warning she offer Jirou before dropping him onto the roof of the vehicle. It would be too jarring to stop so suddenly so instead she kept going.

The child was screaming now as she jiggled him around again. It also probably didn't like being in the air going at quite the speed. Avariel children loved nothing more but it probably went against every instinct a human had. Confident the child was secure and not about to drop from her hand and using her position several meters in front of the carriage's pathway she pulled her wings up and blasted a wall of fire across the road.

It would cause the carriage to stop so the three could converge at once.

The wall spread out into a large circle, trapping everyone in its centre.

 

[Jirou]

Jirou fell from Caliane's arms with innate precision. As if he'd somehow done this before. As if falling from great heights was just... Something he did. The wall of fire could not have had better timing. The horses of the carriage whinnied and spooked immediately at the sight of it. Then Jirou arrived. Landing atop the carriage with great force. So much so that it prevented a graceful landing. He crashed through the top of the vehicle and frightened the driver with it.

There were no serious injuries but definitely some stumbling. He gathered himself quickly and threw the man to the ground without hesitation. He pointed his drawn sword and his chin when they locked eyes.

"You owe us answers."

 

[Eren'thiel Xyrdithas]

The carriage screeched to a halt, jostling it violently. Walls of fire sprang up around it with a generous diameter, giving Erën ample time to enter into its encompassment before it closed. He looked ahead, seeing Jirou placed nicely atop the runaway vehicle as it came to stop. He moved quickly, drawing near he leapt into the air to descend upon the carriage's side to access the door.

Osmund's eyes grew wide with fear as the fiery barrier came up. He pulled hard on the reigns, causing him the lean hard forward and fall onto the horses' harness with a clang. His head shot up, and then frantically he turned to look up at Jirou, now looming over him.

"You fools..." he whimpered, "I wanted to save them...I was trying to save them..."

Then, the howling groan was once more issued and a shrill scream came from within the carriage. It shook violently once again, and the axle began to buckle. It snapped, it dropped with a crash. The sides of it buldged, and nails popped out from it like bolts fired ftom a crossbow. Then with a terrible crash the carriage was blown apart... revealing their foe.

The beast broke loose of its confinment in an explosion of splintered wood and gore. It flailed as it appeared, a lumbered clawed arm stretching across to strike at the still air-borne elf. In desperation he reached for his sword, but was landed a might blow. Erën let out an anguished yelp as his body folded around the wendigo's arm before being projected back from whence he came. He slammed into the ground in a flurry of dirt and rock, and rolled harshly across the ground before coming to a halt in a still heap.

Even as the wendigo lashed out and struck the armored elf, in its other hand it grasped a woman. She looked strange, as though she too had began to transform into a similar beast, with fur and horn protruding before having been stunted - likely by her death. Her neck and chest were to its face, where it audible gnawed at the ill fated mother.

Having lashed out at one, it immediately whirled around with speed frightening for a creature so large, tossing the corpse aside and reaching with its large arms to ensare its next, closest victims. The swordsman - and its father.

A wretched roar that stank of rot and flesh and ash washed over them as it lumbered forth.

Caliane Ruinë Jirou

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

"Please stop crying," Caliane landed in the branches of a nearby tree and brought the baby around so that it was cradled in her arms rather than gripped tightly to the crook of her neck. She should have been helping her two comrades not playing wet nurse to the bundle of limbs in her arms. Carefully she began to rock the child, humming a soft lullaby. For a moment it was a success. At least until he looked up at her, clearly noted she was not his mother, and promptly burst into great gulping sobs again. Cali whined. She would much rather be fighting the Wendigo than dealing with this. Suddenly she remembered the bear in her bag and quickly rummaged around for it at the same moment Erën went flying. The baby suddenly laughed and clapped his hands.

"Well I'm glad one of us is enjoying the show," Cali muttered, seizing the stuffed animal and wriggling it in the boys plump face. He gurgled and reached for it with chubby hands and she let him have it. It smelled of his mother and father and home. Safety. "That's it..." she spoke softly and gently laid him in a make shift hammock. Once she was satisfied he was going to be safe for a few minutes she shot back towards the two men who she had left to fight that, right as the beast turned to pick up Jirou. With an extra burst of speed she managed to push the man out of the way just before the monsters hands closed around her legs and hoisted her up to examine her whilst she dangled upside down.