*** There's not much to say, other than enjoy reading! I read the reviews / comments written, and that's probably the reason why I update more than one chapter in one day xD Thank you for reading & reviewing! Writing the story is more fun seeing as many people are looking forward to it! =) ***
Chapter X: Untamed Water Spirit
At first Len wanted to see Lucy Amberous first, but he thought the lake was more important than seeing her. It took them approximately 10 minutes from the village to the lake. They stared at amazement to the crystal clear lake.
The lake was frozen, but it's fragile. With a punch the ice would surely break. It's surrounded by tall trees, but not as tall as the first one they saw. It was quite large, around 200 meters or so.
Rin went to see her reflection on the lake.
"It looks so pure." She commented.
"It's too pure." Len added. "No blood. The aquatic animals in the lake are still alive. It means that they didn't die by poison, or external & internal bleeding."
"So what caused it?" Rin asked. Before Len had the time to answer her question, a sound interrupted him. They heard the sound of bells ringing hard. It sounded urgent.
"It's coming from Ovule." Rin said, wondering what could happen.
"Let's go and see." Len said.
A crowd of people were gathering at the center of the village. It was noisy, and some people had fear in their eyes.
They were looking at a wooden board. Rin and Len couldn't see anything because of the people in front of them.
"I didn't notice that board when we got here," Len said.
"That's because the mayor only put it when there is a victim, or will there be a victim." The inn keeper said.
"What do you mean?" Rin asked.
"See for yourself. I think the board explains it all." The old lady, taking no interest, left them.
"I'll try to go through the crowd and look at the board." Len said.
"Don't do anything violent." Rin said, not forgetting her job.
Len kept that on mind and pushed everyone on his way. Some people left, but some people stood still. To mourn, or to thank god they're still alive. For now.
On the wooden board, there was a writing, made from blood. It reads :
LUCY AMBEROUS IS IN MY HANDS AND WILL SOON BE DEAD
ALICE AMBEROUS WILL FOLLOW AT MIDNIGHT
'Lucy Amberous is dead?' Len screamed in his heart. His only lead for information is gone, and he knew why. It's probably because Lucy sent a request to city hall. If she didn't, she'd probably still be alive.
Len went back to where Rin was standing and reported what he saw to Rin.
"Is it THAT Alice? The Alice we met this morning?" Rin asked.
"Who knows. Alice is a common name, but this is a small village. There's a chance that it could be her. It explains why she was alone when we saw her. Lucy was probably the real inn keeper." Len guessed.
"What an accurate guess, and you are?" A big and strong man was beside them, listening to Len's 'guesses all this time.
"My name is Len, and this is Rin. I'm a novelist and came to record the paranormal activity I heard so much from the city." Len introduced himself and Rin. "And you are?"
"Gregory Norve. The mayor of this here village. I must warn you that it's really dangerous to do a 'research' about the water spirit." He said.
'He's the prime suspect...' Len remembered the name.
"Yes, I admit I am afraid. Are there tips that you can give to me while I'm still in the village?" Len asked.
Gregory thought for a moment, then answered with a smile.
"Let's go to my house first. Don't you feel cold being here in the outside?"
The mayor served tea for the three of them. Rin saw a workshop near the room they were in. It seemed like Gregory is a blacksmith.
"Before I ask you the tips and suggestions, may I ask what the 'water spirit' is? You mentioned it earlier." Len said.
"Ah, the evil spirit. It's been haunting the village for years. Many innocent people died, and it drove me insane to see the villagers dying." The mayor said.
"I'm sorry to bring up a topic you don't want to discuss." Len said before the mayor continued.
"As the mayor of the village, I should treat all travelers such as you, with respect. So I will answer your question. The water spirit. She lived in the lake near here. The lake is frozen now, but the water spirit still haunts the village. The spirit kidnaps people, men or women, young or old, everyone. After 2 days of disappearance, the water spirit will return the victim. The victim will be found at the center of the lake, dead." The mayor said with a bitter tone.
"But so far some are the villagers are alive." Rin said.
"Yes, young lady. It's because of the stone. I put ancient spells inside the stone, but that stone is quite hard to find, that's why I have to go to the city and buy it from them. They're quite expensive, and I couldn't possibly buy 30 expensive stones for the villagers. So the villagers have to buy with their own money. Unfortunately the shield doesn't stay very long. After a week, the power will be off, and that means the water spirit could take them at any time." Gregory looked down.
Len took a sip of the warm tea while processing every word that Gregory said.
Only idiots would believe what Gregory said. Sadly all the villagers in there were idiots, Len thought.
"On to the tips, please?" Len asked.
"Oh, yes. There are a few things that you should know. First, don't wander around the lake at night, it's dangerous. Second, don't climb the tall tree. Surely you know which tree I am talking about, yes? And third, don't destroy the sacred stones, or else you won't be protected. Those are the three things that you need to know." He said.
Len smiled. "Thank you very much. It's very generous of you to tell us points. When I write my novel, I'll be sure to put those inside so the readers won't do it."
"And, there's one more thing I wanted to ask you. I know this seems rude, but, can you consider a donation to the village?" The mayor asked.
He thought for a moment, then answered. "My money is limited Mr. Mayor. I can only last a few days in here for the inn. But, on my next trip here, I will be sure to bring donations. Please look forward to it." Len said.
"Thank you very much sir! Your donations would help the water spirit from getting any closer to our village!" He said.
"Well, I think it's time for us to leave. We're going to explore the village a bit more. The restaurant maybe? Oh, but before I go, may I ask how much does the material cost you? The shield?" He asked.
"It's 30 pounds, would you like to have some?" The mayor asked.
"I'll consider it. Thank you for the offer though." Len left the house. After taking her last sip of tea, Rin followed him as well.
When Len was outside, he was staring at the tall tree.
"Remember the 3 things Gregory said?" Len asked Rin.
"The tips?" Rin asked back.
"Don't go to the lake at night, don't climb the call tree, and don't destroy the sacred stones. When someone tells you not to do something, it makes you want to do it, don't you agree? " Len asked her opinion.
"Let's do all of them by today." He smiled.