Chapter 29: Grim Revelations
"What do you mean I'm not going to be paid?"
The cleric swatted the ranger on the back of the head. Her light footsteps swiftly followed him as he made his way down the stairwell."You have to be kidding me! I put my honor and my title on the line and you wont take the damn job because you wont be paid? You selfish asshole!"
The bounty hunter and their young dog fled down the stairs eager to spend an evening on the town. And to get away from the disgruntled cleric. With every step, she followed imploring Thaelin to act, but his answer was resolute.
"Hast, let me tell you, I never have and never will accept a job for free."
"It's a simple job! Catch a killer. You have done hundreds of these before. Why not now?"
"Free doesn't put food in my belly, Hast. Now if you excuse me, I have a dinner date with this hot maid in a few minutes."
"I will lose everything! My job, my reputation, and my title as Mother Illissa's pupil! But you wont do it because of your stupid pride? You- Hu U-gaun!"
Not one second out the door, the ranger and cleric froze in equal parts fear as they both looked across the street from their building.
"Oh Gods, no!" they whispered in unison
Leaning up again the lamppost was a figment of both their nightmares. Plain clothed in a pastel tan blouse, tight black leather trousers, and a large falchion sword belted to her waist. The figure uncrossed her arms and approached the duo.
Even Freki sensed the danger coming from the figure and backtracked to cower behind his masters.
"Me too, buddy." The ranger put before plastering on a false face of confidence to cross the street. He felt like a knight about to fight a viscous beast. His assessment wasn't that far off tho. For this beast was the most dangerous he had ever crossed.
"Hi My- *Slap* -Shka…" he managed to say as he blocked a second backhanded slap coming to his cheek
"You have some nerve being alive!" Varris growled readying her hand for another slap
"I see your hitting has gotten better. Perhaps later we could hit it off over dinner?" Retorted the ranger
To the cleric, it was remarkable to see a paladin not wear their armor. But even without all the sheets of plate metal, the warrior was still overly intimidating. Without all that weight, Varris was free to move faster and possibly hit stronger. Just the girth around Varris' forearms was displayed how much more adept in combat the cleric ever was.
She looked down to Freki who looked severely unnerved by the new guest. "Freki, stay here. We'll be back as soon as possible "
The little hound turned to the front stoop of their building and plopped down under the shade. Hastur took a quick breath to build up the courage to interject in their squabbling
"What are you doing here, Varris?"
"Sir Minot has ordered me to shadow your bounty hunter, Cadet. To see if he falls in line and in the highly off chance, to watch him succeed. The second he falls out of line and fail though, I'm to drag him to a prison cell."
"I take it conjugal visits wont be allowed in that case?" Thaelin remarked dryly "Well since I don't have any other option, I guess I will do it then. But only if you give me a kiss by tonight, Myshka."
"No!"
"Varris! Just do it." pleaded the mage
Varris sneered at Thaelin's cocky grin "Catch the monsters, and maybe I wont kill you tonight."
"Okay," he laughed
"Great!" Cheered Hastur. this wasn't how she expected their bounty job to go, a third wheel like Varris was surely going to cause trouble, but it got Thaelin to change his mind. "What is your first move Thaelin? Question witnesses? Use some hidden Ranger Skill?"
The hunter sighed before pacing off "Step one. Look for clues. Where they keeping the bodies, Myshka?"
"The remains would be in the Necropolis under the Monastery. The morticians and surgeons of the Monastery have investigated the remains and prepare them for funeral rites."
"Then lead the way, Myshka."
While she lead the duo to the monastery, Thaelins eyes wandered and watched Varris' hips sway with every step she took. Not long after Varris took the lead, she stopped abruptly in the street. She could feel his eyes gazing on her butt.
"If you don't stop looking at my ass, I will rip your eyes out of your head.
"Well in that case, do you mind waiting a minute? I want to put the last thing I see to memory." The man said with a sly grin
The paladin's finger bones cracked as they formed a fist.
Hastur created one of her magical light shields between the two. "Enough you two. I will take the lead. Now just try and not kill each other in the meantime."
Built into the foundations of the Monastery, a catacomb basement contained the mortuary, crematorium, and funerary services for Hayak's departed. A winding staircase brought the three underground to the formaldehyde smelling Hall of the Dead. The main chamber was large and full of support columns which contained many oil lanterns to guide the morticians to their charges.
Standing with her back to the white robed cleric from the morning's meeting was performing her duties of
"Sister Shae," greeted Hastur. This is the ranger I mentioned earlier. Do you still have the remains of the most recent victim?
"So you are the drunken degenerate Hastur has told me so much about." the surgeon said with an odd smile.
Crunched for time, Thaelin chose to shrug off the remark and play his usual sarcastic approach. "I hope she only mentioned the good parts. Anyways point me towards the stiff."
"This way" the cleric guided.
Placed atop a stone alcove were the remains of the last victim. And to Thaelin's observations remains were what they truly were. A man about twenty years older than him lay on the cold stone. A white sheet draped over the man to hide the vast multitude of missing chunks of flesh, skin, and even fingers. Only a trained stomach could retain its contents while looking at such a grizzly scene.
Thaelin nodded at the numerous wounds. Deep scratches, bite marks near the hands,throat opened wide, and a gaping hole in the stomach cavity.
"And there wasn't any blood near the scene?" he asked looking closely at the neck area.
"There was some pooling on the ground, but the body appeared to have lost well over half its blood content." remarked the surgeon
Next to the remains sat the victims personal affects, a belt knife clean of any blood or sign of use, a coinpurse still hefty with its silver and copper contents and finally the tattered folded remnants of a man's tunic, breeches and foot coverings
"Were all the bodies like this?
"Many had varying levels of violence, but what connects them was the loss of blood." Replied the surgeon
"They were found at night?"
"No. At dawn, when the criers and lamplighters make their rounds.
"Hmm. So then the attacks happen at night."
Thaelin lowered his face closer to the body. And took note of what he saw.
'The gut had the most carnage. Skin looks torn, scratched, and cut. Bite marks are egg shaped with thin markings. Perhaps humanoid. Another Ghoul?' Next he looked into the stomach cavity. It was a jumbled mess with all the innards just tossed back in not in their anatomical locations. 'That explains the blood staining. All his meaty bits were dragged out…and bitten. Doesn't look like a rabid dog.'
Two sets of watchful eyes stood away watching the man at work. They could overhear some of their discussions. Varris tapped her fingers impatiently against her crossed arms.
"He is wasting our time." she grumbled
Hastur pivoted and crossed her own arms in a similar fashion "He is doing fine. What's your problem with him anyway?"
"He is an ass. The most useless man I have ever met in my life."
"Care to elaborate? Thaelin may have his moments, but he's a nice guy. And certainly a better person than you?"
"Wanna say that to my face, Cadet?" the paladin growled looking down at the cleric
A sly smirk took the mage's lips "How about we go up to the training grounds and we watch you lose to me a second time."
Before the first blows could be made, an exaggerated cough attempted to defuse the situation.
"Excuse me!" Hollered the ranger "If you two holy pains in the ass are done praying at each other's altars, its kind of hard to focus here over the sound of your petty bitch-fest."
Hastur took a step away and turned her nose up to the paladin. "Sorry"
Varris grumbled under her breath as she paced off across the chamber.
Satisfied with his examination and clue gathering, Thaelin wiped his hands on his trousers and lead the duo above ground.
"Well?" Hastur demanded
"Well what?"
Hastur rolled her eyes at his ever present impetuous behavior. "Well, what did you find out?
"You're dealing with some crazy shit." Laughed the ranger. His head cocked back as he walked the halls of the Monastery and began to sing one of his vulgar tunes.
"The four and twentieth day of May, of all days of the year, sir,
A virgin lady, fresh and gay, did privately appear, sir.
Hard by a riverside got she, and did sing loud, the rather,
For she was sure she was secure, and had intent to bath her."
A firm hand grabbed the ranger by the throat and slammed him into the tan stoned wall. The paladin dug her fingers into his neck feeling his beard stubble prod her. Thaelin gasped
"I…always…knew…you….were into…choking…myshka, but-
"I've had enough of this!" roared Varris "You think you can come to these grounds, do as you please, and desecrate it with your putrid singing? I don't know why the Mother Superior even entertained the idea that you could do anything close to work. You worthless, drunken, shit!"
The two exchanged more insults and witty remarks before Hastur had enough.
"Varris!"
The paladin and her victim looked to the side and saw the yellow cloaked mage glaring at them. Her elven dagger drawn and poised in a high stance. In her free hand the pale green shine of a magical spell resonated.
"Put. Him. Down." The cleric ordered
The paladin shoved the man against the wall before taking a few steps away.
"Now. Thaelin, you have your research. What do we do now?"
"Now," groaned the ranger as he tried to stretch the ache away from his back "Now, we go get a drink."