A/N: There's going to be a bit of a delay with the next chapter because I'm still recovering from laser eye surgery and can't look at screens for too long. As always, reviews are more than welcome!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Trails in the Sky belongs to Nihon Falcom while Darkest Dungeon belongs to Red Hook Studios.
Estelle checked herself out the next day. The nursing sister who examined her kept mumbling something about a "miracle from the Light" at her rapid recovery from what seemed to be grievous injuries from the day before. After dropping her stuff back at the barracks, she decided to do a set of rounds around the Hamlet. Unsurprisingly, there had been little to no change since the week before, save for the fact that some of the buildings looked newer and there was more construction going on.
Wait a minute, I've only seen laborers out and about. Where's everyone else? Estelle's curious realization took her to the residential area, where a lot of the houses were either boarded up or completely ruined. As she walked between the houses, she saw housewives hurrying indoors at the sight of her approach, conversing men suddenly hushing and lowering their gaze at the sight of her, and the complete absence of children.
Okay, something is seriously wrong here. People in a village this size should be way friendlier. Back home, not even the threat of monsters on the roads has people this creeped out. Being somewhat of a country girl herself (as much as Rolent can be considered part of the countryside), Estelle kept walking and smiling at any passersby she met. Save for some of the older people who seemed surprised but grateful at the gesture, the rest either avoided her gaze or hurried away. As she drew nearer to the west side, she finally saw a child, a small boy who couldn't have been older than five. He wore a ragged brown tunic, simple shoes and was playing with a carved wooden horse in front of what must have been his home.
"Hey there, buddy." Estelle smiled as she squatted down in front of him, who was frozen at the sight of her. "It's okay, don't be scared."
The boy just looked at her with eyes and mouth wide open, as if not knowing how to react to her presence. Estelle wondered if that's just how the Hamlet in general reacted to strangers. She held out her hand and waved at him to come closer. "Don't worry, I'm not mean."
The boy took a step forward, still gripping his wooden horse and wearing an apprehensive look on his face. He looked at his toy, then at Estelle, before slowly holding it out as if offering it to her.
"Oh, no. I can't take that. It's yours. My name is Estelle, and you can think of me as a big sister who just moved here," Estelle said gently. "And because I'm new here, I have some questions."
"Okay…" the boy mumbled weakly as he looked down. Before he could continue any further, the door opened and out walked an older woman.
"There you are! I told you not to talk to strangers, especially not someone who's working for that lord!" She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside, but not before turning around to glare at Estelle, then slammed the door shut.
Talk about rude! Guess Mr. Heir's adventurers aren't exactly popular around here, and I don't have the Bracer Guild backing me up either. Estelle raised an eyebrow at the spectacle before she moved on. I should ask Reynauld or Dismas about it later since they've been here the longest.
Her path happened to take her close to the graveyard. It was a simple affair: a small patch of land cluttered by headstones and surrounded by an iron fence which had seen better days.
Estelle decided to drop by and pay her respects. While the Heir's adventurers weren't fellow Bracers, she still felt a sense of camaraderie with the others. Bracer or no, those who died trying to purge evil and corruption deserved respect.
As she got closer, Estelle could clearly see a funeral service happening. It was a far cry from the elaborate, emotional ceremonies she was used to from back home. A priest from the abbey, a body wrapped in a shroud on the ground, what must have been a married couple and their young children, and two bored-looking younger men with shovels. A bespectacled bald man stood further back in the cemetery with a rake laying at his feet and watched the funeral. From where she was, Estelle saw he was covering his mouth with both of his hands for some reason. Estelle decided to keep a respectful distance and wait until the funeral's conclusion before going into the graveyard.
She watched the priest recite something from his verse book, followed by the two young men using their shovels to push the body into a pit, and finally the family walking away while the young men shoveled dirt to fill up the hole. As they passed the exit, Estelle saw vacant looks on their faces, even the children. Estelle made eye contact with the husband, only for him to quickly usher his family away from her. She wondered why they acted so callously towards what must have been a deceased relative, and why the dead had been roughly shoved into a pit instead of receiving a more elaborate burial. As she entered the cemetery, the priest nodded at her as he left. The grave fillers had finished their work quickly and hurried out without acknowledging Estelle, leaving her with the man covering his mouth. He looked strangely familiar. Estelle casually sidled closer, trying to be inconspicuous, and finally recognized him as the Hamlet's caretaker.
"Wait a minute, you're the guy we get our supplies and pay from!" Estelle said, "Alfred, right?"
"Indeed, Bracer. I am a loyal caretaker for the family, and a faithful servant to his Lordship and his predecessors. I bid you welcome to this place of the dead," Alfred said, his voice muffled by his hands. "How may I be of service to you?"
"Not much, really. I just wanted to come here and pay my respects to the dead adventurers Mr. Heir told me about, but I was hoping you can answer some questions first."
"By all means," Alfred said, then pointed at a section of the cemetery that had another fence surrounding it. "The portion allotted to adventurers such as yourself is that way, whenever you are ready."
"You saw that funeral too, right? Why were they acting so…" Estelle paused to think of the best word to describe the whole thing. "…callously? Those two men looked like they were just burying garbage, and the family didn't seem that sad either."
"It's the way things have been done here for a long time, young one," Alfred said sadly. "This Hamlet has been plagued by death and misfortune for so long, the people just…broke."
"Yikes, I know this place is gloomy and all, but I didn't expect things to be that bad," Estelle said. She wondered how many funerals had to take place in the Hamlet for its people to become so inured to them, as if they were just another everyday chore. "Okay, next question. I know I'm not from around here and all that, but why are most of the people here avoiding me? Some lady even told her kid to not talk people who work for Mr. Heir."
"The previous lord, my former master, was an utterly despicable man who caused essentially all the death and misfortune which I previously mentioned." Alfred looked down at the ground, avoiding Estelle's gaze and speaking with utter shame in his voice. "After he took his own life, the inhabitants were without a party towards whom they could direct their ire. Until His Lordship arrived along with the Crusader and the Highwayman, that is. Ever since then, he and all those who associate with him have been tolerated at the best of time and shunned at worst. It actually used to be a lot worse, when the locals would pelt His Lordship and his hires with rotten produce. I suppose the past year's progress in pacifying the region, however slow it may be, has accounted for something."
Estelle wanted to press further and find out what exactly the previous lord did, but hearing the pain in Alfred's voice made her think twice about the idea. Since she was stuck in the Hamlet for the next little while, there would be other chances to find out.
"Is there anything else you would like to ask? If not, I shall attend to my duties." Alfred moved one of his hands and gestured at the rake at his feet.
"One more thing, actually," Estelle said. "Why are you covering your mouth?"
"I suppose it was inevitable that someone would ask that question sooner or later." Alfred then dropped his hands to his side, revealing a huge toothy grin that stretched his mouth to its physical limit.
"I'm broken, Bracer. Broken beyond belief by the horrors I have witnessed over the decades. This is why my mouth is contorted to its present shape, even here where such a smile is seen as the pinnacle of disrespect," Alfred's voice quaked as he slowly reached down for his rake. "I'm afraid our conversation is at an end. I must attend to my duties."
Estelle nodded at Alfred and turned away, allowing him to begin raking away the dried leaves that littered the graveyard. She walked over to the section Alfred pointed out and scanned the headstones. They were all fairly simple: a person's name, their occupation, as well as when and where they met their end. Estelle found it surprising that none of the headstones listed a birth date, another curiosity of the Hamlet. None of them had flowers or any gifts laid in front either. Martyrs, unmourned and unremembered.
Estelle stood silently, taking some time to reflect on the close calls she and Joshua had experienced as well as her encounter with the Collector. Contemplating mortality wasn't on her list of favorite activities, but it helped to keep her grounded and humble.
Tomorrow isn't guaranteed, but it's not out of reach either. This is why I gotta keep practicing and fighting, so I can last long enough in this place to see Joshua again and find a way home, Estelle thought as she slowly got down on her knees, putting her hands flatly on her lap.
She thought about what Alfred had told her, about how the people were plagued with death and misfortune for so long that they just broke. Even then, they are still trying to eke out an existence here. They gotta be pretty hardy to survive in a place like this. Seems like Mr. Heir is trying to do some good here too, according to Alfred, even if they don't appreciate him that much. I gotta pull my weight as the only Bracer here.
"Hey everyone, I'm not the best at speeches, just came here to say hi. Mr. Heir told me about you guys. I don't know any of you, how you came here, your hopes and dreams, or even how you died. I just know this: you all gave your lives trying to protect this Hamlet and make it a better place." Estelle addressed the headstones in front of her in a gentle hushed tone, pausing to look at the sky before continuing. "As the sole representative of the Bracer Guild, I promise I'll do my best to help keep the people here safe. I'm sure all of you would have made good Bracers too."
Estelle got up and made her way out of the graveyard, crossing paths with Alfred once more. He paused his raking and turned towards Estelle.
"You're one of the few people to visit them since they were first buried. Thank you," he said, and Estelle politely nodded back as she went on her way.
There's something that's bugging me. He said he's witnessed a whole lot of horrors, death, and misery over the decades, Estelle thought as she wandered the Hamlet some more. He's the family caretaker, so couldn't he have done anything about it?
The week passed by quickly, with Estelle either continuing to make her rounds around the Hamlet or training with her staff. The locals began to tolerate her presence and no longer hurry out of her way, and she started to train at the Guildhouse instead of outside after Reynauld pointed out that she was free to make use of its facilities as well. At the end of the week, the Heir told her she was being sent on another expedition.
Just like with the Ruins, the team and the Heir assembled at the tavern, enjoying a meal together before they had to depart. Aside from the Heir, the faces were all new. The first to greet Estelle was Junia the Vestal. Her hair and everything above her nose were obscured by the hooded habit she wore, and the habit itself had armor on top for extra protection.
"You must be Estelle. Reynauld told me about your exploits in the Ruins and your run-in with the Collector. I am blessed to take on this holy quest by your side," she said.
Margaret the musketeer was the second person in the group. Her long red hair was wrapped up in a neat bun, and she wore a tricorn hat studded with a large feather, expensive-looking leathers that seemed tailor-made for rugged conditions, and knee-high boots. Her equipment, including cartridges, dressings, a blunderbuss carbine, and at least two pistols, were carried in a system of pouches and belts that reminded Estelle of a more primitive version of a Liberlian soldier's webbing gear. Her primary weapon, a musket, leaned against the table.
She tipped her hat with a finger. "Good morrow to you all. I look forward to undertake this glorious safari with such bold companions."
Tardif the bounty hunter was the final member of the team. He was a man of few words, tall and solid and radiating an aura of dormant violence, like a sleeping bear. He was entirely covered with leather armor, reinforced with metal plates, except for his head; there he wore a fearsome helmet with dark, narrow eye slots. The only visible part of his body was his chiseled, scarred chin. An axe was slung on his back while a long coil of rope with a sharp hook at the end was slung on his belt. The only word he said before tearing into his food was a terse "Hey."
"The Hamlet will be hosting a conference for delegates who specialize in caring for ailments of both body and mind, and I believe it would be prudent for us to provide them with our own medicines to help supplement their equipment," the Heir began. "However, supplies in general are hard to come by in the Hamlet, what with the old road infested by brigands and the sea plagued by the pelagic horrors. Which is why you are here."
The Heir then produced a map of the region and pointed at a forested area close to the old road. "This portion of the Weald has swallowed up several caravans, some of them originally scheduled to deliver valuable medicine. Retrieve three shipments, and we shall have ourselves a successful Caregivers Convention." He then picked up a box he brought with him and put it on the table, nudging several plates aside to make space. "This is an example of what the medicine shipment looks like, so identifying them would not be too much trouble."
Estelle made sure to jot down the details of the mission and the description of the shipment in her Bracer notebook. She caught the others, even the Heir, staring at the pencil she was writing with. Do they seriously not have pencils? What, they write with quills or something?
Estelle spoke to the rest her team after getting the details of the mission and decided to return to the barracks and set up her orbment to be more physically-oriented. Out came the quartz that offered healing abilities, replaced with ones that would enhance her strength, speed, and durability to make her much more effective at the front. Satisfied with her set up, Estelle said a quick prayer to Aidios before meeting up with the others to pick up supplies and head out.
The group followed the old road for a bit before venturing down a side path. The Weald felt even thicker and more oppressive than the old road, and it felt worse the further Estelle and the others went in. The thickness of the canopy choked out any sunlight that managed to get past the perpetual cloud cover and the gloom seemed almost tangible, as though invisible walls of darkness were pressing in on them from all sides. The path felt more like a subterranean tunnel and a torch was lit to help guide the group along. As they walked deeper into the twisted forest, Estelle noticed all manner of toxic-looking mushrooms infesting the trees.
"Hey guys, what's with all the mushrooms?" Estelle asked. "I've never seen them grow this big before."
"This is the foul power of witchcraft. A Hag rules these lands, supported by her coven," Junia replied. "They used their dark arts to twist the humble fungus into monstrous sizes and forms. The mere thought of those creatures disgusts me, and you shall see why soon."
"The hag is a splendid prize and an excellent opportunity to put my skill on display, if I do say so myself," Margaret quipped. "I shall petition my gracious host to put me on the next expedition to hunt her down."
"Been itching for some sweet vengeance myself. Last time didn't go so well," Tardif said. "I can still feel the burns from that damned pot."
The group found their first medicine shipment with little trouble. Junia cracked open the box to made sure the medicine was still in good condition, a finding confirmed by Margaret. Satisfied with the state of their prize, the group took the box with them.
"Junia, you said the Hag lives here with her coven, right?" Estelle asked as they walked along. "How come they didn't take the drugs for themselves? This place doesn't seem very friendly."
"They have no need for medicine when they have their own herbal concoctions," Junia explained. "The Weald was twisted according to their will, so this land is far more hospitable to them than it is to us."
"My enthusiasm for the eventual Hag hunt has reached new heights. What a thrill, weaving through the Weald at night in darkness and silence. Firing the killing shot at the unsuspecting foe when she is most tranquil," Margaret said. "But I digress, for I have made enough noise, and no plan ever stays intact when encountering the enemy."
This is just great. Margaret reminds me of Olivier if he only loved guns and hunting. Estelle had a bemused look on her face as she walked at the front of the group. Behind her, she heard Tardif snorting, probably in reaction to Margaret's attempt at poetry.
"Everyone, halt," Margaret suddenly called out, a sense of urgency in her voice, and the others quickly complied. Along with everyone else, Estelle listened and looked with bated breath. She could hear the distant sounds of a battle; inhuman groans mixed with the sounds of steel striking flesh. There was also a putrid stench in the air, most likely rotting bodies.
"Proceed slowly and silently, and observe the fight," Margaret suggested, and they slowly crept forward until they reached what appeared to be the edge of a clearing, with the smell getting worse as they got closer. Estelle saw some of the sword wielding skeletons from the Ruins collapsing to the ground, covered in blight that was slowly dissolving their bones with a sickening sizzle. The remains, a toxic slurry with an acrid smell that stung her nose and throat, was already being swallowed up by the corrupted earth. Only a few body parts remained, like the skeletal hand of a bone courtier still clutching its empty goblet. Their victorious opponents were four enemies she had never seen before.
Two of them stood upright and resembled human beings, albeit with necrotic flesh and giant mushrooms growing where their heads should have been. The other two clearly had human limbs and heads, however rotten they may be, but instead of walking they crawled about like spiders. Each had a fleshy, pulsating dome growing on their upturned abdomen, surrounded by an infestation of smaller mushrooms. Upon closer inspection, Estelle saw holes on the domes which dripped with some sickly yellow ichor. She was grossed out just by looking at them and realized where the smell had come from.
"Take out that crawler first," Tardif whispered to Margaret, who wordlessly acknowledged him by going prone, taking aim with her musket, and cocking the weapon. Tardif then turned towards the others and instructed them to get low then did the same.
"Tally ho," Margaret quipped before firing. Her shot struck the over-pressured spore sac of one of the crawling corpses. The distended dome exploded with a dry pop, obliterating its host body and sending out a noxious cloud of spores.
"Come on, you bastards!" Tardif stood up and waved his axe at the enemy, trying to lure them out of the cloud.
The other fungus-infested humans reacted quickly to the ambush. Gurgling groans came from the standing corpses as they shambled towards the adventurers while the crawling corpse remained stationary. The distended spore sac that dominated its torso contracted, violently pushing out a fungal projectile which sailed through the air and struck Tardif square on the chest. The standing corpses immediately turned their attention towards the bounty hunter and shambled a little faster.
Estelle jumped up and brought her staff down hard on one the walking dead, flattening the mushroom that sat on top of its shoulders. The creature lunged forward to grab Estelle's weapon, but she deftly countered with a jab which must have cracked its sternum.
That thing should already be dead! Estelle thought as she sidestepped the creature's clumsy strikes with ease. A few blows of her own later, and it was down for the count. She looked over to check on Tardif and saw him finishing hacking away at the skull of the other walking corpse with his axe. He then threw his chained hook at the crawling corpse, latching onto the spore sac.
"Come hither," Tardif growled as he yanked hard, throwing the creature off balance and dragging it towards him and Estelle. She seized the opportunity and smashed away at it with her staff until it stopped twitching. Estelle stepped back, gagging at the cloud of spores she'd created, and looked around to check to make sure the other enemies were definitely dead. When none of them stirred, she let out a sigh of relief.
With the skirmish over, Estelle fought the rising bile in her throat as she examined the corpses more closely, trying her best to ignore the nauseating smell of cadavers.
"Junia, are those the mushroom creatures you told me about? The ones that the witches are responsible for?" Estelle asked.
"Indeed they are. I do not know precisely how they achieve it, but they manipulate the fungus to suit their will and use them to control corpses. These monstrosities are the result," Junia replied. "May the poor souls finally find peace."
"Poor souls? Wait, you don't mean these dead bodies are…" Estelle trailed off, horrified realization dawning on her.
"Unfortunate travelers, former inhabitants of the Hamlet, and generally people who found themselves at the wrong place at the most inopportune time. They became nothing but slaves to will of the Hag and her dark coven," Junia said sadly. "The only thing we could do is to free them from this torment."
Estelle said nothing and tightened her grip on her staff, her urge to vomit growing stronger by the second. She tried to avert her gaze from the grisly sight in front of her by looking up, only to be greeted by another disgusting scene. Several hands and feet, some of them freshly severed, hung from the desiccated tree branches like grotesque ornaments. Overgrown flies buzzed about the dangling limbs, feasting and fattening themselves on the morbid morsels. She yelped as she pointed at them, prompting the other three adventurers to look up.
"Oh, those? That's how the witches mark territory," Tardif said nonchalantly as he checked the bodies for loot. "As for the rest of them, let's just say the witches aren't short on meat."
Estelle looked down and closed her eyes, both of her hands gripping her staff tightly enough that the fabric of her gloves started to creak. She had dealt with the occasional murder before, plus she and Joshua had helped Crossbell Police storm one of the last remaining strongholds of a devil-worshipping cult which experimented on (and murdered) children, but she had never seen criminals treat their fellow man so cruelly that not even death was an escape. Her disgust and nausea were gone, replaced by a righteous rage against those who were responsible for the terrible deeds.
"Estelle?" Estelle heard Margaret calling out to her, along with Junia administering last rites in the background. She slowly opened her eyes and stared at Margaret.
"I understand now, why everyone back the Hamlet are so afraid of stepping outside," Estelle said through gritted teeth, growing louder with each word. "Getting murdered, and then either cut up for meat or turned into fleshy puppets? Those poor innocent people didn't deserve any of this! All of you, do me a favor and point out witches when we see them! I'll make them pay! I'll make them all pay! Especially that Hag!"
"And pay they shall, but the grand hunt can wait for another day. The Caregiver Convention and, in turn, the Hamlet's sick and wounded depend on our success in this mission." Margaret said.
"Yeah, you're right. Let's go then," Estelle said, setting off briskly with the other three adventurers in tow, her own steps heavy with renewed purpose.
The group spent what at least four more days combing the Weald for medicine and treasure, fighting off rabid wolves and more fungal corpses along the way. Along the way, they finally found a third shipment and slew the rabid wolves that had made their nest around the box. Both Estelle and Tardif had been bitten during the fight, but Junia was always quick in laying hands on the wounds and healing them with the power of the Light. When pressed by Estelle for answers, Junia simply replied "The Light's miracles shine on the righteous in the heat of battle."
Guess her healing powers means I won't have to use any healing Arts., Estelle thought.
"We have found the medicines we need, so let us head back to the Hamlet," Junia said.
"I agree with Junia's assessment," Margaret said. "We have accomplished our goals but exhausted our firewood and most of our food supplies. There is little point in us remaining here."
The group nodded in agreement and headed back to the Hamlet, leaving the corrupted Wealds behind.
"Hey Junia, looks like something's bugging you. What's up?" Estelle asked as the group walked along the old road back to the Hamlet.
"Do you recall your first encounter with the fungal scratchers and artillery? How there had been a battle beforehand?" Junia asked. "While I have seen skeletons outside the Ruins before, it had always been bone rabble – the ones wielding cudgels and never the soldiers or courtiers. This is a troubling portent."
"I'm no expert in skeleton behavior, but I'll take your word for it if you think it's a bad sign or something like that. Guess that's one more thing we need to tell Mr. Heir when we get back,." Estelle said.
"Indeed." Junia nodded and the group fell silent as the Hamlet came into view, eager to deliver their findings and get some rest.
Hamlet
The Heir had been trying to organize the Caregivers Convention for months, working every connection at his disposal to market the Hamlet as a safe and suitable location for healers to come and practice their craft and in turn restore a little trust in the Heir's authority among the populace. Even if they wouldn't be a permanent fixture, the healers could at least return to their homes with good news about the state of the Hamlet and convince more people to settle there. After innumerable letters showcasing his progress in cleansing the nearby lands and securing the old road, the Church and the Guild of Doctors had finally relented and agreed to hold a joint convention at the Hamlet.
A day after the Bracer and her companions returned with the much-needed medicines, delegations from settlements both near and far arrived in droves. The sounds of excited chatter filled the Hamlet as healers traded knowledge of their craft, and the tavern teemed with life in the form of convention attendees who needed to dine and unwind. The Hamlet's population eagerly took advantage of the temporary influx of healers and flooded the sanitarium, hoping to find cures and remedies that were not regularly available in the Hamlet. The attendees were more than happy to oblige their needs, seeing endless opportunities to put their knowledge to the test.
For the first time in years, the Hamlet's streets were filled with something resembling good cheer. Seeing his work finally yield visible dividends for the first time since his arrival, the Heir went to the tavern to have some wine in celebration. The noise of people in varying degrees of inebriation filled his ears as he opened the door. Every table had been filled with healers of all ages and calibers enjoying their meals and drink, peddling their medical treatises to each other. Smoke of both the tobacco and herbal varieties filled the air as fierce, yet good-natured, debates raged about the benefits and hazards of both. The sole exception to the festive mood was Paracelsus at the bar, skulking and staring into her glass.
She's probably just tired or something. I'll ask her about it later, The Heir shrugged and ordered a glass of wine. It arrived promptly, and he slowly savored his drink. He thought back to what Junia and the others had told him about the skeletons after their return from the Weald and began to wonder if they were sent as a scouting party for something. Still, lacking any other information, he wasn't able to come to any conclusions.
Perhaps future expeditions will reveal more clues about this matter, if it actually is something significant, the Heir thought as he paid for his drink and stepped out. As he made his way around the Hamlet, he noticed more than a few people were beginning to greet him instead of scurrying out of his way, and the same courtesy was extended to the adventurers he had hired.
"A trifling victory…" The Heir jolted and turned around, seeing Ambrosius with a softened expression on his translucent face. "…but a victory nonetheless."
"Pardon me, but suddenly appearing behind and giving me a fright is not the behavior of polite company," The Heir grumbled.
"My apologies. It has been some time since I was among the living. I am merely visiting to congratulate you on your progress. I see something long-absent in the sunken faces of passersby - a glimmer of hope. I shall take my leave now, and not despoil your sense of satisfaction," Ambrosius said before fading away.
"Wait! I have more questions!" the Heir cried out before sighing in resignation. "Alack, what a strange man. Despicable in life, and elusive in death."
The Heir then made his way back to his office, plans for the next expedition forming in his mind. He walked past Estelle chatting excitedly with Reynauld.
"Seeing something like this and knowing I helped it happen is why I'm proud to be a Bracer…" Estelle's voice trailed off as the Heir walked out of earshot.
Indeed, and my noble crusade is finally bearing fruit. You and the others will continue to play a crucial role in the days to come.