Chapter 16 Graveyard Shift

"You know about the ground that we're camped on, right?" Anna grinned as she looked at Cynthia and Owain. The two looked at each other and then looked up at the merchant. Tharja rolled her eyes but lifted her hands to the fire to keep warm.

It was their turn to keep watch of the borders from sundown to the morning. Of course Anna and Tharja offered to be the first to watch while the two went to sleep but Anna couldn't possibly resist.

"What do you mean?" Cynthia asked with a blank expression on her face. "Was there something here?"

"A creature?" Owain guessed loudly only to be hushed by Cynthia. "Has it been slain? If not, I shall slay it and keep its head as a trophy!"

Cynthia frowned, "That's really gross, Owain, why would you want a head of a dead creature?"

"It's a waste if you just let it rot." Tharja agreed, "But if you take the hair, the eyes, brain, tongue and maybe the teeth? You should have a working hex, or maybe a good poison." Tharja gave them a toothy grin which made them gulp.

Anna lifted her brows and then knit them together with concern. "You mean you don't know? Chrom didn't tell you? This could be worrisome."

"Chrom didn't tell us, what?" Cynthia leaned towards the fire for the warmth. Owain reached for his water and took a small sip of it and then looked at the merchant intently.

"We're camped right above an ancient graveyard." Anna told them, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Owain spat his water into the fire and it sizzled, protesting the moisture. Cynthia felt her face pale her hand quickly grabbing her lance. Tharja crossed her arms and then looked at Anna, a small smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"G-ghosts?" Cynthia stammered and then shook her head. "They don't exist." She looked at Owain for reassurance and Owain was quick to give it. He nodded quickly and gulped.

"Right? They don't."

Tharja's smirk turned toothy and the flames casted eerie shadows on her face. "But don't they? How many times have you heard a twig snap and there was nothing there? Or hear something shatter when there was no one near it?"

"It's the wind, or small animals." Owain stated, firmly and then gulped. "Nothing more."

Anna chuckled darkly. "Or it could be a sprit. The graveyard we're camped above doesn't have many vengeful spirits. So we don't have much to worry about." She heard the two breathe a sigh of relief and then continued. "But there is one in particular that we need to look out for and that's the Headless Ripper"

Cynthia and Owain quickly shot back up at attention again. Cynthia cleared her throat nervously. "I-I don't think I want to know. Maybe we should go to sleep first." She feebly suggested. But it was quickly pushed aside.

"But if you go to sleep, and we go patrol, the Ripper might come and you won't know how to protect yourself from him." Tharja explained. "He's an efficient killer; what he does is while you sleep he-"

"I don't want to know!" Cynthia plugged her ears and wildly shook her head.

"My sword hand twitches! He will die by my hand. Don't worry Cynthia, I will protect us both!" Owain said with as much confidence as he could muster, which didn't seem like a whole lot since his voice was shaking slightly.

"Sp-speak for yourself! I will kill it and become the hero!" Cynthia unplugged her ears and gripped her weapon.

"Ah, but the tale says that if you kill the Headless Ripper with a blade-" Anna paused for a moment. "Then you become the Ripper."

The two stared at her, wide eyed. "What? Then how are we to defeat it? What if he goes into the camp?" Cynthia exclaimed, her eyes widening. "They're in danger! We have to tell them!"

"Hold on, Cynthia." Anna motioned her to sit. "We don't want people to panic. We'll warn the others once we see him. He's a slow walker. When he comes, run to the camp."

"There isn't a way to totally defeat it, but if you hear a thumping or a crunching sound, hold your breath and close your eyes. He'll think you're dead and he'll pass by." Tharja told them. "But if you don't, it's said that he has glowing red eyes, and a head that's half rotten to the skull. He has a wide grin on his face, and all his victims, he carves the same grin on theirs."

Anna turned to Tharja, "He was also a serial killer who butchered villages. He was beheaded."

Tharja nodded. Then something happened. The Dark Mage inhaled sharply, her hand gripping her spell book tightly. "He's here." Her eyes narrowed.

"What?" Cynthia and Owain's heads whirled from one direction to the next until they saw a tall dark figure walking slowly towards them, grunting.

Anna stood and gripped her blade. "You two, quickly, warn the others. We'll fight him!"

"But you'll turn into the Ripper!" Desperate concern filled Owain's features. "You can't do anything, you said so yourself!"

"We can hold him off, now go!" Tharja snapped at both of them, her hands burning with a dark flame. She shot it forward and a loud groan was the last thing Cynthia and Owain heard before they bolted towards the camp.

Moments later the figure slowly approached them. "What on earth was that for? That hit me in the gut! As if trying to get here wasn't hard enough, you had to throw something at me." Stahl frowned, emerging from the forest.

"Where are Cynthia and Owain? I thought they were supposed to be on patrol duty tonight." He looked at where the two had left their packs and then handed the two women a bowl of fruit. His brow was raised. "Don't tell me you told them about the Headless Ripper, did you?"

Anna's grin widened just as the sound of deafening shouts rang out from the camp.

Author's note

Hiya guys! Thanks for reading so far! I really hope you've enjoyed yourself!

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Till next time!