“Another disappearance, a young girl, stolen from her home. The abductor was wounded by a guard and blood was left at the scene. Finally, something we can use to track these bastards.”

Investigation journal of “Scarlet Justice”

Chapter 76

It had started so gradually that Wil hadn’t even noticed at first. He had mistaken it for the wind, so softly did the voice whisper in his ear that it was as quiet as rustling leaves on a tree.

It was only after the voice grew louder, a distant murmur in the back of his mind, that he remembered that there was no breeze in Aachen, with its tall walls, and all the trees here had died years before. Something was terribly wrong on the streets of the city.

They were all gathered in a loose grouping. Over forty strong, all prepared and experienced, ready to explore Aachen and fight the undead. Garman was leading the group, cursing on everything in sight, while the rest followed along behind, speaking amongst each other.

Some were making plans for the month, which buildings they would explore, how they would split their earnings or tactics they could use against the undead. Wil even overheard a couple of them discussing their evening plans, drinks at the common room followed by more…discrete… activities.

Overall, the group was relaxed as the tour of the city was coming to an end. Wil planned to talk to some of the others around him this evening and try to find a group to join. It wouldn’t be wise for him to come into Aachen alone.

While Wil walked behind Garman, thinking about his plans, he saw the older man suddenly stop and spin around to the group.

“Oi! Where are you nitwits off to!” He yelled, before moving towards the back of the group. He pushed and shoved his way through the crowd in his hurry, knocking several people off balance in his rush to get pass them.

Startled, Wil turned to look as well, aware that anything that could concern Garman was a likely to be a threat.

Several of their companions had split off and were approaching the buildings lining the road. One of them, a shorter cleric, dressed in chainmail with a mace hanging from his belt and a large symbol of Primaris on his chest, spun around as Garman clapped his large hand on his shoulder.

“What?” The cleric asked, confused at why Garman was stopping him.

“Where are you going, stupid?” Garman asked, speaking slowly so the dazed cleric could understand.

“What do you mean? The Bishop has asked me to go into that building.” He said, pointing at the dark doorway ahead. “There are children inside, they need my help! I can hear them calling for me!” The cleric started to scream, become more agitated with every word as he tried to run forwards. Garman’s iron grip was the only thing keeping him from entering.

Garman didn’t even bother to wrestle with the young cleric. Balling up his hand into a fist, he hit him in the side of the head, knocking him onto the ground. The cleric held his hand up to his face, looking up at the large warrior.

“Why did you hit me? I was just walking in the street, like you asked!” The cleric said, confused at the older man’s actions. Garman simply pointed at the door he was about to enter.

“That look like the road, shit heel?” Garman asked, before walking past him to chase after another of their group who was about to step into a building.

Garman dashed forward and tackled the young woman before she could take the last step. Like the cleric, she was screaming about needing to enter.

“Watch each other’s backs! Don’t let anyone out of your god’s damned sight! The bloody undead are trying to lure you in!” He said while he wrestled with the woman. She was flailing wildly, screaming about needing to rescue her father.

Losing patience, he headbutted the woman, knocking her back onto the ground. Like the cleric, she was confused as to why Garman was pinning her down.

Looking around, Wil could see that at least a half dozen more people were walking towards the buildings.

“Don’t worry mom, I’m coming to help!” One young man yelled, throwing down his shield in his hurry to enter. The dark doorway was at the end of a flight of steps and the warrior was taking them two at a time.

“Tom? Is that you? Why aren’t you coming out? Okay…stay there I’m coming!” He heard the tall, spear wielding woman say, before she dashed into the open doorway of a two-story building. Wil noticed a worn sign over the entrance, with a picture of a cauldron on the front.

It was too late for him to stop the woman from entering, but he could save some of the others. Channeling his mana, he dashed forward, the mercury like mana rushed through his veins as his power responded to his need.

“Misty Step!” He shouted, his vision turning white as he reappeared just as his companion had one foot in the doorway. With a loud crash, he slammed into him, taking both of them down the flight of steps and crashing heavily on the dusty street.

Gasping for breath from the awkward landing, Wil slowly rolled on his side, his gaze drifting to the open doorway. The whispers at the edge of his hearing grew more intense, he could almost make of the words if he concentrated a little harder.

Climbing slowly to his feet, he cocked his head to the side in order to better hear the voice.

“Wil?” A woman called out from the doorway. “Wil, is that you?”

He recognized who the voice belonged to, it was someone he hadn’t seen in months. The last time they seen each other, it hadn’t gone well. He didn’t have an opportunity to dwell on it with everything that had happened since he left the capital.

“April?” He asked, concentrating on the doorway in order to see in the dim light.

“April!” He called out again. He hadn’t seen her since the academy, when he had insulted her brother. She hadn’t been happy with him, and he couldn’t really blame her. The last few months of his time there he hadn’t been happy with himself either.

“Wil, I’m so glad you’re here!” April said, and Wil could see her in the doorway, standing just at the edge of the dim light.

She looked just as he had seen her last, long, dark hair hanging nearly to her waist. She was even wearing a beautiful and elegant, light pink dress. He didn’t think that it was odd at all for her to be so well dressed in a place like this.

Of course she was here, she belonged here, just like he did.

“April! I can’t believe you’re here! I wanted to apologize for how I acted when we last met. I’ve been a… well, I’ve been an ass.” He said, standing upright and walking towards the open door.

He could see that she was smiling at his apology, holding a hand up and beckoning him to enter.

“It’s alright Wil, I understand. Come inside and we can talk about it. Everything is going to be fine.” She said, urging him forward. Without a thought, he had climbed the stairs and entered the doorway.

Standing on the edge of the sunlight, he reached forward to grab her hand.

“I’m sorry for everything. It was never about you, I just wanted to make Father angry. It was all my fault, how I behaved, breaking the engagement, I’m so sorry.” He said, staring into her hazel eyes. She smiled as she stepped towards him, her teeth white in the dim light.

“It’s ok, everything is going to be fine. You’re here with me now.” She whispered as she stood in front of him.

She leaned forward, her red lips parted and ready to be kissed. He could smell a sweetness from her, not her usual perfume that he remembered, but a scent that was on the edge of his consciousness.

He leaned forward, ready to kiss her ruby red lips, their faces only inches apart.

“Wil!” A woman’s voice screamed out in the distance.

He moved back abruptly, the sudden noise startling him upright. Like waking from a dream, his eyes snapped back into focus, and he took in the room around him, and the beautiful woman who had once been his fiancé.

Rather than a heart shaped face framed by flowing dark hair and shining hazel eyes, he was face to face with a creature from a nightmare.