Spirited Away

Alric’s heart raced with a mixture of excitement and anxiety churning in the pit of his stomach. This would be his first time actively exploring the world of Terrasphere after dark and in a new location no less. During his travels over the past few weeks he had heard stories of a city toward the northern border of Falderen know as Stokbon. The bustling metropolis served as the nation's capital and a central hub for people of all kinds. In contrast to the small villages and similar settlements he had grown accustomed to the city would serve as a nice change of pace.

---

“Out of the way!”

A man decked out in a suit of shining white armor yelled as he pushed the boy aside and carried on with his party of underlings following close behind. Not even five minutes past the gate and he was already getting a taste of urban life. Well, it wasn't something he wasn't already used given that he lived in a city in the real world too. For now Alric's would just have to deal with it.

Walking around probed to be a good way to see what the place had to offer. Tons of bars, theatres, inns, shops, and restaurants littered the stone-paved roads on both sides. If you could think of something you wanted, it could probably be found here in Stokbon. All the commotion was making the young swordsman tired though, so stopping at one of the bars seemed like a good idea.

The interior was illuminated by candles that were mounted on the walls and fireplace located toward the back of the building. Overall it felt pretty cozy and somewhat out of place given the rest of the setting. Surprisingly it wasn't very busy, but given how late it was that actually made sense. Alric strolled over to the counter where a lone man stood on the opposite side, wiping down a glass with an old looking rag.

“Hey stranger; haven't seen you around these parts before. The name’s Horace. What can I get for you?”

Smiling at the man the boy brought a hand up to his chin to think the question over before answering.

“I'll have a strong one today, Horace.”

 

"A strong one!" A voice carried by an intoxicating scent of perfume wafted toward the 'boy.' A saccharine smile shot towards the loner as he sat, her feminine legs crossing into the seat next to him as she swayed her hips to sit down. Getting comfortable, lithe fingers moved across the arm of the traveler, "I'll have what he is having, and..." she smirked with those red, full lips of her, "...put it on his tab." Giving a dazzling smile, the woman found opportunity in younger males who seemed to be new to her wild and wicked ways. He had never heard of her, nor had ever seen her before in his life making this the perfect time to move and exploit the poor boy.

Teasing his arm with his fingers, she slowly let them drift away, leaving only the touch to linger on the back of his hand for a moment before the warmth vanished completely. She sat up straight, brushing away the long silk hair from her face, a veil of purple swept away by her curling fingers as her smile never seemed to leave the disguise of a won opportunity to waiver. She let out a soft moan and turned more towards him, an arm curling and bending to keep her head aloft while waiting for her soon to be paid drink. Her eyes drove into his own, looking him up and down for a moment before her lips parted as she let out a wave of giggles.

"You must be new around here, huh? I haven't seen you around and I get around pretty much all over this place. Ya know, if you got some coin to spare..." She leaned in towards him, her warm breath escaping with the scent of her perfume from around her body hugging her like an aura of seduction. Once more her thin hand and fingers came down on his hand slowly sweeping circles over his knuckles, "I can make your night here a pretty entertaining one. I have a room set up already." She bit down on her lower lip, her body now inches away from the boy before her lips were pressed to his ear and whispering softly, "I can make all the woes of your day disappear in a flash..." a hand on his thigh now as she dragged sharp nails over his pant's leg. A small giggle, low with seduction set out to target his senses.

However, the boy would be too overwhelmed at the moment by the feeling of her hand. Secretly however, the woman was attempting to pick his pockets of any loose coin that might be worth keeping.

 

What… What was even happening? In a matter of minutes what was supposed to be just a brief moment of respite had turned into something else entirely. The hell was this woman’s problem? The question played over and over in Alric’s mind as she relentlessly invaded his personal space. It felt like he wanted to scream but while glancing over at Horace the barkeep only shook his head at the boy as he went to prepare their orders. He was on his it seemed with a rush of conflicting emotions swelling as she spoke of things he was way too inexperienced with to understand fully.

“Y-Y-Yes I'm new and I-I can get you a drink, but I've never been with a prostitute before! B-Besides, I d-don't have a lot of money anyway! ” Stammering without really thinking, Alric scooted over to another seat to try and place some distance between himself and the strange woman. His breathing was somewhat ragged now, despite not actually doing anything physically taxing. What a night this was turning into…

---

Thankfully Horace decided to step in, clearing his throat loudly to get their attention as he set the drinks down on the counter. “Ah, if only I was as young as you two kids again. Let me tell you I used to be quite the catch in my youth.” The man stated as he stroked his gray beard; a nostalgic expression now plastered across his face. The swordsman wasn't sure exactly whose side he was on here, but took his drink anyway after forking over what little gold he had to cover the both of them. Without coming up for air he just chugged so he wouldn't have to comment on anything that was happening for a little while longer.

When the glass was empty and his composure had mostly returned he was finally able to confront the purple-haired seductress with a renewed spirit.

“You know, you there are ways to get money other than begging, right…?”

 

A laugh as sweet as honey boomed from the maiden when she was called a 'Prostitute' as loud as anyone else could possibly have heard the word. The woman and her intoxicating perfume seemed to move and dance around her body, even the boy seemed to be squeamish letting her know full well ahead of time he was a little wet under the ears for this sort of thing. Never been with a prostitute, but drinking heavy drinks. The woman closed her mouth, still smiling even as he evaded her sweeping hand and taking his drink.

Vivian was not someone who would let a prize go so easily. Even if he had very little money, she would squeeze it all out of him one way or another. But there was a grim idea that this boy was just that. A boy without a coin to his name and barely able to pay for the drinks. Despite being as poor as he said he was, he still paid for her drink. Vivian stood, her hard body now taking a step forward into the seat next to him, "Vivian." She introduced herself, no hand gestures or any crazy, seductive movements to keep his eyes lingering on her. Just a name for now.

"It is too bad though. If you had some extra coin..." the woman once again had her eyes on him, breathing out almost a whisper, "you could call me anything you want..." With the glass in hand, she took the contents and drank from it quenching much of her thirst. She moaned lightly at the dark, sweet taste rolling over her tongue from the alcoholic beverage. A trail of the contents had dripped onto her finger. Curving it slightly, she placed her finger in her mouth, tongue once more rolling over the digit and savoring the taste in her mouth.

"Ahh! Cold and refreshing," her voice seeping with sweet honey as she spoke. "Well, you were kind enough to buy me a drink. But it seems your funds are very little and I am a woman of high status, or I should be. There isn't much to go around here..." she said gesturing to the rest of the bar it seemed. Her eyes were on the swordsman and her eyes twinkled once more, "An Adventurer? She asked, her finger rolling over the edge of the glass as she played with it.

"You never gave me your name." She had ignored his comment on other ways to get money besides begging. That is not what did she, she would not BEG for money. It would simply be given or taken. Once more she was getting close and intimate with him, she enjoyed frisking the freshness of these new boys that came in, even if she was slightly older, the fantasies these young men had were all the same. No one could resist her and one way or another, she could get what she wanted. No doubt.

 

“Alric. Alric Stalwart.”

Honestly he wanted to keep this interaction short if possible. Coming to Stokbon on his own was starting to seem like a poor lapse in judgement to the swordsman and the longer he sat here in the tavern the longer he regretted the choice. Glancing over at Horace the man still seemed to be wrapped up in his daydream, but if they were just going to talk for now Alric wouldn't mind so much. He was still new after all. With that in mind any connections he could form would be beneficial in the grand scheme of things.

“I am an adventurer, yes. But I've barely seen anything in this world aside from the few villages there are in the north. I don't have any money to waste because if I just throw it away I won't be able to support myself.”

At that moment the bartender finally pushed his thoughts away to rejoin their conversation with renewed interest. “You know,” Horace started. “If you kids are looking to make some extra gold I might just know of something you'd be interested in. There's a mansion toward the center of the city owned by the d’Reagan noble family. Rumor has it there’ll reward anyone who can help them with some problem they’ve been having with the estate. Why not go ask them yourselves? You can't miss it.”

This was just the kind of breakthrough Alric needed. Now he could forget all about this and go take on an actual task to for the good of the city. He wasn't sure what Vivian was going to do with this information but that wasn't really his problem anymore. “Well, see ya!” He said while jumping up from his seat. With a wave he started a swift walk toward the door and a new adventure. Now he just had to figure out how to actually get there as Horace didn't seem to be the best with directions.

 

"Alric. Nice to meet you." She said with her hand wrapped around the cold glass of alcohol. She savored each drop as she drank it slowly, her tongue absorbing all that flavor in her mouth as she licked her lips. Alric's mind seemed to be elsewhere at the moment but he eventually replied although he seemed very green to everything just as she was.

Vivian leaned away from the poor boy and tended to her beverage. Her eyes wandering towards the young swordsman who occupied the seat next to her. It was then that Horace butted in between. Hands on the table and her fingers weaving into themselves, she listened to the small bread crumb of information that was passed out by the NPC. With a slight raise of her brows the woman looked to Alric just as she was about to speak.

Mere moments passed from the given information and the adventurer was out the door. "Well shit." The woman stood up and took in mouthful after mouthful of the brew swallowing the contents in one go before running out of the establishment. When Alric had ran out Vivian thought she would not find him among the crowd of people loitering about. This was a great chance perhaps to swindle some fine china from a rich family. Who knows? But she would need a decoy and that decoy was Alric. "Bingo." she said to herself as she moved towards the boy once again.

Her hips swayed with her movement as she smiled and brought hot breath towards his neck, "The Mansion is at the center of town. Why don't we pair up and see what we can do for them, hmm? I am sure with our combined skills we could come up with some extra gold to line our pockets and perhaps a little bit of something else!" her hands were on his shoulder before rolling off them. She stood in front of him, her eyes wide with interest before casting that seductive, dreamy bedroom gaze from her exposed eye.

"Even if you disagree, I am still coming with you. You shouldn't make this a challenge for me, you don't want that kind of stress on that body of yours. Because I will break you down for that reward. Better to split it sixty-forty. In favor of me of course." @Alric Stalwart

 

Why was she following him now?! He wanted to just keep walking but with this woman blocking his path he wouldn't be getting very far. There was of course another way to get her to move… But attacking people in the streets probably wouldn't be good. This was the capital after all, he was to get arrested for starting random brawls there was no telling if he'd ever see the light of day again.

With a defeated sigh all Alric could do was shrug as he moved to walk past Vivian. “I was already planning on going there, but this is a free country so you can do whatever you want lady.” In truth he didn't care much about the potential monetary rewards of this task. If he could establish himself as someone the nobles could depend on that would be rewarding enough. “Well, I'm walking again.” He said while continuing down the road toward the center of the city.

---

Occasionally the swordsman would spare a glance over his shoulder at the woman who was still following him. Didn't she have anything better to do? He couldn't help but wonder, but given the time he wasn't sure if there was anything else this exciting going on.

Ahead he could see the mansion come into view and it was easily one of the more elegant buildings he'd seen along the way. The grounds seemed to be in good condition compared to certain areas of Stokbon and the whole place just screamed that nobility lived within. Turning to Vivian he gave her a glare.

“Please, just be good until this is over with. Don't like flirt with them or anything cause I'm pretty sure if they think we’re shady we'll get thrown out… Or possibly worse.”

 

Alric had been defeated by her charms once more, giving into her advice. That was a win in her book. With that defeated look she smiled and moved with him although he seemed to be walking at a much quicker pace. Probably an attempt to lose her through the crowd. But she was like a ghost to the people, fluttering in and out of the crowd like liquid. No matter how fast he walked, she was still but a step or two behind him.

When he had looked back to see if she was still there, all the woman could do was smile and wink at him as she continued along. When they started to peel away from the poor and general public to the rich and extravagant, it was almost like night and day. Vivian whistled complimentary after seeing such a beautiful mansion. When they had stopped, Alric looked at her.

The look made her stop dead in her tracks and then a warning escaped his lips. She narrowed her eyes slightly at him but did not let her seductive smile drip from her expression. She sighed and smoothed the long tendrils of purple hair from her face and shrugged, "I'll be a good girl. I promise." There was still that thick honey in her voice that made her sound sweet and innocent, but under that layer was a poisoned tongue and a sharp set of fangs ready to go for the kill at a moment's notice. They took it in stride as they came up to the lavish entrance. Vivian looked to the boy swordsman and laughed, "You look nervous. Have you not spoken with Nobles before? You are just in luck then. Cause I know how to sweet talk these kinds of people."

Vivian laughed and rose her hand to knock twice at the door. She took a step back behind Alric, lifting her hands to perk herself up. Of course it was one thing to talk to them, it was another to look like then. Nobles usually saw lower class people no more than Trogs. But Vivian would have nothing of that, she would master this art. @Alric Stalwart

 

Needless to say, Alric had a bad feeling about this. Before he could become more vocal about his concerns the door cracked open, a man in a suit peeking out from the other side at them both. The swordsman didn't blame him though, if two weirdos had come knocking on his door at this time he would have been reluctant to answer as well.

“Yes…? What business do you have at this hour?”

Alric stepped forward, attempting to push his purple-haired acquaintance aside as he did. “We are adventurers and heard that the owners of this mansion were in a bit of trouble, so we've come to offer our assistance with whatever that may be.” He said trying to get as quickly to the point as possible. The butler spent a few more seconds sizing them up before unlocking the door entirely and gesturing for them to come in. Things were going smoothly so far but the boy couldn't help but wonder how long they'd be able to keep this up.

The butler led them through the main entrance all and to all room which he only assumed was a lounge of some sort there were shelves stuffed to the brim with books lining each of the walls, a few comfy looking chairs, and a fireplace that the butler took a moment to light, as well as other knickknacks scattered about the room. I'm it felt like something he would have seen in a fantasy show but here was looking at it. With his own eyes.

“Milord will be here to greet you both shortly. Please do try to make yourselves at home.” And with that the butler left the room. All that remained was the crackling of the fire and their own thoughts now. Alric was going to take the butler up on his offer though and plopped down on the closest chair he could find, reclining in it while looking over at Vivian as he tried to gauge her reaction.

“This place is pretty nice, huh? Honestly I wonder what kind of problems they've been having since everything seems so cozy around here.”

 

The woman had a playful smirk on her face when the door began to creak, Alric was more than ready to get the point of things when the call was answered. Blue eyes traveled towards the man in the Penguin Suit, most likely the butler. Alric explained their intentions and were easily enough permitted to go inside. With her hands behind her back, the lady walked not with a sultry tone, but one that was equal in taste and manner as a Lady of a prestigious household. Although she had been decked out in lustrous set of armor, the female looked nearly as she could to those of a royal or Noble family name.

She bowed her head graciously to the man as they entered finding the room to be very heavy with an exotic scent, no doubt that it was the smell of wealth and power this Noble family had. Vivian kept her hands banded together behind her back as her high heels clacked against the soft marble of the floor beneath her feet. Her radiant eyes dressed down the place looking at everything that was out in display. The family's Coat of Arms decorated in the Hall in which they stood.

Then the butler lead them to a newer room, more like a Library or a den. Her eyebrows raised in delight, as Alric made a sweeping motion to look at her. He would not have her going around and snooping, but that was in her nature. Within that moment the Butler vanished and allowed them time before the head of the House would greet them.

Vivian smiled as she walked around the room, she had run her finger across the desk, "Not even a small amount of dust. You think they have a vault somewhere in here? We should come back when its later and sneak in." She laughed with that honied voice.Alric would probably give her a look of disgust, he was trying to make an honest living here.

The woman flashed him a smile and her eyes became that rich and heavy glint once more, "Oh stop. I am only teasing. I told you I would behave." Her attention was off Alric now as they waited. She returned her hands to the back once more peering over a book with an interesting cover. She tilted her head and read the spine of the book, "These people are into some freaky stuff, Alric." She made a passing comment. @Alric Stalwart

 

He had spent most his time rolling his eyes at the woman’s comments, at least until her last remark piqued his interest. Of course it wasn't right to sift through other people's personal possessions but… Let's just say curiosity got the better of him this time. Getting up from his chair, Alric wandered over to the bookcase Vivian had been examining to get a closer look.

“Freaky stuff?” He mumbled while leaning in to read the book’s spine. “Guidebook for the Occult” Picking up the text he began to flip through the pages which seemed to outline various spells, curses, and rituals from throughout this world's history and how to perform them. It would seem she really wasn't kidding about the owners of this place being kind of strange, but then again weren't all rich people kind of eccentric? “It probably doesn't mean anything. I’m more worried about you trying to steal my gold than I am about made up stuff like this.” He mused while placing the book back in it's spot as if nothing had ever been moved.

---

Ron Al D'reagan

“So these are the adventurers who volunteered to help us?”

An unknown voice pierced the room now, immediately drawing Alric's attention as a well dressed man entered alongside the butler from before. Turning to his servant he waved his hand signaling for him to exit the room. “That'll be all for now, Sebastian. Please see we aren't disturbed for the time being.” With a nod the butler left, closing the door behind him and leaving the noble to chat with the pair. Though Alric figured he wouldn't be too far away, just in case something did go wrong during this meeting.

“Where are my manners?” He started. “My name is Ron Al D'reagan and I am the owner of this estate. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Alric was the first to step forward, standing between the noble and the purple-haired woman as he began his own introduction. “I’m Alric. Alric Stalwart, and this is Vivian. She doesn't talk much though so I can do most of the talk for both of us… Right?”

He would glance back at her to gauge her reaction, but the chances were high that it wasn't good. Well whatever, just based on what he had seen this far the last thing they needed was for her to start asking about a reward or something before even hearing this guy’s problem.

Ron Al D’reagan

Ron stifled a laugh as he watched the interaction unfold before him. “Well, either way it's fine. You said you were here to help yes? Then I'll share the details with you.”

His calm demeanor seemed to shift as the seriousness of the situation began to come to light. Whatever he was about to say seemed to truly have the man shaken and it was obvious to the two players that things might not be as simple as they had hoped for.

“Let me ask you both… Have you ever been visited by ghosts? Demons? Spirits of the past? It may sound strange, but I have. Every night around about three in the morning, that thing shows up without fail and stalks the halls of my home, threatening the life of not only myself but the staff here as well. It's gotten so bad that no one leaves their rooms after that time until the sun has completely risen. You have to understand we aren't fighters and any guards I hire end up either quitting or dying on the job. I need people like you who are trained for this sort of thing. My request is for you to eliminate the creature within this mansion. Do this and I will handsomely reward you both. What do you say?”

 

"You don't believe in the occult?" she asked with that hotness on her breath, no doubt teasing the Tank as she chuckled lightly. She could even sense the eye roll as he took the book, looked at it and put it back as if it never left its origin. The woman smirked and moved away from the bookshelf only to be examining another.

Her concentration was cut with the passing voice of their guest. The woman spun in place, her long purple hair coming undone from her shoulder as she moved with Alric to make their Employers acquaintance. Before she even get a word in, Alric had already started with the introductions. She sighed mentally and only gave off the slightest of smirks as he portrayed her as a nearly mute woman. When the question was brought up that she didn't talk much, she might as well play the part assigned to her.

With a gentle smile, she simply nodded her head to their Host and left it at that. She did after-all promise she would be a good girl for him. She would not deviate from that promise. Though she did mentally chuckle about what kind of fun she could do if it were not that case. Eyes fluttering lightly, she listened to what the man had to say. For a turn she was more curious now than ever as he explained about ghosts, demons and hauntings in this quaint estate. Oh boy, it sounded like they were going to be staying the night here at the very least. She was absolutely thrilled!

As the Host finished up what he was saying about the mansion, Vivian smiled wide and nodded happily in Alric's direction should he glanced over at her. It was a sealed deal in her opinion and this could be a good chance to study up on some of the Hauntings in this place. The woman smiled evenly not to let her excitement get out of hand and since she was bound to stay hushed like this, she would have to wait till the Host left them to their plans.

 

It was almost surprising that the woman didn't actually speak at all during the conversation. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all. At the least she was able to stick to a role and play it pretty well...

After the man finished speaking Alric had made up his mind. Of course he'd be sticking around. The opportunity was too good to pass up and with any luck this was all part of some delusion meaning they wouldn't even see anything during their stay. It was a win-win situation in his eyes. A quick glance at Vivian revealed she also seemed to be on board with staying now that they had been given more details.

“Well, it sounds like you've got a real problem on your hands here, so we’d be happy to help however we can!”

Ron Al D'reagan

Ron was pleased by the boy’s response, clapping his hands together to signal his servant to return to the room with a folded paper that would be left for the pair.

“Splendid! On behalf of myself and the people of this estate, thank you. In any case, you may have some time to rest before that thing shows up. My home can be a bit of a maze for those who aren't familiar with the layout, so I had Sebastian retrieve a map for you both. Have a look around if you're so inclined; it may help you later on. Now if you'll excuse me I have some business to attend to before turning in for the night. I hope to see you both when the sun rises. Good luck!”

With those parting words the two left the room causing Alric to release a heavy sigh as if he hadn't been breathing for the past few minutes.

“Yeesh, he seems like a nice guy, but letting strangers freely walk around his home unattended… Doesn't that seem kinda weird to you?”

 

The woman looked at Alric as their host and the Penguin suited butler left them to their own devices. She shrugged her shoulders at the question, "Perhaps. Being a rather rich family, if they have anything of value it wouldn't be on the map they just handed over. So, does that mean we are gonna be bed buddies tonight?" The woman laughed, sweeping hair from her shoulder and then teasing Alric some more.

"Ugh, there's that evil eye expression again. Don't worry, I'll keep my hands to myself. But ghosts, that is different. If this place is haunted, I don't think my Malefimancy will let me commune with the dead. We should have looked into Exorcism." The woman had explained, a hand being used as a gesture. She flipped open her notes and studied the map, the host was right. The estate seemed very much like a maze, it had started to make her head hurt.

"I'll leave the leading to you since you are a tank and all. I wonder what sort of ghosts we will be running into. You think it might be the old heirs to the estate? Ya know, the older generation disliking the new generation? Why are they haunting this place anyways? So many questions...no answers..."

The woman bit down on her lip, probing her own thoughts with these answers only to come up with nothing short of well...nothing. A mental sigh and she relaxed her pose. They had time before it was late enough to do some ghost hunting, "So what is our next move then? Should we take a look around while we still have some daylight or just wait for the creepy ghosts to come and get us?"

 

“Bed buddies…?” He could feel himself cringe at the prospect. He wasn't sure how much sleep they'd even be getting, but if the pair did get a moment to rest it had better be in a room with TWO beds. Alric sighed while bringing a hand up to massage his temple. He was tempted to just tune Vivian out entirely until the woman took it upon herself to nominate him the leader. Normally he would have been opposed to the idea, but knowing who he was dealing with trying to fight the decision probably wouldn't end well.

“I’m actually as lost as you. I don't know what ghosts would want with a place like this, but I guess part of our job is to figure that out if possible. As for what we should do now…” He paused for a moment in thought. Both options had advantages and disadvantages. If they looked around now, they'd have a better understanding of the mansion's layout but would likely be tired later on. If they rested now they'd be ready in case a fight broke out, but have little to no idea where they were going without looking at the map. What was the right choice? He'd just have to go with his gut.

“Let's save our energy for now… It's the safest way to make sure we'll survive the night. Even in a worst case scenario as long as we have the map we should be able to navigate the building without a problem.”