"Alright, Lay, scout the area and gather any useful information about what we're dealing with. The rest of you, do the same," Nerissa instructed her party, her voice steady and authoritative. "We'll take it easy for now and reconvene at dawn to check out the forest. I want everyone back here in six hours."
"Right," they chorused, their voices blending in unison before they split up to gather what information they could.
The party moved through the village, knocking on doors and speaking with the locals. Each door opened to a new story, each more outrageous than the last.
Tales of monstrous beasts with glowing red eyes, creatures that could disappear in the blink of an eye, and even whispers of ghosts haunting the forest.
As they went around, Rena found herself drawn to a cozy tavern. The scent of apple pixie cross pie wafted through the air, tugging at her senses.
"A little lunch break wouldn't hurt anyone, right?" she mused, taking a seat at a wooden table.
She ordered a serving and eagerly dug in. The pie was a delightful blend of sweet and tart, the crust perfectly flaky. It was so delicious that she couldn't resist ordering another.
As she enjoyed her meal, she couldn't help but overhear a group of customers at a nearby table discussing the very monster they were investigating.
"I haven't been able to go hunting because of that damn beast. The others and I are too terrified to check our traps at night, but if we leave them out there, that thing will just devour them," one customer grumbled before taking a long swig of beer.
"Yeah, old man Vinny said his cow ran away last night, but when they went to look for it, they only found its bones near that deserted cave by the river," another customer added. "Inside the cave, they saw a lot of bones and broken glass. But what scared them off was the scream they heard."
'A cave? Why hasn't anyone mentioned that before?' Rena wondered, her curiosity piqued.
"I've seen it before. It had long horns and ears. It looked weird, but upon closer inspection, I could sense human characteristics. It looked like an abomination, a fusion of different monsters and beasts," a drunken man slurred, trying to describe what he had seen.
Rena's mind raced with this new information. A cave by the river filled with bones and strange, human-like monsters. This was a lead worth investigating.
'Sounds familiar, but what do we usually call such a monster? I can't remember,' Rena struggled to refresh her memory, the delicious pie in front of her proving to be a big distraction.
"Yeah right, we're supposed to believe that from a village drunkard," a lady chimed in, causing everyone to laugh.
"Yeah, you couldn't even stay sober for half a day to save your life," the first man added, prompting even more laughter.
Everyone began sharing exaggerated stories about the monster, mocking the drunken man. Yet, Rena quietly listened, finishing her pie while taking mental notes.
After gathering all she could from the tavern residents, Rena paid for her pie and stepped outside. She pondered the situation deeply.
'What would Sister Lay do at a time like this?' she wondered.
"Always try to get to the source of the rumor. That's what Lay would say, right?" Rena asked herself aloud.
After considering for a while, she decided to meet up with the others and share what she had learned.
*****
As the group reconvened to share their findings, Nerissa spoke first. She had an air of unease about her, something that had been gnawing at her since they started this mission.
"I hope you all weren't goofing around. Something about this mission feels fishy," Nerissa said, still deep in thought. "The Lord, to be precise. What he said doesn't add up."
"How so? I spoke with all the ladies and all they could talk about was how handsome I am. But alas, the mission comes first," Leroy said, taking a big gulp of the beer he was holding.
"Leroy!" Devin yelled.
"Alright, alright. All I got was that it only makes an appearance at night, but no one knows where it is," Leroy said, trying to ease the tension.
"I do," Rena said, raising her hand. "Well, kinda."
"Huh? Rena? You actually put in effort to work? Well, this I have to see," Leroy said mockingly.
The tension in the cave was palpable, the air heavy with dread and the smell of decay.
"I think it's that scary sword she brought back with her," Rena whispered. "She said her brother gave it to her as a present."
"You don't think anything bad happened to her, right?" Devin asked, his concern evident.
"No, it feels more like someone or something else keeps talking to her," Lay replied, her eyes narrowing as she observed Nerissa.
"And you came to that conclusion because...?" Leroy asked, not entirely grasping the situation.
"Observation is my strong suit," Lay replied confidently.
"Of course, when you're not trying to scare me to death," Leroy added, rolling his eyes.
*****
As they ventured deeper into the cave, the environment began to change. The rough, natural walls gave way to smoother, man-made surfaces. It no longer looked like a lair where a savage monster devoured its prey but rather a sinister laboratory filled with strange tools and equipment.
"Are you sure it's here?" Leroy asked again, his voice tinged with doubt.
The lab was eerie, with various devices and instruments that looked like they belonged to a place where illegal experiments were conducted. Broken beakers, syringes, and rusted chains littered the room, casting long, menacing shadows in the dim light.
"What would something like that be doing here?" Devin added, his voice echoing his confusion.
"It doesn't seem right, but something still feels off. Why is there a place like this in such a cave?" Nerissa wondered aloud, her instincts tingling with unease.
[Hidden Search]
"There's a trap door over there, with a mana stone as some kind of locking mechanism. Rena," Nerissa directed.
"Yes, ma'am," Rena replied, stepping forward.
{Fire Ball}
With a focused blast, she shattered the mana stone. The trap door creaked open slowly, revealing an even more secret laboratory below. The air grew colder as they descended, and a sense of dread filled the room. Tubes and tanks lined the walls, each containing humanoid creatures suspended in some kind of liquid.
"No," Leroy blurted out, his voice betraying his shock.
"Who would do such a thing?" Nerissa said angrily, her expression filled with disgust and horror.
They were all in shock at what they discovered. The sight of the humanoid creatures, twisted and mutated, floating lifelessly in their tubes, filled them with a mixture of fear and revulsion. The room was a grotesque display of scientific abomination, and the realization of the horrors conducted here weighed heavily on their minds.
"What kind of monster would create such abominations?" Lay whispered, her voice trembling with rage.
"This goes beyond just a simple monster hunt," Devin said, his eyes scanning the grotesque display. "We need to find out who's behind this and put a stop to it."
Nerissa nodded, her resolve hardening. "We need to report this and gather more evidence. Let's move carefully and see what else we can find."
*
*
*
Sorry I wasted time to drop this.
I'll be dropping more characters soon so don't forget to vote.