“Dear Goddess, what a horrid and disturbing sight.” Bartholomew cupped a hand over his mouth in an attempt to keep the food from coming back up. He was not used to the slight of blood, much less a group murder.
“I know that smell.” June noted, trying to ignore the stifled cries of pain from nearby while stifling the growing panic within. “It's the smell of blood. This was supposed to be a peaceful town and already we’ve come across more sickening loss of life. What on Sarracas is happening?!”
“You can smell that? Well, I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me, but it’s probably for the best. Believe me, this is not something you would want to witness firsthand.”
“Yes, I can smell it. It's a disgusting, distinct copper-y smell. I thought we had escaped from these hometown horrors when we left Malachias. Was this not supposed to be our haven of rest and comfort?” June turned away from the sickening sounds assaulting her ears, cupping her ears slightly. “Bart. Why did we come out here for?”
“It was that odd humming coming from the skies. And then came this strange parade of garbed strangers. Which we discreetly followed to the edge of this cliff overlooking this strange mass gathering, and where we are currently teetering off of to get a peek at whatever in blazes is happening down there. But of course, you heard it all coming before I did.”
“It was a rhetorical question, big brother. We left home because it was a brutal country full of religious zealotry and— and inhumane— and unethical— Ohh! It’s just a blight to my mental well-being!” June bit her lip, suppressing the urge to raise her voice. “I love my country… You know I do. But I had to get away. Experience the unique things life had to offer me that I couldn’t get back home. And maybe accomplish a very important task along the way. But now we are here. At the backwater slums of a foreign fishing town in the middle of nowhere in the middle of some… common mugging gone wrong, I presume?”
“No, June,” replied her brother, finding himself conflicted on whether or not to continue looking for answers in the barbaric scene below. “I’m afraid this looks far more sinister. That poor woman was probably dragged all the way out here against her will and then suddenly assaulted by a group of those in what appears to be some sort of blood tribute. Judging by that creepy, looming building over there I’d say we’ve stepped into something we shouldn’t have.”
“Building? What kind of building?”
“A church of some sort? I’m not sure. It’s eerily black, and getting harder to see with the setting sun. I think it might be best if we turn around and head for our hotel room. I’m sure the clerk at the front desk is worried sick about us—”
“Let’s check it out.” June’s clouded eyes narrowed with regal determination. “I can’t just stand by as another innocent girl’s spilled blood is used as the catalyst for some dark rite.”
“Are you insane?! What am I saying… of course you are. We don’t even know who we’re dealing with here.” Bartholomew took another peek down below. The last of the procession were finally making their way down into the bowels of the gothic cathedral. “I’m not sure what kind of vengeance you’re trying to enact here, but it doesn’t even look like we’ll be able to recover her body for a proper burial. They’re dragging it along inside.”
“We can at least investigate. Try not to let her death be completely meaningless. And then maybe—through the proper channels—something can be done.”
“Something can be done? We might be trying to upend an entire ancient tradition here. This looks like it goes pretty deep. And the fact that it’s done so blatantly must mean there are very powerful forces at work here. No, dear sister. I do believe we’re better off minding our own business.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
June, ignoring her brother’s gutless words, had already begun to walk back down the road they had walked up by. The blind princess struggled to keep a normal pace as she trod slowly. It was times like these where she hated her impairment the most. She turned back to her brother whom she knew hadn’t moved from his spot. “Well, don’t just stand there! Come give your sister some assistance!”
Bartholomew rushed over to his sister’s side and took her hand. “I told you it would be a lot safer if you had just bought a cane before we fled the country.”
“Tut-tut, dear brother! That would have left behind a trace! And besides. A can would make too much noise, which would be terribly detrimental to our stealth mission.”
Bart released an exasperated sigh as he led his sister down the sloping dirt road. “I knew those novels of yours would be a terrible influence. And yet I continued to indulge you. Now you’re making out to be the heroine of your own making.”
June closed the distance and embraced her brother, squeezing him rather hard. “And I thank you for it, Bart. I don’t say this often to you enough, but… Life would have been much more unbearable without you. I might have just broken a long time ago without your constant company.”
“I… Damn it all, June. You are not going to make me feel guilty for this. Alright, we’ll investigate. But we need to be extremely careful or we’re going to end up just like that poor woman.”
The two royal siblings slowly made their way down to a fork that would either lead them back to town or further down to the bottom of the cliffs where the ominous building stood looming in the dark. Bart hesitated, looking back at his sister whose skewed shades allowed her lightless eyes to peek through. Despite her blindness, he thought she almost seemed to be looking right at him. Stopping for a breath, he took the road down to the churchyard that now stood void of any living creature.
“It’s… oddly cold down here,” noted June, hugging her free arm around herself tightly. “Almost as cold as back home.”
“We’re not too far from the shore here,” replied Bart, looking towards where the end of the cliff meets the horizon. “That’s probably why. Though the waves are unusually quiet, so I’m not surprised if you didn’t pick up on them. We’re here, June. Or as close to this place as I want to get.”
Bart led his sister to one corner of the building while he slunk down against the cold, stone exterior. June pressed her fingers against the wall, feeling the texture of the dark cathedral while trying to feel anything out of place.
“Here, I—” June gasped. In her mind, a clear scenario of them being spotted by a wandering cloaked figure played out. The gruesome demise that would be their outcome. Deaths so inhuman and obscene that she had to force herself not to scream. The princess clumsily grasped for her brother and pulled him around the corner, gesturing at him with a quivering finger over her lips.
“What in the world, June?!” Bart whispered to his sister. He noticed her agitated expression and decided to slowly peer around the corner. From the void of the gaping entrance seeped one of the dark figures from before. Its inhuman movements were more prevalent from up close.
The masked figure darted its head around like a bird, seemingly curious, seemingly searching for something while its body remained eerily still. The mask it wore on its face could only be described as ghastly and not anything like the face of a person.
Bartholomew grew increasingly anxious about it having caught their scent, but continued watching cautiously.
The erratic movements of its head suddenly stopped, then turned slowly toward a corner of the dark, its neck creaking around like a swivel as it moved. The eerie mimicry of a predator hunting its prey was unsettling. Everything about this creature screamed to stay away.
Bart slowly turned to look where it had been facing. All he saw were the dark shadows stretching across old, rotting fenceposts. When he returned his gaze to where the cloaked figure had been standing, he noticed it had already gone.
“Bart?” June whispered. She was grabbing onto his arm. “Did you see him? He was there, wasn’t he? I can tell by the way you’re shaking.”
“June…That was much too close for comfort! One of those strange ruffians came out here to inspect something. It’s a good thing you heard him coming or it would have spelled our doom.”
“I didn’t hear him coming…” June was hesitant to continue. “I saw it. In my mind. It was clear as day. I could… feel everything as it was happening to us.”