Madam Linda was holding a lantern and waiting in front of the kitchen door. She was gripping tightly on the wool scarf that she used to cover her shoulder with, as well as to shield her body from the icy wind. And when she grasped, a dark silhouette approached. She leaped in a hurry to catch it before it got near. Once she deciphered the identity of this silhouette, she shouted: "Mr. Isidoro… Mr. Isidore…"

The big man was carrying a bundle of wood on his back, and he was walking slowly as his foot shatters the snow that turned frigid from the cold. When he heard the woman's cries, he stopped and waited for her to catch her breath and voice her concern: "Did you see Doctor Rokah?"

His pupil narrowed, but he said in his usual stoic unmoved voice: "No."

Madam Linda's nose became redder and the wrinkles around her eyes multiplied. She placed her hand on her nose, rubbing it… while losing herself in worrying feelings.

The big man noticed her distress, yet he started walking again after he told her it's better if she will informed him about the urgent issue inside a warm place.

***

The study room was empty, Francis cursed in his heart, for he needed to make another long trip to reach Nicolai's quarters. For his convenience, he met Hendrickson halfway, struggling to ascend the stairs because of his bad leg. He observed him for seconds, making a complex face of being pleased or being compassionate. The aspect of his visage was a complete mystery to decipher. After he felt satisfied, he called him as if he were a dear friend. Then he approached him.

Nicolai was surprised and he had his fair share of doubts. However, the entire of his doubts evaporated when Francis spoke: "You were right, the Crocottas have their hands inside. But, how I am going to believe you are not working with them?"

"The albino doctor is here?"

"Don't joke with me, Nicolai. Not in these circumstances. There is no way that you didn't foresee this." The Count's tone was grave, though he attenuated it when he appended: " You have already met with him more than one time. I can't attribute this to the coincidence as you previously told me."

"That diligent Chimera butler of yours, he is truly working his hardest to track every breath I took."

"Nicolai!…"

Mr. Hendrickson adjusted the position of his cane, looking at the floor beneath him, then he said, his voice carried a bit of peculiarity: " Did you receive another warning from them?"

"No."

" Then for what reason he is here."

" He personally wants to tell me the real identity of the man who randomly is killing residents."

"But you already knew the identity of the killer."

"Exactly. What I don't know is the one spreading the rumor and causing a mass panic. It must be those Crocotta's people behind it?" Francis pondered, looking behind him checking if someone was present before he said: "You have a long history of working with them. If you choose to be a mediator between me and them, I will not interfere between you and Seaben."

Nicolai's eyes flashed. He raised his head towards the Count and said: " let's walk to the study room, I can't stand anymore."

In the study room, Be-an arrived before the two of them. She was arranging the room to fit her master -Hendrickson- preferred atmosphere. Well-ordered and slightly dark, afterward, she halted outside next to the door waiting in complete silence. However, seeing her will think that she was a misplaced statue. Nicolai smiled when he saw her and he warmly thanked her. Accompanying him was Count Francis Leal Di Montez, his gaze always fixated on her face whenever he met her.

Nicolai settled his tired body on the piano seat, placing his cane next to him, then he stated: " About 30% of Innyana range belongs to the Crocotta, maybe more, this record is outdated, before your arrival there was a vicious fight over setting new territorial boundaries. Their concern about this village means the conflict had ended in their favor. Perhaps they are controlling about 33% to 35%. The important matter that you need to know is they are a matriarchal society and if one of the Crocotta here you should expect two or three nearby lurking in shadow, ready for backup."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Like Lycanthropes…" Francis interrupted.

"No, more united than Amarok. Amaroks are a patriarchal community. Fights break often between them because of succession or misunderstandings, the decision is always up to the stronger whether it was a good or bad judgment while the Crocotta matriarch chooses her successor and they have a decision-making system based on majority."

Finally, Francis's heart relaxed after he heard Nicolai talk about the Lycanths in complete honesty. Actually, back then and before the peace treaty, he participated in battles against Lychants, so he knew that what Hendrickson said about their impulsive nature and their love to solve all problems with duels was a fact. Yet it's not like they didn't have their good points. Anyway, there must be a big chance that Hendrickson's information about the Crocotta contained a level of truth. He finally declared: " So there is no point in fighting them. It will be a lost battle from the start. What do you advise me?"

"Show your good intentions?"

"How? They already sent me a totally threatening letter."

"Did your heart their informer?"

Francis woke to the window, refusing to let Nicolai see his face. He was thinking that Nicolai was really tactful he was aiming to save that white thing. Perhaps Seaben was right about him working with the Crocotta, but what alternative choice did he have. He looked at Hendrickson and stated: "Not yet, I tried to compel him, I completely failed."

"That's because your mental compelling only works on a living being."

***

Mr. Hendrickson placed the cup of tea after making sure that the sugar completely melted inside. It only cost him a few circles using the teaspoon. Next, he offered it to Rokah by placing the cup on the side of the table that was in front of him. While he adjusted himself in his armchair he forwarded: "There is inquiry won't leave my mind, and I really wish to get your answer on it?"

Since there wasn't any response, he leaned on the back of the chair, then he expressed: "I beg your pardon, but I will be frank this time…"

Mr. Hendrickson tried the indirect route before, to get some insights on goals and reasons that bring this man to this farm. However, it didn't work out. Even if he has his own theory and thoughts, he still needed specific information to confirm it or to make a holy different guess. Thus he continued, yet this time, he was really frank: "Why did you come here?"

The doctor was holding to his silence, his eyes were fixated on the still rolling circles that reflect on the surface of the teacup, deep in his own world, while Mr. Hendrickson explained: "It puzzled me, the fact that a doctor chooses a remote place like this village to make a name for himself?

"Sorry, I didn't understand what you mean?"

Rokah finally said, giving his famous, intoxicating fake smile that he learned as a way to smooth the outside world. But he still resembled a person in a trance. While Nicolai sighed from disappointment, it appears to him that the doctor still wanted to play this game with him. He straightened his back, loosened his shoulders, and bring the fingertips of each hand to touch the other in front of his face, and declared: "who sends you here?"

Nicolai felt some remorse while he said that. He didn't want to sully the relationship. He thought that he already had established with this individual, despite his true wish to learn more about his background. But not in this interrogative none friendly method. Well, it isn't like that furry Chimera gave him a choice…

"No one, I came here on my own accord."

Nicolai didn't sense a lie in what the doctor said. Though, he perceived that this wasn't the whole truth. Hence, he pushed for more: "For what reason, then?"

"I believed by coming here, I could get some answers."

He was closely observing those heterochromatic eyes for any reactions he could decipher, to detect even the tiniest lie, yet there was nothing like that. The person in front of him was aware somehow that he couldn't get away with lies, thus he reserved to talk only half-truths.

"Answers! About what?" Nicolai repeated.

"About myself."

What a bizarre creature, this one sitting in front of him? That's what Mr. Hendrickson thought as he heard his answer. It made him remember the first time he met him. The awkward conversation, the strange request.

He also remembered when this person told him he was full of doubts about his own existence, and he needed constant confirmation to extinguish these feelings. Wasn't all of this humanistic approach was what made him interesting in the first place?

Then he felt the urge to ask more: "Like what?"

The doctor hesitated or was rather downhearted. He wasn't willing to express his view, or it was hard for him to say it out loud. He took the cap from his hands and started to move the teaspoon inside. The circles that the motion had created served as an invisible shelter for him, then he answered: "Like… Like, I am convinced now… that I am some kind of mongrel, or so…"

Nicolai returned to his first posture, resting his body on the back of his chair while putting his palm under his chin to support his head. He played with the handle of his cane for a few seconds in wonder, before he groaned and asked in his mind.

Mongrel? Such an odd concept he has. Is that woman committing another taboo?

He looked at the albino and decided to continue his interrogation: "Doctor… after you have spent time here and interacted with the residents. Didn't you notice something… going on, something rather fishy? "

The doctor gave him an interesting look with wide eyes, that indicated a sudden reflection, but he didn't answer, hence Nicolai pressed more to reassure him: "Something about their deformities, malformations….You must have noticed it, you are a doctor after all?"

"Inbreeding."

"True, it's the consequence of inbreeding. Didn't you ever wonder about the cause behind it?"