"- No, mistress DeVermeer, there are still no answers." The innkeeper politely told me. I could tell the man was humbled of having the daughter of the baron inside his walls. I spent the night here, exhausted from my journey. I didn't have much sleep in the forest, especially after the ambush. Two orcs almost got me, and I was only saved by a naked and foul-mouthed prick. I rummaged through my pockets and grabbed a charred piece of wood. What a failure that was. Father will not be pleased. I'll have to make amends somehow.

  I send word of my arrival yesterday, yet there were still no word from the estate. This was unacceptable. The messenger couldn't have gotten lost. The De Vermeer manor is the biggest landmark of Kandras, everybody knows where we live. I didn't told him I was the daughter of the baron, Ferganne DeVermeer, because it seemed pretty obvious he knew about me. Was I mistaken? "Call for a carriage, innkeeper. I have been delayed long enough." The man bowed and quickly went outside. The lack of attention was getting on my nerve. You simply don't make the daughter of the wealthiest man in the city wait.

  The carriage stopped at the gates. I exited the vehicle and headed straight to the gates. Nobody was there. Were the guards drunk so early in the morning? I sighed. I'll need to talk to Edgar. No escort either? I need to walk all the way to the front door? This was infuriating! I'll be sure to find the fool who has the audacity of getting on my nerves!

  Noone was at the door either. I opened it and I felt like something was missing in the great hall. There were no sound. Dozens of servants were usually inside. The manor is fairly large and needs maintenance. It has always been so. Where were they? A cold air stream gave me shivers. Something was very, very wrong.

  "-Father! Father where are you?" I rushed in his office, but he wasn't there. I cursed and called him again. "Father! Answer me! Where is everybody?" I ran alongside the empty corridors. Slamming in every door along the way. I went through the servants quarter, through the master's bedroom, through my quarters, through the baths, through the kitchens, through the multiple living rooms and salons. Every room was devoid of life. I called, I shouted, I screamed, I roared father's, Edgar's, anyone's name really, but only stillness answered. I stopped, miserable, and desperate. I didn't understand. Why was everyone gone?

  Still I continued to searched the mansion, when I stumbled on an open plate glass window. That's why it was so cold in here. I went to close it, but I caught a faint scent coming from the garden. I knew that scent. It was Edgar's curry. I rushed into the garden. I passed by the roses and clover fileds, over the little stream by catching a willlow's branch and circled around the orchard. I finally found my destination. My late mother's cottage that my father had made for her, years ago. The smoke was coming out of the chimney. At last, I had found someone.

I rushed to the door only to find Edgar inside, preparing his curry. When he saw me he was genuinely surprised. I rushed to hug him. The old man embraced me, comforting me as he always had. Edgar is the intendent of the mansion and our oldest servant. Edgar has lived is whole life inside the DeVermeer estate. He never had any wife or children, but he raised me as his own daughter.

"-I couldn't find anybody, Edgar! I searched everywhere... I couldn't..."

"- I'm sorry Fefe, had I known you were back so early... Everything's a mess since you went to retrieve the runes."

"-What happened, Edgar? Where is father?"

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"-He is upstairs, in the bedroom. Maybe you should hear it from him, but I must warn you, he has become... sick since you left. He doesn't eat or talk much to anyone other than himself." He served a bowl of curry on a tray.

"There, try to make him eat this. You might have more luck than me." I climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. No answer. I knocked again. "Father, it's me." Still nothing. "I'm coming in."

  The room was a mess. The bed was undone. There were books and wine-stained bedsheets lying on the floor. My father was at a small desk, visibly writing something and mumbling to himself. The whole room stenched of sweat and alcohol. I carefully avoided to step over anything and sat towards him. My father, usually so clean and tidy, was but a husk of himself. His scalp was disheveled, some hair patches were missing. Usually full of life, his face was that of a ghost. He was pale, his cheeks were hollow, his eyes were those of a madman. My heart sank. Focused on writing something, he wasn't paying attention to me.

"-...And then we can invest in the river trade. No no no. Not the river trade. It's not enough! We invest in the field. In the field? It's risky. What if there is a flood? Or the mines maybe? Yes! Yes! Gold is the answer. We have to buy a new mine then. Who will I ask? Who will be interested? Marco? Siegried? Janelle maybe. Definitely. The Herzogs have always been greedy bastards! Ha! Or I could borrow more money. Buy more runes! That's the way, yes, that's the way!"

"-Oh, father... What happened? Where is everybody?" I asked, in a hoarse voice. He turned towards me. Up close, his face was ghoulishly pale.

"-Fefe! You're here! I knew you would be alright. Where are the runes Fefe? We need to get to work! So much to do! So much to do!"

"-The runes... The runes are lost, father." I handed him a piece of charred wood. "This is all that I could find."

He jumped. "-No, no, no, no! Impossible! Fefe I trusted you! I trusted YOU! What did you do? Where are the runes? You kept them? Huh? You too want to see me ruined?"

I broke in tears. "-I'm sorry, I didn't know they were there. And the orcs attacked and..."

"- After all I've sacrificed for you, after all I've done, you dare! You dare betray me! You're just greedy like the others! Ungrateful brat! Ruined! Ruined and by my own flesh and blood! Ha! I've truly lost everything! At least I won't have to disown you. Get out woman, you disgust me. Get out! OUT!"

  I rushed downstairs. I was devastated. Where was the kind and thoughtfull man that was my father? Where was everyone else? My whole world crumbled into dust and I had no idea how or why. Edgar came, and I broke down in tears. He started to sing a lullaby, one he always sang to me when he wanted me to calm down as a child. After a long time spent crying on his shoulder, I started to calm down. Then, he told me :

"-Your father never talked about it, but the family was already deeply in debt when he became the baron. He tried his best and sacrificed much, but he never was the businessman he thought himself to be. He did manage to run things and stave off the loan sharks somehow, even after your mother's death. A few months ago, he stumbled upon the runes. A merchant sold it to him at a fraction of their true value. Still, it was a lot of money; money that he couldn't really spare, but your father took up the opportunity anyway. Reselling the runes to the right people would have definitely solve the dire financial state of the family, and left behind a sound estate for you to run. That's always what he wanted for you. That's also why he never talked about it with you. He wanted for you to be free of this burden and to do what you wanted. He was so proud when you became an embermage... Unfortunately, the runes were stolen. the loan sharks got wind of it somehow, and pressed your father. He couldn't repel them this time. And when you left, he was forced to fire all the servants and sell the manor. Since then, he... He became sick."

"- Why didn't you tell me before? I could have done something, I could have..."

"-He made me took an oath. You know me Fefe, I couldn't have gone against his wishes. I respect him too much for that."

"-Is that why you stayed behind?"

"This is the only place for me to call home Fefe. I couldn't live anywhere else even if I wanted to."

"Oh Edgar, what will become of us?"

"I don't know, sweetheart, I don't know."