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[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow S araphina frowned a bit as the newcomer’s scent changed a bit and he looked confused. Had she said something wrong or was he simply unused to dealing with Kelvics? Had she stumbled onto another man that was going to act like she’d just crawled through a pile of steaming dung? Sighing softly to herself, she watched the tall dark haired male step up the stairs and knock on the red door of the house. Glancing around, she spotted a broken barrel half full of water. Looping Abaccus’s reins through the hole and patting the Bloodbane fondly, she stepped up the stairs and waited to see if anyone answered the knock, “Your name would be nice to know if we are going to be working together….otherwise I may just start calling you ‘Blue Eyes’ or something like that.” Saraphina honestly wasn’t trying to be rude. She was simply a blunt, straightforward person that had little use for subtle nudges and sublime meanings. A s Flaren knocked on the door, the wooden barrier swung open slowly with an eerie creak. The very air inside the home seemed to give off a vibe of despair and restlessness, like some lost soul had just brushed past the group. One could almost feel a cold aura nudge against the trio. Dust mots danced in the gloomy atmosphere and a stale, almost putrid smell could be faintly detected on the breeze that flowed out the doorway. The inside of the home was dimly lit, dust coated the few windows that were present making the air inside appear to be greyish. A moth eaten couch covered by a tattered throw sat against the east wall and a beaten wardrobe was across from the couch. A rickety table and chair set was on the left side of the room with few plates empty of any food set up on it. A set of stair directly in front of the door led to an upper level. There was no inhabitant within sight of the doorway, though the floor looked relatively clean. A single ragged scrap of cloth could be seen from a distance hanging off the window's inside ledge in the kitchen area. S araphina tilted her head to the side and listened carefully with her above average hearing. No sounds could be heard by her ears and if the two humans listened carefully, they would also hear no noises inside. Saraphina decided to be the bold one and called out the empty house, “Hello?!....Is anyone home? Jeramiah? Lililandra? Hello?.....” Her voice seemed to echo in the haunted house, like the very air rejected her intrusion. Ignoring the shiver of warning that crept down her spine, the Kelvic gently pushed past Flaren and padded softly into the house. Scenting the air carefully, she picked up the very faint smell of animal blood and a floral scent she’d come to associate with women’s perfume. The golden eyes girl walked to the bottom of the stairs, carefully looking up the wooden steps before beginning to ascend to the upper levels, keeping her back against one of the walls and taking each step one carefully placed foot at a time. At about halfway up the stairs, she paused to see what the other two me were doing. OOCAt this point in the thread, if you want to explore the house, please detail what you are doing and I will describe what you find in my cycle of the posting order. Have fun….

[Dulute Jadesmith]

Without much consultation, it was decided by Saraphina that the giant man would join their party. Duluute couldn't help questioning her willingness to take total strangers along for rescue missions. Was she really that naive or was she just better at spotting good than he was? Whatever the reason, Duluute simply sighed and decided to go along with it. Maybe he would end up to be wrong about this suave newcomer, who in fact decided to knock on the door first.

It creaked open upon contact, accompanied by the release of a stale aroma. Uneasiness quickly began to well up inside Duluute. He was just beginning to have second thoughts when Saraphina naively decided to shout out to see if anyone was there. He only narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before turning to see what would happen. There was no answer, but there was a reverberating echo.

"I would say this was a bad idea, but we are on a rescue mission afterall." Seeing how Saraphina was the one who could shift into an animal, Duluute let her lead the way inside. The place was pretty much a wreck of tattered furniture and bugs. "Not much to see here," he thought as he moved around the room. "I believe I've found the kitchen." Though it wasn't the most ideal place to search, Duluute was curious to see what their kitchen held.

He only started by peaking so that if he did find something he could immediately tell the others. Plus doing so would help him take a look and get out if an immediate retreat was necessary.

[Flaren Ferno]

"HNNGHHH!!!" Flaren covered his face with his cloak as his entire body instinctively lurched forward. The stench was so invasive he simply could not bear to move. His stomach turned forward as the of taste of his morning breakfast and saliva reappeared in his mouth. The room began to spin as if there was nothing that attached him to the floor anymore. He felt lightheaded. *cough cough* Flaren gagged. His ears began to ring as the thought of fleeing crept into his mind. Only a moment had passed before he regained posture.'and that pretty girl probably saw me do that too' he straightened his back, but kept the cloak over his face as his eyes darted around the room.

The couch was the first thing he noticed. Moths disgust Flaren. Times like this he wished he was a reimancer and he could just torch all those disgusting creatures. He walked over to the window and cleared off some dust with his sleeves so he could envy for a moment the folks who walked through the fresh air. Just the idea of being outside distracted him from the stench that invaded his nose holes. His heart yearned for the sweet sweet taste of fresh that he took for granted before he made the mistake of following these two who show no mercy for their nasal. 'How many times do i have to follow a pretty girl around before I can be content with what the goddess has offered me? how many times will i offer myself to go on some ridiculous who knows what i'm doing right now before i realize happiness exists on just a spiritual level?'

The wardrobe would be the first place he'd look, then he'd follow the girl upstairs in case of any danger, however thoroughly thinking it through he figures it would be safer just to follow her foot steps one floor below her in case she'd fall through the floor after all who would be in a home like this, but there was no reason for him to look foolish when he had the chance to be alone with a girl with the most amazing hair.

'her hair'

could words describe such beauty with simple adjectives? Nay, actions-no, dedication, unfathomable dedication was due to this girls gorgeous wavy red locks that flowed to the mid of her back. Monuments and statues would be erected that would be painted as crimson as the beauty which dances atop her head and still the world will not know a proper way to compliment such perfection. The painters envy that consumes all shades of this vibrant color. a watermark on the head of a goddess signifying the house of perfection. A world of men who would fall on the blade for this princess among women. This girl with red hair who casts a spell on those who are fortunate enough to see. and yet a trance in a home; no, a world of putrid filth sends Flaren to a realm of complete euphoria.

safety, however was the primary motive, and she was already halfway up the stairs, so he decided hed check the wardrobe then follow the girl.
"I'll go with you to the top floor in case you need some help, everything looks safe down here." he said as he walked past the wardrobe and threw open the doors.

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow D ulute's quick glance into the kitchen didn’t cause invisible hands to grab at the dark skinned man. The table’s plates and meager cutlery looked to have been used within the last few chimes, bits of food still clung to the edges. Near the middle of the table was a few splashes of red color and tucked under one of the plates was a folded piece of paper. Nothing else obvious could be seen by Dulute without walking into the area a bit further and looking closer. A fter Flaren dusted off the glass from the window, more light poured into the home. The increased brightness seemed to give a different feel to the area, making it seem less foreboding and creepy, though an unease sense of abandonment still lingered in the air. The floor creaked on occasion as the tall male moved around the living room. When the doors of the wardrobe were thrown open, a pair of moths flutter out of the space, free now that the wooden barrier was gone. The hangers in the upright dresser were empty, if fact, one hanger was on the floor of the wardrobe, bent at an odd angle as though it had been pulled from the dowel with too much force. Dry dirt on the floor showed drag mark of footwear, like shoes had been grabbed quickly and with little thought. Against one of the walls of the wardrobe was a worn, tattered piece of parchment. S araphina’s trip up the stairs was paused as the two men downstairs spoke up. She glanced up the incline, torn in her choices. Her curiosity made her want to investigate upstairs, but she realized her eagerness likely came from the face that she was confident, perhaps foolishly so, that she could handle any dangers that might be lingering in the house. Her two accomplishes were not fighters, at least they didn’t look like fighters. And she had asked them to come along, which technically made them her responsibility. Wandering off alone and leaving them behind would be a good way for one or both of them to get hurt. Making a choice, she stayed on the middle of the staircase. From here she could see both Dulute and Flaren as they check out the lower level, but was still able to block the stairwell in case anyone came rushing down from the upstairs. She smirked down at Dulute and replied lightly, “Bad ideas are what make good stories Dulute. You can boast to the Kelp Bar patrons about how you fearlessly walked into a haunted house and purged it of all evil…..most of them will be too drunk to know the difference and you’ll get a great applause for it.” Looking over at Flaren and coughing a bit as dust stirred up from the wind the wardrobe doors made, she chuckled softly and nodded to him. Her response was spoken in a teasing tone, though it was unintentional on Saraphina’s part, “Are you sure I’m the one who needs help Blue Eyes? Is there anything interesting down there? Anything that might tell us where or if Liliandra and Jeramiah are here or where they went?”

[Dulute Jadesmith]

Considering the rest of the place, the kitchen seemed well kept together. Of course, Duluute only thought this because he only peaked inside. As he looked closer, he noticed a table with a few dishes scattered about. There was still a bit of food leftover, which annoyed Duluute a bit until he noticed the splash of red. His heart lurched immediately. "Is that...blood?" Stepping into the room, he stared for a few moments at the red substance.

Was that why there was still food leftover? Had they just been eating and were attacked all of a sudden? That would explain the dark atmosphere that surrounded the place. It was as if their ghosts were already haunting the place.

Duluute tried not to loose hope, though. Saraphina would want to know about this. However, as he was about to leave to tell her, he noticed something jutting from under one of the plates. "A note?" he thought curiously. He was hesitant to lift up the plate for fear of finding more blood underneath, but he did it anyway, picking up the paper and examining it for a moment. He wouldn't bother reading it, at least not yet.

Something told him there was more of interest in the kitchen. So he decided to simply report to Saraphina and then get back to his detective work. Peaking his head out the doorway, he saw Saraphina waiting on the middle of the stairs. Blue Eyes - as Saraphina called the giant - was around there too, though he was looking through a wardrobe. "Boss," Duluute shouted in a low whisper. "I think I found something, but I'm not sure. Here." Tossing the folded paper at Saraphina, he waited for her to unwrap and read it.

All the while he kept looking back to make sure there was nobody behind him. Something about this house was starting to make him feel paranoid.

[Flaren Ferno]

'Didn't i see something that looked similar in the wardrobe?'

Flaren retraced his steps towards the wardrobe and grabbed a small piece of parchment. and handed it to Saraphina. "I believe that's all we can find down here," Flaren said as if he were breaking bad news. "I'm sorry, but i can't tell whether these people left in a hurry or prepared themselves before they left. There was food leftover in the kitchen, but more information? It doesn't leave a trace. I suppose the blood would lead you somewhere but I'll tell you this much. I'm no detective. I say we contact the authorites. I know if someone found my house like this, i would..."

The kitchen called to him, it was an itch of curiosity that had to be satisfied. "I'm going to check the kitchen," glancing at the food, checking the cupboards, examining the cloth long enough for Flaren to calm his nerves. "The main scene of the crime..." Flaren bent himself over the table staring intently at the blood.

His confidence wasn't there, but what was there was his intellect, he was able to craft the crime out in his head to a bit, and clearly this was why the house was abandonned. The attack victim was clearly left defenseless while seated at the table or backed into the table by the assailant, and clearly the body was removed.

"It might be upstairs, check everywhere upstairs and see if that's where they hid the body. I'm going to ask the neighbors if they've seen anything. Don't worry red hair I'll be sure not to contact the authorities before you make that call, If you or your friend have anything worth hiding I'll respect your want to privacy and discression." Flaren walked towards the door. "by the way," Flaren gave Saraphina 'the look' which was as simple as a subtle raising of his bushy eyebrows. "you can call me Flaren if you haven't gotten too used to my pet name; but, red hair is there anything else you'd like to tell me about what you were doing here?"

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow W hat Dulute first thought to be blood on the table of the kitchen soon became clear to not be as he moved closer to the table. Upon closer inspection, the splash of red color was in fact three small flower petals, likely from a fresh cut rose. The sweet scent of the flower could be faintly detected as the young man moved around the table. The plates that were set up at the table could now be seen to have been used by two people, as the other plate was clear of food bits. The folded paper gave off the scent of charcoal and greyish-black smudges were left on Dulute’s fingers as he picked it up. F laren’s quick mind could work out more minute details as he wandered through the lower levels. The parchment he picked up was rolled along the edges and colored ink could be seen on the item even as he handed it to Saraphina. A closer look at the table and the scattered flower petals would likely change the human’s initiate thoughts of the scene. The flower petals would be difficult to acquire during the fall months, so likely would cost more and be trickier to find in the city. So for someone that clearly had a small income of Mizas to spend....there must have been a very special reason to go through the effort of acquiring the flower. The cupboards were empty sae for a few scattered dishes and cups. No obvious signs of struggle would be found in the kitchen, but the cloth piece that he inspected had a very odd, mucus stain on one side. The putrid smell that was still lightly filling the air was far stronger when holding the cotton strip and if one looked closely, small stains of red and brownish scabs could be seen on the cloth. The scent coming from the cloth could likely be recognized as one cause by an infected wound. S araphina stepped down lower on the steps as Dulute approached her. Unlike her companions, the gloomy and haunted atmosphere affected her less. Her confidence was rather unshaken, likely because of her combat prowess and the fact that she tended to find trouble everywhere so she didn’t try to hide from it. Taking the folded piece of paper, the Kelvic opened it, keeping the paper facing Dulute and Flaren so they could both see it. No writing or script was on the square, but rather an amazingly detailed charcoal drawing. The sketch was of a lovely young human women, which Dulute and possible Flaren would recognize as Liliandra. The image was flawless in detail, showing soft doe-eyes heavy with affection and love. The women’s lips were parted in the act of perhaps smiling or ready to purse in a kiss. Below the sketch was written in a masculine handwriting, ‘For my Beloved. May Syna’s light never leave your smile and ever joined be our hearts in blissful eternity.’ Saraphina looked to the two men and handed the drawing to Dulute again, “Do you recognize this women? Is she Lilinadra? If she’s supposedly been kidnapped by Jeramiah, she certainly looks happy about it, doesn’t she?” Saraphina took the parchment handed to her by Flaren and smirked back at the tall male. Somehow, she was truly enjoying the dark haired man’s company. His humorous actions and assumptions were very amusing. The ginger shook her head Flaren, “Your concerns are appreciated Flaren, but I think its unneeded. I have nothing to hide from anyone, though I can’t speak for Dulute. I’ve never been here before, I’m just trying to find these two people and get Lilinadra home. If it looks like people left here, we might find some clues to where they went upstairs….or…” Saraphina looked down at the rolled parchment and open the coiled paper. Faded colored ink painted out in the distant region of Sylira with hand drawn lines showing roads, pathways and trails. The Kelvic recognized several places as good hunting areas around Zeltiva, she’d been there herself on several hunts. A red line leading through the wildlands and ending at Syliras was drawn and in the same writing as on the sketch was written, ‘Freedom for us both’ Saraphina showed the map to the two men with her, eyebrows pinched a bit in confusion and thought. After a few minutes of studying the map, she looked to Dulute and Flaren, running her hand along some areas on the parchment “These areas here are hunting grounds, lots of small game and open areas. Liliandra’s Father mentioned Jeramiah was a hunter, this might be his reference for where he found the best prey. And this path here….it leads straight to Syliras. So…..are these two running? What’s everyone’s thought on what’s happening here?” Saraphina looked up at her two accomplishes and waited for their responses.

[Dulute Jadesmith]

Just when he thought things couldn't get any weirder, as Duluute looked back for company, he realized that the supposed blood was just flower petals. How could he have possibly mistaken blood for flower petals? "Get your head together Duluute. You're starting to loose your wit."

Smacking his face in an attempt to snap out of his trance, he heard Flareon finding another paper in the wardrobe. That made three clues including the strange table scene and the petals. Duluute began to saying something on the matter when Flareon suddenly decided to give his own hypothesis on everything...or at least he began before going off to examine the kitchen as well.

Looking back to Saraphina, he saw she had unfolded the paper, revealing a line drawing of Liliandra. It was pretty accurate to say the least, though Duluute couldn't actually judge since he wasn't a paper artist. At the bottom of the paper was the dedication "For my Beloved.". Seeing how they were in Jeremiah's house, Duluute could only assume he had wrote it.

The drawing stirred up multiple questions for Saraphina, who wasn't sure if the woman was Liliandra or not. The question that really stood out was when she asked about Jeremiah kidnapping Liliandra. "What?!" he said in a slightly louder whisper shout. "She was kidnapped?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?! I assumed they were just lost. I heard Jeremiah was bad, but I never would have guessed he'd go that far."

Looking at the picture again, Duluute was just as lost about the situation as Saraphina was. It didn't help that Blue Eyes started barking orders and talking about calling the authorities either. "Did you really believe they'd make it in time? They may just scare him into ending Liliandra for good."

Duluute realized that this was irrational thinking. He had been thrown into such a panic by the aspect of kidnapping that he had forgotten about one of his most important rules. No matter the situation, he had to keep a level head in order to minimize mistakes. Taking in a deep breath, he let his mind return to gentle thoughts before analyzing the situation.

How would the Waveguard handle this situation? Considering they had a whole city to patrol, Duluute doubted they had the time to attend to the needs of the poorer class. It was better to call in the Waveguard as a last resort. If they did come they would still run the risk of escalating the matter. The last thing he wanted was for this kidnapping to turn into a hostage situation.

Coming out of his thoughts, Duluute saw Saraphina holding up a map this time - yet another hand drawn piece of art. Saraphina explained that the areas on the map were good hunting spots. This greatly interested Duluute, who saw it as a map to the best natural food spots. Too bad he had neither the skill nor the will to hunt in the woods.

Saraphina went on to explain about Jeramiah being a hunter and about the map showing a path leading to Syliras. "I assume this means they will run away together. Not exactly something a kidnapper would do...Unless he really is simply crazy and only thinks she is his lover. If that were the case..." Looking back at the map, he read a caption saying "Freedom for us both" that gave him the chills.

"Would he mean to end his life as well as that of Liliandra's? Perhaps we will need to call in the guild afterall..."

[Flaren Ferno]

It was clear to the note's intention and even hinted possible whereabouts as to the location of the missing two persons. "There may be a third part." Concluded Flaren. There are local flower shops around Zeltiva for sure, but whether it would be any aid at all was a one in three chance. "'Freedom for us both', why write down your intentions if foul play may be involved, furthermore why would anyone leave these important pieces of paper behind. No, i believe that the suspect Jeremiah may not be a suspect at all, and in fact he may be hot on the trail of Liliandra as well as us." Flaren paced back and forth, a charcoal sketching could be done by anyone, but the flowers are traceable back to the buyer. "My hypothesis... if i may, is that another character who lusts for Liliandra bought her flowers and planned on leading Liliandra away from this sinister Jeremiah, they would have left in a hurry at the possible arrival of Jeremiah." Flaren boosted his confidence, was about to deliver orders, but stopped himself out of fear of diluting their already weak bonds. He decided to offer a suggestion. "why don't we split up? i can check upstairs for more clues, Dulute can ask for local florists while Saraphina takes her horse to check the hunting spot. we can all meet up for drinks at the grotto when were done with our tasks and hopefully one of us will find traces of the girl."

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow S araphina blinked rapidly at Dulute’s sudden exclamation. She hadn’t intentionally left the dark skinned man in the dark about the possible kidnapping of Liliandra. But clearly that hadn’t been what Dulute thought and his panic could be very detrimental. She needed to calm him, “I’m sorry Dulute, of course I should have told you. But….well, Liliandra’s parents, her Father in particular....something seemed off with them. And I didn’t want to jump to conclusions without further proof. Of which we still don’t have. There is no sign of a fight or of any kidnapping, we still don’t know what is going on. And until we do know, I’m not going to assume anything. Please, try to stay positive Dulute....what we've found here doesn't mean anything yet.” The Kelvic ran through the clues the group had found in her own way. A drawing of Liliandra, or who she assumed to be Liliandra, and a map with a planned route to Syliras. Dulute could be right, Jeramiah may very well have taken the girl with the intent of ending both their lives…..or the two of them could be running. But running from what? F laren seemed to have a better grasp of the situation and his explanations made sense. Was there someone else that was interested in Liliandra and tried to pull her away from Jeramiah? Saraphina wasn’t sure, more information was needed. She wasn’t sure that splitting the group was the best idea, but in a way it made more sense. Apart they could cover more ground and perhaps find one, or both of the people they sought. On the other hand, it could put them all in a great deal more trouble. Dulute seemed to think she was in charge, but honestly, Saraphina was just poking around in her normal, curious, trouble-attracting way. The red head had absolutely no idea how to lead a team, but everyone here was present under their own choice. So far be it for her to be the one to decide how they wanted to work. If Dulute and Flaren both thought that separating was best, she would agree with the plan. The Kelvic inhaled sharply a few times, scenting the air again. She was almost certain that the house was empty, but there might still be some clue to be found. S hrugging at the tall man, she responded to his comment in a light tone , “It sounds like a possibility, though Liliandra’s parent didn’t mention any other man beside Jeramiah in their daughter life. Granted, her Father is a loud mouthed idiot in my opinion, but I suppose they could have been meeting in secret or something. I don’t know if splitting up is best, but if you two think it’s a good plan, I’ll head off with Abaccus and try to find where this path on the map leads to. I’m sorry if I dragged both of you into a bad spot, it wasn’t my intention. I was just more curious about the case than anything.” Saraphina rolled up the map and hiked her backpack onto her shoulders a bit higher. She looked back and forth at the two men, waiting patiently for what they decided. No judgement or pressure was reflected in her golden eyes, only a slight embarrassment.