I
The elf Ireniana Falfaren and her halfling companion Melissa Tarsburrough walked quietly into the lavishly decorated ball room, located in the eastern wing of Stoddarvale's Bronze Scale Inn. Drumming her fingers on the handle of her sword, Falfaren scanned the entire ball room, staring at the dozens of guests who were lining up to fill their mugs, steins, and wine goblets. Melissa, whose cape and leathers matched that of Falfaren, stared at the purple and gold banners that hung around the room. Each banner was lined with golden feathers and embossed with the image of a foaming mug resting on a plate.
The halfling's almond shaped blue eyes stared at a group of drunkards waving their half-filled mugs back and forth while stumbling over one another. "Is this all they do?" she muttered to her friend in a disapproving voice as her fingers went to the handle of her own sword sheathed on her belt.
Falfaren smirked, her slanted eyes watching a group of dwarves across the room sharing a keg of ale. "The so called feast of Duncan Drinksalot, the supposed father of wines and other alcohols," the halfling added in an unimpressed voice.
"Or so the dwarves and priests would have you believe," Falfaren added. She ignored the glares she was receiving from those nearby, and walked with Melissa to a small square table, where a muscular green skinned ork wearing a black leathers, and a human covered from head to toe in armor were eating roast chicken and corn on the cob.
"Evening gentlemen," greeted Falfaren as she extended her hand. My name is Ireniana and this is my companion Melissa."
"Where did you get the chicken?" Melissa asked curiously.
"At the table at the other side of the room," The human replied as he rose to shake the elf's hand. "I am Sir Nestor Rogers and this is my friend Graymood Danrys."
Falfaren removed her plum colored fedora, revealing her long back hair. She then watched the ork stroke his fumanchu mustache. "Graymood Danrys, the champion of this city's arena?"
"The very one," the ork responded, his thin lips parting in a smile.
The elf turned to her friend as she said," Can you believe it Melissa, we are about to engorge ourselves in spirits with a renown prize fighter and a knight of the guard."
"I will leave the spirits to you Falfaren," the halfling said in a casual voice. "What brings you both here?"
The knight smiled as a robust red haired serving girl brought over four steins and set them in the middle of table, then set down two plates of chicken, potatoes, and corn in front of Falfaren and Melissa. "Graymood and I are here to celebrate his one hundredth victory in the Stoddarvale Arena of Honor."
"The tickets were a part of the winner's purse," the ork added, showing his left arm that was lined with purple scars. "As were these. And what brings the great Ireniana and Melissa? You are a long way from your office near the docks."
Falfaren was about to respond, when she saw a blurred reflection on the side of her beer stein.. Putting her response to the ork's question on hold, she glanced back to see a tall elven male standing over her shoulder. She noticed the wine red priest robes her wore over his olive colored skin. "And what can I do for a servant of the Winelord?" she asked in a slightly irritated voice.
The priest extended his hand and Falfaren quickly brought out her invitation. "Here is my ticket, I am Ireni Falfaren, coming here in place of Charlie Hawkshadow, who was unable to attend." She then signaled to her halfling friend and added," And Melissa here is my plus one."
"I know who you are Ireniana Falfaren," the priest said in the elvish dialect as he pulled a chair from the table behind him. "I am Irvinevell Savigon, from the land of Delnair like yourself. Your reputation proceeds you Ireniana." He glanced at Nestor and Graymood, before leaning close and whispering," Perhaps you could join me at my table with my fellow priests instead of sitting here with these brutes whose only quality is they know how to swing a weapon. From there you will be able to be close to High Priestess Natasha Thorn as she gives her speech. We could also discuss about our homeland."
"Tempting," Falfaren responded in the language understood by all of the kingdom's residents, stroking her chin as if she had a beard. "But if you knew my reputation, you would know that I rarely keep in contact with anyone in Delnair outside of my family, and that I prefer not to be seen in the company of pompous clergymen like yourself. I have a few exceptions to that rule, but none of them are present this evening. Now go back to your priest table and talk about how many heathens you converted to your drunken god."
Before Irvinevell could respond to Falfaren's words, Nestor and Graymood stood up from their seats, causing the priest to scurry back to his table.
"Graymood and I are going to fill our cups," the knight began, watching the priest. "Perhaps we could fill yours as well."
"No thank you," the halfling said with a shake of her head as she began eating.
Falfaren smiled and leaned back in her chair. "I guess I will have Melissa's then. Whatever they have that is strong."
Nestor nodded and looked to his friend. "I think we can find something that will live up to the lady's expectations."
As the gentlemen left, Melissa leaned close to Falfaren and whispered," He is still staring this way, and talking with his fellow priests."
Falfaren did her best to ignore the looks of the priests. Once Nestor and Graymood returned with their hands full of drinks, all eyes turned towards the front of the ball room where a beautiful woman wearing priestly robes walked onto the small stage. Her shoulder length black hair was parted down the middle, some of it covering the ruby encrusted gold torque she wore around her neck. The elf raised an eyebrow, noticing the hairs rising on her arms.
"Thank you all for attending," the woman whom Falfaren and Melissa guessed was the high priestess Natasha Thorn. "We all must thank the Winelord for this occasion to come together."
Sounds of prayers thanking the wine god echoed throughout the room. Melissa kept her silence while Falfaren drank her ale in a loud and obnoxious manner.
Natasha's wide eyes stared at the elf, who finished with a belch. "Oh please continue sister, I am sure we are all eager to hear the glorious words of Duncan," Falfaren said as Thorn's eyes, along with the eyes of her priests set upon her.
The high priestess closed her eyes. "Tonight is not just about sharing drinks and memories-" her words were replaced by rapid breaths while her left arm clutched her right arm. "We must also not forget..." She let out a grunt as she bent low.
Just as the priests jumped from their table to help their priestess when all light-candlelit and magical went out-followed by the silence of the music.
The guests began to whisper amongst themselves until a feral growl filled the room. It was followed by a blood curdling cry and the tearing of clothing and flesh.
The priests of the Winelord chanted a spell that re-illuminated the room. The high priestess Thorn appeared to have vanished. Laying on the ground where she had stood was the body of a dwarf covered in his own blood. Irvinevell quickly turned over his body, revealing to everyone the dwarf's stomach, which had been ripped open.
"Jondin...," whispered the elf before stepping back to allow the remainder of his brethren to carry the dwarf's body.
The guests began whispering amongst themselves their theories of how the priest was killed by a creature that must have taken Natasha. Irvinevell held his hand up to silence the guests."Our high priestess is missing and one of our brothers is dead." His eyes went over to Nestor as he added," It appears the Stoddarvale guards are not as efficient in their protection as they boast."
Both Nestor and Graymood were about to stand when Melissa stood up. "There were guards when we came to the inn. Why weren't you able to protect your high priestess? Perhaps you were too drunk..." She stopped as two of the priests walked forward, which we responded by drawing her sword.
"I am merely saying that those skilled in battle such as a knight and a gladiator should have been able to stand up to whatever creature," the priest corrected as he made his way over to the table. "However-" Irvinevell gasped as Falfaren had drawn her sword and placed its tip at the priest's neck.
"Then perhaps it's best if you let more qualified individuals take care of this matter," Falfaren snapped. "Brother Irvinevell, you will continue your little party outside of this ball room while my companions and I get to the bottom of this matter."
Irvinevell glared at the elf holding the sword. "You? The one who was drowning herself in alcohol while Natasha was singing the praises and glory of Lord Duncan."
Falfaren sneered as she stood up and walked past the priest. "If your god is a true lover of the drink, he would have encouraged that I partake in downing the sweet nectar."
Before the priest could say any more, Nestor stood in front of him, staring directly into his eyes. "Brother, I am one of Stoddarvale's sworn defenders, and since this crime has taken place outside of a church, you have no right to tell anyone, especially this woman who has helped us in numerous investigations, that she can not partake in this investigation. Now I suggest you go interrogate, pray, weep, or whatever it is you priests do for your dead."
Offended and angered by the knights words, Irvinevell glared at Falfaren once more, then walked back to his fellow priests to escort the remainder of the guests out of the ball room. Falfaren looked where the dwarf was slain, noting the splatters of blood and tiny chunks of entrails left on the floor. Nestor shook his head, reverting back to his calm self. "From the way the body had looked, it seemed the poor man was ripped apart by an animal. I guess that clears us two-legged folk."
Falfaren smiled as Nestor spoke the last few words with a bit of sarcasm. "There was no way either of you could have killed him."
Graymood smiled and shuffled his feet. "Such a kill would be have to be quick. Quite impressive if you ask me."
"Yes quite," the elf said before looking at her halfling friend. "Why don't you both stand around and look for clues. Drink some ale if you think it helps you." Nestor and Graymood exchanged glances, confused at how the elf conducted her methods.
"What have you found Melissa?" Falfaren asked curiously.
The halfling crossed her arms and walked in a circle. "I haven't found much," she answered as she bent down and picked up a few strands of long white hair. 'Except this that is. I agree that it could have been an animal that attacked the priest and nabbed Thorn, but we would have known if an animal came in."
Falfaren's lips parted in a grin. "How so my dead Melissa?"
Melissa rolled her eyes, hating whenever Falfaren challenged her theories. "I don't know. There could have been a crash. Perhaps those long ears of yours would have heard it come in, or we might have smelled it."
"There are beasts in the forests near Stoddarvale," Falfaren said, looking at the hair Melissa held in her fingertips. "I think we are correct to assume this was the work of a werebeast, but not just an ordinary animal. There has been a rumor going around that werewolves have been roaming these parts. Perhaps he took the high priestess."
Melissa nodded. "Again, would we have not seen the werewolf?" She took a step back, unaware that her right foot touched a small rectangle in the floor.
Falfaren was about to add to her theory, when she the floor came out from underneath her and she fell.
The halfling went over to the hole and looked down, seeing Falfaren standing in a pool of murky water. "Are you all right?"
"Yes it seems that my fall was stopped by a large body," the elf admitted, standing onto her feet. "Well Melissa, it looks like we found how the beast could have escaped."
Nestor and Graymood looked down into the hole as Falfaren pulled up a large, well rounded headless corpse with sewage dripping and running down her arms. While Melissa suppressed the urge to vomit, Graymood said," It appears that you have found the body of an ogre Miss Falfaren. He looked like a healer from the arena"
"But ogres usually go outside of the traveler's district," Nestor commented, crossing his arms.
"Interesting," the elf remarked, finding similar rips and tears in the body as the dwarf. "You know Melissa, this is no way for him to get-"
"No head jokes!" the halfling shrieked before jumping down into the hole. Looking at the ogre's body, she added. "Whatever killed the priest had to have killed this ogre."
"Which means that whatever did this is roaming around Stoddarvale with a high priestess," Falfaren said with grim expression on her face. "Anyone who crosses paths with it, is in great danger."
II
Falfaren cursed as she looked up at the full moon that shared the night sky with thousands of stars.
"You've been staring at that thing a dozen times now," Melissa said as they crossed the intersection where Stoddarvale's Military Square intersected with its Nobles District.
"Do you think it was wise leaving Nestor and Graymood back at the inn?" Melissa asked the elf, the strong scent of raw sewage reeking from their clothes and bodies.
"They seemed eager to stay behind and keep the crowd under control," Falfaren answered as they followed what their noses to be a scent trail that was the same smell they had unwillingly acquired from walking in the sewer under the Bronze Scale. "They also were eager to keep the Drunklord's cronies off of our backs."
The two companions heard a scream come from down the street. Drawing their weapons they raced down the street until they stopped at a small shop where the wooden door was broken down. "I think we found what we were looking for," Falfaren said with a grin.
The stench of blood and rotten flesh filled the halfling's nose as she drew her sword as she said," And I thought the scent of fecal matter was bad. The smell of death is much worse."
"One of life's little blessings my dear Melissa," Falfaren commented as she walked towards the door. "I will go first."
"But aren't you worried that you will be putting High Priestess Natasha at risk?"
The elf smirked at her friend. "Since we escaped out of the sewer, I came up with another theory that our werewolf and our priestess would be one in the same."
"The full moon, of course," Melissa said as she entered the house behind Falfaren. The halfling was shocked to find Natasha on the floor, her naked body sprouting fur and claws. Natasha's red feral eyes looked at her, then at Falfaren.
"Behold Melissa, we have our wolf," Falfaren proclaimed in a proud voice. "Though she it seems she has not had her lycan's disease long enough for her to be fully transformed."
"She must have made her escape when the lights went back," Melissa said, reflecting back on the events in the ball room.
"And killed the ogre she hired to help her make her escape, but not before killing the dwarven priest who was standing near the trap door." Falfaren stepped towards Natasha, whose eyes followed the elf.
"I fled because I did not want to hurt those people" Natasha said in a quivering voice. "I prayed to the Winelord to keep this curse from coming. but he warned me that he was powerless to stop it."
"A lot of good that did," the elf remarked, slowly moving her sword from left to right in a taunting gesture. "You should have not come to the ball."
"It was Irvinevell's idea that I escape through the sewers," snapped the priestess as rage and hunger was coming over her. "I take grief in knowing I killed one of my brethern and an innocent being. But as you, who spurns the gods and flaunts her beliefs, I will enjoy ripping you into shreds."
Natasha lunged at Falfaren, slashing her claws in a wild manner. Falfaren sidestepped the priestess and stabbed her blade at the beast's throat, only to have it swatted out of her hand.
Before Falfaren could grab her sword, Natasha tackled her to the floor and bit into her lower neck, near the collarbone.
After letting out an irritated scream, the elf drove her fist several times into the back of Natasha's head, but the priestess continued to dig her teeth into Falfaren's flesh.
Recalling some legends about werewolves, Melissa grabbed a silver coin from her pocket and stabbed her sword into the priestess' back, digging a hole deep enough to fit the coin.
Feeling the coin slide into her back, Natasha released her jaws from Falfaren's neck and tossed the halfling over her shoulder. After taking a step towards the woman who had wounded her, Natasha fell to the floor and broke out in a rhythmic convulsion.
Falfaren sat up and rubbed her wounded beck as the priestess looked up at her once more, then ceased moving.
Melissa stood up and stared in disbelief at Natasha's dead body. "I just killed a high priestess...I have angered the gods."
"Yes, as well as saving all of Stoddarvale, which includes the royal families and maybe the dragons who sleep in the mountains behind the palace," Falfaren said in hopes of suppressing the pain and nausea. She applied pressure to the wound as she walked over to Melissa. "That's more than some gods do, even on their best days."
Melissa nodded and produced another silver coin from her pocket. "I remembered reading that silver is like a poison to werewolves and other creatures afflicted with lycan's disease. Even if she wasn't fully transformed, it was still enough to kill her."
Falfaren found a piece of Natasha's torn robes near the doorway and used it to bandage her wound. Seeing the object in the halfling's hand she said," Though Natasha was partially transformed her bite may transform me. I may need that coin you're holding."
Melissa handed her the coin, a stern look crossed her face as she asked," You would use it to kill yourself?"
The elf shrugged her shoulder. "Let's hope it does not come to that. Still, we must get back and have a chat with the priests."
"Perhaps they can heal your wound," the halfling suggested.
Falfaren grinned and shook her head. "I would rather poison myself with the coin."
* * * *
Falfaren and Melissa were on their way back to the Bronze Scale when they passed Nestor and Graymood under a glowing lantern that was suspended on a post.
"I told you we would find them if we followed the smell," Nestor commented as he and the ork walked up to the women. "Lady Falfaren, you look terrible."
"Were you able to find the high priestess and whatever creature took her?" asked Graymood, whose eyes now saw the body slumped over the elf's shoulder.
"We found the high priestess," Falfaren said, dropping the body unceremoniously in front of the two men. She then went into detail about their encounter with Natasha. Once she was finished, Nestor looked at Graymood.
"Has anyone told you that you can be insensitive sometimes Miss Falfaren?" the ork asked.
"I've told her a time or two," Melissa answered casually. Her eyes then saw Irvinevell leading four of his priests towards them. "Wonderful."
Spotting the body of their high priestess, Irvinevell and his brothers in faith raced and picked up the body of Natasha Thorn. While the others grieved, Irvinevell looked up at Falfaren, his eyes flashed with anger and accusation. "You did this? You killed our high priestess?"
Falfaren pointed to her halfling companion and said," It was actually Melissa who killed Natasha. With a silver coin nonetheless. I'm sure you would have been able to do the same thing if she would have transformed at the Bronze Scale or would have you just let her run rampant and kill all of those innocent guests."
Irvinevell said nothing as the other priests drew their maces at the elf. Nestor and Graymood stepped in front of Falfaren while Irvinevell signaled for his men to stand down.
"We did what we had to do to keep the city safe," Melissa said before Falfaren could make the same statement.
"It was a curse inflicted on her by a dark priestess of Sakur," Irvinevell said, looking at the halfling and the elf. "There was many times when she asked me to kill her for having this disease. Perhaps if we acted sooner, we could have stopped it sooner...The plan was for her to escape when she began to transform."
"Sooner or later, it does not matter," Falfaren said, a shiver of pain running up her neck. "What's done is done. If this would have gone on, she probably would have killed more people."
Irvinevell closed his eyes, as if a revelation had come to him. "You don't know that."
Irvinevell and his priests picked up the body and carried it with them. As they walked away, Graymood turned to Falfaren and Melissa," Perhaps it was Duncan's will that you both came here tonight."
"Gods or not, we all have hand in our destiny," Falfaren began, as if she rehearsed these words many times. "Natasha chose to come to the feast, knowing she was at risk and risking the lives of her priests and all of the guests. That is what makes something like this a tragedy. Could have this been prevented? Maybe."
A moment of silence passed the four, until Melissa said," On the matter of preventing tragedies, we still have to find someone to look at your wound."
Falfaren uncovered her bandage,a lair of dry blood covering where she had been bitten. "I suppose if we ask-"
"Do not worry Lady Falfaren," Nestor interrupted, looking at the wound. "In the forest, Graymood and I know of some druids who can help you. My lady Lonicera, who is a skilled healer and a disciple of the Earthmother."
"Sounds great," Falfaren remarked, covering up her wound once again.
As they began walking behind Nestor and Graymood, Melissa looked up at her friend and asked," You do not seem to like the idea of dealing with another priestess."
Falfaren shrugged and said," I admit, I do not know what to expect. Although I hear centaurs roam the forests around these parts."
"So do dragons," the halfling said with a smile. "In which case let's hope you do transform into a werebeast of some sort. That way, the three of us will make our getaway while you fend it off."
"Well then my dear Melissa, you best hope I do not survive that encounter, because if I do, then I will come for you next."
The two companions shared a laugh as they left the Stoddarvale city limits.
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