The First Assignment, Part 1
Winter of Year 690, Duncaster, Western Gilnas
It had started simply enough, like most problems. Objects had been going missing from houses, and at first the local troublemaker was suspected. But after he spent a week in the stocks and things kept going missing, alternatives were considered. Then came the first bodies. Animals cut apart in grisly fashion, left in spots where they would be quickly found. It was nearly a month of fruitless investigation by the local authorities before the first human body was found.
The Mayor, a Town Watchman, and Two Coin-Men stood in a circle around the mangled corpse of Natalie Godrick in a dark alley. She was a well-liked barmaid at the Inn near the town square, especially for her special services, which had been an open secret.
"So what do you think?" The Mayor asked, shaking his head.
"If it wasn't for the runes carved on her face, I'd chalk it up to a disagreement with one of her clients." The Watchman said. "Frank, you said you and Jeremy came across her in the alley?"
"That's right. We were chasing a thief when he stopped dead in his tracks and started shouting. Said there was a body here." Frank said, nodding.
"You notified the Priest, right?" The Mayor asked, glancing over at the Watchman.
"Soon as Patty told me, yeah." The Watchman said. "She practically ran into the barracks, shouting that some Coin-Men found something horrible. He should be here any minute."
As if on cue, the Vordean Priest cleared his throat as he approached them. Nodding at the Mayor, he knelt down briefly to inspect the carvings on Natalie's face, and practically leapt up.
"Hoy Father what's wrong?" The Watchman asked.
"Send a messenger, immediately." The Priest said, wiping his forehead.
"Of course, but to where?"
"This is beyond any of us. We should have seen the signs." He continued, already pacing. "The fastest horse you can muster. To the Spiritual Garrison in the Capital. And burn her body, dammit!"
"Burn her? What's going on?" The Mayor demanded.
"On it." Jeremy said, flicking his wrist. Natalie's body ignited instantly, but then started moving.
"She's alive! Put her out!" The Mayor shouted, but the Watchman knew exactly what was happening and pulled him back.
"She's a wight!" The Watchman shouted. "Get back!"
The Priest wasted no time and pulled a dagger out of his robe, hurling it at Natalie's body even as it tried to move. With a final scream, she stopped moving this time for good. In less than a minute, not even ashes remained.
"A blessed dagger." He said as he picked it off the ground. "We don't know what we're dealing with, I'm barricading the Church."
Gilnas City, Spiritual Garrison
The Decanus at the front desk of the Garrison was surprised to see a messenger suddenly burst into the foyer, but kept composure and waited for the man to get to the desk.
"Yes, can I help you?" He asked, placing his hands together and smiling expectantly.
"Please, please, read this." The messenger gasped, out of breath. "I've been riding hard since Duncaster." He thrust a piece of paper into the Decanus's hands and slumped to the floor.
The Decanus's face fell as he read the letter. By the time he finished the letter, he knew exactly what was going on, and was the first to properly sound the alarm.
"Shit!" He practically shouted. "Optio! Get Centurion Herydark and Optio Svetlana! We have a barrier pierce underway in Duncaster! Class Six and climbing!"
Within two minutes the Garrison was in a uproar and the entire senior command staff were in the planning hall along with Svetlana and the messenger. Svetlana was listening to the messenger intently as she interrogated him, pausing to sniff him and the letter at certain points. Zell was discussing the events in the letter with Elora and another Centurion, and while Elora wasn't outright showing it, her tattoo glowing a bright orange told Zell a lot about what to expect.
"You are sure?" Svetlana asked the messenger.
"Yes yes I'm sure! I wasn't followed!" He said.
"Not by the living." Svetlana said, scowling. "You there in the corner, I see you!"
Elora jabbed Zell in the ribs and pointed at Svetlana. They both observed as Svetlana suddenly leapt at something neither of them could see, and struggled briefly. Nobody else could hear the responses, but they all heard Svetlana's questions.
"Who are you?" She asked in an annoyed tone. After a moment, she continued. "You face a rusalki. I promise I won't eat your soul."
"What's going on?" The other Centurion whispered.
"She's... questioning a ghost, I think?" Elora ventured, rubbing her chin.
"Praetor Winters!" Svetlana called out. "Class Ten barrier pierce confirmed! Need strike team now! No undead!"
"Herydark? No outsiders." Zell said, gesturing at the messenger. "Sorry son, you're one of us now."
She nodded and pulled a black dagger out of her hair. Before he could even react, she plunged it into his neck and left his body where it fell.
"Soldiers!" Praetor Zell shouted, causing the gathering of 10 to turn and face him. "Optio Svetlana, Centurion Herydark, and Optio Jackson will be heading to Duncaster. Svetlana, what's your evidence for a Class Ten?"
"Ghost told me." Svetlana said. "Described a black entity with too many mouths eating the dead. Thought maybe Vordea, but she hasn't taken that form yet in this kalpa."
"Alternatives?" Zell asked, choosing to gloss over Svetlana's second sentence for the moment.
"Trans-dimensional entity invading Karand. Need to confirm, will summon She Who Waits if accurate." Svetlana continued, crossing her arms.
"You must have a foolproof plan if you think you can summon her that easily." Elora said suspiciously. "Eigengrau won't just come."
"She comes because she wants to, not because she was summoned. The method doesn't matter, the need does." Svetlana explained. "All of your rituals are for naught."
Elora chose to ignore the earth shattering piece of information for the moment and pressed on. "Okay so what do we do?"
"We don't have time to waste, so I'll take you with me." Svetlana said. "We're riding the currents."
"We're what?" Elora asked as Svetlana dragged her along, pausing to grab Optio Jackson with her other hand. "Hang on where are we going?"
"Come." Svetlana said urgently, as she dragged them away, leaving behind Zell and the other command staff.
"Did she really say 'this kalpa'?" One of the Optios whispered to Zell after they left.
Zell merely nodded in response.
---
In the basement of the garrison, Svetlana roughly kicked open a door, and gestured for Elora and Jackson to follow her. Inside was her reflecting pool that she used to travel to and from the pond outside the city.
"You're coming with me." Svetlana said plainly, pointing at the pool.
"Is that even possible?" Optio Jackson asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No. Is that even allowed?" Elora corrected, staring Svetlana directly in the eyes.
Svetlana smirked. "No. But it's okay, we'll be quick. Hold my hand."
Elora and Jackson looked at each other for a moment, but decided to trust Svetlana. She'd be with them for nearly 10 months now, and had given little reason to not be trusted. Taking Svetlana's hands, they stepped into the water with her, and vanished beneath the surface. Elora wanted to gasp as they passed through the liminal barrier and into the place between the planes. She never imagined it could be so beautiful and wanted to stay. She knew they were on a mission though and could feel Svetlana pulling them all along, so with a sadness in her heart, allowed herself to be pulled along.
They swam past strange beasts, the likes of which Elora had never seen. Massive sharks the size of castles, and a long tentacle of an unseen beast that Svetlana seemed eager to get away from. As they started rising, the wondrous sights faded and all too soon the regular murky waters returned and they found themselves in a very tiny pool of water behind a cottage.
"We're here." Svetlana said, helping Elora and Jackson out of the water.
"Where?" Jackson asked.
"Duncaster." Svetlana stated. "Closest still water to centre of town."
"Don't move." A voice behind them said.
Choosing to ignore the voice, Svetlana spun her head around 180 degrees, causing a horrific snapping noise to come from her neck, and causing the voice to yell in shock. "Who are you?" She asked.
"I could ask you the same!" He shouted, still holding his crossbow. "Shit's gone sideways in the past 2 days and now 3 people come up out of a puddle!"
"We're with the Spiritual Garrison." Elora said, turning around as well. "I'm Centurion Herydark."
"You'd better get over to the Church then. That's where the Father's been holed up with what's left of the townsfolk." The man said, gesturing with his crossbow. "Don't worry about me, I'm already dead."
"What do you mean?" Svetlana asked, approaching him.
"I died three days ago. I woke up screaming in my coffin 2 days ago." He said. "You lot. I was already in Hell. My soul got dragged back here somehow."
"This is even worse than we thought." Herydark said. "Jackson, anti-terror warding."
"On it. What are you going to do, Sir?" Jackson said, asking the man with the crossbow.
"I'm trying to find whatever's keeping me here. Reckon if I kill it, I might get to go back to Hell. Be careful, the Priest and Watchman were shouting about wights and draugr when I went near the Church, and I don't think they meant me." As they started to leave, the man motioned for Svetlana to come over.
"Yes?" She asked.
"You. You're a rusalki, aren't you?" He asked, eyeing her warily.
"I am." She stated.
"If whoever did this can bleed, make sure you tear that bastard to shreds." He said grimly.
Svetlana nodded, and walked away. This wasn't going to be easy, whatever was here. Of that, she was certain.