The City Guard Patrol

[Guest]

The little girl laughed- her voice chiming like tubular bells in the moonlight. The chime was so clear that it seemed almost impossible to listen to without wincing- so decisively sharp and metallic that it harmed the mind to listen to it.

She walked right alongside Shadow as he moved away. "Nothing is that simple. There are more consequences to accepting this burden than you realize. The House of Hammerheim is ancient and enigmatic. Even spirits such as myself avoid it," she began, lips forming what may have been a smile of malice- or perhaps only a supporting smile. The angle of her hair made it impossible to tell.

"I grew up here. I understand the horrors within those alabaster walls better than you ever shall." Her eyes were suddenly pouting- filled with what may have been illusory moisture. "There are things within- things that you can't even comprehend! Can't you know how foolish you are being?" She sighed deeply.

The white walls of the surprisingly well-kept mansion were within sight now. The manor's wall arced high, surrounding what seemed almost a miniature castle- splendid in all of its grandeur and poise. There was little to mark it as an abandoned castle- with the exception of the missing windows, doubtless a result of overzealous children throwing rocks to be 'sure' that the house was dead.

As it was, it looked like a tragic angel- cast from on high and left eyeless and waiting for someone to reignite its beauty.

[shadow]

Shadow had a cocky smile that lit his harsh face kind of supporting the scars on his face. He walked on to the manor looking at the deserted beauty, "There are alot of things that people say to me and call me 'foolish' is one of the many i have tried things even the bravest Mercenary would be afraid of! I boast of many battle scars, many emotional scars why should i be afraid of a little manor, that would happen to be haunted by your descendants?" He looked at this little girl's spirit she reminded him of himself at her age when she died, cocky thinking she was the scariest thing out there "And, if you know everything in this house you won't mind telling me a little bit of its history or of its make"

Shadow walked on thinking he would never reach the door of this manor, he was going to challange whatever lay inside just to end this knowing he did nothing wrong and this was a test of spiritual faith did him all the well but he was nervous he had to admit that he kept thinking what do lay beyond these walls, and what if anything may kill me in these walls

[Guest]

The girl's eyes flashed with icy intent- a grim sparkle that flirted with anger, but did not quite cross the line from intent to passion. Instead, she smiled a lonely smile- the kind of grin that comes from someone who has seen far too much, and realizes how little most others know.

"You talk too much, Shadow- yet you do little." She whispered, her voice taut with something emotional and yet not sad or even angry. Just... intimacy- a closeness she possessed with the situation that Shadow could not- and never would- understand. "You claim to have seen much, but the things you have seen will do little to prepare you for things that lurk within the Netherworld- for things that have crawled upward through the underworld of Roque itself." She sighed deeply.

"For terrors that would possess a man to..." she trailed off, and perhaps it was a tear that Shadow saw trickling down her cheek for an instant- a sapphire token of remorse and pain- or maybe it was only illusion. Her eyes immediately regained their sharpness.

"You know nothing of terror, no matter what you may think." She stood before him. "I will not help you- I myself am afraid of that home. Why do you think I was in the woods? Your murders drew me to you- as I always knew they would. Find the man without the heart, and he will open the way. That was the promise she... she made to me."

And then the girl was silent.

[shadow]

the man without a heart will oepn the door for me Shadow said as he advanced toward the house, "I don't know truly if i am perpared for this all i know is i have seen plenty of guersome things in my life little girl and if you are afraid then be afraid i guess i have to solve this for both of us" Shadow said as he finally broke into a run toward the house he was in a hurry he needed to figure this out he didnt even have a second thought to wether or not he would make it out alive

He looked back to the girl once more, so firmilar she was to him like someone he never knew but knew at the same time, he had to figure this all out because...if he didnt, who knew what would happen...he truly didnt know at all but he wasnt about to intentionally fail this for him nor the spirit he could tell she was fearful and she needed some sort of closure but the thought still lingered man without a heart wll open the way

[Guest]

Nothing more would the ghost say- nothing else remained on her lips, at least nothing for Shadow himself. Instead, her eyes were filled with azure sadness and hope, tinged with perhaps the lightest touch of emerald hope, not daring to completely believe the man's bold words- but afraid to disbelieve them nonetheless. With a flicker and a glittering of scarlet and pearly motes, she disappeared, leaving a pile of baby's breath where she had stood- the leaves falling around where she had previously stood like a miniature cyclone.

The entryway to the house was imposing indeed- the wood was dark and oaken, heavy and doubtless older than even Shadow himself. Indeed- the entire home seemed old, giving off an aura of tranquility and austerity that almost dared the guardsman to approach near to them. The shadowy set of double doors loomed like an extinct predator, or at least its skeleton, far taller than Shadow himself. A single golden knocker hung upon each of the twin doors- at the center- a lion's face breaking the symmetry of the delicate loop.

From within the home, a slight creaking could be heard- as if the building itself anticipated Shadow's iminent arrival- and hungered for a new visitor's entrance.

[shadow]

Shadow approached the doorway with suspicion he didnt know wether or not to just knock or go straight in he was fearful of the oldness of the house yet he had something to figure out, something of his past something of hers they both needed closure and shadow was the only one brave enough to break the barrier of the house

He out of habit knocked on the door hearing the creaking inside he wasnt very sure of what lay in wait. He stood there waiting exploring the ground around him this place was impressive maybe after he dispelled things he would stick around just to use as living quaters but something told him the thought was ludacris he would not stand to live here even if he was paid

He sat down at the entrance waiting for something anything to happen

[Guest]

Apparently, the door was not entirely firm in its settings- or else Shadow was extraordinarily stronger than he had thought, or maybe some other forces were at work here, invisible entities that secretly acted without motive and without purpose. Upon knocking, the door slid open, creaking and moaning in protest but obliging the guard's passage just the same. As it opened, Shadow could have sworn he heard the sound of something skittering within- the sound of claws on a wooden floor, perhaps- or the creaking of ancient joints. Indeed- it seemed the entire house was as a sleeping giant, every motion drawing some horrible internalized protest.

Within, Shadow could see a very dark room, clearly left uninhabited for years. There was a central table, surrounded by luxurious couches and chairs- all covered in white cloth, as if some futile attempt had been made to protect them from the ravages of time. The table, however, had not been protected- and may have been made of any material, it was impossible to say, for dust covered it in a layer several inches thick. Indeed, even the white cloths were now dusted and dirtied- much as everything else in the house seemed to be.

A high chandellier- a relic of an age past, perhaps, given its elegance and lack of apparent functionality- which was more common in the period before the Great War than after. The fixture was covered with spiderwebs and dust, hanging about it like a cloak many sizes too large. The ceilings and walls were doubtless once a gorgeous alabaster- or perhaps a shade of pearl. Now, however, they too were dirtied and darkened by disuse and miscare. It was somehow tragic to see this graceful room in such a state of disuse. Three doors split from this main room- one leading in each of the cardinal directions south, east, and west- while Shadow's own door stood to the north, revealing that the home was indeed old. How long had it been since architecture had last been based on the cardinal directions?

Something within scurried again- the sound louder this time. Wind ruffled the frayed carpet on the floor, which had clearly been chewed in places- holes dotting the surface like cheese from the island of Dort.

[shadow]

Shadow walked in suspiciously he had not encourtered many self opening doors, and everytime he did he always ended up in trouble he looked around, didn't see anything but heard the skittering, and nearly jumped back out but knowing that it was probally the foundation settling he walked back in to the room and looked around then up at the high chandeiler "One thing is for sure these people knew how to live" he said sarcastically. He walked on running his hand over most of the dust covered furniture, he had to get a feel for the place and if the place was this filthy he would just deal with it

He was stumped by the archieter of this room but he walked on looking around for whatever might lie inside, his only question on his mind was, has the little girl seen this house since she has died?

[Guest]

There were only the other doors- looming like ominous portals, and the omnipresent dust, hanging and floating in loose strands, attempting idly to choke the life from Shadow's lungs, seemingly vibrating itself free from the walls with every step the guardsman took- drawing inward like a vortex every time he dared inhale. Gradually, even breathing became difficult, so thick were the swirling particles- they threatened the very life of Shadow.

Nothing within the house moved, though the skittering sounds continued... there was little of interest here, it seemed- but from elsewhere in the house, the barest hint of what may have been a sigh- a whisper. A grim chill had suddenly filled the space, the door slammed shut with a creak, and thereafter stood still.

Sounds and spookiness aside, the home might have been normal (if noble) and it was somehow unsettling to know that all who had lived in this place had once died- among them the sweet girl beyond the walls. What was even more unsettling was the idea that the dead might blame Shadinow for his crimes- or at least see the blood that the young girl had claimed stained his hands (hadn't she said something about seeing the sin on his hands?).

Whatever the case, it was apparent that Shadow would not be leaving the estate for some time yet.

[shadow]

Rather unnerved by all the house seeming to move by itself shadow still pressed on in search of whatever might blame him for their deaths he had to face the fact that the dead did see blood on his hands, he didnt scare off that easily he started to move through out the house and looked for any signs of that sigh or whatever it was again. He moved toward the deriection barely noticing anything in the house

He pepared himself grabbing the hilt of his sword and looking in all derections "Anybody claim to be a spirit or a man show yer face" shadow challanged hoping for something to come out and face him he hated this eerieness as much as he hated himself now for even doing his misdeeds in his past.

He pressed on still though

[Syrawenn]

OOC
This thread will be closed and skills.

The adventure continues in Hammerlee House of Horror!