An unexpected finding (RebelFinch)

[alma]

Lazarus knew about a legend from a distant place about a deity who could hear 10 people at once. "Nonsense " he thought to himself as he walked. " I can hear a whole bar talking at once".

He always payed close attention to what was happening around him, the movements, the conversations, everything. Not because he was curious but rather because you never knew when an opportunity could arise. Two days ago he heard about a noblemen who would be visiting his daughter at Serendipity, and he knew the chances were high that  the man would be taking the northern road and that's exactly where Lazarus was headed. He was planing to surprise the carriage and make it stop, only to steal all valuables and flee in the woods like he did countless times in the past.  He was threading near the road, paying close attention and hoping for a good find.

[REBELFINCH]

In the dark, crime seemed to blossom like night flowers under the moon over Serendipity. Highwaymen, bandits, thieves... All who needed money and valuables awaited night to strike against the carriages that crossed the roads unguarded. Near the mountains were many importers with goods that would net a thief a bargain. And rich citizens never seemed to heed the warning to not cross unprotected. Hence, the man who would be visiting his daughter had traveled in the darkness.

He wouldn't make his destination.

What would be found on the road instead would be a wreckage. The carriage had been seemingly ransacked, its cargo strewn about in the street. For some reason, all the valuables were still outside of the cart, completely out in the open for anyone to take. Both horses had been slaughtered, but one thing remained deeply off about the whole mess:

There were no human bodies.

Despite the crash, despite being torn apart, there was not a single body in sight. The man had been travelling with three others, and none were left. There was blood on the seats, on the carriage, but other than that it was like the passengers had simply... disappeared.

[alma]

 When Lazarus noticed the carriage wreckage he run stray forward it. " Oh no, did somebody got it first..." he asked himself approaching it and analyzing the situation. The valuables were still there, in fact they were still there everywhere scattered in the ground. He picked one up. "Yes, it's real gold.." he concluded evaluating the piece.

Why would someone left it behind?

He then noticed the slashed horses but that wasn't so much of a surprise, he knew some lesser mercenaries who would always dispose of the horses in unfancy ways. But still, there were something that wasn't right.

" No, wait.... " he walked back. " where are the bodies!?" He wouldn't mind to steal from a corpse, but this was completely different. He touched his dagger and picked up mentally some spell to use, as he looked around suspiciously.

[REBELFINCH]

Around the man would be nothing but trees, branches spiralling out in all directions under the winter moon. It was a somewhat colder night, the wind stirring the tops of the trees so that they swayed gently from side to side. There was tall, muted green grass poking out on either side of the road, and the upturned carriage, its contents sitting for the taking in the street.

However, if stared at the landscape for awhile, one could make out something strange in the distance. Glowing white lights dotted the forest, winking in and out of existence as they moved along the trees. There were many, many eyes. Yet the figures they belonged to were silent, shifting shadows in the dark.

What was strange about it came from the fact that all of those pairs of eyes were staring straight ahead. Straight towards the one looking at them.

The swaying of the trees started to feel ominous. It was like a presence had introduced itself into the area. A gentle rattling noise came from the forest, and the whole place seemed to be tensed up. Like at any moment something was bound to happen.

[alma]

Lazarus picked his dagger immediately when he noticed the many staring eyes but he did it purely our of reflex, he had seen plenty of things to know that THAT, the thing staring in the darkness, was not human. If it were a couple of undead he could easily dispatch of them, but there were just too many glowing eyes.

" Maybe it's a necromancer or some superior dark magic". He thought to himself. In this situation stabbing wouldn't work. He was quite skilled in magic as well but he was very certain that even his strongest magic wouldn't be enough in this strange ominous presence. Lazarus decided on a more diplomatic approach.

" Hello? " he asked firmly yet feeling a little stupid. " Is this yours?" the man asked walking away from the carriage and it remains. " I didn't meant to interrupt... whatever is going on here"

[REBELFINCH]

The many, many figures all stared back. That rattling sound became apparent again, and they seemed about to react when-

"Who goes there?" A male voice would call out from behind, "What are you looking at?"

Indeed a man had suddenly stepped into the road, holding a broken oil lamp and staring towards Lazarus. He seemed to be dressed in rich clothes, a suit and dapper looking hat on his head. However, the sleeves were ripped, a few bits of fabric torn and fraying at the seams. From afar, he seemed almost normal. In fact, he resembled the man who had been visiting from Connoloth.

Except his eyes were a ghastly pale white.

Oddly, if Lazarus would look again, the forest no longer held many glowing eyes. The presence was still very much there, but it had retreated at that moment. Lying in wait of what the magic-user would do.

[alma]

Lazarus suddenly turned back towards the voice. He stared at the man, then quickly stared back at where the eyes once were, except for now they were all gone, every single one of them. " Who are you? " he asked suspiciously. The richly dressed man evoked in his head the figure of a powerful sorceress albeit a bit gloomy, he didn't even consider it could be the very man who died right there. " Are you a necromancer? And what did you do to those things right there in a moment ago "

" I'm not going mad, I know what I saw " he thought.

He was still in a some sort of defensive stand, he knew there were something very weird going on but he didn't want to look too much aggressive.

[REBELFINCH]

The man's face wrinkled into the facsimile of a smile. It looked more like a grimace, knitted into an expression rather than naturally made. He took a step forward, raising the broken lantern as if it were still lit. "A necromancer? I don't think so, son." The words seemed forced, like someone trying to sound as if they were a normal human being.

He beckoned towards Lazarus, still trying to smile. "I don't know what you saw, but you seem shaken. Why don't you relax a little?" He pointed at the carriage, "Is that where you came from? Imagine that must've rattled you a little."

It was very odd, the way the man's voice seemed to be hollow, like he was simply reading off of a script. Acting. Everything felt like a very complex act.

His face was also very pale, almost grey. And the white eyes, combined with the torn up clothing, seemed very out of place for someone who just happened to show up on the scene.

[alma]

" Don't play the fool!" Lazarus said angrily. What should he do, he asked himself. There was something really shady going on, not because of the whole situation alone but because he was sure there was something out there behind the shadows, he could feel it, yet he didn't want to resort to violence or mindlessly attacking something he couldn't even grasp fully.

But isn't it weird, he pondered mentally, what is a noble man doing in the woods during night, with a broken lantern? He looks like he could be in this very carriage, in fact....!!

" Wait a minute. Isn't that where YOU came from? " He said gesturing his head towards the carriage wreckage, and holding the broken lantern the man had in his hands. " You are just a puppet. Where is the puppet master? " Lazarus voice was low and threatening.