“Beer” said the stranger in a firm voice.

The innkeeper wiped his hands on his canvas apron and grabbed a chipped earthenware tankard filling it to the top with cold beer. The innkeeper Handed the cold mug of beer to the stranger. The stranger grabbed it, placed it to his side. He then pulled down his black Hood, revealing his face. He was not an old man nor a young man. In fact it is quite hard to guess his age, he has long brown hair, quite greasy and dirty like it hasn't been washed in a few weeks.

He has a scar just by his left eye. The part of his hands you could see were covered in small scars, like he's been in several fights with knives or swords.

The stranger did not take a seat at the tables, in fact he stayed standing next to the counter. The innkeeper looked at the stranger and asked “hey buddy you want any food, the kitchen is still open?”

“No thanks” replied the stranger, “The beer will be just fine”. The stranger then proceeded to take off his black coat. He was wearing some sort of leather type armour, those around him noticed that he was carrying a weapon, in fact he was carrying two weapons. On his left side, he was carrying a small short sword, and on his right side he was carrying what looked to be a morning star weapon. But this was no ordinary morning star in fact, It did not look like one at all, this one was in the design of a whip.

“I'm looking for a room to stay in tonight. Is there one available?” said the stranger.

“I don't have any spare rooms,'' replied the innkeeper. “Perhaps you should try the other inn, the old fox. They should have rooms for you” said the innkeeper.

“I would very much like to stay here with less people around. It's quieter. I like it better that way” said the stranger “I can pay what you want at any price”. The innkeeper pause for a moment, he was quite surprised how resilient the stranger was after the innkeeper has gathered his thoughts,

“I'll tell you what stranger, I can offer you my room” said the innkeeper “It's nothing fancy but it will get you through the night”.

The stranger looked at the innkeeper “you offering me your room? won't you be needing it tonight” asked the stranger.

“I don't really sleep much at night anymore, not when the horror started in the town, and the stories started, too afraid to go to sleep”. Replied the innkeeper.

The stranger took a big gulp of his beer and laid the cool mug down on the counter. He wiped the froth from his mouth and looked at the innkeeper.

“So, tell me about these horror stories, I am very interested in hearing about them. The innkeeper looked at him quite surprised.

“Haven't you heard the story stranger?” said the innkeeper with a worried look on his face. “I've heard many stories over time, but some can be over exaggerated, I prefer to get my information from the local people, It's much easier that way”.

The innkeeper's face started to go pale, as if he were terrified of something. "I prefer not to talk about these stories if you don't mind, sir," said the innkeeper, wiping a cold sweat from his brow. The stranger quickly looked in his large black coat, searching for something in his pocket. He then pulled out a small coin pouch and placed it on the counter. "I am willing to pay for my information," said the stranger.

The innkeeper looked at the coin purse and measured up the contents. It was a lot of money, more than he had seen in quite a while. The Innkeeper took a big deep breath, exiled, face quite pale like he was scared to talk about the stories. The innkeeper poured himself half a glass of beer and drank the whole thing in one go to settle his nerves. He then looked at the stranger and spoke.

"Well, you'll see, it all started a few years back." The innkeeper moved closer to the stranger, close enough to whisper. "You see, there was a murder in town. It seemed like it was out of pure hatred." The innkeeper paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and continued telling the rest of the story.

"I didn't see the body myself, but I heard people talk about it. They said the body had been torn apart in some places and horrifically disfigured. They said the body had been defiled as well," said the innkeeper. "After that horrific murder, the town has been cursed."

The stranger looked at the innkeeper and took another swig of his beer. He replied in a low but heavy voice, "Why do you think this town has been cursed?"

"Ever since that horrific night, the murders have never stopped. Every few weeks or so, another murder happens. No one knows why. The victims don't have any connections. Sometimes they are human, other times dwarves, even a beautiful elven girl once."

"The elven girl," said the stranger. "Tell me about her. Who was she? What was she like? What did she do for a living?"

“Well, she was lovely,” said the innkeeper as he grabbed the stranger's mug, filling it with fresh beer. “Her death was really shocking to the townsfolk, no one expected such a lovely girl to fall victim to something so horrible but so her murder was very unusual.

"Unusual in what way?" replied the stranger as he grabbed the freshly brewed mug of beer and took a sip.

“Her body was discovered in her own home, in fact when she was found she was just asleep in her own bed. At first people didn't realise she had been killed, they thought she was just sleeping. When they came in to wake her up she was cold as ice, they said she looked quite peaceful, lying there”. The innkeeper's mood turned bitter.

“Hmm. Very interesting,” said the stranger. He looked at the innkeeper “how old was this girl?'' asked the stranger as he placed his mug down on the counter. The innkeeper looked quite shocked, he had just realised he actually didn't know how old she was.

“I'm sorry,” replied the innkeeper. “I actually don't know how old she was, now that I think about it. I believe she was young for an elf.”

“She showed up in town a few years after the murders started, she was part of a caravan group, they told us, they went all over the place helping small towns like us out, They only stayed a few weeks and then they were off again, she decided to stay behind, she said she wanted to keep helping people in the town because she believe their was still work that needed to be done, it she was a ray of sunshine to the sea of black clouds”.

“When she was killed it felt like that ray of sunshine, faded away, and the world had forgotten about this town”.

The innkeeper lowered his voice, to that of a whisper “No one is safe, the church of the Eternal Flame blames it all on our impure souls, saying we have bought this curse upon ourselves because we are all Heathens. I think it's a load of rubbish, they're just scaring the people into joining their religion”.

The innkeeper still low and his voice move closer to the stranger he was so close that the stranger could feel his breath on his cheek, “but because of the murders the church has seen an increase in size, taken it upon themselves to be their towns so-called Militia protecting it from evil forces within they say.

Doesn't this town have its own city watch? I don't think I've heard of her religious party taking control of a town so easily like this before. Asked the stranger.

“Well, stranger. The city watch normally takes orders from the lord himself, but because of the church growing in power quickly, they have just as much or even more power then the town's lord. I hear he's afraid to take on the church, in case it turns into a bloody conflict. The last thing we need is more blood in the Streets, because of this, whenever there is an Incident in town, evolving the Eternal Flame members the guards don't do anything”.

“Hasn't anyone come to help the town in all these years?”

The innkeeper grabbed his mug and proceeded to fill and continue with the story “well you see stranger, The Lord of the town had put bounties for this murderer to be caught”.

“That got a lot of attention, it made a lot of people come from all over the area, looking to cash in on the opportunity. It made the local business have a big rise in profits, myself included, as time went on, nothing happened. The killing still happened, people started to leave, saying it was a lost cause. There was this one person, she was a witch or something, she claimed that she could cast a spell on the town that could vanquish all evil. the Lord jumped at the chance of course he really was so happy to put an end to all this, she apparently asked for her money up front, the Lord paid, she cast a spell and she went. It wasn't long after that it turned out she was a con-artist. She had been doing the same trick all over the area. It made the lord furious, he told a few of the city guards to track her down and bring her back for a tail, but she was long gone”. The innkeeper pointed to the notes board by the door to the inn.

“Her poster is still on the board over there, if you want a look. Think her name was Vala something”.

Alucard turned his head, he saw the empty notice board except for the one wanted poster he took a closer look at the paper it read read

“Vala Doran, wanted for the crime of stolen Property, this criminal extremely dangerous approach with caution”.

“There was a mercenary group, called The Silver Knights. You should have seen them, they were a new group, full of youngsters trying to make a name for themselves. They were wearing some fancy armour, a bit full of themselves if you asked me. They were not in town long, they did a few Patrol's at night, trying to ease everyone's mind, But not long after they arrived a group of them including the captain, were found dead the next morning, whatever attacked them tore right through their armour and flesh like it was nothing.

After packing their belongings and leaving, no one else dared to take on the job. The price had increased several times, but fear kept everyone away.

“So after that know one came to help anymore?”

“No, it was far too dangerous, and there are far easier ways to make a quick coin. That's all the information i have for you am afraid”

“That's alright, what you given me will help”
“So what are you, bounty hunter or something”?
“Something like that, thank you for the information”.
“That's quite alright” replied the innkeeper.
“If you don't mind me asking, what is your name? I can't keep calling you stranger” The man paused for a moment “Alucard, my name is Alucard”.
“Hmm, That's a bit of an unusual name”.
“I'm an unusual person”.

The innkeeper took the coin pouch, leaving Alucard to his own business. Alucard lifted up his black coat, reached into one of its pockets, and retrieved a blank piece of parchment. He then pulled out a small black feather and began taking notes of all the information gathered on the murders from the innkeeper. Alucard started muttering to himself, a habit he often resorted to when deep in thought.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash behind them. The noise reverberated throughout the tavern, grabbing Alucard's attention. He swiftly grabbed the hilt of his short sword without unsheathing it and turned to investigate the source of the disturbance. It turned out that one of the barmaids had accidentally dropped a tray of drinks on the floor.

Alucard observed the situation, his gaze fixed on the girl. He could see visible signs of distress and unhappiness on her face. He then glanced at the gentleman she had been serving, who seemed to have been rough with her due to his drunken state. The man's friends seemed oblivious, lost in their own drunken revelry. Reacting quickly, the innkeeper rushed over from the back room to attend to the girl.

“That's quite alright Sarah. I will clean this up, you get cleaned up in the back.”

As soon as a young girl got to her feet and procedure to leave the drunk man quickly grabbed her arm pulling her back.

“Hey now” said the man slurring his words “who said, you could leave us we still wish to be served”.

“Not tonight I still haven't paid off all the damage you did last time when you got this drunk”. Said the Innkeeper

“You know what happened last time, the city guards came and you spent the night in jail”.

“Oh come on, we're having a bit of fun, man visibly yelling at this point did not note how loud he was being.

“Come over here sweetie, give us a kiss before you go”. The young girl physically trying to move away from the man as him and his friends kept laughing. The other barmaids, also trying to help out. Alucard turned back to his notes, proceeding to work on them again “don't get involved” matted Alucard.

The noise was getting louder from the drunk men behind him. All he could hear was the innkeeper still trying to please the man, the other group of people laughing.

“Don't get involved,'' muttered Alucard.

Alucard before you to hear the young girl pleading with a drunk man “please sir, could you let go of my arm, you're hurting me now” Alucard noticed, tears rolling down her cheek.

“Oh come on now don't be like that sweetie just give us a kiss”.

Alucard quickly slammed the counter as loud as he could, the noise echoing throughout the whole Tavern, everyone Stood Still motionless, silence filled the room.

Alucard turned around, his gaze locked everyone's attention almost instantly, then spoke in a strong firm voice.

“Can't you see, the young lady has asked you to stop. If I was you I would let go of her arm and apologise nicely, before I have to come over and have words”.

Everyone was stunned into silence, the group of rowdy man facial expressions dropped, like they had just been slapped right across the face. The group looked at each other motionless as to expect one of them to open his mouth and speak, to answer back, but none did not. the barmaids looking at each other hiding a small grin. The silence was suddenly broken from a loud drunken voice.

“Who does this vagabond think he is?” Said the drunk man who seemed to be the leader of the group, the one who caused ruckus.

“I am the man who asked you politely to let the girl go and apologise to her for the way you have mistreater, I came here for some peace and quiet, I don't need your drunken escapade two disturb my evening”

“Who the hell do you think you are, you're just a vagabond, you have no right to be here” said the man, his face turning red from anger. The man shot up from his seat pushing his chair back, knocking it on the floor, his friends following quickly after.

“I think you owe me an apology”, said the man in a firm tone, no longer slurring his words. “For compensation. You should buy me and all my friends here drinks, it would only be fair, before we beat you and throw you into the streets where you belong you gutter rat.

At this point Alucard was no longer at the counter, he slowly closed the gap between him and the drunks, Alucard stood there motionless, this action intimidated quite a few of the individuals, including some of the barmaids and the innkeeper.

“Do you really think you can take me in a fight?”. Said Alucard as he slowly moved towards the man.

“You stay back”, said the man with a whimper within his voice. He slowly moved back to get more distance away from him. “If you're not careful I'll kill, I've killed people in the past before, you make no difference, you're just a vagabond around these parts”.

The man's words did not phase Alucard, it did not phase him at all, in fact it made him smile. I doubt you've ever killed a man in your life. The only thing I think you killed is your sex life by the look of you”.

One of the barmaids Smirked after the comment Alucard made. it did not go unnoticed. The drunk man, still furious, red in the face and angry, notices the barmaid smiling, finding it funny. “What do you think you're smiling about?” yelled the man he raised his fist right across the face. The force strong enough to knock her to the ground as she fell, crashing by one of the tables one of the barmaids quickly rushed to her help, the innkeeper also rushed over.

Alucard stood there silently for a moment, letting out a big sigh. "Now you've done it," he muttered under his breath. Without hesitation, Alucard leaped towards the group of men, delivering a powerful blow to the face of the large man, knocking him down to the ground. The other men rushed at Alucard, but his agility proved too much for them. He effortlessly dodged their attacks, swiftly taking down each man one by one. The fight lasted only a brief moment, leaving the spectators in awe. They couldn't believe their eyes—a single person defeating a group of men so easily.

However, the fight had not gone unnoticed. Alucard realised that considerable damage had been caused in the tavern—broken chairs, overturned tables, and a general mess. Walking back to the counter where he had left his black cloak, Alucard put his hand inside his pockets and pulled out a slightly larger coin pouch. He turned back around and threw it to the innkeeper.

"Sorry about the mess. Hopefully, this will cover the cost of the damage, and a bit extra for the girls," Alucard said apologetically.

As Alucard walked back to the counter to resume his research, the door to the tavern swung open with a loud crash. Guards bearing the town's insignia burst into the establishment, their weapons drawn. There were about five guards in total, surveying the scene in front of them.

One of the guards paused and examined the area. The group was bewildered as they took in the sight of the destroyed tavern—broken furniture and five men groaning on the floor.

"Um, Captain, what do we do?" one of the guards asked, scanning the room for an explanation.

The captain quickly assessed the situation. "Innkeeper, what happened here? Who started the fight?" he demanded in a firm voice.

"It was just a bit of a misunderstanding. You know how people get when they're drunk. Things got out of hand," the innkeeper replied, trying to downplay the situation.

The captain's gaze swept across the room. "You call this 'a few broken things'?" he pointed out the significant damage—numerous chairs and tables in disarray.

"This is more than just a few drunken individuals. Come on, speak up. How did the fight start, and how did it end?" the captain pressed, determined to get to the bottom of it.

The innkeeper began explaining the sequence of events to the city guard, recounting how the group of drunk men had become rowdy and physically aggressive towards one of the barmaids.

The city watch started apprehending the injured men on the floor, restraining them with iron chains.

The captain then walked over to Alucard. "I've heard the innkeeper's side of the story, but I'm afraid I'll have to arrest you tonight. I won't tolerate vagabonds starting fights in our town. Do you understand? We have enough problems as it is," the captain stated firmly.

Alucard looked at the captain with disappointment on his face. He turned around and picked up his beer, holding it in his hand. He then looked back at the captain.

"Can I at least finish my drink?" he asked, hoping for a small favour.

Part 2

It did not take Alucard and Eugene long to arrive at the Lord's Manor. This is because as Eugene pointed out, that all the houses we've built for the Lord's employees including the master of coin. This way everyone could easily come and go as they pleased with no worry, it was not uncommon for employees to quickly run home the Lord of the manor don't mind, in fact it gave him comfort knowing that his employees trust them so much I'll take it leave whenever they asked if I ever had the family emergency the Lord was always willing to help. Sometimes the Lord himself even followed them home offering any assistance he could provide. Because of this everyone adores the load of iron Harbour and its inhabitants human and nonhuman alike. Over the years he has always tried his hardest to make Iron Harbour one of the most prosperous and safests cities in all of White Stone.

Alucard and Eugene had almost made it all the way up the Longstone staircase leading to the Lord's Manor, the manure itself is quite large and very impressive. Alucard had a quick scan of the building as he proceeded to walk up the stairs behind Eugene, he could tell that this building was not built by normal stonemasons, the craftsmanship was excellent in detail. This type of detail could only be achieved from dwarven hands. It was not unusual for dwarfs to make excellent buildings with their craftsmanship. The Dwarven people were known as the children of the stone; just like breathing, these gifts came naturally to them. What was quite rare is that you don't see many buildings on the surface created by dwarfs, especially four towns like this, if the opportunity arrives Alucard would ask the Lord of the manor About the House mostly out of curiosity. Alucard was always a fan of dwarven craftsmanship.

Alucard and Eugene made her way up the large stone staircase, when they had finally made it to the top. Alucard was faced with two large Oak doors. These were the main doors to the Manor itself. There was a small stone staircase leading up to the double doors, and either side were too small lamp lights. Alucard could still make out a small dim of light within each lamp, most likely still lick from the night before.

Alucard took in his surroundings, to both his left and right side the once lush and beautiful garden had turned quite grey and doll-like. The garden itself, just like the town, was lifeless. weeds were growing what Alucard could only assume were once beautiful bushes, won't send the most beautiful and sterling flowers.

Alucard made his way up to the large oak doors, at the top he noticed a very peculiar door knocker, it too like the design of the man itself. It looks like it has been crafted by dwarven hands, this one was in the shape of a hammer, Alucard could not

notice any initials stamped on it. Perhaps the dwarf who built this house, did it as a little parting gift.
As Alucard approaches the double doors, Eugene grabs the large cast iron door handle, and swings the doors open. Alucard stepped through the double doors, and he found himself in the main intercepting hallway. in front of Alucard was a large staircase leading up to the second floor. There were two corridors on either side of the main staircase, leading further into the mansion. There were also two doors, one on the left and one on the right leading to other parts of the Manor.

“This way” said Eugene, as he proceeded to escort Alucard through the mansion. Eugene had taken Alucard down the left side of the corridor behind the door that was closed, on the other side of the door leading into a small hallway. On the walls there were various types of paintings of all different varieties, some of them looked quite expensive pieces and others more simpler designs. Alucard could not help but think that these paintings were done by the local townsfolk, that the lord had purchased them. Alucard could tell the lord of the manor was a very unique individual.

Along the walls much further down pictures of family photos, many of them were family portraits of long deceased relatives. A few of the lord himself and his family. In the pictures Alucard could see when he walked past them. There were around five family members, the lord and his wife. Long beautiful red hair and a dazzling smile. She was quite beautiful if the pictures were accurate. The Lord next to her stood with a strong posture, with three children, two girls and a young lad. There was a year stamp in the corner of the family portrait it read. 1222. This painting was done a few years before the killings started, the kids would be much older now, perhaps young adults now. Alucard thought.

When they had arrived at the end of the hallway. Eugene opened the door into a large library, the room filled with hundreds if not thousands of books all over the room, filling in every corner of every bookshelf, there was not a slot empty. More books scattered around the area, some left on small side tables next to the reading area. The room was large, there was so much natural light piercing through the windows. In the far left hand corner of the room, next to the large tall windows layed agrand piano. At the far end of the very happy thank you kick off room, there were two double doors.

“The Lord's office is right through those doors,” said Eugene. As Alucard and Eugene were walking towards the doors, they started to hear loud muffled sounds coming from the opposite room. The closet they got to the doors, the muffled sound turned to loud shouting. “It seems your Lord has visitors,” said Alucard.

Alucard saw a sharp and worried look on Eugene's face. “Is something wrong,” asked Alucard as he was a bit worried, he had not seen Eugene like this before.

Before Eugene could answer, one of the doors quickly opened and one of the maids quickly left the room, closing the door behind her. Eugene and Alucard could make out the lord and another tall man, covered in a long red robe, still arguing in the background. It looked like it was getting heated.

Alucard noticed the maid was quite shaken up. It was as if she could not get out of that run fast enough. not notice Alucard and Eugene straight away she stared at them with a blank expression on her face and then suddenly.

“Oh Eugene I did not notice, you I'm so sorry.” “That's quite alright my dear,” replied Eugene.

“And who is your friend here?” replied the young woman “If you don't mind me asking. Is he said when you have had to help around the grounds?.”

“This gentleman here is called Alucard Morgraine, of the once great house Morgraine, and he is here to help us with our monster problem.

The young girl cast a confused look on her face. “I'm sorry sir, but what do you mean, once a great house? I am not familiar with great houses. Oh do you mean like royalty? Was he a lord for his own homeland?”

Alucard smiled at the girl's tall tale. My apologies said Eugene. “I sometimesforget how the younger generation have forgotten a lot of the old history of this land.”

“That's quite alright,” replied Alucard, still smiling. “I am so sorry I offended you? I didn't mean to.”

“no you did not affect me on the contrary, you've made me smile.”

The woman gave Alucard a nice warm smile, her cheeks turning bright red like a peach Alucard could tell she had gone shy in front of him. “Thank you sir, you're too kind.”

Sarah said Eugene, do you know who is in with The Lord now? and what's that arguing is all about.

“oh I'm so sorry it almost slipped my mind, is the head priest of the Eternal Flame. Father Maxwell.”

Eugene's face turned to anger, his fists clenched in his hand, his just tightened was Every Breath he took, Alucard noticed this instantly, Eugene eyes were like daggers.

If Looks Could Kill, Alucard thought. “What exactly is that man doing here?” replied Eugene, very angry.

“I am sorry, I don't know. I was in with the lords cleaning up. The Lord was asking me how my mother was doing after she had fallen unwell, just a few weeks ago and he barged right in, him and that other priest, the one with the creepy stare, the one who’s always following him around. I've never seen the lord so angry, he started shouting at them both, it became very uncomfortable for me in that situation.” Sarah's voice started to whimper, as if she was trying very hard to hold back her tears, her eyes turning red. “Not long after it started the lord said I was excused, and well you know the rest sir.”

Eugene started to calm down, he hid it well, but Alucard could tell that Eugene was still very angry, he could tell that there was bad blood between him and this Father Maxwell. Perhaps their history runs deep, Alucard could not begin to speculate without both sides of the story, but something tells Alucard that Father Maxwell will be a very difficult individual to deal with. The church of the Eternal Flame. Alucard was not familiar with that group. But Alucard did not consider himself with them as he has seen many different religious groups come from all over the world, many that don't exist anymore, and even those that have fated through time and not even the echoes of the past exist.

“Thank you Sarah you may go back to your work now, I will deal with the uninvited guests.”

“Yes sir” replied Sarah as she took a quick bow, as she started to walk away she quickly turned to Alucard “ it was very nice to meet you too sir Alucard” Sarah smiled as she left the room.

Both Alucard and Eugene proceeded to walk towards the doors, leading to the lord office. Eugene did not stop to knock on the door. Nor to announce himself, no, he was too angry for that. He opened the doors with great force, the sound of the doors hitting the side of the walls echoed, interrupting the Lord and Father Maxwell's very heated arguments.

With this, the arguments came to an abrupt halt. Father Maxwell gave Eugene a very cold look as if he were staring right through him at even nothing to the man. Alucard could see the Lord's face was quite red, boiling with anger; it seems Eugene stopped the argument before it escalated any further. Alucard noticed the other priest that the young housemaid had mentioned. Alucard saw what she meant. The man gave off of a very cold gaze. As if he could see you and yet see something else, as if he was staring at something far deeper within you. A very unsettling gaze indeed even for Alucard. It sent a chill down his spine.

“Pardon My Lord,” said Eugene. “I didn't mean to interrupt you and your guest. Eugene gave Maxwell a distasteful look, but still kept his composure. I have that guest you asked for.” The Lord looked at Eugene quite confused, and I suddenly realised what Eugene was doing.

“Oh yes thank you Eugene thank you, well I'm afraid we're going to have to conclude a discussion at another time Farther Maxwell, but as you can see I have a guest who I must attend to,” gesturing to Alucard as he stood next to Eugene. Father Maxwell looked at Alucard, but only for a few moments and then turned back to the lord.

“There is no need for that, we are done here.” Said Father Maxwell very arrogantly, “ but remember what I told you Davos. The only path to salvation and Redemption for the town and its inhabitants, is to confess their sins and seek judgement and forgiveness in the Eternal fire and his Mercy.

Eugene stepped forward interrupting the rest of what Father Maxwell had to say, “Thatis Lord to you Maxwell, do not disrespect the lord in his own home. Or I will have you removed by force if needed.

“I'm sure you would like that alot now, wouldn't you Eugene, but we both know what you're just a lap dog who is held tightly by his leash, you wouldn't do anything without your Lord say so”

Eugene Step ever closer to father Maxwell, almost getting right into his face it looks like Eugene was ready to strike him. At that moment it was only for a second. Alucard saw the second priest, the one that everyone seemed to have forgotten about, make a sudden move that quickly stopped. it was extremely fast, so fast that no one else in the room noticed it. none other than Alucard himself. Suddenly there was a loud yell and a bang as the Lord slammed something hard on the desk

“What do you think you're doing,” Eugene and Father Maxwell stop that argument abruptly, and turn to the lord. “As you can see, you are giving a bad impression in front of our guest. For a moment everyone seemed to have forgotten that Alucard was even in the room.

“I am sorry my Lord, forgive me for my transaction, it will not happen again, I swear.” said Eugene as he bowed his head as an apology to the lord as he lost his composure in front of him. “Yes, yes that's quite alright Eugene” replied The Lord. “So if you don't mind, Maxwell, I would like for you and Gabriel to leave us while we conduct our business.” the Lord Justice his hand towards the door. “ So be it,” replied Father Maxwell. “Gabriel, we are leaving” father Maxwell stormed off with Gabriel following Close behind.

As they both left the room, Maxwell paid no attention to Alucard, but Alucard did not care he was more interested in Gabriel, to him he was unknown. He looks ordinary, but there was something else, something he could not quite answer. Gabriel walked past Alucard a cold air came over him, Alucard looked back at Gabriel but Gabriel did not look back, he followed Farther Maxwell outside as they both left the room.

“Good, now all the unpleasant business is out of the way, please Eugene, would you like to introduce your guess.”

“Of Course my Lord, I would like to introduce Alucard Morgraine Of House Morgraine.” Aucard stepped forward entering the room, he stopped just in front of the Lord and lowered his head in show of respect. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

The Lord Walked over to Alucard, grabbing his hand and giving him a nice firm handshake. “The pleasure is all mine, and please call me Davos. I am a man just like you, we should speak as equals. I was never really a fan of people calling me Lord, but no matter how many times I tell them not to call me Lord they don't listen.”

“My Lord,” said Eugene, "I don't think that's appropriate.” “nonsense” said Davos as he interrupted Eugene in mid sentence. “How many times have I told you to call me by my name?” Eugene sighed as he has had this argument many times before, and everytime he has always lost so he has known better than to argue with them.

Davos walked back to his desk and sat down. Alucard followed him and sat down in one of the many chairs next to the desk. Eugene also followed but he did not sit down; he walked over to Davos and stood next to the very large desk. The desk was covered with paperwork, all arranging of different categories, complaints to order forms, to shipment cost, and so much more.

“As you can see from my desk I'm a bit behind on my paperwork.” Davos let out a chuckle. Alucard smiled, “you're not originally from Whitestone are you?” as Alucard sat up in the chair.

“No, I am not.” Said Davos. “I am surprised you picked up on that not many people could tell I've put on this accent, but no I originally hail from the Marshlands. I left my home Country, and found myself in Whitestone, where I found myself moving from place to place. I found myself in a cosy little town called Iron Harbour. I wasn't planning to stay here but soon after I arrived, I meant my beloved wife, well as you can guess the rest is history.

“I found myself in the Marshlands once or twice in my travels over many years, it quite a” Alucard pause for moment “unique place”

“Not really, it is a shit hole, but you don't need to pretend otherwise” Said Davos as he smiled and laughed. “Now then, Eugene doesn't normally bring me uninvited guests, so I can only assume he has brought you here to help us with our problem?”

“I will certainly try but a lot of these cases can be very unpredictable. At the moment I'm not quite entirely sure what I'm hunting.” replied Alucard.

“You're confident. I like that” reply Davos, “But you haven't got the job yet. I am not sure if Eugene has informed you about our past, as we have had a lot of colourful individuals come to our city, promising they can fix all our problems. Always costing a bit of gold here and there, some so-called mercenary groups, Hunters, we even had a witch who said she can break the curse that is taking grip of the town, but she just turned out to be a con artist, and a thief. magic might have been real but all she did was some pretty light show and that was it. She told us the curse was gone and she took her payment and left. It took us a few days to realise it was nothing more than a fancy light show. but that's not the worst part. She even stole a few family heirlooms on her way out.” Davos' face turned visibly red. clearly speaking about her has left a distasteful taste in his mouth. This must have been the wanted poster Alucard sore back at the inn.

“VALA DORAN WANTED - For Questioning In The crimes of theft and con artist of iron Harbour. It's believed she is Armed and very dangerous, she is an active witch, current power is unknown, approach with extreme caution, do not attempt to apprehend her alone. REWARD - 1000 GOLD”

This was understandable considering how kind and trustworthy he has been, even to Alucard. Someone he does not know and yet he is still is very warm and inviting.

“I've even sent a formal request to Whiteheart asking for assistance in the matter, but as you can see we have been left to fend for ourselves.”

“Did the capital never get back to you? did the king never send a response or anyone within the Royal Court?” replied Alucard.

“Unfortunately our pleas for help fell on deaf ears. It was not until I sent Eugene down himself, to see what was going on, and why we haven't had a response. It turns out that the Royal Court is in chaos ever since the king passing the children have been fighting over the crown. Because of this unfortunate business, the request went unanswered. It turns out that we are not the only ones. Many people within the kingdom have not received any help from the capital.” Davos scuffs in anger. “If you ask me, they are all a bunch of spoiled pricks, squabbling over power like children.”

“I heard capital had some internal problems,” replied Alucard, “but I did not know it had gotten this much out of hand.” This was partially true, mostly because Alucard

had received a few letters for the capital, recommending him to the courts for our advisory role. But just like all the other summons Alucard had received over the years, he always ignored them. Alucard was never a fan of politics and the great game that goes with it, he detests the game but a game is always played nonetheless.

“It is a miracle that we haven't been invaded. If any of the surrounding Nations knew the internal struggle was this bad, I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to seize the opportunity.” said Davos with frustration in his voice.

“Anyway let's not talk about this now, I am sure you did not come all this way to talk about politics with an old man.”

Alucard let out a grin and laughed “Compared to me, sir Davos you're very young.”

Davos just smiled and fort-nothing of his comment. “Now forgive me Mr Alucard if I speak out of bounds or offend you in any way, but I assume you would like to talk about the reward money.” Davos lets out a cough and clears his throat. “In all my years and experience, I have never come across a man who is set on the price, and there's always room for haglin.”

Alucard looked at Eugene for a brief moment. “Like I informed your Master Of Coin Eugene, I am not in the business of profiting from the miseries of others, when I take a contract I stick with the original reward. In my line of work sir Davos, reputation is everything.

“Forgive me then” replied Davos “ I didn't mean to speak ill-willed of you and your intentions.” “for my understanding my lord” said Eugene as he interrupted them. “ Mr Alucard, one of our old wanted posters, not with the outdated reward money.”

“I don't see any problem with that” applied Davos, as he sounded a bit confused “We can just give them the updated reward”

“Well you see, sir that's the thing he's adamant that he takes the job with the original reward money.”

Davos let out a loud noise “WHAT?” He gave Alcard a strange look. “I apologise if I step out of bounds Mr Alucard but, why on earth would you take the lower reward? you have not even taken the job yet, you don't know how dangerous it could be.

“Thank you for your concern Lord Davos, but when I originally found the contract. I never knew the reward money had increased. Because of this, the reward money that is presented here will do me just fine. If by the end of the contract you still wish to proceed to give the updated money I cannot do anything to prevent you from doing so, but on the off chance I don't finish this contract, and end up getting killed by this creature then you are no worse off.”

Davos had quite a shocked look on his face, as he looked at Eugene and Alucard “I must say Mr Alucard, at the very bleak way of looking at your own life. Surely you don't think so little of your own life?”

Alucard did not give an answer to the question, Alucard stayed silent. Before anyone can get another word in. The doors to the Lord's room opened, a beautiful young woman walked into the office with short Scarlet hair, this was not one of the maids. Alucard could tell, this must be the Lord's daughter, he recognized her from the family portrait. Much older though but the resemblance to her mother was uncanny.

“Father sorry to disturb you” said the young woman “That's quite alright Ezrin, you know you're always welcome to come see me at any time. Come give your father a hug.”

“Ezrin walked over to her father's desk and gave him a hug. She had not seemed to notice Alucard right away but was in fact preoccupied with the news she wanted to share with her father. she had only just noticed Alucard when she turned around.

“Oh I am sorry I did not notice you there” she gave Alucard a quick bow “Please forgive my interruption.” “Oh that's quite alright” replied Davos. “Me and Mr Alucard were just talking about business. Come tell me what news you want to share. How is your mother doing today?”

“That's what I wanted to tell you about, father.” Ezrin's voice turned lower and started to whimper a bit, “Mother was doing fine, Better then she has been the last few weeks. I thought it would be good for her to sit close to the window and have a look outside at the town.” Ezrin started crying as she spoke and it was getting a bit hard to understand. “But, but then she saw that person leaving the Manor, and she just lost it.

Davos realises that the person she is referring to must be your father Maxwell, his face turned to anger but as quickly as it came it went as he looked at his daughter Ezrin, and comforted her. “Come here my beautiful girl,” Said Davos as Ezrin put her arms around her Father. “Everything will be alright, I will come see your mother as soon as I finish conducting my business with Mr Alucard.”

Ezrin helped her father close and tight, as if she let him go she would lose him forever. Alucard watched the situation, realising there was much more that had happened than he had first believed.

“Return to your mother's side now as Ezrin, I will be up shortly.” as he let go of Ezra and gave a kiss on the forehead.

“Thank you father.” Ezrin wiped away the tears from her cheek, her face had turned bright red from the crying. She turned to Alucard and Eugene gave them both a bow and then left the room. Closing the doors behind her.

Alucard could see the news that Ezrin had shared with her father upset him quite severely as he turned around to walk back to his desk. “I apologise for the interruption Mr Aluacrd... but as you can see, family is very important to me”.

“No apologies needed” replied Alucard. Attention had built up the room after Ezrin had left, Alcard was unsure how to proceed; he did not wish to overstep or cause the Lord any more unpleasant news by bringing up the past. but if Alucard was to take this contract he needed to know everything.

“I am sorry if I'm speaking out of bounds, and if this brings up old wounds that you're not quite ready to speak about Lord Davos then I am sorry. But if I am going to take this contract I'm going to need every bit of information, big or small, if I have any help in solving these crimes.”

Davos looked at Alucard, and then shared the same look with Eugene. They will stare at age as a full moment and agree, “What is said in this room now, cannot be repeated outside these walls.” said Eugene in a very firm tone.

“Of course” replied Alucard, a bit concerned as he was wondering what they had to say behind closed doors, but it was so secret that it was not allowed out of the manner.

“I am sure Eugene has told you that there have been 32 killings since this all began” said in a soft but worrying tone. “But I'm afraid that number isn't quite accurate.” Davos face turned white for a moment his head hung low as if the sheer force of speaking of this cut him so deeply and caused great pain.

“That's quite alright my lord.” Said Eugene as he interrupted Davos. Davos got up from his chair and walked over to the large window, and stared outside.

“I'm afraid Mr Alucard I haven't been quite forthcoming with you. In fact, I lied about the exact number of victims.

“Why the miss leading information then, may I ask?” said Alucard as he was curious why both the Lord and Eugene would lie about the number of victims.

“I'm afraid there was another victim, one we have not gone publicly with yet.

“Who is this victim may I ask”

A low whimper of a voice came from the other side of the room “They killed my son” said Davos as he was trying so hard to hold back tears. “My baby boy. they took my son for me Mr Arcade, I don't know who they are or what they are but they took my son.” Davos turned his head back to the window, trying to hide the despair on his face.

“We have not gone public with this news quite yet,” said Eugene “The reason being is as you can imagine the Lord is very well like within the town, and his son was no different. If people find out that he has been killed. I'm afraid this town would lose all manor of hope.

“How long ago was the boy slain?” ask Alucard as looked at Davos still staring outside the window, “Where was his body discovered? If this news hasn't been already released to the public I'm guessing the boy was found elsewhere and delivered to you quietly, keep the news hidden for now.”

“You speak with such cold words Mr Alucard. As if finding one's own son dead is a natural thing” said Davos as he turned away from the window looking at Alucard's direction.

“Death and loss is a natural part of life Lord Davos” replied Alucard, still speaking with cold words. “People live and die all the time.”

“NOT WHEN MY SON WAS FUCKING MUDERED!” yelled Davos as he lost his temper with Alucard ``My son... My boy was only 20 years old, Mr Alucard. He did not deserve to die.” Davos' voice lowered from anger to sorrow. “No Father should bury their child”.

“Where was the body found?” asked Alucard once more. “I don't mean to speak with such malice. Lord Davos, but in my line of work. One needs to be cold, emotions can affect the work and even get the hunter killed. I have seen many hunters, friends and family killed because of it.”

“I am sorry Mr Alucard, please forgive the actions of this foolish old man, I should have conducted myself in a professional manner.” replied Davos.

“The young lord's body was discovered by his bodyguards assigned to him by the city watch. He hand picked them himself, after the killing started to get more aggressive.” Answered Eugene. “They found his body just outside of Town, close to the mine's entrance.”

“Why were his guardsmen not with him that night?” asked Alucard.

“We're not quite sure the reason Mr Alucard.” replied Eugene “But there was a rumour that was going around town, that he was seeing the young elven girl that was staying in town. Many people had seen them together many times.

“He did not tell anyone about her then? Not even his own family that he might be seeing her?”

“I am afraid not” replied Eugene “I even asked around the staff if they had seen or heard that he was seeing the girl but none could be sure.”

Alucard paced for a moment to collect all of the information that he has just gathered. Different possibilities started forming within his mind trying to find a clear picture of what could have happened and why was this killing outside the town, and not within. Alucard looked at the book Eugeue had given him and saw that all the killings had taken place within the town limits, none outside. So why was this one so different?

“The Mines, do any of you know why he would be there so late at night?”

“No” Answered Davos as he turned himself away from the window and walked over to his desk sitting close to Alucard. “I have asked his guardsmen and they both dont know why he would be there. We believe he snuck out late that night to possibly meet up with the young elven girl.

“What were the mines for?”

“They are the old Iron mines. We had to close the mines down a few years back. Some of the workers went missing on the job and could not be located. We sent teams down there looking for them, but all that was left was ripped clothing stained with blood and their helmets. We believe after the killings in the mines that the creature was using it as its layer. But after some time we found no sign of the monster, one of the search parties came across a pack of ghouls. We lost many people that day. After that we closed the mine down and boarded the entrance up. Not long after that the docks started to close down one by one, we had no shipments coming in and everyone believing the town was cursed. With the mine closing down we had no iron to export anymore. After that the noose slowly started to tighten around the town's neck and everyone's livelihood.”

“As you can imagine Mr Alucard” said Davos “This town is almost done for and we need help.”

“I understand lord Davos, but there are a few things that I am uncertain of, such as I understand that your son was killed and how that can affect a family, but why did your wife have a reaction on the level your daughter described, when she saw Father Maxwell leaving?”

Davos grabbed a silver goblet that was at the edge of his deck. “Eugene, could you grab me the bottle of elven whiskey, the one with the gold label,” Eugene did as Davos asked and walked over to his cabinet of exotic drinks. “And grab yourself and Mr Alucard a glass too.”

Eugene brought the bottle of elven whiskey over to Davos with the glasses and handed over the bottle, Davos started to pour everyone a glass.

“I got this bottle on one of my travels, it's a very rare vintage. I met a lovely elven couple travelling on the road. it turns out they did not live that far away, they were travelling back from one of the large elven cities after conducting some business there, when they fell into a spot of trouble. One of their horses got spooked pulling the wagon and it ran into a ditch, cracking the wheel. They had been stuck there for hours trying to pull the wagon out. And here I came along pulling my small wagon overflowing with cabbages. Back then I thought I would make my money selling cabbages for the local towns. After seeing they were in trouble I offered them and the assistance I could, after a few hours of trying to pull the wagon out of the ditch, we finally pulled it free. That night they invited me into their home to say thank you and as a reward they gave me this.” Davos held the bottle of whisky up. “It turns out they made this type of whisky which is a very sought after brand, they only make a few bottles yearly as it takes so long to mature.” Davos took a sip of the whisky, licking his lips, as not to waste any of it.

“It also turns out that one of the ingredients they needed for their whiskey was cabbages, I just laughed. I was quite confused how people managed to make whiskey with cabbages. but all they told me was it was an elven secret and they've been having trouble with our harvest so they offered to buy my whole lot for me. because of this one transaction, it changed the course of my life dramatically. You see, Mr Alucard, I'm a man who believes in good things. If you do good in this world you will be rewarded if you do bad then you will be punished. Even to this day I still keep in contact with them. We send letters back and forth, inquiring about each other's lives, family members and our children. It had been so many years since I last saw them. They were planning on making a trip up here to see the family, but after the loss of my son our family feels broken, hollow. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to them, so I told him to stay away.”

Davos stared at his silver goblet swirling the contents of it around. “The reason my wife is not herself especially when she sees Father Maxwell. She believes he is a wolf in sheep's clothing who pretends to be a man of Faith luring people in when in

fact he is the one who brings the danger. She believes he had something to do with my son's death and the Killing that grips this town.”

“Do you think that he had something to do with the killing of your son? Like your wife does?” replied Alucard holding the glass Eugeue gave him still not yet taken a sip.

“I don't know, but all i can say is that the killings started long before he showed up in town with his religious group”

Eugene scoffs “The man is a parasite nothing more.”
“That we both can agree on Eugene” Davos raised his glass and took another sip.

“So tell me Mr Alucard, from all the information you heard from us today, are you still willing to take the contacked on?”

“I am, I will take the contract.”

“Excellent news,” said Davos, raising his drink even higher. “Whatever you need myself or Eugene can assist you with, don't hesitate to ask.”

“Thanks, if it's all over here I'd like to start right away,”

“Of course whatever you need”

“I will need to access the medical records of all the victims including your son, if that is possible and also like to meet the coroner, I will need to see his records as well. until I understand what happened to the victims and the bodies I cannot be sure what I am hunting.”

“Of course I have one of the guards escort you down there.”

“Thanks, can I also have help with my belongings and my horse? I left them outside the Inn.”

“Of course Mr Aluacrd, of course. In fact I have many spare rooms in this manor. Would you please take one of them, it's the least i can do for you agreeing to take on this job.

“That is very kind of you lord Davos.”

“Excellent, I will have someone bring your belongings up and I will make sure that your horse is well looked after too.

“Thank you, but I must warn you now, Lord Davos, with my investigation I may bring up old wounds and cause great deal of pain.

“I understand Mr Alucard, you have a job to do and I will not stand in your way, but I must ask you that you follow the laws of this town and its people. I can not have you coursing problems for everyone.

“I can not guarantee I won't anger a few people.” Aluacrd took a sip of his drink, shocked for a moment he did not expect it to be so nice. He placed the glass back down on the deck and stood up from his chair.

“I would also like to speak with your wife lord Davos, if that is ok with you?

“My Wife?” Davos was shocked as he was hoping that he could leave his poor wife out of this, she had suffered enough. “Why do you need to see my Wife?” replied Davos oh ready knowing the answer.

“Your wife believes that priest Maxwell had something to do with this, so I must ask her why before gathering all the information I can. If the killings are the work of a human, then I will find evidence of this but I will need to look into it.

“Of course, but do be careful with her, she is the love of my life, I do not wish to cause her any more pain or Ezrin.”

“I will do what I can”

“Thank you. Eugene, can you go get one of the Guards and have him escort Mr Alucard to the morgue so he can speak with the coroner?”

“Yes my lord, right away.”

Eugene placed his glass down on the deck and walked to the doors of the office and left the room closing the doors behind him.

“Lord Davos, I understand what I am about to ask of you will be hard to answer, but I will need to see your son's body.”

“I had an inkling of what you were asking for Mr Alucard, but I must inform you that alone do not have the power to let you see my son’s body. Only a few people outside the family know this but so see, after my wife gave birth to Ezrin, she fell terribly unwell, I called healers and doctors, anyone who could help her. After all sorts of healing potions and spells we were told that the damage she had sustained made her baron, she could not bear any more children. My wife and I were devastated, but by some miracle Eren was born.” Davos' eyes saddened, cursing him great pain, as if a knife was plunged into his heart. “He was a little miracle and I told him I would protect him, and I failed. I am sorry for the ramblings of an old man, but you will need my wife's permission before you can examine my son's body.”

“I understand Lord Davos, but about the possibility of ghouls being located within the mines, his body was found just outside the entrance. I need to examine the body to understand how he was killed, if in fact it was foul play or he was attacked. Ghouls are normally corpse eaters, they are attracted by the smell of death, which is why they are everywhere after battles. So I will need access to the mines themselves, if they are not the ones that killed your son, then I will dispatch them nonetheless, free of charge.

“Thank you, you are an honourable man Mr Alucard and I will be in your debt.”

Moments later the doors opened, Eugene walked in followed by one of the city's guards. “Ah good timing Eugene we are just about finishing with bunnies, Mr Aluacrd I wish you the best of luck with your work, and I hope for a quick resolution to all of this.”

Alucard lowered his head and nodded, “This way sir” Said the Guardsman as he jested the way. Both Alucard and the guard walked off down the corridor leaving Lord Davos' office.

“Tell me Eugene” said Davos as the doors closed behind them leaving the office, "do you believe he is the one who can help us?”

“If he really is a hunter from the houses of old, then there is no one better suited for this, one way or another we will have answers.”

“And what if he is not from the houses of old?”

“Then he will just be another name added to the list of the dead.”

To continue the story into part 4 please click here.

Alucard acknowledged the captain's statement with a nod. "I appreciate your dedication to upholding the town's values. But there is a reason I wanted to speak with you.”

“Eugene has filled me in” replied the Captain before Alucard getting another world in. “You wish to know what happened to the young lord and why the men that I signed to him let him sneak outside of the manor so late at night? And in doing so resulted in the young lord's death.”

Alucard's eyes hardened as he spoke. "I understand the importance of uncovering the truth behind the young lord's death. I need to know what happened and why the young lord was allowed to leave the manor unnoticed.”

“I wish to understand that, Mr Alucard as well, I have gone over that night a thousand times and I just don't understand how he got past, even if he managed to slip by his guards, I just don't understand how he got outside the city to the mines.”

Alucard could see this wade heavy on the Captain "The fact that the young lord managed to leave the manor unnoticed and make his way to the mines is an interesting one to say the least. I understand there was a rumour of him having a relationship with the elven girl in town who was also found dead in her own home. Perhaps they were meeting up that night and something sinister happened” replied Alucard

"You raise an intriguing point, Alucard.” continued the captain “The coincidence of the young lord and the elven girl meeting on that fateful night cannot be ignored. If they were indeed meeting secretly, it leaves us with more questions than answers, as to why they were targeted if indeed they were. What was the reason behind it”

Alucard and the captain had both reached the bottom of the stairs, as they proceeded to walk through town they continued their conversation intensely. The town was much more lively then Alucard though it would be, but he could see the people still going about their daily lives. Alucard observed the bustling town as he walked alongside the captain, his mind transfixed on piece together the intricate puzzle before him.

“I am quite surprised with how much the town has come alive, from the stories you hear it paints the picture of a town and its people who have completely given up hope.”

"These people have endured hardships before, Alucard. They've faced challenges and overcome them, drawing strength from their shared history and the bonds that tie them. It is this very spirit that gives people hope for an end to this horrible chapter in their lives. This way Alucard, we can take a short cut this way." The captain's gesture to Alucard led him down the very narrow alleyway leading to the back streets of the town close to the city centre; there were lots of twists and turns down this very narrow path. it was leading ever further away from the main city centre, it was easy to get lost in these backstreets, but the captain seemed to know his way quite well.

“There's another reason I want to take you down these back Street Alucard, I'm sure you are aware of that no one outside city guards and the Lords family and a few close friends know of the young lord’s passing, the last thing I would want is for someone to over hear us.

“I understand captain, I will try to be as discreet as possible, but my concern at the moment is trying to figure out what happened. if there is something larger at play here.

The captain's frustration was palpable. "I share your confusion, Alucard. It's as if there was a gap in our defences, a lapse in our security measures. I have interrogated the guards involved, but so far, their accounts provide no clear explanation for the young lord's late night rendezvous."

“Did any of your men see anything suspicious at night?”

“I did interrogate many of the patrols that night, trying to bleed any information from them. But all they could recall was a few of the local people working late, a few kids.

“I see”

“One thought he saw he saw Father Maxwell and Gabriel walking around that night, close to the church, but I couldn't find anyone to collaborate that information, and when I asked Father Maxwell about it, he just rented on about Heathens and what not, and that i am working for a fool who does not care for his people and only let them suffer instead embracing the lord of the eternal fire and saving him people.”

Alucard's interest was piqued by the mention of Father Maxwell and Gabriel's suspicious activities near the church. He contemplated the captain's words, recognizing the potential significance of this information.

"Father Maxwell and Gabriel, you say?" Alucard's voice held a note of intrigue.

“Have you met him?” replied The captain as he noted a look of intrigued on Alucards face.

“Only briefly, back at the manor, he was having a very heated discussion with Lord Davos.

“Arrogant prick he is,” Said the Captain. "I would arrest him if I could but he broke no laws for now, so my hands are tied.” The Captain continued to talk about Father Maxwell and his history with the town after showing up a few years ago.

Alucard's interest in Father Maxwell deepened as he listened to the captain's description of their encounters of past events. The captain's frustration with the situation was evident, but Alucard remained focused on gathering the information that he needed before he made any true judgement, he still had the body’s to examine.

"I understand your frustration, Captain. It seems Father Maxwell is a man of influence; he is skilled at staying within the boundaries of the law while still exerting his control. But arrogance can often be a weakness, in everyone.

The captain nodded in agreement. "I will work on examining any legal loopholes or potential breaches committed by Father Maxwell. If there's even a slight chance to hold him accountable for his actions, I will find one, even if he has nothing to do with these crimes, he has still disturbed the peace and caused quite a few problems for us. I am sure Alucard, he will not make your stay here welcome and he will do everything within his power to cause you distress.”

Alucard's expression hardened, fully aware of the challenges that lay ahead. "I appreciate your dedication, Captain. Father Maxwell may become a thorn in my side but I have faced men like him many times within my lifetime.”

The captain glanced at Alucard, his face filled with a mix of curiosity and intrigue. As he observed Alucard's features, the captain's mind pondered their similarities. While he was not a young man anymore, neither was he considered old. It appeared that Alucard and the captain were roughly around the same age. “If you don't mind me saying Alucard you don't look that old to me.”

Alucard let out a small smile “Young Face, Old Eyes”

Though the captain didn't fully grasp the meaning behind Alucard's words, he didn't dwell on it, focusing instead on their present location. and as they took the last turning they both found themselves outside the long twisting alleyway of Iron Harbour. They both came outside of the city looking straight at the large rock bass hill. There was a singler small wooden door in front of them.

"We have arrived," said the Captain. They both walked side by side towards the door, the Captain leaning his hand out and grasping the worn old handle and pushing the door open reveliving a small dark stairway leading deeping underground and into the hill. There was a significant shift in temperature as Alucard stepped through the door, it was much colder in here then it was outside, understandable for where they were going.

Alucard walked down the cold stone stairs, going deeper into the hill basement. The natural light was getting dimmer as there were fewer windows this far down. The only source of light he had was the poorly lit candle light around the sides of the staircase.

After a few moments of walking I look at finally got to the bottom floor then he looked up and there was just a poorly little room and there wasn't the staircase the only source of light was that by candle allicat stop for a moment and looked around as surroundings he saw all tables covered in blood all the new you the the room smells vile like the stench of old corpses. A normal person would not be able to last long in this room. The stench of death would be too overwhelming for any normal person but this wasn't new for Alucard. For Alucard the smell was like embracing an old friend he knew all too well.

Alucard noticed in the right corner of the room, buddies piled by a small table, covered in a white cloth, The bodies were perfectly wrapped with labels around their necks to indicate the individual's identity, and cause of death.

On the opposite side of those bodies. There were more also covered up with name tags on them, but only with their identified deposits as a cause of death has not been determined yet.

Alucard took another quick look around the room and noticed there's a man in the far right corner barely visible just by candlelight. He was sitting at a small table scribbling some stuff on paper. Most likely the autopsy report. Alucard proceeded to walk over to the table. A few moments later the man noticed Alucard walking over to him and placed his pen on the table and put the papers away.

“Hello” said the man with cold ghostly tone, “You must be Alucard, I was told to be expecting you, it is nice to meet you” Alucard looked up at the man in front of him he was quite pale in nature which is to be expected if he did not get much sunlight Alucard measured man with his gaze. He was a small thin like person but he seemed to have a kind heart. Alucard noticed on the man's desk A picture of two people. The photo looked old, it was worn out quite a bit, but it had been looked after. It clearly meant a lot to the owner. perhaps family members, brothers or even a close friend perhaps.

“I am the town's head coroner. Sorry about the smell down here”, said the man. “I don't get many visitors. If you'd like, I can ask one of the guards to bring it some fresh flowers. It helps to block out the smell.”

“No that wouldn't be necessary,'' replied Alucard.'' I'm used to this type of smell” the pale Man looked a bit shocked, taking a good look at him.

“I guess that's why they call you a professional Monster Hunter, wherever you go death is sure to follow.”

“I can say the same about you doctor” the pale man smiled

“I have been told that you wish to review some of the autopsy reports from the last few years, I can have my assistant help you with the paperwork”. “Thank you,” replied Alucard.

“The body’s over there” Alucard pointed towards the wall littered with tightly wrapped body’s” were they also murder victims”. The pale man looked to see what Alucard was pointing at. “Oh yes, the majority of them are also the victims, unfortunately there's only me and my assistant to do the autopsy so there's a bit of a backlog. It is an unpleasant sight, but I must try and finish my work as efficiently as I can before releasing the bodies to their families. They all wish to bury their loved ones. I still hold out hope that I can find a clue within these bodies to help stop this madness.”

“If it's alright with you doctor, I would like to sit in on one of these autopsies, I might be able to find something that you missed”.

“Yes of course, all the help is needed. I wasn't planning on doing an autopsy today as I gave my assistant the day off, I would rather all of us be here. It's a good teaching moment for him to learn if he watches both of us do it.

“That will be fine,” replied Alucard. “By the way doctor”

“Yes?” replied the man in his ghostly tone “is it true that you did the autopsy on the young elven girl, the one that was found dead in her room?”

“Yes, the sweet young girl. It was such a pity she had a whole life ahead of her”.

“If you don't mind me asking how she died? what she also part of the murders”. The man stood there for a moment as he was gathering his thoughts. The expression on his face was quite complex, like he actually did not know the answer. I'm afraid to say this but even after my autopsy report I couldn't find the cause of death it was quite baffling. After all my years of being a corner I couldn't find a cause of death. It is the one regrettable moment I have in my life.

“If it's alright with you I would like to see her autopsy report as well. I want to see if I heard death is also linked to the murders.”

“Not at all, whatever you need, I am sure I can help you find it.” Replied the man “ just give me one moment to see if I can find the file.” The man walked over to his small desk, looking through the files that were left on the table. “I am sure I left them here” muttering to himself. “Sorry about this, I normally keep such tidy records but my assistant is a bit overwhelmed. He may have moved the file... oh wait I found it.” he said as he pulled a small paper folder containing a few sheets of paper all with his notes and findings.

"Thank you for finding the file,"

“It was no trouble” Said the man as he nodded understandingly and opened the folder, revealing a few neatly organised sheets of paper. "Here we go," he says, scanning the contents briefly.

Deceased: Young Elven Female Name: Lyra
Age: Unknown
Race: Elf.  Gender: Female Examination Findings:

External Examination: Body appears to be that of a young elven female, consistent with reported information. No visible signs of trauma or injury on the surface of the body. Skin tone: Fair with a faint luminescent quality, typical of elvenkind.

Internal Examination: A midline incision was made from the sternum to the pubic bone, allowing access to the internal organs.

Cardiovascular System: Heart: The heart is slightly larger than that of a human, with a vibrant golden glow and no apparent abnormalities.

Blood vessels: No blockages or anomalies observed.

Respiratory System: Lungs: Both lungs are pale and healthy, devoid of any signs of disease or injury.

Gastrointestinal System: Stomach: The stomach contains partially digested plant matter consistent with elven dietary habits.

Intestines: No abnormalities or signs of disease noted.

Musculoskeletal System: Bones: Elven bones are dense and resilient, with no fractures or abnormalities detected.

Joints: All joints appear healthy with no signs of inflammation or damage. Nervous System:

Brain: The elven brain is remarkably developed and exhibits intricate patterns of silver filaments. No abnormalities detected.

Spinal cord: The spinal cord is intact with no signs of injury or compression.

Toxicology Analysis: Samples were collected from various organs for toxicological analysis. Results pending.

Cause of Death: External examination did not reveal any obvious cause of death. Further analysis, including toxicology reports, will be necessary to determine the cause of death conclusively. At its current state cause of death is unknown

Additional Observations: Scars: A delicate, crescent-shaped scar is present on the left forearm, indicating a past injury or ritualistic marking.

Tattoos: Elven runes, representing protection and nature, are intricately tattooed on the upper back and right ankle.

Anatomical Features: The deceased displays the classic elven traits, including pointed ears, almond-shaped eyes, and a slender frame.

Conclusion: Based on the preliminary examination, the cause of death of Lyra Silversong, the young elven female, remains undetermined. No apparent signs of external trauma or injury were observed. Further analysis, including toxicology reports, is necessary to establish the cause of death. The examination revealed no abnormalities in the vital organs or major systems. Additional investigations or consultation with experts may be required to gather more information and reach a conclusive determination.

Alucard took the file and all of its findings and went over them several times in his head, taking mental notes of everything within its contents. his eyes fixated on key points, As he absorbed the information. “Do you still have the body here?” asked Alucard as he raised his head from the file and looked at the man with a stern gaze.

“Of the Elven girl?” said the man with a confused look.

"Yes, of the Elven girl," as Alucard clarified, his gaze unwavering. I would like to examine the body myself, and check it with your findings. I want to see if there is anything you may have missed or overlooked.

The man's confusion deepened, but he nodded hesitantly. "Yes, we still have the body in our facility. I was told to give you unlimited access to everything you needed for your investigation, one moment if you would like to wait here I will retrieve her.

The man lowered his head on a quick bow and walked off to a small door leading deeper into the hillside, after a few moments he came back pulling along a wooden table on metal wheels, with a white cloth draped over the young Evlen girl's body. Only her head was visible, the rest covered.

They stopped at the large stone table in the centre of the room, and he placed her on top of it, pulling the wooden table back. Alucard walked over to the table and looked at the girl, lucky for him, elfs unlike humans there body’s don't start to rot for quite some time after death. She appeared peaceful, almost as if she were merely sleeping. Alucard carefully pulled back the cloth, revealing the girl's body completely exposed before him.

Alucard looked closely at the young elven girl, examining every part of her as he did; he kept looking back at the coroner's report checking his facts as to what he could see in front of them. It was true there were no visible marks on her, no scratches, no cuts, no bite marks, no defensive wounds whatsoever it quite was a mystery what killed her. Alucard could understand why the corner could not understand the cause of death, but he knew. It was rare but he has seen this type of killing before.

"This girl wasn't killed by a monster," Alucard proclaimed, raising his head to face the bewildered man. "What do you mean?" the man inquired, his expression reflecting confusion. "Did you discover something?"

"She was poisoned," Alucard revealed. The man, taken aback, scrutinised the body once again, desperately searching for any signs of poisoning but found none. His face marked with a perplexed expression, questioned Alucard's certainty. "Are you absolutely certain?" he inquired. “I have examined the body many times over, and I found no trace of such poison in any part of her body.”

Alucard's composed demeanour remained unwavering as he addressed the man's scepticism. "Yes, I am certain," he affirmed with conviction. However, a shadow of concern flickered across Alucard's face as he continued. "Doctor, don't blame yourself for not recognizing this. This method of killing is exceedingly rare. I haven't encountered this type of poison in a very long time."

Alucard's voice carried a tinge of worry, not solely due to the manner of the girl's death, but rather the unsettling implications it held. This particular poison had long been considered extinct, its secrets lost to time. The knowledge of its creation had faded into obscurity, making it highly improbable that anyone should possess the ability to concoct such a lethal substance.

“I can send samples to the alchemist for analysis. It may take some time to get the results, but once we know the type of poison, we can start to narrow down the suspect list. Different poisons have different effects and require different levels of magical expertise to brew and administer."

Alucard shook his head, his expression tinged with sombre knowledge. "No, that won't be necessary," he responded firmly. "This poison is known as endless night. Most likey this type of poison was administered without anyone realising it. In this case, I believe the poison was ingested through the victim's food or drink."

The man's eyes widened in realisation. "So, it was a slow-acting poison that took effect over time?"

Alucard nodded, his gaze fixed on the lifeless body before them. "Yes, precisely. Endless night takes its toll gradually, lulling the victim into an eternal sleep without leaving any apparent signs of foul play.”

The man gave Alucard a look of worry, “I am not familiar with that type of poison I must say.”

Alucard acknowledged the man's concern with a sympathetic glance. "Understandably so," he replied, his voice filled with understanding. "The knowledge of this particular poison, endless night, should no longer exist, it faded out of time long ago.

The man's expression grew increasingly worried as he posed a question. "What does all of this mean? How is this linked to all of the other killings in the town?"

Alucard paused, a sense of uncertainty crossing his features. "I don't know," he replied honestly.

“Doctor if you don't mind” asked Alucard with a polite tone “I would like to examine the other body’s as well. Including Lord Davos' son.”

The man considered Alucard's request, his expression thoughtful. "I can assist you with whatever you need, Alucard. I too would like to reexamine the bodies in case there is anything I may have overlooked or missed entirely. However, I cannot permit you to examine Davos' son without the consent of Lord Davos and his wife."

Alucard nodded in understanding. “I will go and bring out some of the latest victims, they are the most recent and maybe hold some clue to all of this.”

The man gathered a few of the other bodies awaiting further examination. As they began, the chilling silence enveloped them. Alucard meticulously examined each body, searching for any signs or similarities that could provide a link to the mysterious deaths plaguing the town. He scrutinised the absence of visible wounds, seeking hidden traces of the elusive poison or any other potential causes of death.

The man assisted Alucard, his eyes filled with a mix of determination and concern. They meticulously documented their findings, comparing each victim's physical state and any peculiarities they observed.

After several hours of painstaking work, Alucard concluded his examination of the bodies. Though he had only studied a few of the victims, it provided a solid starting point. He understood that the bodies alone could only reveal limited information, and he needed to delve deeper by gathering insights from those who knew the victims intimately.

Alucard made a mental note to begin conducting interviews and seeking information from the townspeople. He knew that understanding how the victims lived their lives, their connections, and any potential links between them would be crucial to unravelling the mystery.

The knowledge and experiences of those who had interacted with the victims could shed light on hidden motives and uncover vital clues. what also played on his mind was Farther Maxwell, if he is linked to the killing’s how does he play a part in all of this? Maybe he doesn’t and he has just turned everyone against him, everyone is looking for someone to blame. He is the perfect scapegoat for all of this to fall on. Lord davos had no love for the man, nour did his wife or daughter, maybe the son had offended him in some way and this was retribution. Alucard could not say for certain. One thing Alucard did know was his mind was hurting, he needed a break, he needed fresh air, he had been with the dead long enough.

Alucard's instincts told him that the truth he sought lay hidden beneath layers of deception and misdirection. Alucard hated people, he always found killing monsters so much easier to deal with, they always follow their nature, but humans are the greatest monster of all. They are far more intelligent.

“Is everything ok?” said the man

Alucard, taking a moment to compose himself, replied with a curt nod. "Yes, everything is fine. Just lost in thought, that's all. I think I have been down here too long, I need fresh air and a drink. Do you know any of the local places where I can get a cold one Doc?”

“Of course, you would want to make your way back to the town centre, you know it when you see it. There is a large memorial structure built within the town centre, it has all the names of the victims written within the stone.” The man looked back at the table where layed the last body they had just examined, it was a large dwarf mostly torn apart, one would hardly recognize it.

“It was built by this man here.” as he gestured to the table. “Him and his brother were the local blacksmiths in town, they made excellent work over the years, they offered to the Lord to construct it for the town so no one would ever be forgotten. His brother still owns the shop in town, if you go there you should be able to speak with him, maybe he can help you with gathering any more information you may need. There is also a local tavern right across the street from their shop. They really enjoyed their drinks.”

Alucard nodded in appreciation, genuinely grateful for the man's guidance. "Thank you for providing me with the information. Do you happen to know the name of the dwarf's brother?”

“Certainly, His name is Brok. he is a bit of a colourful person, a bit of a falmouth on him, I must say so try not to take any offence to him.”

“Thank you I'll make my way to the town centre now, hoping to find some respite from these dark thoughts." As he gathered his belongings from a small wooden chair, Alucard prepared to bid farewell to the man.

Before he could take his leave, a sense of politeness washed over him. "Oh, please forgive my oversight. I completely forgot to ask for your name, Doctor," Alucard admitted, offering a slight apologetic smile.

"No need to worry. My name is Alaric," he replied, his voice carrying a sense of quiet wisdom.

As Alucard reached the final turn of the staircase, his gaze fell upon the weathered old wooden door he had noticed upon his arrival. The years had etched their marks upon its surface, and thin rays of sunlight peeked through the cracks, Alucard gripped the old handle and swung the door open, and a blinding flood of sunlight greeted him.

Shielding his eyes from the brilliance, Alucard took a step forward, his senses enveloped by the warmth and freshness of the outside air. As his eyes adjusted to

the brilliance, Alucard surveyed his surroundings. He was outside the town, in front of him leading him back down the many long and back alleyways of the town.

He looked up at the sky and saw the sun was much lower than when he arrived, it was just after mid afternoon, hopefully Alucard could clear his head and also find the dwarf.

To continue with Part 5 of Luke's Iron Harbour Story please click here.