The blonde was concerned with how the murderer had gotten in the church at all. The crucifix on the main door was gone. It had to have gone somewhere. As far as she knew, touching those was a terrible idea for certain creatures. It had after all kept the church protected for this long. What had changed? Well, one change was that Fiona had showed up. But Fiona didn’t move the crucifix at all. It had been just below the knocker on the door and indeed, looking at the door one could see the outline of where it had been.
She headed outside into the cold of the evening and started looking around outside the church. There were no shuffling figures or zombies around it seemed. Whoever had killed the Sister seemed to have moved on or at least weren’t back yet. Maybe they would come back and finish the job. Maybe they were watching from the mists around her, just waiting for her to drop her guard so they could kill her too. Fiona shuddered at the thought.
A glint of something out the corner of her eye was visible and she lifted up the crucifix from the grass just off to the side of the church. It appeared to have been tossed aside rather haphazardly. She brought it closer to the dim light of the lantern outside the church and saw something on the cross. One might have dismissed it as a smudge. However Fiona could see very clearly, it was blood. A couple drops of blood had fallen on the cross.
The blonde thought back to when she had first entered the church. She had knocked on the door using the knocker. She had used her injured hand since it was her dominant one. It had been an automatic impulse. So it was likely the blood on the cross was her own, gotten from a zombie wound. She blinked as things started to possibly form a much clearer picture in her head.
“Did I… desecrate this?” It seemed likely.
“You would be correct, my lady. A rather fortunate stroke of luck on my account, certainly.”
Fiona turned and drew her blade, striking out at open air. The blade passed inches from a figure that didn’t even flinch from the weapon. A pair of red eyes regarded her with a light of some mild amusement. She was a strange sight for a strange place. Dressed in attire one might normally associate with a butler was a rather lovely and courtly redhead dark haired woman. She had her hands behind her back rather primly and made no move to defend herself. She had the slightest touch of a smirk on her lips, a pair of horns curling around either side of her head rather like a goat.
“My apologies for the scare, my lady. As well as the rather messy sight you had to see in there. T’was not my cleanest work to be sure. I am not here to kill you despite all appearances.” The Demonic woman said with a cordial tone. Rather like a servant speaking to an honored guest.
Fiona held her blade up, not wavering for a second. She didn’t attack just yet but she was on edge. This was the woman that had slaughtered Ana judging from the wording. As well as probably the one that had tried to get in the locked rooms. If she had managed to do that so cleanly it stood to reason she’d be a hard fight. The demon didn’t even look remotely threatened by her blade, hubris or simple assurance in the abilities she had was hard to tell. Whatever the case the demon simply continued.
The dark haired demon reached into her rather fancy coat and produced an envelope. It was red and gilded in gold. There was a symbol on it as well, that of a bat. It was sealed with wax that had the same symbol upon it. An incredibly fancy letter one might see passed around the nobility. What's more… it was addressed to Fiona. Her name was on it in stark black ink.
“I bear an invitation from my most esteemed lady, Freya Lycromel, daughter of Countess Sera Lycromel. I bid you take it and accept the invitation inside. It would warm her heart if you would do so.” The demon said as she offered the letter out for Fiona.
The blonde looked at and considered the letter. It was so surreal. So completely surreal to be offered an invitation just after witnessing that rather grisly scene. Still… daughter of the Countess herself. Fiona wondered just what she had to say to her. How did she know her name as well? It was a mystery in and of itself really but for now she shifted her grip on her blade to one hand and took the letter with the other. She opened it rather awkwardly with one hand, keeping the demon in her peripheral vision.
The letter was quite fancy as well, red parchment with golden letters. “To the most esteemed Fiona. For the great deed of assisting in the removal of the local pest infestation, I would be delighted if you would accompany my servant Evalin to my home in Istrel. I intend to hold a feast in your honor that shall be the talk of the city, as well as reward you for your service. I look forward to your positive reply. Lady Freya Lycromel, Heir to Istrel.”
Fiona considered the invitation at length, glancing at Eva who was simply waiting to hear her response. Fiona swallowed hard.
B-3a1: Fiona Rejects the Invitation
B-3a2: Fiona Accepts the Invitation
To be Continued…