Godslayer Lysette: Chapter 166

Chapter 166: Whispers of the Foothills

“The Whispers?” Lysette asked.  “What can you tell me about them?”

“I’ve not experienced them myself,” Theo said, “but I know a couple of the elders have been talking about them.  Apparently, they happen late at night, usually shortly before midnight, and they sound like a calm, comforting voice beckoning the victim out of their sleep and…  well, I don’t know where they try to go after that.”

“Has someone gone missing?”

“Not yet.  But there are a couple of people who have started wandering about late at night.  I’ve been on guard since the first report of this happening four days ago, and though I’ve been able to snap everyone out of their stupor so far, I’m worried.  If this trend continues, who knows what might happen.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this when I was last here?” Mirae asked as they took their makeshift blindfold off.  “I could have investigated and tried to figure something out.”

Theo lowered his head.  “I’m a bit ashamed of this as well, but.”  He choked on his words for a moment.  “I wanted to prove myself.  Prove that I could handle matters here without having to come to one of you for help.  Prove that I was worthy of the responsibilities that you two had entrusted unto me.”

Mirae nodded.  “I’m glad to hear that you are taking your responsibilities seriously, Theo.  But, as I am having to remind a…”  Mirae began poking Lysette’s shoulder with each word.  “Certain goddess of mine.”  They stopped poking.  “There is absolutely no extra credit for doing everything yourself, and there’s also no shame in asking for help or support when you need it.

“Theo.  You have the other villagers.  You have us.  And I promise you, as long as you’re using your best judgement and assessment of the situation, no one is going to get upset if you need to call in backup.  Much better that you get some help than that you or one of the other villagers gets hurt.  Or worse.”

“I… I understand, Mirae.”  Theo took a deep breath.  “And I’m sorry I didn’t let you two know earlier.  Unfortunately, I don’t know much else, but there’s a kid named Aiden who suffered the whispers last night.  I wasn’t able to make much sense of what he was trying to say, but maybe his words will mean more to you.”

“Alright,” Lysette said.  “That’s as good of a lead as any.  Please, take us to him.”

Theo did so, and along their journey, a few other people stopped by to exchange a few brief greetings and general remarks.  Once again, Lysette’s heart was warmed by the generosity and kindness of the townsfolk as they made their way to a small house near the east side of Ciricu.

Some of the households even offered supplication in the form of various bouquets, gemstones, and foodstuffs.  Lysette declined all such offers, although some of the food did smell rather tempting.  Trying out more of the local cuisine was a priority, but not the highest one at the moment.

Theo walked up to a small house made primarily of logs, reinforced with clay and either brick or stone in various places.  After a few knocks, a middle-age woman opened the door and looked upon Theo with bemusement.  As the door peered open a bit wider and the woman made eye contact with Lysette, the look of bemusement turned to shock, then a horror hidden behind a stoic façade.

“M–  Miss Barret?  Is that you?” she asked, stumbling on her words a couple of times.

“It is.  I’m sorry if now is a bad time, but I had a few questions for you and your… son?”  Lysette wasn’t sure of the woman’s relationship with Aiden.  “My partner and I are trying to get some information about these so-called Whispers, and Theo mentioned that Aiden recently experienced them.”

“O– O–  Of course!”  The woman was flummoxed, stammering through every syllable.  “Please, come inside.”

Lysette did so, with Mirae and Theo following closely behind.  The woman walked to the back of the room while calling for her son.  As she did, took a seat on a small chair in the living area, with Mirae standing right behind her and giving her a shoulder massage.  While she waited, she partially unsealed her left eye and looked around, searching for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.  Seeing nothing out of the ordinary except Theo giving her a rather perplexed and not-at-all hidden stare, she shrouded her eye back as the woman returned.

With her was a boy, probably about eight years old, who looked at Lysette, then up to Mirae, then back to Lysette.

“Um, who are you, Miss?” Aiden asked.

“Aiden, you know better than to be rude.”  The woman turned to Lysette.  “Please, forgive us.”

Lysette smiled.  “It’s no offense.  Aiden, my name is Lyse, and this is my friend, Mirae.  We understand that you had an encounter with the Whispers a couple nights ago.  And we wanted to find out more about these Whispers.  Would you tell us what you know?”

Aiden looked at his mother.  “Is it… Is it okay?”

“It’s up to you, dear.  But if anyone can help find out what those Whispers were, it’s going to be these two.”

“Can you really help me?” Aiden asked Lysette.

“I don’t know for sure until I learn more.  But I do promise I’ll do everything I can to find out what’s happening and make sure that you and your mother are both safe.  Okay?”

Aiden nodded.  “Um, well, I don’t remember very much.  It was two nights ago.  Mom had already gone to sleep, but I couldn’t fall asleep myself, no matter how hard I tried.  So I ended up going outside, and then it got really cold and the wind started blowing and leaves started fluttering all around.  Then I heard a voice that sounded like Dad,  I started following it, and I don’t really remember anything after that.”

Theo nodded.  “I was outside, spending the night doing a combination of meditating and keeping an eye on the village while everyone was sleeping.  Miss Serrena had mentioned that it was likely we’d see scouting parties over these past few days, so I have tried to be vigilant on nights when either her or Mirae haven’t been in town.”

Mirae smiled.  “Thank you, Theo.”

“You’re welcome.  Anyway, I was doing a late-night patrol and sweeping the area when I saw Aiden wandering about.  I called out to him, but he didn’t respond.  After a few failed attempts at that, I chased after him.  I was able to catch up to him in short order, and, praise be, he was unharmed and there didn’t seem to be any other signs of his being pursued.  After that I brought him back here to his house and kept an eye and an ear out until dawn, when I finally retired to sleep.”

Aiden’s mother rushed to hug him, and in the midst of the cathartic, worry-filled consoling, Lysette and Mirae turned to one another.

“Do you think this is the work of the Aestori?” Mirae asked.

“It’s possible, Mirae.  But this doesn’t seem like it serves their interests.  They’ve always been about not repeating the mistakes of the past and getting involved in wars that would tear Aimarion apart.  And, while they certainly would have an interest in recruiting people to their cause, I don’t think they’d be interested in a young child.”

“Even if that’s just to get Aiden to summon someone else to do whatever it is they want to do?”

“When you put it that way, I suppose it’s possible.  The sanctum back near Osstia was able to summon me, and they do seem to be connected.  When put that way, it could be part of an elaborate ploy to lure me to wherever this shrine is so they can have a discussion with me.  But that’s just not how they’ve operated before.

“In short, I don’t know what we’re going to find, but I expect a fight, not a quiet discussion with whatever we’re going to find tonight.”

“Understood, love.”

“Is that everything you need from us, Miss Barret?” Aiden’s mother asked.

“Yes, thank you.  And, I apologize for disturbing your afternoon.”

Lysette sensed some lingering discontent, bordering on hostility, from Aiden’s mother, but decided that it was neither the time nor place to ask about it.  Rather, she decided it was time to meet with the elders to formally announce her arrival in Ciricu and to relay what little information they had on the subject.

The gathering didn’t take too long to formally commence— word of her and Mirae’s arrival had already spread throughout the town, and within half an hour, a council of eighteen elders had gathered, none who seemed younger than about fifty-five.  Joseph and Evelyn, the elderly couple who had been the council’s representatives during Lysette’s first meeting some weeks ago, sat in the middle of the gathered table, with eight people on either side of them.

It was a bit strange that, without exception, the elders were sitting in a perfect pattern alternating between men and women.  The council might have been made entirely of couples; Lysette wasn’t sure.  Perhaps it was done to ensure a healthy balance of opinions and perspectives.  Maybe the men of the village were particularly hard-headed and didn’t want to sit next to one another.  In either case, once everyone had gathered, Evelyn called the meeting to order.

“Miss Lyse, I’m grateful that you have returned to us after your travels have forced you away.  Just seeing you here fills me with a sense of serenity and hope that our current predicament will trouble us little longer.”

“You are referring to these Whispers, I presume?”

“We are indeed,” one of the men said.  “From what I understand, you are already aware of them?  Or am I mistaken?”

“I have heard about what happened to Aiden the night before last.  And I have heard that these Whispers have been documented across the mountains in Domaria as well as here in Ciricu.  Before Mirae and I investigate further on our own, however, I would like to hear what you all have to say.  If there are any local legends, stories, or any other tales that might shed light on the situation, I’d like to know those in particular.”

A man and woman to Lysette’s right began whispering to one another, and while Lysette could have read their lips with her aura, she retracted it inward to give the pair privacy.  Another two couples on Lysette’s left started deliberating among themselves as well, and as she watched the proceedings, she opened a mental connection with Mirae.

“It seems there is something after all.”

“Assuming they remember any of it.  It sounds like whatever story they have is incredibly ancient and nearly forgotten even among the elders.”

The elders continued discussing among themselves for the better part of half an hour.  In the meantime, Lysette took the opportunity to do some passive Cultivation, and judging from the flow of Essence around her, Mirae was doing the same.  Lysette smiled at seeing her love’s progress, but her joy was short-lived.  Soon after, the council of elders reconvened, each of them wearing a stern expression.

“Miss Lyse,” Evelyn said, “We do have one local tale that may provide you some guidance.  Many of us were torn about telling you, out of fear for your safety, that you might put your life at risk if you pursue.  But if you truly mean to go, we will tell you a tale of a time many generations ago.”

Fear for my safety?  A demigoddess’s safety?  Just what kind of legends do these people have?

“I do, Evelyn.  I promised that I would protect this village as its guardian, and I intend to hold myself to that promise.  I already expected to have to fight off armies, hordes of bandits, and wild beasts of both the mundane and Essence-filled variety, among others.  If I must defend this village against a legendary creature from generations past, then I shall do that as well.”

Evelyn smiled, but there was solemnity in her eyes.  “Having seen what you and your companions can do firsthand, I will tell you what we know.”  She paused for a long while.  “Perhaps, now that the heavens have seen fit to bless us with a guardian deity, there is a chance to finally vanquish the demons which long ago walked these lands.”

Chapter 165: https://www.patreon.com/posts/108863699

Table of Contents: https://www.patreon.com/posts/table-of-101896170

Chapter 167: https://www.patreon.com/posts/108998840