The Fall of House Pancrazio Chapter Two

[ewancummins]

"How appalling," Harold grumbles. "Well. This is hardly my area of expertise, but I would assume this means someone is deliberately targeting this household with foul magic of some sort. From what I know of ghouls, they are not naturally inclined to playing dress-up."

''Well, I don't know for sure that the monster was a ghoul. That's just what the Erzan priest said that he though it might have been. ''

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Granted some Ezrans don't have their heads up their backsides," Harold grumbles. "I am almost sorry that I was not here last night. Mayhap I could have helped to identify the creature ... But no matter. We are where we are. So. Who else besides yourself and I is going on this trek?"

[ewancummins]

"Granted some Ezrans don't have their heads up their backsides," Harold grumbles. "I am almost sorry that I was not here last night. Mayhap I could have helped to identify the creature ... But no matter. We are where we are. So. Who else besides yourself and I is going on this trek?"

''Tahl- and also Goran Pancrazio. I imagine that Julian Pancrazio will be joining us as well.''

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Wonderful," Harold mutters under his breath. "A family outing. And if anything goes wrong with the young Pancrazios in that tunnel, there is a convenient supply of scapegoats at hand."

[ewancummins]

Tristan responds-



''Ah- I hadn't though of that...Well, I think that we'll be safer in a group.''

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I rather wish I had never learned to think of that," Harold replies, shaking his head grimly. "But then again, I also often wish I had never left Mordent, and yet here we are. We shall see how safe this group is. Now. I have had a version of the events of last night from old Emilio, but he is a man recently bereaved. You were there, please tell me again everything that happened.

(OOC: Seriously, a brief summary would be appreciated. ^^; )

[ewancummins]

''Well- last night, something got into the house and killed Mariabella. It attacked Agna in the larder. Tuke ran out of the house to warn us all- he said that it was a robber. I took Elise and tracked it to the greenhouse. Inside, I saw it. It wasn't a robber- but some horrible walking dead thing! It looked somewhat like Luisa- only all rotted and foul.It spoke to me , Harold- it seemed to know me...''

Tristan takes a deep breath, then exhales, before continuing,


''It attacked me all of a sudden, but Elsie jumped on it and saved me. Then I shot it in the head and hacked it to pieces. ''

He pauses , blinking away a tear-

'' Mariabella...she still needs a proper burial. I laid her out in the shed.... We should check on her. The ground, it ought to be soft after the rains, we can bury her now.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Harold looks grimmer and grimmer as the story goes on - and visibly startles at one point.

"Poor Mariabella ..." he says, horrified. "An undead killed her, and you just laid her out? You didn't drag in a cleric to consecrate the body, or sever the head from the neck? You just laid her out?"

With a burst of speed that is obviously costing him some effort, Harold surges ahead of Tristan. "You must tell me everything the creature said!" he shouts back to Tristan, his voice raw, rough and fearful. "And gather the others at the shed, before we enter the tunnel! We need to be absolutely certain that Mariabella is only dead!"

[ewancummins]

Tristan is alarmed by Harold's sudden outburst,

''Cutting off Mariabella's head? What?''

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"The undead breed, man!" Harold calls back as he keeps hobbling along. "Those who die from their attacks often rise as more of their kind. Do you want poor Mariabella shambling around, trying to eat people alive? No? Then let us make certain she is not becoming one of them! Hurry! And tell me what the creature said to you!"

[ewancummins]

Tristan, a look of utter horror on his face, lengthens his stride to catch up with Harold.

''Goodness! ''

[ewancummins]

Tristan heads towards the kitchen.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Harold skids to a halt as Tristan pauses by the kitchen door, and comes limping back. He is currently using his quarterstaff as support; on his shoulder, Mouser is making anxious twittering noises most unbecoming of an owl.

"Kitchen, yes," Harold says, his breath harsh. "Get a cleaver. A big one, such as are used to cut ends of beef or pork. And start praying we shan't need to use it."

[Griselda]

Despite her best effort, Agna cannot quite hide her flinch as Roderigo strikes his son. I know what you wanted to say, Goran -- after everything that's happened today, I agree -- but this wasn't the way to do it.

As most of the men depart on other business, she realizes that now, terrible as the timing is, may be one of the only times to get an answer to a question that has been bothering her -- what arrangements have been made for Mariabella. Though she quails internally at approaching Roderigo now, she's not sure if she'll be able to see him again today.

Dropping a deep curtsy, nervously twisting her apron in her fingers, she asks, "M-master? I-I am sorry to bother you with this now, but... has-has anything been decided about M-Mariabella....?"

Her question barely finished, Agna looks too frightened to meet Roderigo's face and tenses as if preparing for her own clouting.

[ewancummins]

outside the kitchen door


Tristan turns to Harold ands says:

''Last night, in the greenhouse, that thing spoke. It said:

must help...family, blood...

''I tried to communicate with it, thinking it might be Luisa's ghost, or something like that. I told it who I was, and it seemed to recognize me. It said to me:

Tristan, yes, family.''

He shudders, recalling what came next.

''Then, it tried to grab me, but Elsie jumped in. You know the rest.''