After the other two had answered the interviewer's prompt, Arcturus realized that he and Sebastien were the only ones left who had not answered. Once it became apparent that the older man would not speak, he began thinking of his response.
"Ah, of course. Why did I join the Guild? Well... That's, uh... Hm..."An uneasy silence settled over the once-jovial blond as he pondered his own answer to the question.
"I guess I'm here for one reason: to find a certain man," he answered ominously. Then, without missing a beat, he said something that a certain ex-brigand would've died to hear:
"And when I do, I'm going to kill him."Dead silence.
"Please don't put that in the news, ma'am, I was just kidding," Arc laughed, before giving his true(?) answer:
"But to be honest, I am here because of someone. Someones, actually."He looked off to the distance, to the shadow of the mountains just barely visible on the horizon. A melancholic smile graced his features. If there had been a photographer, they certainly would have immortalized this image.
And then probably sold it to some young Whiteharborites for quick cash.
"The short of it is: we used to live nearby, and I hoped if they ever wanted to come home, they'd pass through. I ended up joining the Guild because uh..."He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
"You see, I used to read a lot of Sorcerer's Weekly as a kid, and I thought joining a guild would be the best way to help out around here. Either way, I think it's been really neat!"It was at that point that Sebastien was saved from having to answer the question, because the group had reached their destination: the northern grove to the east of town.
It was a patch of primal green buried beneath a sea of snowy white. Dark evergreens loomed above and gnarled overgrowth traced the wintry paths below. Sunken snow and light foliage marked the remnants of once-well-traveled paths. According to local lore, there was a shrine hidden somewhere in the deepwoods, one dedicated to an old and forgotten god. But nobody remembers where it was--or if it even existed. Now the grove exists as little more than a site for tests of courage and ghost stories.
And, evidently, child disappearances.
"Jeez, this place gives me the creeps." Arc mumbled, treading deeper into the wood. He reached a clearing and turned to the rest of the group and began quickly briefed his team regarding what the mother had told him earlier.
"Mrs. Whitecliff told me that her son was taken in the dead of night and all we have to go off of is this place." He gestured to the looming shadow of the woods around him.
"According to her, her son reported seeing strange lights in the night before disappearing, and the town militia's search party found... Let me see if I can find one... Ah! Here we go."He knocked a gloved hand against the wood of a nearby tree. On it was carved a strange symbol. Its rough, angular geometries did not suggest anything obvious to anyone in the group.
"Any theories? Or do we want to get started looking?"
Snowdrops
Izurich
Bombardier
ChronoBovino