Sitting up, Sean shakily uttered out. "I was sitting on her... Mark, can we please leave?" Mark ignored him, drawing a rune in the air to open his inventory. Getting to his feet, Sean glanced around the graveyard that was starting to mist over and breathlessly whined out. "Mark...? I'm getting a bad feeling..." Mark thrusted a shovel out to him, telling him coolly. "You're letting this place get into your head. Take this and help me dig." Accepting the shovel, Sean's voice broke when he squeaked out. "Dig?! Why on earth would we do that?!" Stabbing his own shovel into the soft dirt, Mark informed in seriously. "We don't know if she was buried. We only have his word on that. Which I don't trust. And if she was, maybe she got out and they don't know it. They could have buried an imposter. Either way, we got to dig her up." Groaning to himself, Sean grumbled out. "Why do I let you talk me into this shite..." Smirking, Mark replied as he started to dig. "Because I'm sexy and I'm right."

Rolling his eyes, Sean reluctantly began to dig with him. It was more of a struggle for Sean since his stamina bar kept draining rapidly from the exertion. Clearly, the light elf race wasn't designed for hard labor. Pausing after every other shoveling of dirt, Sean let his stamina replenish while looking around. Mark easily shoveled away with little resistance. He was practically digging the grave up by himself without a need to take a break. Sean was slightly jealous of him, until he heard a rustling sound in the distance. His pointed elven ear twitching as he turned to look. The mist in the distance swirled like something had moved through it, causing Sean to whisper cautiously. "Mark? Something is here. I can hear it..." Mark stopped to listen. Only hearing the low breath of the wind through the gravestones. Shrugging, Mark told him coolly. "I don't hear anything. Come on. We're almost done." Every muscle in Sean tensed up as he watched what looked like a large bird peek around a distant gravestone.

The strange bird was no bigger than a young child with only patches of slick black feathers. He only caught a glimpse of its large grey human like eye and powerful black beak, before the head swayed behind the gravestone. Leaving only its sickly skeletal hand with long black talon nails that lightly scratched the stone as it moved out of sight. Swallowing, Sean reached back to try and grab Mark while his eyes scanned the mist for the creature. He had only just touched Mark's arm, when Mark's shovel thudded against wood. Jumping, Sean whirled around and burst out in a broken voice. "Mark, I wanna go! Right now! It's not safe! I saw it!" Mark touched Sean's cheek, watching him tremble before pulling him to his side and telling him fearlessly. "Alright. Just let me take a quick look." Setting down his shovel, Mark kneeled to dust off the top of the wooden coffin. Which the moment he did, Sean saw the creature a shorter distance away. Perched atop a large gravestone, where it cocked its head and parted it long beck to let thick liquid drool down to the grass.

Sean reached for his bow, slowly getting ready to take aim at the creature. When Mark suddenly told Sean with unease. "Sean... This isn't right. The coffin is way too small for an adult and... there is a hole in the lid." Keeping his eyes on the creature, Sean reached out to grab Mark's head and turned it to look at the creature. The second he saw it, Mark fell back onto his ass, blurting out. "What the fuck is that?!" The creature let out a soft hiss, then leapt off the gravestone with its spindly bird legs. Its body vanishing into the mist without a sound. Sean finally risked looking down at the coffin, before exhaling out a bit shakily. "He said the hag had a child, right? Died to the plague?" Mark withdrew his blade, correcting distantly. "Twin boys. But he said she was buried in the only unmarked grave... This one is unmarked." Sean carefully eased the lid open to the coffin, then bit his lower lip hard. The upper part of the coffin had what appeared to be a nest bed. While the lower was draped with a blanket.

Reaching in, Sean lifted what appeared to be a small old broken dog collar with the name 'Grimald' painted on it. Within the nest, Sean stared at a small broken metal cuff that read 'Richter.' Setting the dog collar back down, Sean informed Mark softly. "Mark... These kids didn't die of plague. They were deformed by it and... buried alive." A twig snapped, causing Mark to face the noise while replying nervously. "Why would she bury her kids live? That doesn't make sense." Extending out his hand to clean the gravestone a bit more, Sean told Mark coolly. "Mark. This grave isn't unmarked. It has a raven and a small dog carved into the stone. No mother would do this... it had to be the same person who buried HER alive." Mark lowered his blade, turning slowly as he said a bit disgustedly. "Her husband." Closing the coffin, Sean asked aloud. "But who was her husband?" When Mark didn't answer, Sean glanced at him, noticing how still he was.

Following his eyes across the graveyard, Mark whispered to him. "Sean, get up slow. And get behind me." Across the graveyard, Sean met the bright green eyes of a scraggily looking wolf whose clumpy fur barely clung to its skeletal body. It looked like it was riddled in mange. With teeth that were stained in blood and stood about as tall as a small horse. The creature was letting out a wheezing growl that perfectly blended in with the wind. Backing up slowly to stand by Mark, Sean whispered anxiously. "I think we know what wolf nearly took off the wife's face..." The wolf's bleeding lips dripped a mix of saliva and blood as it eyed them with its predatory gaze. Suddenly the wolf dashed forward, and Mark yelled out. "RUN!" Together they dashed around the gravestones toward the gate. The wolf gained on them with gurgling snarls. It's jaws snapping as it nipped at their heels. Mark managed to swat it with his sword into a gravestone, stunning it for a few seconds to put a little distance between.

They were almost to the gate, when Sean slipped on a cluster of leaves and tumbled across the grass. Mark dashed past him, then tried to stop to come back but the wolf was already rushing for Sean with its teeth bared. In a panic, Sean drew his rune and equipped the virgin maid outfit to see if it would help. He had his doubts but wasn't left with many options after the run drained his stamina bar. The outfit equipped itself and Sean flinched as the wolf leapt at him. Mark yelled his name, then skidded to a stop. The wolf landed on Sean; its teeth snapped inches short of his throat. The rancid smell of the wolf was overwhelming, forcing Sean to hold his breath as he laid still. The wolf's eyes looked over the mask with slight confusion before slowly easing off him. With one last snort, the wolf turned and fled into the mist before Mark reached it. Once the wolf was gone, Sean fell back limply across the grass to pant in time with his racing heart. Before he could settle down, Sean yelped as Mark grabbed his shoulder and quickly dragged him beyond the gate.

Sean rolled out of Mark's way as Mark quickly slammed the iron bars of the graveyard gate. Barely getting it locked in time before the strange bird creature slammed into it. It's scrawny legs slipping between the bars to try and claw at him it's fierce talons. Jumping back out of its talons range, Mark took a few deep breaths and asked him lightly. "You alright?" Sitting on the ground, Sean shook his head, panting out honestly. "No. I'm not. I thought I was..." Mark nodded, glancing up at the windows of the house as he breathed out slowly. "Someone will have heard that." Sean waved a dismissive hand at him, grumbling out. "Let them. They've got a serious problem in their graveyard. They should fix that..." Mark's voice was strangely calm now, when he replied. "Something tells me they knew that." Sean shifted to look where Mark was and gasped. In every window there was a person staring down at them with grim or distant eyes.

Slowly rising to his feet, Sean inched closer to Mark. Wrapping his arms around his as he stared up at the people. One by one, they backed up into the darkness of their rooms and Sean whispered to Mark. "Do you think we are trouble?" Mark's hand clutched Sean's, telling him honestly. "I don't know. I don't think so... but I can't say they are on our side either." Escorting Sean back into the manor, Mark kept his eyes open for anyone that might scold them. Yet, no one did. The halls were empty as they easily made it back to their room. Cleaning themselves up, they slipped into bed to recover their stats. Then before the sun even was in the sky, the maid knocked on their door to inform them about breakfast. Groaning, they got up and dressed in the outfits before heading downstairs to the dining hall. The dining hall was illuminated in soft candlelight from the crystal chandelier and racks on the far wall, but it still left the room feeling haunted and gloomy.

The lord sat at the very end of the table, gesturing them to sit on either side of him with a smile. Sean didn't want to sit so far from Mark but obeyed to keep things civil. Once they were seated, the lord purred out. "Couldn't sleep last night?" Sean tensed up, feeling like he should apologize. However, Mark blurted out confidently. "Ya. After everything you said last night. I was eager to get started. Sorry if we disturbed you. I didn't realize you had breakfast so... early." The lord smirked, picking up his glass that was filled with a dark red liquid. Taking a sip, he licked his lips and told them. "Yes. Well, it is easier on some of the family to dine this early. Did you find anything you were looking for?" This time a feminine voice cut in from the doorway. "I sure fucking hope so. Completely ruined my beauty sleep. I need at least twelve hours!" All eyes turned to the doorway, where a slender dark skinned woman gracefully sauntered into the room.

Flicking her long silver hair off her shoulder, she hugged her thin bathrobe around herself. The lord waved a hand in her direction, telling them dryly. "Let me introduce, Cloey. She is the eldest of my daughters." Cloey scoffed at them, slipping into a seat and snapping out. "MAID! My breakfast! I'd like it before the fucking sunrises! Thank you." The maid came scrambling over with a pitcher to fill her glass. While another woman slipped into the room, muttering out bitterly. "Get up on the wrong side of the coffin AGAIN, Cloey." Cloey's eyes darted up to meet hers with a hiss that flashed off vampire fangs. Sean couldn't help turning to the lord expecting to see his reaction. The lord simply sipped his drink and told them coolly. "I know what you must be thinking. But I'm not a vampire. I'm human. My... late wife was a vampire. Turned my mother. In turn she turned my son and one of my daughters... by accident." Mark's eyes focused on the new woman as she sat down, prompting her to quickly pull her hood up to hide the brutal scars that spanned across her face. Leaving her blind in one eye.

The lord gestured to her next, informing them a bit carelessly. "That is Trisha. My brother's widow. She is... a new werewolf. Thanks to her total disregard for her safety." The woman didn't even acknowledge him. Instead, he moved on to the young man coming through the door as he cheerily told them. "Ah! Archie! Glad you finally decided to join us." Archie flicked off his dad, slipping into a chair at the far end as he hissed out. "Don't talk to me." The lord brushed off his disdain by telling Mark openly. "He's just pissed that I have arranged for him to marry soon. He should be grateful. She is beautiful. I'm tempted to marry her myself." Archie flicked something off his empty plate, muttering out. "Then why don't you. Never stopped you before." Sean let his eyes linger on Archie's beautiful features. When the maid rushed over to fill his glass and blushed. In that moment, Archie's lips hinted at a smile before discreetly slipping something into the pocket of her dress.

When the maid slipped away, Sean rose from his seat and told Mark shyly. "I'm gonna use the restroom. I'll be back." Mark eyed him suspiciously but nodded, continuing to let the lord chat on. Slipping away in the direction that the maid had gone, Sean engaged his stealth stat to creep up on her. Standing alone in another room, she removed the paper and read it over before handing it to a raven on the windowsill. To Be Continued...