Chapter 5

The old man entered and walked back to the same table he ate breakfast at and found all the same people waiting for his return. He was quickly given a seat and a goblet was filled with watered down wine. Food was ordered and everyone sat waiting for the old man to continue the tale.

The old man stretched yawned and took a drink. After setting the goblet on the table he began...

Lord Deron Cee said, "Word is out that slavers are taking any females over the age of 7. Some say that Demon or Devil worshipers are the cause. The only facts are that any groups smaller than 10 with females in it have been targeted only the males are left always dead. Anywhere in this region there is no pattern or real trace of where they are disappearing to."

Lord Asron Cee continued, "Rewards have been offered for information about any of the disappearances and nothing has come of it. There is no pattern as to wealth or race either. Rich poor, human non-human, beautiful average, young and old all have been taken."

Deke asked, "How are we going to make a difference? What do you expect us to do?"

Lord Asron answered, "Anything you do will be helpful, we have tried everything we can think of, we are hoping that you might think of something new or catch something we have missed."

Keal asked, "Who was taken last and from where."

Both Lords looked at each other and after a short pause Lord Asron answered, "Duke Waverly's younger sister, his daughter, and five other women who were ladies in waiting and servants. Not an hour ride from here. Less than a week ago is when it happened, they were returning from shopping with eight guards. When they did not arrive at the expected time a patrol was sent out to find them. The patrol found the eight guards dead and all the women missing."

Deke and Keal said at the same time, "Let us all go to where this happen and start there."

With that the entire group departed to the stables to get their mounts and in less than an hours time they were riding to the site of the last disappearance.

They covered every square inch of ground for a mile around the site and found nothing. Keal was now very interested. How could seven women disappear without a trace? And to make things even more interesting there was no sign of anyone or anything approaching the eight guards. It was almost like the guards just died and the women disappeared like smoke in the wind.

They were riding back to town when they heard the sound of combat.

Riding over the small hill they were able to see a small group of wagons under attack.

They rode to help and found that the caravan was a dance troupe under attack.

The four wagons were swarming with large flying bugs. They looked like giant hornets about three feet long and a foot in diameter. One was holding a small female and appeared to be getting ready to fly away. Keal put an arrow in the bug's head which caused it to fall to the ground taking the female with it.

All of Deke and Keal's group charged into the fight and killed off the bugs letting only two get away. By blind luck they had discovered what was attacking people now they just had to figure out why and from where. There was no way to follow the two bugs that got away this time but next time they would have something in place to allow them to follow.