A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Chapter 157: The Signs of Calamity - Part 5

Beam nodded. "That's all I was looking for."

"I suppose I could help too if things get real bad," Judas said quietly with a cautious look at Greeves. Greeves just shrugged in response.

"Do what you want, but I'll be charging you to use Judas and his boys, lad – so you'd better make sure to use them wisely," Greeves said.

"I will."

…

…

Beam left Greeves' office after their discussion had concluded with a heavy feeling in his chest. He felt like there was something else was meant to be doing, as though he was wasting time on all this, missing the bigger picture.

But what even was the bigger picture? The culprit behind all this? Hadn't he already considered that and concluded that he had no conclusive evidence to go on anyone? He ran through the same thoughts again and again in his head whilst wearing a grimace. The village Elder was continually the only face that came to mind. But for so many monsters to be popping up, could one man really be behind it all?

Beam had intended to stop in the marketplace to speak to Nila as well, to warn her of the influx of monsters. He could no longer call the lower forest safe, despite his best efforts. There were too many unknowns. Yet when he stopped to look for her, she was nowhere to be seen.

Thinking it to be odd that she was missing at this time of day, Beam explained it away to himself by assuming that she was merely busy. But that did not stop his feet from moving quicker than they normally might, back towards the forest. He intended to go on another patrol the second he got back and he toyed with the hilt of his sword noisily as he went.

He cast a glance towards Nila's house as he passed it on the way home. It looked quiet. Had he seen her mother outside, he'd planned to call out to her, just to check that Nila was safe. But she wasn't there, so he continued on his way.

Just before he entered the treeline, he heard a voice call out to him.

"BEAM!" It shouted.

He turned to look back over his shoulder, down the dusty road. There, sprinting at full pelt, was Nila, still dressed in her hunting attire, but lacking her bow.

He frowned at her, as she skidded breathlessly to a halt in front of him. "I saw you… walking past…" she explained.

"I see," Beam said. "I looked for you in the marketplace, but you weren't there. I was going to warn you—" he began, only to immediately cut off again when he saw the look on Nila's face.

"…What happened?" He asked cautiously. He had never seen her look so broken. It was as though she was walking around with an open wound on her chest. The pain and worry on her face were clear to see.

"Stephanie…" Nila croaked a single name, losing her composure the minute she said it. She grasped for Beam's sleeve as the tears began to fall from her misty eyes.

Beam froze up in alarm. "Stephanie?" He murmured, feeling similarly as shell-shocked. It couldn't be..? Not again. Not after he had already failed to protect his own little sister. And they were of the same age too.

The Gods wouldn't be so cruel as to do the same thing again, surely.

"She's… missing…" Nila managed to get out. Despite himself, Beam felt his shoulders relax, if only a little. In his head, he was imagining the worst. He'd seen the monsters already get to her and tear her apart. But if she was only missing, there had to be a chance. "We had another week… didn't we?

That's what the Elder said… He wouldn't just take her, right?"

Beam shook his head. "No. I don't think he would. Remember the contract he tried to make you sign? I don't see why he would take her when he would have been able to legally claim repayment in a week."

Nila looked at him hopefully, as she desperately wiped her eyes. Her fingers dug into his forearm to the point of pain, but Beam did not complain, seeing her so desperately searching for reassurance.

"Tell me what happened from the beginning, we'll figure it out," Beam said.

She took in a deep breath and wiped her eyes even more aggressively, fighting to harden her voice and speak as she normally might. "I went hunting this morning, with Rodrey and Rodrick as normal. We caught another deer between us and two hares. We finished earlier than we usually did, so I figured after going to the market… I'd go home… but then…"

She did well, only to break down again towards the end, as she drew closer to the crux of the matter.

"And then?" Beam prompted her.

"Mother told me what had happened. Stephanie disappeared just after dawn. She and David were playing out the front, just as they normally would be… She took her eyes off them for a second, and then… and then…" Nila said.

Beam could fill in the rest for himself. "Did David see anything?"

Nila shook her head. "David's terrified… He hasn't said a word since Stephanie went missing. He saw something, Beam, something so horrible that I can't even speak… Can she really be okay?"

"There was no blood, or any other signs of anything happening?" Beam asked, though he'd already guessed it to be true, otherwise, Nila would have mentioned that first.

But Nila shook her head.

"Then there's still hope, right? I don't know what David saw, but there are many things that would terrify a child. You're the hunter, right? If there are tracks and if there are clues, we'll find her," Beam said, doing his very best to be reassuring. "And things aren't like they were – it isn't just you. You've got Rodrey and Rodrick, don't you?

I heard they're pretty loyal to you now. Don't you think they'll help if you pay them?"