A chilly breeze hit her face as she walked through The Witching Hour Fairgrounds. There was a brown pack resting on her shoulders as she looked down at the pamphlet in her hands. It was for the fair but the cursive letters that read - L’Auberge Étrange-, a hotel design to hold hundreds of guests in their rooms. Her mentor Caroline had instructed Leita to go visit the fair and have some fun for once. Yet the only thing Leita wanted to do was to get some extra work done. She assumed that a busy hotel would be wanting some extra hands and she needed that silver for more of her Duke Darren novels. The young woman made her way past all the stalls, acts, and performances. The fireworks sparkled in the evening but Leita barely gave them a glance. She figured if she ever needed to know about fireworks, she could simply read about them in her books.

The hotel was grande and decorated in every corner. Yet there was something strange about the place. None of the pieces of the hotel ever seemed to fit properly. The architecture seemed a little taller on the left but only by a slight amount. A detail that would never be noticed but would create an uncomfortable feeling for all those who stepped through its doors. Leita was able to see the fact that the building wasn't perfectly symmetrical, yet she just assumed it was due to improper planning. The staff at the front desk seemed intensely happy with their wide open smiles. She inquired about any open positions but before she could get a second sentence out, they immediately accepted her application. Her face held a look of shock at the fact they hired her on the spot. Leita didn't even have a chance to show credentials or explain why she wanted this job. Before she could ask any questions, they started shoving her towards a staff room and tossed her an apron.

The one logical explanation she could string up was they were desperate for staff. After all the fair had been a surprise event and they likely wouldn't have had a lot of time for setup. She made up this reasoned explanation then tied the apron around her waste. However her reliable pack remained on her back. Even in a workplace she would never leave her supplies behind. Her hands rummaged through the bag until she found a book labeled -Jobs for Dummies-. The book was thick with more chapters than even a history textbook. The chapters had almost every job from Baker to Mercenary to Painter and many others. One of the jobs she'd found was labeled Hotel/Inn staff. Her eyes skimmed through the first chapter, taking note of important details. Once she was finished, Leita began to snatch a few tools from a broom closet and head to the first room for some cleanup.

But little did she realize of the danger. For there was more to the staff than meet the eye. The sun was gone from the sky and the moon was rising high. The wind created an eery howl outside while the old hotel creaked and moaned. Among the staff there were two hidden killers. They were waiting for the right opportunity to strike. There were eight innocents who knew only of mops and muck but would soon realize the dangers of secrecy and lies. The clock was ticking and for each staff member, time was slowly fading away.

Serci dapped at his brow with a soft rag, propping the broom he held against the wall. Some time had passed since his awakening, and although jarring, he was slowly finding his place in the world that had left him behind. Since his abandonment of his life at Eylisa, he took on mercenary work. Many jobs were how the job was described. Escort the caravan through dangerous woods, slay the mighty monsters. However, there were slow moments, and during these times one would take what he could get with an appreciative outlook. The witching hour fair grounds provided a bit of work, the hotel always needing help to take care of the building. He had been working for the hotel for some short time, scrubbing floors, making beds, refilling oil lamps. It was slow but steady work, and he wasn’t one to complain too much.

However, something wasn’t right about today. His duties went on normally, and considering the clientele, nobody out of the ordinary had checked in. It was something in the air, an aura that seemed sinister. The feeling had been biting at him throughout the day and into the coming night but nothing had come from it. He continued his chores, pushing the paranoid feeling to the side, grabbing the nearby broom, storing it in a broom closet and headed to the lobby to clean the mirrors.His appearance was still off putting to him. He did miss his long flowing hair, however even he agreed he enjoyed the hassle free effort of his new bob cut. The grey robes had been replaced with more versatile clothing. Serci opted for a dark tanned cotton turic, nemours straps and pockets lined around the waist for small objects and weapons.

With the mirrors cleaned, he had a moment to spare. He sat down on a wooden chair near a table for a moment to catch his breath. He watched as a woman came into the doors asking for a job and was quickly hired and put to work. He did find it strange, the feverish acceptance of hires, but he didn’t question the work especially since he was getting paid. Counting him and the newly appointed hire, that would make ten people on his shift. He didn’t know the others well enough to say he knew them, but he had seen their faces and spoke with most of them. And as if on cue one of the staff hurried to Serci in a frantic pace. Noc Paes Chara bent down and whispered into his ear. “You saw the new girl? You did, didn't you. That makes ten of us, and the game starts now. You shouldn’t need me to tell you to watch yourself, merc.” And with that Noc left, casting several looks behind him as he went out of sight.

Serci was certainly puzzled. There was nothing about a game that rang a bell. Perhaps after the shift they would get together to play a game, Serci thought.

Her first duties were to clean one of the rooms, or at least that's what the book instructed. The other staff appeared to be busy, muttering about some game. She tied her hair up into a ponytail then began to focus on cleaning the room. She tore off the old sheets of the bed and found some clean linen in the closet. Leita began to make the bed but she was careful to be precise. If there was even the slightest of wrinkles, she wouldn't stop until she discovered a way to rid the cloth any imperfections. At some point she even brought out a ruler and measured the blankets to ensure both sides were even. Once the bed looked perfect, she returned her ruler and began to sweep the floor. Leita worked to get the dust under the beds, in the corners, and in every spot. Her face showed determination as she attacked the dust with vigor.

Her viciousness was relentless and soon the floors were cleaner than they'd ever been. But she didn't stop there. Despite it's beauty, the room held many imperfections. There were slightly faded deep red stains on the wall, a slightly off center rug, and a few bits of hair around the room. Perhaps the guests had brought their dogs? That's how much hair dotted the room. Leita simply continued her cleaning and did her best to fix the room. By the end of it, she had two trash bags and a pile of dirty sheets to take down to the laundry room. She carried both the trash bags then piled the rest of the sheets on top. Unfortunately, she couldn't see over the sheets and refused any passing offers of help. This was her temporary job and she would carry her own weight of work. But the pile of sheets were too high and toppled over, flopping onto the floor. Only a few feet away from her was a tall person with greyish blonde hair cut in a bob and wearing a dark tanned cotton tunic.

"I've got it!" Leita quickly said, rushing to pick up the fallen sheets.

She was trying to carry everything but there seemed to be too much. The woman had barely made it out of the room door and now everything seemed to be everywhere. If only she'd enough sense to use a bag or to ask for help. Yet her stubborn outweighed her desire to get the job done properly and she began trying to carry everything on her own. She eventually had almost everything piled in her arms.

"Um…sorry." She said awkwardly to Serci, "I uh didn't have a bag to put the linen in."

As Serci sat pondering on how the rest of his night was going to go, He spotted the new girl struggling to do too much at once. He stood up from his chair and made way towards her to offer his help, however just as he was about to offer his help, the lines and blankets topping down onto the floor. He gave her a smile, bending down to gather the lines into his arms. “Think nothing of it.” He said, pleasantly. He stood up, giving the heavy linens a small toss to rebalance them. “Let us walk to the laundry room together. You can toss the trash bags along the way.” Serci took lead, making sure the new girl was following. “You can call me Serci, young one. Or you could call me merc, most people do.” He said with a soft chuckle. They made their way past two of the other coworkers, paired together murmuring amongst themselves.

Serci led them past a small garbage chute where his new companion could dump the cumbersome trash bags and continued to lead the way to the laundry room. However, when they arrived, they were greeted by a gruesome scene. A body lay on the wooden floor of the laundry room. Blood was splattered around the room, telling a story if one looked long enough. Serci was accustomed to death. His time as champion, he was surrounded by it, sometimes on the receiving end of it. His heart hurt to see a precious life taken, but his mind steeled at the sight, holding a hand out to prevent Lieta from walking into the room. He dropped the linens by the wall frame and walked slowly, meticulously into the room, avoiding stepping into the small pools of blood.

The cause of death was obvious once examining the body. There was an animal bite to the jugglers of the deceased man’s neck. Bits of flesh and red tufts of hair lay in a still forming pool of blood. He examined the room. The man had struggled. There was a bloody hand print next to a bucket of water that smeared downwards. Strange tracks could be seen if one looked long enough. His mind hardly drifted to his werewolf acquaintance he met not too long ago. He shot his eyes to Lieta, his calming demeanor no more. “We have a werewolf amongst our midst.” He called out, a grave undertone in his voice. Lieta was no doubt in shock, though he couldn’t read her. He made his way to her, giving her an opportunity to express her thoughts. He would need to make sure he didn’t push his new friend too hard, she might not be accustomed to death as he was.

“Lieta. The pair we walked by on our way. What did they look like?” He asked slowly, his hand on reflex falling to his waist to grab the hilt of his trusted sword but to only grab air. “My weapons.” He said absently. “The hotel staff took my sword…” His voice wavered, as his thoughts grew dark. He was still weak, he could barely perform small healing magic, let alone powerful defensive spells. “Are you armed, Lieta? Or do you prefer magic?” He asked, a sound of concern in his voice.

“Come, we’ll go to the lobby, keep the image of the two we passed in your head.” Serci hurriedly led them to the lobby, stopping occasionally at intersections to make sure they were not being followed. When they had made their way back to the lobby the scene had changed. A large table sat in the middle of the floor, ten dimly lit candles sitting on the edge, spaced apart. One candle however, was recently put out, faint smoke dancing lazily from the wick. Near the counter where guests would check in, hoisted a large bell with a string to easily pull. He walked over to the bell, a look of uncertainty in his face as he pulled the string and three resounding gongs filled the hotel, and shortly, nine coworkers gathered around the table, a person for each candle. “I won't pretend to know what is happening tonight. Some of you have been whispering about it beneath your breathes.” He said with a steel tone as he addressed the group. “An acquaintance and I found a body in the laundry room.” He intentionally left out Leita’s name, hoping to avoid apprehension falling on her. “There is a werewolf among us.”

Realizing there was no way for her to carry everything by herself, she held in her protest when he began to help. Normally she wanted to handle everything on her own but at this point she couldn't. Besides, she didn't want to get fired on her first day because she dropped the linen on the floor. The stranger seemed nice, though anybody could appear that way for the first meeting.

"Alright Serci Merci." She said with a smirk, "I'm Leita." 

If she couldn't make a few jokes on the job then what the point? As they walked, they passed two other coworkers talking among themselves. One of them was wearing a cyan tunic but she didn't pay much attention to the other one. When they passed the garbage chute she tossed both bags into it then continued walking by Serci's side towards the laundry mat. Just as she was about to enter, Serci held his hand out and dropped the linens by the wall frame. Before her laid a gruesome scene of blood and gore. The few parts of the body that were left had a pale appearance that rivaled the moon. It wasn't her first time seeing death. Her mentor was a healer and sometimes….there wasn't a way to heal people. She'd seen gored up bodies brought in only to have to tell the families there was nothing left to save. But this was different. Seeing somebody alive a few moments ago then dead a few moments later hit her differently. It was one thing to see a dead body. It was another to see that person alive turn into a dead body.

Leita attempted to keep herself as calm as possible. She quickly rummaged through her pack, looking for resources and books to provide that security she needed. Her pack was mostly filled with books, a few herbs, a dagger, rope, and one health potion Otherwise there wasn't much else inside. If she'd known this was going to turn into a murder fest, she would have brought something more protective. Pulling out a book, Monsters and Mysteries, that was essentially a guide for these types of creatures. She began flipping through the pages, searching for something about werewolves. At least some knowledge about these creatures would make her feel safer. Serci then asked about what the previous people looked like.

"One of them was wearing a cyan tunic, I didn't pay attention to the other." Leita admitted.

She looked back to her book and found some little information about werewolves. They normally were cursed and would come out at night under a full moon. Silver was the most useful weapon against them. Unfortunately, she hadn't brought any silver daggers. Hers were just made of regular old iron. Looking over to Serci she realized that neither of them had any useful weapons. The only reason why she even had some tools was because the staff had hired her so quick. If she had been there a day or week before, they probably would have taken her items.

"I have a dagger." She said with a sigh, "My magic can only create six inch earth dolls or make a lump in the ground. So unless we are fighting rats, I'm afraid it won't be useful."

Fighting. The one thing she lacked the most in. Leita understood basic defenses but this was a werewolf, a kick to the crotch would hardly be enough to take it down. As for her magic, well it was never that impressive. She was trying to expand her magical capabilities but so far she'd only managed to complete beginner spells. It seemed they'd have to rely on whatever gifts or talents Serci had.

"I've got one health potion and a couple of herbs." Leita mentioned, "So we can survive if one of us gets hit hard. I also have some rope and instructional guides." 

She gave Serci a nod then followed him to the lobby. The young woman was surprised to see a table with a series of candles on a table. There were ten but one was snuffed out, demonstrating the fact that there was one death. Leita plopped down on a wooden chair in the lobby while she let Serci explain to the others. Most of the staff didn't seem surprised by his news which made her wonder if they were all in on it. 

"Did you see anybody around the laundry room?" One of the staff asked.

There was a small muttering between the crowd as the question was brought up. Serci spoke up, once again leaving Leita out what happened. “I saw the man in the Cyan tunic leaving the way I was going. It doesn’t mean I suspect him completely, however, perhaps you can shine some more light on an otherwise darkened mystery.” He offered gently. The man in the cyan tunic rose with fury. “Oi, why just me? My mate probably saw more than me. I went to the broom closet. On my way back, I met up with him and we came across you two. How do we know you two had nothin’ to do with it?” The man accused. His point was met with agreeing nods and jeers from the crowd. Mob mentality started to take effect.

“Please, calm down. I was not placing blame, sir. Merely trying to glean more information.” Serci said, trying to remain calm. The cyan man’s friend, wearing a red tunic stood up, relaying what he had seen. “The man who was murdered wore the purple tunic, did he not? He’s not here now. I saw him headed toward the laundry room, but I didn’t pay no mind to it. I left shortly and met up with Cyan.” The crowd once again muttered between themselves, as Serci brought a feminine hand to his chin as he began to think. “So the question is. Was there a room where the killer could hid between the broom closet, and the laundry room.” A couple of rooms were brought into question as Serci sat down, leaning toward Leita and softly whispering. “How do you propose we proceed from here?”

While Serci was talking to the crowd, and kindly leaving her out of the subject, she was focusing on her Jobs for Dummies instructional guide too see if there was any information that would help this situation. Her thumbs flipped through pages as she skipped chapters that wouldn't help. Suddenly the becoming a professional pirate chapter caught her eye. There was a tip about how to deal with guards pretending to be a part of a crew and how to help protect against them. The situation was slightly different, but the couple of ideas presented seemed helpful. Closing her book, she paid attention to the rest of Serci's speech, taking down notes with a quill and a piece of paper found inside the hotel. She wrote down what the man in red had seen then copied down the fact that red and cyan had been closest to the body, just in case one of them had been lying. When Serci came back to sit down, she listened to his question.

"We need to keep them calm." She said, "If they keep panicking like this it'll become a witch hunt."

An idea formed in her mind as she began to stand up, holding her notes in hand. If there was one thing she knew, it was that people liked to have a plan. When there was a plan there was less panicking. She walked out in front of the group, looking at them all. Each one of them had a confused and scared look, like they just wanted this nightmare to be over and to head home.

"Okay here's the plan." Leita said to them in an instructional tone of voice, "First, we are going to pair up into groups of three. If somebody is attacked by the werewolf then the other can run for help. Second, we are going to prioritize evacuating the hotel. Leaving the body behind is unfortunate but keeping as many people alive as possible is our top priority. Third, if for some reason we can't leave this place, we will work together on discovering who the real culprit is."

There was only one issue. If somebody saw something, then getting the attention of the others would be difficult. Looking around the room, she noticed a golden bell that was used to summon maids. It was larger and made a harsh clang that could be heard throughout the old hotel. She plucked it off of the counter and placed it next to the candles on the table in the center of the room.

"If one of us encounters ANYTHING suspicious, you run right here and ring this bell. Does anybody have objections to this plan?" She asked the rest of the room.

When nobody protested against her idea, she looked over to Serci and beckoned him over.

"We can take one more person in our group." Leita said, inviting anybody to join.

A young woman in a brown coat walked over to them, feeling safer with another woman and the feminine looking man. Leita's plan would have been great if not for one little detail. The entire hotel was locked up. Whomever planned this had already shut the hotel down when the first murder had taken place. The old tough wooden doors were all sealed up, creating a living tomb for everybody locked inside.

Serci stood from his seat and walked over to the grand doors that led outside. He tried opening the doors, however was greeted by metallic rattle. “Its locked from outside.” He called out. “We have our pairs of three, this should help prevent attacks. Lets split up and look for a way out.” He was met halfway with murmured agreement and jeers. The pairs left in separate directions as Serci, Leita and the lady that introduced herself as Aria were left alone in the lobby. He cast an amused look at Leita, surprised at her ability to calm a confused and scared group on the verge of mob mentality. “Leita, I agree we should prioritize evacuating the residents, but there is no way out as of right now. They are safe in their rooms for now. Will you accompany me to the laundry room? We can at least clean the area, and provide the body with some sort of dignity and lay a blanket over him.”

The trio made their way to the body in the laundry room, Serci grabbing some rags. He fell to the floor and started to scrub the blood from wood, noticing the red fur again, as he did. To pass the time, Serci spoke softly, “Tell me, Leita. Do you trust me?” He asked, not in a confronting manner, but rather in a curious tone. He ringed the blood rag into a nearby bucket and continued. “I was rather surprised at your leadership when tensions ran high. In another life, I might’ve been able to do the same, but as I am now I can only lead by example. You have my vote of confidence if it means anything.” He stopped shortly, to flash a small smile towards her. He continued to clean until the area no longer resembled a crime scene and covered the body with a blanket. He paused over the body, silently praying for a short moment before turning to the pair.

“Shall we assist in looking for a way out?”

Looking towards Serci, she listened as he asked if they would accompany him to the laundry room. She gave him a nod then followed him towards the room all while pondering about this strange situation. Of all the places a werewolf could hunt, they decided to attack while disguised in a group of people. The dark creature would get more kills but with its own safety on the line. The laundry room was still grusome and blood was everywhere. Taking one of the old rags, she began scrubbing the blood from parts of the wall. Their new friend Aria focused on cleaning any of the laundry items. She moved closer to Serci and jammed the rag into a corner, trying to get the drops in the corner.

"I know you're not the werewolf and you won't hurt anyone. That's enough for me." Leita quietly responded.

There was a flicker of surprise in her heart when she heard him talk about her leadership skills. She didn't have the heart to tell him she'd only been following some good advice. When it came to skills, she knew she lacked in general. Leita understood everything she knew came from a book or from a direct lesson, not from any natural talent. Yet she couldn't help but give Serci a small smile.

"Thank you." She said accepting his praise, "And you weren't too shabby with your leadership skills either, give yourself more credit."

It helped to know she had someone on her side, even if it looked suspicious to the rest of the crew. Once she was done cleaning up the blood, she carefully positioned the body in a more flattering way, like the mangled person was sleeping. It was the only thing they could do for now, which she felt guilty for. The outside was out of their reach and they had pressing matters to worry about. Like certain death.

"Yeah. Lets hurry up, I don't want-"

The sound of a bell clanging made her shut her mouth. She didn't waste a moment before rushing to the main lobby, where many others had gathered. The one person missing was the man in red. One of the candles had been snuffed out, though everyone was staying far away from the center table. The cyan man was sitting in a chair with a look of despair and horror.

"We'd split up to cover more ground." Cyan stuttered, "W-when I came back he was already….already…. oh gods."

With that he covered his face, trying to erase the memory from his mind.

Cyan was clearly disturbed. Whatever sight he saw had him shocked to his core. Serci tried to calm the man down but to no avail. “Does anyone know where the body was found?” Asked Serci. A man in purple promptly answered him, “Twas in the lounge, the room next to us.” Serci made a mental note, making sure to check the scene the next time he had a chance. Quickly trying to call upon his memory, he tried to remember the group Cyan was paired with. Whispering under his breath, he had asked Leita if she remembered anything suspicious. The company stood debating amongst themselves as tensions grew steadily higher. if things continued at this rate, The killer among them would have easy work his prey.

“As much as it pains me to say, There is not enough information to make a decisive move. Please, stick to your groups. Seeing how there are eight of us, let us make two teams of four.” Serci suggested a serious undertone in his voice. The man in the Cyan tunic clamored to him, asking to join. Serci accepted his company into the fold after the approving nod of Lieita and Aria.

To the left of the foyer stood a set of wooden stairs that led to the second floor of the building, standing at three floors, perhaps the group could escape through the roof. However, as if to taunt them, the building acted as a maze, the flight of stairs leading to the roof was hidden somewhere deeper into the hotel. Serci led his group gallantly up the stairs after explaining his plan. After navigating some narrow hallways of rented rooms they had come to a common area for guests on the second floor to converse with other patrons. Seeing how it was the middle of the night, the area was empty. He heard the steady sobs from Cyan behind him, but they were off. Almost like his sobs were morphing into a soft chuckle. The chuckle continued, until it devolved into full on manic laughter.

Serci’s hair stood on edge, as he threw his arm out to protect the rest of his party as Cyan's body began to violently shake and convulse. Hair began to grow from his skin. Black hair covered his entire body as he led out a violent roar. “Your dagger, Lieta!” He shouted, his hand still out stretched, “I shall try to fight him off, but if we can run, I suggest we run and summon the others!”