Missing

The morning was in an uproar. It disturbed the Paladin camp early in the morning. As we speak, there have been reports of disappearances of children that were submitted on their desks. Having been said, two Paladins were dispatched on the said case. It was a headache for them as it was a new but grave report.

It brought to them like a storm as many more parents arrived and asked for their help. Grieving parents made them shudder and were shaken deep inside. Others wept and begged the recruits. One was on Troan and the other ones were on different recruits.

"Please! My son and daughter are taken away! You are our only hope!" one wept while begging.

"Please help! My child is taken! They were still young!" another lady wailed.

"My baby! Please find my baby!" a mother said while being in tears.

"Paladins sirs! We need help! Please!" one father shouted.

Looking at it, William and Gerald personally handled the case. With their team under them, specifically Troan, Mikael, Sendrick, and the fourth one, Mark.

Traveling up north of the village where the said case was reported, they met the one who reported he was the neighbor that visited them after his fishing on their pond.

He said that they were still alive a few days before and their home was still lively. Every night was bright inside. Such a predicament was not foreseen.

Traveling to the place, it was on the edge of the village. The part of the village where the untouched forest was still brimming with life. Their home was small and made with wooden planks as walls as well as the roof. Being covered with green moss made it look ancient and as well as attractive.

William and Gerald were outside of one's home. Creaking windows and doors were being touched by the wind. The forest whispered as the wind blew the branches of the trees. Mosses made the tree trunks green and the shade made them a good place for them to grow.

Outside their home was a deer hung upside down and was skinned. Their knife was still on the table and the skin was laid on a tanning rack. Entering the door, it sounded and what they saw were two bodies lying on the floor.

A rotten smell wafted their noses and it dispersed throughout. Gerald covered his nose with his handkerchief and William nearly vomited on the side. The smell was suffocating and it slightly hindered them from inhaling much air. They were hesitating to do so.

Their necks were cut with a slit and that made them think they were killed without even fighting. Maggots already infested their dead corpse.

"Their corpses are left here for a few days already. It seems that the place was not looted too," Gerald said.

Still, they saw a foul play, and the things inside were slightly disturbed. Scattered kitchen utensils and steel cups were lying on the floor. A teddy bear's arms were ripped apart with half of its body severed. One eye was missing.

"A kid? Where is its body?" William hadn't thought about it yet but there was a possibility.

Troan and the others went inside too and saw something peculiar. Something obvious but was not seen before. Upon the door that was leading to their bedroom was a paper hung on it. A goat head scribbles made with blood. As they watched it, it made their souls shudder. It was none other than that group in the past that made their move on the village.

"Dark fellowship?" Gerald muttered.

Gerald and William were left disturbed and worried about what they discovered.

"So they finally made their move after all these years of hiding. Maybe they are back on spreading chaos once again," Gerald said.

"What? Why now? What is their goal?" William asked.

"We will see, well the kids are missing so that's a clue," Gerald said to him.

He immediately covered the bodies with a blanket and they buried the bodies. Gerald was slightly having a stomach ache after all the smell he took. William was also not having a good day as he puked hard once again.

"Guh! The smell is so bad!" William bellowed.

"Stop being a baby, you are a full-grown Paladin," Gerald chuckled.

Other Paladin recruits can only shake their heads. They didn't think that their sir William had a weak stomach, to begin with. While at it, they hide their chuckles or they're doomed.

"What are you looking at?" he bellowed.

"No sir! We are not looking!" they bellowed with all they had.

They soon went back to the camp and made a briefing to the recruits. The four stood erect and straight while being told their mission.

"Alright, lads! We have a disturbing mission! There are disappearances of children lately and you are all assigned to investigate the said case. First, try on the alleys and beggars have info there. Well, start there and find information first,"

They all went to the designated place and saw many beggars on the pathway. Troan who was also a thief in the past had some connections already and pretty much knew where to ask such questions. It was none other than the info alley that you will give a silver or a gold coin, then all gossip will be much said to you.

The four then arrived at a building that had a slightly detached roof being tilted a bit. Entering the cold, dark, and gloomy place, they can feel the temperature drop and skin hairs go up. A dilapidated counter was seen up front and had a man on the other side of it. Covered with a cloth to hide his face. The four followed him and were just on his back. Troan grabbed a gold coin and dropped it on the counter. Slightly spinning then it clunked as it was grabbed by a hand.

"Hello, Justa! It has been so long!" Troan asked.

Justa then opened the curtain and watched Troan with disbelief. An old man with a white goatee as a beard. His hair was white and was combed towards his back.

"Troan? Oh, how are you? I thought you were already dead? Well, now now, it is not important. The important thing is you are alive!" Justa shouted.

"Haha, I am a cockroach! Well, I have friends now and am still counting. I got a Paladin badge now too! Well, a trainee per se," Troan scoffed.

"Glad you made it in life! Well, what is your query?" he asked.

"Well, about the disappearances of children lately. Do you have a clue?" Troan asked.

"Hmmm, well that's new. But! I gossip about screaming children coming from the sewers. They got a spine-chilling scream too! Said to one of my informants, they were tortured there. Maybe! Maybe not!? Well, who can guess?" He said then chuckled.

"You should be accurate with your Infos, a gold coin for that is a waste. I demand a refund," Troan said.

"Okay, okay. Well, there have been recent abductions and it was true! Shadows were lurking in the night at that place. They seemed to be having some sacks carried with them. Others inside were still wailing. Maybe it was bound to the mouth. But their voices are still young! Kids maybe? So I will give you a map of the location, the gold coin can rest easy with me," Justa said.

"Good! Now we're talking! Thanks!" Troan said to him.

"Bye! Come back again, okay?" Justa said to him.

Troan then grabbed the map and they started to leave.

"Is that where the kids were holed up?" Sendrick asked.

"Yep, possibly," Troan replied.

"We can inform Master William and Master Gerald with this info of ours," said Mark.

"Yep, good thinking," Sendrick replied.

They soon watched the map and the map inside the sewers. With red ex on the entrance and has some directions on the map made of cloth.

Looking at the map, Troan knew and was familiar with the said place. It has a sewer inside and empty cells used for hiding criminals. Now it was a hideout of such slavery. It was a past dungeon of imprisoned criminals in the past wars but now, it was some hideout of enemies.

Upon watching the map with the others, they started to prepare for an upcoming battle. Making him sigh at what could happen next.

They immediately went back to the barracks and reported back to their masters. Gerald and William were well pleased with what they had made progress in their mission.

"Good job everyone!" William said then coughed.

"But it is still not something to rejoice, we need to rescue the captives," he added.

"Arms yourselves! We will be at war!" Gerald bolstered their spirits.

All Paladins were present and were armed ready for an upcoming battle. They roared upon their leader's call. Who was none other than Gerald himself.