62 Swords in the Stone

[excalibured]

[Since horses rather require daily care, and being let out of their stalls either to graze or run about to stay healthy, this is generally the first place he visits after breakfast or lunch, depending on prior committments. He's come to recognize every single animal within the stall, and which stall should not be empty.

So the sight of a stall door

Comments

[halfgoddess]

[She loves animals, but not enough to keep her from finding out what's going on. Cassie's got her boots and jacket on in a moment, over her pajamas, and she heads down, lasso in hand. She heads out.

And she kind of wants to hurl when she realizes what it is, from a distance. That still doesn't stop her from getting closer and joining Arthur anyway, though.]

Oh, gods.

[excalibured]

[He won't do more than glance at her minimally, pleased that if it had to be anyone, it's someone generally more levelheaded]

Not...Quite. Though it does look rather... [Ritualistic? Slow bleeding out generally isn't done for no reason. They cuts don't look deep enough for an nearly instant kill] A hunter would never do such a thing. A cut like that is only made, if your arrow missed the mark and it is suffering.

[ontheclockpro]

[Reno keeps all sorts of hours, and at this particular hour he was training in the forest so it doesn't take much time for him to get here. ]

[Is his expression is fairly calm, he's seen worse, but man it's still a slight worried one]

How long have they been up there?

[halfgoddess]

[She glances at Arthur and Reno, tearing her eyes from the dead animals.]

It could be a sacrifice. Not one I know of, though. Most cultures only sacrifice tame animals when the gods demand it, and even then, the sacrifice gets eaten, not strung around in trees. And even then, one cow was enough...

[cloakand_danger]

[Yuan is down and out to the foot of the tree as soon as he can, after hearing that. The sight of it makes him look very grim.]

Naturally, no one saw what did it. [It's not exactly a question, but invites contradiction nonetheless.]

[excalibured]

If they have, they have not made mention of it. Nor did they stick around.

I only discovered it when...I noticed this horse was missing.

[cloakand_danger]

[He nods, expecting nothing else.]

...If you ask me, it's a threat. Whatever the castle has planned for this week, it wants to frighten and upset us in preparation.

[His mind is whirling with plans.] I think we should start gathering people into safe zones. [Because this is reminding him of Cabot more than anything else.]

[excalibured]

That is slightly more problematic than one would think. I am perfectly aware of the ones we currently have, and I do not feel they suffice.

The stable looked entirely normal at first, and simply...The stall door was off it's hinges. It appeared as if it simply broke out on it's own. No one heard nor saw anything. [If they're going with their standard assumption] Whatever it is, we shall have to do better if we wish to keep it out. [Since how do you drag out a horse with no equipment, do no other damage like it never happened?]

How long have you been a resident?

[bedninja]

[Pharos pops up a few yards away from Arthur not long after he mentions 'the new addition to the Castle', staring up at the dead animals rather than bothering with looking at Arthur himself.

He spends a good long moment simply staring.]

...I knew I should not have left this place unwatched.

[excalibured]

[WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SO DAMN CREEPY DHUISFHUF

Did you do this Pharos? Did you have a tantrum? ;;]

...People were meant to be guarding it?

[bedninja]

[Nah man, when he has tantrums he hacks things to bits with his giant ass sword. Those animals would be in pieces if he'd done this.]

...no, not that I am aware of. But whatever this thing is... I am uncertain if I trust it.

I do not know what it is that I see when I look at this 'tree'.

[excalibured]

[You make that sound like it's supposed to be comforting]

...That was completely nonsensical. Could you..Elaborate further?

[too_fairytale]

[sharply]

What's going on?

[excalibured]

...They have been killed. [he's trying to say this as vaguely as possible, because if you didn't come out here, you probably don't really want to know]

[too_fairytale]

[sort of flatly, because god, will the shitstorm never end]

How do you mean, killed.

[excalibured]

...Precisely as I said. They were killed, as in they did not die of their own natural accord.

[Sorry dear, he's very...literal. Not too much slang where's he's from]

[knightprodigy]

[As per this thread, Dick had been patrolling the area. He'd been completing a lap of the castle when he'd heard the voice over his journal.]

Be right there.

[excalibured]

I shall wait.

[He's investigating the cuts and blood on the ground anyway, he's not the best at this due to limited education, but he's not completely out of his element here either. So he shall stick around to help and answer questions]