Act 1 Three girls in a room

  In a room meant for two, it was clean, tastefully decorated, and the walls were painted with a wall light blue paper, with flower art.

  “Princess, is Shiro alright?” Lizel spoke, as she layed in one of our beds, she hadn't even taken a bath yet, well now I know which bed I’m taking later tonight.

  “He's fine, I’ll praise his acting later.” I said as I moved my rook.

  “Acting! That was acting?” Lizel said as she stood up, confused.

  “Not surprising a beast to be this dimwitted.” Rikka taunted as she moved her knight.

  I can read her, this vampire acts like she already knew Shiro was only acting to look like a monster slaying hunter, but even she was surprised, she was just a better liar than most.

  “I watched him perform plays to refine his magic, as that’s apparently how it works, he needs to put on the masks of a certain kind of person so he can summon spells he normally can’t use.”

  I said as I remembered watching him perform a story, about a little boy in a red hood, visiting his grandma in the woods, avoiding and seducing a wolf, turning the story into a spell that can make any canine friendly to him.

  I wonder if that spell can affect werewolves, I thought as I looked at Lizel arguing fiercely with the vampire Rikka, and then storming off the room, before blood was shed.

  “Princess, we're alone now, do you not fear being alone in a room with a vampire?” Rikka said standing as she held me up, our eyes meeting.

  “What is there to fear, my dear Rikka?” I said smiling as I moved quickly, my hand on a white stake made of pale maple.

  Rikka’s face turned quickly as she let go and went back to her seat as we continued are game of chess and light conversation, ignoring the threats we made with each other.

  “Do you still control him?” Rikka asked as she moved her queen.

  “I do.” I said as I captured a knight, checkmating the vampire.

  “Good.” She said smiling as she reset the game.

  Act 2 Second victim

  As I left my room and ran towards the scream I saw Derick and other guests around a girl that was part of Derick’s group of friends.

  With my bag with me I waded into the small crowd of less than a dozen people standing far apart from each other.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked as I walked into the group.

  “She’s showing the same symptoms as the old man.” The Innkeeper said as he crouched down next to the collapsed girl.

  “I brought my first aid tools let me check.” I said to the group as they nodded and gave me space, the innkeeper stayed where he was.

  I sat in front of her pulling out a stethoscope from my bag to listen to her heart and then brought out a flash light and popsicle stick.

  I first listened to her heart and heard it only faintly, and then I used the flashlight to check on her eyes, they where dilated, her ears had bleeding and her mouth was. . .

  “What’s going on, she was okay a minute ago.” Said the tank top wearing jock named Derick as I saw him ooze worry.

  “Could it be an airborne disease?” A man wearing glasses said, clearly a know it all.

  Everyone looked panicked at his careless words so I spoke up about my finding, as I used a nipper to takeout something from her mouth and placed it on a petri dish.

  “No, it isn’t an airborne disease.” I said standing up, everyone looking at me.

  “From what I saw, she does have the same symptom, but with this I’m certain now.” I said showing everyone the petri dish, a large insect like leg was on it, almost 5 inch long.

  “What is that?” The glass wearing nerd asked.

  “It’s the leg of a macro parasite, I think a large parasitic insectoid, is the cause of this faintings, have any of you seen a large insect? It should be as big as rat or bigger.” I said asking the group as they look both doubtful and terrified at my answer.

  “I saw something Ani-san!” A young girl with her parents said, as I covered up the sample I found on the fainted girl’s bloodied mouth.

  “Honey! I told you not leave the room.” Her mother an older woman said stopping the girl.

  “Ma’am wait, tell me Onee-chan, what did you see?” I said as I took a knee and asked her gently, her parents relenting.

  “A spider! A really, really big one, bigger than my hands Ani-san!” She said, as the other guests started talking to each other I nodded.

  “Thank you Kid, here have a cookie, and please stay with your parents.” I said as I took out a small pouch of cookies from my bag and gave her one, and looked at her parents which gave me a grateful nod.

  They left to there room, as I turned and met the guests eyes.

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  “Derick let’s get your friend to the clinic, I can treat her so she doesn’t die from the blood loss, everyone else stick into groups.” I started as Derick picked up the girl with both arms.

  “Stay in groups, there’s something dangerous here and we need to make sure it doesn't make another victim.” With my words done and the guests seemingly agreeing I walked with Derick towards the clinic.

  The innkeeper was with me and Derick as we entered the clinic, the old man was stable still his dextrose barely lost any fluids.

  “Lay her down Derick and tell me what happened.” I asked the jock as he told me about them playing and her girlfriend Suki, went to the bathroom.

  She took much, much longer than normal, so he went after her, but as he heard a scream he started running, in the end he shouted for help as he saw Suki on the floor, in front of the bathroom.

  “Did you see anything around her?” I asked the young man but he only shook his head standing next to the girl holding her hand.

  “No, I didn’t see anything.” He said, his voice angry, but not at me.

  “Alright, I did my best, she’ll be fine until the paramedics get here after the storm passes.” I said leaving him alone in the room the innkeeper following me.

  “Boy, I’ll stay here, keep the couple company, you should go back to your friends.” The innkeeper said as he sat down on a chair just outside the clinic.

  Act 3 Hunt

  “Lizel, thank you for searching with me.” I said grateful as I walked with Lizel circling the U Shaped motel.

  It was still pouring outside like the gods of storms where having a contest to show who can play their instruments the loudest.

  “I’m not the type of girl that can stay still Shiro.” Lizel said smirking at me as she led me forward, her nose upwards twitching from smelling the air.

  We’ve already circled the compound twice and still she hasn’t smelled anything and my own spells where limited, as I looked down at the stilled insectoid leg on my petri dish.

  “Nothing, this entire place smells of evil Shiro, to many people and bad things had happened here, I can’t track any new scents.” Lizel said stopping her tracking as she looked at me.

  “Well we can try something. . .” I started but was cut off as we heard a yell.

  “Ahhh!” We shared a look and then started running towards the west wing near the hot baths.

  As we run many others followed us as they left there rooms, and at the end we saw the nerd faced down blood gurgling from his mouth, his eyes vacant.

  In the rest room infront of the corpse was a dark skin woman in rumpled bathrobes and towels, with a metal baton bloodied.

  “Lizel quickly calm her down, I’ll inspect the corpse.” I said as she gave me a nod.

  Everyone watched on still petrified by the scene to question my work, as I wore rubber gloves and looked over the body.

  It was worst now, instead of the monster leaving gently it had burst out of this one. . . it’s getting bigger.

  Before anyone can speak I spoke for them, as Lizel worked to calm down the woman but she seemed to only be shaken, by how they talked.

  “Everyone please listen, I don’t feel a pulse.” I said taking a towel from a nearby shelve and covering the victim with it.

  “Can I ask everyone to gather in the guest hall, and I promise this nightmare will end.” They looked at me smiling as I gave them nothing but confidence.

  “I trust you man, you kept my girlfriend alive.” It was Derick who spoke first in the group, as he moved towards the guest hall followed by the family and the rest.

  As they left the woman in bathrobes still wet from her bath confronted me.

  “Who are you young man! I’m Sharmina, Maplewood Forest ranger.” She said pulling out her ID and badge, showing she was telling the truth as she looked me over focusing on my gun and bag.

  Now I remembered her, she was the one I wanted to meet when I was looking for tree sap, with that memory I pulled out my own ID and showed it to her.

  “Kyoto Paranormal investigations division, Detective Shiro Yukinari, Junior office. . . I’ve never heard of your sub-division before?” She said confused as she took my ID focusing on the yamato homeland security seal and serial numbers.

  “We’re a branch of the major crimes department, we mostly operate with major crimes, but I was sent to Maplewood to gather information, this storm just forced me to stay here. . . and this started happening.”

  I said lastly pointing out at the victim below me, a frown on my face and indignation on my voice.

  “I see that, I heard about people collapsing I thought they where just stressed because of the storm, but seeing that thing. . .” She stopped mid words.

  “Please come with us Ranger Sharmina-san, I think I know what where dealing with but having a local authority vouch for me would be really helpful.” I said giving her an assuring smile, each of my words laced with even more enchantments.

  She nodded returning my ID and excusing herself so she can change, as she asked us to wait for her.

  “That was a vampire thing.” Lizel said, her face filled with disgust and vague mistrust.

  “You mean ‘hypnotic word?’ do you think the blood suckers invented the spell? They merely made it a natural ability much like your shapeshifting.” I said deflecting her suspicion, shuckling at her confusion.

  “Wait! You can turn into a. . .” She was cut off as Sharmina the ranger came back dressed in a shirt and jeans, still using the indoor slippers.

  We exchanged nods, and walked towards the guest hall, leaving a shaken Lizel who was very much wanting to ask me questions.

  Act 4 Acting

  Everyone was there, even the princess as she looked around the gathering with disinterest in her eyes.

  But if you spent enough time with her as I did, you can see her subtle smile and know she was enjoying the little play I was about to commit.

  Rikka was there too her interest and amusement blatant for all to see.

  “Alright folks settle down, I’m a forest ranger from mapletown, please listen to this bigshot from Kyoto.” She said addressing the clearly scared crowed calming them and then winking at me, motioning me to take my turn.

  I gave her an appreciative nod, before looking towards the group, as I silently casted glamour upon myself, as I felt the warm breathing pulse of the pendant around my neck.

  The spell made my presence feel more trustworthy and let me voice strike at there hearts.

  “Let me introduce myself I am a junior detective from Kyoto, I was here escorting Lady Komiko, as she is a PoI.” I said motioning to the princess which everyone gave a glance too.

  “Now knowing this, trust me for now that everything I will say from now on is true.” I said tossing my identification towards the father of the family being the oldest in the group.

  “It’s real, my friend’s a police detective in Kyoto his ID has the same authority seal.” The middle age man said fully convince of my performance, I gave him a nod as he passed around the ID.

  “We are dealing with a spider like experimental bioweapon, and from my investigation of the three victims I now know how to find it.” I said capturing everyone's attention as I pulled three vials from my bag.

  “Innkeeper please can you get me a large pitcher of water and cups for everyone, Lizel please help him.” I told him and Lizel, as the innkeeper and Lizel nodded, and went to a side room next to the guest hall, which I learned was the kitchen.

  “Now in a few moments I will have all of us drink these medicines just for these kinds of bioweapons, so we may be cured of them, now who has any questions?” I asked as many looked hesitant.

  The first to ask was the mother of the family.

  “Sir officer, is the medicine safe for children?” The mother asked concern plain in her voice.

  I gave her a reassuring look, as walked and kneeled infront of her, as I felt excitement from the Arcana flowing through my skin and entering my blood.

  “Yes it is safe, here you can read this if your not reassured with only my words ma’am.” I said as I pulled out a blank piece of paper moments ago.

  But now it was a detailed indorsement of the department of Drugs and foods for the potion I made in an attic a week ago.

  That simple act of reassuring the mother, was like a bell for the others as they started asking questions and I answered them easily as the Innkeeper entered with a tray cart, with cups and a water fountain.