forum Vienna Calling | oxo | closed

Started June 12, 2023 by @knightinadream group

tune

Superstitions tend to travel faster than one may think. They start in villages in the countryside then make their way to the capital, and even the palace. The problem is…the people in the villages are dying out. Soldiers of the Austria-Hungarian military keep sending reports to Vienna about bodies with two puncture wounds to the throat. Villages are turning into ghost towns. So far these reports have not caused a stir by the nobility in Vienna, but the problem worries the emperor. So he has decided to write to two men whom he trusts to quietly figure out what is going on.

The first man he writes to is his cousin, Character A. While being in the Swedish king's court, A is related to the emperor on his mother's side. He is part of the Swedish military and has often traveled to various parts of continental Europe in his free time. Recently though, he has not been able to because he's had to deal with a similar case at home. While the Swedish military hasn't found the culprit, A hopes he can solve this once and for all.

Character B hails from London, capital of the world's largest empire: the British Empire. The only thing is is that he's not noble in any way. Nevertheless, he is one of the best detectives in all of Europe; all the members of his family are. The new queen has taken a liking to him, handing B high-profile cases that puts the empire and people in grave danger. While the emperor's letter was sent to Her Majesty, it was finally delivered in the hands of B.

Our two characters find their ways to Vienna where they meet with the emperor and each other. They must travel to the villages in the Transylvania region to find the truth behind the mystery before it spreads around the Austrian empire, and the rest of the world.

Note

• This takes place in a historical alternative universe. A lot of qualities in the world are still similar to ours, but there are many key differences. (Such as the fact that there's vampires??)
• Anywho, I was thinking this could be an enemies-have to work together-lovers thing.

Rules

• Experienced rpers only
• At least one paragraph response with good grammar and spelling
• This rp contains dark themes and will include mentions of blood and gore.
• Please try to respond at least once per day. My response times will vary, but I will do my best to respond as quickly as possible.
• andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer)'s rules
• No sexy times. If we ever get to that, we'll just skip over it.
• Just so you know, my character will be Character A.
• I believe that is it for now. If you have any questions, just let me know. :)

Do I need another RP? Certainly not but I also have no self-control and vampires? I love. May I?

(Okie dokie! Here you go!)
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Sexuality:
Personality:
Appearance:
Background:
Other:

Name: Lord Edvin Vilde Ragnvaldsson
Age: 25
Gender: Male (he/him)
Sexuality: Bisexual
Personality: Edvin is a reserved individual who is more than willing to jump into action. Of course, he remains cool and collected, yet he doesn't hesitate to make a move when necessary. Although, half of the time, he could care less about what's going on. One would question if he is really "cool" due to his almost "strait-laced" tendencies. The thing is he really isn't. Sure he has pride and prejudice, but Edvin is kind and caring even in unexpected situations. He is loyal to friends, family, and those he finds worthy. And he's not really afraid of much either. There are many sides to him; he just has to make the effort to open up.
Appearance: The young noble is primarily known for his short auburn red hair. He stands at six foot three with an athletic body type. His features are chiseled, giving him a more serious look. He has a prominent Roman shaped nose. Edvin's eyes are light brown shade. The color of his skin is a warm ivory tone. Although he doesn't have any freckles or beauty marks, there is a tiny faint scar on the side of his right eye. Typically he wears clothes with the colors blue, silver, and black. He still wears his silver wedding band, even though he can take it off if he wants to.
Background: Edvin is the youngest of six children. He was born on November 8 to the Grand Duke Erik Ragnvaldsson and his wife Katarine. For the first seven years of his life, Edvin was bedridden with an unknown illness till he made full recovery. His two cousins Friedrich and Kristoffer would always spend time with him whenever they visited during the summer. After recovering, he spent a lot of time either studying or exploring the world around him. He was often described as "energetic" or "puppy-like" by tutors, servants, and even his parents and siblings. By the time he was seventeen, his father forced him into the military. Edvin hated it at first, but after training, he quite enjoyed it. His cousin, King Kristoffer I, placed him in a military team that investigates cases where soldiers are needed. Sometimes he goes off for weeks traveling around the kingdom and sometimes he is at the palace. Wherever the king needs him to go, he will be there.

At twenty, he married Beatrice, the daughter of a high ranking general. Edvin wasn't interested in the marriage, and neither was Beatrice. It was more of a convenience for them since both were secretly meeting with their respective lovers (his, an Romanian military captain and hers, a lady-in-waiting). Still, they were a happily married couple. They both enjoyed not having their families breathing down their necks, the status and they loved children. A little less than a year after they married, they had two boys: Konrad and Teodor. Three years later, they had a daughter and another son: Amalia and Filip. There would've been a fifth child, but Beatrice had a miscarriage would lead to her dying due from complications. The nobleman was devastated by the loss of his wife and unborn child. Edvin had taken leave from his post in order to be there for his children.

He was home for months until he received a letter from a king to return due to people in a village by the border with Finland dying in bizarre fashion. How? No one seemed to know. Even Edvin couldn't figure it out. All he could recall was that every body had two puncture wounds and deathly pale skin. The sight of the bodies are images that will be forever burned in his memory. To this day, the thought of them plagues his worries and curiosities.
Other: From the time he was eighteen to twenty-three, Edvin had a secret relationship with Gheorghe Zamfir: a captain of the Austrian military. The relationship ended on an amicable note even though Edvin still has strong feelings for Gheorghe. Funny enough the Carpathian Mountains, where Gheorghe is from, is one of Edvin's favorite places to visit.

Name: William Erbosol
Age: 23
Gender: Male (he/him)
Sexuality: queer, undefined
Personality: Will is one of the most friendly detectives that there seems to be. He finds that it helps with his job because when interviewing those related to cases he takes on he finds they open up to him more if he is kind and gentle rather than cold and harsh. Besides, that is who he is in general and it isn't something that he puts up just for work. He is far from confident when it comes to himself however you wouldn't get the impression that he was considering his out-going personality. As much as Will is friendly and kind and sweet, when he needs to be, he has the ability to be serious and switch all of that off. Usually its for cases that are far more serious than just the regular street corner robbery. His serious side doesn't come out all that often but it has been making more and more of an appearance as his cases became more high profile. But under it all is a man who has some deep-rooted insecurities and some love and a man that is far smarter than he comes across as sometimes.
Appearance: The detective is a shorter man, standing at around 5'7, maybe 5'8 depending on the boots that he wears. Usually, it adds that extra bit of height that he needs to be taller. He has heterochromia, with one striking blue right eye and a honey brown left one. Will has pale skin with a mass of freckles across his cheeks and nose that makes him look younger than he is and more innocent, too, and as such he is often underestimated in skill and talent. His hair is a dirty blonde and falls in soft waves across his face. He's freakishly skinny, probably dangerously so, but it hasn't impacted him as of yet and so he doesn't care all too much (well, that's what he tells himself).
Background: Will is the youngest of 5 siblings, all of which are older brothers. His parents, Aeron and Meredith, are well renowned detectives in London and made a name for themselves long before Will or his brothers came along. Meredith found that the life of being a detective wasn't for her which was why she settled down to have children while Aeron couldn't get enough of the thrill of it all. He did, however, take on less cases than he had been as more children came along. By the time Will was born they had enough money saved up that he really didn't need to work, however he took on the odd case here and there for special cases.

Being the youngest of 5 brothers Will wasn't exactly treated well, and it made it worse considering he has an abnormality and makes him stand out. It led to a lot of bullying from both his brothers and his peers at school as he was 'different' and 'weird' and it made it worse considering he was a smart kid, and he's queer. He was always in competition with his brothers as they wanted their parents attention and Will was able to get it without trying. Well, mainly his mothers, his father took to his other brothers who were older, bigger, and smarter in his mind but he was always the baby of the family and leant on his mother the most.

He got into the detective buisness by accident, really, because he was in the room when his father was working on a case and he ended up solving it without thinking about it - believing it to be a puzzle. Aeron was both surprised and delighted as by that point his four other sons had moved out - some to the Northern regions of England and up into Scotland, and one to Spain. He was taught the works and soon he was taking on his own cases. The Queen got wind of Will and soon he was taking on cases for her 24/7. They wouldn't be considered 'friends' per se, but they are closer than the average person in London since well, he works with and for her all the time. (His brothers aren't impressed). Without trying he found a name for himself and hasn't stopped working ever since.
Other: Probably needs glasses but refuses to get them because he's stubborn. He tends to dress warm and comfy, with long trench coats and a leather satchel. His best friend is the house maid that works for his parents.

(me too, i think they're gonna be a great pairing! also, just wanted to let you know that I'm going to use italics whenever someone's not speaking English.)

To the average Viennese, all is well. The sun was shining, leaving the people to bask in its warmth. Small puddles scattered the streets from storms that had passed over yesterday. Trees were in full bloom. Yes, it was a good day as far as any Viennese would be concerned. Edvin could see this as the carriage passed through the streets before entering the gates of the palace. The captain gazed upon the wedding band he wore. He sighed.

It had not been long since Beatrice had passed. When he received the letter from Frederick, he wondered if it truly would be best for him to go. The children spent most of their time either with his mother or their governess, but they particularly enjoyed his company. Not to mention, he had only returned to his position in the military just a few months ago. His oldest brother, Anton, told him to go. "Who else can our cousin turn to in a time like this?"

Emperor Frederick stood in his study, gazing out the window. All he could see was the gardens, but in the distance, he watched as people walked around. Normally people watching would be entertaining. It always took his mind off of things. His eyes became unfocused. He had his hands clasped behind his back with his right hand squeezing the left wrist. His jaw grew tensed the more he pondered. The smell of iron filled his nose.

The emperor didn't even notice Edvin knocking at the door nor when his cousin walked in. "Hello? Your Emperial Highness?" Edvin stood in the middle of the room. There was a table to his left. A map of Europe covered all four sides. He took a glimpse to see some letters on the bottom left corner. Despite being intrigued by the contents on the table, he went around to stand beside his cousin. Carefully, Edvin placed his hand on Frederick's shoulder.

Almost immediately, Frederick jumped. "Great God!" He turned to look at Edvin. There was a moment of silence before the two embraced. "Ah little Eddie! I am so glad you are here!" He laughed. "I hope the journey was not too exhausting." When he opened his eyes, he was looking for another. The two broke the embrace with Edvin glancing over his shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" Edvin asked. A faint smile lingered on his face.

Emperor Frederick shook his head. "No. I thought that the Englishman was here too. I was told by the queen that he would be arriving today as well."

"The Englishman?" The Swedish captain titled his head with his brows raised. What would an Englishman be doing here?

"Yes. The Englishman. The detective." Frederick repeated. "He is the one who will be working with you on this mission I have for you two. Her Majesty said he is the best man for this."

The only response Edvin procured was a slight nod. He bit the inside of his cheek. The wheels in his head were already turning with assumptions despite the emperor's smile trying to assure him that everything is going to be alright. He smiled back. "Will he be here soon?"

(Gotcha)

When Her Majesty had told William that he would be travelling to Vienna for a case that was to be kept secret from his parents, no matter no much she trusted them, Will had been more than confused. Even though he was young and his relationship with the Queen was an interesting one, Will didn't doubt her when it came to decision-making. After all, she was running the British empire, and so far she had not led him astray when it came to cases or jobs. Without her, he wouldn't have the name that he did, the reputation that he did, so he had her to thank for that. Regardless, the information that he had been given about what it was that he was to be working on was less than straightforward and confusing and as such the detective had no idea what to expect when it came to the mission at hand. All he really knew was that he was nervous.

Working for Her Majesty was one thing, but working for His Emperial Highness? Not only was this another high-ranking royal, revered and loved, but he was also representing his country. If he messed this up or made a bad impression in any way then he could kiss his work and job goodbye because no one would want anything to do with him after this.

Stepping out of the carriage Will was greeted with a warm breeze and bright skies. So different to London. He was dressed in as fine clothes as he could manage to find, his dark plaid suit that had his pocket watch swing from the pocket of his blazer, and his trench coat over top. Always dressed for the cold no matter if it was or wasn't freezing like his home, or raining. But he was led by one of the servants up the steps of the palace and inside. He couldn't tell what they were saying, he just hoped that he hadn't made a terrible first impression. But he had thanked them profusely for their hospitality and their guidance throughout the journey. It had been a long one and Will was exhausted but there was no time to rest.

His multicoloured eyes scanned his surroundings, taking in every detail he could get, every entrance and exit, how grand the entire place was. Impressive wasn't strong enough of a word for what he thought the place was. Up and up he went and then someone was offering to take his coat and bags and he more than obliged. Will adjusted his clothing once more, just to be sure, and knocked.

The sound rang throughout the hall and soon the door was opening and he was clearing his throat, "Excuse me for the intrusion, Your Emperial Highness." The door shut behind Will and he was quick to bow low, "Her Majesty sent me."

The emperor sat down in the chair behind his desk. He shrugged, "Well….I had wrote to Her Majesty to send him at once. I was told that he should be here any moment."

None of this felt right to Edvin. Sure he hadn't met this detective yet, but he already knows that this secret investigation may not go well. They may not get along after all. Is this detective even familiar with the people who live in the Carpathian Mountains? He tried to voice his concerns, but Frederick wouldn't have any of it. His cousin kept shaking his head while assuring him that with an expert like Edvin and the detective, everything should go well.

"Come on Eddie, you will be fine," Frederick promised. He leaned to the left side of the chair, watching as Edvin began to pace around the study. "I heard that he had caught a man who killed thirty people. Thirty! And apparently, his family has been in this line of work for years."

Edvin rolled his eyes. Rumors. Superstitions. Gossip. Even his own cousin listens to them. "Fine, I believe you. If you sent for him, then he must be worth something," He conceded. "But I swear-" As he finally stopped by the door, there was a knock. Frederick raised his brows, then motioned for him to open it. Edvin, jokingly rolling his shoulders back, opened the door.

A beam appeared on the emperor's face as the detective walked in. Edvin, not so much. He just closed the door then decided to stay put where he was. Frederick got up from his seat and walked over to Detective Erbosol. It took him a couple of seconds for his mind to process what he wanted to say in English. He nodded, "A pleasure it is to finally meeting you, Detective Erbosol. I know that you have traveled far from home. Thank you for coming."

Hearing the emperor speaking in English with a heavy Austrian accent was enough to break Edvin's stern expression. The moment he chuckled, Frederick beckoned for him to come over. "This is Captain Edvin Ragnvaldsson of the royal Swedish military, my cousin," the emperor said. "You two will be working together."

Edvin's face remained nonchalant during the introduction. Nevertheless, he held his hand out to Detective Erbosol and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Will may have only been young but he had been watching and learning ever since he was a child what life was like as a detective. There was a reason that his entire family were in that line of work, a reason as to why they were all so good at what they did. Trained since birth, whether it was intentional or not, because being surrounded by that environment had them picking up clues and skills without them really knowing what they could do with them. Will himself had never intended to be a detective but once his father has seen how brilliant he was, there really wasn't another option whether he wanted to believe there might've been or not.

It was strange to be surrounded by such nobility. Her Majesty was only young, close in age to Will all things considered and usually when they met it was just the two of them. He didn't think he would ever get over the fact that this was his life. But his smile was bright nonetheless, the sides of those multicoloured eyes crinkling at the movement as his lips upturned. Just as strange to hear the emperor speaking English as it was to the captain. He was glad of it, though. Will knew some French and basic Spanish but other than that he wasn't versed in any other language.

Intimidating was the only word he could really think to describe how he was feeling, even if it didn't show on his face. It didn't help that he had to incline his head upwards to look at the two, either, and he cursed his mother's genes for making him short.

He was ready to respond to the emperor when he was beckoning the other man in the room over to him. So this was the man he was to be working with. He had known that he wouldn't be the only one on the case but Will had figured it would have been another detective. He just hoped that the captain was skilled in this area. He didn't doubt the emperor's choice, but he was a little sceptical, only because he hadn't met the man before.

Will took his hand in a firm handshake, his smile not leaving from his lips, "The pleasure is all mine, Captain," He said, giving Edvin a small nod of respect a moment later, "I look forward to working with you."

Edvin gave the detective a solemn nod. "And I as well." He was not sure what to think of when it came to this man who stood in front of him. The captain is more than aware of his own faults, including his high expectations, constructing his view of Erbosol. And quite frankly, he wasn't going to stop it. Since he has to put extra effort into thinking and speaking in English, he wasn't willing to put any effort into deconstructing any current notions.

Silence hung in the air. Edvin didn't mind it. He took the opportunity to look the detective up and down. Never had he seen eyes like Erbosol's before. They managed to glisten even in the dim light of the library. In the corner of his eyes, he watched as the emperor stared off into nothing. All he could guess was that Frederick was considering how to discuss business. As much as the emperor enjoyed small talk or getting to know someone, he also wanted to get things done.

The captain kept his eyes on Frederick as he walked over to the table. When the emperor motioned for them to come, he turned on his heel before trudging over. Frederick took the envelopes by Edvin then placed them down over where Russia was. His eyes remained on the eastern part of the Austrian empire that bordered Romania and Bulgaria. The smile that had been on his face was gone. For a brief moment, distress took hold, yet he forced himself to shake it off.

"I know that the two of you being here and having to work together is…unexpected, though I appreciate you both for being here." Emperor Frederick lifted his chin to look at Edvin and Will. The smile had returned despite the stress that lingered in his eyes. "It's only the afternoon, but I thought it would be best to go over the mission first before letting you two converse or go off to your respective rooms. The letters were rather ambiguous to the situation, but that was to protect the weight of the matter at hand."

The emperor paused for a moment the continued, "Well then, gentlemen, shall we start?"

Just as Edvin had his own expectations and preconceived ideals of what he believed Will to be, the detective had his own of the captain. He didn’t believe himself to be a person that would judge others because that got you nowhere in life. It only causes more harm than good in the long run and he had found through his work that judging upon meeting tended to lead him astray. It was why he did his best to not let first impression get the better of him. He could tell from the way the captain held himself the man was a hard worker and most likely someone who had seen more when it came to the world than he did. London was big, yes, filled with people of all sorts but Will barely left the city. His work was there, with the Queen.

Even though Will wasn’t well versed when it came to travel he was smart - brilliant, as many said - in the ways that counted. A detective who didn’t think highly of himself and could easily put himself in the shoes of others in order to solve cases that others had failed to do. There were years and probably hundreds of cases under his belt at this point that even he had lost track of the exact amount. Cases ranged from the small thievery at the local markets to murders and cold cases deemed to never be solved and yet he had done so. Will might not have seemed serious, and his smile came across as far too friendly, but he wasn’t about to let Edvin underestimate his brain. Besides, he had no need to be solemn, he got further with kindness.

Moving in front of the desk and next to Edvin, Will peered at the map and the envelopes. Ambiguous was one way to describe the situation. Vague would be another. The Queen hadn’t said much to him when she had invited him to the palace, and couldn’t answer any of the questions Will had in regards to the case. All the detective knew was that is was important, far more serious than it probably seemed, and most likely the biggest case of his career. Will tried not to shift uncomfortably when he had felt the captains gaze on him and was more than glad that the attention wasn’t on him anymore. As the emperor spoke, Will inclined his head to one side in thought, finding the right words to say to begin his long list of questions.

“I’m a right to assume this case is far more serious than you want the public to know about? Or even that of Her Majesty?” He eventually settled upon. Considering she hadn’t known much or heard much from the emperor he figured he was somewhere along the right line, “How serious is this?”

The captain truly wondered the severity of this case. Even now, it is odd that a ruler from a place he is not legally bound to has called him for his help; same thing goes for the detective too. King Kristoffer never had asked for any outside help, even when it came to what had happened in Niemis. And yet, there was no need for him to ask any questions for Detective Erbosol seemed to have asked everything that he had thought of.

The emperor paused. He scoffed at himself before shaking his head. There's never a perfect approach to discuss such horror. Small stones sat on the end of the map. He started to place six of them in the Transylvania region. When he stopped, his hands gripped the edge of the table. Edvin could've sworn he saw a vein bulging on the side of the emperor's neck.

"I started receiving reports from commanders and captains alike about people dying. First one arrived on the first day of the new year, but it was post marked late December. A boy was found dead on the street. There was no sign of harm except for two puncture wounds on the lower left side of his throat. When my men went around to investigate, they found ten more bodies with the same punctures. All of the sudden, I started receiving more and more letters. One reported that the whole village was silent and smelled like blood. The only people there alive were the soldiers going through, trying to find what was going on."

"I had formed a group to go out and see how other neighboring villages were. Nothing. All the same. People either dead or nowhere to be found. Eventually I lost the team. The last letter I received was in late March. I don't where they are or if they are still walking on this Earth. I don't what is taking my people away. More importantly I don't know how to stop this. If news travels to Vienna, it will spread all around this empire then all around the world. There will be fear, and I cannot control it. I cannot even do a thing about whatever is going on over there…that's why I have sent for you two."

Edvin took a step closer. His eyes were glued on the figures that were practically on the border with Romania. He pointed at the neighboring state, asking, "And the officials for the Ottomans there haven't said anything too?" Gazing up, he watched as Emperor Frederick shook his head. It is possible that something similar is happening over the border too. This is just like what happened in Niemis, except his commander hastily wrapped up investigations and said wolves have killed the people. Edvin doesn't believe it nor does he believe this is happening in other parts of Europe.

Frederick's chest puffed out as he deeply sighed. He looked in Detective Erbosol's direction. "Edvin speaks the language the people in that area do, not to mention he is quiet the soldier. With him, and your outstanding expertise as a detective, I thought that you two would find who or what is behind all of this. I cannot have anyone outside of this room know about this. I cannot have another village or town with all of the people dead. I cannot lose another soldier or subject of the empire to this. You understand?"

The whole time Edvin was staring at Detective Erbosol. In the corner of his eye, he observed the emperor growing more and more distressed. The captain nodded his head.

Towns dying out? Puncture wounds? Will usually had some idea of where to begin looking or investigating when it came to cases he was assigned to but for the first time, even he was puzzled about the whole ordeal. Never had he heard or seen anything like what the Emperor explained. He was almost tempted to laugh and call it ridiculous because it certainly sounded that way. It sounded as if…

Will shook that train of thought away from he even began thinking too far into it. Now that was even more ridiculous than the evidence that the Emperor had presented. Regardless, there were bodies. People were dying, and a lot of them, it seemed, and Will could tell that the case was a pressing weight on the royal's shoulders. Murder wasn't uncommon, and as much as it didn't make the deaths any less tragic, they weren't whole towns being wiped out in who knew how quickly. This was different, he could sense it.

His gaze had followed the Emperor's hands as he moved the stones to the outlying regions, to the border, and watched as Edvin had pointed to Romania. Unusual that they hadn't heard from the Ottomans considering how close the towns had been to the border. He wasn't well-versed when it came to how nobility, how royalty, functioned when it came to issues such as these, let alone foreign ones, but he could easily conclude that had this been a usual case, Fredrick would have heard something. Hearing nothing was unexpected, strange, and it left a bad feeling in his gut. The whole case did. Like there was a bad omen pressing on his neck and for once it wasn't due to the severity of the case. He didn't like it. Wil didn't like any of this one bit.

But it was his job. He had made a promise to Her Majesty that he would help and hopefully try and solve the case but he didn't know how well he was going to be able to uphold that when there seemed to be no leads. There could be hundreds of bodies popping up not only here but all over Europe and if they didn't know about it then it could be far worse than any of them thought. An attack far greater than they had ever seen before.

When he was addressed, Will moved his gaze from the map to the Emperor and gave him a solemn nod, "Understood, Your Majesty," He shifted on his feet, crossing an arm over his chest and resting his chin in the palm of his other hand in contemplative thought, moving his gaze back to the map, "I feel however that it might be more difficult than we might be thinking. If all residents of the towns are dying then there are no witnesses. No leads. There seems to be no pattern to the attacks and so we don't know where they might strike next. We can't even catch them in the act, not unless we're lucky."

As much as it agitated his pride to think this, Edvin agreed with Erbosol. Who will be there to help them or give information if no one is there? And if Austrian military soldiers are dying too, then who could they turn to? Not to mention by the time they get to these places, everything might be gone. At that point, they'd need God to help them out. In this case, this is not a creation of God. Whatever or whoever is behind this is a creation of Satan. That Edvin can positively conclude.

Emperor Frederick crossed his arms. "Yes, you do have a good point, Detective. Without anyone there, it makes it even more complicated….and uh…complex. Yes, complex." He tried to maintain a hopeful grin but to no avail. As a matter of fact, he began to frown. He continued on, "But Detective Erbosol…or William, if I may? I was told that you are one the finest investigators in all of Europe…the world even! Isn't there somethin-"

The captain had been staring at the envelopes. He cut off Frederick as he questioned, "What about these?" With just one step, Edvin reached over to the far end of the table to pick up the letters. Holding them over to the detective he asked, "Is it possible that something like these could help?"

Light had returned to Emperor Frederick's eyes. "Yes! Those! I- uh…" He stopped for a moment. The jolt of energy stopped his train of thought. "I have every letter sent that talks about this mystery. Those that Edvin's holding are only the recent ones, but I can call for a servant to get the rest. They all are in German, but perhaps you two could go off somewhere in the palace and he can translate them for you, Detective. If you need any reports, I will give you access. If you two need anything, just ask and you will have it. You will have access to the barracks in the stations by these towns. And there are still people in towns here who may know a thing or two." The emperor pointed out a few places by some of the stones.

Edvin shook his head. "Those people there only speak of superstitions. How will we know what is true and what is just a superstition? Sometimes they believe in monsters more than God." He scoffed at the thought. The captain can already imagine the blasphemy he'd have to translate for this detective.

Frederick bit the inside of his cheek. He released then exhaled, "They are subjects nonetheless. They may or may not be of use, that is up to your own…discretion. Word travels swiftly after all…What do you think, Detective? Letters, documents, journals, neighboring towns…would it be possible to find anything? Even a single clue?"

The detective pointedly ignored the Emperor's words speaking about how he was probably one of the finest investigates in the world. He was far from it. All he had was good genetics and teachers who had taught him well. There were finer detectives out there than Will, and as much as the compliment was lovely it stood in no truth, in his mind.

William took the envelopes from Edvin but couldn't stop his frown at the Captain's words, "Supersitstion and tales are often rooted in some form of truth, Captain," He said, and although his tone was soft there was something firm in his voice like he was speaking from experience and truth rather than making a deduction. He glanced up at the man for a moment before turning back to the papers and letters. He took a few moments to look at each one, as if he would somehow magically be able to read German, "And considering there are no other witnesses then speaking with those nearby will be critical in piecing together all this information."

People were far more important for investigations than any documents were. Whether or not they were true or not wasn't relevant. It was a first-hand experience. Those people knew the area, they knew the locals, heard and saw everything that went down. Sure, sometimes eyewitness accounts were exaggerated but considering the nature of this case Will had a hunch that the 'superstition' that the captain was talking about might not just be tall tales and fabrications of the truth.

When he reached back to the first envelope again he turned to Fredrick, "Any and all reports that you have would be a brilliant start, thank you. There must be some kind of pattern in all those documents and letters. Once we find it then we should be able to pinpoint at least a general direction or lead. Any clue is a good clue."

If they were able to form a better picture of where and how all the murders were happening then a pattern would form. Whether it was easy to spot or not was a different story. Especially if they could guess or see the direction of travel of these murders then hopefully they could make it to the next town before the killers arrived and stop them. At least that was what he was hoping for.

Even as he watched Emperor Frederick nod to what Detective Erbosol said, Edvin was skeptical. As much as he loved traveling in the area, looking at nature, he hated all the talk about superstitions. His lover at the time would be interested in these things too for he is from the area. Edvin truly wondered what kind of truth could be strung to such irrationality. He didn't want to debate this; it'd be a waste of time. He didn't want to be more of a burden to the emperor.

Frederick dipped his head. "See, you are a clever man, Detective. After this, I will send for someone to fetch the rest of them," He tapped the side of the table with his index. "Edvin can translate them, that way you both will be able to understand all the documents."

The captain returned to staring at the stones on the map. If only he had his journal on him, he would've tried to sketch the map and stones out or at least write about the locations of the villages. It's possible that the locations can be useful. They are close to Romania. Not to mention, some of the six are close together. If Gheorghe Zamfir or any of the other soldiers are still there, perhaps the two can get some clues. They might have extra help.

He pointed at all of the stones. "Shouldn't there be a pattern too?" The captain questioned while tilting his head. "All of them are either by or right on the border with Romania. If we speak to anyone in neighborhoring villages or a military official, they may know if anything has happened on the other side, especially if it has anything to do with the Turks." Edvin deeply sighed while crossing his arms. "We should have map that marks where these places are. I believe it may be of use."

The emperor stood away from the table. He too crossed his arms. "I can provide you both maps, that is feasible." Frederick glanced up, looking at Edvin. "I am unsure if the Ottomans are involved in this. If they were, I'd know by now. Do not go over the border, at that point, I cannot protect you two. If something arises, go to a military official and they should report to me. I don't believe it's the Ottomans. I don't even know what is killing my people."

Frederick bit the inside of his lip. In his mind, he was going through everything that he had wanted to tell the two men. Of course, if either of them need to discuss things further, they can do so before going off. The only other concern he had is how or if the two will get along.

"There's always a pattern," Will said, looking back down at the envelopes as if they had wronged him somehow, "Especially in cases such as these. If this is the same man, then there will be a pattern. We already know their signature style of killing - those two puncture wounds. We know that they don't leave witnesses, considering whole towns being wiped out, most likely more than one person, and we know the area. What town was the first to be discovered?"

Because this was clearly a serial killer or multiple. No one on their own would be able to take out entire towns of people overnight and not be caught by at least one person. It was impossible, to say the least. Not unless they were incredibly skilled but Will had a feeling that wasn't the case. No, it was multiple people, he concluded, either way, it was obvious and clear as day that no one man was able to commit such actions on their own.

The real question was why. Why were they doing this? Serial killers always had some pattern when it came to who they were killing but not this time. There was no one type of person being targeted, it was everyone. Man, woman and child alike. The only factor that connected all the cases was the location and the style of kill. Had the murders been of different styles then there wouldn't be anything linking them together, but serial killers had a type, they had a style.

It was the way to identify whether it was a one-off murder or not, whether murders were connected or if they were individual and a case of wrong place wrong time wrong man. Will had dealt with both those types of cases in his life thus far. He knew that he would probably deal with many more, especially considering where he lived.

London was notorious for murders. Usually, it was prostitutes, women, and men who couldn't take that they were told no or had some vendetta against those women, generally because of family history. Or, it was people who ere completely fucked in the head, but either way, there was always a linking factor with the victims.

It was what made this case so strange to him. There was no linking with the victims. The only reason that they knew that the cases were connected was because of how they died. Will didn't know whether he would be able to figure out why this was happening, but he would do his best to catch the person - people - who were committing such acts. No one should have to face a death as horrible as the ones they did, and Fredrick shouldn't have to deal with the fallout of losing so many of his people.

Immediately, Emperor Frederick pointed at the stone closest to him. "Caraşova. Right by the Carpathian Mountains over here." The town was at the bottom of the five that were by the border. The other one was farther away from the border, but still close to the rest of the effected towns. The emperor asked, "You have been there Edvin, right?"

The captain shrugged, "Possibly." The name of the town didn't really strike any previous significance. But he imagined it was like the others he had been too. It was unbelievable to him that a person could wipe out a whole town then travel to another and another and another. That would be too much for the average person. Eventually, they would get caught. The person would get exhausted from killing along with having to travel to these places. Then it came to question as to where they are now.

Another thing that seemed to be off was the method of killing. Two puncture wounds on the neck. The neck is a spot where only one stab could successfully do the job. So why two? How can somebody do that? This person must have used some sort of weapon to kill. Edvin bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to determine what weapon could be used to create such wounds. He doesn't know what they exactly look like. Perhaps documentation could paint a better picture.

With locations, method of execution, and numbers of victims, Edvin wanted to know one critical thing: motive. Why would a person kill so many people? Normally someone commits a murder against one or two people, but Edvin had never heard of such a case like this before. At first, it had surprised him when he heard how many people murder others in other places around the world. It is much different in Sweden.

He knows that the people in Caraşova and the others are just going to tell them that it's something unimaginable. Truth will be lost in the midst of translation and gossip. Rumors. Superstitions. Although, if they find someone in a nearby town willing to talk to them, there's an extremely slim chance they could get ahold of information that may help discover a who, what, when, where, or why. If they find someone…

Fredrick gazed at the clock that was on the far side of the study. It was late in the afternoon. He wondered if any more letters had come in. "Apologies, gentleman, but Her Emperial Highness had asked me to join her for tea. I told her that I had a meeting, but I had already missed tea time for the past three weeks because of…" He said while scratching the back of his head. His eyes stared at the stones symbolizing the villages and towns, of the lost subjects. "I can assure you that after four we can continue this conversation between the three of us. Still, is there any questions I can address at this moment?"

So, they were headed North. At least that gave them a direction of travel. Whoever it was, whoever they were, had come from the South and were extending their trail upwards, so, they could pinpoint where they came from and where they were headed, if they kept up with the pattern. Usually, they did, which meant it would be easy for them to continue their journey. Will wondered if they would be able to send a team down South to scout the area and find any traces of where the killer - or killers - had come from while he and Edvin went North to see if they could catch the bastard.

But, the detective wasn't sure if the Emperor would want to send out more men on this mission. After all, it was top secret and not many knew about what was happening, especially since the team that he had sent out already had gone missing. If Will was in his position he wouldn't want to risk any more lives than the many that he had already lost. It would be a gamble to send even more men out when they were unsure as to how this was happening or why, and if one team of men had already gone missing, who's to say another won't as well?

It was a risk sending two more men into the field unaware of what was happening, let alone five or more. At least with just Edvin and himself, there was less chance of them being caught by the killer as they could blend in easier. Pretend to be town folk or get out before something went terribly wrong in the villages they visited. A group of people is noticeable, easy to track, and easy to detect. They would never make it out even if they were lucky. Maybe that was why the other group had gone missing…

When Fredrick spoke up again he looked up from the letters and to the man, "I do not believe so," At least none that he could think of right at that moment, "I'm sure the captain and I will be more than capable by ourselves for a few hours." He just hoped they were able to work together on this and there wouldn't be any clashing of views of ideas. They were working towards the same goal so Will assumed there wouldn't be, but one could never be too sure, and he had never had to work with anyone high ranking such as Edvin before, usually it was just him.

The emperor made his way towards the door. His hand wrapped around the handle. Smiling at Will, he gave the detective a nod. Then he glanced over at Edvin. The captain exhaled through his nose then motioned for him to go. "My apologies for having to leave so soon, gentlemen. You two were the only ones that I could trust with this. I know that you will succeed," He grinned. "I will be back." With the door clicking, he stepped out then closed the door behind him.

Edvin turned around, focusing back on the map. He knew that Frederick was going to have tea with his wife to keep up the illusion of everything being fine. If he had sent out another team or something, she would pick up on the fact that something is going on. That's why him and Detective Erbosol are here. The emperor will probably tell his beloved wife that the two guests are simply visiting before venturing off.

A seed of doubt was planted in his mind. If this beast of a man is on the run, going town to town killing people, there is a small chance that they will catch this person. It just seems impossible. The wounds and wiping out a whole town before anyone would catch him…Part of him doesn't want to believe that this is happening.

There was a lot that Edvin was unsure about. The case, perpetrator, people, working with Detective Erbosol, he didn't know how he felt about it all. Already, he is surprised that Frederick has gone through lengths to figure it out on his own before calling for external help. Not to mention how much faith his cousin has for the detective. All he could hope for was that Erbosol is really the man that Frederick is optimistic about. Of course, Frederick is optimistic about everything.

"This is unbelievable," He sighed while picking up the letters then making his way to the desk. Edvin sat down in the chair then turned it to face Erbosol. "Have you ever seen something so preposterous back in England?" His head tilted while he flipped through all of the envelopes.