Eldritch Guidance

Chapter 69: A Slimy Mystery

(Author note: Haven't done a music recommendation for a while. So, here is something I suggest you listen to while reading. It really adds to the atmosphere: https://youtu.be/Qz6XLzLOPD4?si=dn83fHYn6qn7rM_P )

In a subdivision in the northeast of Graheel, outside of the Nighthound territory and relatively close to the university, Joe pulled his vehicle up to the front of a solitary two-story house.

By the time they had arrived here, there was a heavy overcast that looked like it was about to rain.

The house was older in its design and showed some signs of minor degradation caused by time, but it still appeared to be in somewhat relatively good condition and livable. It had a large raised patio in the front with stairs and possibly a front door that was obscured by the heavy shadows caused by the overcast.

The plot of land the house sat on was around 4,000 square feet (370 square meters), with a small lawn in the front. The lawn was neatly clipped. The windows were all dark at the moment. There was no light coming from the house, a sign that no one was home. A single window on the second floor was open, letting the wind blow in and making the curtains flutter.

The general atmosphere, combined with the heavy overcast, made it feel almost like nighttime, giving the house a very ominous feeling.

Joe stepped out of his vehicle and quickly assessed the situation. He let out a deep sigh.

Joe: “Again? That is the second time this month that I’m investigating a haunted-ass-looking place.”

Rell also stepped out of the vehicle and stood right beside Joe.

Rell: “You make it sound like you have a habit of investigating ominous-looking places.”

Joe: “Not really.”

Dan: “Joe, y-you didn’t say anything about

Joe: “Huh, good to know. Let’s check that out next.”

Rell: “Must we?”

Joe: “If you’re worried about breaking and entering, we’ve already crossed that bridge. Might as well go the whole way and do a thorough investigation,” he said to Rell before walking out of the bedroom.

The group descended to the main floor, scattering to explore the different rooms of the house. They ventured into various rooms adorned with simple furniture and faded wallpaper. Amidst the exploration, it was Alan, who wandered into the kitchen towards the back of the house. There he found the door leading to the basement, its door slightly ajar, inviting him into the unknown depths below.

Alan informed Joe, and the group regathered and descended below together. Once they reached the bottom of the steps, they flipped a nearby light switch and looked around; the basement was packed full of shelves with boxes and various containers of different materials. Glancing briefly at a label on one of the containers, Joe could see that it was another type of supply for spell crafting. The senior detective then instructed everyone to scatter and look around for anything strange.

The space was crammed with shelves, each one full of an assortment of peculiar objects. Things like dried herbs and containers of liquid of every color were placed on the shelves, their origin and purpose unknown.

The former Lionheart student separated from everyone and walked between a row of shelves. In the aisle where he found himself, he saw all manner of alchemical supplies. Glass vials filled with shimmering liquids lined the walls, their hues ranging from vivid blues to deep purples. There were also pieces of equipment, like a bunsen burner and complex-looking glass apparatus, whose purpose was lost on Alan.

Alan thought to himself.

Alan continued to walk along, but stopped to inspect a peculiar glass jar. It was full of a strange-looking black liquid. It drew his attention. As he leaned in for a closer examination, a form emerged from the black substance—an object floating eerily in the viscous fluid. Drawing nearer, he brought his face level with the jar. He could see what sort of looked like a skull. A human one.

Suddenly, the eye holes in the skull started to glow a malicious orange. This surprised Alan and caused him to stumble backward.

Alan: “Ahh! U-um, guys!” he yelled out as he bumped into the shelf behind him, causing some glass bottles to rattle.

Everyone heard Alan call, prompting everyone to stop what they were doing and run toward his location. Their footsteps reverberated against the concrete floor as they hurried to join him; their expressions were a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

Joe: “What’s up? Oh! Good job, kid. You found something really interesting,” he said while patting Alan's shoulder.

Alan: “W-what is that? Is it alive?”

Rell: “It depends on what you constitute as alive. That thing is undead. Specifically, a ghoul seed. Very difficult to make, as I understand.”

Alan: “A ghoul seed? So, what. You plant this in the ground, and a ghoul grows out of it,” he said facetiously.

Rell: “Basically.”

Alan: “Wait, really?” he said, surprised there was some truth to his joke.

Rell: “Yeah. You bury this in grave soil, and a ghoul will form out of it. Black mages use these things to clear out graveyards, as ghouls will dig up the dead and eat them.”

Jafar: “I think I've heard of ghoul seeds, but I don’t recall it having glowing eyes.”

Rell: “The glowing eyes means it’s primed. There are a few things you have to do before you bury the ghoul seed, but it looks like all those steps were already done. All you need is some grave soil at this stage, and we’re going to have a ghoul on our hands.”

Hearing that, both Alan and Jafar took a step away from the jar with the skull in it. Nervous that it will suddenly turn into a full ghoul monster before them.

Joe: “Regardless, the main thing is that ghoul seeds are super illegal. Larry shouldn’t have this.”

Dan: “If he has this, that might mean Larry could be a black market dealer.”

Joe: “That’s what I'm thinking. If he’s moving illegal shit like this, he probably had some idea of what Sorin was doing. Heck, I bet Sorin was coming to this guy to get a hold of a bunch of other illegal stuff without the university's knowledge.”

Alan started to look more attentive once he heard that there was a possibility that Larry was involved in supplying Sorin with the materials used to transform his friend into an undead.

Rell: “I don’t think I saw anything in his records about selling anything illegal.”

Joe: “No one in their right mind would write down selling something like a ghoul seed. Why risk people like us finding that record? Anyway, if he has this, there’s probably more illegal shit around. Let’s keep looking."

Joe’s team continued searching around and eventually uncovered more illegal goods, along with the bin matching the lid they found upstairs, which was empty. Throughout the entire search, they found no signs of Larry anywhere.