socrowdedinhere | (no subject)

Yugi: I will. How long until the meeting?

Zariah: A few hours. We did not know when, or if, you would be coming out. We wanted to make sure you and your spirit partner had plenty of time.

Yugi: *nods* Yeah, we didn’t know, either. *finishes eating and will offer to help clean up, then…* Someone mentioned before about the government gathering people up for sacrifices. Can you tell me more about that? *he can spend the time information gathering – he’ll share it with Yami later if the spirit isn’t already half-listening*

Zariah: *nods* Priests will come for people the day of the full moons. We can't figure out a pattern, if there is one... People are taken and never seen again, not even their spirits. We're only know they're put out where the Aeganok can easily get to them.

Yugi: Someone’s seen this, or you’ve just been told that where people are put?

Zariah: *a haunted look crosses his face.* I've seen.

Yugi: …….Zariah, this is important. Before the Aeganok took them, how did they look to you? Young or old, sick or well, happy or worn out…?

Zariah: All. All of that. They were of all ages, all stages of health. My brother was "chosen", two years ago. He was younger than me, by half a year, in perfect health. He saw it as an honor to be chosen, it's what we're taught from birth. I was worried so I followed, unseen, to see what would happen. There were about thirty chosen that night, no common trait among them that I could make out. I couldn't see what the Aeganok did to them, but by morning there was nothing left but their clothes and blood. The priests came to clean up an hour before sunrise...

Yugi: *frowns, to himself* That doesn’t sound right… *to Zariah* And you stayed the whole time? You saw the Aeganok approach them? You’re /sure/ it was in fact the Aeganok? What did it look like?

Zariah: I was, but I never saw /exactly/ what it did. *and he will describe the Aeganok exactly*

Yugi: Is there any chance at all that there were others who slipped in to act as well, working under the Aeganok?

Zariah: I don' think so. I never saw them if there were. What disturbed me most is no one made a sound. With so much blood I would expect /someone/ to have screamed, or cried out, or.../something/...nothing. No one made a sound...

Yugi: *frowning, thinking* How long until the next full moons?

Zariah: Three weeks.

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Yugi: *nods and falls silent, chewing on his lip - there was so much he wanted to say, and more he wanted to ask, but he needed to wait for Yami, and the meeting...*

Zariah: ...........Is there anything else I can help you with?

Yugi: *starts to shake his head, but stops at a thought* This place that the people were taken to for the Aeganok, how far is it? Could we get there and back before the meeting?

Zariah: *nods.* Yes. We can. It's not far.

Yugi: All right. I'd like to investigate it then, please.

Zariah: *nods* Of course. *he'll lead the way out. He'll take Yugi to a large, circular plaza. It's open, several wide streets leading to it. There doesn't seem to be anything special about the place, though some very close inspection will reveal some blood missed in the cleaning process from this morning.* *Zariah stays on the edge, clearly uncomfortable.*