"Capitan, my orders are here from Bishop from Lisbon", I passed on the Holy Orders from the Spanish Church. The capitan read the order and ordered our release. He apologies for his actions as he viewed as Englishman in the New World. I would had argued on the point but our task called for our urgency.
"How fare the Alcade Jose?" I was to inquired on the health of our benefactor here.
"Senor, Alcade Jose has been called back to the Heaven Kingdom. His body was found yesterday in his hut by his servant Galvez. The Alcade was drained of his blood by the perpetrator like a vampire. There was no witness and we were hoping you would share some insight in how he could had died." The capitan was more in an earlier state of mind to tortured me for that information. I asked to see the body but I was old he has been buried this morning after a quick ceremony. That is most unusual but this is not Spain or England.
I asked to meet the servant Galvez but I was told he disappeared too.
"A coincidence or convenience; we shall investigate before we move on." I drew on some quiet annoyance from my friends, but I felt we owe the Alcade an explanation for his death. "Where was Galvez last seen?"
"In his own quarters under guard but he seems to have disappeared into thin air."As to my knowledge only demons can do that. So I actually started at Galvez' quarter. There are nothing that is considered as abnormal in the place except maybe an oversize statue of a local design depicting a person crouching with his knees drawn.
"I think we found Galvez, or what was of him now?" I pat the statue made of clay and colored with local pigment paints. "He been taken on by a witch that can do this. I heard of such fables but this is first time seeing it myself. They are known to do this with some incantations of spell but its a closely guarded by them."
"You said the witch could had killed both the man. But who is that witch?" The Capitan is getting impatient with this inquiry and would like to see the matter resolved fast. I moved to stop the Capitan.
"I said its a spell used by the witches but I did not say Galvez is dead. I said he is taken by a witch. I meant to say Galvez soul is taken by a witch. So we need to find the witch to determine what happened to the soul." The capitan is taken aback by my words, but i continued on my findings.
"Who are ... I mean what are we looking for? I am confused." The capitan again interject when he should be listening.
"Who is the witch in this area?" I asked.
"The Warrior of the Lights asking me for directions to the murder of the Alcade Jose but what you seek of Mama June have no answer for you." The lady whom we were introduced to is the local lady healer according to the locals but we prefer the term 'witch'. She had just denied any knowledge when I did not even asked her. She knew what I was going to ask. I asked the lady for a personal audience and I was given one.
"Mama June, you can tell me." I looked at the lady and she smiled.
"The Alcade being a good person had a desire to learn more of our ways. But there are areas which he cannot ventured in without risks. The Alcade did that when he created the rebellious leader, but he needed more than an play act; he needed some characterization. He invoked the sprit of the Soucouyant to instill fear and chaos, but he is new to the action. He did not know how to control his spirit and the spirit took his life. I was late but I manage to claim the Soucouyant before it could do more harm. Galvez saw me doing it and I had to tell him. But he was too loyal to his previous master. So I had to silenced him too. But I did not killed him. I merely transfer his soul to that of something else. He would live but not as a human. Its the way we do things here." The lady slumped down in the nearby seat and exhaled her breathing in sigh of reliefs.
"Thank you, Mama June. I would do the needed from here." I took leave of the lady and rejoined my friends. "The Alcade was killed by some unknown killers and Mama June tried to assist but her help are limited. She failed and he died. That is the official report."
"But the Alcade..." The capitan is upset that I have not anything that he can use but I warn him of the Office of the Church if I am inconvenient in any way. He got my message well and released us for our next trip.
Unknown to me Mama June was smiling when we were leaving the village. She was later to meet the Capitan who was also smiling.
"They taken the bait."
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