300 north mountain road harrisburg pa

Fourth and final part at the same time tomorrow.
Series Page - Read 10 weeks ahead on Patreon - Read the story so far on Royal Road
*
Chapter Twelve - The Blacksmith's Boy (Part Three)
Clouds. Black, moving, twisting like rope. His head ached. His blood was hot as flame. Fire flashed in the clouds, and the old stormtower gleamed. The Old Man stared back at him from the gloom, eyes carving at his skin. You could have warned me. He taunted him. Smoke bled around his shoulders, and his skin melted away. Cal tried to look away, but it was too late. The fire was on him, and the sky filled his eyes with black water, smothering his breath.
*
He gasped, pain searing down his spine, and choked on his own breath, spluttering.
‘Get him up.’
‘I’ve got him.’
Lokk’s voice. Cal felt a hand curling underneath one of his arms, lifting his aching jaw off the floorboards. Pain shot down his back again, and he cried out, eyes spinning. Then there was another hand beneath him, and he was lifted groaning away from the floor. They lowered him carefully into a chair, and he fell against it, skin stinging, panting through gritted teeth.
‘What happened to him?’
‘Had a wolf at ‘im, by the looks of it!’
‘Don’t be a fool! No wolves in these woods.’
‘Believe in magic, but not in wolves?’
Cal groaned again.
‘Shut it, all of you!’
Cal blinked again, and the Innkeep’s rosy cheeks coalesced into the air before his eyes, looking down at him worriedly. Lokk was at his shoulder, wide-eyed, his mop of lank hair hanging loosely over his forehead. Someone had put the door to, and it was suddenly very quiet. Cal took a breath.
‘What happened, boy?’ The Innkeep asked him. Beyond his shoul-ders, Cal could see the faces of a half-dozen patrons, blinking back at him with wide eyes. All except Old Godry, who looked mildly irritated. Outside, the storm wailed helplessly against the thatching, and thunder rumbled against the hills, more distant, now. Cal held his breath, craning his ears. But the footsteps were gone. He swallowed.
‘There were…’ He hesitated, glancing towards the door. ‘I… fell.’
‘Down half the Teeth by the looks of it!’ Lokk pointed at his arms. ‘What were you doing out in this?’
Cal blinked, looking down. His arms were crisscrossed with dozens of bloody cuts, and his shirt was hanging off him in strings. He frowned, shrugging, and then winced as fire raced over his skin, and fell back against the chair, gasping.
‘Thought… Thought I had time to get back.’
‘Damned fool.’ Carel told him, appearing beside her father. She had a pail of steaming water under one arm, and a bundle of rags in the oth-er. ‘Got to clean those before they rot.’
‘I’m fi-’
‘That’s enough talking.’ The Innkeep told him. ‘Or I’ll want coin for the cloth.’
Cal thought better of arguing.
‘Saw a fair few mugs go over.’ The Innkeep turned towards the rest of the room, smiling reassuringly. ‘I’ll fetch a new barrel. This one’s on the house.’
A few grumbles of approval from the assembled regulars. They were all watching him. He could feel their eyes on him, prying, poking. Sen-sible boys know better than to go wandering in a storm. They’d always thought the Blacksmith’s stray was cracked. Same as his master. Godry seemed to have let his irritation go at the promise of free ale, but Cal spotted the butcher’s brute of a son, Petr, sneering back at him over the rim of his mug. He lowered his eyes. They thought him mad. Maybe they were right. Behind his eyes, the shadows were still chasing him through endless trees, clawing at his heels. But the door stayed closed, and there was no sound beyond it but the storm. Maybe he was losing his mind.
‘Quite the show, that was.’ Lokk grinned as his father went off to find the barrel. Carel rolled her eyes, pulling up another chair and set-ting about dampening the cloth. ‘Barely seen you in weeks, then you show up all bloody an’ panting like a wolf that’s got in with the chick-ens? You always knew how to make an entrance.’
Cal grunted. He didn’t feel like explaining himself. Wasn’t sure he could, even if he did.
‘Scared off the new folk, too.’ Lokk nodded towards an empty table in the far corner of the room, scattered with discarded mugs.
Cal blinked. ‘What?’
‘Had some of Solen’s new hands in tonight.’ Lokk told him offhand-edly, scratching his chin. ‘Quiet lot. Must have given them quite the fright. Saw themselves out sharpish.’
‘What did… hnngg.’ Cal clamped his teeth together with a groan as Carel pressed one of the rags against his bloody forearm.
‘Stay still.’ She told him, wiping the cloth slowly across his skin. It felt like someone was stripping his flesh with a wood plane. Cal clenched his jaw, forcing himself not to yelp. Lokk lounged idly against the bar beside him, sweeping his loose hair back from his forehead un-tidily.
‘Interrupted Godry, too.’ His friend went on, clearly unperturbed by his suffering. ‘Old goat hates being interrupted.’
Cal grunted again. The little clump of patrons seemed to have lost interest in him, now, turning back to their mugs as the Innkeep moved deftly through the tables, a little cask under his arm. Petr and his father were sitting glowering at no one in particular. Forley and his young wife Priss looked taken aback, and not the least bit shaken, by the un-expected turn of events the evening had taken, but the dour-faced min-ers beside them (whose names Cal did not know) seemed to have paid Cal’s entrance no heed at all. Old Godry was sitting patiently, firelight knotting over his scarred cheeks, waiting for his cue. Soon their mugs were full again, and the foolishness of the Blacksmith’s stray was quite forgotten. The Innkeep set the empty cask down somewhere behind the bar, and went off to find another barrel. Cal gritted his teeth as Carel went on with her work, eyes watering, and watched the villagers blur indifferently by the fire.
‘You weren’t finished, Godry.’ Albin, the butcher began, taking a long swig from his mug. ‘’bout to tell us how the wizard farted out his storm to save the savages.’
Cal saw Forley roll his eyes. ‘You know damned well where we were! Tell us about Arolf!’
Albin scowled, opening his mouth to retort, but Godry regained his composure in time to step in.
‘Aerolf, Forley.’ He corrected patiently.
‘Aerolf, then.’ The young shepherd agreed, rolling his eyes. ‘What happened next?’
‘Well, like I was saying, old King Talor’s already met his end, but them Northmen weren’t done yet. That beast Aerolf most of all.’ Godry began, lowering his voice and eyeing his audience conspiratorially. ‘He had a score to settle, see. This weren’t the kind of man to let a woman run from him, you understand.’
‘Serves him right.’ Albin grumbled. ‘Couldn’t keep her in his bed, even with a sword on her.’
The two miners snorted in agreement, and Petr just kept scowling. Cal flinched as Carel drew her rag over a particularly deep cut. He caught her eye reproachfully, and she smiled slyly.
‘Oops.’
She was very close, he realised, and he could feel the heat of her against his cut-thread skin. Another night, he might even have enjoyed it.
‘So there they was, dead King and all. Could of had the throne for hisself, right then.’ The old miner continued gravely. ‘But he was more animal than man. Mad as a beast, they say, big as a bear, covered head to toe in blood, cut up like an old buck. And this beast had a taste for blood.’
The little circle of villagers leaned a little closer in their seats, eye-ing Godry eagerly. Cal realised he was listening along with them.
‘So off he goes, bloody magic blade in hand.’ Godry held out his hand like a blade, scowling at them over the fire. ‘He finds that place where old King Talor locked up his pretty young daughter. And what’d’you think he does when he finds it?’
‘Kills her.’ Forley whispered.
‘That’s right, boy.’ Godry nodded, dropping his arm. ‘Heard it said he clawed the tower door open with his bare hands. Dragged her out in-to that garden, butchered her right there in the grass, threw her off that big rock of theirs like an old ham. This weren’t a man you run from. If he couldn’t have her, no one could.’
‘How’d they kill him, then?’ Albin asked, frowning.
‘Well, see now. Northmen ain’t the only one with monsters.’ Godry said craftily, raising one patchwork brow. ‘Dekar’s a sharp one. He’d realised what was afoot, by now. Rallied the King’s Men, drove the scum back out of the King’s hall. Weren’t a man amongst them left standing, save the ones in the garden. But for Aerolf and them, he saved his best killer.’
‘The Bloodless.’ Forley murmured.
‘The Bloodless.’ Godry agreed. ‘Biggest woman you’ve ever seen. Big as a wagon, skin like blue snow. They say there’s nought but ice in them veins, and if you cut her, she don’t bleed.’
‘And I’ve got rocks for balls.’ Albin snorted.
‘Might as well, for all the good they do you.’ Godry snapped back at him. ‘But the Bloodless finds the traitor. Right there in that garden, all covered in the Princess’s blood. Cuts Aerolf down, throws him from the walls after her, him and his magic sword. Almost killed that Stonesplitter dog, too, whilst she were at it. Weren’t no easy thing though; gets her head cut open like a peach for its trouble. Should’ve died, right there. Would’ve, if not for those… other types Dekar had took up with.’
‘‘Least the traitor was dead.’
‘Aye, that he was. That Heartspire’s taller than a mountain. Say there weren’t nothing left of him but mulch, once he got to the bottom. Him and the princess both.’
‘Makers have mercy.’ Forley murmured, making the sign of the Nine over his breast. Even Albin took another mouthful of ale.
‘Weren’t no mercy. A beast don’t deserve none.’ Godry said sober-ly, following Forley and drawing a circle over his chest. ‘If he couldn’t ‘ave her, no one could.’
Cal barely heard them. He felt drained, as though the cuts had bled the weight from his bones. He floated just above his chair in a haze, and the roomed blurred and swayed as if through shallow water. Carel went about her work quietly, carefully, and the pain of it washed over him in raw waves, until the pail of water at her feet was stained an ugly pink.
‘Dekar had a plan though!’ Forley whispered excitedly, his rever-ence forgotten. ‘Tell ‘em, Godry!’
‘That he did, Forley.’ Godry smiled, his scarred face contorting gro-tesquely. ‘See, that Dekar’s sharp as a carving knife. Took up Taylor’s magic sword, led the King’s Men himself. But that weren’t all. Had some of his men kept back, from down West. Big men. Hard men. Came on the Northmen camp in the dead of night. Surrounded ‘em.’
‘Weren’t just any men, I hears it.’ Albin grumbled.
‘Here we go!’ Forley snorted.
‘Said it yourself, Godry. Dekar took up with them religious types.’ Albin shot back, frowning indignantly. ‘Everyone knows it.’
‘Religious? Masks don’t keep the Makers.’ Forley spat. ‘Ain’t noth-ing but bandits dressed up like monks.’
Cal blinked.
‘Brothers ain’t got no Gods save the Darkness.’ Priss murmured qui-etly. ‘You say Nine, I say eight.’
‘All the same.’ Albin was saying, folding his arms over his mug. ‘Brothers are useful, and good old Dekar didn’t sniff at them like you do.’
‘That’s enough, Alb.’ Godry interrupted. ‘He’s still our King, even all the way out here.’
Cal opened his mouth, straightening in his seat, but Carel pushed him back down again tutting.
‘Sit still.’
‘But-’
‘Hardly our King anymore, anyways.’ Albin spat. ‘Not like it used to be. Valia’s for the lowlanders.’
‘You sounds like a Northman.’ Forley scowled.
‘Or one of the Elahi.’ Priss added. Albin bristled, and Godry jumped in just in time.
‘Doesn’t matter. All Dekar’s hard men never got to the Northmen camp.’ The grizzled old smelter went on. ‘Seems old Isandur weren’t done yet.
Cal gritted his teeth. His head ached, and his mouth tasted like smoke.
Albin spat at his feet, sneering. ‘Isandur my arse.’
‘Let him be, Alb.’ Forley told him.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as the butcher and his son fixed Forley with their most angry of looks. Then Godry cleared his throat noisily, and Petr shoved himself to his feet and stalked off to-wards the bar, snatching up their empty mugs as he went.
‘But Isandur is a crafty one, and no mistake. Showed up just in time, as always. What he wanted from it, no man can say. Them Chosen are scheming sorts, what ones is left. Us mortals couldn’t guess what they’s thinkin’.’ He paused, nodding knowingly. ‘Storm-tamers, they call ‘em. He spoke the words, and the sky opened. Biggest storm you’ve ever seen. Caught Dekar’s men as they came. Scattered ‘em like wheat in a gale.’
Petr aimed a crooked smile at Carel as he passed, and she lowered her eyes. Cal barely noticed. He no longer heard Godry. The room around him seemed very far away. Was he awake? Or was he dream-ing?
‘Northerners took the chance. Fled faster than the wind what chased them. Them that were still on the rock, them what murdered and killed our King?’ Godry went on, shaking his head sadly. ‘Them he called the wind itself for, and carried them away before Dekar could get at them. Aerolf’s brother, among them. King of the North, he goes by now. Couple of other Northmen, too. Stonesplitter cut almost in half by the Bloodless’ blade.’
Albin spat on the floor, and the miners scowled. No right-minded Valian liked this part, magic or not. Cal ground his teeth.
‘That Chosen bastard let the King get his throat slit, then shows up to save his killers.’ Albin cursed.
‘Makers know why. Not been seen since.’ Godry agreed. ‘Back they went, anyway, back to the rest of the savages as they fled like dogs. Storm was so heavy, river banks burst behind them, flooded half the valley.’
Cal’s heart was pounding in his ears, and his skull was ringing. Out-side, the wind whined over the thatching, howling at the broken clouds.
‘Don’t matter how many men Dekar had. Or how many Brothers. Ain’t no one swimming in mail.’
Cal forced his eyes shut. Black Ones. A storm. Falling.
‘Cal?’
He opened his eyes, blinking into the firelight, and found Carel look-ing down at him worriedly.
‘Does it hurt?’ She was asking softly.
‘What… no, I’m fine.’ He told her, blinking again. ‘I need to…’
‘Stay here.’ She told him, lifting up the bloody pail. ‘I need more cloth.’
She turned on her heel and disappeared. Cal’s head spun.
‘… already scared off the new folk with all these tall stories.’ Albin was saying. ‘Storm’s just a storm. Forge boy knows.’
Cal blinked, lurching unsteadily to his feet. Asking questions, the Innkeep had said. His vision blurred unsteadily, and the room stared back at him, wobbling like a top.
‘Cal, you need to sit down.’ Lokk told him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Cal blinked. His eyes stopped spinning, and the ache in his head had vanished. The wind had moved on overhead, and the air was thick with smoke and heat. The little group of patrons were eyeing him curiously. All save the butcher.
‘Listen to him boy, before you hurt yourself.’ Albin sneered back at him.
‘Come on, Cal. Ignore him.’ Lokk murmured in his ear.
Cal swallowed, meeting the swarthy butcher’s eye for a moment. Then he let himself be steered backward, slumping into his seat like an empty sack.
‘Must have lost more blood than I thought.’ Lokk told him, pulling up a chair beside him and tutting. ‘Want to pick a fight with Albin as well as that storm?’
‘What?’ Cal mumbled, blinking. The butcher had gone back to his drink, and the other villagers had gone with him, grumbling amongst themselves about the practicalities of storm-tamers and treacherous, magical old men. He took a breath. ‘I wasn’t. I-’
‘Sure looked like you were. You know Alb. Just his way. Didn’t mean anything by it.’
‘Lokk, when did the new folk leave?’
‘What? Oh… I told you. Right after you turned up. Spooked ‘em good, you did, all bloody like a fresh ham…’
‘Where did they go?’
‘How should I know? Had my hands full peeling you off the floor. Why d’you care, anyway?’
‘Lokk, I need to…’
‘Oh, no you don’t! You aren’t going anywhere. Need to rest.’ His friend told him, pinning him to his chair by his shoulders. ‘Look like you fell down half the Teeth face first.’
‘I…’ Cal began, lowering his voice. His head was clearing, and the room was no longer spinning like a leaf. Beside the fire, the other pa-trons were still bickering emptily. The storm had passed, and the ache of it was clearing from his battered skull. ‘I didn’t just fall. Something was chasing me.’
‘What are you talking about? You crack your head, too?’
‘Lokk, listen. There were…’
‘Let go!’
They both looked up at the sudden commotion from beside the bar. Carel had just made it out from behind it with a fresh pail of steaming water before Petr had cornered her, bulky shoulders blocking the way forward like a stubborn bullock. He had one meaty hand curled around Carel’s wrist, and she had her eyes fixed on the floor. Cal was on his feet before Lokk could say anything.
‘Let go of her.’
The big youth let go of Carel’s wrist, and the pail fell abruptly back to her side, spilling steaming water across the floor. She looked at it distantly, frowning.
‘Or what, you little shit?’ The butcher’s son grumbled throatily, turning slowly around to facing Cal, glaring down at him with rheumy-eyes. His words had the imprecise edge of drink to them, and his breath smelled of sour ale. ‘Gonna throw yourself down a fucking hill at me?’
‘Just leave her be, Petr.’ Lokk added from Cal’s shoulder.
‘Mind your own business.’ The big youth snorted, still glaring at Cal darkly. ‘Sit down before you hurt yourself, stray.’
He began to turn back to Carel. Lokk put a hand on Cal’s shoulder, and Cal ignored him.
‘Leave her be.’ He said again.
‘Or what?’ Petr snarled back, lurching around again, wiping spittle from the corner of his mouth. ‘Going to bleed on me?’
‘It’s fine, Cal. No harm done.’ Carel said quietly from beside the bar, eyes still on the ground. ‘Sit down, let me finish with your cuts.’
‘You heard her. Be a good little foundling and sit down like she says.’
Cal swallowed. Petr was nearly a head taller than he was, and his arms were thick, corded with miner’s work. But there would be no avoiding it now, and he didn’t have the patience to let it be, that night. The big youth was drunk, and spoiling for a fight. Cal glanced back over his shoulder, but the other patrons were bickering loudly beside the fire, oblivious, or indifferent, or both. The Innkeep was still in the back somewhere, tapping a new barrel. Strike first. Strike hard. Cal shifted his feet slightly, readying himself. His head had cleared, and his pain was far away. The moment of calm was on him. A blink in time. The room faded away, vibrating with stillness. There was only his breath. In, and out. He waited.
‘Nothing to say? Suppose a dead whore can’t teach her cunt son any manners.’
Cal moved quickly, uncoiling like a bowstring. He burst forward off his hind leg, bunching his fist towards Petr’s slab of a jaw. The butch-er’s son had no chance to react. How could he? Cal moved with the ease of a seasoned brawler, hard limbs whipping like clubs. Lokk’s arm slipped from his shoulder. He was already halfway across the distance between them before Petr could even blink.
His boot splashed, skidded, slid. The water. Cal blinked, lost bal-ance, and slid wildly into Petr’s chest. His head thudded into the other boy, and he staggered back, confused, dazed. Petr blinked down at him, cogs turning slowly in his ale-slowed mind. Then a broad grin spread across the big youth’s jaw.
‘Should’ve listened, stray.’

Fourth and final part at the same time tomorrow.
Previous Chapter - Read 10 weeks ahead on Patreon - Read the story so far on Royal Road
*
Chapter Twelve - The Blacksmith's Boy (Part Three)
​
Clouds. Black, moving, twisting like rope. His head ached. His blood was hot as flame. Fire flashed in the clouds, and the old stormtower gleamed. The Old Man stared back at him from the gloom, eyes carving at his skin. You could have warned me. He taunted him. Smoke bled around his shoulders, and his skin melted away. Cal tried to look away, but it was too late. The fire was on him, and the sky filled his eyes with black water, smothering his breath.
*
He gasped, pain searing down his spine, and choked on his own breath, spluttering.
‘Get him up.’
‘I’ve got him.’
Lokk’s voice. Cal felt a hand curling underneath one of his arms, lifting his aching jaw off the floorboards. Pain shot down his back again, and he cried out, eyes spinning. Then there was another hand beneath him, and he was lifted groaning away from the floor. They lowered him carefully into a chair, and he fell against it, skin stinging, panting through gritted teeth.
‘What happened to him?’
‘Had a wolf at ‘im, by the looks of it!’
‘Don’t be a fool! No wolves in these woods.’
‘Believe in magic, but not in wolves?’
Cal groaned again.
‘Shut it, all of you!’
Cal blinked again, and the Innkeep’s rosy cheeks coalesced into the air before his eyes, looking down at him worriedly. Lokk was at his shoulder, wide-eyed, his mop of lank hair hanging loosely over his forehead. Someone had put the door to, and it was suddenly very quiet. Cal took a breath.
‘What happened, boy?’ The Innkeep asked him. Beyond his shoulders, Cal could see the faces of a half-dozen patrons, blinking back at him with wide eyes. All except Old Godry, who looked mildly irritated. Outside, the storm wailed helplessly against the thatching, and thunder rumbled against the hills, more distant, now. Cal held his breath, craning his ears. But the footsteps were gone. He swallowed.
‘There were…’ He hesitated, glancing towards the door. ‘I… fell.’
‘Down half the Teeth by the looks of it!’ Lokk pointed at his arms. ‘What were you doing out in this?’
Cal blinked, looking down. His arms were crisscrossed with dozens of bloody cuts, and his shirt was hanging off him in strings. He frowned, shrugging, and then winced as fire raced over his skin, and fell back against the chair, gasping.
‘Thought… Thought I had time to get back.’
‘Damned fool.’ Carel told him, appearing beside her father. She had a pail of steaming water under one arm, and a bundle of rags in the other. ‘Got to clean those before they rot.’
‘I’m fi-’
‘That’s enough talking.’ The Innkeep told him. ‘Or I’ll want coin for the cloth.’
Cal thought better of arguing.
‘Saw a fair few mugs go over.’ The Innkeep turned towards the rest of the room, smiling reassuringly. ‘I’ll fetch a new barrel. This one’s on the house.’
A few grumbles of approval from the assembled regulars. They were all watching him. He could feel their eyes on him, prying, poking. Sensible boys know better than to go wandering in a storm. They’d always thought the Blacksmith’s stray was cracked. Same as his master. Godry seemed to have let his irritation go at the promise of free ale, but Cal spotted the butcher’s brute of a son, Petr, sneering back at him over the rim of his mug. He lowered his eyes. They thought him mad. Maybe they were right. Behind his eyes, the shadows were still chasing him through endless trees, clawing at his heels. But the door stayed closed, and there was no sound beyond it but the storm. Maybe he was losing his mind.
‘Quite the show, that was.’ Lokk grinned as his father went off to find the barrel. Carel rolled her eyes, pulling up another chair and setting about dampening the cloth. ‘Barely seen you in weeks, then you show up all bloody an’ panting like a wolf that’s got in with the chickens? You always knew how to make an entrance.’
Cal grunted. He didn’t feel like explaining himself. Wasn’t sure he could, even if he did.
‘Scared off the new folk, too.’ Lokk nodded towards an empty table in the far corner of the room, scattered with discarded mugs.
Cal blinked. ‘What?’
‘Had some of Solen’s new hands in tonight.’ Lokk told him offhandedly, scratching his chin. ‘Quiet lot. Must have given them quite the fright. Saw themselves out sharpish.’
‘What did… hnngg.’ Cal clamped his teeth together with a groan as Carel pressed one of the rags against his bloody forearm.
‘Stay still.’ She told him, wiping the cloth slowly across his skin. It felt like someone was stripping his flesh with a wood plane. Cal clenched his jaw, forcing himself not to yelp. Lokk lounged idly against the bar beside him, sweeping his loose hair back from his forehead untidily.
‘Interrupted Godry, too.’ His friend went on, clearly unperturbed by his suffering. ‘Old goat hates being interrupted.’
Cal grunted again. The little clump of patrons seemed to have lost interest in him, now, turning back to their mugs as the Innkeep moved deftly through the tables, a little cask under his arm. Petr and his father were sitting glowering at no one in particular. Forley and his young wife Priss looked taken aback, and not the least bit shaken, by the unexpected turn of events the evening had taken, but the dour-faced miners beside them (whose names Cal did not know) seemed to have paid Cal’s entrance no heed at all. Old Godry was sitting patiently, firelight knotting over his scarred cheeks, waiting for his cue. Soon their mugs were full again, and the foolishness of the Blacksmith’s stray was quite forgotten. The Innkeep set the empty cask down somewhere behind the bar, and went off to find another barrel. Cal gritted his teeth as Carel went on with her work, eyes watering, and watched the villagers blur indifferently by the fire.
‘You weren’t finished, Godry.’ Albin, the butcher began, taking a long swig from his mug. ‘’bout to tell us how the wizard farted out his storm to save the savages.’
Cal saw Forley roll his eyes. ‘You know damned well where we were! Tell us about Arolf!’
Albin scowled, opening his mouth to retort, but Godry regained his composure in time to step in.
‘Aerolf, Forley.’ He corrected patiently.
‘Aerolf, then.’ The young shepherd agreed, rolling his eyes. ‘What happened next?’
‘Well, like I was saying, old King Talor’s already met his end, but them Northmen weren’t done yet. That beast Aerolf most of all.’ Godry began, lowering his voice and eyeing his audience conspiratorially. ‘He had a score to settle, see. This weren’t the kind of man to let a woman run from him, you understand.’
‘Serves him right.’ Albin grumbled. ‘Couldn’t keep her in his bed, even with a sword on her.’
The two miners snorted in agreement, and Petr just kept scowling. Cal flinched as Carel drew her rag over a particularly deep cut. He caught her eye reproachfully, and she smiled slyly.
‘Oops.’
She was very close, he realised, and he could feel the heat of her against his cut-thread skin. Another night, he might even have enjoyed it.
‘So there they was, dead King and all. Could of had the throne for hisself, right then.’ The old miner continued gravely. ‘But he was more animal than man. Mad as a beast, they say, big as a bear, covered head to toe in blood, cut up like an old buck. And this beast had a taste for blood.’
The little circle of villagers leaned a little closer in their seats, eyeing Godry eagerly. Cal realised he was listening along with them.
‘So off he goes, bloody magic blade in hand.’ Godry held out his hand like a blade, scowling at them over the fire. ‘He finds that place where old King Talor locked up his pretty young daughter. And what’d’you think he does when he finds it?’
‘Kills her.’ Forley whispered.
‘That’s right, boy.’ Godry nodded, dropping his arm. ‘Heard it said he clawed the tower door open with his bare hands. Dragged her out into that garden, butchered her right there in the grass, threw her off that big rock of theirs like an old ham. This weren’t a man you run from. If he couldn’t have her, no one could.’
‘How’d they kill him, then?’ Albin asked, frowning.
‘Well, see now. Northmen ain’t the only one with monsters.’ Godry said craftily, raising one patchwork brow. ‘Dekar’s a sharp one. He’d realised what was afoot, by now. Rallied the King’s Men, drove the scum back out of the King’s hall. Weren’t a man amongst them left standing, save the ones in the garden. But for Aerolf and them, he saved his best killer.’
‘The Bloodless.’ Forley murmured.
‘The Bloodless.’ Godry agreed. ‘Biggest woman you’ve ever seen. Big as a wagon, skin like blue snow. They say there’s nought but ice in them veins, and if you cut her, she don’t bleed.’
‘And I’ve got rocks for balls.’ Albin snorted.
‘Might as well, for all the good they do you.’ Godry snapped back at him. ‘But the Bloodless finds the traitor. Right there in that garden, all covered in the Princess’s blood. Cuts Aerolf down, throws him from the walls after her, him and his magic sword. Almost killed that Stonesplitter dog, too, whilst she were at it. Weren’t no easy thing though; gets her head cut open like a peach for its trouble. Should’ve died, right there. Would’ve, if not for those… other types Dekar had took up with.’
‘‘Least the traitor was dead.’
‘Aye, that he was. That Heartspire’s taller than a mountain. Say there weren’t nothing left of him but mulch, once he got to the bottom. Him and the princess both.’
‘Makers have mercy.’ Forley murmured, making the sign of the Nine over his breast. Even Albin took another mouthful of ale.
‘Weren’t no mercy. A beast don’t deserve none.’ Godry said soberly, following Forley and drawing a circle over his chest. ‘If he couldn’t ‘ave her, no one could.’
Cal barely heard them. He felt drained, as though the cuts had bled the weight from his bones. He floated just above his chair in a haze, and the roomed blurred and swayed as if through shallow water. Carel went about her work quietly, carefully, and the pain of it washed over him in raw waves, until the pail of water at her feet was stained an ugly pink.
‘Dekar had a plan though!’ Forley whispered excitedly, his reverence forgotten. ‘Tell ‘em, Godry!’
‘That he did, Forley.’ Godry smiled, his scarred face contorting grotesquely. ‘See, that Dekar’s sharp as a carving knife. Took up Taylor’s magic sword, led the King’s Men himself. But that weren’t all. Had some of his men kept back, from down West. Big men. Hard men. Came on the Northmen camp in the dead of night. Surrounded ‘em.’
‘Weren’t just any men, I hears it.’ Albin grumbled.
‘Here we go!’ Forley snorted.
‘Said it yourself, Godry. Dekar took up with them religious types.’ Albin shot back, frowning indignantly. ‘Everyone knows it.’
‘Religious? Masks don’t keep the Makers.’ Forley spat. ‘Ain’t nothing but bandits dressed up like monks.’
Cal blinked.
*‘*Brothers ain’t got no Gods save the Darkness.’ Priss murmured quietly. ‘You say Nine, I say eight.’
‘All the same.’ Albin was saying, folding his arms over his mug. ‘Brothers are useful, and good old Dekar didn’t sniff at them like you do.’
‘That’s enough, Alb.’ Godry interrupted. ‘He’s still our King, even all the way out here.’
Cal opened his mouth, straightening in his seat, but Carel pushed him back down again tutting.
‘Sit still.’
‘But-’
‘Hardly our King anymore, anyways.’ Albin spat. ‘Not like it used to be. Valia’s for the lowlanders.’
‘You sounds like a Northman.’ Forley scowled.
‘Or one of the Elahi.’ Priss added. Albin bristled, and Godry jumped in just in time.
‘Doesn’t matter. All Dekar’s hard men never got to the Northmen camp.’ The grizzled old smelter went on. ‘Seems old Isandur weren’t done yet.
Cal gritted his teeth. His head ached, and his mouth tasted like smoke.
Albin spat at his feet, sneering. ‘Isandur my arse.’
‘Let him be, Alb.’ Forley told him.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as the butcher and his son fixed Forley with their most angry of looks. Then Godry cleared his throat noisily, and Petr shoved himself to his feet and stalked off towards the bar, snatching up their empty mugs as he went.
‘But Isandur is a crafty one, and no mistake. Showed up just in time, as always. What he wanted from it, no man can say. Them Chosen are scheming sorts, what ones is left. Us mortals couldn’t guess what they’s thinkin’.’ He paused, nodding knowingly. ‘Storm-tamers, they call ‘em. He spoke the words, and the sky opened. Biggest storm you’ve ever seen. Caught Dekar’s men as they came. Scattered ‘em like wheat in a gale.’
Petr aimed a crooked smile at Carel as he passed, and she lowered her eyes. Cal barely noticed. He no longer heard Godry. The room around him seemed very far away. Was he awake? Or was he dreaming?
‘Northerners took the chance. Fled faster than the wind what chased them. Them that were still on the rock, them what murdered and killed our King?’ Godry went on, shaking his head sadly. ‘Them he called the wind itself for, and carried them away before Dekar could get at them. Aerolf’s brother, among them. King of the North, he goes by now. Couple of other Northmen, too. Stonesplitter cut almost in half by the Bloodless’ blade.’
Albin spat on the floor, and the miners scowled. No right-minded Valian liked this part, magic or not. Cal ground his teeth.
‘That Chosen bastard let the King get his throat slit, then shows up to save his killers.’ Albin cursed.
‘Makers know why. Not been seen since.’ Godry agreed. ‘Back they went, anyway, back to the rest of the savages as they fled like dogs. Storm was so heavy, river banks burst behind them, flooded half the valley.’
Cal’s heart was pounding in his ears, and his skull was ringing. Outside, the wind whined over the thatching, howling at the broken clouds.
‘Don’t matter how many men Dekar had. Or how many Brothers. Ain’t no one swimming in mail.’
Cal forced his eyes shut. Black Ones. A storm. Falling.
‘Cal?’
He opened his eyes, blinking into the firelight, and found Carel looking down at him worriedly.
‘Does it hurt?’ She was asking softly.
‘What… no, I’m fine.’ He told her, blinking again. ‘I need to…’
‘Stay here.’ She told him, lifting up the bloody pail. ‘I need more cloth.’
She turned on her heel and disappeared. Cal’s head spun.
‘… already scared off the new folk with all these tall stories.’ Albin was saying. ‘Storm’s just a storm. Forge boy knows.’
Cal blinked, lurching unsteadily to his feet. Asking questions, the Innkeep had said. His vision blurred unsteadily, and the room stared back at him, wobbling like a top.
‘Cal, you need to sit down.’ Lokk told him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Cal blinked. His eyes stopped spinning, and the ache in his head had vanished. The wind had moved on overhead, and the air was thick with smoke and heat. The little group of patrons were eyeing him curiously. All save the butcher.
‘Listen to him boy, before you hurt yourself.’ Albin sneered back at him.
‘Come on, Cal. Ignore him.’ Lokk murmured in his ear.
Cal swallowed, meeting the swarthy butcher’s eye for a moment. Then he let himself be steered backward, slumping into his seat like an empty sack.
‘Must have lost more blood than I thought.’ Lokk told him, pulling up a chair beside him and tutting. ‘Want to pick a fight with Albin as well as that storm?’
‘What?’ Cal mumbled, blinking. The butcher had gone back to his drink, and the other villagers had gone with him, grumbling amongst themselves about the practicalities of storm-tamers and treacherous, magical old men. He took a breath. ‘I wasn’t. I-’
‘Sure looked like you were. You know Alb. Just his way. Didn’t mean anything by it.’
‘Lokk, when did the new folk leave?’
‘What? Oh… I told you. Right after you turned up. Spooked ‘em good, you did, all bloody like a fresh ham…’
‘Where did they go?’
‘How should I know? Had my hands full peeling you off the floor. Why d’you care, anyway?’
‘Lokk, I need to…’
‘Oh, no you don’t! You aren’t going anywhere. Need to rest.’ His friend told him, pinning him to his chair by his shoulders. ‘Look like you fell down half the Teeth face first.’
‘I…’ Cal began, lowering his voice. His head was clearing, and the room was no longer spinning like a leaf. Beside the fire, the other patrons were still bickering emptily. The storm had passed, and the ache of it was clearing from his battered skull. ‘I didn’t just fall. Something was chasing me.’
‘What are you talking about? You crack your head, too?’
‘Lokk, listen. There were…’
‘Let go!’
They both looked up at the sudden commotion from beside the bar. Carel had just made it out from behind it with a fresh pail of steaming water before Petr had cornered her, bulky shoulders blocking the way forward like a stubborn bullock. He had one meaty hand curled around Carel’s wrist, and she had her eyes fixed on the floor. Cal was on his feet before Lokk could say anything.
‘Let go of her.’
The big youth let go of Carel’s wrist, and the pail fell abruptly back to her side, spilling steaming water across the floor. She looked at it distantly, frowning.
‘Or what, you little shit?’ The butcher’s son grumbled throatily, turning slowly around to facing Cal, glaring down at him with rheumy-eyes. His words had the imprecise edge of drink to them, and his breath smelled of sour ale. ‘Gonna throw yourself down a fucking hill at me?’
‘Just leave her be, Petr.’ Lokk added from Cal’s shoulder.
‘Mind your own business.’ The big youth snorted, still glaring at Cal darkly. ‘Sit down before you hurt yourself, stray.’
He began to turn back to Carel. Lokk put a hand on Cal’s shoulder, and Cal ignored him.
‘Leave her be.’ He said again.
‘Or what?’ Petr snarled back, lurching around again, wiping spittle from the corner of his mouth. ‘Going to bleed on me?’
‘It’s fine, Cal. No harm done.’ Carel said quietly from beside the bar, eyes still on the ground. ‘Sit down, let me finish with your cuts.’
‘You heard her. Be a good little foundling and sit down like she says.’
Cal swallowed. Petr was nearly a head taller than he was, and his arms were thick, corded with miner’s work. But there would be no avoiding it now, and he didn’t have the patience to let it be, that night. The big youth was drunk, and spoiling for a fight. Cal glanced back over his shoulder, but the other patrons were bickering loudly beside the fire, oblivious, or indifferent, or both. The Innkeep was still in the back somewhere, tapping a new barrel. Strike first. Strike hard. Cal shifted his feet slightly, readying himself. His head had cleared, and his pain was far away. The moment of calm was on him. A blink in time. The room faded away, vibrating with stillness. There was only his breath. In, and out. He waited.
‘Nothing to say? Suppose a dead whore can’t teach her cunt son any manners.’
Cal moved quickly, uncoiling like a bowstring. He burst forward off his hind leg, bunching his fist towards Petr’s slab of a jaw. The butcher’s son had no chance to react. How could he? Cal moved with the ease of a seasoned brawler, hard limbs whipping like clubs. Lokk’s arm slipped from his shoulder. He was already halfway across the distance between them before Petr could even blink.
His boot splashed, skidded, slid. The water. Cal blinked, lost balance, and slid wildly into Petr’s chest. His head thudded into the other boy, and he staggered back, confused, dazed. Petr blinked down at him, cogs turning slowly in his ale-slowed mind. Then a broad grin spread across the big youth’s jaw.
‘Should’ve listened, stray.’

Enili is one of the largest southern princedoms, the strength of which is heavily reliant upon the support of the Kawriq Empire. It is ruled by a prince, currently Izevel, who is the head of the princedom senate, overseer of the court of judges, and possesses unquestionable executive power within the nation.
The soil there is of a bright orange to dark brown coloration. Alhough it does not hold many natural resources, it is a treasure in itself, fertile and capable of sustaining great forests and farmlands. Woodwork, harvested crops, livestock meats and furs, woven fabric, pottery and glass, as well as experienced professionals make up most of the country's exports. Metals, spices, alcohols, scrolls of papyrus and many other materials need to be purchased from merchants from the north, east, and west. The people of Enili commonly use clay tablets for writing and notation, but since the nation fell under the influence of the Kawriq Empire papyrus scrolls began to significantly gain on popularity.
The princedom does not possess a large army, and its city lacks in strategic defenses. However, it does maintain a fleet of over fifty state-owned ships to deal with pirates and perform escorts of important individuals and resources, while the city militia is numerous, well-trained, and well-equipped.
The City of Enili, located on the most eastern flank of the Kawriq civilization and easily accessible from land and sea by travelers and merchants from far away, has become a safe stop for those travelers. It allows them to rest in their journey, make repairs to their vessels and equipment, and resupply at a relatively cheap price. Many buildings at the center of the city were built out of white imported marble and sandstone, while on the outskirts wood and orange clay bricks are the most dominant materials.
The city has been expanding both in population and size at an unprecedented pace for the last few years, reaching no less than one hundred thousand citizens, about sixty thousand non-citizens (mostly immigrants from Kawriq, and people from the dry and hot north) and thirty thousand peasants with limited rights. To gain a citizenship and the benefits it grants one has to serve at least twenty four years in the city militia, navy or military (and half as much to become a half-citizen) or be born to a pair of citizens, or one citizen and one half-citizen. Half-citizens are effectively citizens who were born to pairs of a citizen and a non-citizen, however child of a pair of two half-citizens will always be a non-citizen. They can improve their status and become a full citizen by paying a half-citizen tax for twelve years and completing a written test of citizenship.
The city posses a primitive, mostly covered sewage system, making it suprisingly clean and pleasant-smelling for its size.
The faith of the feathered twins has recently become the main religion, and while the cults of most of the lesser gods have died out or been nearly completely abandoned, however their statues and symbols are still understood to attract good spirits. They are still actively prayed to, but more as a group. Those relics of the past can often be seen in public meeting areas and households, bringing luck to the citizens. Similarly, the fossils and bones of long-dead animals have always been understood to protect from tge evil spirits, the fuller and more accurately articulated the skeleton, the better. In accordance with the dominant Enili philosophy known as the "palace of the higher needs," no temples or ancient statues were purposefully demolished. Instead, they were repurposed to serve the feathered twins. The religious conversion was mostly swift and bloodless, thanks to countless public speeches by philosophers, government officials, and public representatives, as well as successful negotiations between interested parties.
There are many skilled craftsmen living within Enili, purchasing raw resources from merchants and selling finished products with profit. Many private, priesthood-owned and state-owned schools exist there, the most well known of which is the Enili School of Craftsmanship and Philosophy, located in a repurposed ancient temple on the western bank of the river Izu. According to many the Enili School represents the highest standard of education in all southern princedoms. A large population of alchemists lives in the eastern part of the city, producing and selling a great number of elixirs of questionable effectiveness, though there are many things they produce that have been proven to function as intended, coloured glass being one of them. The woodwork sector is also strong within the city, producing great art, furniture, and sturdy ships of the Enili pattern. Many poets, artists, sculptors, architects, engineers, and philosophers also live within the city, and their works are the pride of Enili people.
The coinage there is somewhat unusual. The "unicorns" are the very recently introduced coins of the highest value. They are round, made of platinum and iron, and bear the image of the creature on one side and the stylized profile carving of Izevel on the other. They are worth one thousand of the golden coins each. The "envoys" are the second most valuable coin, made of gold, square, and with a hole at the center. They bear the image of two envoy birds on one side and the ruler of the Kawriq Empire on the other. There is also another, older version of this coin still in use called "phoenixes," which has the image of a phoenix on one side and the likeness of either Izevel, Izevel's father, or another old ruler on the other. Each golden coin is worth twelve silver coins. The triangular silver "altars," each with a hole in the middle, bear the images of a fish, a crowhorse, and wheat, respectively in each of the corners, and the panorama of Enili on the other side. Each silver coin is worth twelve of the round coloured glass coins, known as "tokens", which can bear a great variety of state-mandated symbols, and are mostly orange in coloration.
The Morning Mountains Colony is a territory aquired relatively recently by the Princedom of Enili by a threat of force and exchange of many coins. It's a small but growing city located near the source of river Izu, counting around ten thousand non-citizens in population. It is ruled by a council made up of its inhabitants and a governor from the City of Enili. The Colony is relatively prosperous and content with it's current political situation. Trade has significantly increased since it joined the princedom, living conditions have improved and a few schools and roads have been built. It's better fortified than the City of Enili, with a steep cliff protecting it from one side and a palisade from the other. The Colony possesses a military force counting around one hundred armored envoy riders, three hundred crowhorse-riding archers, three hundred infantry and ten ships. The purpose of this very expansive force (maintained mostly from the taxes of the citizens of the City of Enili) is to protect the trade routes, eliminate bandits, maintain peace and protect the north of the Princedom of Enili.
https://imgur.com/a/1rowOEA

Hi there! I apologize for any mistakes that stem from being inexperienced, this is my first post here. I have been thinking about posting Hungarian cases on the sub, but this is the first time I actually found the time to do it. I will attach a few sources - English ones seem to be impossible to come by, although there might be one or two related to a possible theory that was since dismissed, I will attach these. The following post is a loose translation of information coming from Hungarian Wikipedia and other Hungarian news articles.
Background
Nikolett Edit Szathmáry was born on July 8, 1990, in Gyula, Békés county, Hungary, to parents Sándor Szathmáry and Edit Szilágyi. Her hometown, Gyula has a population of ~28 000 people and lies in the southeastern corner of Hungary, 5 kilometres (3 miles) from the border with Romania. Most likely due to Nikolett's young age, there is very little information available regarding her upbringing, but it is known that her parents divorced and Nikolett lived with her mother, Edit and her two brothers. (Edit remarried in 2011, to one of the police officers that were involved in the case.) In 1998, at the time of the disappearance, Nikolett was a student in the local No. 5 Elementary School, and Edit supported the family by working as a cleaner in local exhibition halls. Nikolett was a happy, joyful child who was very attached to her mother, but she was also very confident for her age and she regularly walked home on her own from school. She liked to go out in nature with her uncle to watch wild ducks, often went to her friends' homes to hang out with them, and attended extracurricular activities like folk dance classes.
Disappearance
Wednesday, January 14, 1998 started as a regular day for the family. In a 2001 interview, Edit recalled the day of her disappearance: "It was a completely average morning. I woke her up, brought her a cup of cocoa, then we went to school together. We said goodbye to each other, she spent the day in school, then around 2 PM, she walked to her folk dance class. The class was over sometime before 4 PM, they let the kids go a little early that day. Shortly after 4 PM, I went to pick her up, although I previously told her I would not be able to pick her up that day. I wrapped up work and headed out [to Ferenc Erkel Cultural Centre, where her class was]. Maybe if I chose to head home instead, we would've met halfway."
Nikolett did not stay behind to wait for her mother. She began to walk home, as she did many times before without any issues. She left the Cultural Centre in downtown Gyula around 4 PM, and during the walk home, she encountered her pediatrician. They chatted for a little bit and walked together for a while. However, they parted at the neighborhood grocery store, and Nikolett continued on her way alone. Most articles say that this store was no further than 300 metres (about 1000 feet) from her home. According to the receipt the pediatrician showed to police, she paid at the grocery store check-out counter at 4:08. After this point, there were no eyewitnesses that ever saw Nikoletta alive again.
Edit was not particularly worried at first when Nikolett was not home in time, as she was known to visit friends after school on occasion. Until 8 PM, the family tried looking for her in places she could possibly have been, to no avail. At this point, they called the police. A warrant was issued for a blue-eyed girl, around 140 - 145 cm (4' 7" - 4' 9") tall, wearing a purple jacket, pink knitted hat, a green sweatshirt, and a yellow school backpack. The Békés County Police Department searched the town of Gyula and the adjacent woods and wetlands, with no results. Hundreds of police officers were deployed to the town to assist with the search. Special K9 units were also deployed, including Mancs ("Paw"), Hungary's most famous German Shepherd rescue dog who later saved a 3-year-old girl in the aftermath of the 1999 Izmit earthquake in Turkey, and participated in the search and rescue efforts during the 2001 earthquakes in El Salvador and India. 3 000 apartments were searched in the neighbourhood, and they even drained a canal that runs through the town of Gyula. Search helicopters were also used. However, despite the efforts, police was unable to locate Nikolett. Police processed hundreds of reports, none of which lead to any progress with the investigation.
The Békés County Police Department offered a 3 million HUF (around 14 000 USD at the time, a very large sum in 1998 Hungary) to anyone who could provide useful information regarding the circumstances of the disappearance. The mayor of Gyula offered another 500 000 HUF (~2 300 USD). Neither reward was ever claimed. Due to the events, fear spread through the town, and parents did not allow their children to go anywhere on their own. Baseless rumours started spreading, linking Nikolett's disappearance to organ harvesting, but there was no evidence to suggest this. Moreover, Gyula's closeness to the Romanian border and relative closeness to Serbia also led to speculations that Nikolett's disappearance could be the work of a local who escaped the country, or a foreigner who just arrived in town. An international warrant was also issued and Nikolett was added to Interpol's list of missing children worldwide.
Location of the body
For the next three years, there were absolutely no advancements in the case, until February 20, 2001. Thatching workers were collecting straw in the wetlands by Road 44 near the outskirts of Gyula, when they found a large plastic bag. They realized that the bag contained human remains, and the police were informed. Forensic experts determined that the body was likely submerged in water for an extended period of time. Police claimed that this may have been the reason why rescue dogs did not alert in 1998 when the same area was searched. The body found was in a completely skeletal state, with only a blouse and a pair of socks. The backpack, coat, pants, and underwear were never found. Due to these circumstances, it was theorized that she may have been sexually assaulted, although any concrete evidence of that would have been long gone. DNA samples were taken - actually, this was the first case ever in Hungary where DNA was extracted from bones. Getting the results took over six months, which confirmed that the located remains belonged to Nikolett Szathmáry. Finally, the family was able to have a proper burial for her.
Possible perpetrators
According to one article, an anonymous police officer claimed to media that "investigators had and still have suspicions about a possible perpetrator, but there was never enough evidence to support a criminal case". A man named Mihály Rostás, who was 39 years old at the time, was the main suspect. This man committed a few murders in the area; he had three confirmed victims. He committed his first murder in Sarkad, a town 14 kilometres (about 9 miles) north of Gyula. After an argument in a pub, he followed and stabbed his victim to death. He dragged the body to the nearby wetlands and hid it there. (This does show similarities to Nikolett's case.) The second case was the brutal double murder of an elderly couple that happened in Sándorhegy, a suburb of Gyula. After this murder, Rostás was still at large, living in Gyula at the time of Nikolett's disappearance. In early 1998, when she disappeared, he lived less than 2 kilometres from where Nikolett's remains were found. Later, Rostás was caught by police and was sentenced to life in prison for the three murders. Investigators regularly interrogated Rostás in prison. According to the anonymous officer's report, he said: "I know why you are here, I know what you want to hear. I want to live". The death penalty in Hungary was abolished in 1990 - Rostás likely referred to the fact that being known as a child-murderer could have resulted in his death by the hands of his fellow prisoners. He died in prison without ever confessing to any crimes other than the three murders.
Another lead, that is most likely false but still worth mentioning, was discovered on August 2, 2021. A man from Gyula named László Horváth was arrested by police on the suspicion of having produced child pornography. Horváth, a well-known local figure, was a karate instructor, and a report from the parents of a pupil of his resulted in his arrest: the 10-year-old claimed that Horváth touched him inappropriately. The case was heavily politicized due to Horváth having been a local candidate for the political party Jobbik. Jobbik, once characterized as a nationalistic, far-right party, took an unexpected turn in the late 2010s: the far-right radicals in the party leadership left to form another party, and the remaining leadership steered Jobbik in a more centre-right direction, even going as far as joining centre-left parties in a coalition to defeat Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's party, Fidesz, in the 2022 election. This move made Jobbik a newfound enemy of Hungarian media outlets owned by the government party or its associates. This was likely the reason that as soon as DNA was taken from László Horváth as part of standard police procedures, multiple news sources jumped to make connections between Nikolett's case and Horváth, a suspected pedophile living in the same town where she was murdered. One news source, Magyar Narancs, correctly concluded that it is unlikely that the fact DNA was taken had anything to do with Nikolett's case, as her remains had no DNA evidence that could be linked to the killer. However, this same source also erroneously reported that there was no DNA analysis available in Hungary in 2001 - this is incorrect. As of 2023, there were no other reports connecting Horváth to the case.
I was not able to find any other possible leads online that has any chance of credibility. I came across an article that details the claims of a so-called "spirit medium", but it only contains information already publicly known, or laughably vague details that cannot be corroborated in any way. Despite the death of Mihály Rostás, Nikolett's mother Edit claims she believes the real killer is still at large, but she admits this is only based on feelings. In the early 2000s, there were suspicions that the case of another missing child, Tamás Till, could be connected. Tamás disappeared May 28, 2000 in Baja, Bács-Kiskun county. However, Baja is about 220 km (~140 miles) from Gyula, and there is no evidence of a connection.
Some sources
Hungarian:
https://gyertyalang.hu/szemely/751
https://www.csaladinet.hu/hirek/gyerekneveles/gyermekbiztonsag/33164/quot_nem_tanitottuk_meg_hogy_felni_kell_quot_-_szathmary_nikolett_tragikus_esete
https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szathm%C3%A1ry_Nikolett-gyilkoss%C3%A1g
https://magyarnarancs.hu/bun/maig-megoldatlan-szathmary-nikolett-eltunese-es-halala-235116
https://magyarnarancs.hu/kismagyarorszag/szinte-kizart-hogy-a-gyulai-pedofilbotrany-a-szathmary-niki-ugy-megoldasa-lehet-240699
https://www.blikk.hu/aktualis/krimi/regi-bunugy-szathmary-niki-eltunes-gyilkossag-nyomozas-megoldatlan-rejtely/b0x8c49
https://www.blikk.hu/aktualis/krimi/szathmary-nikolett-gyilkossag-edesanya-jobbik-gyula/edgkqh7
I used other articles as well, but I honestly didn't keep very good track of it, as I assume most readers would not be able to read them anyway.
English:
https://v4na.com/nagyvilag/politician-could-face-investigation-for-paedophile-murder-case-48999/
https://hungarytoday.hu/former-local-jobbik-politician-arrested-suspicion-child-pornography/
These are connected to the lead that is most likely false.

I am a Mythologist. It was a profession passed down from generation to generation and I've always been interested in it. The old tales my dad used to tell me about fairies, cyclops and big giant wolves always had me on edge. There was something he never spoke about however. That was giants. Whenever I brought up the thought of giants he would clearly change from cheerful to stone cold, Even fearful at times. One night my dad came home drunk, I could smell the whisky on his breath from 10 feet away. He was clearly in a state of panic as the only detail i remember vividly, Were his big eyes, They were almost black. When it was time for me to sleep I asked him for some tales and no matter how mad he was he always told me something I never had heard of. I miss those times.
He was telling me a story about an ancient fairy garden that produces dreams when I brought up giants. Without a single word he switched out the lights and left my room, Leaving me to soak in the eeriness of if he was mad or not.
When dad left I was around 16. He one day left for a journey to Ireland because they found evidence of something, I don't know exactly what it was but his notes suggested it was something to do with angels. There were very detailed illustrations of them and how they looked and it was completely different to what i could have expected an angel to look like. It had more then 2 legs, Wings were small like a baby birds but the most striking detail was the eyes. They had the same big black eyes like the night my father had when he was drunk. I crunched out the memory for the trauma it gave me. I felt uncomfortable looking at it.
When I got out of college I had a degree in mythology. I had a few friends who were interested but most either became something else or a partner field like Archaeology. One night i got a call from one of these friends. I'll call him Troy. He was clearly frantic as if he was in a hurry and asked me for help, Apparently on one of the digs they had found evidence of something that needed to be identified. My first and most obvious question was "Why would you need a mythologist for that?" He avoided it and said they could fly me out tomorrow, This was in Afghanistan but it was in a more desolated area. So i wasn't too fearful of potential threats. After some time of thinking i agreed and i was flown out no less then when the sun had fully rose.
When i stepped onto the dry sandy landscape of the country i was shocked. The sun was blazing so hot it felt like i would be reduced to ash. I felt uncomfortable and i moved to the spot where i was meant to be picked up, When the pickup arrived i hopped in and after a few hours of treacherous heat and sandy roads we finally arrived to a very large dig site. There were scientists, Journalists but most confusing of all? There were armed guards.
As i shuffled over Troy greeted me with a tight hug and gestured for me to follow him and so i did. We walked in to one of the many research tents and there were very old illustrations, books and more. But the one thing that caught my eye was a bottle that was waxed shut with a rolled up piece of paper. I looked at it and he caught my gaze and explained.
"We uh, We found this at the site, We think it might be a codex or a dating, If we are right and able to figure out what it says it could change quite a-lot about the history of this place, All the things we wondered could now be proven!"
Then i asked the burning question "Why do you need me then?" A massive lump formed in his throat as he walked out, Me trailing behind. When we arrived to the main attraction i couldn't believe what i was seeing. In this big rectangular like hole stood a skeleton. This skeleton was no less 12 feet tall and was almost 5 feet wide. I almost thought this was a joke or an animal till i saw the very clearly blue oxidized copper spear and massive iron brace in with the skeleton. Then the memories flashed of my fathers avoidance of giants. As a mythologist you don't actually think any of this is possible, It's mostly cultural study. By the time i had looked at this thing long enough it was very dark, Around 11 pm. So we all headed to bed. The only thing i remember thinking was "Is this real, Have we found evidence of giants?" And so i passed out in my own pool of thoughts.
When I awoke i heard lots of scampering chatting and most confusingly the sound of guns being loaded. I sprung out of bed rushing to see that the skeleton had disappeared. But even worse. So had Troy. He was absolutely nowhere to be seen, I heard people talking but i saw a crowd up ahead and so i followed. When I stood to see what they saw I was shocked. There were massive trails of clear drag marks but also. There were footprints, At least 4 feet in length. The drag marks lead into a valley of mounds and so we planned to follow them. Our main thought was that troy had taken the body and planned to sell it. When I went into his tent everything was clearly frantically thrown around as if he had scampered to get out of bed quick. But also, The bottle with the message was gone.
I ran out and I went with the group. Following the trails I started to become anxious, Fearful even. Something about this wasn't right. How could he have moved that massive skeleton out of that pit and not have made any noise, Never the less the weight. The spear and the brace was also gone. How was any of this possible. When the trail started to shift it went up a ramp like slope into the top portions of these mounds, They were around 100 to 500 meters tall. When we followed them we arrived at a cave and without any hesitation the group shuffled in. I stood there in shock, But before I could think my legs did for me and I moved in.
The first thing I noticed was the smell, It was rancid, Worse then death. But the second thing was the darkness, I had a torch with me but before I lit it i felt helpless, If I got lost in here without a torch I would never make it out, I would be forced to die slowly, Constricted by only the boundaries of rocky walls. When I lit the room I saw the group was a bit ahead and so I jogged to catch up, When I hit a loose rock and it bounced into the wall making a loud echo. Then we heard it.
Loud heavy footsteps came from the cave right in front of the group, The first thought was a wild animal and so a lot of us rushed out. When we made it we heard yelling and screaming, Then the noise started to muffle till it all stopped. We heard crunching, Slurping. The sound of a predator feeding on its prey. One of the very many armed guards quickly loaded his rifle and the sounds stopped. The footsteps slow this time came towards us and the guards immediately put there weapons up waiting.
A massive shape of a human formed from the darkness, From even that I could tell it was around 15 feet maybe even more. Then it emerged. From that cave a massive axe swung out striking one of the guards in the body and sending him off the mountain, There were no screams, He was dead instantly. The figure emerged and from what i saw will be engraved in my memory like a message. It stood tall, Its skin was a pale stark grey and its features were strict, It had black deep eyes sunken into its head far more then naturally should, Its nose was slightly cut off and it had horrendous scars on its face, But its mouth is what i remember the most. It had a grin with thousands of tiny razor sharp teeth and there were blood on them, It was primal, A supernatural being that should have not existed.
It wore bones with rags on it and it had a brace. It was wearing the body of what we had extracted, Like a trophy. But the final thing that haunts me was what hung off its body, There were twine ropes with body parts mounted on them like trophies, They were troys. The guards opened fire on the beast as it let out a deep gutteral roar, Almost like the screech of metal. I watched as it grabbed the closest person, One of the guards and without any trouble the beast squeezed, The guard turned to nothing more then a red paste and it dripped out of the things knuckles.
That's when I ran between its feet and into its lair. I ran and ran till i found where it had been hiding. There was a small cavern and there stood a bunch of dead grass, Sticks and other things. I don't know how this thing got grass in the middle of fucking Afghanistan but I didn't care. As I ran up to it i saw the message and I approached it. The bottle was easy to break and I thought in my last moments I would read it. This is what it read.
"To all who finds this. I am dead, I am not the body of the monster that has been found, I am rather the man by the name of Lucas Hitch-Wood. What you have dug up is a giant, A massive beast that resides in all places but is mostly known was fantasy."
Lucas Hitch-Wood was my fathers name. The note was in smeared ink and was clearly written in a hurry. I looked at the bottle and noticed something, It was an old whisky bottle. Everything finally clicked. He never went to Ireland. He went here. He knew they existed. As I said this more gunshots echoed and screams eminated from the pitch dark my torch couldn't luminate, In a hurry i ran to a wall and i saw something shiny. There was a watch, A silver watch which i recognised. It was my fathers. I saw bones scattered and i realized he had died here.
I sobbed like a baby till the shots stopped, I thought it was coming back then i heard my name being called. I rushed out to the see the beast had fallen, Dead. Its eyes lay open to reveal the same dark sunken voids I had seen moments ago.. That was the last i remembered, The black voids of that things eyes, Then i passed out, I awoke in hospital and was told i had suffered from intense stress which caused the fainting. As the nurse walked out 2 men in suits walked in. I had heard of this, The men in black.
"What you saw that day is something that very few have ever seen. We have contacted who you work for and have managed to get you a sum of money in exchange for sworn secrecy. A contract will be provided for this soon." I was payed 300 thousand dollars to be quiet about the horrors i witnessed that day.
Now when i walk around the streets i notice more black eyes staring at me, It's not long before i join my dad, The stress has been to much, I'm considering just taking a shitload of pills and dozing off in peace.
Be warned of the giants. They exist and they walk in plain sight.

Jane <3

• Thread 1
• Thread 2

ALIENS, CRYPTOIDS AND SIMULATIONS

• What if Earth is like one of those uncontacted tribes in South America, like the whole Galaxy knows we're here but they've agreed not to contact us until we figure it out for ourselves?
• What are some horrifying things to consider when thinking about aliens?
• What do you think is stopping aliens from killing us all?
• What is your personal encounter with the paranormal - ghosts, aliens, sleep paralysis, glitch in the matrix, etc?
• What are some horrifying things to consider when thinking about aliens?
• People of Reddit that honestly believe they have been abducted by aliens, what was your experience like?
• Stephen Hawking has stated that we should stop trying to contact Aliens, as they would likely be hostile to us. What is your position on this issue?
• If UFO's aren't aliens, and aren't hoaxes, what's the scariest scenario for what they really are?
• What is the most "aliens did it" moment in history?
• Believers of reddit, what's the most convincing evidence that aliens exist?
• The President mistakenly declares Martian Law, instead of Martial Law. What powers does he think he has under Martian Law?
• Individuals of Reddit who have experienced crazy sightings such as Aliens, Cryptids, Humanoids, UFOs, Black Silouettes AKA The Shadow People, Dogman, Mothman, Stairs in the Woods etc- What stories can you share?
• Neil deGrasse Tyson believes there are better than 50/50 odds that we live in a simulation universe. What glitch in the matrix have you experienced?
• People of reddit who claim to have seen a mythical creature, such as faires, elves, gnomes, etc, what is your story?
• What do you think is scarier, the idea that we are alone in the universe or the idea that we aren’t? Why?
• UFO enthusiasts of Reddit, what is the most significant piece of evidence supporting extra terrestrial life?
• Who would you call if you caught bigfoot?
• Did a small-town college professor discover the first-ever evidence of extraterrestrial life back in 1959? - a little-known European mystery that totally belongs in the X Files

PLACES, ENCOUNTERS AND EXPERIENCES

• People of reddit, what is the one thing that was so disturbing and gruesome you saw in your life that still disturbs you deeply to this day?
• What’s something unexplainable that you’ve experienced?
• What place gets creepy when you're alone?
• When did a game of hide and seek go horribly wrong?
• Travelers of lonely roads, explorers of the great outdoors, workers of creepy jobs and late-night shifts... What's your scary story?
• Whats a horrifying/creepy experience you have lived through?
• What is the creepiest or most unexplained thing that’s happened to you that you still think and/or wonder about to this day?
• People of Reddit, what was the creepiest thing you experienced that you thought was paranormal, but was actually much scarier when you found out what really caused it?
• What is the creepiest thing you found in a forest?
• People who like to explore abandoned buildings. What was the biggest "fuck this, I'm out" moment you had while exploring?
• What’s the creepiest or most unexplainable thing you’ve ever seen that you haven’t shared anywhere?
• What was the strangest moment in your life that you still can't explain up to this day?
• People who avoided certain death by not going at a place they normally would be at (9/11, plane crashes, shootings, etc.), What did you feel when you found out something horrible happened at a place you would have normally been at?
• What is the most horrific event that you have personally witnessed?
• Road trippers, what's the scariest and creepiest portion of Interstate or State Highways to drive in?
• What is the strangest/creepiest thing that has happened to you, that left you saying what the hell was that?
• What is the Creepiest or most Unexplained thing that’s happened to you that you still think about to this day?
• Whats a horrifying/creepy experience you have lived through?
• What is your small town dark secret story?
• What are your most disturbing /unsettling memories from your childhood?
• What's the creepiest thing you've ever experienced when you've been alone?
• What is the scariest noise you've ever heard?
• What very realistic event could happen to make 2020 even worse?
• Parents, what's the creepiest thing you remember about your child and an imaginary friend?
• What is the strangest thing that happened to you that you can’t logically explain?
• What is the strangest thing you've seen that you cannot explain?
• What is the scariest thing to happen to you when you’ve been home alone?
• What is your “I was THAT close to dying” moment?
• What is the scariest thing you have seen?
• People of Reddit with security cameras, what is the creepiest thing you’ve caught on video?
• What's the scariest thing that's ever woken you up during the middle of the night?
• People who’ve had a “Something is VERY wrong here and I need to leave” feeling but stayed, what happened?
• What was your biggest ‘we need to leave... Now!’ moment?
• People who grew up in a small town, what’s the dark secret?
• When has a gut feeling saved your life?
• Reddit, what was the scariest place you have ever been to ?

SUPERNATURAL, PARANORMAL, AND URBAN LEGENDS

• What’s the most supernatural experience you’ve ever had?
• What myth or folklore do you FIRMLY believe in?
• What is your personal encounter with the paranormal - ghosts, aliens, sleep paralysis, glitch in the matrix, etc?
• People who aren't superstitious, what is something that still creeps you out/ you won't mess with?
• Reddit, regardless of your opinion of the occult or supernatural, what is the most downright creepy or inexplicable thing that you've ever experienced?
• What are some scary urban legends you have heard of?
• What was YOUR paranormal experience ?
• What is a paranormal experience you’ve had?
• What's your Favorite Cryptid or Urban Legends?
• Paranormal believers of reddit, what made you believe?

PEOPLE AND PROFESSIONS

• Redditors who work at remote places like forest officers, oil rig workers, etc, what creepy things have you noticed while at work?
• Deep woods hikers and campers, what is the strangest or scariest situation you have come across?
• Nurses and doctors of reddit what’s your weirdest/scariest paranormal stories that took place during work?
• Urban Explorers: What is the creepiest "We're not alone" experience(s) you've had?
• Urban explorer of Reddit, what was your "I better gtfo" story?Urban explorer of Reddit, what was your "I better gtfo" story?
• Truck drivers, what's a creepy story you've got from the middle of nowhere?
• Campers, backpackers and park rangers of Reddit. What is the weirdest or creepiest thing you have found while in the woods?
• Deep sea Divers, what are your horror stories?
• People that do autopsies, whats the weirdest thing that you have found that didn't have anything to do with the person's death?
• Sailors, what's the creepiest, scariest, or most unnerving thing you've seen/witnessed while at sea?
• Night shifters, ever witnessed a paranormal activity? If so, what was it?
• Graveyard Shift workers of Reddit, what crazy, creepy, unbelievable things have you seen working in the dead of night?
• Therapists of Reddit, have you ever been genuinely scared of a patient and why?
• Autopsy doctors of Reddit, what was the biggest revelation you had to a person's death after you carried out the procedure?
• People who make their living out of cleaning murder scenes, accidents and the like, what is the worst thing you have experienced in your career?
• Night time workers of reddit, what's the freakiest stuff you've seen on the job?
• Mariners of Reddit, what’s the strangest thing you’ve seen out on the open ocean?
• Detectives of Reddit, What are Some of the Creepiest Cases You Have Worked On?
• Former homicide detectives of reddit, what was the case that made you leave the profession?
• Surgeons of reddit, what was your "oh shit" moment ?
• Doctors of Reddit, what is a disease that terrifies you but most people don’t care about?
• People working in forensics, what was the most shocking thing discovered in your lab?
• People who have worked as forensic photographers what picture you took traumatized you for a long time ?
• People who work in graveyards/morgues/embalming bodies. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen...?
• Gamers of reddit, what was the most fucked up thing you heard in a voice chat?
• People who work for social media companies that reviews the community reports. What report that you reviewed that you will never forget about?
• Interstate rest area and truck stop employees, what’s the most bizarre story you have?
• Redditors who have hired a private investigator...what did you find out?
• Ex-homeless redditors, what was the scariest thing that you ever saw on the streets?
• What are your nightshift horror stories?

MYSTERIES, CRIMES AND CRIMINALS

• What cold case or unsolved crime still gives you chills?
• In three days it will have been 4 years since the Delphi Murders of Liberty German and Abigail Williams. The case is still unsolved.
• Which real life serial killer frightened/disturbed you the most?
• In 1928, the third richest man in the world disappeared from his private airplane midflight. He went to the bathroom and simply vanished. To this day, nobody knows for sure what happened on that flight.
• What is the strangest mystery that is still unsolved?
• What is your favorite SOLVED mystery?
• People who knew Murderers, when did you know something was off?
• If you could learn the honest truth behind any rumor or mystery from the course of human history, what secret would you like to unravel?
• Former Prisoners of reddit, what was the most fucked up thing about the prison/jail in general you have witnessed ?
• What is the creepiest missing person case you know about?
• Which unsolved mystery are you most interested in? Why?
• Whats the craziest crime you or somebody in your family has commited?
• Ex Prisoners of reddit, who was the most evil person there, and what did they do that was so bad?
• What are some of the most eerie and unexplained mysteries that you have experienced in your life?
• Redditors who were almost murdered, what's your story?
• McKamey Manor, a “haunted attraction,” is a participation event “where you will live your own horror movie.” Critics have argued that McKamey Manor is not a haunted attraction, but a torture chamber. Founder Russ McKamey denies these claims, and maintains that the Manor has an element of mystery.
• Where is GirlsDoPorn founder Michael James Pratt? Wanted for charges of sex trafficking and child pornography, Pratt has been a fugitive since 2019.
• Ex-Friends of a Serial Killer What Were They Like?
• What unsolved murder are you sure you have the answer to and what is the answer?
• Redditors who have gone/were declared missing, what is your story?
• Dear Reddit, has anyone you've known simply disappeared? What's the story? Have you found closure?
• What was the most unexpected twist you came across in a case?
• What unresolved disappearance creeps you out the most?
• Around 2,000 Medieval era tunnels can be found throughout Europe. No one knows who built them, or why. So what are the erdstall?
• What’s Your Weirdest Theory?
• When the Spanish arrived in modern-day Mexico, they conquered the Aztec city of Teotihuacan. But this city was not built by the Aztecs, who discovered its ruins and claimed it as their own. Who really founded Teotihuacan, once the largest city in the Western world, and what led to its collapse?
• I compiled a list of images related to unsolved cases where investigators are asking the public’s help to identify the subjects of the photo. Each photo is of a John or Jane Doe, Suspect, or Objects in an investigation. Do you recognize any of these subjects?
• On September 11th 1990, a Peruvian Boeing 727 with 16 crewmembers on board went down off Newfoundland, Canada. In a distress call overheard by two other aircraft, the pilot of the doomed jet reported that they were low on fuel and preparing to ditch. But no trace of the plane was ever found
• Today marks the 3 year anniversary of the Las Vegas shooting. Yesterday a judge approved an $800M settlement lawsuit against the Mandalay Bay Resort for the victims in the shooting. To this day there has been no definitive motive discovered regarding the shooter.
• What happened to the children of Hamelin? The dark truth to the Pied Piper.
• The mystery of the SOS sign on the mountain and a corpse, found by complete coincidence
• The Last Victim of 9/11
• A ship is found adrift in the North Sea, covered in blood, partially burnt out and with no sign of its crew. A lone survivor is found in a life raft with suitcases of cash and keeps changing his story. What happened on the Bärbel?

THE INTERNET AGE

• What are some creepy incidents that unfolded through Reddit posts/comments?
• What mysteries from the early days of the internet are still unsolved to this day?
• What was one of the most mysterious post found on Reddit?
• What is the creepiest, bone chilling post on Reddit?
• What's the creepiest Ask Reddit thread you have come across?
• What's the creepiest unresolved reddit mystery?
• People who downloaded their Google data and went through it, what were the most unsettling things you found out they had stored about you?
• What is the creepiest unexplained thing you have ever come across on the internet?
• People who have read the data that Google has collected on you, what is the most disturbing data they had collected about you?
• Who is the worst person you've met on the internet?
• What are some of the creepiest moments in Reddit history that people have seem to have forgotten?
• What was your weirdest/creepiest online experience?

REAL LIFE

• What are some VERY creepy facts?
• What is your favourite, very creepy fact?
• What's a dark secret/questionable practice in your profession which we regular folks would know nothing about?
• what a creepy fact you know?
• People of reddit, what's an interesting creepy topic to look into?
• What are some dark secrets about regular life that people should know ?
• What is something about the universe that becomes creepier as we learn more about it? Why?
• What is something that doesn’t seem dangerous but actually is dangerous?
• When did you realize that someone you were cool with your whole life was actually really messed up?
• What psychological studies would change everything we know about humans if it were not immoral to actually run them?
• What scares you as an adult that didn't bother you as a kid?
• Scientists of Reddit, what's a scary science fact that the public knows nothing about?
• What's much more likely to get you killed than people realize?
• What is a product that if people found out how it was made they'd stop buying it?
• What is the creepiest thing that society accepts as a cultural norm?
• What is a crazy history fact that sounds like a time traveler was involved in?
• What's your story of seeing somebody's mental state degrade?
• What is the most terrifying fact?
• What is the scariest theory you know about?
• What are some useless scary facts?
• Whats a terrifying fact that keeps you up at night?
• What’s the most bizarre historical fact you know?
• What is something normal that scares the shit out of you?
• What is a NOT fun fact?
• Redditors who have been in such severe and enduring physical pain that they honestly would have clicked an 'insta-death' button, what was the cause of your pain?
• Someone once said "Everyone sees the world in a different way; so when someone dies, it is - in a way - the death of an entire world." So, Reddit. . . what unique world will die with you?
• What is not illegal, but is creepy?
• What's a scary or disturbing fact that would probably keep most people awake at night?
• What's way more dangerous than most people think?
• What human experiment would you want to see happen if ethics was of no concern?
• What are some of dark events happened in history not many people know about?

PEOPLE AND STRANGERS

• What terrifying confession has someone told you while drunk?
• What's the closest you ever came to cannibalism ?
• People of Reddit who have practiced or witnessed acts of the witchcraft, voodoo, or the occult, what was the strangest/most unexplainable thing you saw?
• People who have known victims of crimes that have appeared in the media, what happened after the media lost their interest in broadcasting?
• What's the fastest you've seen a crowd go from excited to horrified?
• Which celebrity/public figure gives you the creeps for no logical reason, when it's just a type of 6th sense, nope, type of feeling?
• What's the darkest secret you found out about a family membe relative?
• What famous person has done something incredibly heinous, but has often been overlooked?
• When was a time you interacted with a seemingly “normal” person, but later found out that they were not?
• Who was the creepiest person you've ever seen or met?
• What was the creepiest thing someone said on the first date?
• For those of you that escaped cults... what was your, “I need to get the fuck out” story?
• Has anyone known a killer before they killed? What were they like?
• Which one of histories ‘good guys’ was actually a horrible person?
• Who is the scariest person you've ever met?
• What secret do you keep from your family?
• Who's one person you wish you never knew/met?
• Fellow redditors, what was a moment where you thought a person you knew might be an actual psychopath ?
• Former cult members, what made you realize you were in a cult and need to get out?
• Has anyone ever given a "nice guy" a chance after they've thrown a tantrum because you didn't let them treat you like a queen? And if you did, how did it work out?
• What was the moment that you realized that someone was obsessed with you in an unhealthy way? What tipped you off?

Bummed out about missing some great views in northern Glacier? I was forced to take a short alternate trail from the border due to some permit fuckery, but it ended up being an awesome time and I honestly think this alt should be done more by Sobos.
Map
Instead of starting from the CME trailhead down the Belly River Trail, walk south from the monument down the road a couple minutes and start at the LRE trailhead down the Lee Ridge Trail. Then take a right (west) at the junction and you'll drop back down to the normal route at the Belly River Ranger Station, right where it starts to get good.
The cost is a couple extra miles and a 2000 ft PUD (consider it an extra pass). The payoff is a broad ridgewalk with 360 views of the mountains in northern Glacier, the backside of Chief Mountain, and up north into Canada. Here is a small taste of what you'll see that most sobos don't get to, and that's not even the best picture I took that day. And because of your own permit fuckery you might have to do a short first day anyway. Happy Trails.

To explain my theory,I will show you an official map based on the world of One Piece(First Picture). The first thing I want to mention is that I really dont believe Laugh Tale is an ordinary island.I don't believe there is an island out there with the whole truth of the world and no one except for Roger and his crew,have found it yet.If Laugh Tale is an ordinary island located somewhere in the ocean(Grand Line,North Blue,South Blue,etc),someone should have found it.Even though they don't have the info the Road Poneglyphs give,the island is right there, right?It won't magically appear if someone finds the four Road Poneglyphs. When Roger went to Lodestar,the "final" island,he knew there was something else.And when he found Laugh Tale,he said that "Laugh Tale was the final island at the end of the New World".So,If Roger said that, Laugh Tale must be between Lodestar and the Red Line,right?But there's nothing there,and it won't magically appear if you found the 4 RP,they just show you the exact point the island is. Now if you look ath the second picture you will see that Lodestar is the final island at the end of the New World,there is nothing before or after that,just a bunch of islands or the Red Line,and like I said,if Laugh Tale is right there why no one has come across the island yet?It doesn't make any sense.All the ocean in One Piece has already been explored. But what I really want you to look is the third picture.How is a treasure (like the One Piece in Laugh Tale) tipically marked on a map?With an X.If you look at the Reverse Mountain you will find it.A huge X just in front of our eyes,that has been there since the beggining.I don't think Laugh Tale is an island somewhere in the ocean,I believe Laugh Tale is somewhere in the Red Line,or like I am showing you,in the Reverse Mountain.If the four Road Poneglyphs mark the location,they will form an X,show you Laugh Tale at the center.Well,there is a huge X in the Reverse Mountain.It will be funny because Laugh Tale was and always have been at the beginning,where our crew the Mugiwaras started their adventure in the Grand Line. If Laugh Tale,or the Ancient Kingdom was there,that should explain the strange square arcs that were in the Reverse Mountain alongside the rivers(Fourth Picture).This gates have tribal patterns decorated in them,similar to those found in Shandora,so that means there was a civilization living there(maybe related to Shandora). I don't know if Laugh Tale is up there,where the four rivers meet eacht other,of if there is a secret way to enter the Reverse Mountain at the end of the New World,but I really think Laugh Tale is located there.

​

Auli Travel Package

As uttarakhand’s local travel agent, we will offer you best auli travel package. Before that you should know some facts about the place. Auli is located in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, near the world-famous holy temple of Badrinath, and is surrounded by snow-capped peaks of the Garhwal Himalayas. Auli’s well-dressed slopes are surrounded by coniferous and oak forests, which offer a panoramic view of mountains, at an altitude of 2,500 to 3,050 m above sea level. Find yourself at Auli, among the high peaks Nanda Devi and Mana Parbat, if you’re looking for adventure, excitement, and frolic this winter.
Feel the rush of air on your face as you go skiing on the well-kept snow slopes, blazing a bold trail. On a blanket of snow, pummelled each other with snowballs. Let your eyes feast if you’re a lover of natural beauty.
​

WAYS TO REACH AULI

Airplane – Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, roughly 300 kilometres from Auli, is the closest airport. Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport is a domestic airport located around 20 kilometres from the city centre.
By train, there are railway stations in Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Dehradun. Rishikesh is the closest railhead to Auli (250 km approx). Auli may be reached via bus or taxi from Rishikesh.
By Road – Joshimath is 16 kilometres apart by road from Auli. Between Joshimath and Rishikesh, state transport buses run often (253 km). Between Joshimath and Rishikesh (253 km), Haridwar (277 km), Dehradun (298 km), and Delhi (298 km), Local Transport Union buses and State Transport buses run (500 km). Auli may be reached via ropeway, bus, or cab from Joshimath.

Timestamp and Photos: https://imgur.com/a/ndTvsfd
In immaculate condition, no scratches, carefully maintained and kept safe in a thick padded sleeve anytime I wasn’t using it. No issues mechanical or otherwise, runs perfectly.
Still have over 4 months left on a transferable SquareTrade coverage plan active thru Oct 13th 2023, if anything goes wrong with it under normal use.
Re-pasted CPU and GPU last year with Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut, helped temps and runs very cool. Not easy to do with the inverted mobo design. Now when gaming the CPU and GPU temps almost never go above 90°C, often below 80°C. I’ve overclocked and undervolted very well with it.
Comes with a brand new 330W power adapter, which was only used twice to get the laptop ready to sell.
Repairs: None.
Local to Harrisburg PA area.
Asking $1600 OBO.
Send me an offer, and please comment "PM" before messaging. Thanks, and have a great day!
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For anyone in town for the summer who's looking for events to enjoy this weekend, here's 25 local events you can enjoy and participate in on Saturday & Sunday.
1. 2023 Pulaski County Spring Flea Market New River Valley Fairgrounds, Dublin Saturday, June 3, 2023 and Sunday, June 4, 2023, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Admission: $2.00, Kids 6 and Under: Free The Dublin Lions Club presents the 2023 Pulaski County Spring Flea Market celebrating 48 years. With over 20,000 visitors and 700 vendors spaces, more than a dozen different food vendors offering varied food options and the chance to eat a few of the famous "Lion Dogs", you will not want to miss this event. Check out vendors with crafts, antiques and more at the semi-annual Pulaski County Flea Market. Although over 100 spaces are under roof, it is a largely an outdoor event. The terrain is varied from asphalt, gravel and grass. Parking is free. All proceeds go to the Dublin Lions and their numerous community causes such as eyeglasses for the needy and hunger relief in the community. The event is rain or shine. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708165
2. Kunga Fest 2023: Two-Day Donations Yoga Festival In Balance Yoga Studio, Blacksburg Friday, June 2, 2023, 4:00 - 10:00 PM and Saturday, June 3, 2023, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Yoga classes and events are by donation. In Balance Yoga Studio presents their 10th Kunga Fest, a two-day Donations Yoga Festival with 100% of the donations donated to directly support the Homes of Hope Orphanage in India. Homes of Hope is a safe space for orphaned, abandoned, or trafficked young girls in India. In Balance Yoga is offering 15 donation-based classes throughout the two-day event. Hot yoga, ariel yoga, yoga classes with live music and gentle flow, are just some of the options offered. A silent auction will also be offered with bidding open until 6:00 PM on Saturday, June 3rd. Over 20 items are in the auction including a private ariel yoga session, a one-hour reiki session, an acupuncture session and more! Yoga classes and events are by donation though registration is required. Membership is not required to attend however new students will have to create an online profile in order to register. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708207
3. National Trails Day: Appalachian Trail Volunteer Trail Work Pearis Cemetary / Appalachian Trailhead Parking, Pearisburg Saturday, June 3, 2023, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Admission: Free The Outdoor Club at Virginia Tech is hosting Appalachian Trail Volunteer Trail Work for National Trails Day meeting at the Appalachian Trailhead Parking at Pearis Cemetary. The first Saturday of June each year is designated as National Trails Day, a day to celebrate our National Trails. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities available throughout the Trail. Essential trail maintenance helps protect natural resources and improves the hiking experience. Activities planned for the day include removing tress that have fallen across the Trail and are obstructing its path, cleaning out water bars and other trail tread structures of debris so that they can effectively divert water from the Trail and continue to help reduce erosion, as well as trimming back woody bushes that might be encroaching on the sides of the Trail. This work will be taking place on Hemlock Ridge, the stretch of Trail between the Celenese plant and Clendennin Road. There will be a shuttle planned to allow for a 3-mile hike through, performing work along the way. No previous experience required and all ages are welcome. The club will provide tools, training, and personal protective equipment. While it is free to volunteer, registration is required to ensure enough supplies will be available. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708056
4. American Red Cross Blood Drive with Brunch Meadowbrook Public Library, Shawsville Saturday, June 3, 2023, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Admission: Free Meadowbrook Public Library and the Meadowbrook Center hosts an American Red Cross Blood Drive. Help save a life by donating blood. Brunch will be provided for donors and they may select a used book to take home. Books compliments of Friends of the Library-Meadowbrook Chapter. The blood drive is sponsored by Craighill Masonic Lodge and Meadowbrook Library. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708083
5. CIMA Open House Christiansburg Institute Museum and Archives, Christiansburg Saturday, June 3, 2023, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Admission: Free Christiansburg Institute Museum & Archives staff will lead museum guests on a behind the scenes tour of our archives and explain the digitization process. Explore the history of Christiansburg Institute and African American history in Southwest Virginia. No registration is required. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708171
6. Survival Skills Workshop Series: Part 2: Edible and Medicinal Plants Pulaski County Library, Pulaski Saturday, June 3, 2023, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Admission: Free The Pulaski County Library continues their Survival Skills Workshop Series with "Part 2: Edible and Medicinal Plants". Learn about edible and medicinal plants and enjoy some pine needle tea. Join them to learn important survival skills from a Claytor Lake ranger. This is the second part of a four-part course that will help you to brush up our survivalist knowledge and skills. All are welcome but these will be gauged for adults. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=707463
7. 2023 Gospel Sing St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall, Blacksburg Saturday, June 3, 2023, 12:00 - 4:00 PM Admission: Free Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation presents the annual Gospel Sing. The afternoon will be filled with singing, dancing, and fellowship as six local groups including Simple Gifts, Indian Run, Glorylanders and soloists perform their favorite current and old-time gospel favorites. Food and beverage will be available for purchase. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708172
8. Historic Smithfield's June Crafters' Stitch Along Historic Smithfield, Blacksburg Saturday, June 3, 2023, 12:00 - 3:00 PM Admission: Free Historic Smithfield presents June's Crafters' Stitch Along. You don't have to stitch to participate. Bring whatever craft you would like to work on and feel free to bring your paints, pencils, hooks, yarn, needles or fabric. This event is free to attend though pre-registration is appreciated. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708189
9. Music at the Villa with Craig Vaughn Villa Appalaccia Winery, Floyd Saturday, June 3, 2023, 1:00 - 4:00 PM Admission: Free Relax and enjoy some great music along with great wine and food. Craig Vaughn is a musician that combines extraordinary musicianship with heavy-duty fun. His high energy blend of rock, blues, pop and acoustic music equals unforgettable moments for audiences. He seamlessly goes from playing Bob Marley to The Eagles to Johnny Cash to Tom Petty to Ed Sheering to Journey to Newgrass to The Steve Miller Band without missing a lick. Kids and well-behaved dogs welcome. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708180
10. Genealogy Saturdays Alexander Black House & Cultural Center, Blacksburg Saturday, June 3, 2023, 1:00 - 4:00 PM Admission: Free Ancestry experts will be on hand to assist you as you explore your family tree. Come with questions about research and discovering your roots. Join them on the first Saturday of every month for Genealogy Saturdays. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708173
11. Puzzle Swap Christiansburg Library, Christiansburg Saturday, June 3, 2023, 1:00 - 3:00 PM Admission: Free Bring your puzzles to swap for new-to-you puzzles. Please make sure that all pieces are there. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708134
12. June 2023 Cruiser Night Scoops Arcade, Pembroke Saturday, June 3, 2023, 5:00 - 8:00 PM Admission: Free Scoops Arcade continues their Cruiser Nights on Snidow Street in downtown Pembroke, VA. Show off your classic, modified, or new cars, trucks and bikes. Ride in style down the street and/or park and enjoy the atmosphere and oldies music. All vehicles and spectators are welcome. Hotdogs, corndogs, pizza, nachos, drinks and Scoops old fashion hand dipped ice cream and shakes will be available inside Scoops. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708196
13. Bobby and Blake Parker in Concert Rising Silo Farm Brewery, Blacksburg Saturday, June 3, 2023, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Rising Silo Farm Brewery presents Bobby and Blake Parker playing cozy folk music, blues and ragtime on 6- and 12-string guitar and more. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=707876
14. Chico and Willie in Concert Outerspace, Floyd Saturday, June 3, 2023, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Chico & Willie perform Americana music to make you smile outside at Outerspace. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708185
15. John McEuen & The Circle Band in Concert Floyd Country Store, Floyd Saturday, June 3, 2023, 7:00 - 10:00 PM General Admission: $38.00, Reserved Seating: $45.00 John McEuen has performed for 50 years worldwide with his banjo, fiddle, guitar, and mandolin. Often referred to as ‘the String Wizard’, he humorously weaves stories of his travels and family life (he has raised 7 kids), taking us on a multi-media show through where his musical path has taken him. A founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1966, John realized his teenage dream: to record with Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson. When he initiated the 1972 classic "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" album with his band the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Earl and Doc with Roy Acuff, Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Martin, Merel Travis, Vassar Clements, Norman Blake gathered for an historic week in the studio. The album has been inducted in to the Library of Congress as "one of America’s most important recordings" and the Grammy Hall of Fame. John has continually performed since 1963, doing over 11,000 concerts, 300 television shows, 10,000 interviews and flown more than 4 million miles. McEuen’s rich history of creating, producing and preserving original and traditional folk music earned him the 2013 Charlie Poole Lifetime Achievement Award. He has made over 46 albums (7 solo) that have earned four platinum and five gold records, multiple Grammy Awards and nominations, CMA and ACM awards, an Emmy film score nomination, IBMA record of the year award, and performed on another 25 albums as guest artist. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=707453
16. The CC Coates Band in Concert Dogtown Roadhouse, Floyd Saturday, June 3, 2023, 8:00 - 11:00 PM Admission: $8.00 The CC Coates Band performs blues, soul and rock n roll. Sung by the real deal and backed by a hell of a band. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708190
17. 2023 Check Farm Trail Downtown Check, Check Sunday, June 4, 2023, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Admission: Free Floyd Country Tourism presents the 2nd Annual Check Farm Trail at seven participating farms and businesses throughout Check, Virginia including Lil Valley Farm, Weathertop Farm, Grateful Produce, I-Tal Acres, Seven Spring's Farm and The Soup Shop. This family-friendly experience is an up-close chance to learn about agriculture through demonstrations, tastings and farm tours and more. Food and/or products will be available for purchase at most of the farms and businesses. Times and available hours vary by farm and tour stop. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708205
18. 2023 Rotary Club of Floyd Dog Show Warren G. Lineberry Memorial Park, Floyd Sunday, June 4, 2023, 12:15 - 3:00 PM Dogs: $5.00 entry per class, Spectators: Free though donations encouraged The Rotary Club of Floyd County presents their 4th Annual Rotary Dog Show. Bring your dog, puppy, and/or faithful canine friend to compete in one or more of the dog show classes and ribbons will be awarded for each class. Classes for Dog Show include Best Tail, Best Treat Catcher, Best Smile, Best Owner-Dog Look-a-Like Contest, Best Trick, Cutest Puppy Under One Year Old, Best Bark, Best Mixed Breed Dog, Best Purebred Dog, Best Child Handler Under 12 Years Old and more. All dogs must should be on a short leash and up to date on vaccinations. The Humane Society will also have a table and possibly dogs to adopt. Adults and children ages 9 and older are welcome to participate with their dog in the various classes. Proceeds will be used to help build a dog park in Floyd. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708176
19. Music Jam and Car Cruise-In Wildwood Farms General Store, Floyd Sunday, June 4, 2023, 1:00 - 4:00 PM Admission: Free Enjoy a cruise-in with a variety of classic cars, motorcycles and other vehicles from 1:00-4:00 PM. All are welcome to bring their vehicles. And, bring your instruments and join in the music jam from 2:00-4:00 PM. Admission is free and all are welcome including non-musicians. The event is weather permitting. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708018
20. Clay Blevins in Concert Buffalo Mountain Brewery, Floyd Sunday, June 4, 2023, 1:00 - 4:00 PM Admission: Free Clay Blevins performs a signature mix of old and new country, pop and singer songwriter tunes. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708153
21. Book Club Meeting: Corkscrew Blacksburg Wine Lab, Blacksburg Sunday, June 4, 2023, 1:00 - 3:00 PM Admission: $40.00 Blacksburg Wine Lab presents their June Book Club Meeting featuring the book "Corkscrew" by Peter Stafford-Bow. Josh from Well Crafted Wine has picked this book specifically for the book club and will be hosting the event. The book includes a whole chapter on South Africa and Josh is inspired to share a tasting of his favorite bottles with participants from this region, along with a selection of crafted bites from Chef Bryan. The ticket price includes the wine tasting, book discussion and crafted bites to accompany the wine. RSVP is required. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708208
22. Matt Mullins in Concert Rock House Marina, Pulaski Sunday, June 4, 2023, 3:00 - 5:00 PM Admission: Free Matt Mullins performs multiple genres of music and now resides from Beckley, West Virginia after a stay in Southwest Virginia. A loud and sometimes profanity filled personality, you can't help but love to hate his shake, rattle, and roll nonsense. By spending the better part of the last decade creating songs with some of his favorite artists, (in particular The Boatmen) it has helped shape this songwriters methodology. Relating to back porch memories, and moving listeners to undoubtedly feel that he's got music in his bones. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708090
23. Sunday Mountain Music Series with Kris Hale Mountain Lake Lodge, Pembroke Sunday, June 4, 2023, 4:00 - 6:00 PM Admission: Free Kristopher Hale is a native of Roanoke, Virginia. Currently a Adjunct Professor of Music at both Radford University and Lynchburg College in Virginia, he also teaches guitar and music theory privately throughout the New River Valley and Roanoke areas. He is a sought after performer, appearing in public and private events throughout Virginia playing classical music to The Beatles. Stop by Salt Pond Pub every Sunday starting Memorial Day weekend through Sunday, August 20th for live music and delicious food and drinks. Perfect for relaxing with the whole family (furry friends welcome too). Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=707866
24. Open Mic Night (Family Friendly and 18+ Segments) The Beast of Blacksburg Pizzeria & Bar, Blacksburg Sunday, June 4, 2023, 4:00 PM - 01:00 AM Admission: Free The Beast of Blacksburg Pizzeria & Bar kicks off their Open Mic Nights with two segments offering a full evening of local talent. From 4:00-8:00 PM, family friendly material will be performed and then from 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM, the open mic is open to adult material for ages 18 and up. Note: Any group acts of more than two performers should message them on Facebook to make the necessary arrangements. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708201
25. Mist on the Mountain in Concert Palisades Restaurant, Eggleston Sunday, June 4, 2023, 5:00 - 7:30 PM Admission: Free Mist on the Mountain is an Irish Traditional Music group based in the New River Valley of southwest Virginia. From lively jigs and reels to heartbreaking laments and rollicking ballads, Mist on the Mountain provides great Irish music for any occasion. Reservations are not required, but recommended for dining area seating. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708177
Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!

Saturday:
Durham Craft Market - Saturday 08:00 AM @ Durham Central Park - Durham
The Raleigh Market - For the thrill of the hunt! - Saturday 09:00 AM @ N. C. State Fairgrounds - Raleigh
Shop & Play Saturday at Phillips Farms of Cary: Kids' Summer Kick-Off with NC Eat & Play - Saturday 09:00 AM @ Phillips Farms of Cary - Cary
FREE HIIT class @ Crabtree Valley Mall w/ Princess from Fit Factory! - Saturday 09:00 AM @ Fabletics Crabtree Valley Mall - Raleigh
West Point Park Tours (4 start times) - Saturday 10:00 AM @ West Point on the Eno - Durham
Spring Kiln Opening at Mark Hewitt Pottery - Saturday 10:00 AM @ Hewitt Pottery - Pittsboro
Saturday Slowdown at RambleRill Farm in Hillsborough: shop at farmers' market, meet goats, have a picnic - Saturday 10:00 AM @ RambleRill Farm - Hillsborough
Summer Sol - Vinyasa Flow w/ Live Sound Journey & Zero Proof Cocktails - Saturday 10:00 AM @ Raleigh Rose Garden - Raleigh
1st Annual International Children's Day at the City of Raleigh Museum - Saturday 10:00 AM @ City of Raleigh Museum - Raleigh
Ever After: Fairytales, Food & Flowers - Saturday 10:00 AM @ Fred Fletcher Park - Raleigh
"Cultural Infusions": An Art Collective Art Exhibition - Saturday 10:00 AM @ Triangle Cultural Art Gallery - Raleigh
Open Farm Visit to Sunrise Community Farm - Saturday 10:00 AM @ Sunrise Community Farm Center - Chapel Hill
The Original Downtown Raleigh Murals and Public Art Tour - Saturday 10:30 AM @ 300 S Salisbury St - Raleigh
Yoga at Hi-Wire Brewing - Saturday 11:00 AM @ Hi-Wire Brewing at Golden Belt - Durham
Historic Raleigh Trolley Tours (1-hour long; 4 start times) - Saturday 11:00 AM @ Mordecai Historic Park - Raleigh
Wilson Pride Market - Saturday 11:00 AM @ Fayetteville Street - Raleigh
Flight Day at Dix Park - Saturday 11:00 AM @ Dorothea Dix Park, Big Field - Raleigh
The Market at NCMA - Saturday 11:00 AM @ North Carolina Museum of Art - Raleigh
Flight Day at Dorothea Dix Park - Saturday 11:00 AM@ Dorothea Dix Park — Big Field - Raleigh
FlushFest -- West Hillsborough's Homemade Music and Film Festival (admission by donation) - Saturday 12:00 PM @ 711 Eno Street, West Hillsborough - Hillsborough
flART Market - Saturday 12:00 PM @ ArtPost - Durham
Record Show - Saturday 12:00 PM @ Durty Bull Brewing Company - Durham
Art-n-Soul Market - Saturday 12:00 PM@ Waverly Place - Cary
Art-n-Soul Market @ Mystic Farm & Distillery - Saturday 12:00 PM @ Mystic Farm & Distillery - Durham
Rescheduled: Bond Brothers' Mid-Town Square Spring Festival - Saturday 12:00 PM @ Bond Brothers Beer Company - Cary
Raleigh's International Food Festival - Saturday 12:00 PM @ City Plaza - Raleigh
53rd Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival - Saturday 1:00 PM @ Rock Quarry Park - Durham
Doughnuts with Dads at Book Harvest - Saturday 1:00 PM @ Durham Bulls Athletic Park - Durham
Live music - Saturday 2:00 PM @ Gizmo Brew Works - Raleigh
Away Home - Workshop Offering (part of NC State's TheatreFEST) - Saturday 2:00 PM @ Thompson Hall (NC State) - Raleigh
The Carrboro Really Really Free Market - Saturday 2:00 PM @ Carrboro Town Commons - Carrboro
Live music: The Stagger Brothers - Saturday 2:00 PM@ Carolina Brewery - Pittsboro
The ComedyWorx Show Matinee - Saturday 3:00 PM @ ComedyWorx - Raleigh
19th Annual Beaver Queen Pageant - Saturday 3:00 PM @ Duke Park - Durham
Saturdays in Saxapahaw Outdoor Concert Series - Saturday 3:00 PM @ Saxapahaw Post Office - Saxapahaw
Jazz + Art Market - Saturday 3:00 PM@ Artmosphere Community Arts Center - Clayton
Summertime Beer Fest - Saturday 3:00 PM @ Clouds Brewing Tap Room - Raleigh
Live music - Saturday 6:00 PM @ Gizmo Brew Works - Raleigh
The ComedyWorx Show - Saturday 6:00 PM@ ComedyWorx - Raleigh
Music at Mill Bridge - Saturday 6:00 PM @ Mill Bridge Nature Park Amphitheatre - Wake Forest
Music on Main - Saturday 6:00 PM @ The Streets at Southpoint - Durham
Live music: Maverick Rose - Saturday 6:30 PM @ Southern Peak Brewery - Apex
1st Annual Bad Prom For A Good Cause - Saturday 7:00 PM @ Tobacco Road Sports Cafe & Brewery - Raleigh
Metropolitan Community Church - Saturday 7:00 PM @ St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church -
Live music: LowderStill - Saturday 7:00 PM @ Nickelpoint Brewing Co. - Raleigh
Pride Dance Party at Gizmo Brew Works - Saturday 7:00 PM @ Gizmo Brew Works - Chapel Hill
Live Music - Saturday 7:00 @ 20 West Franklin Street Plaza - Chapel Hill
Live music: Thomas Hinds - Saturday 7:30 PM @ Oaklyn Springs Brewery - Fuquay-Varina
Glitter Hour: Amateur Drag and Queer Stage Show - Saturday 8:00 PM @ Ruby Deluxe - Raleigh
Summer F.L.I.N.G. Game Night - Saturday 8:00 PM @ 93 Rock Quarry Rd - Raleigh
Afrobeats, HipHop, Dancehall - Saturday Nights (1st Saturday of Each Month) - Saturday 10:00 PM @ Nafkot Lounge - Raleigh
Social Club: Saturday Night Social - Saturday 10:00 PM @ Social Club - Raleigh
​
Sunday:
The Raleigh Market - Sunday 09:00 AM @ Raleigh Market (at N.C. State Fairgrounds) - Raleigh
Free Pop-Up Yoga in Wake Forest with SoulFULLY YOURS - Sunday 09:30 AM @ Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve - Wake Forest
A Place at the Table's "pay what you can" food truck rodeo - Sunday 11:00 AM @ A Place at the Table - Raleigh
Board Game Sundays - Sunday 12:00 PM @ Gizmo Brew Works - Durham
Spring Kiln Opening at Mark Hewitt Pottery - Sunday 12:00 PM @ Hewitt Pottery - Pittsboro
Black Farmers' Market - Sunday 1:00 PM @ Southeast Raleigh YMCA - Raleigh
Community Build Day for Durham Art Parade: Art on a Stick - Sunday 1:00 PM @ The Scrap Exchange - Durham
Youth Aviation Academy Program at John Chavis Memorial Park - Sunday 1:00 PM @ John Chavis Memorial Park - Raleigh
Historic Raleigh Trolley Pride Ride (3 start times) - Sunday 1:00 PM @ Mordecai Historic Park - Raleigh
Durham Really Really Free Market - Sunday 2:00 PM @ Lyon Park - Durham
Open Mic Hosted by Michael Brennan - Sunday 2:00 PM @ BMC Brewing - Pittsboro
Durham City of Medicine Walking Tour (pay what you want) - Sunday 2:00 PM @ Raleigh Convention Center - Raleigh
Live music: Gypsy Railroad Band - Sunday 2:00 @ Nickelpoint Brewing Co. - Raleigh
Historic Houses on the Move - Sunday 2:00 @ Bombshell Beer Company - Holly Springs
Beer, Bacon, and Bluegrass - Sunday 3:00 PM @ Oaklyn Springs Brewery - Fuquay-Varina
Open-Mic Night - Sunday 3:00 PM @ Gizmo Brew Works - Raleigh
"Pay What You Can" for tickets to Corpus Christi by Terrence McNally, presented by St. John's Six Sundays in Spring concert: Sensory Expressions - Sunday 3:30 @ E. Carroll Joyner Park - Wake Forest
Indoor Yoga at the Chapel at Dix Park - Sunday 3:30 @ Dorothea Dix Park - Raleigh
Freeman Round House Summer Event Series: Karaoke with Mia Harris - Sunday 6:00 PM @ Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park - Wilson
Sunday Salsa Social -- lesson and dance - Sunday 6:30 PM @ Triangle Dance Studios - Durham
Sunday Night Live Music - Sunday 7:00 PM @ Southern Village - Chapel Hill
​
Want us to send you all the fun happenings in the Triangle directly to you? Join the LocalFYI newsletter (by clicking here) to get the inside scoop sent to your inbox every Monday. Although it says just Raleigh, we send events that cover the whole Triangle there :)
Any other cool events that we missed? Comment below so we can add them to our list!

Every time i see a thread about “which state is the best to drive in”, almost all the replies list mountainous states out west. But me personally, I prefer driving in places where i can just hit the cruise control, listen to podcasts or music, and not have to worry about slow drivers, tourists, installing chains, or losing control and flying off a cliff. One of my favourites was Nebraska, 450 miles on i80 at night felt good and was a nice change of pace from the windy i5 in north California and south oregon that i am used too.
I get that to each their own and all, and if you enjoy a challenge with rewarding scenery thats all well and good. But here’s the thing, as someone who grew up on the west coast of canada surrounded by mountains, scenery will get boring FAST. Driving a semi in the mountains is even worse since most of your attention will be directed to the road and not the view. And its worse when the road is flooded with overly careful drivers and you’re on the clock and have enough experience to drive closer to the speed limit.
Also I kinda like scenery of flat plains, there’s something so pure and calming about it that mountains just don’t offer…

[←Chapter 53] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 55→]
The day had slid by Aya like so much water off of a duck’s back. It took a particularly hard prod by Frare to dislodge her from a slurry of inattentiveness. As she looked around she realised the barricades had been almost completely disassembled, with only scraps remaining on the church floor. The pieces of broken glass and masonry were being carted outside by the villagers that remained.
Currently there was a lukewarm debate around the command table, dragged to the centre of the hall. Aya’s consciousness glossed over Sorore reprimanding her brother for bothering her, as well as the various arguments over logistics and provisions. She half-heartedly listened to discussions of various threats on various roads, and then quickly forgot about it.
Without really realising it, she found herself peaking at the parchments spread over the table. The lined scrolls held no real meaning for her, but the centre map with its pins certainly did. It was a large and fairly extensive map of the continent, with various cities illustrated with flowing script too elaborate for her to read. Slowly her eyes flitted from north to south, and found the curl of a mountain range bleeding into a peninsula where she assumed Karkos was.
“What about here?” she said, pointing to the location through the greaves of the captains before her.
Most turned to look with amused confusion, and she quickly felt a flush creeping up her neck.
“It’s a city,” she said.
The officers continued to look at her, awaiting elaboration.
“Y-you could get food there,” she offered weekly.
She almost added ‘I’ve heard the food is quite good’, though fortunately for her dignity the phrase died on her lips before it could enter the world. Naia, almost directly across from her, looked down and stroked his beard.
“It’s far from the worst option,” he said, “in fact, it’s probably one of the better ones.”
“It charges an arm and a leg, just for the usage of one ship. The cost of transporting all of us will be steep,” one soldier protested.
“The mountains are blocked off with the Alonshaze destroyed. None of the other passes can be reliably quickly traversed, even in summer,” Naia countered, “going the land route right now would be asking for trouble. The flatlands at the base of the Alonshaze have always been unstable, but ever since Ein’elen broke up it-”
“Sharaloch would be another option,” spoke up Damafelce, without much enthusiasm.
“You want to bet on a city of pirates and mercenaries for transport?” exclaimed another captain.
“Unwise, especially with such valuable persons,” Naia said, “we’ve already had enough headaches. The last thing I need is a hostage situation while sailing the strait.”
“You get what you pay for in Karkos,” yet another captain offered, with general murmurs of assent, “though with what gold we have I-”
“The gold’s not the issue,” said Naia, “if necessary, we can issue bonds in the name of Angorrah, or the paladins can in the name of the church.”
Niche, glum and surly, still nodded at the implied question.
“The general would not be happy. You know how possessive they get over money on a mission,” said Damafelce.
“We’ve been attacked multiple times, crossed half the continent, and found a long lost bequeathed, all with about a hundred men,” snorted Naia, “with all due respect to my betters, they can take their complaints and shove them-”
“If we’re going by speed and stability, Karkos is the best way,” cut in Niche through the laughter of the soldiers, “the safety of the Bequeathed should be our top priority. A good ship will get us there in under a week.”
“A ship to Espala, then Inalthia. Draskar forest is a nightmare at any time of the year,” Naia said, leaning over the map. With a subtle motion, he moved Aya’s finger northwest, and she realised with horror that she’d been pointing to the wrong end of the peninsula where some lesser settlement stood.
“Captain Deckard, I assume those that don’t want to come for pilgrimage will be returning to the fort?” he continued without giving any sign that she’d done anything wrong.
A new man, eyes blazing underneath furry dark brows nodded fervently.
“Well, I suppose we’ll have to clear out. I want everyone ready by sunset - it’ll be just under a week before we reach Karkos. Get what sleep you can - we’ll be riding out the next morning.”
There were a few finer points of debate that were bandied back and forth, but the conversation largely seemed to be settled. Niche and Damafelce both seemed to be locked in a staring match as Naia approached her.
“A good suggestion, my lady,” he said, “it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the city, but it might be just the place after this string of close calls.”
Aya tried to take what credit she could with a burning face.
“Now, there’s one other piece of business I have to attend to, I think,” he said, “where is the mage?”
“He’s on the roof,” she blurted, “I can show you.”
“No,” he said, holding up a gauntlet, “I think we’ll be just fine by ourselves. You should go and rest. It’s been a long night.”
He and Damafelce walked away from the table and vanished through the side door. Aya returned back to the altar with Niche, who was muttering some unkind things under his breath. It wasn’t more than a half hour before Naia returned with his captain, looking troubled. Before she could ask any questions, however, he quickly exited through the front of the church.
The rest of the day was largely spent on routines of amusement, the Bequeathed and the children of the village playing little games and telling stories among each other. The paladins, though they kept an eagle eye upon their charges, were not in a talkative mood that day. Lillian’s face was particularly dark, and she often muttered things that no one cared to listen to.
When evening came, any residual fears of the monsters returning were put to rest. The icy fear was no more, the villagers placed back what intact pews there were, and the flow of people from the medical bay slowed to a trickle. A simple meal, and a dreamless sleep, and Aya awoke in the early hours of the morning. Pulling herself up to one of the broken windows, she could see the summer green of the trees, their vibrancy somewhat damped by a light blue-grey fog.
Before they left, a service was held to bury those who’d been slain. The dead were laid side by side, wrapped in simple drab cloth, in a large pit just outside the doors of the church. Niche stood over the graves, eyes shut, pronouncings the blessing and peace that these brave defenders would lie with. Aya took the time to say a silent thanks as she gazed at the cloth-bound bodies.
As the remains were covered with soil, Niche shifted into a louder, older language as he sang in a husky tenor. Some kind of funeral liturgy, she guessed, though it was unfamiliar to her. The villagers cast tears into the ground with clouds of earth as they passed along the pit, then they left for the wall and the village beyond.
Aya’s concerns as she reentered the church shifted to more material things - hunger, cold, the lack of bathing over the last few days. At least some of those needs were addressed by the paladins in the next hours, with furs and food. But soon enough, they were on horses, walking in a line down to the south over open fields before the forest.
The first morning passed with very little conversation between anyone as they passed underneath the trees. That was all the better for Aya, who found herself enjoying the crisp air and the rapidly warming sunlight. It did take a bit of a turn for sorrow when she remembered that she often swam with her mother on mornings like these in the mountain lakes. Still, she was determined to extract what happiness she could on such a wretched journey. It was a resiliency that Frare seemed to share, while his sister still glanced nervously at the trees around them. Aya wondered if the girl was still seeing the creatures from last night in every shadow.
When they reached a clearing around midday, the children were made to sit before Niche as he handed out various meagre components of meals. As they began to eat, Lillian joined him, and both cleared their throats in unison.
“Right,” Niche began, “I realise the last few days have been less than smooth. Hardly a time for lessons, unfortunately.”
His dry chuckle was not reciprocated by any of the listeners, so he quickly moved on.
“But, given the nature of what happened, I think it’s advisable to speak on magic and mages, and what the scripture says about them.”
Frare, at the word ‘scripture’ audible groaned, which was followed by a hiss as his sister seized his ear.
“We have been forced into a position where we needed the help of a mage,” Niche said, picking his words with care, “it was not something we did willingly. It wasn’t a choice, but rather the product of circumstances beyond our control.”
You mean, the commander overruled you, thought Aya, though she elected not to voice such thoughts.
“If we had another choice,” Lillian chimed in, “we would’ve taken it. Survival, however, takes precedence, especially for you three. The choices were made, we might not be proud of it, but we’re all still here and that’s what matters.”
“That being said,” Niche said, fumbling in the interior of his breastplate and withdrawing a small booklet, “it would be good for you to understand what exactly underlies our choices.”
Aya’s eyes flicked over to the twins - Sorore was sitting upright and attentive, while her brother was a glum and slumped mirror. Niche thumbed through a few pages, focused in on the one he’d selected and once more, cleared his throat.
“And thus it was found, a great conspiracy, conspired against the children of Angorrah, conspired with creatures both great and small, but terrible all, in darkness and stagnant pools, where the profundity of their sin would go unnoticed by the decent and pious. Hated and proclaimed sinner, traitor, rebel against the Lost themselves. Three Boons would be taken, and three Houses be condemned to dust.”
Sorore perked up, for she clearly already knew the story and was excited to hear it yet again. Aya waited with a tempered anticipation, hoping at least there would be a half-way interesting tale, despite its lacklustre delivery. The story progressed into a broad parable, describing how three houses arose in rebellion against the church, and how three holy items had been robbed from the sepulchre of the ‘roiling cathedral’.
Apparently, they were ferried into the hands of mages, who perverted their holy functions until they burned the most sacred tree on the continent, one laid by Nafthtazia herself. For all of Aya’s doubts about the moral, she couldn’t deny the enjoyment of a good piece of history.
“Magic exists beyond the purview of the church,” Niche began, then quickly corrected his error, “rather, it is a part of the mystery of the Lost, but others can access in inappropriate ways. Some speculate that it should be left entirely to the Lost, not handled by mortal hands. Regardless, the church has taken upon a sacred duty, to ensure that what magic is used is done so sparingly, and with the utmost care.”
He closed the book with a flourish, clearly pleased at the depth of his instruction. Frare’s eyes were fluttering, which prompted a painful poke from his sister.
“So, magic is evil?” said Aya, trying to square that conclusion with all she’d seen.
Niche puffed out his chest, no doubt about to exclaim that it was in the strongest possible terms. Lillian however, had her own thoughts to add before he could.
“Not… inherently,” she said, “But it is broadly forbidden and for good reason. It is less evil, rather a great risk for evil. That is, far too easy to put it towards evil ends. That’s why mages are, as a rule, cruel, selfish, and dangerous creatures. Perhaps it is better put that magic attracts evil, even if it can be used for good.”
Aya stewed in that statement for a while - clearly the church was deeply knowledgeable, expanding and attending to her own, meagre education on the matter from the local priest. Still there were holes, obvious holes, or so she told herself.
“It might be hard to understand,” Niche said, “it might seem a little strange that the church forbids something that could be so useful. There are very good reasons both in scripture and in history that proves the point - magic is not to be used with abandon, and thus must remain under the Church’s eye.”
He patted the sigil of the church, engraved on his breastplate.
“That is one reason why the Light Lords were created in the first place,” he said, with thinly veiled pride, “we are the watchers, investigating the use of magic and capturing the perpetrator that would harm or cheat with it.”
“It was a decision made long ago,” added Lillian, “it was a sort of… half-agreement between the church and the army. We kept the peace that was broken by the mages during the Night of the Burning Tree.”
“So there are mages in Angorrah?” said Aya, drawing a strange, near insulted look by Sorore at the question.
“Well…” said Lillian, sharing a look with Niche, “a handful at most, who operate under the strictest scrutiny.”
Sorore’s face twisted at this, but whatever comment she would’ve liked to make stayed in her head.
“The point is that mages are faithless and concerned for themselves above all else. They are to be engaged on only the most necessary basis. They may be directed towards good in service to the church, but never on their own.”
The rest of the lesson served as constant reinforcements and examples of the danger of mages. There were one or two arguments between Frare and their teachers that Sorore was too slow to suppress. Before long they were off again, the leaves shaking above them as a wind blew from the south. The evening camp mercifully spared them another lecture and after a simple dinner, both twins made their excuses and retired.
Aya huddled beside the fire as the temperature dropped. Around them were a circle of waggons, some covered by a framework of canvas, others bare, all loaded with supplies. The gifts of the grateful villagers, granted to the commander who had saved them.
The paladins were busy doing maintenance, carefully laying out arms and armour, scrubbing, polishing and sharpening. Aya got up, murmured a good night to the paladins, who nodded curtly. They were so absorbed that they didn’t seem to notice Aya slipping away.
She poked her head into one of the ‘empty’ waggons, scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. Save for a handful of small crates, there lay the crumpled form of the mage just as they’d loaded him. Aya felt her breath still as she looked at Inniaylsia’s amber eyes. Even from this distance, she could see the subtle inner flames of reds and yellows softly illuminating them.
“Yes?” came the voice of the older woman, curt and snappish.
Aya started to speak, then stopped, realising that she had no real reason to be here, at least not one that she’d thought out.
“Come out with it child,” came the voice again.
Aya was put in mind of a line of children, heads bowed before a grandmother picking detritus from their scalps.
“I- I-” she said, “I was wondering if…”
“No. There’s been no change in this old bag of bones,” said Innie, her voice softening slightly, “though I’m sure he would appreciate your concern.”
Aya stood there for a moment, awkwardness rising, before setting her jaw, looking behind her, and upon seeing the paladin’s backs, clambered in as quietly as possible. The cat sat attentively and silently, regarding the young girl before her. Aya began in a hushed whisper, talking about the Night of the Burning Tree and the lessons of the paladins from the morning.
“If you want to ask a question about history,” interrupted the cat, “you best ask this sod when he wakes up. He proves irritatingly well-versed on that. Considering his age, he might've lived through it.”
“I thought you were old as well,” Aya said, trying to remember where she got the notion from.
“I am. Older than him. Old as half the company put together,” she said, “but I rarely venture outside of the forest. This is the furthest south I have been in decades, perhaps a century or two.”
Aya paused to try and get a grasp on the scale of time the creature had just casually gestured at.
“So my dear, if you’re going to ask me about the great deeds of men or the history of cities, I’m afraid you’re out of luck,” said the cat, tail bobbing this way and that.
“But that’s not exactly what I…” said Aya, taking a deep breath before continuing, “I wanted to ask about magic.”
The cat cocked its head, the speed of the tail picking up.
“What about magic, child?” she said.
Swish-swish.
“Well, I was wondering, just for a start, what is it?” Aya said.
“You should sit down,” said the cat, “this might take a while.”
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Hello New Zealanders! (Can I call you kiwis?)
I have travel questions for you. If this isn't the right subreddit, or there's a wiki or travel advice thread that I missed, please let me know.
I have the great fortune to have just booked an extraordinarily cheap flight to Auckland from the U.S. using airline miles. (It's on Delta -- less than 50,000 miles round trip for travel in November, late January, Febuary, and parts of March -- happy to share the specifics if anyone wants.)
My family and I will be there over the U.S. Thanksiving holiday -- Nov. 19 (that's when we land--we leave the US on the 17th) through Nov. 25 (that's when we depart, and, thanks to the International Date Line, also when we get home!). Not a lot of time, I know, but really all we can spare in that part of the year.
My family is small -- it's just my wife and I, and my 7-year-old daughter. We like all sorts of vacations, from wine tasting (okay, maybe not the kiddo) to relaxing beach vacations, to nature hikes and camping, to city life and culture. We also love food, though the wife is a vegetarian and the kiddo doens't like seafood. We live in Salt Lake City, Utah, so we have the mountain life at home, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't be interested in exploring in NZ, too. I guess the only think we can really cross off the list is anything Lord of the Rings related, as my family isn't really into Tolkien and haven't seen the movies (though I have). My wife travels internationally for work a few times a year, and I'm hopeful that this won't be our only visit to your awesome country, but I think we have to assume that this will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for us.
I've looked through the generic New Zealand travel sites, but don't have a really good feeling for what a reasonable itinarary looks like for our time there. Right now, I have the following questions:
1) Is it worth it to try to get to the South Island at all? Or should we just focus on stuff in the north. In other words, is there anything in the south that we absolutely can't miss, and worth the travel time and cost?
2) I was looking at a couple of sites that offer campervans or RVs at reasonable cost. We own an RV and are used to driving and sleeping in it. Is that a good way to explore the North Island? Are there ample places to park and/or campgrounds near cities or attractions? Or would staying in hotels and using public transit / taxis / car rentals be better? I'm pretty sure we don't want to stick just to Auckland, but on the other hand if driving a 6-8 meter campervan or RV around, and finding a place to park it while we're at attractions is going to be a huge hassle, then we'll consider alternatives.
3) For stuff to do, I'm fairly certain we'll want to check out Waitomo caves (my daughter, who's obsessed with nature, will want to check out the glow worms!) snorkel on Poor Knights Islands, and have a beach day (Hot Water Beach? some place else?). We might want to check out Waiheke Island, hike in Egmont National Park, and have a Maori experience at some place like Te Pa Tu, or take a whale watching or other cruise or ferry. Any thoughts on any of those activities? What should we do in Auckland? Is Wellington worth visiting? If we were to do something like a wine tasting, or want to hang out at a brewery, is that OK for kids? Are kids admitted to those places? Are there kids activities in pubs/breweries/wineries? What else should be on our bucket list?
(P.S. I got most of my ideas here... I don't know how interesting or reputable the site is: https://www.newzealand.com/us/feature/11-must-do-north-island-experiences/)
Thanks so much!