WALKÜREN - THE THREE MARIES Chapter Fifty-Eight

WALKÜREN - THE THREE MARIES

Chapter Fifty-Eight

After much thought, Juvêncio came to the conclusion that he would not be able to find his hunting den. After all, he was a magical being, and his resting place was certainly protected by some kind of enchantment. The best our friend could do was deduce more or less the place where Anhangá could appear on his next incursion. The three Marias, of course, should have known where such a thing would occur. But they would never tell him... they were under a spell, and there was no way to escape it.

From what Matilde told him, the sacred place of the beast must be very old. And it would probably have been untouched by human hands for centuries. Therein lay the key to discovering what he desired….finding an unexplored piece of the forest.

Juvêncio began to think about the matter. He remembered a story he had heard, from one of the healers he visited, as soon as he arrived in the city. It was at a time when he suspected that a sorcerer in the region might have invoked the entity, for some type of revenge. How nice if that was really it... oh, yes, as for the story...

There was a part of the forest, close to the mountains, which was a dense thicket... few people dared to set foot in that part of the forest, and of those who dared to go deep into the forest, only one or two returned. Most disappeared without leaving a trace... what made this region..."special"... was the fact that the dogs refused to search the area. No pointer entered that piece of ground. When the impatient owners put the animals on a leash and tried to drag them into the forest, the animals simply got stuck, as donkeys do. And nothing... but nothing, really... convinced them to go in there...

Well, it was a clue. That was worth investigating. But not that day. Night was already approaching and it was not advisable to enter unknown terrain like this, without being prepared... for this reason, our friend rode Tornado and returned to the village... he would rest for the night, and in the morning he would return to explore that region. But first he would chat with Matilde. Suddenly, she might know something important.

After much thought, he decided to invite Matilde to dinner at the guesthouse, where they would talk about the subject. And he would also call the three Marias to participate in the conversation. Although he was aware that they would not help in any way with the investigations, his hope was that, by talking about something she had to do with the case, Izabel would confirm the fact. There was no point in expecting anything from the other two... they really followed the orders of whoever it was. But the charm over Izabel, it seemed, was weaker... and she always ended up giving some important clue about the facts...

- That's all I discovered, Juvêncio... and it wasn't easy...

- I understand, Ms. Matilde... it's a story told from father to son, it's natural that some points are lost...

- They match some points in the drawings I told you about... there is a place that was once used to worship this... this...

- This entity. I know... the problem is for us to find out where that is...

- Look... if I were to venture a guess... it would be in the mountain region, close to the waterfall...

- In the "enchanted" forest?

- Yes... they say that in that dismal place there is a river that runs through the entire length of the forest... and there are several waterfalls along its route...

- It is worth taking a look...

- I bet you're going there tomorrow...

- As soon as the sun comes up...

- Can I go with you?

It was Izabel, offering to accompany the police chief.

- You know you can't come alone... your partners would have to come, too...

Izabel turns to her friends...

- So, girls? How about getting out of this funk?

The two agreed. After all, they were also tired of standing still all the time... they needed action. Her body asked for it.

- Okay, so... tomorrow, early in the morning, I'm hitting the road...

- Juvêncio... can I go with you?

- It could be dangerous, Matilde. We don't know what we will find....

- I've already proven that I'm tougher than I look. I know how to take care of myself.

- I know, Ms. Matilde... but... I worry about you...

Matilde smiled. So the deputy felt something for her... that made her happy, because he also attracted her. From the first time she saw him, she felt something she didn't know...nor wanted...to explain. Yes, he had something that Matilde simply adored... and fascinated her.

It must have been around four o'clock in the morning... the rooster crowed loudly, warning that the sun would soon rise. But the stars still shone in the sky. Juvêncio got up and went to do his personal hygiene... it was still very early for the boarding house staff, but as he was a special client, the cook was already preparing breakfast not only for him but also for his traveling companions...

Although she lived a few blocks from the pension, Matilde decided to join the group of adventurers since breakfast. That way she would be sure she wouldn't be left out of that little excursion. After so long behind a desk, she felt the need to effectively participate in a hunt... even if it was for the supernatural.

After they had their fill and grabbed some food for the trip... after all, if everything went well they would only return at night... it was finally time to leave. They checked their weapons and ammunition... no lead bullets were part of their equipment... as well as the cutting weapons... the entire arsenal was made of silver, because although steel is the strongest metal, silver was the only material lethal to the enemy they would hunt.

Finally they were on their way to the forest. The place they were going to investigate was about two hours away by slow riding, without forcing the animals. And so they went, the animals trotting, in no rush to reach their destination. When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, the sun began to climb the sky...

Another half hour of riding through the trees and they reached the dismal part of the forest. It seemed like they were in another world... trees with twisted branches gave the place an even more sinister air than expected. Juvêncio dismounted, took out his machete and began to open a passage through the vegetation. Due to the formation of bushes and vines scattered around there, the group thought it best to leave their mounts in the part of the forest lit by the sun. They would enter the dark part on foot. This part was really dark, as the tops of the trees were intertwined in such a way that they prevented the sun's rays from entering. The smell of decaying vegetation was very strong. Although it was the source of nutrients necessary for the life of the forest, the impression that they were in a valley of death was strong... the die was cast...