Alette's face fell as she and Jack stepped inside the eerie inn. Jack headed toward the bar to speak with the old lady behind it, while Alette glanced around uneasily. The wooden floorboards were cracked, groaning with every step. Thick spiderwebs clung to the walls, and every piece of furniture was coated in dust. The entire place sent a chill down her spine, shivered, her wings twitching nervously.
"A room for one night," Jack asked the old lady.
"Three crowns."
Jack set three coins on the counter. The old lady swept them away and slid a key across to him.
"Your room is on the second floor."
"Thanks." Jack nodded to the old lady before going to Alette, who shivered in fear. He asked "You ok?"
"Uuuhh...n-no, can we just go inside the room please?"
"Alright, alright."
The two climbed the old, creaking stairwell and reached the second floor, where a dark hallway stretched ahead, alive with strange, unsettling noises. Alette shivered and slipped behind Jack. To comfort her, he flicked his finger, conjuring a small flame, and led the way toward their room.
When they reached their door, Jack unlocked it with the key the old lady had given him. Even then, the door only creaked open a fraction before catching against the floor. Jack sighed and drove his shoulder into it, again and again, until it finally gave way. The door swung open, and he slipped into the darkened room.
"Jack!" Alette cried out in alarm.
"I'm alright," Jack said, brushing dust off his armor.
Jack noticed a candle on the table by the window and lit it with his flame before turning back to close and lock the door. Meanwhile, as Alette stepped inside, before he could secure it, she took in the cramped room. The bed was worn with age, and the window offered no view at all, blocked by the looming wall of a neighboring building.
"Oh, come on."
After locking the door, Jack took out his sword and set it at the foot of the bed. He stretched his arms, then walked over to it.
"Don't worry, Alette. It can't be that bad." Jack said with a hint of optimism, until he lowered himself onto the bed. It groaned beneath his weight before suddenly giving way, collapsing into a heap and leaving only the mattress and a lone pillow. Alette flinched at the noise.
Jack's eyes widened briefly in surprise. He glanced from side to side, then turned to Alette with a faint smile. "At least we still have a mattress and a pillow."
Alette sighed, annoyed by his bravado in the haunted inn.
"How can you be so calm about this? What if there's a ghost here?"
"Don't exaggerate, Alette." Jack leaned back, resting his right hand behind his head against the pillow. "The inn's old, sure, but we're only here for one night. And if there really is a ghost, I'll exorcise it."
"Really? Since when do you exorcise a ghost?"
"No, but I'll think of something. Whatever it takes to deal with it, I'll manage."
"Oh, I hope you can, cause i'm scared of ghosts."
The sharp sound of shattering glass cut through the room, startling Alette. She rushed to Jack, clutching his armored chestplate and shutting her eyes tight. Jack turned toward the window, listening intently, and caught the slurred mumbling and burping of a drunken man in the alleyway below as he staggered off into the night.
"It's just a drunken guy." Jack said, glancing down at Alette as she clung to his armored chestplate, still trembling. He raised his hand and gently patted her, offering what comfort he could. Alette let out a soft sigh of relief, her breathing slowly steadying.
"Guess I can't leave you. I'm stuck with you, right?"
"Hehe, yeah....Thanks"
"Mmm…" Jack glanced up at the ceiling, but the sight of its rotted wood quickly ruined his mood, his expression falling into disappointment.
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you continue the story where you left off?"
"Now?"
"Yeah, unless it's not a pleasant story to hear."
"Oh no, nothing bad happened."
"That's a relief. Will you tell me a story? I'd like to hear about your family… it helps me feel at peace." Said Alette with the softest tone.
Jack let out a soft chuckle. "Alright." He clicked his tongue before starting his tale. "So…"
___________________
Jack and his father rode along a winding path through the plains. As they crested a hill, their home came into view, a village dotted with houses, with a large manor rising behind it.
"Riverdale!"
"Home sweet home."
Jack and his father halted on the hill, relief washing over them as they saw that their town had remained safe and untouched throughout their adventure.
Meanwhile, a lumberjack made his way down the street, a sack of wooden planks slung over his back. At the sound of approaching hooves behind him, he simply continued.
"Evening, Frank," Jack's father greeted him as he rode past.
The lumberjack turned, catching sight of the two riders as they passed, and recognition lit up his face. "Ah! Count Aaron! Everyone, Count Aaron has returned, with his son!" he shouted, his voice ringing out across the town as word of their arrival spread.
The people of Riverdale, stirred by the lumberjack's call, emerged from their homes. As they caught sight of the two riders making their way toward the manor, a wave of relief and joy spread through the village, and they fell in behind them, following them home.
Jack lifted his hand, offering a warm greeting to the townsfolk lining the streets, his gaze passing over each familiar face. From the crowd, an old man stepped forward. "Ah, young Jack!"
"Mister Davis!"
"How was your adventure with your father?" The old man asked, raising his cane slightly toward Jack, then tapping it back against the ground.
"It was great! Thanks!"
Jack rode past the old man, and moments later, he and Aaron arrived at the gates of their manor, with a brick wall for a defense. The gatekeeper who was guarding the gate in front of the gate greeted them warmly. "Count Aaron and Jack! Welcome home!"
"Yeah, it's good to be back!"
The gatekeeper turned and shouted to the guards at the gate. "Open up! Count Aaron and his son, Jack, have returned!"
With a low creak, the great gates slowly parted, allowing Aaron and Jack to pass into the manor grounds. Behind them, the people of Riverdale stood still, silently watching as the two rode home.