The days that followed the famous speech were certainly restless for the young Countess. She had made a strong impression in her people, one that she couldn't go back on. Of course, it was a calculated risk. The effort that a high morale would bring was just was she needed to get Khal un-stuck from its freezing grave. Only three days after her arrival did the real work started to show. Multiple corps of Hunters and Explorers took to the outside past the frozen stone gates that surrounded Khal.

These corps would take care of mapping out the nearby areas for possible hunting grounds, mines and rivers. All of which could be used in one way or another to the benefit of the common people. While these brave men and women ventured into the wilderness with nothing but heavy clothing and the feeble promise of a decent payment, Aurelia took to logistics once again.

Her hands burned with the faint pain that the pen caused her. The documents needed to requisition resources from the nearest towns and estates had brought her a great deal of annoyance. The nearby lords to the south simply refused to help without compensation, and since the last noble in Khal spent most of his money on debauchery, there was nothing much left in the chests beneath the manor.

And thus, swallowing her newly gained pride, Aurelia took to the jewelry and clothes. To the curtains and silverware. To the candle-holders and to the fancy pens. Everything that was not a hundred percent necessary for the Manor to function was sold, and every single coin gained was sent towards the people and the requisitions. 

Soon, many carriages started to flow into Khal. Long-lasting foods of all kinds. From grains to jerky. From hardtack to the very expensive fruits. It was all bought practically from Aurelia's own purse. And the people knew this. Every day that passed the village looked more lively, and the manor looked much simpler. 

Soon, rumors of her actions started to travel the mouths and ears of the people and the merchants. A young lady driven so strongly as to sell her own jewelry, clothes and silverware for the sake of her people? Now that was a rare sight!

As the locals started to build up their view of the Countess, and the merchants spread the word of how Khal was starting to actually prosper little by little, the county started to come to life. With every passing day another traveller arrived with news. Another hunter returned with either prey or just their cold empty hands. Another explorer returned with new maps and parchments covered in interesting markings.

Aurelia watched this from her personal office. The window stood tall and wide, giving her an ample look over her subjects in the distance, always beneath her. Of course, this views were depressing at times, but with each passing day it seemed as if things were starting to actually look good for a change. With the economy starting to flow again, taxes started to actually be paid. 

And with these taxes more requisitions were made. They still couldn't afford to sustain themselves, so it was natural of them to rely heavily upon imports to survive. The warehouses started to fill with reserves of hardtack, jerky and even some rustic liquor manufactured by the local brewery that had not seen service for the past few years!

But as Khal started to rise, so did the prices needed for the requisitions. The southern lords saw opportunity in this time of necessity, and only those residing at the Manor knew this. With time running short and their economic situation getting worse by the day, soon enough Aurelia would find herself looking throughout the manor for anything of value.

Not a single inch of the building was left uncovered and, by mere chance and the willful pull of a book in a specific room, a secret passage was discovered by Aurelia. Apparently not even Konrad was aware of this, and the both of them decided to explore this new-found corner of the manor.

With torch and dagger in hand they descended into the dark. The cold stone corridors sprawled for what felt like hundreds of meters. And many minutes after their first descent they found a wooden door.

"My lady, I'm not sure if this is safe...Perhaps we should turn back and-"

"Konrad, I believe the only thing that could survive down here would be rats. And I'm pretty secure of my rat-killing skills."

A nervous chuckle from the old man was all Aurelia needed to continue forward. Unlocking the mechanism on the door, she gently pushed it open with one hand while the other held the torch. Certainly her time in the military would've made her guts more resilient to the smell of foul corpses and rotten flesh, but nothing...Nothing could've prepared her for what she saw in that despicable place.

As if extracted from a most demonic nightmare, the air of the dungeon was tainted with the foul smell of rotting corpses. The un-alive bodies of humans and other creatures were piled up in the far corners of the room, and claw marks were clearly seen on the walls and the back of the door. Multiple "beds" were placed in the room. Made out of sturdy wood and covered in strange markings of blood.

It all looked like some sort of...Ritual of a man gone mad. The walls, covered in scratches. The ground stained with the blood, guts and...Other residue of what Aurelia believed were the victims of the previous Lord. The sight alone would make anyone vomit in the spot, but she tightened her teeth and swallowed the impulse to do so. 

"Konrad....Do not enter. It is....Better if you don't see this."

"I'm not certain what is in there, My lady...But I shall trust your...Ugh...Judgement..."

The stench soon arrived with Konrad's location, and he understood immediately what she was referring to by telling him not to enter the dungeon. Taking a few steps forward, the flickering light of the torch illuminated what remained inside. With better lighting, she was able to see the runes carved into the bodies of the dead and the guts used to engrave the walls and ground with other despicable scars.

"By the gods...That man was a monster...."

The exclamation simply left her mouth, but soon enough she would raise her dagger as she noticed something moving beneath the pile of bodies. At first it looked like a big rat, probably feasting on what remained of the poor victims but soon enough Aurelia realized the truth behind the strange figure.

It was alive, and moving. But it was no rat. She had pointed ears, or at least it looked like she once did, as they were horribly cut off. Her eyes lacked life behind them, and her body was mangled. Covered in the blood, guts and waste of those that had the misfortune of being thrown on top of her, probably the last time the lord decided to come down here.

She looked at Aurelia and the two exchanged the most confused stare of their lives for a few seconds.

And then she collapsed. Aurelia rushed forward, quickly tossing the other bodies aside as her hands picked up what remained of the woman. With the survivor in hand, she ran back to the surface with Konrad closely behind her. Not even she understood why she was so desperate about carrying this woman to safety, but that look in her eyes....Aurelia was far too familiar with it.

It was the same she once had, after all. And the simple realization of those old memories was enough to push her forward again. Running, she climbed up the stairs like they were nothing, and then she kept running...And running...And running. Until she eventually made it to the village, where she rushed to the medical facilities that were still operational.

She didn't know why, she didn't know what for, but she had to make sure this woman survived. Her very soul was screaming so from inside her chest after all.