The trek took weeks but he found himself among the trees and couldn't help but take comfort in the scenery. A small blue bird sat atop his shoulder. A brave and curious fellow who decided to accompany him on his journey only moments ago. Eventually the duo found themselves at the edge of a clearing and just ahead they beheld the sanctuary Marrok had been seeking: The Manor.
Marrok stood for a moment and just looked on, trying to take it in.
"What do you think, little fellow? Could this be a trap?" he asked his new feathered friend. The bird seemed to huff as if expelling a nervous sigh. "No matter, though, right? Even if it is a trap, surely you are mighty enough to protect me, eh?" The blue bird whistled in response but immediately took flight, returning to the woods from which it came. "O-kay. Right, then. Solo it is."
Marrok's every step was slow and methodical as his eyes darted every which way, ready to spot some sign of trickery or deceit. By the time he got to the front doors, he was pleased that he encountered no such thing thus far. Who knew what could be waiting on the other side of this sanctuary's entrance. One thing was for sure: He wouldn't find out by standing out here. With that, he swallowed hard, placed a hand on the knob and opened it wide...
Towering over Marrok and his feathered companion, a large red-brick building stood alone within the clearing. It looked old, but well-kept; no signs of damage from age or any other signs of being in disrepair. From the outside, the building looked to have at least two floors, perhaps with an attic hidden under it's roof. The clearing seemed to almost perfectly fit the manor; as though the forest itself refused to grow closer to the short wall that seemed to mark the edge of the building's garden.
Despite the possible eeriness of the building standing tall and quiet within the clearing, it was not entirely silent around it. There were a lot of birds around, judging by the sounds they were making. Primarily crows and ravens, with many hopping around in the front garden - which wasn't anything particularly impressive to look at. Perhaps there was a more impressive rear garden? Either way, the birds paid Marrok no mind as he approached the door, hopping away only if he would otherwise collide with them, and paying no mind to anything he did to interact with them - they seemed to be very busy minding their own business.
She was surprised for how long the walk took but according to the note would be quite close to it. "It should be close by, the Manor should only be a bit farther." As the forest's end was in sight she gazed upon the place where she could finally live quietly again. The vampire finally regained some motivation and sprinted towards it, spotting someone at the door as she approached it. It wouldn't take long until she stood behind the man. "Hey kid, did you get invited to this place too?" She eyed the werewolf with some suspicion. "Are you sure you're not a human?... You look even more human than I do" She teased the man.
Even as a second person arrived at the scene, the birds did not look up from what they were doing - still hopping around and almost seeming to be noiselessly conversing with eachother. They seemed to be unimpressed by visitors, and would not react to anything that wouldn't put them in harm's way - at which point they would simply get out of the way.
As Marrok pushed open the door, a few of the birds took to the air, flying up to the roof and disappearing through a small hole in it. Perhaps they had made their nests in the attic?
Beyond the door laid a foyer. It was dimly lit, a large staircase providing access to two doors on the floor above, with two more doors on the ground floor, one to left and the other to the right. It was quiet within the building; there was no sign of any other inhabitants, though there were no signs of the place being abandoned. There was no dust, no cobwebs. No damage. It was as though it had been cleaned up recently, but there was no sign of whoever could have done that within the foyer. Perhaps they were elsewhere within the structure?
