Operite, the town that borders Soreado. A veritable fortress in and of itself, which resides within thick, wooden walls, made from the sturdy trees of the jungle. The rural villagers saw the great, imposing walls as a monolith of protection. As if the walls held back all the evils of the jungles and beyond. Yet, the rural folk have never seen, and probably never will see, the capital of Orlent, Ollenia, whose opulence outshines the walls with ease.

  The village lay beside the array of trees, within sight of the rough dirt path. When Enyah left the jungles, she was greeted by an endless plain of softly swinging grass and the gentle whispering of wind. She immediately herded Zarts to the side, who trotted gently through the grass, tilting his head at the jungleless sights that pervaded his senses.

  Enyah gazed past the rolling fields of green, her intense, emerald eyes scanning for any signs of movement. She caught nothing, yet it only intensified her wariness. Their assaults from the cults had been quiet since the second checkpoint, giving her a sense of unease.

  It could simply be due to the fact that there were no cultists nearby, or a delay in information. The cults could even be fighting in the shadows, conducting a war on an unheard scale, yet unknown to the populace.

  “Preparing for the worst case is the safest option.” Enyah pondered, considering some sort of ambush. In many situations, taking lives was easier than the snap of a finger. “I won’t die–I can't die. Not yet.”

  “Are we going over there?” Rinne asked merrily, his face turned towards the village. Enyah could feel his infectious jubilance from her spot in front of him, along with the relief he felt with his unrestrained movements.

  “I was just like that…” Enyah mused, nostalgic. Anyone's first time into Soreado was always a journey full of jumbled nerves and fear of the dark. Even the stories she told him were overlaid with Drantei's voice, his rich voice spewing the same stories of fear and curiosity.

  “Still… six years since I last left Soreado.” Enyah noted the plains surrounding them. Common, yet still so unfamiliar, as if finding a forgotten accessory.

  “Yeah, that walled village is Operite.” She turned back and told Rinne. After all of their troubles in the jungle, hopefully a change in scenery would do wonders for all of them. “We’ll let Zarts rest there before continuing tomorrow.”

  “Okay!” Rinne sang out, giving her a serene smile. “What are we going to do before bed?”

  “Going to do? We're going to sleep early and wake early.” Enyah explained her plans methodically, as if it were natural. Yet it quickly removed Rinne's smile, replacing it with a deep frown.

  “We can't do that!” Rinne complained, looking at her with undisturbed shock at the blasphemy of her words.

  “And why can't we?” Enyah asked quizzically, raising an eyebrow at him. That's how she always spent her trips to the checkpoints. The earlier she finished, the earlier she went home and accepted her next mission.

  “Because we're visiting somewhere new!” Rinne cheered, “Try new foods, especially their local specialties! Explore shops and find trinkets for your loved ones! Find romance in the simplest of places, and spend a passionate night in the moon!” He gushed, putting his hands to his cheeks and shaking his head wistfully, as if imagining himself going through all of the wonderful experiences flashing through his small head.

  “All fantasies.” Enyah rolled her eyes, shutting him down. “Whatever you’re imagining won’t happen. We’re going to visit countless towns during our trip. They’re all the same. No local specialties, no moonlit parks, or whatever you hear from your stories. Just people living and not much else.”

  “Hmph.” Rinne pouted, turning away from her and looking at the town longingly. “How would you know?”

  “Because I’ve travelled through all of these towns. If these people are kind, they only want you to buy their goods, or sell you for profit.” Enyah explained, turning back with a shrug.

  “Why would these stories lie though?” Rinne tilted his head, looking back at her with an innocent expression. “Maybe they just didn't like you?”

  “So I'm the problem, kid?” She frowned at him, though her face remained passive. There was no threat in her tone, only exasperation.

  “No! No, you aren't!” He backpedalled, defending himself with a vigorous shake of his head. “I just mean it could be your appearance that they dislike.”

  Enyah looked down at herself with a frown. Strands of red fell down in the corners of her vision, draping over a loosely knit linen shirt. Its beige color was only slightly darker than her skin, hanging over her body. Below, tied tightly by a belt that was covered in pouches, she wore dark brown trousers that clung to her legs. Boots finished her attire, being the optimal choice in order to traverse Soreado's treacherous terrain. “I don't look too bad. I'd like to think I'm even a charmer for the right merc. Sure, I dress for efficiency, but I at least wash myself and attempt to look good.”

  She looked at Rinne and asked, “What, do I look like some harlot, or?”

  “You look… kind of scary. Rinne elaborated, poking his chin in thought. “You have this… stare that you always look at people with. It's… intense.”

  “Scary, huh…” Enyah muttered softly, The rest of his words hadn't registered with her, flying over her head like migrating birds. She felt a grin grow on her face. “Scary is good. Intimidating. I like it.”

  “Also, what's a harlot?” Rinne asked.

  “Huh?” Enyah yelped at the question, her voice cracking for just a moment, before it calmed in almost an instant. “I'll tell you later, we're about to arrive.”

  “Okay!” Rinne nodded, easily agreeing with her. He asked no further questions, electing to simply stare at the upcoming gatehouse.

  Enyah felt satisfaction rising in her. A job well tone in distracting the boy. “Hopefully, he'll forget by the time we start resting.”

  Though Enyah said it to distract the boy, they were only moments from entering the town. Or rather, the guard tower connected to the massive walls.

  A gate loomed ahead, where a gruff looking man leaned against the wall lazily, bathing in the sun's warm rays with his eyes closed, as if in a light nap. However, when they approached, they opened into a dull stare, disinterestedly staring at the arriving entourage.

  “Woman and… child? A grintliss too.” He voiced with a glint in his eye when they stopped next to him. There was nothing wrong with his tone but… there was something strange about it. Something that Enyah couldn't place.

  “Yeah. Do we need some sort of inspection?” Enyah asked, staring at him with a face full of questions. A village in the middle of nowhere having searches was a sign of disrespect, no matter the circumstances. Not that Enyah cared. She understood their circumstances. A little, miniscule event in the viewpoint of the gods could shake a village's foundations permanently.

  He paused for a moment, considering. His eyes shifted, contemplating different responses. The man felt the stares of both her and Zarts, who turned to tilt his head at the man curiously. Eventually, he drawled out slowly, “No. Come in.”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  “Thank you.” Enyah nodded and with a swift tap, Zarts continued his leisurely walk, trotting inside the walls.

  Behind her, Rinne leaned forward, whispering, “See! He was scared!”

  “Really?” Enyah asked. She wasn't trying to intimidate him. Maybe she really did have a presence! She fixed her posture unconsciously, and smiled proudly, “Stopped him from messing with us.”

  “But you'll be alone!” Rinne muttered, thinking that her fearsome appearance was intentional, before widening his eyes in realization, “You don't like strangers, do you Miss Enyah?”

  “What? I'm fine with strangers!” Enyah strongly refuted, before shaking her head, muttering a small, “Why am I arguing this with you.”

  “Because you’re living, but you aren't living.” Rinne emphasized, lowering his voice in an attempt to add maturity.

  “And who told you that?” Enyah asked. “Don't tell me you came up with it on your own.”

  “Lime did!” Rinne chirped. “She told me all of the stories outside the castle!”

  “So she's the one who put all those stories into your head, yeah?” Enyah asked, eying the town around them. Houses were situated close to each other, as if the homes themselves were huddling in fear, while a small bazaar-like area situated in front of them. Besides the stalls and stores, the homes, and the severe amount of lumber storages that littered the edges of the village, there wasn't much else.

  “Just trying to live.” Enyah thought, seeing the town’s layout.

  Though, the people. The people were acting strange. They still moved to and fro, manning their counters, and going along with their daily duties. Yet ever since the trio arrived in the village, the locals' eyes flickered with fear, darting all around Enyah as she passed by, searching for something. Their moving gazes were full of wariness and suspicion, openly showing their distrust towards their visitors.

  One by one, their eyes landed onto the figure near the tail end of the grintless. Hunched over, Rinne's youthful voice echoed around them while they had their conversation. And that childish, high pitched voice was like lighting a fire under chickens, sending the locals packing in all directions, their figures trembling in fear.

  “That was NOT me.” Enyah said, turning away from his pointed look.

  “I dont know.” Rinne sang, “It could’ve been something you’ve done. Have you killed anyone here?”

  “Kill someone?” Enyah asked, feeling that she gave him the wrong impression these past few days. “Do you think of me as some mass slaughterer who kills everybody who comes my way? Still…” She pondered their reactions. It was eerily similar to the port’s current fear with the stampede. Definitely too similar. She narrowed her eyes in thought. “Is the stampede coming this way, too?”

  “Hello!” Rinne called out to a fleeing man, a farmer by the look of his attire. The man didn’t respond, nor even look. His face fell, but before he could get too crestfallen, one of the braver villagers called out to him.

  “You, boy!” A man spoke with rushed words. He was near a building, a face full of regret for calling out after seeing Enyah turn and face him. Still, he kept talking, quickly and without pausing at all. “Is this woman your mother? Are you safe? Or are you being chased? Kidnapped?”

  “None of the sort!” Rinne responded, His mood fluctuating from the man's words as he tried to contemplate its meaning. Still, he pressed onwards, “She's my friend! We’re the bestest of friends! And we're passing through. Though, does your town have any parks with views of the moon?”

  The man frowned with confusion, not hearing the responses he wanted. He sat silently for a moment, before letting out a simple “No, we have no parks here.” And leaving hurriedly, his figure becoming lost within the maze of houses.

  “That was strange.” Rinne blinked, staring at where the man had disappeared. With a shrug he turned back ahead, morphing his face to be as pitiful as it could be, he whined to Enyah, “But did you hear him? No parks! How are we going to enjoy the moon's glow while sharing a bench surrounded by nature now?”

  “There was never a chance of that happening.” Enyah replied monotonously, scanning the streets for some sort of inn. Considering the size of the town, she should have found it already, yet it remained elusive.

  “It's okay! There's still more to do on the list.” He responded without losing any motivation, “How about local food? We only had bread earlier today!”

  “Inn food works just as well. We'll be alone in our room too.” Enyah refuted. After Speaking, A building in the corner of her vision caught her attention.

  Well kept walls sprouted tall from the ground, painted with a neat white. It gave off a feeling of oppressive serenity. Like a feeling of forced peace, ruled by fear. A feeling that made Enyah feel revulsion.

  A tall spire topped the building, looking down on the town with authority and ego. Pasted in the front of the building was a single gold circle, kept clean and glaring in the sun, reflecting its light in all directions.

  Enyah felt herself tense up, recognizing the icon. The Replian faith. Once again, they're here, spreading their sickly, vile influence. They pretend to be giving, kind and welcoming towards the destitute until they swallow them whole. Those corrupted bastards deserve death many times over. Preaching for some perfect world, but only wanting to rule over the current world. “Do the gods allow the actions of their followers? Do they endorse it?”

  Those ferals from earlier could have been converted in this very town, being so close to the port. That made it even more distasteful. She turned away, not even wanting to look at it any longer.

  “Do you only eat inn food?” Rinne asked, unaware of her thoughts. Enyah gazed at his face, searching. He didn't seem to have noticed the building, either.

  Was the mist at play? Or was it the Gods? The building was too unique to remain hidden for so long.

  Unable to learn more, she shelved the thought with a frown.

  “I eat other food.” Enyah replied, “There’s a tavern at the port. The Dancing Pearl. Seafood is their specialty.”

  “Tavern food is inn food!” Rinne complained.

  “It isn't.” She shook her head in denial.

  “Yes it is!” Rinne responded, refusing to back down.

  “Whatever.” Enyah rolled her eyes, no longer humoring his argument. “We'll drop off Zarts, come up with a path to Ollenia, and only after that will we go out. Are you satisfied with that?”

  “Hmm…” Rinne thought about it, though he didn't have much or a choice. She'd lock him in that room if need be. Reaching their destination safely was their utmost priority, no matter what. “Deal.”

  “Now where's the inn…” Enyah muttered, confused. All the houses Looked the same, indistinguishable from the rest aside from the church, which lay in the center of the town, glaringly exposed once she became aware.

  “Mercenary!” She called to a man who didn't flee from her at first sight. With a sword at his waist and wearing nondescript leather, she made an assumption.

  “You want somethin’, lass?” The man turned back to ask, his eyes searching her warily. He was scruffy, but didn't seem to be the sort to stab you in the back. Looks could always be deceiving, however, which kept her wary.

  “Yeah, I do. Where's the inn?” She asked him calmly, hiding her emotions.

  He rolled his eyes, saying, “The connected houses near the lumber storages. Those are the repurposed inn. Follow the road to the right.” After those words, he turned and walked away, deigning to speak anymore.

  “Thanks.” Enyah said, unsure if he heard. Still, she followed his directions, trotting down the street. The closer they neared the inn, the more mercenaries she spotted, meandering around the town.

  In fact, there were many more mercenaries than she expected. “No wonder they had to expand the inn.”

  Then, the inn was revealed to them. An array of houses, their interior walls torn between them to make a single, large building. The work wasn't perfect, but it was professional. A town of lumberjacks also had skilled carpenters. Who knew?

  A rickety sign sat above the door, displaying “INN” in a corroded green. Next door was a makeshift stable, housing a variety of beasts.

  Besides horses, the most common mount in lakreia, there were giant wolves, turchins, which was a mutated tortoise, slow but defensive, and even a mutated goat residing within the stables.

  All sorts of mercenaries seemed to have congregated here. Giant wolves were only found in the northwestern lands of Graille, while turchins only resided in the sunkissed deserts of Patlaw.

  For mercenaries from both faraway regions to come to this city specifically shows how lucrative the jobs are.

  “A grintliss, huh.” The middle aged man running the stable smirked with interest, scrutinizing the lizard that halted in front of him. As if sensing his look, Zarts turned and squawked in his direction, blasting him with an echoing, high pitched noise. “Feisty thing, isn't he.” He turned towards Enyah, unfazed, “He'll be safe here, miss.”

  “Better be.” She growled, staring at him for a moment, as if searching for something, before turning away calmly, entering the inn with Rinne right behind her, holding onto through back of her shirt.

  The interior of the inn was… unique. Using the luminescent fungi from the forest, the tavern was lit with a shade of lime green. The walls within were pasted with moss, making it seem like part of the jungle itself.

  The mercenaries drank and dined within, chatting merrily. Upon their arrival, not too many mercenaries noticed, or cared. They Preferred whatever they had their attention on. Most mercenaries had that single minded focus. That's how they became mercenaries.

  Still, a few had vastly different reactions. A few looked at her, then Rinne, with panicked eyes, while others viewed her with interest, scrutinizing her like she was a prize.

  Enyah walked around the tables with a confident gait, making sure to show no weakness. Folks like these would grab onto it harder than a prowler with their prey. Their predatory eyes followed them with every step, sizing the pair up.

  Seconds felt like minutes, her eyes flickered between the mercenaries, noting down their appearances before giving them a grin. A fearless grin, inviting them to their deaths. Whether they took up the invitation, only time would tell.

  Leaving them behind, they reached the counter, where a shaking citizen woman was staring at her arriving figure with wide eyes. The woman couldn’t talk, petrified in fear.

  “I-I” The woman fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

  Enyah let out a sigh as the noise fell to a stop in an instant at the sound of the falling girl.

  “Oi! Are you going after Beth?” A rough voice called behind her. Looking back, half of the mercenaries stood up, glaring at her with death in their eyes.

  “Are you going to get me my room?” Enyah asked, tapping her foot in impatience. If need be, she scanned potential escape routes, but these men lacked the spirit.

  They looked like nothing but wounded puppies defending their pride.

  An older, bushy man stomped past the counter and grabbed a key from the shelf behind them. He dropped it onto the counter unceremoniously while staring at her. He was tense, ready to fight if need be, while he spoke. “Room 2A. Up the stairs on your left. Now get out of our sight, scum.”

  “Thank you.” Enyah grabbed the key, stuffing it into her pocket. “Now, your payment.”

  Reaching to her belt, she unsheathed her flintlock, raising it to the man's face. The world shrunk til only the two of them remained. She saw the line of sweat gliding down his face. His rapid heart rate. Fear.

  She felt a grin grow on her face, letting out a low, fulfilled whisper, “Don't be so afraid, Mercenary. It's only death. I'll make it quick.”