Their journey through the endless grasslands continued, accompanied by the rushing winds and the rhythmic thumps of Zarts’ feet. The day was spent travelling through a consistent blur of green grass while Rinne tried his best to entertain himself through conversation.

  All the while, Drentack spoke not a single word. An uneventful camp and rest brought around the day after, where their trip continued as peaceful as the day before.

  Yet halfway through the day of their next journey, when the sun peaked in the sky, the world around them shifted.

  The green blur of grass twisted into a light blue hue as they seemed to enter a whole new area.

  “Wooah!” Rinne gasped in awe at their surroundings. The grass seemed different in an eerie way. Besides the color differences, it seemed to still within the wind, as if frozen in time. New structures, some sort of biological tower made of vines overlooked the grass as if it were some sort of tower. Besides the rope-like spires, trees dotted the land, leaving trailing leaves along with similar ropelike vines to the tower.

  Within these trees, a few flowers could be seen, standing out amongst the tapestry of blue. With a yellow center surrounded by petals of white, the flower peered down on the travelling trio from above.

  “It's different, for sure.” Enyah remarked, narrowing her eyes and raising her vigilance. She's never been in a place like this. A new ecosystem meant new predators. Ones which she had no information in dealing with.

  “Why’s it blue? Blue grass is new!” Rinne asked with eyes full of wonder.

  “No clue. It’s new to me as well.” Enyah shrugged, her eyes darting throughout her surroundings, “But I don’t like it.”

  “You don’t like many things.” Rinne chirped behind her with a smug grin, turning his gaze from the environment to the woman in front of him. “But it's okay. I still like you!”

  “Alright, kid.” She rolled her eyes, though a hint of movement ahead paused her thoughts. In the distance, Enyah could see slight movement, human in form. Their indefinite forms buzzed around the trees in the distance like bees, though whatever they were doing, she couldn't tell.

  With Zarts speed, the humans came into shape into a few blinks and they seemed to notice them as well, pausing their tasks and waving with two arms in the air.

  “Cloak up, head down.” Enyah ordered, turning back towards the men, who wandered to the path with the intention to speak.

  “Ho! Welcome, Travellers!” A man in the lead boomed with an infectuous grin. With long, messy hair and a beard to match, he looked more wolf than man, especially when he only wore pants, leaving his hairy chest open. Through the hair, she could still see hard muscle on his body.

  “Greetings… Mr..?” Enyah nodded in reply, slowing Zarts down in front of the men.

  “Call me Dale!” The man kept his grin, holding an arm out for a handshake, which Enyah accepted. His hand was vigorous and rough. She felt his calloused hands rubbing against her before he stepped back, “Manne's the tall one. Need something from the top shelf, he's your man.”

  “Ma’am.” Manne tilted his head in greeting, keeping a hand in his pocket and the other holding a large basket that contained the flowers she saw earlier. He was a tall man, easily taller than the other two that were with him, and had muscles lining his limbs. With curled hair and a stubble beard while wearing thick clothes which seemed unsuitable for the warm southern weather.

  “And the furred one's Werlin. He thinks the more hair he greases, the more he looks like a proper gentleman.” Dale snorted, introducing the third of their trio. A feral whose entire body looked bathed in water, slicked back and sticking to his body. It made him look sickly and smaller, yet his teeth shone dangerously into a smile.

  “Welcome to Opteniant.” Werlin hissed out a greeting, his animalistic voice giving a rough edge to tone. “I hope your stay will not be long.”

  “Just passing through, don't worry.” Enyah responded, though she saw the tension lining their faces. The way their hands shook, their backs hunched, the exhaustion lining their eyelids. It wasn't an insult, but a warning. “Is there anything to look out for in town?”

  “Don't mind Werlin, miss. He's a bit blunt.” Manne replied, moving awkwardly with a heft of the basket, “The village… It's a bad time to visit, I'm afraid. Our friends and families, they're…well you’ll see it for yourself.”

  “Any danger?” Enyah asked with a frown marring her face. Just what she needed. More trouble interrupting her mission.

  “Not trouble, per se, but.” Dale cringed, his mouth seizing up. “Poison. Sin. Whatever you want to call it. Just don't hold it against them, alright? Life ain't perfect here, but we're trying.”

  “Wouldn't dream of it, Dale.” Enyah responded, thinking back to her own circumstances.

  “What're you doing here?” Rinne called from behind Enyah, poking his head out beside her.

  “Picking the trees. The flowers are worth a lot of coin. Good luck to you.” Werlin stated, losing interest and moving towards the tree they were picking.

  “You too!” Rinne called back before turning to Dale, his curiosity shining through his eyes, “What're the flowers for?”

  The man shrugged in response, stroking his beard in thought, “No clue, some man with the mayor's mark comes round every few days to buy them.”

  “He's a shifty man, but the pay's good. I'm sure it's used for some noble trading.” Manne continued, speaking his opinion with a mirthful smirk on his lips. “Speaking of, we haven't heard your names, miss and child?”

  “Name’s Enyah. The kid's name is Rhine. I'm his bodyguard. A professional bodyguard. Enyah introduced herself, a hint of pride rising up. “Whelp wanted to see the world, so here we are.”

  “I saw lots of grass!” Rinne confirmed from behind, agreeing with her statement.

  “Enyah, my lady. There's not much to see in Opteniant, but if you are staying, perhaps I could have the pleasure of showing you around?” Manne asked, flashing a grin towards her with sparkling eyes.

  “I'm sorry…Manne… but we will be leaving as soon as my mount gets his rest.” Enyah shook her head before restoring her posture upon Zarts, “Speaking of, we should be leaving now. Thank you for the information.”

  “It's my pleasure.” Dale grinned before patting a saddened Manne hard on the back. “Ignore this lump, he asks out every girl he sees. Not a single one said yes.”

  “That’s wrong!” Manne bursted out with a reddened face, pointing an accusing finger towards Dale, “I had a few people accept!”

  “Hahahahaha! From your sister! And from mine, who felt bad for you! See you around!” Dale laughed a boisterous laugh while sending them off with a wave.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “Byeeeeeee!” Rinne called back, waving as fast as his arms could let him. Their figures soon morphed back into indescribable figures, but Dale's voice echoed far beyond, as they still heard him conversing with Manne long after they’ve left.

  “They were nice!” Rinne said, settling back in.

  “It could be a disguise. Gatekeepers who watch for travellers and let our guard down. I could take them.” Enyah murmured, multiple thoughts running through her head.

  “I'm sure you could.” Rinne responded almost absentmindedly as he turned his focus towards the blue surrounding them. “Oh no! I forgot to ask why everything's blue!”

  “Who cares why it's blue? A color's a color. As long as there's nothing poisonous with them, it's fine with me.” Enyah responded, staring out at the blue with a hint of disgust.

  “Why not learn? Maybe there's a secret mixture they use to make it blue? Maybe it's because of the mist! Or the Gods! Are we in a holy land?” Rinne's excitement peaked as he spat out his thoughts faster than Zarts could run. His grip tightened as he went on, as if building determination, “Maybe it's actually the sky! Like… the sky is blue, right? Anyways, Dale did mention poison, so maybe there is something strange with the color!”

  “He said the people were poisoned, not the land.” Enyah rebutted, turning back to focus on the direction ahead. Though she refuted his words, she felt a trickle of discomfort rise up that she ignored as best she could.

  “What's the difference?” Rinne put a finger to his chin, asking curiously.

  “Means the lands are fine, but the people aren't.” She responded gruffly, unsure how to describe it.

  “But they have to have been poisoned somehow. Do you think people did it?” Rinne responded in disbelief, as if throwing out impossibilities.

  “Exactly.” Yet Enyah agreed, nodding her head at his statement. “You wouldn't call a poisoned land as ‘sin’ unless their forefathers did some sacred crime and offended the Gods.”

  “Has that happened before?” Rinne questioned with shock lining his voice.

  “It's happened many times.” Enyah explained to the boy, furrowing her brows and thinking back, “Gods aren't all knowing nor all powerful. They're emotional, like us. Least from what I can gather. Point is, you can hate them, but don't disrespect them.”

  “I see. I didn't know…” Rinne moved his head downwards, deep in unknown thoughts that Enyah couldn't gleam. From the scrunch of his forehead, the thoughts weren't calm.

  “So that's how you feel about us. You wound me, little priestess!” Drentack's voice once again echoed within her head, its slimy trail oozing twisted amusement throughout her mind, “Comparing us to mortals of all things? Oh, darling, if only!

  You mortals offer suspense, spectacle, and that delicious burning passion that shines through misery. Oh, you all offer only the greatest of meals. Entertainment included! Yet you lack the flair! The artistic sense we all share! Our vision!”

  She could almost see his human form holding his hands up high in mock drama, that grin stuck to his face as he continued, “You call us emotional, but I call us passionate! With beautiful, beating hearts that pound in response to the pieces of the board called Lakreiya. It's a thrill! We grow attached to our actors and invest in their fates. We curse their enemies over the pettiest grievance, and what can mortals do but kneel down and pray in response? We are free.”

  “Drentack, you're ba–”

  “Ah, ah. But be careful, my little priestess.” Enyah's thoughts were interrupted by the God's booming laughter echoing within her ears, like the beating of drums, followed by silky words that carved through her like a knife, “You better watch that little mouth of yours. Words like those would land you with more curses than you could count.”

  “Are you done?” Enyah growled internally, her harsh tone cutting through his theatrics. Beneath his sophistry and flowery words were nothing but ego. “I don't care about your wounded pride. You'll earn no respect from me. I'll be yours eventually, anyways.”

  “Oh, so scary! And yet, so… pitiful.” His voice seemed to move in accordance with his feelings, dripping with amusement and something almost… gentle. A lull within the storm that was Drentack. “Still, that's what I truly enjoy about you, darling. Keep struggling. Twist and squirm through the ground like a worm. I'll be watching all the while.”

  “Then watch me. My death won't be peaceful.” Enyah shook her head at his words, driving out whatever emotions he attempted to rise up within her. From the distance she spotted buildings, a mixture of Grey and brown that stood out from the world around. It was as if the village didn't belong in a place such as this, yet it still stood tall.

  Enyah felt a deep sigh roll out of her while she hunched her shoulders in exhaustion. That damn God.

  “Are you alright?” Rinne asked from behind her, seeming to sense her turbulent mind. He lay a hand against her clothing, giving a small tug for her attention. “Is it that ghost again? Or are you still injured? Should we have waited a day?”

  She spared the boy a quick glance and saw his worried eyes looking over her. “I'm fine, kid. It's nothing important. What is important is the village that I spotted in the distance.”

  “Really? Let me see!” Rinne's worry forgotten, he peeked forwards and drilled his eyes into the village, only to slink back in disappointment. “Aww. I thought the buildings would be blue too.”

  Enyah smirked at his reaction, “Sorry to disappoint, but it's not always going to match. Good thing, too. Too much blue and I'd hate the color for life.” She gave Zarts a nudge, receiving a rumbling chirp in response while the lizard slowed down to a trot.

  As they approached, the village gradually took a clearer form. A throng of houses gathered together like a school of fish, lining the streets with various degrees of damage. Some looked clean and well-cared for, while others seemed to be on its last breath, one storm away from collapsing. Enyah could observe that most of the houses were the latter, the village seeming almost destitute from afar. A small wall circled the village, but it couldn't hide the rot infecting within.

  Reaching the makeshift gatehouse, Enyah noticed the peculiar lack of guards. It seemed almost abandoned. She frowned at the sight.

  “Is anybody there?” She called out, pausing before the gate. She waited a few moments for some sort of response yet received none. She shrugged.

  “Guess we're free to go.” Enyah nudged Zarts forwards, passing the decrepit gate and entering the village. A street littered in filth and rust greeted them as they walked down the empty paths. It was like a city lost to time, lacking the humanity that a normal functioning village would have.

  Speaking of humanity, Enyah noticed hunched figures collapsed on the ground. They were unmoving, as if dead. There were men and women of various dress all lining the streets. Enyah observed the lack of blood, narrowing her eyes. Was this the poison?

  “What an interesting little town! Ripe with negativity and dread, truly a succulent feast. And my oh my, quite the story as well. A tinge of betrayal and drama that only humans could replicate.” Drentack spoke within her, his voice deeper, more full. As if he were in the midst of eating a meal.

  “You know what's wrong?” She narrowed her eyes at his words, etching any hints into her brain, “You wouldn't tell me anyways, would you?”

  “Bingo, darling! No spoilers from me, why that would only spoil the excitement!” Drentack's smug voice echoed around her.

  Enyah shrugged at his response. It wasn't like these citizens mattered to her at all. At this rate, it might be safer to camp in the wilderness instead.

  “Hello? Are you alright?” Rinne asked the corpse like bodies below him, receiving no response. He turned to Enyah, his voice drowning in sadness, “Are they dead?”

  “No clue. But they aren't our problem.” Enyah stated, drifting her gaze from the bodies towards the inn along the road. A small drip of movement caught her attention. A few hunched limping figures congregated out of the shadows, their bloodshot eyes darting to and fro with manic energy. Their figures similarly ran with quick, rapid steps accompanied by shaking hands. Darting like mice, they soon left their area, leaving them alone once again.

  Zarts trot continued, the beast huffing in disgust at the rotting smell of the village. He let out a whine, turning to Enyah with shining eyes.

  “Sorry, bud. We might be staying here tonight.” Enyah frowned at the disapproving stare she received from the lizard. She sighed, acquiescing to his whining, “Alright. I'll stop by the inn for a bit, and we'll sleep in the wild, alright?”

  The lizard didn't seem to understand her words, simply turning back and continuing his whines, Each small whine causing a grating feeling within her. Yet his whines seemed to attract some attention, as a woman, droopy eyed and marred by a frown, walked up to the trio with an uncertain gaze, “Excuse me, Miss. Have you come from the capital?”

  “No, we're only passing by. Sorry to disappoint.” Enyah shook her head in denial and watched the woman's gaze become even more despondent.

  “But I'm from the capital! Do you need help with anything?” Rinne chirped from behind her, unfazed by Enyah turning behind her to glare at him.

  “Oh no… If you aren't who we requested… Have we been abandoned to die?” The woman whispered darkly, her figure falling as if losing the last bit of hope before her eyes glazed over with determination, whatever thoughts were rolling through her head was unknown to Enyah.“Are you a mercenary, miss? I don't have much to pay you, but I'll offer myself as payment if needed. I can cook and clean, you can sell me if needed.” Her tone was forced and heavy, backed by inscrutable feelings that seemed to overwhelm the woman.

  Enyah felt her stomach tighten at the woman’s words. She’s seen desperate people before. Those who would spend all they have for justice, revenge, for just one chance to keep going in life.

  This woman was among them. Someone with nothing left to lose. And Enyah only felt disappointment. Not at the woman, but the world that shaped her into the desperate human clutching at straws. Enyah raised a hand to her head, massaging her forehead. Why did she meet this person now?

  “You'd be sold? Why would–” Rinne's curious voice was interrupted by Enyah, her voice cold and unforgiving.

  “Rinne. Not now.” Enyah shot him a short look before turning to the woman, her voice as soft as she could manage. “Calm yourself, Ma'am. Deep breaths. There we go. Now, tell me what's going on here. What's with the people on the street?”

  The woman swallowed, calming her trembling breaths as she tugged at her skirt with determination, “Around a few years ago, from the next town over, They came, selling all sorts of medicines at cheap prices. We have no doctor, so we took all that we could get.” She took a moment to exhale, her fingers tightening further, “When the first injury appeared, the medicine seemed to work, better than whatever we used before, yet the patient… He got addicted. He'd intentionally injured himself, begging for more medicine Until he got worse and worse. It was like every sip would use blood as the price as he dried up.” The woman moved her hands to her arms, shivering at the thought as she looked back.

  “It'll be alright. There's nobody here except us.” Enyah leaned forwards, planting a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder. “Speak freely. I'll listen.”

  “It… he looked horrible.” she burst into tears, “He was only a young lad, but he was so skinny and wrinkled… Anyways…” She wiped at her tears with a clenched fist, “More people got injured and forced to use the medicine. They fell for the addiction too. It turns out they all got into fights. With thugs that nobody has seen. It's the people who sold us the medicine! They have thugs to injure us and get us addicted in order to buy more!”