As the group moved through the desolate dusty streets that reeked of rotten blood, a heightening sense of alarm rippled through them all. The foreboding ballooned with the sound of skittering feet that didn't seem to be touching the ground and whispering howls that creeped in the billowing dust.

"F***. Why do I get the feeling that we shouldn't be here?" Leœss edgily remarked with alert brown eyes flickering past their surroundings.

"Because we probably shouldn't be," dryly joked Darren. "This is definitely not going to be where we're sleeping tonight."

"Uh, hell no." Essairyn seconded his declaration without a thought otherwise.

Aispin narrowed his eyes at the broken shutters and and faintly swinging, ajar doors. "This scene doesn't look like it happened recently. But then why is the stench of death so strong here..?"

The black-haired boy's observation only further unnerved the crew. Akari's hackles rose with every creak and rise of the unsettling breeze. She couldn't put her paw on it, but like the humans, she also felt disturbed by the strange atmosphere. Her nose picked up demonic scent every few steps, but they were faint and varied. Being unable to pinpoint what types of demons the scents came from concerned Akari to no end. Not knowing the enemy was a surefire way for disaster.

"Guys... I think we should turn back," Akari slowly suggested with a nervous pause in her gait. "Even though the demonic energy here is weak, I keep feeling like something's watching us." She shivered upon expressing her suspicion. "I feel queasy now, ugh."

Seeing Akari begin slouching down as if to balance her center of gravity, Essairyn immediately bent down to scoop her up. Even if the fox protested, she didn't want to let Akari lay down on the tainted, dirty ground. It also felt dangerous in this unfamiliar place.

Fortunately, the fox didn't resist and actually found Essairyn's arms to be comforting. Perhaps it was the magical aura that emanated from the girl, but Akari's body involuntarily relaxed in their close proximity. She surmised it was due to Essairyn's magic being a natural counter for demons that it could induce this calming effect.

"Since Akari's not feeling well and also feels apprehensive, with her sense for danger and demons, it's best we head back like she said." Everyone nodded at the girl's words and turned back in the direction they came.

"Shit. Now I'm worried about our carriage. Maybe we shouldn't have left it unsupervised," pronounced Leœss, making the group quicken their pace in anxiousness.

"Damn, you're right," muttered Darren. "Why the hell did we do that? It's the perfect way to end our trip short and give an advantage to whoever is watching us, according to Akari."

"Too late now." Aispin lightly sighed. "Let's hope we're just being overly worried."

The entrance to the town came into view, and to their relief, the carriage and horses seemed perfectly safe and untouched.

"Thank goodness..." Essairyn murmured, releasing the breath she didn't know she was holding.

After checking that the carriage and animals really hadn't been tampered with, their tension dissipatedly slightly. But not getting complacent, they cursorily discussed what to do. Everyone wanted to just move a safe distance away from the town, but being out in the open wasn't smart either. And as part of their Knights mission, they had to investigate why this bleak village was uninhabited.

"Then that's decided." Essairyn stated while turning to survey the town. "We find a large enough lodging to stay inside and monitor the situation at night. Hopefully, we don't get another demon attack at night and be surrounded."

"I'll take the first shift," offered Leœss, furrowing his brows. "I don't think I can sleep right away like this anyway."

Darren nodded and volunteered to be second followed by Aispin and then Essairyn. Then, the group led the carriage and horses into the village. Leœss sat on the driver's seat while Aispin and Darren took up either side of the carriage, looking out through the open carriage doors. After placing Akari inside the vehicle, Essairyn traveled by foot as a scout. They moved swiftly and in a few minutes found a large enough building to house them all.

Essairyn carefully opened the double doors and let her eyes adjust to the darkness inside. Seeing no one, she motioned for them to disembark the carriage and enter. As they all walked in, Essairyn casted a flame of light in her hand to brighten their way. Feeling that the large space was suitable, Aispin and Darren turned around to guide the horses inside.

"Why did you come back?" A rough, gnarled voice suddenly resounded in the quiet, shaking their jumpy hearts. With startled eyes and hands on their weapons, they turned around and faced a hunched shadow limping towards them.

"You should've left and never looked back." The ragged voice revealed itself in the dim. "Are you all blind, don't you see what this place is like?" Now in the soft light of Essairyn's flame, everyone saw that it was just an old lady.

However, her appearance was threadbare, sooty, and oddly nourished. While her bones were knobby, they were relatively thick with health. This incoherent sight only caused more questions to arise. They had presumed that no food was available in this abandoned, wrecked village. But it turned about that it was neither deserted nor lacking in sustenance for the remaining villagers.

Essairyn stepped forward with a firm voice; even though, her body was subtly trembling. "Then are you blind too? Why haven't you left then?"

The old lady paused, staring at the young, pretty girl that glowed with vigor. After peering at her robust companions, the woman's frenzied eyes bulged into saucers. "Don't you think we would've left if we could?" Her words sent shivers down their spines, and their hairs stood on end.

"What..do you mean? You..can't leave?" Leœss asked in a hushed, uneasy tone.

"Why would I still be here if I could?" The old woman retorted lifelessly. "Don't you think we've tried?"

"We?" echoed Aispin, gripping his sword tighter. At his words, small shapes shifted on the peripheries of the flame's light.

"Grandma? What's happening?" The little voices whispered, coming closer. "Have the heroes arrived? Are we saved by the knights?" Dirty, baby faces of children in tattered clothes revealed themselves and shyly gravitated toward the old lady. The group inhaled sharply at the sight, no longer understanding anything that was happening.

Speechless, they watched as one of the bolder kids shuffled up to Leœss and tugged on his pant leg. "You're a Knight right? You've come to save us, right? I knew Dad was right when he said that the Knights would come! You're here, you're here!" The boy's pitch rose with feverishness at his supposed rescuers.

"No, that is—" Essairyn started, feeling something was off and then stopping upon not knowing how to continue.

Aispin strode forward and put a defensive arm in front of Essairyn. "Stand back," he breathed voicelessly to Essairyn with a side glance. He too felt like the situation was off. "Who are you people, and why is the town like this? What do you mean that you can't leave?"

The old woman slowly shook her head regretfully. "No, no... You don't understand. You must leave now! Not even the knights can save us! Or you'll be trapped here too!" She jerked forward with crazy eyes and flailing arms, and the group all flinched back unconsciously.

"Grandma! Grandma! Stop, you're scaring them!" The children all grabbed onto the woman with desperate cries. "You'll save us, right? You won't leave us, right?" The little boy who grasped Leœss looked up at him with watery eyes.

"I—" He began and then was cut off by the old lady breaking out in silent wails. She scrubbed her eyes before turning around and receding into the darkness of an adjacent room. Absolutely boggled, Leœss looked back at his group who similarly shared his bafflement.

"Well, at least it looks like this place is a little safer(?) to stay in?" Darren offered without any real belief in his positivity.

"We've got no other choice," croaked Akari who had stumbled out of the carriage. "This is your duty as knights after all. You can't shy away from it even if you want to at this point now."

Essairyn's face wrinkled in displeasure. She got caught up in something yet again. And this time, she wasn't at all enthusiastic about it. Inwardly cursing herself into confidence, she shook her head and stared resolutely forward at the children clustered in the doorway of the next room.

"We'll protect you, don't worry..." She softly reassured the children whose faces lit up at her words.

The little boy from earlier tumbled forward and peered up at Essairyn with bright, hopeful eyes. "That's a promise, right? You promised!"

"Yes, yes..." Essairyn assured with empty conviction. Although the children seemed harmless, she couldn't stop herself from feeling unnerved by them too, especially this little boy.

"Yay!" The boy cheered and wrapped his short arms around Essairyn's leg. She patted him lightly on the head after a moment's hesitation. At the very least, he was definitely human since he didn't react to her magic aura. That was one small comfort.

Aispin tapped her shoulder. "While I feel this situation is suspicious, it's our best option. Let's try settling down for the night." Essairyn nodded slowly with a troubled expression, inducing Aispin to grip her shoulder gently in a firm, encouraging shake.

Left with no choice, the group set up camp inside the spacious building. A short while after they had finished, the grandma returned with a shallow basket of assorted food.

"Wait, don't give them your food! Stop!" The children protested, obviously unwilling to share with their visitors and alleged heroes.

However, the group didn't want the food anyway. They had experienced food poisoning once before, and they surely weren't going to be caught unawares again. Rejecting the woman's bizarre, late display of hospitality, they quietly dined in a tight circle around Essairyn's fire. The horses rested in the back of the room by the carriage.

Night descended swiftly, and the village sunk into a quieter hush. Not even the sound of scuffling dustballs could be heard. One by one the group members kept vigil. Soon, it came time for Essairyn's shift. The tense night was almost over.

Click, clack, clip. The sound of a stick striking a wooden fence jerked Essairyn out of her sluggish thoughts. Instantly awake, she zoned in on the distant noise that slowly approached their building. When the sound halted in front of their boarded up windows, a chilling sensation trickled down her spine.

"Hm?" A deep, disdainful, and slightly grating tone reverberated through the wood cracks. A smile curved the hidden man's face. "Who's this? We have visitors?"