The cave was now miles behind the group as they followed the old trail west to Montillo. Markus had been correct about the path, being informed by Aurora earlier it would lead them directly to civilization. As he walks, the hammer weapon sways slightly from its attached spot on the backpack. The ornate dagger and locket were already secured inside the bag.

Low, dark clouds can be see forming around the mountains behind them and in various areas across the sky. Sunlight was still dominant, but the overall weather had worsened compared to the morning. The top of trees shook with the upturn of the wind. Luckily, the group at ground level is shielded from the gust.

Markus walks briskly on the trail, with Aurora and Eclair flying close by. Suddenly, a large shadow covers their portion of the trail. Its moving east, and blocks the sunlight for only a few seconds. The entire group looks upward to see what caused the shadow. They scan the sky to spot anything, but only see clouds and tree branches.

As they look, Markus catches a glimpse of a massive wing breaking through the clouds above. It looks like a bird wing, with black and brown feathers. Eclair and Aurora spot it too, and everyone watches the wing flap several times. The body of the bird never shows, and soon it disappears completely into the clouds heading east.

The group is quiet for a few moments, before Markus speaks up and says “Giant birds, ghost, monsters, and fairies. This world sure doesn't quit.”

“Keeps it exciting right?” Eclair sarcastically quips back. She then lightly kicks Markus in the shoulder. “By the way, don't call us fairies. It's mean. We call ourselves Fae.”

The group starts moving again, but Eclair decides to stay near Markus to provide a lecture. She talks about the Fae, as they call themselves. Aurora is leading a few feet ahead of the pair, but is near enough to sometimes add her voice to the conversation.

Fae are an old race, around just as long as humans. Natives to a massive continent called Deorurra, across a large ocean to the East. They spread out to all the nearby continents and islands, eventually coming to the continent they're now on called Intarras.

Little Creek, by Fae standards, is a young settlement. Founded a few centuries ago, around the same time the continent was being completely settled and pieced out by various nations. One of the most surprising things Markus learns about the Fae is how diverse they can be, just like people. Their skin color, wings, clothing, and much more can be very different between each individual. These days, Fae tend to borrow human methods for nearly everything. Even their naming styles are a direct imitation.

Talking helps the time pass by, but the conversation ends once the group sees they've connected to a larger dirt road. Markus looks at the road heading east, which cuts through the forest for a ways before turning north. Looking west, he sees a straight path, and blue skies above due to the removed trees. Although the edges of the dirt road are slowly being reclaimed by nature, it's still an impressive thing to see so far from civilization.

Several old buildings are nearby, which makes Markus think the fork in the road was a stopping point in the past. It must have been decades ago. All the buildings are crushed or toppled, except for one.

A rustic-looking, dilapidated building stands alone in the middle of the woods by the road. Two stories tall, styled with a dark,wooden roof and gray, stone walls. It's a unique design, with the left side having a double entrance with a triangle shaped canopy above. The right side is simpler, with just windows set evenly across each level. It reminds Markus of old American inns from paintings, but time has done it's damage. The roof has collapsed on the right side, there are broken windows throughout, and the walls are overrun with foliage.

Markus can only guess the old building once served a steady flow of travelers. Aurora starts flying toward the building, which causes Markus and Eclair to follow behind. The entrance is open, with the doors laying broken on the floor.

“This would have been our camping spot had we not changed plans last night.” Says Aurora as she flies inside. The others follow right behind her.

Even in its neglected state, it's easy to see it would have been a wonderful place to stay in the past. A large fireplace is to the right, and the back wall has a bar area. Broken wood and metal furniture is scattered around the stone floor. Discarded papers, busted picture frames, and shattered glass can be seen everywhere. The stairs to the second floor are barely held together by a few wood pieces.

“Interesting. We can look around for a bit if we have time.” Markus says to the girls. Aurora nods in agreement, but Eclair has already wandered to the other side of the room.

Aurora takes off and heads outside, out of view. Markus and Eclair spend their time looking inside the old building. With his shooting gloves on, Markus isn't afraid to pick through the piles of trash. The pieces of paper he finds show nothing, with lettering or images mostly gone. Eclair spends time looking at decorations on the walls that are still hanging.

After a little time, Aurora rushes back inside and straight to Markus. She says to him “Hey. I found a body outside. He must have died recently, but it's just north of here.” Markus stops immediately, and listens closely to her. “Look... I saw a bag. It might have some stuff we can use. I don't like the idea... but I'm an exile now, and you need any help you can get for your journey. Do you want to grab it?”

Markus is silent for a moment. It's one thing to search old ruins, but another to rob a recently deceased person. However, Aurora has a point, with no money and a uncertain amount of travels ahead. He responds “Ya. Lead the way.”

Standing up, Markus gets Eclair's attention with a whistle. She flies over to them, where Aurora fills her in on what she's found. A frown forms on her face immediately.

“I can understand why, but I don't like it.” Says Eclair with a little anger in her voice. “When we get to Montillo, we need to tell the authorities there about the person. Promise me.”

“I promise.” Markus replies, with Aurora nodding in agreement. “I wouldn't want to be left alone in the woods either.”