On our way down the mountain, we came across a man pulling a handcart. He wore animal skin and carried a bow on his back. A dead deer lay in his cart with an arrow through its neck.

“Hunting?” Arthur stopped for a brief chat.

“Looking for mountain wolves,” the man said. “For the pelt.”

“Dangerous business.”

“Not so much anymore. I can’t find a single one in the area.”

“Nature has its tricks, and we have ours. Don’t give up the search.”

“Thanks, friend.”

The hunter disappeared into the fog, and our wagon started to move again. After a while, we found ourselves back in Ashenbrook. Small leather signs gave us directions, and we navigated the streets to the heart of the town. The local inn looked onto a street near the market. It was a large house surrounded by white flowers. The windows were decorated with trelliswork, and a couple of balconies protruded from the second floor. I read the words on the fascia, “The Bearded Fox.”

“I like the name,” I said to Marie. “I was expecting it to be ‘The Den of the Ghoul’, or something like that.”

“Are you calling me a ghoul, Lance?”

“No, sir!”

“Because you’re right!” She ruffled her hair and imitated the undead.

“That’s a zombie.”

“They’re all the same to me.”

We laughed and got off the wagon. I felt happy that she was opening up and recovering a little. The fact that she could joke was a promising sign. We were about to head inside the inn, but Arthur called us back.

“I’ve got to go now, lad. Traveling with you has been something else.”

“Thanks for everything, Arthur.” I took my bag off the wagon. “It was great to have a medic around.”

“Ex-medic,” he smiled. “Good luck on your quest.”

The reins swished, and the horse clopped with a loud neigh. Marie and I waved goodbye until the wagon disappeared around the corner.

“He was kind,” she said.

“Yeah, he reminded me of my friends at the guild.”

She paused for a moment before she said, “Maybe we shouldn’t go inside right away. Do you want to visit the market first?”

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of home too.” I teased her with a smile.

“Of course not! But… I don’t remember my parents… or how long I’ve been away. How will they react when they see me?”

“I’ll explain what happened, and they’ll understand. Don’t overthink.”

She nodded, and we headed to the entrance.

“Excuse me,” I said as I pushed the door open. “Is the innkeeper here?”

I walked into the main hall. There were wooden benches and tables everywhere. A menu board hung on a wall, and the smell of fresh bakery filled the air, but the place seemed empty, giving me the impression that business was stale. I walked to the front desk, and Marie hid in my shadow.

“I’ll jump sideways as soon as your parents appear.”

“I’ll kill you if you do that!”

“Come on, Marie, they’re your own parents.”

“Yes, but I don’t remember anything about them.”

I sighed and called again, “Is anyone there? I’d like to rent a room.”

“The innkeeper and his wife left an hour ago.” An answer came out of nowhere. “They’ll be back soon.”

Who was talking? I turned around and scanned the tables. In a secluded corner, I found a man in his early twenties. His eyes were azure—the color of a tropical sea—and his hair was bright silver. What was most striking, however, was the top hat on his head, which was decorated with feathers and purple ribbons. It made him look as if he had just left a masquerade.

I bet he’s trying to go for the mysterious-charming look.

He had been reading a book in silence and decided to say something only when my voice annoyed him. As Marie and I approached, he raised his eyebrows, took off his reading glasses, and said, “Well, if it isn’t Marie. Where have you been since last night? Your parents are looking for you.”

I stood between him and Marie. “Do you know this guy?”

“D-Demetrius,” she said.

“Demetrius Zahr, a traveling performer at your service,” the man smiled. “I’ve been staying here for quite some time. In fact, I’m the only guest.”

“You’re quite educated for a performer.” I pointed at his book.

“It’s a hobby. The old saying goes, ‘Know more than your audience.’ ” Demetrius fixed a few silver hairs behind his ear. “And who might you be?”

“Lance Ainsworth, an adventurer from the Exploration Guild.”

He blinked twice before he said, “The guild? What brings you here?”

“The recent incidents. I was hired to investigate the disappearances, but I met Marie on the way. I’ll explain everything when her parents return.”

“Well, I’m relieved that our little songbird is back,” Demetrius smiled, and Marie blushed.

I already hate this guy.

The two were about to start a conversation, and I was about to become the fifth wheel. But the inn’s door swung open and saved the day. A bearded man walked in with a missing person poster in his hand, and a petite, middle-aged woman followed with documents that bore official stamps. As soon as they noticed Marie, they dropped everything and rushed to embrace her.

She was surprised to see them but recognized their faces. Her lips eased into a smile as her parents squeezed her in their arms. Seeing this warm reunion, I couldn’t help but remember my own parents. I didn’t know much about them, but I longed for their warmth.

“Where have you been?” the mother said when the hug was over. “How could you leave in the middle of the night? We thought you ran away.”

The father tapped his foot and waited for an answer.

Marie mumbled something unintelligible before I interfered and said, “Your daughter was attacked by a group of peasants.”

Her parents noticed me for the first time.

“And who are you?”

This simple question started a long conversation. Marie’s father, Gabriel, bolted the front door, and we sat at a table to speak in secret. I told my story, described the road incident, and explained Marie’s situation. When I was done, heads were hanging down, and eyes were teary.

“Gabriel, what are we going to do?” Marie’s mother, Thea, said.

There was no answer.

“Marie needs time to recover,” I said. “Just watch over her, and don’t let her go outside alone.”

“That’s not enough!” The words erupted from Gabriel’s mouth. “Those people have lost their minds. I’ll have a talk with all of them. And if words don’t matter, I’ll use my fist!”

“You’d better give up on that,” Demetrius said.

I hated to admit it, but Demetrius was right. To protect his daughter, Gabriel needed to swallow his anger and pretend that it tasted good.

“What else can I do? We don’t have enough money to leave Ashenbrook.”

“We know it’s difficult,” I said. “But you can’t start a fight at this time. Stay away from the spotlight, and wait till the Aberration is dead.”

“That you should do.” Demetrius nodded.

Gabriel took a deep breath and accepted the bitter reality. After he was slightly more comfortable with the decision, he looked at me and said, “Thank you, Lance. You saved my daughter’s life.”

“I did what anyone else would’ve done,” I smiled.

“You’re planning to stay in Ashenbrook for a few days, right?” Thea added. “You can use our inn free of charge. It’s the least we can offer.”

“That would be a lifesaver!”

“It’s settled.” Gabriel shook my hand. “Now, please excuse us. Make yourself at home.”

The family rose from the table and headed to the upper floor. Marie walked away between her parents, waved goodbye one last time, and then disappeared on the staircase. After a short while, I heard echoes from a distant conversation: Thea wanted to check Marie’s ankle, and Gabriel wanted to prepare her some food.

She’s finally safe.

I settled back in my seat, closed my eyes, and considered my next move. Should I venture out at night? Should I try to locate the giant Aberration? The risk would be high, but I was confident that I could handle it. I only needed to think of the fog as another dark dungeon crawling with enemies.

“It seems that the guild’s standards are falling,” Demetrius said.

I sensed something flying toward my face. My instincts warned of danger, and I tilted my head, avoiding whatever he had thrown at me. Was it a knife? A dagger? I opened my eyes, looked behind me, and found a playing card—the seven of clubs. It was sharp enough to cut into the wooden pillar, and even now, it remained stuck where it had landed.

“You have good reflexes,” Demetrius said. “But that’s not enough to make you a good adventurer.”

“Who asked for your opinion?”

“No one.” He smirked. “You want to hunt down the Aberration tonight?”

“Yeah, that’s my plan.”

“Well, your ‘plan’ won’t work. The Aberration keeps to a schedule. Everyone knows that.”

“That’s news to me.”

“It will appear again in two days.” He stood up. “You should rest tonight.”

“Thanks for the advice, but I didn’t ask for it.”

“You’re rather interesting. You said your name was Lance, right?” Demetrius walked past me. “I hope you’ll live long enough to enjoy one of my big performances.”

“What kind of performer are you?” I asked, watching him walk away.

“I’m an artist who twists the logic of this world. A clown.”

“You forgot your card.” I pulled the seven of clubs out of the wooden pillar.

“Keep it. It’ll bring you luck.”

He walked away with his silver hair swaying against his back. I wanted to throw the card at him, but it ended up in my pocket on a whim.

***

Despite his attitude, Demetrius made me realize that I was short on information, and I left for the local market to gather some. The townspeople didn’t like my questions. Many refused to listen; some hedged with pointless ramblings; a few called me names. But then a young maid stopped me near the blacksmith’s shop. She told me that she would answer all of my questions. Of course, she wanted me to deliver a message to the blacksmith’s son first. I did, and when I returned with his plans for a rendezvous, she finally gave me what I wanted.

The Aberration appeared every three days and only after sunset. The town shut its doors at seven to prepare for the night-long destruction, and Lord Faust imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew. Anyone seen outdoors at night was arrested and interrogated. Rumor had it that the Aberration was poisonous. An old man swore that it had seven heads, but a traveler said nine with as much confidence. I couldn’t believe everything I heard, but I thanked the maid and left.

Demetrius was right; I can’t hunt down the Aberration tonight. I kicked a pebble on my way back to the inn. But I can’t just sleep either. I’m short on time. After a lot of thought, I decided that I would still go out, but changed my goals. I would scout the area and familiarize myself with the terrain. If I could locate the Aberration’s nest, I would consider myself lucky. But I didn’t hope for too much.

Having come up with a plan, I spent the rest of the day preparing my equipment. I polished my sword, counted my throwing knives, and tested the only healing spell I knew. Then I studied the map of the local area, which I had bought at the market for a petty sum. Before I knew it, the sky was dark, and I was sitting at the dinner table with Demetrius and Marie’s family.

“So, you’re an adventurer, right?” Thea said.

“Yeah, I don’t know why everyone keeps asking. Don’t I look like one?”

“You’re too young; I just can’t imagine it,” she said. “We’re terrorized by a single Aberration, but adventurers like you jump straight into their lairs.”

“Master Azemir has taught me a lot.”

She recognized the guild master’s name and nodded as if a mystery was solved.

Gabriel picked up where she left off and said, “And do you have any big dreams? I hear adventurers make a lot of money.”

“You’re right, but my dream has nothing to do with money. I want to find the Seventh Labyrinth.”

“You lost me.” He counted on his fingers. “Aren’t there only six labyrinths?”

“There’s a seventh,” Demetrius interrupted with more enthusiasm than usual. “ ‘The soul that conquers the mortal labyrinths, the soul that sees life and death as equals, shall be granted passage to the immortal realm. Archidox, Dragon of Origin, give us the key to the Seventh Labyrinth, the land of demons and fay.’ ”

“You know a lot about the subject,” I said, frustrated that Demetrius stole the show.

“It’s a legend and a children’s story,” he said. “You’re a child, Lance.”

“Take that back!” I stood up in protest.

“Now, now.” Gabriel gestured for us to calm down. “It’s not good to make fun of people’s dreams, Demetrius. And there’s no need to lose your temper, Lance.”

“I wasn’t making fun of it,” Demetrius smiled foxily. “Only a child can pursue a dream with faith and perseverance. The greatest people of our time are all children. Don’t you agree, Marie?”

Marie was surprised to hear her name, but she said, “It’s a beautiful dream, Lance.” Her words helped me settle down. I sank into my seat and stuffed my mouth with food.

“I didn’t mean to upset anyone,” Demetrius said. “I know, a little performance will cheer you up.”

He went to his room and returned with an oud. It was made of aromatic wood, and the ribs on its back were colored red and green. He plucked the tight strings, and a mellow sound tickled my ears. Who knew that he could play an instrument? He had called himself a clown, but I saw an all-around performer.

He tuned the instrument and said, “Here we go.”

His fingers traveled among the strings, and their tips delivered gentle touches. The melodies roused the imagination and carried a person to faraway lands. My anger subsided, and I forgot why we had been arguing. It would have been nice to stay and listen to the full performance, but I had to break free of his oud’s magic after the third song.

“I guess I’m going to bed now,” I said.

“Already?” Marie pouted.

“It’s been a long day.” I smiled at her and stood up. “See you all tomorrow.”

“Sleep well,” Thea said.

I headed to my room. Once there, I grabbed my equipment and sneaked out of the window. It was time to see what lay behind the fog.