They arrived at the village before Mahon managed to bribe anyone into answering more of his questions, and Jorik met the same results. Even if they tried not to, they were asking questions too trivial that the rangers didn’t believe they were really serious.

When they finally exited the forest, a large plain welcomed them with various crops growing near a large cluster of houses. The village was barely a few hundreds meters away from the forest, and Mahon could clearly see a few people attending to the field or walking through the village.

The first thing he noticed was that none of them were wearing the ridiculous outfits the rangers had, and although he had expected it since Meriel had explained what their jobs were, he felt better now that he saw it with his own eyes.

The poisonous forest had just been too different from what they knew not to fear for the rest of the world. Now seeing the fields of cereals, the houses and the village’s folk, Mahon was relieved. It was closer to what he was used to.

“This way.” Instead of leading them directly to the village, Tharn made them climb a small hill with a building at the top.

“Are we not entering the village yet?”

“You can’t go right now.” Tharn explained with a steady gaze. “You just exited the forest, and you might still be poisoned. We’ll keep you for a day at the barracks, and then you can go if you don’t show any more signs of poison.”

Mahon glanced at Jorik. They both knew they could easily break free from the rangers, but at the same time, they couldn’t antagonize them and enter the village easily after that. Especially since they were looking for information and had nothing to trade it for.

“Just a day, then?” Mahon asked for confirmation while observing Tharn’s face closely.

“Yes, a day should be more than enough. I hope you don’t mind.” He eyed them warily.

Mahon sensed the man was telling the truth while still hiding something, but in the end, he still acquiesced. He didn’t feel threatened around them. “Yeah, ok. Actually, you might be able to help us figure out some things. I’m already feeling better, but there are still holes in my memory.”

Tharn threw him a look that conveyed he was finally getting reasonable and nodded. “Yes, good idea. I have a few questions on my own, and also a few things to talk with you about the village. Rules to follow and stuff.” He remained vague. “We can discuss it further in the building.”

They walked the last meters in silence and entered after the rangers. Tharn gestured they continued forwards and up to a small room that was very akin to a cell if not for the small windows on the east wall. The door didn’t look that sturdy either, and Mahon and Jorik still had their weapons on, so they didn’t throw a tantrum and entered inside.

“First, we need to decontaminate you. The best would be to burn everything you have on you right now, and that you both take a long bath.”

“Not possible.” Mahon stated, but Tharn quickly acquiesced.

“I thought as much, so let’s do this instead. Burn your clothes and backpack and we will give you spares. Wash everything else.”

“Ok.” Mahon agreed quickly, as their clothes were already long ruined by now, and their bags weren’t in the best condition either.

The rangers arranged everything, and barely an hour later, Mahon and Jorik were both completely cleaned and dressed with new clothes. They were simple ones, with a brown pant and shirt for each of them.

With that out of the way, Tharn ordered the other rangers back to their respective home, while he stayed behind to “keep an eye on them” and “discuss things”. The night was already falling by that time, and Tharn shared a hot stew for dinner with them. They ate in a weird silence, as if each of them waited for the other to talk, not daring to make the first step.

When the meal was over, Tharn discarded his bowl and looked at them in his eyes.

“Fine.” He said, and from his tone, Mahon knew he meant business. “I’m too old for this. Let’s talk seriously. Who are you exactly, and what do you want with Barcombe?”

The ranger let the silence settle for only a second before he continued.

“Let’s not hide our true colors. The kids don’t know, but I’ve had my fair share of adventuring through the world. I can recognize weapons worth more than this entire village and the motions of experienced soldiers when I see it. I’ve heard about the Ill Immortals, and their fire mages and poison techniques. My grandfather actually related witnessing a powerful one burning through a deadly poison and finding himself unscathed.”

The complete turnaround in the ranger’s behavior took Mahon by surprise, and he let the man continue while listening with attention. His attitude actually made Tharn believe even more in his suppositions.

“Here is what I think. You’re mages, and with the right antidotes and power, I believe you could survive a few days in this forest. You’re looking for Amentiae or whatever, and I can assure you we have no idea what this is. And if I don’t know, you can be sure no one in this village knows better. Let’s drop the drugged act and discuss, man to man.”

He took a long sip from his canteen, but as the silence stretched forever, he couldn’t prevent himself from speaking further.

“Listen. I don’t want people like you around here. You’re just trouble. There is nothing in this village worth whatever you’re searching for, but I’ll gladly answer any questions you have myself. Tomorrow, a merchant’s caravan departs from Barcombe. So in exchange, you get yourself enrolled as bodyguards or whatever, and you leave us forever. We don’t have to do it the hard way. I give you info, you leave. That’s it.”

“The hard way?” Mahon wasn’t sure where this conversation was leading to, but he decided to play along.

“Oh, come on. We’re not a village of fighters, but we’re very cohesive and there are only two of you, while there are more than thousands of us. I’ve warned the kids that if I don’t come back in the morning, they should unleash the full village on you.”

Mahon hid his surprise behind a knowing smile. He didn’t know who these mages or this Ill Immortals guild were, but he was sure he didn’t want to meet them if the old ranger was that afraid of them.

“We can agree to these terms.” Jorik said. “But only if you answer some of our questions without asking. It goes without saying that your silence about whatever you hear will be strongly appreciated.”

Jorik didn’t even have to force his character. As a prominent noble, he had had his fair share of dark deals and secrets.

“As long as you leave the village by tomorrow, we have a deal.” Tharn answered through clenched teeth.

“First, we want a map of the surrounding area. Not the one with the most details, rather the one that maps the largest area.” Mahon immediately seized the opportunity.

Tharn nodded. “That’s easy to get.”

“You really have never heard of Amentiae?”

“No. I swear on the Colors.” Tharn answered while shaking his head.

“What about giant walking insects?” Mahon took over.

The ranger made a disgusted grimace. “Giant insects? What the fuck are you into?”

“Just answer the question.”

“No, I’ve never seen anything like that. And I hope I will never have to.”

The duo exchanged a glance, unsure of what to ask next without breaking the cover they had suddenly acquired.

“What do you know about Ratho?”

“Ratho? As in the legend?”

“Just tell us whatever you know.” Jorik ordered without missing a bit.

Tharn threw them a weird look, but obeyed.

“Ratho is the mystical place where the Fada ran to once they had finished their mission. It’s supposed to be the portal between our world and theirs. A place of wonders and marvels where everything comes in twelve. No one knows where it is. But that’s just what the legend says. I’m sorry. I’m no mathemagician.”

Mahon barely managed to prevent himself from openly gaping. He really needed to learn more about this part of the world’s history, because it seemed either they missed a big chunk of it, or Ratho did. As always, the truth was probably somewhere in between.

“And where can we find a mathemagician?”

“In the vicinity, you mean? I don’t really know. Besides those in the capital, they usually live on the roads. The caravan will probably be of more help than I am regarding this. There is none close to Barcombe, though.”

Jorik nodded as if he was expecting this precise answer, and Mahon couldn’t help but admire his acting skills. They didn’t have any idea of what a mathemagician even was.

“Is that all you need?” Tharn asked them after the short silence.

“We would like some books, too.” Mahon came up with a last-minute idea.

“There is no library there. Not many people know how to read. And the ranger’s diaries are a no go. Don’t push it.” Tharn shook his head slowly with a glaring look, as if to challenge them to dare try him on the subject.

“Then just the map, and we’re good.” Jorik said.

“I’m gonna fetch it right now. It’s in the village.” Tharn said as he stood up, clearly not wanting to spend more time than necessary in their company. He still threw a hesitant look at them just before he left and spoke as if asking for a favor. “I’d appreciate it if you maintained the act of being poisoned a bit longer. The kids don’t need to know about… all that.”

“We’ll stay here, don’t worry.” Mahon flashed a smile. “And leave tomorrow with the caravan as if nothing happened. As we agreed.”

“Thanks.” Thorn bowed his head slightly. “I’ll be back in ten minutes, then.” He saluted them and left.

Mahon glanced at Jorik as soon as they were alone. Jorik shrugged back.

“What do you think?” The noble asked.

Mahon took some time to think before answering. “We’re still in the dark. Although, it at least confirms that there is a completely different backstory than our own about the Fada, and it’s not just some crazy man’s lullaby. Which part is true, and which part isn’t, doesn’t really matter, right? It’s all in the past. It’d be best to focus on making a new plan because we won’t stay in this village after all.”

“Which is a good thing, to be honest. We were too different, too strong, too suspicious. Probing for more information about where we are would have only drawn more attention to us, and who is to say what we would have triggered without knowing? Just half the things he revealed makes me believe we’re far from secure around here. There are so many things we don’t know.”

“Right.” Mahon nodded pensively. “I thought Tharn was kind enough that maybe we could just tell him the truth, but after what he just said, I don’t think it’s a good idea anymore. There are too many unknowns, and as long as we’re not sure we’ll not get hunted down by whatever organization, it’s best to keep our origin a secret.”

“Yes.” Jorik answered pensively.

“Anyway, there is no library here, so we wouldn’t have learned anything useful on our own. Whereas, if we join this caravan, we will at least explore the surroundings and get to know this world better. And it would be normal to ask questions about it.”

“True. Easier to start again and play it low this time…”

The two men shared a short, comfortable silence.

“Something troubles you?” Mahon finally asked, seeing how Jorik’s frown and pensive look.

“What are we really doing here?”

Mahon sighed. “That’s the real question, right? Where we are doesn’t matter as much as what we’re gonna do.” He looked Jorik straight in the eyes. “Do you want to go back?”

“Don’t you?” Jorik answered immediately.

“If we ignore the fact that we’re probably not capable of such a feat, I’m not even sure. I mean, we’ve just discovered a new world right at our door. A world with no Amentiae, where humans seem to live somehow peacefully. I admit, I’m curious. How big is this new world? What do all these people do? How does it even exist? What happened? Did we get split by Amentiae at some point? Is it because of the Fada?”

“Oh, so, knowing the past does matter.” Jorik grinned. “Under all your grand talks about discarding everything and focusing on the present, you’re still as curious as me about it. But it’s as you said. Even if we could go back, I wouldn’t be at peace not knowing where exactly we are. And the implications of such a truth. I’m fine with snooping around for the moment.”

Mahon smiled back. “Well, I too have nothing better to do than explore this world.”