The moonlight illuminated the wooden buildings, painting them in dark colors with a bluish tint.
The water gurgled in the calm flow of the river, and a few boats bobbed, banging against the pier.
The soft orange light of a lamp illuminated the face of a yawning watchman with a rifle, sitting in a chair near the outer ring of the village. An old dog sniffed peacefully beside him.
Though outwardly the man looked unconcerned, the reality was different.
Their village had already been raided by a couple of abyss beasts, so he had a very important task. To warn the village in case of another attack.
That was why despite yawning, he was fully concentrated and surveying the surroundings.
In case any random travelers stumbled upon the village, he needed to welcome them.
Puffy clouds high up in the sky had swarmed over the moon. This made it noticeably darker outside.
The wind picked up slightly and tickled the man's face unpleasantly, and the dog beside him woke up and began to sniff.
Noticing the change, the man became wary and readied his weapon.
Peering into the distance, the black veil prevented him from seeing beyond his hand.
It was as if he was on an island of light emitted by an old lantern.
The watchman rose from his chair and took the lantern in his hands, pulling it forward so he could see farther.
He walked slowly forward and the dog followed him.
The crunch of dry grass echoed in his ears and the occasional cries of night birds diluted the ambiance.
The watchman kept walking, clutching his rifle tighter. The dog sniffed at the scent and swiveled his head from side to side.
The man looked at the animal with a grim expression.
The dog began to dash in different directions, growling menacingly.
The watchman quickly placed the lamp on the ground and readied his rifle, keeping an eye on the animal.
The dog continued to rage and after barking.
Cold sweat attacked the man and he nervously looked in all directions, pointing his weapon one way and another.
At that moment he heard a new sound.
A buzzing.
A palm-sized dragonfly flew out of the darkness.
It had an orange body with acid green eyes, and its long wings buzzed in the wind.
The man aimed at the insect, but afterward he took the barrel away.
"Damn... just a dragonfly. What were you barking for?" he said, looking at the dog.
The animal paid no attention to its master, staring ahead.
The man followed the direction of the dog's gaze and looked in the same direction.
His heart nearly jumped out of his chest and his breath hitched in surprise.
Half hidden by a wall of darkness, a girl stood a few meters away from the watchman.
She was short and had golden hair. She was dressed in simple clothes with a fur cloak on top.
The girl stood motionless in place with her hands in the air.
She looked peaceful, but the guard still pointed his gun at her.
Something about her made him wary.
At least that look.
Eyes the color of the sun staring back at him as if devouring him.
A faint shiver ran through his body, but he decided to speak after all.
"Who are you?"
His words were swallowed up by the darkness around him.
Meanwhile, a dragonfly landed peacefully on the man's back, but he paid no attention.
The girl, meanwhile, began to shake and covered her mouth with her hand.
"Hey, don't fool around! Tell me who you are and what you want!" the man shouted, clutching his rifle.
The dog barked, and the girl fell to her knees, crying.
At that moment the watchman remembered something.
'Stop... we need to comfort her and take her to the village. The headman will be pleased. She's just the right person.''
Thinking about it, the man lowered his rifle and slowly approached the stranger.
'Are you alright? My village is just around the corner. Let's go there and you can tell me everything there."
The guard's voice was more gentle now, as gentle as it could be.
The girl nodded her head and stood up, wiping away her tears.
The two of them walked alone into the village and the guard walked in front with Morvian following behind.
'Can to hell with being a Revenant? I'm a born actor!
The moon peeked out of the clouds again and everything around them became visible again.
Morvian glimpsed the village as he followed the man.
There were a few claw marks on the wooden houses, as well as some sort of pillar in the middle of the street.
After a while they did reach one of the houses and the watchman opened the door.
Looking inside, Morvian was thrown into a shiver and a cold sweat ran down his back.
There were many people in the house and they were all staring at the newcomers.
Their eyes were crazed and empty, as if they were under substances and looking at a new dose.
They were all kneeling, forming a semicircle, surrounding the scroll.
The cloth itself was bloody and an infant's hand was sticking out of it.
Morvian stared at this scene in silent horror and his face turned pale.
"Well, come inside." said the guard, trying to get around the golden-haired girl to close the door.
However, Morvian instinctively stepped back, finding himself outside again.
Everyone present looked at him strangely, as if he were a piece of meat.
"What are you doing? Come inside." said the watchman, in a whiter, harsher voice, clutching his rifle.
Morvian didn't listen to him, continuing to move farther away.
Raindrops fell from the sky, reflecting ripples on the river water.
A quiet pounding filled the tense silence, but a new sound was added to this symphony.
The floorboards creaked as a dozen men rose to their feet and walked slowly, as if in a trance, toward Morvian.
He continued to back away, assessing the situation.
'What the fuck is going on in this village! Why did they stab the child?'
At this time, the crowd of rednecks drew closer and closer, while the golden-haired girl retreated further away.
The hail of water intensified and large drops fell on her hair, blinding it to her skin.
The strangers and the man with the gun were stuck in the passage, trying to get out at the same time.
'I think... it's about time to signal.'
The dragonfly remaining on the guard's back flashed red.
A deafening explosion rippled across the plain and roused the entire village.
Splinters of trees flew in all directions as the world was painted in the scarlet colors of the explosion for a moment.
Scraps of flesh were randomly left on the ground and nearby structures.
Morvian stood nearby and looked nervously at this medley of debris and human bodies.
A nasty lump climbed to his throat, but he swallowed the sensation.
They were madmen anyway, so also just fragments of the past. Their deaths weren't real, just a projection.
However, it still felt sickening on his soul.
He smiled weakly and looked at his hands.
'Apparently the streets of Rusthole didn't weed this out of me.'
The hum of the rain drowned out all other sounds - fortunately for the rest of the villagers. The last thing the golden-haired girl felt was a sharp blow to the head before consciousness left her and her body collapsed into the mud.
***
Opening his eyes, Morvian felt intense pain in his hands and feet.
'Am I being chained up again?'
He was wrong, however. Almost.
The golden-haired girl was hanging from a wooden pole, in the middle of the street.
A violent shiver washed over her frail body, and two red trickles of blood ran down her face.
A couple dozen people were looking at her avidly, singing something.
Morvian watched with cloudy eyes while trying to untie the rope. He could not, however, and the pain only grew worse.
Thunder rumbled across the sky and lit up the whole place for a brief moment.
In that instant, however, Morvian saw him.
A wide smile graced the face of a pretty girl, and eyes the color of the sun devoured the crowd of those ghouls.
A couple dozen people danced around a pillar, and a tall shadow took refuge near one of the houses.
Raindrops dripped down the bone armor, and sharp claws clawed into the wood.
Scarlet eyes stared back at the golden gaze.
'It seems... the boat will be ours after all.'