Gawain and Lavia were sitting on the cold hardwood floors, their weapons sitting across their lap. A young man was across from them looking out the cracks of the boarded windows with a look of fear and urgency painted on his face. He had told them it wasn't safe outdoors and suggested they place the horse by the gate inside a barn, where there was enough grass for it and be safe for the time being. There still wasn't much elaboration on the witch or the curse this town has, Gawain knew he couldn't leave but there were lots of things he couldn't really explain with just that.
The man was skinny, as if he's never seen a proper meal in his life. His arms were thin, sticking to the bone and his clothes were loose on him, ragged and dirty as well. He had dark brown eyes, hair and beard, in all honesty he stunk but Gawain didn't mention it figuring the man had more to worry about than his hygiene. Lavia was beginning to stink a bit too, despite the cold air keeping them from sweating. Gawain didn't think he himself smelled bad but that could be a matter of perspective, he simply hoped he didn't reek like this man.
"Please, you must do something about this." He said as he sat before them, lowering his head as he pleaded. "We have tried and died trying to rid ourselves of the problem."
Gawain raised a brow to him, finding himself a little confused at the sudden request. He looked over at Lavia, she seemed to have felt the same way because she was already looking at Gawain with a puzzled expression.
"I suppose Lavia and I look like wandering warriors to this man, didn't think we appeared so friendly. Well at least I feel I didn't, maybe it's cause she's a pretty lady that people feel it's alright to approach us." Gawain thought looking over at Lavia. "People must see her as delicate" He chuckled to himself. "Normally I wouldn't want to mess with witches or sorcerers but considering we won't be able to leave otherwise."
"Before you start to beg, start to explain." He said in a soft tone, pale gold eyes staring at the man's body. He could see his blood rushing through his veins, it's was thin, his beat was overwhelmed by the grumble of his stomach.
The man raised his head slowly, swallowing in before speaking. "My name is Gavin, it's been I think two months since this befell our village. It's hard to think, the magic has cursed us to an eternal night."
Gawain felt a bit of joy at knowing he didn't have to hide during this time, rather convenient of this witch to give him the advantage.
"The witch was the village healer, Olivia. A man named Ked had died brutally, it he was found eaten right outside the gates of town. She went on and on about giant ratmen who ate him, she described them as grotesque, fast and cowardly. They spoke to her, saying this village was theirs or so she claimed." The man spoke in a weak voice, one could easily tell he was struggling to recount these events.
"No one believed her, even when more of us fell to the same fate. She claimed she was going to protect us, she forced these wards around the town without our notice in one night. Claiming it will deter cowards, that it will keep us safe, but the magic has twisted with her fear. Her fear of us leaving her protection, and it forces us to stay. Forces all to stay." He bit his lip before continuing.
"We ran out of food the second week, we tried to go plead with her but her home is guarded by raised dead. She wouldn't leave it, afraid to face us I reckon for she has doomed my fellow men to cannibalize each other." He said with tears falling down his face "Those who never went hungry have turned to ghouls… Now we all fear the outside…" Gavin said looking over at the window, still cautious that they might try to enter the home.
Gawain had an expression of shock, his eyes glinting with fury. He stood up and spoke in a low tone at him. "Who were the first? Who were the first to be eaten? The animals?!"
Gavin nodded looking at her.
"Who was next? The elderly!? The sick! The weak?!" Lavia was staring at Gawain, she had never seemed him so angry, not in all this time traveling with him.
Gavin's eyes seemed to water again, but he nodded.
"Who was next? The women?" Gawain's voice weakened as the thought saddened, losing his rage but still radiating passion.
Tears began to roll down Gavin's eyes before he nodded.
"Are there any children in this village?" Gawain whispered, clenching his fist.
The man flinched, and turned his head away whimpering.
Gawain's pale gold eyes shined brightly in the darkness of this moonlit dump of a room, he lunged forward at an impossible speed, mounting the frail frame of Gavin. He threw a fist down at the man's head only to have his strike redirected by Lavia, breaking the wood floor. She wrapped her arms around his, pressing her hands at the back of his neck. She yanked the enraged vampire away.
"Monsters! You denied them, you denied them peace, you denied them life, you denied them a place by Belona's side! You gave them to the dark gods! The witch might have cursed this town but you cursed it's people!" He screamed, his fangs bared but in the barely lit room and through the fear Gavin felt he did not notice.
"Gawain calm down!" Lavia said throwing the male behind her, standing in between the vampire and Gavin.
"He shouldn't live, none of these peop- monsters should live." He bit his lip drawing blood, lowering his voice "These people gave in to what I have to fight, changing into ghouls. Their weakness turned them into monsters." He lowered his head. "Like me, only worse…"
Lavia stared at him, it was odd seeing him seem so pathetic. So broken. The man always seemed so strong even after he showed up in the room completely beaten by someone he called brother, even as she tried to kill him. Though, she could understand his anger. He told her of his turning, how he felt unworthy and cowardly for taking it. Seeing it here in such a brutal matter, must press him in a personal matter.
"I know, I know I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The man was cowering, holding his head as he curled on the floor. Clearly afraid.
Gawain glared at Lavia, there was anger festering in his gaze.
Gawain's glared shifted to the whimpering man, to the break in the floor he caused with his fist. He would have killed him.
He looked back at Lavia, a soft smile on his face. "Thank you." Words came out as a whisper.
He took a deep breath finally calming himself as he headed over towards Gavin. "Where is this witch?"
Gavin looked up at him with a messy face, drool and tears streaming down from it. "She's in the home with a dying oak, dead things walking around it. Guarding her."
Gawain nodded, looking back to Lavia he gestured for her to follow him outside.
"You're welcome." She said once they were out of the house, hearing the door lock after they left.
Gawain looked at her for a moment, shaking his head. "This place has gone to shit, if I didn't have you I'd sit here and wait for them to starve themselves out."
"That'd be something only you would be able to do." She said as she walked by his side, her eyes shifting from side to side. She could hear noise, not just wind but steps. "What are ghouls?"
"Brianna told me they were like vampires, but less than us. They feed on raw flesh, high ghouls can hide in society well but the rest are deformed. They're born of turning like us, or cannibalism." He said shrugging his shoulders "Shouldn't be a problem with just lesser ghouls."
"You don't say?" Lavia looked off at the buildings, she could see eyes on them from beyond the boarded windows.
"Do you think they've stopped trying to eat each other because they fear the ghouls?" She said softly.
"Yeah too afraid to become a meal themselves…" He trailed off, he could hear a slow heartbeat with ragged breathing.
"Wait." He ordered, Lavia shot him a defiant glance before looking back at the buildings.
A loud deafening bang resonated through the air, pain shot though Gawain's stomach. He could feel an iron ball inside of him.
"Fuck, prepare yourself!" He yelled out, drawing his sword as he glanced up to the roof of the homes, there he saw the end of a barrel.
Bang, another break of thunderous sound.