The hounds immediately retreated into the darkness of the forest, with their tails between their legs. Only one of them remained, staring down at Vy. After a few seconds, it retreated back into the bushes and disappeared without a trace. Vy could no longer sense their presence either.
Despite finding the situation unusual, her priority was the safety of the children. As she turned back towards the town, she noticed lit lamps in the distance and could hear the townsfolk calling her name. Immediately, she hid in the bushes and ran back towards the town.
When she was just meters away from the entrance of the town, still hidden in the forest, Vy transformed back into her human form. She took a deep breath and ran out.
It only took a short while before she noticed everyone at the entrance of the town, including Lycster and the children. Everyone turned to look at her, walking out of the darkness of the forest in shock. Lycster ran up to her and gave her a huge hug, crying in his arms.
"It's alright now, Lycster. You're safe now. You're safe," Vy replied.
"Vyrena! We were worried! The boy was talking all these things and we…." Carole went on about how the boy tried to convey a message but they could not understand what he was trying to say.
"What about the other children," Vy asked.
Gonzo stepped in to reply, "They are safe, don't worry about them."
~
By the time morning came, everyone knew about what had happened the night before. Mysteriously, the corpses of the kidnappers and the carriage had disappeared without a trace. No one reported anything unusual in the forest after all the search parties returned either.
As for the children that were in the carriage with Lycster, different families put them up in their houses for the night. As Vyrena, Carole and Lycster were having breakfast in silence, a couple of well-dressed men came up to them. All of them wore the same uniform but the man in the front had a different pin attached to his collar.
"Are you Miss Vyrena Blackfire," the man asked.
Vy stood up, "Yes, I am. May I know what this is about?"
The man took a quick glance at Lycster and back at her, "My name is Caster Steel, and these are my men. We have been sent by the leader of the Council of Timbretune. We are here with regards to the commotion that happened yesterday. Would you mind coming with us to answer a couple of questions."
Lycster immediately stood up and rushed forward, standing in front of Vy. "She did nothing wrong! She was saving us from those terrible people!"
The man looked down at the boy and asked, "Is this the boy named Lycster? Who was kidnapped from the town last night?"
Vy placed her hand Lycster's shoulder, "Yes, he is."
"We would like to bring him in as well to take a statement. Do not worry, Miss. This is all just standard procedure."
Vy turned back to look at Carole who had a worried expression written all over her face. Vy gave her a reassuring look and held Lycster's hand and followed the men to have their statements taken. Caster Steel and his men brought Vy and Lycster through a couple of streets before arriving at their destination.
At the gate of the building, there was the town emblem emblazoned on to the metal. This was the Bureau. Caster instructed that Lycster was to be brought to a separate room while Vy remained in this one.
"No! I don't want to be separated from Miss Vyrena," Lycster shouted in defiance.
"It's alright Lycster. They just want to know what happened," she said with a smile. She gave him a quick wink and he quietened down and went with the other men.
The door closed behind him, leaving Caster and Vy alone in the room. Caster took a seat across the table from Vy looked directly in her eyes. He was a middle-aged man with wrinkles and a moustache, but his hazel brown hair was short and well kept.
-This must be one of the law authorities of the town.-
"So," Caster spoke, "Miss Vyrena, is it?"
"Yes, that's me," she replied with a smile.
"Vyrena Blackfire? You aren't from around here, are you?"