In a not-so-secluded cluster of flourishing trees somewhere in the town of Louka, small sounds can be heard that seemed like a form of communication. These sounds, if one listened intently, can be mistaken as an argument-like conversation.
One might not be able to spot who made them but these sounds came from two inconspicuous creatures of different species. One, being a house cat and the other, being a fruit bat.
These two were both idly seated on one of the branches of one of the trees as they kept an eye on the mansion not far from where they were. The mansion stood firmly at the highest part of the land away from the center of the town while surrounded by big trees that formed a small forest as it overlooked the town below.
The two were somewhat arguing about something. Their sounds were interpreted as follows…
[I'm so sleepy.] , the bat said as it slumped its body on the branch they were on.
[You are always sleepy! And it's almost dark you shouldn't be sleepy. You should be very much active.], the cat said while seated primly on the same branch as he looked at the house in front of them.
[Am not! Plus I've been awake all throughout the day, the reason why I'm sleepy. You see I'm a nocturnal creature.], the bat stated the last part was a little sarcastic as if it was talking to someone who doesn't have any clue of who it was.
The bat continued its rants on how it would sleep once it got home. Meanwhile, the cat who silently listened on the bat's rants suddenly became alert.
It felt a strong presence. A presence stronger than theirs combined.
[Shhh! didn't you feel that?], the cat looked around as it made its tail cover the bat's small mouth.
[What?], the bat said as it removed the cat's tail on its mouth with some struggle. It fixed itself and looked at the cat who had an even more serious look on himself and thought to itself what had gotten to this cat.
The cat still looked alert as it tried to find the source of the overwhelming presence. It looked at the bat grimly.
[I felt something. A presence I haven't felt before.] , the bat was confused. It thought the cat was getting crazy from being too proper.
What nonsense was this cat speaking of? He hadn't felt anything since they got there, a reason why he got really bored and sleepy. He chuckled at the thought.
[What are you laughing about?], the cat asked irritated as he already knew what the bat had thought and yet he still asked, but nonetheless, he can never be wrong of what he had felt as he himself was very sensitive.
[A Presence? What presence? It's just yo-], the bat's sentence was cut off by itself. Its eyes widened and without a word, it looked at the cat with the same grim expression that was still on the cat's small face.
The bat moved swiftly and pulled the cat off the tree away from the house they were told to closely keep an eye on. The bat did not care if they got found out the only thing on his mind was to get as far away as possible from the mansion.
[Let's go we must not stay here any longer. This is something beyond us.]
This time around it was the cat that was surprised by the bat's sudden behavior. It did not have any time to ponder on how the bat's behavior took a sudden turn. It was the cat's turn to ask as he got dragged away from the mansion.
[What are you panicking about?], the cat asked as he got control of himself. The two hurriedly made their way out of the forest with the cat still confused about the bat's behavior.
[No time to explain. I will tell you later first we must get out of here.], the bat said as he tried to make the cat move faster than it already was.
The presence that they had felt was something the bat had never encountered before. It was not as powerful as their masters but it was something more sinister that rendered its body weak almost unable to move if they had stayed any longer.
------
A tall hooded man was standing behind one of the large windows in one of the mansion's study room. He noticed a faint presence in the forest that did not belong in the mansion. He kept tabs on them as they tried to conceal themselves and yet did not dared to approach either.
"There seem to be 'mice' outside. What do you want me to do with them?" he looked at the slender frail-looking man seated on the couch comfortably drinking his tea.
He took his time to answer as if he had all the time in the world. After he enjoyed his tea, he placed the cup on the table but before he could answer, the man seated behind the chair not too far from the couch spoke, it was the mayor.
"I-I will handle them" he said as he tried to not be intimidated by these two but his voice betrayed him as he stuttered slightly. "They won't know what's coming to them." He added as tried to sound confident.
The man, seated on the couch, took a glance at the mayor and stood up without any words uttered. A smirk formed on his lips before he disappeared into the darkness.
The hooded man didn't spare any glance and just leap out from the window and disappeared into the forest.
The mayor gulped and relaxed on his chair. He did expect them to come to him at this time but the two's overbearing presence made it hard for the mayor to compose himself. He sighed as he thought of the time he first met them.
If there was another way, he would have gladly taken it at that time but the only ones who reached out their hands, even if they were evil, were those two. He would be lying if he said that he was not afraid but for her daughter he would do everything even if he sold his soul to the devil.
-----
"Are we just letting them get away?" the hooded man asked his comrade whom both appeared on one of the branches of the tallest tree in the forest as they looked at the fleeting shadows of the 'mice'.
"Creole, patience is what you need. Those two are just here to scout for someone. They are just small-fry." The slender frail-looking man beside Creole said. A small yet eerie smile formed in his face as if indicating that he had already thought of everything that will surely be made everyone bewildered.
"Now why don't we visit our beloved candidate?" the slender frail-looking man said before he disappeared.
The hooded man took a last glance to where the 'mice' disappeared before he himself disappeared.
-----
"Huff, huff"
"Wait! Wait! Let's rest for a bit, my legs can;t move anymore" a young boy in middle childhood with a light orange hair that made him stood out in the crowd said as he bent down, his hands on his knees. His tired body from all the running was about to give out if he did not rest even for a little.
"I think we are far enough." Another young boy with almost the same stature and looked like in the same years of his life with a blackish hair color announced as he looked around the area to see where they were.
"If my memory serves me right, we have reached the town square. Good job!" He added as he looked at his friend with a grin plastered on his face and what seemed a thumbs up that has formed on his hand.
The orange hair colored boy sighed in relief. His body slumped on the town square ground supported by his hands behind him. "That's good to know. Now, care to tell me what was that back there?" his expression changed from relieved to a more serious one.
The black-haired boy nodded his head, "Yes, but not here. Master needs to know of it too plus I don't want to repeat myself it's too troublesome." He said as he helped his friend up. "I'm sure you had your rest already."
The orange-haired boy nodded his head as he took the other's hand and stood up. He dust himself as he asked him, "Master said that we have to meet at the inn but I'm not sure if they're already there. If they're not we just have to-", his sentence was cut off by the black-haired boy's finger on his lips.
He looked at him and saw him shook his head, "We are not going to the inn. They should be in the tavern if I'm not mistaken."
"The tavern? Are we even allowed there?" the orange-haired boy asked. He remembered that he read people in the tavern, especially during the night 'drinks' a lot that was the reason kids were not allowed in taverns during night time.
The black-haired boy smirked and swung his arm on his friend's shoulders. "We have enough reason to be there. Trust me."
He said as he led the other to where he thought the tavern was but before they could get far he felt a presence that so familiar to him. He smiled and grabbed his friend's hand and ran towards it.
"What is it now?" the other protested as he tried to pry himself from the other's hold as he was already tired from running earlier. He thought they would at least walk to the tavern and yet this friend of his thought otherwise.
"Come now! No more whining we might lose them." The other encouraged him as he got dragged across the town square.