Dan arrived at a place named Basar Inn. This is where he works. His boss, Basar, is a childhood friend of Lord Morita. So now he should be having a meal with him. Lord Morita is the only Evoker in this settlement. Having a meal with him is considered an honor. But Lord Morita seems to treat this old friend of his well. That's why nobody dares to mess with Basar.
He lit the fireplace and made the dark room bright. He took out an old glass jar, filled it with water, and put the fruit in it. After everything was done, he hid the bottle in his room.
He opened the window and watched the approaching darkness. Since he started learning things, he has always wondered, 'What the hell is that fog?' A normal human being will die instantly in that fog. Every day, the black fog comes in an interval of 18 hours and veils the chain of settlements for 6 hours, thus completing the 24 hour cycle. The next day, this strange and dangerous phenomenon will repeat itself.. again.
Not only the fog The whole Marus forest is a strange place. Nobody knows where it starts or where it ends. The same goes for the Marus River as well. Only those othersiders seem to be able to come and go as they please.
This leaves his mind full of questions: What is this forest? Why are they even here? Why do those othersiders always trade for black wood and water? And why are they so interested in Arut fruit and Tors lotus?
He once heard Basar say that the whole Marus forest is filled with darkness element. The high concentration of darkness element in the atmosphere produces elemental poison. People living in this place take that poison into their bodies every day. That's why those who can't complete the first transformation die when they reach the age of 15. Dan is sure all these phenomena are connected to each other.
He only needs to know how.
Meanwhile, Hesta arrived at the central hall. This is a simple house with two rooms, a kitchen, and a restroom. He looked at the restroom with a hint of envy. "I am going to live in a place like this soon," he thought.
A servant came and escorted him to one of the rooms. Inside the room, Hesta saw Lord Morita and Basar having a meal. He bowed slightly and said, "Good evening, my lord."
Lord Morita glanced at Hesta and asked, "How have you been?"
Hesta answered, "I am doing fine, my lord." He continued, "My lord, one of the symbols is dimming."
As soon as those words left his mouth, everyone's face went pale. After a brief silence, Lord Morita stood up and said, "Thanks for the food, friend; it was delicious."
Then he looked at Hesta and said, "Show me which one is dimming."
"Yes, Lord," Hesta answered, and gave few coins to Basar. He whispered to Basar, "I have a reservation at your place for tomorrow." After that, he followed after Lord Morita.
Lord Morita and Hesta reached the section of the wall with the dimming symbol. By now, the black fog is only a few minutes away from the 7th settlement. It has already covered a few settlements in darkness along the way.
There are some dread spawns already crowding around the symbols. Even these creatures are afraid of that fog. After inspecting the symbols a bit, Lord Morita gave Hesta a bag and said, in a slow, deep voice, "Good job, Hesta." "You can return now; I will take it from here."
Hesta, who is already drenched in sweat looking at these creatures, took the bag. He bowed to him one last time and hurried inside the settlement. What happens after has nothing to do with him. On the other side of the wall, he relaxed his muscles. Never in his life has he been this close to the darkness, not to mention those damn creatures. He started walking towards his home and checked the contents of the bag. Dozens of blue coins were present in the bag. His restlessness completely disappeared. "Today is the luckiest day," he thought.. Or not.
When Hesta returned home, he put the coin bag in the same barrel. But wait! Something is missing. His face darkened; he hastily emptied the barrel but didn't find the fruit. He turned the whole place upside down but found nothing. It was stolen. Not many people saw him coming today. And among them, he suspects that erand boy most. No, he is sure of it. Dan underestimated how sharp someone who has completed the 4th transformation, sense enhancement, is. But the darkness has already shrouded the whole settlement in darkness. Hesta suppressed his anger and waited in his room.. in silence. He will get his revenge soon.
Hesta contemplated his next move: how is he going to catch Dan and get the fruit back? He couldn't cause any trouble in Basar's palace. Lord Morita will not stand for it, and everyone will know that he has Arut fruit. That would be stupid.
Wait! He remembered he had ordered dirima meat for tomorrow's dinner date. Dirima is a rabbit-like creature that is not strong but very agile. There are rumours that Dan had to leave for the forest early in the morning to catch them.
If those rumours were true, then Dan would have to leave the settlement early in the morning tomorrow. This could be the only chance to get the fruit back. After he catches Dan tomorrow, he will make him spit out the fruit. After that, he will throw him in the river. Everyone will think he died in the forest. People always disappear once in a while anyway. Nobody will think he is the murderer.
Hesta thought things through and sat down and waited calmly.
The questions are laid out with the answers hidden. Only time will decide the results and the truths about them.
The Hunt will begin soon.