Asdras hid in the thick canopy of a towering oak, his breath barely stirring the leaves.
From his vantage point, he could see the sprawling town ahead, where crooked buildings appeared to lean on one another for support, their timber frames darkened by years of weather and neglect.
Narrow, winding streets twisted through the town like serpents, bordered by homes with steeply pitched roofs and gabled windows. Moss and ivy crept up the sides of these buildings, as if nature sought to reclaim them.
Wooden bridges arched over sluggish streams that wove through the town, their waters mingling with the pervasive fog that drifted lazily through the air.
The mood was palpable, a dense mixture of fear, tension, and a strange undercurrent of anxiety. Asdras felt the pulse of the town's unease; each creak of timber and murmur of voices deepened his frown.
Streams meandered through the cobbled streets, their dark waters reflecting the dim light. The thick mist carried the scent of roasted meats and freshly baked bread, mingling with the pungent odors of damp earth and muddy water.
Asdras's keen senses picked up the sizzle of cooking fires and the distant clatter of market stalls, where vendors hawked their wares with a desperate fervor.
His eyes drifted to the guards stationed at the town's entrance. Clad in darkened armor, they stood as sentinels, each gripping a spear and shield.
Their gazes were cold and unyielding, scanning left and right with a precision that reminded Asdras of a predator's eyes searching for prey. He shuddered, recalling the skeleton he had found earlier.
'If I approach directly, they might suspect me of something,' he thought, his mind racing. 'But if I try to sneak in and get caught, it would be even worse. What if there's no other way?'
His musings were abruptly interrupted by a distant noise from behind him. It began as a low, barely audible hiss, quickly swelling into a primal roar — a mix of guttural growl and sharp, sibilant whisper.
Asdras froze, his heart pounding. The ground beneath him trembled, sending leaves and small branches cascading down.
The trees around him quivered as if alive, and Asdras found himself unable to move, staring fixedly ahead at the town's entrance. His mind screamed at him to turn and face the source of the sound, but his body refused to obey.
The earth shook with increasing violence until, suddenly, he felt the spell lift. He turned, breaking free of his paralysis just in time to catch a glimpse of a vague silhouette — a massive shape moving with eerie grace, disappearing into the misty distance.
Asdras stood there, breathing heavily, his pulse racing as he struggled to comprehend what he had seen.
'What in all the heaven was that?' He questioned himself, trying to steady his shaking hands. 'Some kind of beast? Or something worse?'
He took a deep breath, resolving himself.
'I have to get into that town,' he decided. 'Whatever it was, I need to find out more. And the answers lie within those walls.'
Asdras adjusted his position in the tree, securing himself among the thick branches. His eyes remained fixed on the entrance, studying the guards' movements with intense focus.
He noticed a subtle shift: the guards raising their spears in unison, their stances growing more alert. Following their gaze, he looked left and saw two figures approaching — students, by their attire — but he couldn't recognize them.
Instinctively, Asdras pressed himself deeper into the foliage, blending with the shadows. He strained his ears, trying to catch every word as the scene unfolded below.
The nearest guard stepped forward, his spear tip gleaming dully in the mist.
"Halt!" he barked, his voice cutting through the quiet. "Who goes there?"
The two students slowed, exchanging nervous glances, before one of them spoke, his voice trembling slightly. "I'm Lareth. We are students from the Academy. We mean no harm."
'Stupids! Which academy? Did they forget we were in a Eruption?' Asdras thought, shaking his head in disbelief.
The guard's eyes narrowed, suspicion etched into his weathered face. "State your names and business here," he demanded, his tone brooking no argument.
At the same time, the other guard questioned, "Academy? Which academy?"
The boy, who had introduced himself as Lareth, stood tall despite his apparent youth. His face was framed by a cascade of dark hair, and his eyes were wide and tense.
His frame was slight, yet there was resilience in his stance. The uniform he wore was torn and stained, and his body was covered in slashes and straps. His weapon, a spear, was gripped tightly in his hand, the tip chipped and bloodied.
'It seems they faced those spiders,' Asdras thought, narrowing his eyes. 'But this amount of wounds. Did they face a swarm like the one I faced?'
The boy's injuries were extensive — deep gashes ran across his arms and legs, and his face bore several fresh cuts, still bleeding. His companion, Oryn, looked equally battered, both of them clearly having endured a harrowing ordeal.
Oryn had a face marked by exhaustion and pain. His eyes stared resolutely ahead. His features were sharp but softened by a chubbier frame, and his skin was pale and speckled with dirt and sweat. His lips were chapped, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
Oryn stepped forward, his voice firm but tinged with weariness. "Sorry, sir, my friend is confused. We need to seek shelter and herbs. We've encountered spiders on our way, and they injured us."
One of the guards leaned slightly toward his companion, whispering, "They are humans, at least."
Asdras observed the guards summoning an elder man with a gray beard and an air of authority. They huddled together, speaking in hushed tones and gesticulating animatedly.
Eventually, one of the guards addressed the group, his voice carrying across the entrance. "Strangers need a permit to enter."
Desperation tinged Lareth's voice as he asked, "How do we get one?"
The elder guard chuckled darkly. "You can buy one, or you can work for one."
The students exchanged glances and nodded in unison. "We wish to work for one," they declared resolutely.
The guards grinned, their laughter echoing ominously. A chill ran down Asdras's spine. One of the guards, sporting a wide and predatory smile, motioned for the students to follow him.
As the group moved towards the town, suspicion clouded Asdras's eyes. The elder guard, with a sly smirk, raised his hand and tapped his index finger against his wrist — a gesture unmistakably signaling imprisonment. Asdras clenched his jaw, his thoughts racing.
'This isn't good,' he thought. 'Those students are walking into a trap.'
"He mentioned something about strangers..." Asdras muttered to himself, scratching his nose thoughtfully. "What if..."
He glanced down at his palms, contemplating the possibilities. "Will it work?" he wondered, his mind racing with potential consequences and risks.
As he pondered his choice, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a boy running through the streets, yelling, "Extra, extra! Tha mayor will talk 'bout the creatures! An' the circus will start!"
Asdras's ears perked up, and he turned towards the commotion. The boy's announcement was drawing the attention of the townsfolk; their expressions varied with curiosity and concern.
'Circus? What is it?' he pondered, scanning the crowd for clues. Then it hit him. 'He said the mayor would talk about the creatures... I need to go, fast.'
Asdras climbed down from the tree, landing silently on the forest floor. He adjusted his uniform to look neat, practicing a few confident smiles. With a deep breath, he stepped into the light of the torches, revealing himself to the guards.
One of the guards immediately challenged him, "Who are you?"
Asdras took a breath and replied seriously, "I'm a resident of Crowshade, a city in the empire of Corvus Arbor."
The elder guard's eyes widened, and he gestured sternly. "Proof."
Asdras pressed his teeth together. He opened his palm, revealing the crow symbol etched into his skin. Concentrating for a moment, he released a pulse of ars, making the symbol glow faintly.
The elder guard scrutinized the symbol, then shifted his gaze to Asdras's face, taking in the details of his uniform. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm seeking Bardim," Asdras lied smoothly. "I was told to find him for a job."
The other guard chuckled derisively. "That drunkard? Are you serious? You're being scammed, boy."
Anxiety clawed at Asdras as his breath tightened in his chest. Would they deny him entrance? The elder guard, however, seemed to reach a decision. "Okay, you can go. But you need a permit. Here."
The elder guard tossed him a token. It was round and made of worn metal, etched with the symbol of a swamp under a crescent moon, written "Duskmoor."
Asdras caught it and said, "Thank you, sir."
He quickly composed himself, slipping the token into his pocket, and walked past the guards with a deliberate pace. He knew he needed to act confident, not hurried.
'Is this near the empire?' he wondered, doubt creeping into his mind. 'They seemed to recognize I'm from there... Where is this region?'
He felt the intense gaze of the guards boring into his back; their scrutiny was palpable. 'They are watching me closely... I need to understand where I am... But first, I must learn more about the situation here.'
As he made his way down a narrow street, he observed the merchants and townspeople going about their business.
He noticed a middle-aged woman cleaning the porch of a house, her expression vacant and almost soulless. She murmured something under her breath, but he couldn't make out the words.
Further down, a man struggled to carry heavy logs of wood, his face etched with fear. A deep, nasty scar marred his back, a visible reminder of past violence.
'Duskmoor... What kind of town is this?' Asdras wondered, his thoughts darkening with every step.
Activating his system, he extended his senses, searching for any signs of awakened ones or items of interest. His mind strained under the effort, but he detected a few faint presences, their auras flickering like distant stars.
He also sensed some items of minor power, scattered and hidden among the mundane. The strain of maintaining his focus grew, and he was forced to stop, panting slightly from the effort.
'I need to be careful with how much I use the system,' he thought, taking a moment to steady himself.
As Asdras pondered the world of Ars, his thoughts drifted to the peculiarities of their shared language. 'I never thought much about this, but we communicate in the same language... I've read in the academy that in the Western regions, they speak differently... Maybe it's because of the region.'
He continued walking, observing his surroundings. 'Perhaps this region corresponds to the North... But if so, where are the academy and our place located?'
His gaze fell on a few stray dogs and cats roaming the streets. 'Did the others experience their awakening in the same region as mine? Or was it different? I really need to find them.'
His thoughts were interrupted as he noticed a few people hurrying along the street, moving towards a common destination. 'More importantly, I need to understand what kind of challenge this is. Maybe I'll learn more about myself and the empire.'
He mingled with the crowd, keeping a careful distance and listening to their conversations.
"Did you hear what happened to Old Kjorik?" A man said, his voice heavy with the local accent.
A woman replied, "Aye, he was found dead in the swamp. Poor Eydis, she'll miss him. And what about his children?"
Another person added, "At least the oldest son is capable of working."
A young man interjected, "I heard they're recruiting soldiers. Is this true?"
An elderly man nodded and said, "Yes. Since the monsters started appearing more frequently, the mayor lost some guards and needed more."
An older woman sighed, "I miss the old times. We were so peaceful here."
"Nothing was the same after what happened in the North," a skinny guy commented.
"That's true," the elder man said. "That night... I'll never forget. It was like a second sun in the sky, lasting the whole night... I, I was never the same... Can't sleep anymore."
'North? Second sun?' Asdras thought hard, his mind racing. 'What happened? And the creatures appearing more, is this the result of the Eruption?'