At dusk, no stars twinkled into existence. The only light leading them down the stone paths was the lone oil lamp tightly clutched in father Pierre's hand.
In the greater darkness, shadows cast long, the light treacherous as it only lit the path ahead, leaving behind a void that trailed after them.
The further the players walked, the more cramped and long the streets seemed to grow, until their feet slipped and slid on wet stone, hands brushing against something soft and moist over the walls. It tickled their palms and licked at their exposed wrists, like wet, coiling hair.
What lurked in the darkness, they dared not think about. Their gazes locked on the bouncing light ahead, ignoring the grim silence that followed close behind, taking in their shadows.
Unlike others, Thanh Van preferred the dark. The creepier, the better. Instead of sweating about things that might follow them, his thoughts lingered on senior Wu, who never returned to the inn.
It was too dark… there was no way the man would survive out there alone until sunrise.
Part of Thanh Van wanted to run off and look for senior Wu, the innate human curiosity running up and down his spine. Or perhaps he just wanted to witness something excitingly cruel.
"Should we look for senior Wu?" Thanh Van asked the mountainous back that walked before him.
"It is not good to wander off, not before we know what is going on."
Of course, Thanh Van knew this. He also knew that the army lived by the no man left behind policy. A smile quivered on his lips, as he wondered how the army sergeant would act when pushed beyond his comfort zone, away from his own people?
Silence fell once more and aside from the players' own strangled breaths of fear, not even a leaf shuddered in the wind.
As they arrived at the clearing lit up with many small bonfires that surrounded the fountain, the silence filled with a faint melody of the lute - but there was no sign of life. Not even the musician playing the lute could be seen.
Not aside from bishop Kim Jihun whose amber eyes pinpointed Thanh Van from behind sergeant Kruger with the accuracy of a sniper. He sat at a long wooden table, with just enough space for the players to join him.
Thanh Van offered him a shy smile.
Kim Jihun's eyes gleamed as he smiled back, haughty and oh-so punchable.
Thanh Van gagged on the inside at how these men seemed to eat this frail beauty act up like candy.
Sergeant Kruger did not miss the bishop's hungry glare, either. As the priest appointed the seats, sergeant Kruger's towering form squeezed between the bishop and Thanh Van, just massive enough to hide Thanh Van from any prying eyes.
Ripe fruits, roasted potatoes and trays of green modestly filled the table - yet there was no meat in sight.
Groans erupted along the table and the players silently cried their misfortune. So it was that they were forced to endure so much.
"Why is there no meat?" Christof Kunze regretted opening his yap as soon as the words left his mouth.
Father Pierre froze in his seat across from bishop Kim Jihun, his dead eyes boring into the forehead of Christof Kunze seated beside him. There was a weird silence until sergeant Kruger stepped in.
"We are all very-" his cold eyes glanced Christof's way and the latter's gaze was defiant before it dropped on his hands. "Grateful for what your town has done for us, father."
"Y-yes," Thanh Van added, his curiosity too much for him to act all cute and silent at this point. His eyes widened innocently as he looked father Pierre's way. "I-I feel bad if only we eat. Shouldn't we share this with all the villagers?"
Father Pierre seemed to calm down at this, a sad smile forming on his lips. It somehow appeared even scarier than when he grinned from ear to ear. "To respect our mayor and share our grief with him, the villagers have been in mourning for the last 10 days."
The players perked up at this, changing curious glances across the table. 10 days was exactly how long they had been stuck on that ship, according to the introduction.
"The archbishop has retreated to isolation for this time, and prays for the poor child's soul and for us to stay safe from God's wrath." Father Pierre said as he took hold of the water jug, pouring it into the players' goblets.
"That has nothing to do with us not getting any meat to eat." Kristof Kunze ignored the cold stares shot at him by both Kruger and Thanh Van.
Father Pierre's neck grew alarmingly red as his thin lips pursed, a look of distaste oozing from his dead gaze. He placed the jug down with a heavy 'thunk' and the players twitched at the harsh sound that pierced the silence.
Even the music of the lute seemed to grow distant, a mere echo in the darkness that loomed at the corners of their eyes. The houses lost their outlines against the shadows that slowly swallowed them all.
In those depths, they could hear the soft steps of the villagers, just out of sight. Christof seemed to shrink down by a few inches.
"Please, father, forgive this insolent fool," sergeant Kruger hurried to cool down the situation. "Some of my recruits are new and from isolated areas of the world. They do not all know what is going on-"
"Such places exist?" Father Pierre's lips curled at the edges, flashing his teeth.
The players squirmed in their seats when a calm voice finally spoke.
"Father Pierre." Kim Jihun's molten eyes steadily glared at the priest, who quickly mellowed before the gaze. "We can only guide the lost, and the sinned to help them repent. We do not judge."
"Y-yes, your grace. My apologies."
"As it seems captain Kruger has failed to inform his crew of what rages on in the world," Kim Jihun's eyes gleamed under the raging bonfires, like a cat watching its prey. "Do help them understand the unfortunate situation."
Thanh Van's gaze lowered over the roasted potatoes that had gone cold and stale in mere minutes. Something was weird, but Thanh Van couldn't pinpoint it.
There seemed to be no connecting line between the introduction and the information this NPC has provided so far aside from the 10 days. Moreover, Kim Jihun, what is your role in this scenario?