"Well, you two seem to be in high spirits despite the chill," Grennyn remarked as he entered, his thick coat and fur-lined boots warding off the cold.
"Grennyn!" Xiona exclaimed, her excitement undiminished. "I was just telling Arnolt about that Silver-ranked adventurer you mentioned earlier. Come on, you've seen this Alastir person. Tell me, what does she look like? Is she as stunning as me?" Her voice carried a playful confidence.
"Not likely," Arnolt interjected with a slight smirk, his tone teasing.
Grennyn, however, didn't engage in their banter. His voice took on a more serious tone. "That can wait. I need to speak with all of you—including your father, Arnolt."
The shift in Grennyn's demeanor wiped the smiles from their faces. Arnolt led them into the dining room where his parents were. It was a common sight for Grennyn to walk freely in the Yorgir household, as if he were family. In the dining room, Arwolt sat in his usual creaky wooden chair, enjoying a bowl of warm oatmeal, while his wife, Roselyn tended to her onion plant by the window.
"Grennyn, you're here early today. Come to snag some breakfast?" Arwolt joked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"I can whip up some oatmeal if you'd like," Roselyn offered, glancing up from her plant.
"No, thank you," Grennyn declined, pulling out a chair to sit down. "I need to discuss something serious."
The room fell into a hush as Grennyn's gaze grew somber. "I've just received news from the village chief. There's been a discovery in the woods—a monster's nest, of sorts. Something that shouldn't be there."
Arwolt frowned, setting his bowl aside. "A monster's nest? But we haven't had any large magical beasts in this area for decades."
"That's what's troubling," Grennyn continued, his hands tightening together as if in prayer. "Even if there were large creatures here, they couldn't have built a nest without anyone noticing it sooner. I fear this isn't an ordinary magical beast."
"What are you saying, Grennyn?" Arnolt's voice wavered with concern. "Do you know what kind of monster it is? Is the village in danger?"
"I can't be certain," Grennyn admitted, meeting their anxious gazes. "That's why I need the three of you to come with me. You're the only ones in the village with proper adventurer training. I can't risk the lives of ordinary villagers, and I don't want too many people near that nest."
"Oh my, are you sure it's wise for just the four of you to go?" Roselyn asked, her worry evident.
"We'll be fine, Aunt Rosie," Xiona assured her with a cheerful tone, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, Mom. Someone has to check it out sooner or later—it might as well be us," Arnolt added, his voice firm with resolve.
Arwolt placed a reassuring hand on Roselyn's. "We'll be right back, dear. Just lock the doors while we're away."
"Alright," Roselyn replied, exhaling a tense breath. "Just be careful, and watch over the kids."
With that, the four of them set off into the woods beyond Hingr Wynd, heading towards the mysterious nest. According to Grennyn, some village hunters had stumbled upon it the day before, across the river where there should have been nothing but underbrush surrounded by tall pines. Instead, they found a large hole in the earth, as if something immense had clawed its way up from the depths. They immediately informed the village chief, who then passed the news on to Grennyn.
When they reached the site, they stayed back, observing the nest from a safe distance. It was exactly as the hunters had described, but there was something more—a dark aura, barely visible, that seeped from the hole, giving the impression that it was bottomless. The day grew eerie as snowy clouds swallowed the sun, casting deep shadows over the dense canopy. The four of them stood in silent awe before the ominous sight.
The hole was larger and more foreboding than they had imagined, pulsing with a malevolent energy. The dark aura—a subtle, shifting haze that clung to the pit's edges—sent shivers down their spines, particularly Arwolt's. He recognized the sensation but couldn't find the words to express it. The heavy silence was finally broken by Grennyn's grave voice.
"It's as I feared," he said, his eyes narrowing with dread. "They're coming."