Verita's Chronicles, The Dreamer

Chapter 5

Barely had the car passed through the gate when Rycaon already felt that his presence was not welcome. Around him, villagers gathered and stared at him with a mixture of fear and aggression. Once the cart stopped, he got out and turned to Mika.
- Stay here and don't talk to anyone, I'll be back in a few hours normally. If I don't come back tomorrow morning, go your own way.
- Ok sir, see you later.
The young man got up and went behind the tarpaulin of his cart, probably to sleep. By lifting the
eyes to the sky, Rycaon saw an infinity of gray clouds barely letting in a few rays of sunlight.
Around him, the village seemed even more dilapidated from the inside, the houses were falling into ruin,
the ground was a wet and sticky mud, not to mention the villagers, all more poorly dressed and dirty the
each other. Speaking of the villagers, he kept an eye on them all, some armed with sticks, hammers and other work tools.
- get out of here!
He barely turned around to see where this cry was coming from when he saw a stone fly towards his face and only miss it by a few millimeters.
- We know why you're here! Leave them alone! They're not doing anything wrong!
It was a woman, he couldn't tell her age, she was wearing a dress made of low quality fabric
which was too big for her. Rycaon wondered if she was pregnant or just fat, but well, that didn't matter. Looking at her face, he saw tears streaming down her cheek, he saw despair and sadness mixed with rage. Two men were trying to hold her back, probably to prevent her from
expensive to throw yourself at him with all claws out. As he opened his mouth to respond, he felt a hand rested on his shoulder and looking to see who it belonged to, he saw an arm that must have been twice the size of his own. At the end of this arm stood a red-haired man with a long beard and impressive muscles. His outfit made it seem like he must be a craftsman or something.
- Melanie, calm down, you know it's for all of our good.
Then pointing at the two men holding her back.
- Take her home and serve her some herbal tea to calm her down, and for others who want to give our guest a hard time, know that you will deal directly with me, is that understood?
After this speech, the villagers began to disperse and Rycaon turned to his savior.
- Thank you friend, without you, I would surely have been transformed into a scarecrow by these brave people.
- We should not blame them, a large part of them are against any action directed against
these ghosts.
Taking a step back, the man looked Rycaon up and down, then offered his hand.
- Call me Joacks, village blacksmith and also mayor in my spare time.
With an amused smile, Rycaon shook his hand. His grip was strong and firm, a little tighter and he was losing his fingers in it.
- My name is Rycaon, it's Be-Mr. B who sent me to resolve this problem.
- I thought he was going to come himself, this kind of business seems to be his specialty.

-Yes, but he's a real sissy who doesn't like to go near these areas, as well as certain types of ghosts.
- Oh yes, it's true that I heard that children are often very different from adults in terms of ghosts. Well, let's not waste time, I have things to tell you and the house is not nearby.
Without waiting for his response, the blacksmith began walking in the opposite direction to which
Rycaon had entered what appeared to be another part of the forest.
- Ah so, the place in question is not in the village.
As he spoke, he took out another metal bottle from his coat and took a sip of the liquid from it.
the interior.
- No, actually... Say, do you really think it's a good idea to drink just before work?
- I drink all the time and it has never made me less efficient, so continue your story without
worry you.
- If you say so, well as I say this house is further in the forest, the owner
tended to only rarely show up to buy food or sell hides. A
A very mysterious and sinister man, he has disappeared since we discovered the spirits haunting the house.
-And how did you come to discover them?
- Well actually, this story is rather sinister. A little over two weeks ago, five children from the village disappeared, we directly suspected it since the last time we saw these children was in the forest. So we went to his house to demand accountability and when one of the parents entered his house, we heard screams then he fell out of one of the windows with his face white and cold, he was not dead but he is in danger. delirious since that moment. He says he recognized the ghost of his son. This is why some villagers don't want your intervention, they say that we must leave these children in peace and that this is all that remains for the parent of their childs. I still decided to ask for help, because I believe that these children deserve a salvation and that the gods would know how to welcome them only if we could open the way for them.
- I see. You know, it is rare to come across believers in these regions, especially given the total absence of temple in Irith.
- I believe that no temple is necessary to be able to connect to the kingdom of heaven, it is enough just to believe and be a good person to escape hell. You don't believe it, do you?
- I know this is all real, for sure, but I don't plan on basing my life on a hope that
other beings offer me a second better one after my death, especially when I know that I have already a place of choice that awaits me at the bottom of hell.
- It's a sad mentality, but it's not my job to try to make you change. In the meantime, here we are.
The two men stopped in front of a house with a more refined appearance than the others, made of wood,
it was two stories tall and looked like it had been well maintained. The only fault being the broken window where the poor villager had to pass through.
- Well, I warn you this kind of affair can be very quick or very long so you
can wait here or return to the village.
- I think I'll wait for you there, good luck Rycaon, and save these poor souls.
- that's what I get paid for, Joacks.