A/N: It was hard coming up with this chapter. The writer's block was strong with this one, so I was surprised that the ideas came running as I write that I have to split this damn mission into two again. I figured I didn't want to rush such an interesting mission, so here you go!
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ZOCODANY VILLAGE lay in a secluded area, sitting at the western edge of the Common Realm. It was a small village with no more than twenty houses, which were mostly built with patchworks of stone and weathered wood, with roofs covered in moss, cloaking it like clouds. The air was humid when David and Letoile arrived, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant rain. Grayish mist engulfed the place, making it quite hard to observe its land, but the compass magic user could see the entirety of the landscape from above: a wall of two mountains surrounding the village like a barricade, opening a narrow crack where the two mountains meet, and there beyond was the faint color of gold from the shimmering morning sun, slipping in but was guarded by the twin mountains.
The two of them neither said a word as they landed in a forest near the village, where they could safely and cautiously observe the village from afar before they went towards it. There was something disconcerting and dreadful about the place like it was enveloped in a state of paranoia and distrust. It had been more evident as the two decided to enter Zocodany, trudging on the muddy ground and fragments of cobblestones that served as a pathway to the houses.
Letoile studied about this place before in her maps. Zocodany was once a prosperous village in the Common Realm, abundant in natural resources. It was a place closest to what they call paradise, a haven where food, water, ores, and abundant mana intersected. Now, it seemed like a plague had struck the land for the past weeks, and according to William, their homes burned one by one in the dead of night, their valuables stolen, and people disappearing without a trace.
This is going to be a difficult one. Letoile thought.
She also tried not to ponder on the thought that David was silent, too silent, beside her as they explored the village. He was looking around, and his mouth would open to greet the few villagers outside their houses, only to be greeted by a wary, untrusting stare. Some even pulled their children close to them, as if David could take them any minute.
"They are troubled, filled with fear," Letoile said in a hushed voice.
"Well, no shit." He scoffed.
Letoile glared at him in return.
They kept walking until they reached the center of the village, where a large tree stood in the middle. It was an oak tree, its branches huge and wide enough to become a pathway for little kids, stretching out almost to every house. Its bark was wrinkled and dark as if it had witnessed millennia or centuries of winters. On both sides of it were two towering buildings with three storeys. These were the biggest structures in the entire village, and it seemed to mirror the two mountains—like twins that looked alike, but perhaps never agreed to meet each other.
