Everlong

Cockatrice Trouble

"So wait, why are we heading this way again?" Ed asked throwing his arms behind his head, his shoulder gear heavy as he cracked his neck following the girl in front of him. He made sure to tighten the gold cord holding back his snow white hair to keep it off his eyes.

"Because we were asked to help this village, and we promised " Olly said trekking down an embankment. Her long hair was braided down over her shoulder as she flicked it to the other side, helping her concentrate. Ed admired how long it must have taken her to grow it out that it almost reached her tailbone: He had always wanted a fuller mane, but the priests were pretty stiffy about Cleric's having a clean cut look.

"Why us though? I thought we were supposed to be looking for your younger brother?" he asked as the hangover from the night before was still kicking him around that afternoon, his brow furrowed against the bright sun above them as the moved steadily along the trail. Olly was keeping pace ahead of him though, her petite frame moving over downed trees and forest like a native.

"Because we promised Ed, and I'm not one to break a promise. It's not my fault you agreed to the villagers after your tenth ale. Besides, you said yourself that we were already going this way" she said smirking at him as he groaned at her look.

"Oh so it's my fault?" he exclaimed, his voice making a few birds fly away from a tree. He was being dramatic on purpose, getting a kick from Olly's sideways looks.

"In short, yes" Olly laughed as she hopped over another fallen tree.

"Well hopefully this goes quick so we can move on" Ed said shaking his head with a grin "I mean, how big of a problem can a small village have?"

She was in agreement with him at that note. The more she realized they weren't getting closer to her brother, the more she worried. Nole and her were so similar yet so different. While he was blessed just as she was, his powers were not as controlled as Olly or Atticus's yet. Now that Nole was older, his power was stronger than ever, if he was in trouble and he couldn't control himself then they were all in trouble...

"Some of the locals at the last village said this thing has been causing havoc for weeks" Olly said folding her small map of the Sword Coast and putting it in her side pocket, her chest plate thankfully flexible enough for her to reach around wherever she needed.

"Yea" Ed said grabbing her by the shoulder stopping her "I can see that."

Olly had to blink a couple of times before she realized what she was looking at. It had looked like people were in the village as they had been approaching, but she hadn't noticed how still everyone was. Ed moved a little in front of her, his shield off as he turned to Olly, away from the disaster in front of them. He nodded that he would cover her as they moved towards the village, their eyes and ears now on high alert.

The bodies were stone still, several peasants and farmers on the ground, as if they were running away from something. The bodies looked as if they were carved by a master artist, every detail so on point you'd think the villagers were just painted a stone gray.Others were just standing and looking down at the ground below them, their eyes wide or in shock. Olly moved closer and realized even the children running in play had been affected, their small bodies petrified on the spot.

"Everybody has been turned to stone" Olly said quietly.

"What happened here?" Ed whispered as they moved through the village, the bodies like statues in a forgotten park. It wasn't so much that the bodies bothered Ed, but more of the haunting silence that followed it. Even the birds didn't seem to chirp in the trees and the air was still from the wind.

"I don't know, a few monsters can do this, and none of them are pleasant" Olly said stopping in the middle of the village square.

"Are they dead?" Ed asked putting his shield on the ground and began getting out his herbs. He always carried a small alchemist's pack along with his vestments.