It didn't take her much longer until she arrived at the village. By now the sun was standing high and the temperatures were increasing as summer was crawling nearer by the day.
Why does it have to be so hot? At least I won't get a heat stroke... But it's still unbearable...
Feyra was complaining inwardly about the heat. If she only had a better outfit for summer it would be easier. She wore leather armour all the time and was covered from head to toe.
"A traveler? Mom over there! There is a peculiar traveler!", a child called out running towards Feyra. A woman followed the child and came to a stop before Feyra.
"Oh! Your hair colour. Some travelers came here over a week ago and spoke of a peculiar traveler they had met. They said that this traveler had a peculiar hair colour which had patterns looking like spilled ink. I suppose they spoke about you. It's nice to meet you.", the woman said holding her child's hand. She was already a little older and some wrinkles were on her face.
"Nice to meet you too. My name is Feyra. These three travellers must've been kind people too. I've met them on my way here."
The woman nodded and invited Feyra to look around the village.
"Feel like you're home. This village is small and the farmers struggle to understand their crops occasionally. Everyone is like family here, and most of the people have farms.", the woman said taking the child on her arm and walking to a large building.
"May I ask you something?", Feyra asked the woman who was standing in front of the building.
"My name? I'm Mary.", the woman answered. The child in her arms still looked at Feyra and couldn't peel her eyes off her.
"No I wanted to ask... Aren't you a little old to have such a young child?"
"Oh.", Mary snickered. "Those aren't my children. In truth I'm unable to have any children of my own. Due to an accident my husband and our child died. It was still in my womb but... The damage was done... After that I was told I wouldn't be able to have any more children of my own. So I decided to build this orphanage and take in orphans."
Feyra understood and nodded. The child was looking between Feyra and Mary for a while before she also said something. "My name is Mira! It's nice to meet you too."
Feyra went to the child and patted her head smiling.
"You're a kind person Mary.", Feyra said and got an idea. "Mira how about you show me around the village?"
Mira nodded and asked Mary, who agreed to it, and so Mira went ahead and waved Feyra over.
"First we have Greyl here who doesn't always have the best mood but he is great doing his work.", Mira said and pointed her finger to a forge.
"Hello. The traveler that group spoke about must be you. You're welcome.", Greyl said swinging his hammer and only shortly looking up before concentrating again on the piece of metal in front of him.
At this stage it was hard to make out what it was supposed to be in the future but Feyra saw that Greyl had skill and knowledge.
"Come here! I have to show you Margarita's shop!", Mira said and ran towards a bigger building with a plaque saying "Margarita's Shop".
Mira knocked for a while but no one answered. Feyra saw that the sign 'Closed' was hung up and she was wondering if this was usual.
"Seems like Margarita isn't here...", Mira said a little sad.
"Who isn't here?", the voice of a young woman came from behind them and as soon as Mira saw who it was she ran over smiling.
"Margarita!"
"Hi little Mira. Who is that with you? Have you been well lately?", Margarita asked squatting down to talk to Mira better. On her left arm was a basket full of berries and leaves.
Feyra knew those berries and leaves and understood that Margarita had been out gathering some of them which was the reason the shop was closed.
Those berries and leaves... The berries are used for jam while the leaves are used in medicine. I suppose she knows how to make some stuff or she at least knows who would buy them.
After a bit Margarita had opened the shop and let Feyra and Mira in.
"I haven't introduced myself properly yet. I'm Margarita, the owner of this shop. I have a lot of stuff here so if you ever need something just come and ask.", she said showing around the store.
It was big and spacious inside and on the shelves were a lot of things. Most of them were food and ingredients but on one side was also perfume as well as soap.
Soap? That's rare. From what I gathered soap is still a very rare item. It's mostly used by people with more money given the process of making it is quite tedious.
"You must know a lot. It's rare I see soap somewhere but perfume as well. Do you make these yourself?"
"Yes I do. I have learned how to make perfumes in the Capital. You have to know I came from the Capital here after my husband cheated on me and I managed to get a divorce. I'm a learnt perfumer and as for the soaps... I taught myself how to make them.", Margarita explained.
Feyra was quite interested in how these things were made and Margarita was willing to explain the process in detail to Feyra, who was listening to her very interested.
A while later Mira came back with some cookies in her hands that she had gotten from Margarita and showed Feyra further around.
"Those are the farmers over there. They always complain nowadays about their plants. We children aren't allowed to go near their fields. We used to play there a lot...", Mira seemed a little sad when she had to explain they couldn't play on the fields anymore.
Feyra went over and the farmers all looked a little pensive.
"Ah the traveler. Nice to meet you. A bad time you've chosen to come here. We have nothing but trouble on our fields.", one of the farmers explained.
"Oh that's fine. What is wrong with the fields? Perhaps I can help.", Feyra offered and told Mira to go back to the orphanage for now.
"Helping? I guess it doesn't hurt telling you.
"A while ago, last year to be precise, when we had all our crops harvested there was a shadow lurking near the fields in the night. One of us went to investigate but got injured with claw marks on his face. He later died because of these wounds.
"We thought over the winter that thing would disappear but the next thing we knew was that this thing hadn't been gone while we were planting our crops for this year. Now we have no idea how to get rid of it.", the farmer explained looking at Feyra who had started to take on a thinking position.
"Do you know how this thing looks like?", she asked looking serious.
"It's big, had a tail and claws.", one of the other farmers explained.
"It's a monster!", a more fragile, older farmer called and vividly explained what he saw. He rose his arms up and down. "It's cursed! We are cursed! Oh great Lord wielding fire protect us!"
"Don't mind him. He is a little... Ahem... I guess you can see it yourself."
He is a little eccentric...
Feyra nodded and said she would look into the matter and walked to the orphanage.
Mira was playing with the other kids until she saw Feyra.
"Miss Feyra! Have the farmers told you about the situation?"
"They've told me a lot.", Feyra answered and looked at the other children too that came walking over and looking at her.
"Wow...", most of them exclaimed being surprised about Feyra's looks.
"Where is Mary?", Feyra asked them and Mira started running towards the building.
Feyra followed her and inside she found Mary.
"Oh hey! Is there anything you need?", she asked and took Mira up again who liked it when she was able to sit on Mary's arm.
Feyra explained the situation to Mary and soon they walked to the fields together.
"You think you can do this?", Mary asked. Mira had joined them but given the farmers didn't allow them to be there she needed to stay on Mary's arm.
"I think I can. I just need to see this monster or whatever it is first. At first I want to get an idea about how the fields are though.", Feyra answered walking up the hill before she finally saw a bit of a valley full of fields.
"Wow... What a beautiful sight. But... Why are there no fields on the hill?", Feyra asked, not fully understanding the logic behind it.
"The hill stays like this because the children often play here or people want to make a picnic here. They also figured out it was a beautiful sight.", Mary explained and showed with her left arm over to a place. "Some time ago someone said there had been a shadow around there."
Feyra turned to look to that spot. Nothing was there of course, for now.
"I have an idea. Mary go back to the orphanage and tell everyone they should stay away from the fields for a while. I want to first see this monster and then make a plan how I can help you."
Mary nodded and did as Feyra had told her. In the meantime Feyra looked around and found a tree at the end of the fields to climb on and overlook the area better.
A few hours passed without anything happening and the sun was soon to set. Feyra still waited hoping this monster wouldn't see or smell her so it would also come out.
Hopefully it isn't like Aphel who told me I smell like Fallen Angel. The way he worded it wasn't kind but I suppose I can't change it... I just hope it isn't a bad smell.
She thought back on Aphel telling her she would reek of Fallen Angel and was only now noticing that the way he had reacted hadn't been the kindest. Yet he still accepted her help and didn't complain afterwards anymore.
While Feyra was in her thoughts a shadow dashed across the fields over and over again.
Feyra got up slightly trying to see the figure that dashed around but she couldn't see it. The creature was just too fast for the eye.
Feyra jumped down from the tree and ran after the being trying to catch a glimpse but it only ended in a game where a cat was trying to outrun a mice that was always getting away.
After another hour of running around Feyra stopped in her tracks and noticed the exhaustion that was coming over her.
Damn it... That monster or whatever it is... Is just too fast... How am I supposed to even catch a glimpse!?
The sun was setting and bathing the whole world in a bright and warm orange. Feyra who was behind a hill thought it was already darker.
She caught her breath before she looked around trying to find that thing that had been dashing over the fields.
Yet as she looked around there was nothing to be seen anymore. It was like this creature was gone.
Huh? Wasn't it here a moment ago?
Feyra couldn't believe her eyes and turned around looking at the hill. But the hill was empty too. There was no sign of anyone or anything being around.
Just as Feyra wanted to give up and the sun was setting further, almost bathing the whole world orange and purple, a shadow seemed to appear behind Feyra. It got bigger until Feyra only saw at the ground a big shadow behind her.
It's directly behind me!