Chapter 21 - Lillinberg (Part 1)

There were a few more uneventful days of travelling before the party reached Lillinberg. Tension between Clint and Luna remained at a steady high, but both were composed enough to not allow it to flare as it had after the incident with the dire deer.

Frankly, it was somewhat strange how uneventful the days were. No monsters, no notable weather, no other adventurers travelling to or from Lillinberg; Just the four of them, walking through the woods and eating through the remainder of their venison. Regardless, peaceful days were a rare luxury in their trade, so they chose not to look the gift horse in the mouth.

Noon had come by the time they finally arrived at Lillinberg, emerging from the woods along a well-trodden path to find the village before them. Village was a more accurate description of its aesthetics than its size. The houses themselves were relatively small, but there were many of them gathered in clusters all around the clearing, seemingly at random.

The houses were aesthetically beautiful, but they looked flimsy from the outside; thatched roofs topping wood that, while neatly carved and patterned, was thin and fragile-looking. Many of them lacked windows, instead favouring holes covered by metal flaps on hinges. All these flaws remained well-covered by layers of brightly coloured paint, leaving them unnoticed by those without exceptional attention to detail.

The inhabitants were suitable for their homes in many ways. Of course there was their size and their brightly coloured clothes, but their behaviour fit too. They flitted about in clumps, randomly distributed about town, chattering and rushing from place to place.

Out of the hustle and bustle, one of them finally noticed Marrie, trotting over to greet her. “Ah, Mrs Gauld! You’ve returned at last!” He seemed to be smiling, it was hard to tell under the enormous moustache that graced his upper lip. “I see you have some friends with you.”

“Ah, yes. Allow me to introduce Pr-” She began, earning a prod in the back from Sol’s foot. “Ah! Um, Sol, Luna and Clint. They’re adventurers.”

The moustached Auf gave the trio a look, rubbing his bare chin in an attempt at recognition. “I see. Do they intend to stay?” His smile had faded now, replaced by a furrowed brow and an even more furrowed moustache.

“We-” Sol began with a grin.

“No, of course not.” Marrie cut him off, a hand on his knee to stop him in his tracks. “They’ve just come for a quick meal and then they’ll be off.”

The male Auf nodded, satisfied with the answer before returning to his band of busy brethren.

“What the hell was that about?” Sol followed the group with his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever important work it was they were doing. From where he was standing, they seemed to be skinning some sort of beast they had hunted.

“Ah, I’m very sorry. I know I offered to let you stay for a night or two but…” Marrie grew flushed and awkward, flapping her hands about. “Well, I was gone for so long that I lost track of time and…” She trailed off, burying her face in her hands. After a deep breath, she was able to finish. “Today is a very important festival for us Aufs. I’m afraid we simply can’t have outsiders.”

“We could just stay inside if that helps?” Sol offered. “We won’t come out all night.”

“No, no. I’m very sorry but it can’t be helped.” Marrie rebuked him immediately. “The best I can offer you is a meal, I’m afraid.”

Sol and Luna shared a disappointed look, ultimately shrugging it off. They knew little of Aufish culture and assumed that if it was something sacred, they had no place stepping on their toes. Clint had no such preconceived notions. He could smell deceit. From this point on, he would observe the town far more carefully.

The tavern was much older than the other buildings. It was far more robust, wood thicker and sturdier than the flimsier buildings surrounding it. Every board in its floor creaked with age, and if its walls could talk, they could bore you to death with a lifetime of stories. It was a centerpiece for the town, standing taller than any other building. This was a necessity. It had to be larger to accommodate the many travellers in its clientele. There were even large tables to suit people of the party’s size, which was far more welcome to them than the half-sized furniture designed for Aufs.

It was quiet around the table aside from Marrie, who offered out menus to everyone, the backs printed with maps of Lillinberg as a pleasant distraction for tourists. “Please, pick whatever you’d like. This is my home as well as my place of business, anything I have is yours.” She smiled earnestly. Though the town reeked of lies, Marrie’s scent remained untainted.

“Well…” Sol hummed. “It all looks so good. Maybe you should pick for us? You’ve got a better understanding of Aufish cuisine than we do, right? You’ll know all the best stuff!” He grinned.

“I suppose you’re right.” She beamed back, hopping away to the bar where she quickly settled into conversation with one of her employees, their tone familiar and hushed.

“Okay, I’m not the only one who thinks this place is weird, right?” Sol leaned in, taking on a quietened tone of his own.

“How so?” Luna queried. She had her own doubts, but she wanted Sol to lay the baseline.

“Lillinberg’s ancient, right? Like, it’s famous for being one of the earliest Auf settlements.” He tapped the table, each tap illustrating a point. “If that’s the case… Why is this the only old building?”

“Repairs. It happens over time.” Luna theorised.

“All of them?” Sol countered.

“Hmm.” Luna closed her eyes, calculating.

“I don’t want to be rude but Marrie’s strange too.” He flung a glimpse over his shoulder, ensuring she was still deep in conversation. “I mean, she was missing for what? A week or two? But they’re all talking to her like nothing happened. That’s weird.”

“This festival is odd, as well. I’ve never heard of anything like it.” Luna added. “Granted, I don’t know much about Aufish culture, but what could it be for? It’s the middle of spring, far too late for the changing of seasons, it’s far too early for any harvests, the moon isn’t even full tonight. There’s no metric where it makes sense.”

“Yeah! And surely if it was a festival everyone would be happy and upbeat, right? But everyone’s running around like headless chickens with a serious look on their face.” Sol chimed. “And didn’t she say there was flooding and poor harvests? Maybe it's been fixed up since she was gone but the place looks pretty dry to me…”

“What do you think?” Luna addressed Clint for the first time in a few days.

Clint leaned back in his chair, nodding subtly. The twins turned to find Marrie making her return. “I got you all the grouse.” She said cheerfully. “It’s a specialty of the chef today!” With the object of their investigation back, the conversation ended abruptly, though Luna’s eyes often flickered toward Clint, trying for any sign of his answer.

When the food came, it arrived in meagre portions. It was strange for a place under Marrie’s employ when she had been so generous before. It was stranger still when acknowledging that Aufs tended to eat large meals, especially during festivals.

“I must apologise” Marrie rubbed the back of her neck. “We’re rather low on supplies. As I said, flooding and shortages as of late!”

Their meal was pleasant, but uneventful. It passed the time at least, bringing them into the afternoon.

“Well, that was wonderful!” Marrie grinned. “You must come again sometime. It really is such a shame you arrived on such an unfortunate day.” Clint watched her face. Her cheeks stretched her mouth just a little too wide for his liking.

“Yeah, a real shame.” Sol nodded. “But hey, meeting you made it all worth it, Marrie.”

“Oh stop!” She blushed. “Now, I’ve got some other business to attend to, so I suppose this’ll be goodbye.” Her smile faded as she spoke. It was as if she was hearing her own words for the first time.

“Thank you. Dearly.” She spoke softly, the smile that had been permanently affixed to her face since they arrived in Lillinberg at last giving way to something more. “You’re extraordinary people. I’m very lucky to have met you.” The words spilled now, all control had been lost. “If not for you all, I would have died in those woods. You gave me your food, your water, and most incredibly your time.” She bowed, her low head lowering so much it may meet the ground.

“Thank you for giving such a mediocre woman so many precious things.” She lifted her head, eyes wet and smile more genuine than it had ever been prior.

She scurried away before anyone could respond, leaving the party as a trio once more.

“Oh great, now I feel bad for doubting her…” Sol’s head drooped.

“So what now?” Luna asked.

“I guess we get out of town.” Sol shrugged. “Even if there’s something weird going on, it’s really none of our business. If it were anything bad, I’m sure the adventurer’s guild would put out a quest.”

“We definitely can’t leave for another journey. We’ve not got any supplies left.” Luna sighed.

“I mean, we could just go to the adventurer’s guild…” Sol started.

“And get ourselves deeper into debt?” Luna groaned.

“It’s that or starve.” Sol chimed.

“Ugh, fine. Can we put it on Clint’s tab this time?” She turned to face the cowboy, who had been silent for quite some time now.

“Go on ahead. I’ll stay here.” He passed his stat card to Luna. It still read ‘Saint Charlemagne Von Villenue IV.’

“Alright then. We’ll probably be a couple of hours. Lillinberg’s a big place, after all.” Luna said, pocketing the card.

“Take your time.” Clint waved them off, already heading straight for the bar.

As the twins left, he ordered himself a drink. All they served was some kind of wine. It was awful to his palate, far worse than the honey mead he struggled with prior. He forced himself through it, the buzz of liquor was a prize worth even the priciest of admissions.

The further Sol and Luna made their way into Lillinberg, the stranger a place it became. Everywhere they went, something was a little off. Their streetlamps, for example. They sat close to the ground, far too low for even the short Aufs. It seemed they would provide little light come nightfall, begging the question as to why they were there at all.

The stables were the next oddity. To navigate the town, the twins wanted a carriage. At the stable there were indeed plenty of carriages, but no horses to pull them.

“Not a single horse? Are you certain?” Luna asked the stablemaster, a small bristly Auf.

“Not a one, miss! We sent a party out to the capital, took every last horse we had!” He assured her, a forced smile across his prickly face.

“How big was the party…” Sol muttered, poking a head into the stables themselves. Sure enough, no horses, just shoes and saddles left abandoned where they once stood.

With no transport, they continued on foot through a market. Though to call it a market was generous. Markets were lively places, bustling with trade. This was just a set of tents, stripped of their stock. A ghost town. The locals assured them it was merely shut for the day of the festival.

They passed the schoolhouse next and found that to be the strangest of all. Although the sun was already starting to fade, the children were still there. There must have been a hundred of them, all standing straight in rows organized by age across the playground.

“Weird… Do Auf schools stay open this late?” Sol wondered.

“Let’s watch.” Luna mumbled, weaving her hands together and muttering an incantation for Enshroud. A spell that rendered her and Sol invisible so long as they stayed still.

They observed as the children were counted by their teachers. Their faces firm, but betraying fear.

“Maybe they just really hate school?” Sol breathed, struggling to rationalise the sight before him.

At the end of one of the rows, a single child began to sob. After that it was like a plague, hysteria spreading throughout the children as a chorus of crying began.

The teachers didn’t even silence them, knowing the task was too great. They simply completed their count and ordered the children inside. They followed the order obediently, though they still wailed and wept as they marched in formation into the school building.

“That’s… Really, really creepy, right? It’s not just me.” Sol shivered so much he threatened to break their Enshroud.

“What the hell was that…?” Luna muttered, wracking her limited knowledge of Aufish culture for any idea.

“What on earth are you two doing?” A voice boomed. The twins jolted to attention, Enshroud dissipating from around them. 

Someone had seen through their disguise, and they were not happy to discover them…

Current Party: Clint Morgans, Sol Dragoneart, Luna Dragoneart

Bullets Remaining: 5