The dirt road meandered between rolling hills, shaded by tall pines that whispered in the breeze. Birds chirped overhead, the sun hung gently in the sky, and the distant outline of rooftops peeked from behind a hill crest.
Selena bounced slightly with each step, a wide smile on her face and her herb pouch ready at her belt.
Selena: "I can already smell flowers in the air! You think they've got lavender fields? I've always wanted to see one!"
Lio, dragging his feet with exaggerated misery, swatted at a gnat buzzing near his ear.
Lio: "I just hope they have beds. Actual beds. Straw is fine. Dirt is fine. I'll sleep on a goat if I have to."
Selena: "What happened to 'this quest will be a breeze'?"
Lio: "That was before the walking part. I thought we'd ride a cart or get picked up by a heroic griffin or something."
Red, walking silently ahead of them, paused and turned slightly.
Red: "Griffins eat rookies."
Lio: "...Good to know."
They crested the final hill, and Elmsbrook Village came into view, quaint, charming, peaceful. Smoke curled from chimneys. Villagers bustled in the fields. It looked like a slice of paradise untouched by time.
Selena beamed.
Selena: "We made it!"
The gentle creak of wooden cart wheels and the rustle of leaves in the breeze accompanied their final steps into Elmsbrook Village. Nestled between gentle hills and thick forest groves, the village looked like a painting come to life, cobbled paths, well-tended gardens, cheerful rooftops, and smoke curling lazily from chimneys. Children ran barefoot through the dirt, chasing chickens. Old men smoked pipes near the well. And the scent of baked bread drifted through the air, warm and welcoming.
Selena took it all in with wide eyes.
Selena: "It's... beautiful."
Lio: "Kinda makes you wanna drop your sword and become a farmer."
Selena: "You'd die on day one."
Lio: "Harsh, but probably true."
They were greeted warmly by the villagers. A smiling man in a straw hat gave them directions to the herbalist. A group of old women invited them to rest by the fountain. And before they could even introduce themselves properly, an elderly lady with a round face and kind eyes clapped her hands and ushered them into her cozy home.
Old Lady: "You must be tired, travelers. Please, you can stay the night here. The Guild sent word—you're here for the herbs, yes? You're very welcome."
Selena: "That's so kind of you, thank you."
Lio: "Do all adventurers get this royal treatment, or are we just this charming?"
Red offered a slight nod, his expression unreadable. He didn't say much, but his eyes moved—always moving—taking in the sights, the people, the smiles. Something about this picture-perfect village unsettled him.
The old lady introduced herself as Martha, and showed them the spare room. A simple loft space above her shop, with two straw mattresses and a view of the village square. The moment Selena dropped her pack, she collapsed into one of them.
Selena: "We're not even at the picking part yet and I already love this quest."
Lio: "I call dibs on the second blanket. I get cold easily. It's a delicate blood condition."
Selena: "It's because you're skinny."
Lio: "Rude!"
Downstairs, Martha prepared stew and fresh bread. Red stood by the doorframe, looking out at the sunset bleeding into the hills. His eyes weren't focused on the beauty though. He studied the angles of the buildings, the state of the fences, the newness of the paint.
Too new.
Too clean.
When a village was raided, there were always signs—scars, burned-out homes, crooked walls hastily rebuilt. But Elmsbrook had none. It looked untouched.
That's what bothered him.
As night fell, the warm hearth and Martha's hospitality put Selena and Lio at ease. They ate until their bellies were full and traded jokes with the old woman, who clearly missed company.
It was only later, when the embers glowed low and Red offered to clean the dishes, that Martha spoke quietly, almost like the words themselves were too heavy.
Martha: "It's been peaceful here, thanks to the Guild… but not long ago, it wasn't."
Red glanced at her, pausing with a wet bowl in his hand.
Martha: "Bandits came. A dozen of them, maybe more. They took what they wanted. Food. Money. And... my daughter."
Selena, who had just come down the stairs for more tea, froze.
Selena: "What?"
Martha's eyes shimmered.
Martha: "Her name was Sarah. Barely seventeen. Just like you, girl. They dragged her away screaming. We couldn't stop them. And by the time the Guild sent help… it was too late."
Selena: "That's... horrible. How can you live with that? How can you all smile like nothing happened?"
Martha wiped her eyes, but there was strength in her voice.
Martha: "Because we have to. The children still need joy. The fields still need tending. We grieve, but we don't let it consume us."
Selena's hands curled into fists.
Selena: "If I was stronger… If I was ready… I'd hunt those bastards down."
Red set the bowl down quietly and looked out the window again.
The village was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Bandits didn't just take a girl and leave. They left ruin. Fear. Chaos. Yet this place felt like a stage, painted and primped to seem untouched.
Red's gaze drifted to the largest house in the village—the chief's residence. It sat high on a hill, overlooking everything like a watchful eye.
He didn't like the look of it.
Later that night, while Selena and Lio snored upstairs in the cozy loft, Red stepped out into the moonlit street. His footsteps were silent against the cobblestones as he made his way toward the chief's home.
The village was quiet, too quiet for a place that supposedly feared bandits.
Red approached the house. No guards. No dogs. No creaking gates. Just silence and the soft sound of wind in the trees. He circled the building, checking windows, peering through the cracks. Inside, he saw candles still lit. The chief, a heavyset man with sharp eyes, was hunched over a table.
Not paperwork.
Maps.
Gold coins.
A parchment stamped with a seal Red recognized, not from the Adventurer's Guild, but from a known slaver syndicate.
His jaw tightened.
Something was wrong here.
The bandits hadn't raided the village.
They had been invited.
And the price paid was Sarah.