While Sypha and River were travelling through the forest on their cart, they could hear faint snarling from Night creatures and Sypha smiled slightly as she said, "I'm counting four." River nodded her head and replied,
"Yep. Shall we?"
Before she then pulled the cart to a halt as Sypha leaped into the air and began casting some fire magic from her hands, making it look like she was flying through the air before creating some ice platforms to stand on as she began throwing icicle shards towards the ground at the Night creatures she spotted from before.
The icicles pierced a few of the Night creatures as blood sprayed across the floor where the shards landed, meanwhile another Night creature tackled River pushing them further into the forest, River dusted herself off as she got back to her feet before charging towards the Night creature throwing punches that didn't seem to faze the creature, before the creature knocked River back across the floor of the forest.
River got back to her feet and charged at the creature once more, this time punching it in the throat and kicking its leg out from under it forcing it to kneel, before River then grabbed the creatures jaw pulling it apart until there was a loud snapping sound and blood spewed into River's face before the creature slumped to the ground lifeless.
Before River then wiped some of the blood from her face as she began dragging the creature's corpse back towards the cart, as River reached the cart she began tying the creatures feet to the back of the cart, as Sypha perked a brow and asked, "Why exactly are you tying this creature to the back of our cart?" River stood up and looked at Sypha and replied,
"These roads are often known for bandit attacks, if any bandits see us dragging this behind us. They'll know to stay away if they know what's good for them."
Sypha smiled at River and nodded her head slightly as she said, "Ah, I see. So...it's kinda like a warning then." River smiled back at Sypha and replied,
"See, you get it now. Come on, let's get a move on. I wanna get to the nearest town before it gets dark and we can find a place to stay."
Lindenfeld…
When Sypha and River arrived in Lindenfeld, the villagers stared at them with unease and as they got out of the cart, a tall bald looking man dressed in black was walking towards them as he said, "Welcome to Lindenfeld, I have to say that is quite the entrance you made."
River looked at the man as she replied, "Yeah, well we needed something to scare off the bandits. And you are?" The bald man looked at both Sypha and River and said,
"You may call me the Judge."
The Bishop and a few priests walked over to the corpse behind River's cart as he looked at her and said, "Did you do this? Such a vile creature." River looked at the Bishop and replied,
"Well, yes. We needed something to scare off the bandits."
Then Bishop looked at River as he said, "Such a shame, we could have learned much from this creature. I wonder, have you heard that Dracula is dead?" River looked at the Bishop and replied,
"Well, as it happens we-"
Before Sypha cut her off as she placed a finger on her lips as she said, "Shh." Before she then looked towards the Bishop as she said to him, "No...we have not." The Bishop then looked at Sypha and replied,
"We are currently looking into a way of reviving Dracula, so that he could help guide us through this new world."
The Judge then looked around at the townspeople looking on, before he said, "That's enough everyone. As you were, there's nothing to see here." and the people scattered as they resumed their daily business, River looked at the Judge and asked,
"Has the Bishop always been saying nonsense like that?"
The Judge looked back at River as he said, "Not really, this only really started happening some time ago. People go into the Priory, but I haven't seen anyone leave the Priory either. In any case we shall discuss this further in the morning, I imagine you must be rather tired from your journey."
The next day…
The next morning, River woke up laying next to Sypha on a makeshift bed made out of hay inside a stable, she sat up and let out a yawn as she looked down at Sypha who was still sleeping as she said to herself, "You really deserve someone who makes you happy Sypha, unfortunately though for the time being you're stuck with me."
River then soon got dressed and began walking around the town, before she walked over to a stall and picked up an apple and a bread stick, before the woman looked at her and said, "That will be two silver please miss." River then fetched her coin pouch and was about to give the woman the money she asked for, when a strange looking man walked over and smiled at the woman at the counter and handed her a gold coin and said,
"How about one gold instead, it's much more valuable than silver wouldn't you say?"
The woman smiled at the man as she replied, "Yes, thank ya kindly sir." River looked at the man and asked,
"I'm sorry, I don't believe we have met. What's your name?"
The man looked at River and bowed slightly as he replied, "I am Saint Germaine, an Alchemist and also a Scholar." River looked at Saint Germaine and replied,
"So, Saint Germaine, what's an Alchemist like yourself doing all the way out here in Lindenfeld?"
Saint Germaine looked at River as he whispered, "Not here, there's too many ears around. Let's talk in the Tavern." River silently nodded as the two of them began walking towards the Tavern so that they could talk.
Inside the Tavern…
River sat down next to Sypha with a tankerd in hand as Saint Germaine pulled out a gemstone from his pocket and looked at the pair as he asked, "Have you two ever heard of the Infinite corridor?" River took a sip of her ale and looked back at Saint Germaine and replied,
"Isn't that just some old fairytale?"
Saint Germaine chuckled at River as he said, "I used to say the exact same thing once, but I can assure you that the corridor does exist. And I have reason to believe that there is an opening to the corridor underneath the Priory." Sypha perked a brow at Saint Germaine and asked,
"Why are you looking for this...corridor exactly?"
Saint Germaine looked at Sypha as he let out a small sigh and said, "I've been looking for the infinite corridor so that I may find someone that I lost." River then stood up from the table as she looked at Saint Germaine and replied,
"Well, we would love to stay and chat more, but myself and Sypha need to have a chat with the Judge. Who knows, maybe we'll see each other later."
Before then both River and Sypha began walking out from the Tavern, leaving Saint Germaine sitting alone at the table in the far corner. As they walked towards the Judge's office.
