SLAM!

The massive barn doors were flung open with little warning, making Merlin and Lyra leap out of their skins. Another young man stood at the doorway, his appearance unkempt. Tetsu was the missing triplet both Merlin and Lyra were talking about. Tetsu was about Lyra's height but somewhat lankier. However, Tetsu appeared to be of noble birth, or at the very least of a higher social status than the commoners. The clothes were done up in blue with silver accents and were kept clean and tidy. His long silver hair, on the other hand, was pulled back into a high ponytail, but it was coming undone. Tetsu appeared to be in a hurry to get back to his siblings.

''FUCK!'' Merlin yelped as he turned to see his brother standing there in the moonlight. ''Well speak of the devil.'' Merlin growled, showing his displeasure in Tetsu for scaring him half to death. ''You'd better have a valid explanation for being that loud and disruptive! I hope you didn't have anything following you back here. We can't have any problems right now!''

Lyra remained silent as she waited for Tetsu to explain himself. Merlin had already begun his lecture, and one was sufficient for the time being.

''I don't need your lectures right now!'' Tetsu snapped back, his narrowing eyes now fixed on Merlin.

''Well, you wouldn't get one if you returned quietly with food. Instead, you came back here and created a commotion that could have woken the dead. It's not like we're in a foreign country or something. It's not like unwelcome noises could exacerbate unwelcome problems. But then again, what do I know? This is my first time joining you on an expedition. My skill set does not allow me to dispatch my family to another land, world, or dimension." Merlin sarcastically retorted.

''Look! I was going to catch a rabbit when I got into trouble-!" Tetsu started to explain, but Merlin interrupted him.

"A rabbit?" Who in the bloody hell thought a single rabbit could feed us all?" Merlin inquired, his wrath directed towards Tetsu.

Lyra had had enough of her brothers arguing with one another. She was about to intervene and put an end to their altercation. The movement behind Tetsu, on the other hand, drew her attention. She slipped past them softly to explore what was going on behind Tetsu.

Two children were standing there, huddled together, and trembling in their skins. They seemed scared by whatever had happened with Tetsu. The girl appeared to be about 10 years old, while the boy appeared to be about 7 years old.

If Lyra was human, it might have been difficult to distinguish the children's features at this time of night. Thankfully, her draconian senses allowed her to see them as clearly as the day.

They were clothed in noble attire, but with a cult-like aesthetic. Tetsu had to assist them, after all, they were nobility. A stuffed doll was clutched in the small boy's arm.

The doll appeared to be handcrafted but resembled a poppet.

The appearance of the children caused the hair on the back of Lyra's neck to rise up. Her prior interactions with other cults back home had never gone nicely.

Then again, this was a different location; things could be different here. They were, after all, simply two terrified human children. Furthermore, if these were Lyra's children, she would want someone to assist them.

Lyra knelt down to their level of eye contact, attempting to appear as unthreatening as possible. This allowed Lyra to get a proper look at them; they were human, but of a different sub-race. Something Lyra had never seen before and was dismissed. The people they saw working in the fields looked more like the humans they remembered.

The children resembled the human variant of the Shadow Fey or Shadar-Kai. If her memory was right, they were a race of Shadowfell elves. They were always in a state of flux between life and death. In some planes, they were said to have a youthful appearance. However, their curse, particularly in the Shadowfell, forced them to have a visibly withered and aged appearance. So it became common knowledge that the Shadar-kai would wear masks to hide their decrepit state when walking around, especially in the Shadowfell.

However, unlike the actual Shadowfell, these youngsters did not have a corpse-like appearance. They did have dark eyes and black hair, as well as dusty grey skin and pale complexions. Although they kept to the Shadar-kai's theme of dark clothing, keeping to the darker shades of reds and blues.

Lyra took mental notes of everything as she observed their appearances, hoping to pick Merlin's brain later.

After a long moment of assessing the situation, Lyra gave the brother a warm smile, "What is the name of your doll?"

The brother looked at her and then down at his doll, which he was still clutching to his chest. He was shy and afraid to respond. "Ummm...I call her Pru." The brother responded softly, his voice trembling.

''Pru, that is a cute name! I love it!' 'Lyra responded cheerfully, a genuine smile on her face. ''I'll have to keep that name in mind for when I get my son a doll. By the way, my name is Lyra."

The brother raised his head to his sister, as if he needed permission to tell Lyra their names. The two exchanged quiet glances before the sister decided to speak up. "My name is Rosavalda Durst, and this is my younger brother, Thornboldt Durst. Rose and Thorn are our nicknames. We also have a baby brother named Walter, who is currently not with us. He is at home with-" Rose's voice fell silent when she mentioned Walter's name.

Thorn's eyes filled with fear when she cut herself off, and the small boy was now clinging to Pru and his sister for dear life. Something about their brother made the siblings even more uneasy.

Lyra soon caught on to how the children were feeling.

Gently, she started to ask, "Is Walter okay?" She placed a kind touch on Rose's shoulder for comfort. ''Is there anything I can do to help?"

''Get rid of the monster!'' Thorn swiftly exclaimed.

''Our house has a monster living in the basement. We had no choice except to leave Walter with the beast. We struggle….." Rose tried to explain, but she choked on her dread. ''...Everyone believes we're just a bunch of kids making stuff up."

Lyra attempted to coax the children into a hug.

As sobs could be heard, Rose and Thorn allowed themselves to be held. ''Mamma and Pappa...went down to the basement and never returned. I'm not going back till the monster is gone. It keeps making loud noises and refuses to go away..." Rose quivered with terror.

''I don't want to go back either!" Thorn interrupted shortly after.

The sounds of the children crying and screaming out in terror broke Tetsu and Merlin's enmity. ''Children are not on the menu!" Merlin said to Tetsu, ''You didn't!"

"They aren't!" Tetsu replied, his gaze fixed on Merlin. ''I discovered them wandering around the area, asking for assistance. As a result, I brought them here."

''Apparently, there is a monster dwelling in their basement, and they refuse to return until it is removed." Lyra demanded her brothers' attention as she cleared her throat. "Their baby brother, Walter, is trapped inside. Their parents went to remove the creature and never returned. They were pleading for assistance, but everyone dismissed them as 'kids being kids'. So, could we just concentrate for five minutes to assist these guys?" Lyra did her best to calm the children down as she spoke.

Merlin apologized to the children and Lyra, knowing his sister was right. ''Do we know where they live?''

''Nope, I didn't get around to asking.'' Tetsu answered back.

Lyra softly shook her head no, "I'll ask once I calm them down. However, it would be wise to visit there tonight. We're still unsure how to approach the village, and we stand out. Traveling at night, at the very least, reduces the danger of exposure."

Lyra's proposal was approved by both Merlin and Tetsu. After much coaxing, Lyra was able to calm the children down enough to talk after only a few moments of sitting with them. Lyra made it clear that she required them to show her where they lived after explaining the plan to go over there right now. The children were not required to stay there; they were free to return or seek safety elsewhere if they felt safe. Rose and Thorn agreed gently, when their tears were dry, to show Lyra and her brothers the way to their house.

The five of them set out after getting dressed and properly veiled in plain dark cloaks. Lyra began to slow down after a few minutes of strolling, hoping Merlin would notice as she glanced in his direction a few times.

Merlin immediately realized what was going on as Tetsu marched ahead of them. ''Is everything all right?" Merlin asked, slowing down to match Lyra's speed.

"Yeah... It's just, something about this whole situation bothers me," Lyra said gently. ''Is it just me, or do they make you think of the Shadar-Kai? While this location bears some resemblance to the Shadowfell, it is not the same. By the way they are dressed, they may be from a Shadar-kai cult."

Merlin listened calmly to his sister and reflected, "I know where you're coming from. It's conceivable that their ancestors are members of a cult. One that could possibly be linked to the Shadowfell. When it comes to cults, humans may do some strange rituals that can have some unexpected consequences. Tiamat cults are a good example of this."

''Do you have any ideas for what we should do next?" Lyra inquired.

"Our best bet would be to investigate this "monster." Even if it's nothing, we might be able to talk to the family and find out where we are. Maybe even vouching for us so we don't get chased down by a mob or anything." Marlin responded with a shrug as they continued onward.

Cover

lunadarklore/art/Chapter-two-s-title-card-892797191

Notes: I've tried to improve upon editing this time. I'm still trying to figure that out. However, if anyone wants to help with that. Feel free to ask, I won't be offended.