"There was this huge, hideous woman in the forest! She killed Adrian!"

"Son, I've heard just about enough of this. How could you just lose a dog like that?"

"No, I swear, I'm telling the truth!"

"Your father trusted you to train that dog! He wants you to take over when he retires. After he hears about this, I'm not sure what he will think."

It had been a week since I was removed from the the Albion mansion. I was doing some minor begging when I came across a blonde-haired officer presumably arguing with his aged mother. I recognized him as the sheriff's son. Such outbursts were not surprising; everyone in town was getting restless because of demented rumors involving Lord Augustus.

"I love- I loved Adrian! You know that to be true! There is no way I could be so careless as to lose him!" he shouted. Tears began to stream down the son's face. His mother continued to glare at him sternly. "Stop crying, Osmond. You're almost 30, for goodness' sake."

He wiped away his tears, revealing his fury-stricken face.

"I'm going to find that woman and I am going to bring her to justice!"

"Oh… I would advise against that, young man!" a raspy voice called out. I looked over and saw that an old man wearing rags had appeared out of nowhere to drag himself over to the two of them.

"That big... freo, the big hag your son speaks of? Oh… she is very real! And very... pleolic!" He began to cackle madly. "This is the beginning of the end for us. It has all been foretold!"

The mother groaned. "Lord Albion is ruining this town. Now there are even more indigents lurking around than ever!" However, Osmond did not brush aside this mysterious man.

"You know she's real? When did you see her?" he asked with eager eyes.

"Many months ago, in one of my many nightmares. Your mighty Lord Albion begins his great descent from riches to... hryre. Say goodbye to all your loved ones, fleshlings!"

The old man once again broke into laughter, which turned quickly to sobbing.

"He's not of right mind, Osmond… and I'm beginning to think that you're losing it too," his mother grumbled. Osmond ignored her.

"Mister, tell me where to find that woman. I must avenge Adrian."

The old man grabbed him and said, "She lurks in Albion's… weald, his doomed forest, but you will not find her for many, many years. Give up your quest to death for now, young man. You will know when you are called."

He let go of Osmond and sauntered away from him and towards me, chortling. Osmond ran into his house. The old man stopped in front of me and stared into my eyes.

"Is there something you want, sir?"

"Your fate is tied to the mereflod, freo."

"Come again?"

"The mereflod," he repeated, making whooshing sounds and making waves with his arms.

"Oh, do you mean the ocean?"

The old man nodded. "You will understand, soon enough, freo."

I looked over his shoulder and saw that Osmond had reappeared with a spiky baton in hand.

"Where do you think you're going?" his mother shouted.

"To find her."

With that, he ran off to the Albion forest, thirsting for vengeance. I kept an eye out for him and saw him return after a few days. He was dirty and looked exhausted. I could tell that he did not succeed. A man saw him and ran up to him.

"Officer Osmond, where have you been? My wife was kidnapped!"

"Stay calm, man. When and where did this happen?"

"It was yesterday night, in the Albion forest. I told her that things were getting dangerous around there, but she insisted on her evening walk."

Osmond perked up. "Did you see who kidnapped her?"

"Who? More like what! It was this fat and ugly lady! She had warts growing everywhere! Her stench is burned into my nose! It was horrible!"

Osmond's hands balled up into fists.

"The old hag!"

In the following weeks, more and more people were reporting kidnappings. The rambling old man from before had begun to give loud sermons in the town square, warning us of the dangers of the "hag in the weald" and blaming Lord Augustus for her appearance. He insisted that we will all face terrible consequences if we did not deal with Augustus soon. He certainly got the people of the town riled up. A committee was formed, and it was decided that a town militia would be armed. This group would march on the Albion manor to make demands and get answers. I said what I could against the formation of the militia, but no one listened to someone of such low social standing as me. I wanted to go and warn Lord Augustus, but it had been made clear that the forest was not safe anymore. The only other way to reach his estate without traveling through the forest was by sea, but I had no idea how I was to procure a boat.

Many people quickly volunteered for the militia, and the group was formed faster than I ever expected. They were armed with all kinds of tools and weapons: pitchforks, torches, scythes, knives, and even some swords. I saw Osmond with his baton hanging by his side. So he had joined the militia as well. All of them looked ready to kill.

"Are you ready, citizens?" Osmond exclaimed.

The mob shouted in agreement.

"Let's get 'em!"

"Hang 'em!"

"Chop 'em up!"

"Burn 'em alive!"

Shouts of various threats reverberated throughout the crowd. The thought of Lord Augustus being ripped to shreds got my feet moving. It took me a minute to acknowledge that I was running to the town's small port to somehow get a boat and save August before it was too late. This must have been what the old man meant by my fate being connected to the ocean.

At the pier, I saw a man doing some work on his rowboat.

"Excuse me, sir? Can you please get me to Lord Albion's estate? This is an emergency," I implored.

"You're a lovely little lady, aren't cha? Hmm… what's innit fer me?"

"Lord Augustus will pay you handsomely for your assistance."

"Will he now? How can I be sure?"

"I work for him. He hired me to carry out this task," I lied.

"No offense, but you don't look like someone who our dear lord would hire."

"...Don't tell anyone this, but I'm actually one of his spies. I'm keeping tabs on the town."

"Really? I always knew Augustus was upta somethin'... All right, I'll take ye there. But if I don't get me pay, then you're gonna be the one to pay fer it," he growled menacingly.

"Fine then. Let's go."

I got into the rowboat and he picked up his oars. He glared at me.

"Don't know how to row?" he mocked.

"Actually, no, I don't."

He scowled.

"Watch me, then. I'm expectin' you to learn quick. I ain't rowin' the whole way there on my own."

We began to slowly glide across the water's surface around the coast to Lord Augustus's estate.