"Murder! There's been a murder!"

There was a panic in the City of Light as the body of one of the noblemen had been found dead in his house. Outside was a crowd of onlookers hoping to get a glimpse of the man who had been killed but stopping them was a small detachment of Knights who formed a wall to keep the people at bay. Of course, inside the large house was the staff, the nobleman's wife and children, and a select group of individuals tasked with maintaining the peace in times of chaos, the King's Dagger.

It is often said that if the King's Knights fight in the light, then the King's Dagger will strike from the shadows. Their attire was the same, a long, hooded tunic made of bright blue cloth, and upon each of these tunics were animals of different designs. Beneath the tunic, they wore a shirt of chainmail to protect themselves over simple shirts and trousers. Their gloves and boots were made of black leather, and on each wrist were silvery metal bracers. The most striking feature that identified them were the twin swords they wore upon each side of their waist; straight, double-edged blades two feet in length. Five of them were in the room with the body, Inquisitors who would investigate, discover, and eliminate threats to the kingdom; there was Hawk, Horse, Bull, Raven, and Dragon. The five figures examined the body in the study, the pool of blood that soaked into the rug around it, and the partially broken window leading to the garden.

"When did the maid discover the body?" Hawk Inquisitor frowned as he looked down at the body with a look of disdain.

In his early thirties, Hawk Inquisitor was the eldest of the group, so he would take charge of the group. His hair was long, past his shoulders, and very fine in quality. Though many women would consider him quite handsome, his dark red eyes had a cold gaze to them, no matter who he viewed.

"The maid said she came in during the first hour, daybreak. She had intended to clean the room since her master had been using it last night. The rest of the staff was busy with getting breakfast ready." Raven Inquisitor had a small frown as she thought about the turmoil the family must be going through.

Raven Inquisitor was the youngest of the group, having barely turned 20 one month ago. As her animal insignia would suggest, her hair was as black as the night sky, cascading down to the middle of her back. Her eyes were a vibrant blue, expressing sorrow, for now, this family would have to grow up without a father as she had.

"We don't rule them out. The servants could have had a grudge against him. What about the window?" Hawk Inquisitor then turned his attention over toward the figure by the broken window.

"Glass on the inside, whoever broke in came through here and escaped out the same spot." Dragon Inquisitor frowned as he carefully looked for any other clues when he noticed something along with the doorway. "Scratches here; looks like it could be made by claws…"

"Or it could have been made by the person kicking the door in. Don't go jumping to conclusions, you damn idiot. You just point out things you see, and then the Grand Inquisitor will decide what is important and what is not." Hawk Inquisitor had a sneer as he looked down on his "comrade".

Dragon Inquisitor was a young man, only a couple of years older than Raven. He had medium-length shaggy black hair, a soft expression on his face with bright green eyes, and a couple of scars on his face, one across his left cheek and one above his right eyebrow. Scars he had earned as he trained with his rival as it were, Hawk. Upon being brought in, Hawk made it a point to put him in his place at every given opportunity.

"Not jumping to conclusions, just speculating. We must execute swift justice as the King's Dagger but only to the true guilty party. I would hate to kill the wrong person…as I'm sure you would be too." Dragon Inquisitor kept a neutral expression on his face as he looked toward the older knight.

"Oh, I know of effective torturing methods that will get the information I desire. Our objective is to silence those who would oppose the kingdom, not to play at being heroes." Hawk chuckled as he looked toward Dragon Inquisitor with an unsettling grin.

Dragon Inquisitor frowned as he looked toward his senior comrade, he did not approve of the methods Hawk would employ to get the job done. Hawk's eyes widened as did his smile as he moved his hands towards his swords, almost daring the young man to challenge him and now. Raven and the other inquisitors could see and feel the tension in the room as both men stared at one another but that was quickly dealt with as a new voice interrupted them.

"Enough. Show some dignity as Inquisitors."

The five Inquisitors quickly were at attention with arms at their side as the Grand Inquisitor entered the room escorted by two knights in silver armor. The Grand Inquisitor was a much older man, well into his sixties with short grey hair and a trim beard to match, his tunic was white with the red griffin emblem on the center. Despite being older than most, he kept himself in top physical shape, often sparring with the other Inquisitors to keep his reflexes sharp.

"My Lord." All five Inquisitors bowed their head toward the Grand Inquisitor.

Grand Inquisitor looked down toward the body; removing the sheet that covered it to examine the wounds. The nobleman had a look of surprise froze on their face, a deep cut to his neck from where he had bled out from. With a final grunt, he recovered the body with the blood-stained sheet and stood to face the Inquisitors.

"A knife wound to the neck." Grand Inquisitor frowned looking at the body a final time then turning his attention toward Hawk Inquisitor. "No sign of the weapon, obviously taken by the murderer. Begin your investigation with the servants and family, I want as much information from them as possible."

"My pleasure." Hawk Inquisitor had a sinister smile as he started to rub his hands together.

"A moment my lord."

Everyone in the room turned their attention toward Dragon Inquisitor who moved towards the window leading towards the garden.

"There were scratch marks visible on the window frame, it is possible the assailant was observing and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. We are on the second floor, this would indicate that someone broke in from this spot. I doubt the servants would hang from the balcony. I think we might be looking for a demon assailant."

Hawk Inquisitor growled as he watched his comrade waste time here, and Grand Inquisitor seemed to share these same sentiments.

"Noted. Demons are quite well known to be murderous and treacherous, however, we are in the City of Light. You know as well as I those demons are not allowed in this city…but when have demons ever been known to be trustworthy. You and the other Inquisitors shall focus on the defense of the city and observe the City of Shadows, listen for any gossip that might lead to a possible uprising against our King. Hawk, continue with what we were discussing; assuming it is not one of the servants or family, focus on human rouges who might have been hired."

"Yes my lord."

"Dismissed!"

Grand Inquisitor left the room followed by the other Inquisitors; Hawk Inquisitor had his familiar sneer as he looked at Dragon Inquisitor. Dragon Inquisitor remained in the room with a frown on his face, along with him was Raven Inquisitor and one of Grand Inquisitor's knight escorts.

"Man, what an asshole."

Royal Knight shook his head as he moved his attention from the doorway Grand Inquisitor had exited through to the body in the room and back to the other Inquisitors. Beneath his helmet was short blonde hair, a friendly expression on his face accented by his bright blue eyes.

"You can't talk about him like that." Raven Inquisitor had a scowl as she looked toward her friend. "The Grand Inquisitor…"

"…is an asshole, I said that already." Royal Knight chuckled as he moved to join his friend near the broken window. "You don't believe him either do you?"

Dragon and Raven Inquisitor both had an unsure expression on their face but eventually vented their frustrations.

"It seems too convenient to blame the servants or family." Dragon Inquisitor frowned as he looked toward the window and the claw marks present. "Then there's the body itself."

"Did you see something on the body the Grand Inquisitor missed?" Raven Inquisitor was a bit surprised by this and then moved the sheet back to examine the wound.

"if it was a wound caused by a blade it would be much cleaner, that appears to be jagged…caused by a clawed finger." Royal Knight too frowned as he came to the same conclusion Dragon Inquisitor had come to.

"I don't want to believe that the Grand Inquisitor had missed such an obvious clue. Perhaps he was more concerned that this might be politically motivated."

"Oh this was political, but the biggest question is who would benefit from his murder."

"That's not the only question we need to be worried about."

"And what would that be Raven?"

"Is anyone else being targeted as well?"

"And there is the inquisitive nature you Inquisitors are so well known for. Then we work together on this. I shall work from the light while you two work in darkness."

"Agreed. Just be careful alright?" Dragon Inquisitor had a small smile as he placed a firm hand on Royal Knight's shoulder.

"Please. Remember who you're talking to."

"Exactly." Raven Inquisitor laughed as she looked toward her friend.

"Ouch. Have a little faith, my friends. I better get moving before I get yelled at, I'll meet you both at the pub later tonight."

xxxx

"Hmm. It isn't here."

Goblin Slayer had taken the advice of his wives to rest for a few days and spend time with them all before continuing with his investigations. Within the toolshed where he kept his weapons and gear, was also a select volume of books he had acquired from the Arc Mage, each book filled with knowledge from the mundane to the unfamiliar. Most of the books dealing magic he had donated to the Guild quite some time ago and they, in turn, had now been added to the library of the Magical School with the city. Those dealing with monster information, hunting and survival strategies, and animal and plant identification he kept as a means to further his knowledge. Against his normal practices, Guild Girl had added information about the grenados, using flour as an explosive, and even how to create ice cream to these works.

"When I had wanted to become an adventurer, I had intended to research on the various beasts; Mother, Father, and Sister had always mentioned studying to increase your intellect. Until the goblins are fully dealt with, I can't go on all the adventures my wives would like me to try. These creatures are quite concerning, if the goblins can evolve into these…orcs…then this could prove to be troublesome for me and others who undertake these quests." Goblin Slayer looked over the various books, not only was the monster manual Arc Mage had been working on, but all the books appeared clean and not dusty. "I have not been by to use these books in such a long time, I wonder if one of my wives had cleaned them. Or…did something sneak in here to steal it? A goblin…"

Goblin Slayer exited the toolshed to speak with his wives, to first see if perhaps they had cleaned the toolshed or if the more inquisitive ones had taken the books. To his surprise, he found all his wives busily talking amongst each other so early in the morning.

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh Darling, we just got a message from the Guild." Guild Girl had a small frown on her face as she passed the parchment to Goblin Slayer.

"Hmm." Goblin Slayer carefully looked over the paper with a casual grunt. "An evil wizard…controlling the minds of others…sacrificing people…hmm, sounds troublesome."

"Yes. The King worried this may be connected to the Demon Lord or his surviving followers, so he's asked for me and the Hero to investigate." Sword Maiden sighed as she did not want to be apart from Goblin Slayer.

"So you're coming along with us, right? Right?" Hero smirked as she moved to elbow Goblin Slayer in the side.

"I need to investigate those orcs and their connections to goblins."

"Oh come on. You're always going on these goblin quests, come adventuring with us. This battle with the wizard could be just as dangerous as the fight with the Necromancer." Hero was trying her best to guilt Goblin Slayer into coming along with her.

"Until these creatures are dealt with, I can't stop." Goblin Slayer reached into his side pouch to pull out the metal emblem he found on the orcs body. "All I have to go on is this, but it has some connection to the orcs."

"Oh right, that's the insignia thing you found Orcbolg. Guild Girl mentioned the symbol is the insignia of the Kingdom of the Griffin."

"You think the orcs are coming from the other kingdom?" Priestess was also concerned about the possible connection.

"I find that hard to believe. The King in that kingdom is known to have very little tolerance for anything that is not human. Allowing orcs or goblins to roam free would be quite suspicious." Sword Maiden shook her head, believing they simply got this off a knight from their kingdom. "Truth be told, when I was but a little girl, it was the Kingdom of the Twin Griffins, but…circumstances led to a change in title."

"Then we'll be the ones to be assisting Honey with his quest it seems." Half-Demon Thief smiling proudly that she, High Elf Archer, and Priestess would be the ones to have Goblin Slayer to themselves.

"That's not fair you know!" Hero was quick to puff her cheeks while glaring at Half-Demon Thief.

"Concerning that matter, have any of you been in the toolshed as of recent. The book I am searching for is missing and the rest of them look as though they have been dusted."

The women looked toward Goblin Slayer with a confused look on their faces, none of them had been in there as of recent let alone cleaned up the toolshed.

"No, none of us have been in there. Are you sure you didn't misplace it?" Cow Girl had known him to be a bit forgetful about certain things.

"No. I usually had it locked since the children may hurt themselves with the weapons in there."

"You think something broke in. You don't think…"

"I had considered goblins, but I'll need to check the toolshed."

Goblin Slayer and his wives moved toward the toolshed carefully examining it for a spot where someone could have broken in and eventually Priestess found a spot where a hole was present but had been covered up by a box on the inside. Goblin Slayer carefully looked toward the ground, looking for footprints from the goblins but instead found faint shoe prints in the soil, small ones.

"Well, it was a goblin of sorts." Cow Girl smiled as she realized who the guilty culprits were.

"Speaking of which, where are the little monsters?" Half-Demon Thief smirked as she looked around the area for their children.

Nearby, Dwarf Shaman finished the last of his carving of wood, like many other dwarves he was quite skilled with his forging and crafting. In his hand, he finished looking at the wooden ax he finished and nodded as he then also picked up the wooden lance he made as well.

"There you go, boys." Dwarf Shaman passed the wooden weapons to Spearman and Heavy Warrior's sons.

"Thank you "Uncle"." The boys took hold of their weapons before rushing off to join the others.

Goblin Slayer and Dwarf Shaman had gone about creating a small training ground for the kids to play at, mostly made of wooden poles in the ground where the children could battle against their opponents. Most of the children were happily striking at the wooden posts, but nearby were three girls who went about reading the book they had taken from their father's toolshed. Guild Girl made it a point to read to the girls every night, tales of all the adventurers their parents had undergone, but their favorite was Howl of Vengeance, a tale of how their father had met Wolf and together they became heroes.

"This book talks about different monsters, their descriptions, weaknesses, and possible theories." The young girl with a light brown braid flipped through the pages.

"What a theory?" The young girl with long blonde hair asked a bit confused.

"I think it means a new idea. Like the way papa thinks of new ways to fight." Her sister, a girl with equally long blonde hair, but tied up in a high ponytail responded.

These three girls were not so much about attacking with weapons, they wanted to learn magic, and the best place to learn it when their parents were busy with adventures, was to seek the knowledge in books. The best books were those their father had hidden away in his work shed, though they could not get through the locked door, they found a part where the wood was weak and with a little work, they managed to make a hole and enter. In truth, Lich Queen knew about their little excursion as she was in there when the girls had entered unannounced. She could not blame them too being curious and made them promise to never mess with any of the weapons and to always cover the way they entered.

"Oh look here. The one that is a picture of goblins. Eww, they're really ugly." The young girl who resembled Guild Girl carefully studied the pages. "Let's see. They start as little creatures but they can get bigger as they get older."

"What's that? Another goblin?"

The three girls looked toward the next page and could see a creature that appeared more human in design but still kept the hideous features of the smaller goblins.

"I'm not sure. I think it's related to the goblins but it's called…"

"An Orc."

The three girls turned as they heard the emotionless voice, a familiar one they had grown up with, and found their father and all their mothers looking down on them.

"Oh, so here is where the little thieves are?" Guild Girl had a smirk as she looked down at her daughter reading the book.

"Ma, mama!"

"So there is the book." Goblin Slayer reached down to pick up the book from his daughter's hands. "I need this for a moment."

The children were all worried that they would get a stern lecture now that Goblin Slayer and his wives had discovered they had been sneaking into the toolshed.

"Hmm. There. The way a goblin can adapt and become a wander, champion or lord, it can also change further. The orc is a goblin with the intelligence of a human, still driven by its desires, it is far more dangerous than its former self. The known sightings were in the wastelands, but there is still the possibility for goblins to evolve." Goblin Slayer grunted as he thought carefully about what he had just read. "Goblins of legend reappearing and clearly following someone's direction. I don't like this."

"Um…I'm sorry father. I did not mean to…"

Goblin Slayer calmly handed the book back to his young daughter then went about patting her atop her head.

"Please be careful in the toolshed. Don't touch any of the weapons." Goblin Slayer smiled beneath his helmet then looked toward the other children and their wooden posts. "When I return, I shall teach you all to use a sling to hit those targets from a distance."

The children were shocked for a moment but were happy to hear that not only were they not in trouble, but they would learn a way to defend themselves from their father.

"So what's the plan then Beardcutter?"

"We're going to undertake the goblin quests from the Guild, it may lead to more information on these Orcs."

xxxx

Dragon Executioner and Slave Bard moved through the forest, with his fun finished at the den of thieves, it was time to move forward. Slave Bard was no longer chained to a wall to perform songs for brigands, now he was following a madman across the countryside. Slave Bard had kept in shackles around his ankles and wrists to keep him from running, as well as a long chain Dragon Executioner used as a leash.

"Oh no, I'm fine traveling by myself. I'm just a bard, why would anyone try to rob or harm me. What's the worst that could happen?" Slave Bard sighed as he looked down as the shackled around his wrists. "At least I still get to travel the country and see different things. If I'm lucky, I might even get to stay long enough to reach the next Kingdom…maybe."

"What's with that sigh? You upset I didn't kill you along with the others fools?"

"Oh no master! I'm able to continue traveling the lands so I am grateful."

"Ha! No need to lie to me. You serve a valuable purpose in informing me of the area as well as the Heroes of this land."

"Of course master! The current Hero is a young woman. She was ranked Platinum at the age of fifteen upon finding the legendary holy sword and slaying the Demon Lord."

"I had heard that part already. The Demon Lord killed by a 15-year-old girl, how pathetic."

"Apologies master for telling you something you already knew. Um…let see, there are other surviving heroes of legend like the Sword maiden, the King and the latest one, Goblin Slayer."

"Goblin Slayer? What kind of stupid title is that?"

"He is an adventurer of Silver rank who has devoted himself to protecting the villages from the goblin threat. While that may not as impressive as you Executioner of Dragons, he is a hero to the people. A few years ago he rallied various adventurers, including the Sword Maiden and the Hero's party, to defend the Capital. He himself, slew the man controlling the army of bizarre monsters, the Necromancer."

"Necromancer huh…a single human who brought a city to its knees. I would have enjoyed meeting such a twisted individual."

"Yes master. When presented with an opportunity to move up a rank and become a true hero of legend, he turned it down to continue his quest. He's also famous for taking seven wives, the Hero and Sword Maiden are among them."

"Hmm, this Goblin Slayer himself sounds like quite the interesting figure." Dragon Executioner had a sinister smile present on his face as he chuckled to himself. "I would also like to meet him and these other heroes. I can crush him and defile his women in front of him."

"Uh…ha, ha, ha…yes, very good master." Slave Bard offered a weak laugh as he followed the giant of a man. "Never mind, I'm going to end up dying following his insanity. I can only hope it will be quick and not too painful."

Dragon Executioner and his slave continued through the forest but he soon stopped as he took in a deep breath. Slave Bard was confused by what had caught his attention when he could see the wicked smile growing on his face.

"You smell that slave?"

"Um…yuck, I think I smell rotten eggs."

"That's brimstone. Brimstone can be associated with two things, natural springs…and dragons."

Slave Bard was a bit confused until he saw Dragon Executioner scoop up the tiny man and toss him over his shoulder before rushing forward. Slave Bard was screaming as he bounced around, occasionally being slapped in the face by a wayward branch until they finally stopped.

"Oh…uh, Master why did we…eggs!"

Dragon Executioner smiled as he dropped the slave to behind the sight before him. Within the large clearing, he found a large collection of eggs, the nesting ground was surrounded by several boiling pits of water and a few geysers.

"Not just any ordinary eggs. Dragon eggs."

"Dra, dragon eggs! Doesn't that mean there are dragons about?"

"Probably hunting. With the boiling pits of water and the smell, most predators would be frightened to show up here. They just didn't count on my being here."

Slave Bard watched as Dragon Executioner calmly walked over toward the clutch of eggs and picked up one of the pumpkin-sized eggs. Without a moment's hesitation, he poked a hole in the egg with his right index finger and went out drinking the raw egg. Slave Bard looked on in shock as he repeated the same process with six more of the eggs and then just to be spiteful, he took five more of the eggs and smashed them upon the ground. The clutch originally had 20 eggs within it, but now only eight of those eggs remained.

"Master, if you continue with that you'll…"

Slave Bard could hear the roars of the dragons above as well as hear and feel the gusts of wind being created by the flapping of their wings. Slave Bard nervously looked upward to see two large red dragons circling overhead before they landed on the ground shaking the earth in the process.

"Oh, so you finally showed up. I was wondering just how many more of the eggs I'd have to destroy before you would come to me."

The two firedrakes looked toward the giant and then toward the destroyed eggs around them and bellowed.

"MY EGGS! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

"CURSED HUMAN, HOW DARE YOU DEFILE THIS NEST! I SHALL DESTROY YOU AND EVERY VILLAGE IN THE AREA!"

"You stupid beasts, I'm not some adventurer seeking glory, I am the Dragon Executioner. My only goal is to hunt dragons down and feast on their flesh." The Dragon Executioner could hide his sinister smile as he drew out his war hammer. "I don't care if you want to burn down the villages or not, I'm just here to break you and feed upon you…just like I did with the eggs."

"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN US! YOU SHALL DIE LIKE THE LOWLY WORM YOU ARE!"

xxxx

"Just kill me now." Harpy Scout groaned as she covered her face with both hands as her party moved down the road. "How much did you hear?"

"Are you kidding? I'm pretty sure the entire Inn heard the two of you." Wolf Brawler chuckled as she looked toward Saber Rider then back to her friend. "That must have been one hell of a mating session."

"I hear you both screaming from room. I first think you both doing some training, but then remember you mention he your mate." Rabbitfolk Warrior also smiled as she enjoyed talking with her friend, lacking the tact to be embarrassed by mentioning the sounds she heard.

"Indeed. I was surprised to see our Monk enter our room, but as soon as we heard the first round of noise, we could all guess what was going on." Half-Dragon Priestess smiled as she gently patted her friend on the back. "I'm quite jealous."

Harpy Scout sighed in defeat, she had hoped to keep this relationship a bit more controlled, but that idea was quickly dismissed as soon as she met the rest of her party the next morning. They of course congratulated them both, but Harpy Scout was quite embarrassed by all the attention she was receiving. They were all quick to accept a new quest to investigate odd behavior in a nearby village, just to avoid any other odd stares from the other patrons at the Inn. It was decided that Rabbitfolk Warrior and Half-Dragon Priestess's parties would collaborate on this quest.

"Stupid fat bird! She not your mate, she my mate!"

The group watched as Saber Rider and Talon continually argued over who Harpy Scout belonged to, although she had enjoyed the time she spent with Saber Rider, there was now some doubt as she watched him argue with the hawk above.

"Is something wrong?" Padfoot Monk could sense that there was a bit of concern from Harpy Scout.

"Oh nothing. Just embarrassed beyond belief by everything that has happened. I don't suppose you know of some spell that can erase everyone's memories?"

"I'm afraid that I don't, but would you really want to forget that night?"

"I…no. I never want to forget that night."

The sudden reply caught many of them off guard and only added to Harpy Scout's embarrassment. The rest of the party decided to go ahead and stop their teasing as they would now focus on the quest ahead of them.

"I meant to say, you finally got your battle paint applied to your body now." Grippli Ranger could see the new red marks all over his comrade's body.

"Yeah. Saber Rider help me get them on."

"Hmm…lucky bastard." Grippli Ranger mumbled beneath his breath as he looked at the various markings all over her body.

Harpy Scout was still a bit upset that Saber Rider and Rabbitfolk Warrior had been pretty close, but knew he was not some flirtatious individual, he would truly be loyal to her alone.

"He did already promise himself to me so I'm just being silly."

After a few days on the road, they finally reached the Village of Blackwell; it was a relatively large village of nearly a thousand people with a few farms spread out the area. At first glance, everything seem relatively peaceful; the people were out and about as if nothing was wrong.

"Are you sure this is the correct village?" Armor-Piercer looked around seeing people exchanging goods and money in the marketplace.

"I believe so." Tortle Master drew out the paper they had received from the local guild branch and read through the information. "Yes. Village of Blackwell."

"Hmm. What the detail of the quest?" Half-Dragon Priestess frowned as she too looked around the town, doubtful of any problems in this town.

"Some people who had passed through reported strange behavior from the townspeople, possible mind control."

"We must be in the wrong town, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong here." Harpy Scout shook her head as she watched the townspeople moving around without a care.

"Still, we should go ahead and check-in with the villagers. Maybe there is something unseen troubling this town and its people." Half-Dragon Priestess looked around the marketplace and found one of the merchants who had finished up with a customer. "Let's check with him."

The middle-aged merchant waved towards his customer before turning his full attention towards the large group of unfamiliar travelers.

"Greetings friends. Can I interest you in my various wares?"

"Oh, no thank you. We are adventurers and have undertaken a quest to help this village." Half-Dragon Priestess politely bowed her head while addressing the merchant.

"Adventurers? Um, our village doesn't need any assistance. We're doing just fine."

"Are you sure? Can we maybe speak with the village lead…"

"Um, no…not right now, we…AHHH!"

The adventurers were startled by the merchant's sudden behavior as he gripped either side of his head. The members of the village suddenly stopped what they were doing and focused their attention on the screaming merchant and the large group of adventurers.

"AHHH…no, I haven't told them anything….no…I…trying to…AHHH!"

The Merchant collapsed to his hands and knees struggling to catch his breath; after several tense moments, he calmly stood back up and smiled as he looked toward Half-Dragon Priestess and the others.

"I'm so sorry, a bit of a bad habit of mine. Nothing to worry about. As to your earlier concern, the village is perfectly fine. Nothing to worry about."

Half-Dragon Priestess was ready to reply when she finally got a good look at the rest of the villagers and found them still staring but soon enough they all went back to their normal routine as if nothing strange had occurred.

"I…I see. Sorry to bother you." Half-Dragon priestess once again bowed her head before moving away.

"Why man act so strange? He…"

"Not here Rider." Harpy Scout stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and a shake of her head.

The group calmly moved away from the market area to a spot where they could converse more freely.

"Man behave like someone yelling at him." Rabbitfolk Warrior noted as she looked back at the merchant continuing his sales.

"It is likely that someone was controlling him. Even some such as myself can see that there is some evil bewitching these people." Padfoot Monk frowned as he ears twitched thinking he could hear a faint voice on the winds.

"No doubt about it. We need to investigate this village and see if we can find what's controlling these people." Half-Dragon Priestess too worried about what foul presence was loose among this village and just where it could be hiding.

Author's Note: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Though I'm a bit late, I'm thankful for all those who've been following since Howl of Vengeance and hopefully you've been enjoying the story of Half-Dragon Priestess and the adventures she and her comrades had gone through…and what lies ahead of them. New characters connected to the kingdom beyond the mountains, new threats for both the seasoned adventurers as well as the younger ones. Thanks again everyone and look forward to the new quests our heroes will undertake.