We slept for some hours, and I traded watch with another person before getting some rest myself. Once I had slept for a few hours, we set out again. This time, however, we didn’t walk in the dark for long before coming across some structures, broken, crumbling buildings structures scattered about, forming a village that had its own sun shining above it.
"A sun. That’s actually a sun," I muttered, looking up at the red orb in the sky. It hung above the village, shrouded by layers of dark clouds. The sun was as red as blood, simultaneously immense and small, so unlike our own sun that it more closely resembled an uncanny eye looking down.
One of the Captain’s voice came from the front, reaching all their ears with ease. "We are in a place with minimal dangers, but this is based on the assumption of the last time we were here. The actual ruin lies at the end of the village, a palace that we couldn’t open before.
"We will continue as before. We, the Captains, will eliminate all dangers, but any that slip past us will be handled by your team leaders. Even during combat, if it seems you might get hurt, do not under any circumstances leave your group."
"Oh, and the sun, or moon, whatever is up there has no effect. Don’t mind it."
I wasn’t so sure about the last part. It seemed as if the sun was watching us as we walked through the village. I studied the broken buildings and wished I was walking with Kren, eager to hear his theories about this strange place.
As we ventured deeper into the village, I began to wonder what had happened here. It seemed as if a fire-breathing monster had been unleashed upon it. Broken and blackened stones littered the ground, with ashes scattered everywhere and floating in the air.
The red sun, emitting no heat, caused the dust to appear like droplets of floating blood. The feeling that the sun was watching me intensified with every step, and the persistent cold only made it worse as goosebumps prickled my skin
Almost instinctively, I glanced downward, doing my best not to stare.
Something deep within warned me not to look up at the bloody sun. Just then, a howl pierced the air, reverberating with malice and hatred. It sounded distant, yet it made us flinch and stiffen.
"A...wolf?" I thought.
The surrounding darkness seemed to stir and flicker, as if something was darting through it.
Arvas’s voice sounded from the front, calm yet commanding. "That is likely a Moonborn, a werewolf. We encountered them during the last operation, but they kept their distance due to the large force we had. This time, they may come closer. As usual, stay in one place and leave the battle to us."
As if summoned by his words, another howl rang out, closer and filled with hunger. My breath quickened, my eyes narrowing as every hair on my body stood on end. "The werewolves are closer than we think!"
Despite the Captains’ assurances, my hand moved instinctively to my sword, fingers curling around the hilt. Emily stood tense beside me, her pensive gaze scanning the surroundings. When the next howl came, it was so close that the workers jumped in fright.
My heart pounded in my chest. Why am I so afraid? I should be calm! It feels like my heart will leap out of my chest!
Emily turned toward me, her voice low. "Be careful. These aren’t living werewolves. They’re undead, but they still possess the powers of their kind. Luckily, they’re runts of a pack."
They? Just how many of them are there? I thought. So the previous operation didn’t actually clear all the monsters. Some are still alive—and clearly kicking.
The darkness surged, and something shot out of it like an arrow. It was a towering creature, ten feet tall, with a barrel-like chest and a hunched body. Its ragged fur was matted with filth, and its stomach was riddled with gaping wounds. Its fangs gleamed with a dark liquid, and its claws gouged the ground as it hurled itself straight at me.
I froze, a single thought flashing through my mind. Why me?
Emily spun, her sword trailing a red-gold powder that clung to the creature’s fur like mud. The werewolf didn’t even try to fight her; its glowing red eyes were fixed solely on me. Those eyes, just like the sun above.
The red-gold powder curled around the monster’s limbs, growing exponentially heavier until it slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash. Yet the creature stood there, strangely content. It let out a short howl, more a bark, devoid of hatred.
A chill ran down my spine as I met the monster’s gaze. Or rather, as the monster’s eyes fixed on my chest. Something stirred the air behind it, sweeping the ground, a tail, wagging.
Almost immediately, everyone around me stepped back. Tiber and Slya gave me odd looks but didn’t move away entirely, though it was clear they would rather not be near me.
Taiwo’s sword glowed with a blue-white light as she stepped forward. "Do you know this monster?"
I chose not to answer. First, I had no idea what to say. Second, I was struggling not to manifest my mark Order, which itched to reveal itself. Maybe the sun had something to do with it.
No. Why is the monster with the same eyes as the sun looking at me like it wants a pet? Why can’t things ever be simple? Why did it target me instead of attacking? I’d rather it fight me than stare at me like this!
I finally opened my mouth to speak, desperate to break the awkward silence. But I didn’t get the chance.
Kren and Arvas approached. The man with the glasses clapped his hands, a dark glint lighting his eyes. For a moment, to me, it felt as if another source of danger had just appeared.