Falkner awoke with a groan in some strange hut with clutter everywhere. wait. the wolfelks. Where is everyone? Jezebel was sitting next to an old woman she had to be in her early eighties easily. She brought a jar towards Jezebel and a pair of teeth extractions of iron they looked like small hedge clippers

  “Falkner!,” Nyssa exclaimed, hugging him tightly “I thought I lost you” hugging her back,

  “What's going on, is everyone safe?” Falkner asked bewildered

  “yes but we need to talk” Jezebel screamed the old woman held her left cheek open and began to pull one of her back molars trying to put a stop to this

  “don’t interfere it’s part of the price” Nyssa said sadly with a yank her tooth was extracted and the old woman placed it in the jar and putting a cork in it as Jezebel bleed a lot spitting in a small bucket Jezebel wrapped a bandage and placed it in her mouth “I never thought I would get to have a genuine half demon tooth or meet one,” the old woman laughed than she turned towards him “ah you are awake godling” the old woman said placing her jar on a shelf with free space which was impressive his armor was still intact but damaged placing his helmet back on Jezebel came over to him hugged him and left outside.

  “Now the eye you promised” the old woman said wait what?

  “Get away from her” drawing his sword she just grinned at him

  “don’t it is the price” Nyssa said “just hold me” holding her as the old woman ripped out her right eye Nyssa screamed in agony trying with everything he had not to cut the old crones hand off once she was done she took the eyeball and place it in a jar with some kind of liquid

  “thank you thank you” Falkner whispering in Nyssa’s ear handing her a bandage to wipe the blood off her face they got up and left everyone looked at Nyssa’s empty eye socket with sadness

  “let’s go let’s leave this cursed place good to see you on your feet” William said with that the crow flew above them leading them on another trail that wasn't there before they walked on Nyssa had to hold her bandage to her face she was crying he walked right beside her to comfort her in anyway he could she gave up that eye for me I’m speechless I never thought she would do something like this for me he cried with her.

  The crow cawed leading them past six trails looking around before the crow lead them back the way they came then turned right. Off trial

  “Where is he leading us?” Falkner asked

  “Hopefully out of here” Farmboy replied they followed the crow hoping he would lead them out of the woods.

  After two uneventful days of walking what seemed like just going in circles they finally walked out of these woods to the southern planes in the afternoon they surveyed the landscape as the crow flew back to the hag.

  “There is a city” Safiya said pointing to the southeast

  “oh good we can get a warm bed” Falkner said

  “and a bath” Nyssa added Omari flew towards us

  “What took so long? And where is Nyssa’s eye?” Omari asked flying near them before landing in front of them Farmboy told them of their travels and the wolfelks how Falkner almost died and the deal with the hag “it’s fortunate you are an odd group or she would have asked for much more let's get moving” with that he flew towards the city none of them but Safiya could see heading towards the city after hours the sun began to set as they neared the gate

  “something is wrong” Farmboy said

  “What do you mean?” Jezebel asked

  “Stop” Farmboy insisted now what?

  “Where the farms we've passed none, so how is this city being fed?” good question

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “we past barns” Hector pointed out

  “But no farmers” they headed straight towards the city’s stone walls twenty feet high but no patrols once Falkner and Hector pushed the wooden gates open. no guards the city was deserted, no one walked in the streets no fires were lit and no one could be heard

  “at least we won’t be noticed” Nyssa said laughing uneasily.

  “Where is everyone?” Falkner asked as they walked to the center of town a shout was heard and everyone looked at Nyssa

  “no one’s home” Nyssa said at least she’s back to her old self. That is a good thing they stopped in a circle in the center of the city. nothing moved

  “What happened here?” Hector whispered everyone looked at William

  “I have no idea so stop looking at me” William replied

  “we still have some daylight let’s meet up here can see what we can gather” Falkner said

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea” William said with a frown

  “it’s an abandoned city we might as well get supplies or herbs or salt or anything” Farmboy pointed out Jezebel, Falkner, Hector and Farmboy tied up their pack animals and opened up their last sack of feed and poured some water in a pan. Safiya and Hector headed down the eastern street Falkner and Nyssa went to the southern street and Farmboy and William took a side street west passing empty houses and shops in good condition one question nicked at his mind. What happened here? Everything seemed normal. Why abandon a perfectly good city? Was it because of bad harvests but then there would be a few people left not a sound was heard no birds no stray dogs something is very wrong here checking the homes for something and finding furniture and plates were they left as if everyone got up and left and never came back nothing they could use in this house checking a shop nothing was touched rummaging through baskets and silverware maybe we could sell some of these for money Nyssa came back with a red leather eye patch to cover her new empty eye socket.

  “It looks good” Falkner said

  “thanks, why would everyone leave this behind” piloting to the full shop

  “Do you think a plague did this?”

  “no we found no bodies” they left with a pouch full of silverware and an eye patch looking in a bakery beard was stroud on a shelf untouched besides the mold. nothing made sense here if they are not dead and they didn’t leave then what happened? they left the baker since nothing was edible walking the streets until nightfall they met up back at the main square where Jezebel found another pot soap and salt William and Farmboy found some flint with some silver and copper coins.

  “I don’t like this place” Hector remarked

  “let’s talk about latter we need to find a stable and an inn” Falkner suggested Hector Falkner and William took the pack animals to a nearby stable filled the troughs with some feed laying around and some water than headed back to the others they picked an inn then walked to the front desk the tables and chairs were covered with dust it must have been years since anybody clean this place walking up some stairs and found the empty rooms

  “I guess we get our own bed tonight” Jezebel said

  “and free too” Safiya added

  “That's the spirit! See it’s not all bad see you in the morning” Nyssa said taking the farthest room the right everyone took a room

  “Hector, William a moment” Falkner said they stopped and came over to him “what do you want?” Hector asked, crossing his arms across his chest

  “Since you used to run a kingdom and you, William, seem to know a lot, what do you think happened here?” they looked troubled at each other “I’ve never seen or heard anything like this no monster or monsters could have done this nor any godling and since magic is so scarce” Hector said shrugging

  “the only possibility I can think of is that however unlikely a war broke out and they killed each other”

  “Every man, woman and child?” Hector asked

  “Yes,” William said

  “Then how come everyone who ends up here doesn't come back?” Hector pointed out

  “The forest we came though will kill any explorer and two trips?” William pointed out

  “We need to be on our gourd I love Aaron’s heart but you are wise beyond your years the three of us need to figure out what happened here I hate being in the dark,”

  “Thank you” Falkner said, taking the nearest room on the left, taking off his armor and changing into his breeches and shirt. He looked out the window into the empty city. Not a light could be seen and the only sound was the wind blowing. the fallen city of the sky, the burnt ruins and now this? How many abandoned cities I’m I going to visit? Something feels wrong about William’s concussion like where are the signs of war and why leave everything behind? Even the bead? But nothing else fits laying down on his bed. It was comfy enough that he fell asleep instantly.