The man who had escorted Oliver and the others to his home stepped outside, leading the group that had come knocking on his door.
Their steps were quick and tense, and the closer they got to the center of the village, the louder the whispers around them grew.
In the wide square, the villagers had gathered in a large circle. Their faces were pale, their eyes restless.
It looked as if they were waiting for some kind of announcement or declaration.
At the center stood an elderly man with a thick white beard that hung down to his chest. His body, still strong and muscular, was covered in dark tattoos stretching from his neck all the way down to his arms.
He held a long staff topped with the skull of some strange creature, with much of the bone somehow coiled tightly around the staff.
As soon as the newcomers arrived, one of them stepped forward and pointed toward Isaac, who was walking among them with slow steps and slumped shoulders.
"I brought Isaac as you requested, Master."
