Chapter 22
The team spent the rest of the day scouting the village. They gathered what they could, taking notes and marking the places where the disappearances had happened. When the sun began to sink, its light stretching thin across the rooftops, most of them were already back at the inn. Siv and Jaro arrived last, dust on their boots and fatigue written across their faces.
Once everyone had settled, they gathered around a long table for an early dinner. The meal was simple: stew and bread. No one but Darius seemed to mind it.
"So far." Darius began, "what I've gathered matches the chief's account." He then looked at team, waiting for their own reports.
Renna spoke first. "Same for us. Families gone without trace, doors left open, fires still burning. It's consistent."
Siv leaned back in his chair. "Us too. I'd add to that the people are terrified. Half of them barely talk. The ones who do, they keep mentioning voices or shadows moving around them."
The Scourge gave a faint hum of agreement. "It all points towards existence of a Whisperer. The disappearances, the mimicry, the lack of any physical trace. It's a classic feeding pattern. It's not an infestation or a shapeshifter, it's one creature, playing with its food."
A moment of silence passed as they all registered the information. Darius looked around the table, gauging each face.
"Let's be honest about it. A Whisperer is dangerous, but not unstoppable. We're quite lucky, it's one of the weaker types of wraith-type horrors."
The Scourge nodded. "Their strength depends on how much people they've consumed. Judging by the timeline, it's been feeding for about a month. That means it's still manageable, but it's adapting. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to destroy."
Lysa frowned. "You make it sound like it's gonna be easy to take it down."
"It's not." Scourge replied. "But compared to what it could become, this is the best time to strike."
For a moment, the room went quiet except for the faint sound of the fire crackling in the hearth. The idea of hunting a Whisperer clearly unsettled some of them, but no one voiced refusal.
"Our mission was to investigate." Darius declared, breaking the silence. "And deal with the threat if we're capable. With four Silvers and three Bronzes, we have more than enough to handle it."
He looked at each of them in turn. "Siv, Scourge, Renna, myself, we've fought horrors before. This isn't beyond our reach. But I need to hear it from everyone. We go after it only if we all agree. I don't want any of you changing your mind at the last minute."
Jaro hesitated, then nodded. "I'm in. Not thrilled about it, but if we can kill that thing and get proper credit for it, I'm not backing down."
Lysa gave a faint shrug. "Same. I'd rather face it with you all than wait for it to come knocking."
"Let's finish what we came here for." Alden's answer was simple. He felt bad for the villagers, especially that woman who lost her husband. If they didn't act, he wouldn't know if she would still be there the next day.
Seeing as no one objected to the idea, Darius nodded.
A faint current of energy returned to the group as he outlined the plan. They would split into two squads to cover more ground. One would patrol the north and western sides of the village, near the ridge and old barns. The other would take the southern and eastern sections, closer to the fields and the cracked wardstone.
"The Whisperer won't show itself easily." Scourge said. "It waits until its prey is isolated. So we use that. Keep a tight formation, but let it think we're separate. Once it makes a move, the rest close in."
Siv reached into his pack and pulled out a small wooden box. Inside were folded talismans inked with faintly glowing runes. He handed one to each of them.
"These are attuned to my Qi." He explained. "If anything tries to get into your head, it'll dull the effect. If the light turns red, it means the Whisperer's close. Burn it, and the rest of us will know where you are."
Jaro turned his over, inspecting it closely. "You made these yourself?"
He nodded. "I've dealt with wraiths before. These won't stop them, but they'll buy time."
"Good enough." Darius said. "Use them wisely. Once we engage, there won't be much room for mistakes."
They went over the formation one last time.
Team One: Darius, Siv, and Jaro. Team Two: Scourge, Renna, Alden, and Lysa.
Darius looked between them. "We start after nightfall. Patrol slowly, stay within the village. If you see or hear anything, don't rush it. Observe first, only burn your talisman when you're certain. If we corner it, we end it together."
The Scourge grinned faintly. "Been a while since I've hunted one of these."
Renna stood, fastening her cloak. "Let's hope you still remember how."
Jaro gave a nervous laugh that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Great. Confidence from both ends."
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Outside, the last of the light faded behind the rooftops. The streets had gone still again, the air carrying that same uneasy weight they all had felt since arriving.
Inside the inn, the team moved in quiet rhythm. Armor tightened, blades checked, talismans fastened. There was no grand speech. Nobody was up for it, and Darius certainly couldn't be bothered with something like that.
When they stepped out into the night, the torches flickered against the cold air. The village of Greenvalley lay before them, dim and waiting.
Team One departed first. Their torches flickered as they stepped into the night, the faint light stretching thin across the cobbles. Each of them wore a talisman on their chest, faintly pulsing with Siv's dull blue glow. Behind them, Team Two's lanterns drifted north, shrinking into the dark.
The air was cold and unmoving. The usual hum of insects was absent. Only the crunch of their boots and the soft hiss of flame filled the silence.
Darius led the way, keeping his pace steady. Siv walked beside him, his lantern swinging lightly. Jaro followed a step behind, bow in hand, glancing left and right every few seconds.
They passed the empty square, the well at its center now covered with planks. Their shadows dragged long across the stones.
"Hard to believe people live here." Jaro muttered after a while. "Feels like the whole place's been abandoned for years."
Darius didn't look back. "Keep your voice down."
"Yeah, I know." Jaro said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just… needed to say something. It's too quiet."
Siv gave a faint smile. "You talk when you're nervous."
Jaro huffed a short laugh. "Guess that's obvious. You'd think I'd be used to this by now. It's not my first horror sighting."
That made both of them glance his way. Darius said nothing, but Siv asked, "You've seen one before?"
"Sort of. Back home, south of Lint. I used to be a hunter." His eyes stayed on the street ahead. "We had a ghoul infestation. Started with livestock, then people. Luckily, a group of mercenaries passed by, and they handled it fast. But after that, the village never felt safe again. I left not long after."
"And you joined the Stonewatch?" Siv said.
He nodded. "Figured a force personally raised by the mighty Isaac Thornevale would be safer. Turns out I might've been wrong." He chuckled quietly. "But I don't regret it. Better to face these horrors with people who know what they're doing."
Siv's smile widened a little. "You'll get used to it. First few hunts are always the hardest. I used to shake so bad I couldn't light a torch."
That drew a small laugh from Jaro. "You? I can't picture that."
"I wasn't always like this." He said, his voice growing softer. "I worked with a mercenary band for years. We hunted beasts mostly, not horrors. But one job went bad. Lost half the group in one night. After that, I realized the work never stops. So, I came north, to Lint. Thought maybe I'd settle down."
Jaro looked at him with quiet respect. "Guess we're all running from something, huh?"
"Maybe." Siv said. "But running doesn't mean you're weak."
The conversation faded naturally after that. They kept walking, crossing between narrow lanes and the open edge of the fields.
The night stretched thin and heavy. Time passed with no sound but their steps. For a moment, Jaro almost believed things would stay that way.
He loosened his shoulders, glancing up at the faint stars. "You know." He said quietly, "I think I'm finally getting used to it. Doesn't feel as bad as I thought."
Siv arched a brow. "Getting brave now?"
He smiled faintly. "Maybe. On a night this cold, I even feel warm."
He stopped mid-step.
Warm?
He looked down. The faint blue talisman at his chest had turned a deep, glowing red. The paper pulsed like a heartbeat.
"Wait." He whispered. His fingers brushed against it, and heat stung his palm. "Siv…"
No answer.
He turned. The path behind him was empty.
"Darius?" His voice came out sharper.
The torchlight trembled in his grip. He turned again, scanning the road ahead. The shadows stretched strange and uneven, too long, too still.
He realized then that he hadn't heard footsteps for several minutes.
A cold weight dropped into his stomach.
Jaro fumbled the talisman free from his chest, holding it close to the torch. "If you can hear me… I'm lighting it!" he said, more to himself than anyone. His voice echoed faintly, swallowed by the dark.
The flare burned bright, red light spilling into the air and painting the walls around him.
For a heartbeat, the village looked alive again. The fields shimmered under the glow.
Then a voice spoke from behind him.
"Why did you light it?"
He froze. It was Siv's voice, calm and familiar.
"We're right here." He said again, closer now. "Put it out, Jaro. We should save those for a real emergency."
The tone was perfect. The rhythm, the inflection, it was exactly how the talisman user spoke.
Jaro's throat went dry.
He forced himself to turn slowly, torch held high.
A figure stood just beyond the edge of the light. Siv's outline, or something that wore it. Same stance, same tilt of the head. But the eyes were wrong. They caught the light and didn't reflect it. They swallowed it whole.
Jaro's hand shook, moving towards his bow. "Stay back!" He warned. "Don't come closer."
The figure smiled, lips stretching wider than they should have. "You don't have to be afraid, it's me. I think the horrors are affecting you."
Jaro took a step back. The torch hissed in the wind, flame guttering.
"I said stay back!"
He notched an oiled arrow, touched it to the flame, and drew. The light trembled on the bowstring.
The shape raised its hands in a placating manner. "Calm down Jaro." It said, voice soft. "I'm telling you, you're being affected by the horror."
Jaro fired.
The burning shaft flew straight and struck the figure's chest. For a moment, it hit solidly, like flesh. Then the light flickered, and the shape broke apart into drifting shadows. The flames fell to the ground, sputtering against the dirt.
Jaro stumbled back, heart hammering, scanning the dark for any sign of movement.
Nothing.
Then he heard the whisper again, behind him this time. Jaro spun around wildly. Another arrow already notched on his bow.
This time, he saw a horrifying creature slowly inching closer. Dozen pale hands crawling towards him.
Jaro screamed, grabbing the talisman and holding it high as the its glow spread, bright enough to pierce the dark.
The hands stopped, frozen mid-reach.
For a second, he thought it had worked. Then something cold brushed his neck.
The last thing he saw before the torch fell from his hand was a familiar face pressed too close to his own, its features twisted in a grotesque smile.
As Jaro vanished, the burning talisman helplessly fell to the ground, its flare burned bright, painting the night crimson.
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At the other side of the village, Alden, Renna, Scourge, and Lysa turned as a flash of red streaked into the night sky.
"A flare." Alden said, his grip tightening around his torch.
Scourge's eyes narrowed. "Looks like Darius's group has found our prey."
"Let's move." Renna said, glancing at the light.
They set off without another word, boots striking against the cobbles. The cold air bit sharper the farther they went, the torches hissing softly as the flame strained against the breeze.
Halfway through the village, another flash tore through the dark sky, red again, but from a different direction.
Lysa slowed. "That's another."
Scourge stopped, face hardening. "Two flares?"
Alden frowned. "This doesn't look good."
The realization sank in. One, Darius's team had probably been scattered. And two, there was more than one whisperer.
They hesitated, exchanging looks. Lysa's hand twitched toward her own talisman, but Renna spoke first. "We go to the first flare. Then we regroup towards the second flare later. Don't split."
Scourge nodded. "Stay close. If anything moves, I'll take the front."
They resumed their run, this time faster, every step echoing against the walls. The village suddenly felt a lot more dangerous now. Windows that had glowed faintly before were all dark. And faint whispers started to murmur at their ears.
When they turned the corner leading toward the western quarter, Scourge suddenly froze. His head tilted slightly, like an animal catching scent.
"Stop." He muttered.
Alden halted behind him, his eyes narrowing as his hand rested at the handle of his dagger. "What is it?"
Scourge didn't answer. His eyes darted to the left, then he spun around, sword flashing in a heavy arc through the air behind them. The blade hit something solid. There was a sharp, shrill cry, more like a hiss than a scream.
Then a laugh.
Alden felt the air move behind him, cold brushing the back of his neck. He turned, heart hammering.
Scourge's face had changed. His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. "It's here."
He pivoted again, scanning the rooftops. Lysa looked around, realization dawning too late.
She gasped softly. "Renna?"
Renna was gone.