Kuro: A Land in Eternal Night

Chapter 14.2: The Village

As we approached a row of tiny wooden houses, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked at Searra, who nodded in agreement. We went in opposite directions, Searra heading west to one end of the row of houses while I went to the east. Whatever was there, we would flush it out.

The soil was particularly wet in this area and I had to take care not to slip. I was glad we were wearing heavy armor and boots. It made exploration easier. I looked around at the row of gloomy, wooden houses. In the darkness, they looked two-dimensional, like folded paper houses. They had been alive at some point, and perhaps they still were. The musky smell of wet earth was everywhere.

It was then that I caught sight of the boy. He was so small he could not have been more than five. His black hair was soft, wet and matted in the rain. He was dirty, slovenly and looked like an orphan. An orphan like me. He took hold of my hand. I did not know what to make of it. He was a pitiful sight.

"Do you know how to speak?"

The boy nodded.

"What is your name?"

"Kenta."

"Are you all alone?"

He shook his head. "There are others here, there are many." A puzzling response.

I asked the obvious. "What happened here?"

"I do not know. When I woke up, the darkness was here, and everyone was gone. I tried to find my Pappy and Mam, but I could not. I did not know where to start, it was all so dark."

My heart went out to Kenta – all alone as I had been several years ago, weak and vulnerable. I grasped his tiny hand tighter. I did not know where Searra was at the time, but I did not care. I thought only of protecting the boy.

We continued to walk toward the village hall. The sound of flowing water continued throughout, and the crows punctuated the air with their disturbing cawing. I felt a slight tingling sensation – not overwhelming, but incessant, like the beating of bats' wings.

As we walked through the village, more scenes unfolded. Unfinished carpentry, chairs and benches lined the sides of the walls. I saw a nearby armory, well stocked, with swords and shields on the floor beside a dead forge. There was armor in need of repair, apparently the last thing the blacksmith had been working on. Normal scenes, had there been actual people. Without them, they were dystopic, an ominous confluence of incongruent imagery.

The village hall lay at the center, a large structure that stood out from the two-dimensional homes. It too, was rotting. Water fell from the roof, and ran along makeshift tin gutters into the ground. The large double doors were open, and the rain had seeped through to the inside.

I ran into Searra inside the hall. She did not seem surprised in the least to see the boy. Her lips formed a faint smile as she looked into his eyes.

"I see you have found something to preoccupy you."

I nodded. I was being reprimanded, I knew, but I did not feel it necessary to argue with her.

I could see it in her eyes. How could I have let my guard down so easily? What did I know of the boy?

I shook my head at Searra, my eyes saying, "my mistake."

We took in the scene before us. The hall was spacious. Several tables were laid out, the plates with partially eaten food, the goblets full of wine, the decanters only half-empty. I took a plate. The food was still warm, unspoiled despite the appearance of the place. The dilapidation did not match the scenes of interrupted life. Were it not for the pervasive stillness, we would have believed a feast was in full swing. Something wasn't right.

"Kenta, where is everyone?" I asked the boy again. "How long have you been alone here?"

"I don't know, I don't remember." Kenta stood beside me, his eyes down. He clung to me like a little boy to his mother, his hand still warm despite the cold.

Searra tapped my shoulder. She put her finger to her lips, motioning for us to be quiet. There was a small doorway past the dining hall. It was not easy to spot in the distance, but there was light inside, possibly candlelight, judging from its faintness.

We approached cautiously. In the stillness of the hall, our cloaks rustled and our armor clinked. I cringed because the racket we made could no doubt be heard from beyond the hall and into the room. If there was someone inside, they knew of our approach. My hands instinctively went to the heavy leather pouch I carried, the distinctive mark of a Sealcaster of Talthys, with the various seals contained within. I saw Searra ready hers as well.

As we approached the doorway, the sense of evil became stronger. Kenta held my hand more firmly and shook his head, begging us not to go in, but Searra and I knew that we would need to do something about it.

"Stay here," I instructed Kenta, but the boy shook his head.

"I am coming with you."