He Who Hunts Demons Chapter 30: 30-Repellant Charms

Read chapter 30 of He Who Hunts Demons by A_Random_Turtle on NovelPedia.

We arrived in Eldermire close to dusk, and every imagination I’d had of the place crumbled to dust instantly. Unlike my expectations, which was of a vast land of greenery and a large community spreading out over the large land that was theirs, it featured stone houses with thatched roofs congested into a single portion of the land. And from where our carriage was approaching the village from the road on the hill, three large farms could be seen to the far end of the village, with two already completely ravaged, and one just a quarter left. As for the inhabitants of Eldermire, we were only able to catch a glimpse of them when our carriage rode into the village. They were all already behind their doors, watching us from their windows with oil lamps seated on their sills. Their eyes were heavy, their cheeks sunken, and their complexion a tad sallow. Not a single person came out to present themself to us, and I couldn’t blame them, considering what I’d witnessed with the traveling crew an hour earlier. They were both being cautious and perhaps had no clue what the emblem on our carriage symbolized. We would have to take the initiative. Sammie seemed to come to the same conclusion because he stood up as our carriage came to a halt in the center of the road and put on his mask. We all did the same, and as he walked out of the carriage, his luggage in hand, we followed behind him. Outside, the air was a bit stale. It smelled of dry mud and a certain stench of uncleanliness even worse than that of the slums back in Ur. There was also the smell of soot mixed in and—I could not mistake this smell for anything—blood. Sammie took out our Statement of Order and unfurled it as he brandished it for all to see through their windows. With it, he revealed his badge, and only when he was certain everyone’s eyes were glued to the items in his hands did he say, “We were sent by the Church in Ur! You have been troubled by the demon plaguing your lands long enough, and we apologize for arriving far too late. May we speak to who’s in charge so as to rid you of your problems?” The people behind their windows glanced at each other, then their eyes collectively shifted towards the darkening sky. No one moved. Until, a door flung open. A young lad dressed in a farmer’s garb of braies, a tunic, and a girdle walked out. He was about twenty years of age with brown hair as rough as a mop and narrow, tired eyes. He walked up to where we were and bowed. “Welcome, hunters,” he greeted. “My name is Finn. I can take you to the chief. Ever since the events he moved closer to the farm to keep an eye out.” He gestured towards the path that led in that direction. “If you will?” Sammie nodded. “All right. Thank you for your kindness.” He turned to us and we nodded at him. As we picked up our luggages and took the first step forward, I paused and glanced back at our driver who just seemed content with sitting there. When he locked eyes with me, though, I immediately gleaned that he wasn’t and was assuming we wouldn’t just abandon him and the carriage right in the center of the road. “Finn,” I called, and the young lad turned in my direction. “If you don’t mind, we would like a place for our carriage and our driver.” That request would have best been left for the chief, but the sun was almost completely out of the horizon now; leaving it until we arrived at the chief’s house was cutting it close. And besides, I believed it would be best not to involve Jon in our job as hunters. So it would be better if he stayed somewhere less likely to draw him into a battle. Finn glanced around first, perhaps seeking help from the rest of the villagers, but they just stared back at him instead. He sighed then and turned towards his home. “You can stay in my place, if it’s to your liking,” said Finn. “My sister will welcome you.” “Thank you,” said Jon, our driver, with a small nod. “As for the carriage, I’m afraid we have nowhere for you to keep it. We are a poor village and can’t affo