Botan was the first to point out the storm clouds gathering over the group. The frosty atmosphere on the ground had distracted Freya from the darkening sky. Soon, the ominous sound of rolling thunder echoed through the mountains. 

Freya’s horse snorted at the rumble. She gave it a reassuring pat. It wasn’t raining yet, but she knew they were in for a downpour.

“We should find shelter,” Meng said, finally breaking the silence that had fallen since they fought the black hoppers.

Indrek sighed, “Clesek isn’t too far from here. The turning point for it is just up the road.”

He looked to Kamdale at the front of the group. When the latter said nothing, Indrek continued, “Are you alright with staying in Clesek?”

“If it doesn’t bother you, why should it bother me?” Kamdale snapped back.

He urged his horse on into a trot. Freya exchanged a confused glance with Botan. She looked to Indrek for an explanation, but his closed expression made her refrain from asking. The horses picked up the pace, perhaps sensing the incoming storm. 

Once they made the turnoff for Clesek, Freya noticed changes in the trail. Grass grew in patches in the middle of the road. Overhanging branches had to be pushed aside, and they had to go around two fallen trees. Just as the first raindrops fell, they entered the gates of Clesek.

The back of Freya’s neck prickled as they entered the town. The only sounds were the drops of rain and their horse’s hooves. The scene reminded her of the Port District in Suen.

Weeds dotted the streets. Roof shingles and wooden boards laid where they had fallen. The small town had less than thirty or so buildings, but each one was damaged in some way. Broken windows and open doors were common. One house only had a quarter of its roof; the rest was gone.

The demoniclasts all had a somber but unsurprised expression. Kamdale led them to the biggest building in the center of town. Compared to the others, it was fairly intact. The attached stable didn’t have enough stalls to house all their horses separately, but it was fine for the night. Once inside the main building, Freya recognized it as an inn. Despite the cobwebs and dust, it was a great shelter. There were no major leaks, and there were even some beds left.

After they got a fire going in the old fireplace, Indrek announced he was “going to have a look around” and left without another word. Daveth and Meng decided to retire early and went upstairs to find comfortable beds. That left Freya with Botan and Kamdale in the lobby. 

“What happened to this place?” Botan asked.

Freya was thankful he asked the question that had been on her mind, although she already guessed the answer.

Kamdale threw another rotten plank of wood into the fire, “Demons took it over.”

Botan shifted and looked at the windows, “Is it safe for us to stay here?”

“They’ve been long eliminated. At least that’s the official verdict.”

“What do you mean?” Botan asked, “You don’t think they’re gone?”

Kamdale ground his teeth. He stood and looked down at both of them. 

“Some unusual demons attacked this place. They pretended to be human. Many don’t believe it, but I know a demon when I see one.”

Freya held her breath. A flash of lightning lit up Kamdale’s stern face. The accusations from Sangen rang in her head: I know you are a demon impersonating a human. His resolute stance gave her no chance to argue.  

“Indrek and I grew up in this town. Not many want to live in this remote village. There’s little to do but gather medicinal herbs to sell to passing merchants. We knew everyone here. Even after we became demoniclasts little changed in this town whenever we visited. But then, two years ago when I visited, there were lots of strange people here.”

Kamdale narrowed his eyes, “They knew my name before I told them. They spoke of coming from far away cities as if they had been there only yesterday. And they were far stronger than any normal human being. I found it strange, but no one else cared. No one else saw it. I stayed and watched them, but I couldn’t figure out what they were doing. When Indrek visited, I tried to tell him, but he didn’t listen either. He said I should get back on patrol. He left the next day.” 

He spat into the fire, “For all he’s achieved, he never did care about our hometown.”

A log crackled and shifted in the fireplace. Botan sat in rapt attention, eager to hear his mentor finish the story. Freya chewed her lip. 

“They attacked two days after Indrek left. Out of nowhere, a swarm of crow and wolf demons descended on the town. Those human demons unleashed them. While I was defending the town, they tried to finish me.”

Kamdale’s somber voice turned hard and cold, “But I killed one of them first.”

Another shiver ran down Freya’s spine as Kamdale grinned. Again, she recalled what Sangen said back in the Port District when he found out she had a Player Card. Our leader fought one of your kind before and received a gift from the gods for his work.

“It wasn’t easy. They used all kinds of tricks. But in the end, I won. In return, the gods gifted me with something special. Only they recognized what I had done. No one else believed me. They called the loss of this town ‘unfortunate’ and an ‘outlier.’ But with those demons still on the loose, it can happen again. We have to defeat them. The gods know this. They give gifts to those that can kill them. You can obtain great strength. You two should keep an eye out for them. If you can kill them, you’ll be greatly rewarded.”

Botan’s expression had slowly turned from admiration to confusion during Kamdale’s tirade. Meanwhile, Freya’s heart had sunk lower and lower in understanding. 

How am I going to resolve this?