Chapter 124: Sounds in the Night
The small village was dark and silent. The buildings, numbering no more than twenty, were crude and unfinished, built from lumber harvested from the twisted swamp trees. Perched on knotted stilts, the structures stood above the muddy ground, their roofs woven from reeds and windows mere gaps in the slanted walls, covered by drapes of tangled strings.
"Hello?" Soltair called, standing tall amidst the marsh.
"Shhh!" Trithe shot him a scathing look, but could only cringe as his voice echoed hollowly through the village.
We waited a few seconds, but the silence that followed was as deep as the oncoming night itself. A faint breeze drifted over the surface of the water, filling the air with the rasp of trembling cattails and caressing my skin with icy fingers. Something in the wind resonated with my soul, sending my mana into a chaotic fit. The sensation sent a shiver through my body, and I hugged my arms tightly about my chest.
"You were right," Soltair said, smiling at Trithe. "No one’s home."
He kicked the mud from his boots and strode into the village, taking a few moments to peer through the uncovered windows. I followed quickly behind him, scanning the darkening marsh and village. The gentle lap of water and the low hum of the wind felt uncharacteristically eerie, and every rustle made me jump.
After a thorough sweep, Soltair settled on the largest house. The entrance lacked any form of stairs, so he leaped through the doorway, scattering the strings of beads, and offered a hand, pulling Trithe up behind him. I waited expectantly, but the two of them disappeared into the hut, leaving Fyren and myself behind.
Shaking my head in disbelief, I tried to climb up behind them. Although it was only a few feet off the surface of the water, I found my legs unresponsive and nearly slipped and fell into the mud. A bitter chill numbed my legs to the knees, preventing me from raising them more than a few inches.
Noticing my condition, Fyren lifted me to the doorway, placing me on my knees. I stumbled forward, finding a good place to sit before pulling my boots off and dumping the marshy filth out. My toes were pale and wrinkled, coated in slime and mud. I summoned a Waterball and enveloped my feet, leaving it in place until the mud dissolved and left my skin.
As I cleaned the filth away, Soltair gasped. "What the..."
I glanced up and found him staring at my feet. My first thought was to blush, as any girl would given the circumstance, but I followed his gaze and froze. My skin had turned dark and blotchy, especially around my toes. As they began to warm, tingles stabbed into my flesh, nearly drawing a cry from my lips.