Narda, Daryll, and Ysaryn emerged amid a field overrun with weeds that weren’t as picturesque as the wildflowers nearer to the giantess’s home. “The town we’re going into sits in the fringes between my province and the next lord’s. While the crown does its best to oversee every corner of the continent, it’s still a vast empire, and subject to various complications, political, economical, and such,” Narda explained, pointing to the line of run-down houses ahead of them that demarcated the beginning of the territory she was describing. “Especially during the war, when tensions between neighbors who don’t really see eye to eye increased, and resources have been funneled elsewhere. Some fall through the cracks. Probably why we don’t have updated records on the Glenn family.”

As they got closer, however, the sky seemed to dim, and a cold air settled about them. Daryll wrapped his cloak tighter around himself. “Has it always been this cold here?”
“No. I haven’t been here in a while, but this is unusual,” the giantess said. She paused as she stepped closer to the perimeter, frowning. She looked down at her hands, flexing and unflexing them. “Do you feel that?”
Daryll yawned, rubbing his eyes. “What?”
“Tired. All of a sudden.”
“I’m always tired,” Daryll pointed out, “but yeah. I get what you mean.” 
They looked about them, seeing people going about their business, but it was as if the whole town was feeling the same lethargy. Daryll rubbed his eyes again. “Nard, when was the last time you heard word from this place?”


Narda frowned, taking measured steps forward. “A month ago? Little less than that, perhaps. Not much to report then.” She yawned. “Tell us again what this woman looks like.” When Daryll described her, Narda sighed. There were dozens of women who looked like that: petite, with brown hair and eyes. An ordinary sort of girl that wouldn’t stand out, based on his description, so she would have to trust that Daryll’s image of her in his mind was vivid enough for him to instantly recognize her in the flesh. Now, if only she could focus on the task and not on the thought of sitting down or lying down for a nap. What was in the air here that made her feel like she was under a stupor?

--

After they left, Kire went back to finishing her coffee. “So.” She glanced at Envy. “[i]Did[/i] it go well?” 
Gavin shook his head. “Tsk. Why’d you kick me earlier if you were gonna ask him anyway.”
“Want another kick?” Kire muttered. 

“What’re you gonna do when you go back in there?” Myka asked. 
“There’s a spot I want to visit, actually,” Kire replied. “The boy’s father said he found the statuette somewhere in the hills right outside town, which should be somewhere still inside the forest, some ways away from their house where we found them. And maybe we could figure out together if there’s a need to ward the whole forest, or try to deal with it permanently.” 
“Mmm. Sounds like a whole lot of trouble if you do, though,” Myka repied.