Urvi charged at the two screaming at the top of her voice. The two men dropped the little girl and looked at Urvi stunned. Before they could even react, Urvi was on top of them, ready to bring her axe down when one of the men thrust their hand towards her, blasting her into the air.

She came crashing down to the ground just before me. “Urvi!” I exclaimed as I helped her up. Her teeth were clenched, and her face was squeezed. I could feel the rage she harbored at the moment.

The men walked out of the borrow, their features were clearer now. Both were somewhat scrawny and on the shorter side. Their brown skin was as dark as mine. Each wore a black mask with white accents around the eyes. It covered half their face, exposing their mouths. Each had only a black skirt, cut in strips, covering their nether regions while small ornaments covered their bodies.

They looked at each other’s faces before turning back to us. The man on our left thrust his palm towards us. Suddenly a stream of forest debris flew in our direction. I reacted quickly casting a protect before us. The debris smashed into the shield and bounced off harmlessly.

“Karna, cover me,” she said and dashed towards them.

I cast a weak decimate spell towards them and as expected they dodged it. However, Urvi had reached them before they could recover. She immediately turned towards the man to her left and swung her axe in his direction. He tried to get underneath the swing but couldn’t fold completely. The axe cut into his shoulder, sending him tumbling down.

The other man, behind her, cast a spell at her. I countered by casting yet another protect, saving her. “Take care of him, I will deal with this guy,” I shouted.

Urvi charged towards her target who was struggling to get off the ground, while I charged towards mine.

My enemy turned his attention towards me. He readied himself, holding his hands out with the palms facing me. Whoever these people were, they seemed to be proficient in magic.

I stopped a few paces before him, trying to anticipate what his next move was. However, my limited knowledge of magic made this move a useless one.

Circles began to form around his hands, glowing bright red, with odd symbols floating around them. Just looking at the creepy red glow made my heart shiver. The symbols began to collect at the center before a red bean shot out from the circle.

As the beam approached me, I felt like death was approaching me. Instinctively, I cast a protect. The beam slammed into it and bounced off it harmlessly.

It took me a second to process. But… “You are fucking weak!” I cried out. I saw his eyes widen with fear.

“Let’s make this short.” I cast a tranquil his way, stunning him for a brief moment. Now that he was incapacitated, I sent a decimation ball, packed with a serious punch, his way. His burnt body flew into the air and crashed into the forest floor.

My thoughts immediately turned to Urvi. She stood a few paces away from where I was. Her axe was slick with blood and the corpse, with his chest open, laid on the ground before her.

She spat on him and said, “Piece of shit.”

***

The girl shivered in fear, her eyes were wide, and her lips trembled. She was thin and looked pretty weak. Her brownish skin was accompanied by shabby dull black hair. The navy-blue cloth that was wrapped around was torn in places and red marks littered her body. I could only imagine the fear that was eating away at her heart.

Urvi bent over and with a soft smile she said, “hey there little girl. Are you okay?”

The girl didn’t answer, her body continued to shiver.

I knelt down on my right knee and extended my arm, “it is alright. We won’t hurt you.”

She took a step back and for a second, I was afraid she was going to gun it. Instead, her body froze in fear.

“Don’t worry,” Urvi said as she extended her hand as well, “we will take you home.”

We waited patiently. The little girl took her time, slowly taking a step forward before grabbing onto Urvi’s hand. Urvi tugged her in, and the girl let her. She grabbed her underneath her armpits and lifted her into the air, before placing her on her hip. The girl instantly wrapped herself around Urvi tightly as Urvi gently brushed her hair.

“What is your name?” I asked as I got back on my feet.

The girl didn’t answer.

“Don’t worry. He is your friend too,” Urvi said.

The girl still didn’t respond.

“Let’s give it some time. Poor thing is shaken to her core,” Urvi said.

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“Yes. We will just rest for now,” I said.

“Good idea. And let us get out of this place,” Urvi said. “It reeks of blood.”

***

We gained a good distance from the burrow and settled down at the base of an old tree. The roots of the tree erupted from the ground, forming waves running across the ground. Urvi sat on one that blended into the tree trunk seamlessly. Her back pressed against the trunk while her legs stretched along the root. The girl rested on her Urvi’s torso and appeared to have slipped into a deep slumber. Urvi too remained silent as she embraced the child. Her eyes were shut but her right hand gently brushed the girl.

I sat much further down diving deep into the tome. I figured I would get some more reading done while the daylight was still out.

***

By the time the girl woke up, it was pitch dark. She found herself on Urvi’s folded legs, while we sat before a warm campfire.

“Look who is finally up?” I said.

The girl rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust to the light. She then curiously observed my face before turning to Urvi’s and then just fell quiet.

“What’s wrong dear?” Urvi asked.

The girl shook her head.

“What’s your name?” I asked, making my voice as soft as I could.

“Si... Sierra...” the girl said.

“Hi, Sierra! My name is Urvashi!” she said in a playful tone. “And that is Karna. We are your friends.”

She looked at us helplessly, unsure of what to say. “Are you hungry?” I asked. The girl nodded.

I dug into the inventory and pulled out some rations. I figured it would be easier for the child than meat, though I am sure even that would not have been a problem. As I extended my hand to pass it over, the girl hesitated to take it.

“Go on. It is yummy!” Urvi said.

The girl took it, with great caution. She observed the block very carefully before taking a bite of it. Minutes later, the little devil devoured the entire thing.

“Was it good?” Urvi asked.

The girl nodded. Her lips formed a faint smile.

“Where are your parents?” I asked.

The girl took a second to answer but it was really short. “I don’t know.”

“Where were you when the mean-looking men took you?” I asked.

The girl fell silent. We weren’t sure if she was trying to think or if she was afraid to talk about it.

“We don’t need to talk about it. You sleep dear, okay?” Urvi said.

She laid down again, placing her head on Urvi’s lap before curling into a ball.

“Any luck with the map?” Urvi asked.

I had been trying to see if the map showed any villages nearby, but alas that was not to be. “No. Nothing at all.”

“What do we do now?”

“We go east. The tracks left by the merchant must be still fresh,” I said.

“That’s brilliant. He said the village was not far off too.”

“Yes. Let’s start first thing in the morning.”

***

The journey to the nearest village next day was much better than we anticipated. Sierra appeared to be much brighter and more trusting. She wore a thin smile on her face when I offered her to ride on my back.

“Are you enjoying the piggyback ride, Sierra?” Urvi asked as she walked behind us.

I tried to look back, hoping to catch a glimpse of her expression. But Sierra didn’t say anything, instead tightening her embrace around my shoulders.

“Think so. Still a little too shy to talk,” I said.

“No worries, we will wear those walls down slowly,” Urvi replied.

“If we manage to find someone who can help us in the village, she won’t be hanging around us for long,” I said.

“No...” Urvi replied, sulking.

We walked from dawn to afternoon. No monsters or animals or any men with masks crossed our paths. The route we followed also appeared to have been treaded multiple times. I guessed most dangers stay off the main path here.

As we drew closer to the village, we could see more and more people on our path. Small huts littered the periphery of the village, with people dressed in black clothing. Men wore black loincloth and were mostly bare chest or had a black cloth wrapped around while some women wore black tribal skirts and a black band around their breasts.

The village was surrounded by a wall of thick wooden logs, with a gate, wide enough for a large cart, cutting into the wall. Two men guarded the gate on each side, with a spear in their hands.

“Stop!” the guard told us. We did as instructed. “State your business.”

Very formal. I must be just hearing live translation. “We are travelers. Just passing through the village,” I said.

“They must be players,” said the other guard. I see. It looks like everyone is aware of people like us.

“In that case, you can pass. But you must follow the rules. No harassing, no stealing, stay away from any building in the center, and do not cause any ruckus. The market is on the other side of the village. The local healer is to the east. You cannot meet the officials unless you have a document. If you wish to speak to any, you must visit the magistrate who stays near the market. Do I make myself clear?” the guard explained.

“Absolutely yes,” I said.

“You may enter.”

We walked in, cautiously. I have never been used to such strict rules and it was a bit nervous. Looking back, I could see the discomfort on Urvi’s face too.

“Don’t worry, we will go to the magistrate's office and see what they will say,” I explained.

“Right...” Urvi replied, nervously.

The path cut through the small village, reaching the other side where the Magistrate was supposed to be. The village was made up of small and medium-sized huts, whose walls were made of brick and mortar and covered on top by thatched roof. The roads were paved with gravel mud. You can practically smell the countryside here.

We reached the supposed office, yet another small circular hut with maroon clay walls and a conical thatched roof. There was no door to knock at, so we just peeked in. Inside was an elderly man, sitting on the floor with his legs folded up. In front of him was a wooden desk, that was raised a foot or so above the ground. He appeared busy scribbling something onto parchment.

“Excuse me, sir,” I said.

The old man looked up, revealing his wrinkled face and long greying hair. The bits and pieces of jewelry that adorned his body shone under the sunlight coming through the doorway. His eyes blinked hard before he asked, “Yes? Who is it?”

I took a step in and said, “We are travelers.” I was still not accustomed to calling ourselves players. “On our path, we managed to save a little girl. She seems lost. Would you kindly help her reach home?”

“Oh. Is that so?” the officer replied. Sierra squeezed me. “Come here. Let me see.”

I cautiously walked up to him and set the girl down beside the table. Sierra appeared to be a little reluctant. She was once again shivering. The officer closely observed her before turning to us. “Don’t worry. I heard a father was looking for his lost daughter this morning. We will make sure she reaches him.” He had a big smile on his face.

Urvi and I breathed a sigh of relief. “That is good to hear.”

“Hear that? You will be going home, Sierra,” Urvi said.

“No...” Sierra said, her voice trembling. “Please don’t go.”

Urvi squatted down and said, “Don’t worry dear. The officer here will take you home.”

“No, he won’t. He will kill me,” Sierra said.