Asteri noticed that something was wrong with Thalia, but if she didn't want to talk about it, she didn't want to interfere any further.
"So Thalia I came to take a new mission and before going through the bulletin board I wanted to say goodbye to you and ... see how you were, but if you say it's alright then I'm happy."
"Thanks Asteri I appreciate the thought, I took advantage of it to congratulate you on the success of the previous mission since you were not with Allatu when he requested the reward is the confirmation of the completion of the mission."
"Thank you very much" smiling Asteri.
"I can tell you that there is this mission here ... but it is quite complex"
"Complex? What do you mean?"
"Well some adventurers have already gone, a group of five adventurers of Grade E ... but they haven't been back for a week. In theory they should be here by now." showing a clear concern.
"Where is the mission site located?"
"North-west of here, half a day's walk, is a decaying castle in the middle of a forest."
"An abandoned castle? What was it that did harm?"
Thalia takes on a grim expression "a nearby village is disturbed by creatures during the night."
"And have you assumed that those creatures come from that castle?"
"Yes, the inhabitants of the village mentioned have searched the surrounding forest day and night, but have not found any traces of these creatures. We have only one testimony that a boy saw one of these creatures heading towards the castle during the first light. dawn. "
"What kind of creatures are they?"
"The boy couldn't tell what it was and he couldn't give a detailed explanation, as the creature was too fast."
"I understand ... at the first light of dawn did you say?"
"Yes, apparently they only attack when the sun goes down, obviously they can't walk in daylight"
'What do you think Aurelion?'
'There are various creatures that cannot act during the day, for various reasons then. The only way to find out is to go see what's going on. '
Asteri smiles looks at Allatu, immediately understanding what he meant, she smiled back. Looking at Thalia "we would like to take this mission."
"Even knowing that it's useless I wanted to warn you, it's a grade E mission ..." Thalia looks at Asteri who continues to smile "ahhhh okay you can take it"
"Thank you very much Thalia" Asteri approaches the counter realizing the distance between the two "our appointment is approaching" Thalia blushed hearing this.
"Stupid ..." she whispered softly. Asteri returned to her original posture and greets Thalia waving her hand, same thing did Allatu "good luck" Thalia greets them.
"Thanks" they both reply.
"What do you think Allatu? Is he a demon or a devil?"
"Maybe ... but I'm not sure" she replies.
"Okay we just have to go and find out what happens." the two returned to the inn where they were staying and prepared themselves properly. They left on the same day, calculating the distances they should arrive towards dinner in the village.
. . .
In another place, more specifically in a village, people were in a state of chaos.
"Where did the adventurers who arrived a few days ago go?" a citizen yelled.
"I'll tell you, those are dead that's where they are," shouted another citizen.
"Dead ?! how is it possible there were five of them and they seemed well equipped"
"And with them was also a priestess of light."
"Calm down! Everybody stay calm. And still early to come to hasty conclusions, let's give them a little faith in these adventurers." yelled a middle-aged gentleman standing on a cart.
"Trust? AH you wipe your ass with trust the dead. Bors you are too optimistic" always says the citizen who shouted that the adventurers were dead.
"No Edward, it's just you who are too quick to say things." replies Bors, who evidently holds the role of village chief.
* I spit * Edward spat on the ground and walked away from the crowd.
"I have already sent a second distress call to the guild, they will be sending adventurers soon to check the matter further." announces Bors.
"Yes, sure, so they will die too. I bet they are of the same rank as those they have already sent, or they decide to send superior adventurers or that they call the army. At this rate all our cattle are collected and they will end up in hell. " says a citizen.
"You are right" "our children will start to starve" "and when they are done with the cattle it will be up to us to be devoured"
Citizens began yelling one after another at the village chief. Bors no longer knew how to calm the souls of the villagers.
. . .
Occasionally in an age-stricken castle, in its deep dungeons, there was a figure obscured by shadows standing in front of four bodies lying on the floor.
"What frail beings died so easily ... are these supposed to be adventurers?" says the figure. Then she looks in a different direction of the room. There was a girl who seems to have fainted on the ground wrapped in a sphere of sacred light "the only nuisance is her, her damned light is protecting her even if she is fainted, but I wonder how long you will last you foolish girl" said the figure with a grin.
Then a gray portal appeared next to her and a voice came out emanating an incredible coldness "are they ready?" she asked the obscured figure.
"Yes, my master," she replies.
"Well ..." saying this, a kind of fog came out of the portal, the same color as the portal, which reached the four bodies of the adventurers. The fog entered their orifices, a part of it also went towards the girl, who however as soon as she came into contact with the sphere of light that surrounded her was rejected "what an unpleasant hitch ... but it won't last long" says the entry from the portal.