The midday sun beat down on the trio as they made their way toward the old well at the southern edge of the village. The dusty path stretched before them, lined with sparse trees and patches of overgrown grass. Despite the urgency of their task, an eerie silence hung in the air, making their footsteps seem louder than usual.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Ada asked, adjusting the strap of her wooden training sword across her back.
"Yeah," Solis nodded. "Maglina said he likes to spend time here. We just have to look around."
As they neared the well, Vaidya suddenly stopped and pointed ahead. "There!"
Sitting on a flat rock near the well was a frail-looking boy. His shaggy, unkempt hair was so long that it draped over his face, covering one of his eyes entirely. He was clutching a satchel tightly against his chest—Vaidya's satchel. There was no doubt about it.
Vaidya wasted no time. "Hey! That's mine. Give it back!" He strode forward, reaching out to take it.
The boy, Phill, flinched at Vaidya's sharp tone. His whole body tensed, and without a word, he bolted.
"Where did he go?!" Ada exclaimed, spinning around as Phill disappeared into the thick foliage nearby.
Solis groaned in frustration. "Are you guys nuts? Didn't Maglina say we shouldn't frighten him? He's mentally unstable! Now look what happened—we lost him!"
Vaidya scowled. "So what are we supposed to do now, genius? Just let him go?"
"No," Solis said, already scanning the area. "We need to find him. If he's running blindly, he could get himself into serious danger."
Ada nodded. "Yeah, Solis is right. We should look out for him."
Vaidya sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Fine. Let's do this."
They decided to split up, covering more ground as they searched for Phill.
---
Standing in his path was a peculiar-looking man. He was hunchbacked, wearing a faded purple cloak, with a thick, scruffy beard. His smile stretched just a little too wide, revealing uneven teeth, and his beady eyes twinkled with an unsettling glint.
Solis instinctively took a step back.
"Ah, hello there, fellow traveler," the man said, his voice both raspy and smooth, like a snake trying to sound friendly. "What could be your name?"
Solis hesitated before answering. "My name is Solis… Who are you?"
The man placed a hand over his chest as if making a grand introduction. "I am Leader."
Solis blinked. "…Umm… uh… okay… but I asked for your name."
The man chuckled, shaking his head. "No, no, you don't get it. My name is Leader. Leader Hamad at your service."
Solis tried to keep his expression neutral, but inwardly, he was baffled. (Now, as if his weird attire wasn't unsettling enough, his actual name is Leader? Who names their child that?)
He forced a polite nod. "Right… Uh, sir, can you help me with something?"
Leader Hamad's grin widened. "But of course, fellow traveler Solis. Just name it."
"I'm looking for someone. A frail-looking teenager with messy hair covering one of his eyes. Have you seen him?"
Hamad shut his eyes and hummed, tilting his head side to side, as though recalling a distant memory. After a long, oddly dramatic pause, he snapped his fingers. "Ah! Yes. I believe I have seen him. He scurried off in that direction."
He lifted a bony finger and pointed toward the old iron mine, which lay deeper in the forest.
Solis exhaled in relief. "Thanks, that helps a lot." He turned to leave, but just as he took a step forward, he felt a cold, firm grip on his shoulder.
A shiver ran down his spine.
Slowly, he turned his head to see Hamad's gnarled fingers gripping his shoulder a little too tightly, and his unsettling grin hadn't faded. If anything, it had grown wider.
"Hey, before you go," Hamad said, his tone still light but carrying an unplaceable edge, "could you do me a little favor in return?"
Solis resisted the urge to shrug him off. "Uh… what kind of favor?"
Hamad's fingers finally loosened their grip, though his smirk remained. "I need directions to the leader of Pompom Village's place."
Solis frowned. "You mean… Maglina's inn?"
Hamad gave an exaggerated nod. "Ah, so Maglina is her name. Good, good. And where exactly is this establishment?"
Solis hesitated. Something about the way Hamad asked made him uneasy, but he couldn't exactly refuse without arousing suspicion. "It's in the center of the village, just past the market."
Hamad tapped his fingers together. "Wonderful. Thank you, fellow traveler Solis."
Solis nodded stiffly and quickly turned away, putting distance between himself and the strange man. As he made his way toward the iron mine, he couldn't shake the lingering chill on his shoulder where Hamad had touched him.
Something about that guy is off, he thought. I really hope Maglina doesn't get any trouble from him…
But for now, he had to focus. Phill was out there, alone, and possibly in danger.
As he reached the entrance, he took a deep breath. The darkness within seemed endless, a yawning abyss waiting to swallow anything that entered. He hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward.
"I hope that kid is safe," he muttered. "I need to find him as soon as possible."