It was late in the afternoon, the sun beginning its slow descent toward the horizon, as Yllia continued her long trek to the next town. The young half-Nymph adventuress had been hiking through the woodlands for several days now without seeing another person, and while she enjoyed spending time in nature, she was starting to miss the comfort of civilization. The path rose up over a small hill, and as she ascended it, she saw in the distance what looked to be a village or hamlet.
Excited by the opportunity to rest a bit and maybe buy some supplies, Yllia quickened her pace, bounding down the path to the village. But as she got close, an ominous feeling seemed to take hold in her. It was quiet, with no sound besides the wind and the rustling grass and trees, and no signs of people at work outside, or children at play. As she drew a bit closer, she realized that few of the buildings were fully intact- someone, or something, had raided this place, setting fires to the buildings and killing or driving away the residents.
Yllia's heart sank as she peered inside a few of the abandoned buildings, predictably finding no one home. The trickle of water caught her attention, and she followed the sound to find a slowly moving stream nearby. Sighing, she knelt down beside it and washed her face with the cold, clear water as she debated whether to move on, or sleep somewhere nearby tonight.
Excited by the opportunity to rest a bit and maybe buy some supplies, Yllia quickened her pace, bounding down the path to the village. But as she got close, an ominous feeling seemed to take hold in her. It was quiet, with no sound besides the wind and the rustling grass and trees, and no signs of people at work outside, or children at play. As she drew a bit closer, she realized that few of the buildings were fully intact- someone, or something, had raided this place, setting fires to the buildings and killing or driving away the residents.
Yllia's heart sank as she peered inside a few of the abandoned buildings, predictably finding no one home. The trickle of water caught her attention, and she followed the sound to find a slowly moving stream nearby. Sighing, she knelt down beside it and washed her face with the cold, clear water as she debated whether to move on, or sleep somewhere nearby tonight.