Midnight arrived,the wind blowing from the south was cool.Stars scattered on the night sky alongside the moon,illuminating the forest with its blue light.A shadow fiend was drawing near the orange lights from the torches of the men in the vilge.

  It stepped on a circled rope on the ground,it closed on its foot and was lifted upside down on a tree.It growled.It struggled before it could do any further,a spear impaled its head and then it stopped.

  That was one of the traps that worked,but it was not a guarantee that the others will.The warriors still fought with the rest of the fiends.The women and children were hiding underground in one of the vilge elder's houses.

  "One,two,three..."

  Sae was running away from a shadow fiend as she scanned her eyes to the rest of the fiends,counting,how many are they tonight.

  She passed by a tree then a log swung by smashing the head of the fiend.It flung to the far right then a warrior came with a spear to finish its life.

  "There are 10,"she thought.That meant they were 12 possible fiends st night.

  "The're may be more,"she thought as she ran away to start counting again.

  ...

  Dawn has fallen and the remaining shadow fiends all retreated to the darkness.

  "There are 5 shadow fiends that died today,"she thought as the bodies were mounted on the same area,waiting for the townsfolk to take them.

  "In actuality there were 14 overall and 5 died,9 escaped,"she thought.She remembered the shadow fiend she first tried to take down,the way the smoke curled on its tail and the way its eyes changed color.

  "Something doesn't add up,"she thought.She brought out the gss pendant.She managed to catch a whiff of one of the shadow fiends' power that night.

  The color of the gss against the first sunlight of the day is purple...a far cry from what she caught to her first fiend which was a dark purple.

  "Interesting,"she mumbled.To be honest if shadow fiends can be killed by mere traps and physical weapons,she would have already caught that fiend in a week but in almost 3 weeks she only had one encounter where she managed to trap it but it escaped.Skill issue,probably.

  But what intrigued her is that the fiend managed to adapt to her traps every encounter.

  "As if it knew how I id those traps,"she thought.

  It's a wild assumption to say that the fiend was watching her but shadow fiends are nocturnal creatures so it can't be the case,however,the fact that the pendant produced different colors with the same species is something to be taken into consideration.

  "Besides,why is that fiend working alone in the first pce?,"she thought.

  "Ugh,"she groaned,sighing while returning the pendant inside her cloth.

  "What's wrong?,"Amallis asked beside her.

  "Just thinking,"she answered.

  "Well,don't push yourself too much,"he said while patting her shoulder,"You worked hard st night,how about we go have breakfast,"he suggested,pointing back with his thumb.

  "For the first time,you have a good idea."

  Amallis is taken aback,"You think so little of me."

  "I was forced to do this."

  "Well,you did that to yourself!,"shouted Amallis,"Fine!If you don't want to eat,I'll leave you to it!"He left.

  "Am I being too much to him?,"she thought as she watched Amallis walk away."I should probably go apologize."

  "ROOOOAAAAAAAR—"

  A growl can be heard not far away.People gasped and mothers are calling for their children.

  Sae hurried to check what's going on.When she arrived she saw warriors handling a rogue terrabear,it's as skinny as the one she encountered with Liam.The bowmen all fired poisoned arrows at it.It colpsed within a minute,dust scattering which made her cover her mouth and squint her eyes.

  Then she realized something,a revetion that may answer why everything is happening in the first pce!But first she needed to ask for a meeting.She hurried,heading towards the assembly of elders to ask a question.

  ...

  In a house near the elders' assembly tent,Kuru visited the vilge's chief warrior,Amallis' father.Inside his residence,with his muscur hand,he pced a wooden cup of tea infront of Kuru,who calmly puts it into his mouth.

  "Thank you for the refreshing drink,Rama,"Kuru said.

  "May I ask why elder Kuru paid me a visit?,"Rama asked.

  "I am here to talk about your son."

  Rama's jaw slightly tighten,"What about him?"

  Kuru slowly shook his head,"Just to be clear,Rama,I am not here to question him or anything.I am merely curious to find out your opinions,especially that he brought an outsider."

  Rama sighed of relief,"She is of great help."

  "Oh,"Kuru said,he drank again,"Have you heard of the giant bear that almost attacked?"

  "Yes."

  "Rama,do you mind hearing some of my assumptions?,"Kuru said as he settled the empty cup on the table.

  ...

  Back to Sae,she was to ask Micha for a meeting with the elders to ask a question but she insisted that they should have breakfast instead.

  "Granny,let her be if she doesn't want to eat,"Amallis rolled his eyes.He settled on the wooden floor and peeled a sweet potato.

  Sae raised her eyebrow at Amallis.He saw it and turned away,eating his sweet potato.

  "Ain't no way,that he's upset,"Sae thought.

  "Come,Sae.I apologize for the ck of food but if I have to be honest the vilge is struggling,"Micha said.

  "No,you don't have to,elder Micha,"Sae said with a wave of her hand.

  "So even here,there's a shortage of food,"Sae thought.

  Sae unknowingly sat beside Amallis.He flinched,hurriedly stood up and changed seats.

  "My,did you two had a disagreement?,"Micha asked.

  "I don't know,"Sae answered.She's as confused as Micha is.

  Sae sighed while she stood up.She doesn't really care that much but if she managed to offend someone like Amallis maybe she really did something bad.She slowly sat down and Amallis was about to leave when she caught his shoulder and pushed him back down.

  "Stay,"asked Sae.

  "Hmph,"Amallis pouted while he turned his back.

  "Why is he so childish?,"Sae thought.

  She sighed,"D—do you want me to apologize?,"she reluctantly asked.

  "Why are you even asking me,"grumbled Amallis.

  "So I know what to do,"peered Sae.

  No answer received,Sae sighed again as she picks a sweet potato and peeled it.

  "Here,"Sae said as she offered the peeled sweet potato to Amallis,eyes closed.She opened his eye,she nudged Amallis' back,"Here!"

  Amallis suddenly turned,"Hey,that tickles—"

  He stopped from his immediate outburst to look at the sweet potato Sae is offering.

  "Oh my,this will certainly escate,"thought Micha.

  "I—is that for me?,"Amallis asked,pointing at the sweet potato.

  "What do you think?"

  "I'll take it,"Amallis said as he snatched the sweet potato from her hand,"But this doesn't mean that I forgive you!

  "Yet—,"he thought.

  "So childish,"she thought.

  Someone barged into the door shouting Micha's name.Micha and Amallis quickly stood up.Micha hurried to the door to see the man holding a crying a woman on the door way.

  Micha knelt down to the woman's level,pulled her close and rubbed her back.The man looked at Sae eating and then to Amallis.His eyes continued to settle at him,there's a fsh of distaste.Amallis flinched then left from the backdoor,Sae looked at his direction,wondering.

  "Shhhh.It's alright,dear.It's alright,"soothed Micha.

  "NO!It's NOT,elder!,"shouted the woman.She grabbed Micha's arms and looked at her with red tear-stained eyes.

  "They REFUSED me to look for MY son!"

  "I see,"Micha said,"If we will send someone to look for your son will you calm down then?"

  "Will you do that?,"asked the woman.

  "If that makes you alright then yes,dear,"Micha said with a soft smile.

  "Thank you,elder,"the woman said from the bottom of her heart.

  The woman left,escorted by the man.Sae thought back to what Liam said about people missing in the forest.

  "They live in the middle of the forest.I expect to be more people to go missing if they aren't careful.If my assumption is correct,it won't be safe wandering in the forest soon...even here in the vilge itself,"she thought.

  Sae approached Micha,"Is this the first time that this happened?"

  Micha shook her head,"The child is 17 years old and is a seasoned warrior,it's uncommon for them to go missing."

  Sae nodded,"I see."

  Uncommon it is but if the forest is infested with strong hungry predators then that would expin the disappearance.If they will find his mauled body then that would seal the deal.

  "Elder Micha,may I ask for a meeting with the elders?,"asked Sae.

  "Of course but what is it for?"

  "You will find out in the meeting itself,"answered Sae.

  So they gathered again in the assembly hall,5 elders seated on a higher wooden ptform while Sae is seated on a lower one,facing them.

  "Outsider,you may now speak."

  Sae nodded,"Do you guys overhunt?"

  The elders all let out an offended gasp except Kuru who let out a tiny smile.

  "Y—you!,"the cautious elder seems to be the one who's greatly offended.

  "Mori,let me expin,"Micha said.

  Mori held her tongue.

  "Sae,I don't know why and how you managed to ask that question but we are a tribe worshipping the Goddess of Life and Earth,we will never resort to the act of overhunting,"Micha answered.

  "Micha is the head shaman so you can vouch her words,"the scrawny man said."But if you are still unsure you can ask Kuru the head of hunting."

  Kuru softly nodded with a calm smile,"Miss,just like Micha said we respect our deity and we always take what we only needed.Our hunters only hunt for the whole vilge and never personally even for their own families."

  "I see,"Sae nodded.

  "But if you wish to have your answer,ask the townsfolk.I bet they are the ones who overhunt,"the cautious elder sneered disfavorly.

  "By the way,miss,why did you asked that question?,"Tina asked,petting a cat on her p.

  Sae breathe in then out then looked at the elders,"I think I know why you're vilge is targeted every night."

  The elders gasped in disbelief while Kuru nodded with a smile.

  "She beat me to it,"Kuru thought.

  "But first,"she turned to Kuru,"May I ask how's the hunting?"

  Kuru shook his head,"We hardly have any yield."

  Sae nodded,"Remember the giant bear that attacked this morning?"

  They nodded.

  "If you visit the town there is also a shortage of meat,which makes it a luxury,"Sae said,"What I am trying to say is there are more predators than prey and the disproportion makes the predators find alternative food,which is why the shadow fiends attack every night."

  The elders go quiet,Kuru is nodding.

  "That's all I want to say,may I leave,"Sae said.

  ...

  It's the afternoon,only 2 hours till evening.Sae is tending a fire for her potions for tonight.

  "The vilge didn't overhunt that leaves the town,but I find it absurd that they managed to consume all the prey.Unless,they didn't,"she thought back to the first fiend she encountered."No use with only specutions,"she shook her head."I should go back to the bestiary to ask questions."

  Someone sat beside her,it's a pouting Amallis.

  "I thought you don't want to do anything with me anymore,"Sae said.

  "Well,what if I say that I forgive you,"Amallis said.His blue eyes compliment the orange glow of the fire.

  "Here,"she said as she gave him the stick,"Tend the fire."

  Amallis tended the fire while Sae brought out her pendant and held it to his direction.It glowed a bright blue.Sae's eyes went rge.

  "Such excessive mana,"she thought.

  That means...

  "Just as I thought,he's susceptible to demon possessions."