Chapter 2: The Unexpected Guests

Two days before the forest encounter

In the town of Seville, strangers littered the streets. Merchants come and go as the preparation for the Holy Week Festival is in full swing. It was not the week itself that the merchants and citizens were anticipating, but the celebration of Easter.

Little did the citizens of this bustling town know, that several guests were anticipating a different kind of holiday. Old men and women, with their backs hunched with age, smelled the pungent air of civilization with glee. They hobbled their way towards a ramshackle inn at the edge of the town near the forest of Castille.

Slowly, these men and women trickled into the inn, surprising the innkeeper, who did not expect these types of clients to flock. What he expected were the outlaws or the occasional thieves who seemed to like the company of the dark. His new clients, a group of eight clean-looking but foul-smelling men and women stood in front of him, looking at him, and sizing him up.

"Ehem.." a croaky voice of an old woman got the innkeeper's attention. " We would like to occupy this inn, please. We do not want anyone to disturb us during our stay." The woman said in her sickening grandmother-like voice.

"I am sorry madam, I cannot allow that. You see, I have special patrons to cater to. At most, I can give you four unaccounted rooms, within a reasonable price, of course." The innkeeper replied and looked down on his guests.

He saw the woman tremble as if she was in fear of the height and stature of the innkeeper. The old man beside her clasped her shoulders, and that seemed to stop the trembling of the old woman. She lowered her head and took a deep breath before raising her eyes towards the innkeeper.

In a different voice, almost like a woman in her thirties, she said " I really don't want to waste my energy on a young un like you but we need this place to be our lair." with that, she snapped her fingers in front of the innkeeper, and muttered something unintelligible beneath her breath.

Upon seeing the innkeeper's eyes turned blank, she let out a sigh, straightened her back, and turned towards her companions. "Ernesto, plant the concealer outside this inn. Magdalena, you are in charge of surrounding this inn with poisons and traps for those infernal Lightworkers and their brethren. Make sure that we do not get detected by those priests. The rest of you, go pick your rooms and sun-proof this house. Make sure that no sunlight can penetrate the walls or else, I will make sure our masters will have you for their first meal."

"Understood Regina." The group replied.

"Good. After that, prepare yourself, charge your amulets, feed your insects, and memorize your chants. Good Friday will arrive in two days, we need to lay low and bide our time. In two days, the labors of our ancestors will finally pay off."