Devil Hounds and Stratum Maidens

June 21, 1941

7:38 P.M.

Ines shifted uncomfortably where she sat and leisurely opened her eyes. The rays of the setting sun poured through the open window, burning her eyes.

For a moment, she had nearly forgotten that she climbed onto the carriage after being told to do so, and left just like that.

It was outlandish, Ines brooded. Grassy hills, open meadows, and trees that had probably seen the fall and rise of great Empires.

'If I ran out of the carriage now, I wouldn't even know how to run back—better yet, I don't even know where my destination is.'

Just like that, she left with her supposed sponsor, and now she was on her way to a foreign land that she had never heard of.

Her eyes briefly became moist, and Ines bleary rubbed at her eyes in an attempt to discreetly wipe away her tears.

However, the tears quickly dried and her attention drifted elsewhere not even a minute later.

'That's strange.'

The carriage occasionally shook from time to time, it wasn't quiet and by no means was it a smooth journey; however, Ines somehow didn't wake up once, nor was her sleep disturbed by nightmares as per usual.

Though, perhaps she was overthinking it.

Ines had been exhausted for days—even before she was notified of her sudden sponsorship, and before her increase in assignments from the Preceptor began. Hence, the sporadic rocking and shaking of the carriage may have merely lulled her to sleep.

After a moment of ruminating, Ines finally sat up and adjusted her posture.

"Good evening, Ines," Sir Wright said. He lifted his cup and took a sip before adding, "I hope I didn't wake you up, how was your sleep? Hopefully, the cushions and pillows are to your liking, they're newly imported from the South."

Ines shook her head, her eyes readjusting to the bright light. She then softly replied, "Good evening sir, you didn't. I slept well, and the pillows are soft, thank you for your concern."

"That's great," He smiled.

Ines smiled back. She thought that despite his noble status, he didn't appear high and mighty but rather like a friendly old man.

As she looked around and inspected her surroundings, she noticed that the carriage had stopped moving and that thick smoke drifted through the air.

'Is something burning?' Ines peered out the window, the intense scent of herbs and smoke tickling her nostrils.

"We've stopped here for the night."

"Huh?" Ines turned her body to face Sir Wright.

"The sun will be setting soon. When nightfall comes around, the road becomes more dangerous."

"Dangerous? How so?"

"Creatures that don't roam around during daylight come out during nightfall."

Ines tilted her head in disbelief at his fairytale-like words and said, "…Creatures? Like what?"

"Well little lady, have you heard of the Great Smog before?"

"I haven't."

The older gentleman raised an eyebrow as if he couldn't believe her words, and he proceeded to close the curtains with a flick of his wrist.

"You see how the carriage became dark after the curtains were closed?" He asked.

She nodded.

"The Great Smog was like a curtain that had fallen upon the world. Before the Decade Long War had happened, it was rumored that a lowly priestess of an ancient god received an oracle. When that happened, they deemed her words as falsity. Their God had three apostles and two Saintesses, why would their almighty lord bestow their wisdom upon a third-rate priestess? And so with this in mind, they exiled her to the Frostborne Forest."

"…But, what if the Priestess's words were true?" Ines asked.

"Smart child," Sir Wright praised. "That Priestess's words were indeed true."

"Really? What happened afterward?"

"The Great Smog happened. One day, the sun stopped shining, and the land became covered in horrible black smog. It became impossible to see anything, and it was terribly cold. Crops died, animals perished, and nearly half of the human population died off. However, that wasn't the worst part; the Great Smog also brought along horrible creatures to this realm."

"That's… That's horrible, but what about the Priestess?" Ines asked again, her eyebrows crinkling, "What happened to her?"

The older gentleman sighed and leaned into his seat. "Well, as for the Priestess, she was never seen again but it was rumored that she fled to the Scarlet Sea for-"

"My Lord!"

Sir Wright paused and shot Ines an apologetic smile. "Pardon me," He said, pushing back the curtains and unlocking the door of the carriage.

"Florian, what's the matter?"

Outside of the carriage stood a man donned in conspicuous black armor. He stood straight as a bean pole and maintained eye contact with Sir Wright, his eyes never once straying to where Ines sat.

"The knights require your judgment, my Lord."

Sir Wright sat up straight, his hand on his scabbard. "Has a 'Stratum Maiden' been spotted?"

"No, my Lord. However, an entire pack of Devil Hounds has been spotted nearby. Although they haven't shown any aggression, my Lord, what if-"

He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "You know better than to ask me for something as minor as this. If they aren't seeking conflict, there is no need for pointless bloodshed. Call the knights back and settle down for the night, we'll get back on the road by sunrise."

"…Yes, my Lord." With a bow, Florian took his leave, his voice echoing in the distance as he loudly yelled out names.

Ines watched as Sir Wright quietly sighed, his aged face twisting in annoyance before settling back to one of peace once more.

'…Devil Hound? Stratum Maiden?'

Though Ines remained statue-still from where she sat as she was afraid her movements would only ignite the older man's temper, her eyes were fixated on the hills where Florian had run off to.

Should she quell her curiosity, or should she not?

After a moment of internal conflict, Ines' gaze flickered towards Sir Wright to assess his expression and mood once more.

'He doesn't seem to be upset, in that case…'

"Sir, what are Devil Hounds and Stratum Maidens?"

Sir Wright sat up and opened his eyes at her question. Unlike previous times where he gazed at her affectionately as if he were looking at his kin, this time, his gaze appeared somewhat colder.

"Devil hounds?" He parroted, running his hand through his graying locks of hair that hung below his ears. "They are creatures that were born from the Great Smog; dog-headed creatures with furry bear-like bodies and the eyes of a viper."

"That… That sounds like a bizarre creature, what about Stratum Maidens?"

Seeing as how Ines didn't appear afraid but even more perplexed than before, he cleared his throat and added, "A young child like you shouldn't be so curious about these things—especially not about abhorrent beings such as Stratum Maidens, you'll have horrible nightmares if you knew."

Though she wasn't afraid in the least, Ines couldn't refute the words of the older man as he had said it with her well-being in mind, so she merely smiled and nodded.

"Well, it's getting late," He said after a beat of silence.

"…Yes?"

Sir Wright stepped outside the carriage as he continued, "Speaking as a sponsor to a patron, let us get to know each other over dinner."

He held out a single hand to Ines, his other arm behind his back.

"…As you wish, sir," She said, accepting his hand as she stepped out of the carriage.

.

.

.

8:13 P.M.

Sitting on a log surrounded by trees and grassy hills, Ines listened to the faint sound of birds 'singing' and crickets chirping.

How pleasant.

If only her sponsor who sat across from her, the knights who stood conspicuously around her in their little circles, and the servants who stood to the side watching her weren't there—then, it would be truly great.

"Ines, do tell, how is your tutelage with Consul Amadeus coming along?"

"Preceptor Amadeus is a great teacher," She instinctively answered.

The guidebook the Preceptor had given her said that she should remain humble and never badmouth those around her. After repeatedly reading the lines of the book out loud all day, the words came out before she could think of a response.

"Is that so? Has she informed you of why you are here with me now, and why I've become your sponsor?"

"No, sir."

The older gentleman resumed eating. His fork occasionally scraped against his plate as he finished his meal.

"Do you believe in spirits and mysticism?" Sir Wright asked, his eyes never once straying from her own. Before she could answer, he asked once more, "Do you believe in any doctrines? For instance, the doctrine of Eglantarism?"

"…No sir, I only believe in what I see."

Upon finishing her sentence, Ines carefully watched the older man before her. She traced his face with her eyes, wary of any changes in bearing.

In spite of her wariness, his mien remained stoic.

"I'll take my leave as I have unfinished business, worry not, you may continue eating dinner. After you've finished, return to the carriage. If you need any assistance, you may ask the knight and maidservant that have been assigned to you. They're standing a couple of meters to the East, and their names are Florian and Isla."

Ines quickly stood up, nearly dropping her plate in the process as she bowed and said, "Thank you for your time and generosity."

Sir Wright didn't comment on her rattled behavior as he turned and left. He said as he walked away, "Have a goodnight, Ines."