It was summer in Aniam, and the day was bright, the sun shining, but a chill was in the air. Something was wrong with this town, and it now showed in the lack of anybody roaming the streets. Carts were left in the open market, the wares that were being sold still left on the tables. Even the prized but few Guards of Guthin, who were fabled for never losing a battle in combat were gone, apparently had fled. Glake felt a shiver run down his spine, and his companion, the noted scholar Erican, mirrored the uneasiness. Glake had come here to steal, Erican to look at the old library, known for having some of the oldest books in the known world. Now, seeing the deserted village, neither of them had the slightest want to do what they had come to do.
“Let's go to the castle, maybe someone is still there... maybe?” suggested Erican.
“No, we should go out thesouth exit of the city, and see if there are any stragglers still close to the city. Since we have our horses, we should catch up to them pretty quickly. At least the horseless peasants.” Erican agreed, but then he unmounted, and squatted down on the ground, apparently examining something. Glake jumped down and walked over to him.
“What do you see?” he asked.
“Nothing,” responded Erican. “nothing at all. Look around you, there's nothing at all! The rocks are all perfect, no nicks from horse shoes, no trails in the dirt leading up to the carts, nothing! We need to check inside a house!” Erican dashed off into the closest house, leaving Glake staring at the ground, trying to figure out what Erican meant. He decided to wait for the excited man to come out of the house and tell him. He wandered the small market they had made their way into, stealing goods here and there without even realizing it, which is what come with being a master thief. He would never have willingly stolen from a ghost town. It does not do to make enemies with people in the afterlife, who are always watching.
After about five minutes, Glake was bored, so he contented himself with doing a juggling a few apples he had found in his pockets. After another three minutes, while he was waiting, staring into the blackness of the doorway, someone came up behind him and said “Boo” dryly in his ear. The apples dropped, and before the first one hit the ground, the mysterious person behind him was on the ground with a dagger at his throat.
“Hey!” huffed out Erican, the breath knocked out of him from the fall. “I was just commenting on your lack of attention behind you!”
“Delilles take your soul, you
scared me!” said Glake, raising himself off of Erican.