James glances to Illan as the man continues.
“As the story goes, and let me tell you it’s different depending on who tells it to you, a man came to her and asked for a reading. He was a stranger in town so didn’t realize she was a fake. What happens next no one is sure about, but the next morning her crystal ball is shattered and she has this streak of white hair where the day before it had been black.”
“She begins telling this story about how some demon showed up and tried to take his soul but that she fought him away. Now those of us who knew her didn’t believe it for an instance. I mean really? What a wild tale. But as time went on, she continued telling it and some came to believe in it. I think even after awhile she did too.”
“Up until about a month ago things were fine. She had her little following and most of us were rather amused by the whole thing. Oh sure, for a lark we would at times go and listen to her but none took her serious. Most of us still don’t.”
“What changed?” James asks.
“Things started happening,” the man says. “People who went to hear her talk all of a sudden became ardent believers. Those who became believers would entice travelers passing through to go and listen to her. Then they too, became believers. Before we knew it, she had amassed hundreds of people and one day that large pavilion and the big tent sprung up.”
“Interesting,” Illan comments.
“This city is falling apart rapidly,” he tells them. “People are afraid to be on the streets for fear of being ‘asked’ to attend one of her talks.”
“Why should that be a problem?” James asks.
“If you refuse, sometimes they go away, sometimes not,” he replies. “One man refused and a pack of her believers fell on him and beat him to a pulp right here in the center of town.”
“Didn’t the guard try to stop them?” Illan asks.
“Some were in the vicinity, but word has it they’ve been bought off by someone, maybe her. Now they patrol the streets but do nothing to stop her people if they get violent.” Leaning closer and lowering his voice even more, he says, “I’ve even heard that some who spend too much time within the tent go mad.”
“Really?” prompts Illan.
“Really!” he says. “A friend of mine became a believer and spent a week straight within her tent, listening to her talk. When he came out, he wasn’t himself and all he could talk about was her and her mission to thwart the demon that walks the land.”
James glances to Illan who nods. They both remember how that man who they encountered on the road here had acted.
“Anyway,” he says. “Stay here in the inn, maybe in your rooms and don’t go out until dawn. Her people are most active at night though can be encountered anytime.”
“Thanks for the information,” James says.
“Do you still plan on staying?” the man asks.
Nodding, James says, “We have to.”
“It’ll be three coppers per room,” the man says. “How many will you require?”
“Four,” he tells him as he counts out the coins. The man hands over the room keys and says, “If you’re hungry, I can send something up.”
“That would be good,” Illan says. “Maybe in about a half hour, there are seven of us.”
“Very good,” he says. “The stable is around back.”
“Thank you,” James says as he and Illan turn to leave the inn.
Stepping outside, he comes to a stop when he sees the others engaged in conversation with three other individuals.
“…come, the wisdom of the lady is great.”
Jiron hears him leaving the inn and turns toward him. Indicating the two men and woman standing next to him, he says, “They’ve just invited us to hear her speak at the pavilion.”
The lady turns to him and says, “Yes, she welcomes all to hear her words of wisdom.”
“All who come are filled with the knowledge to combat the evil walking the world,” one of the men says.
After hearing what the innkeeper inside just said, the last thing he wants to do is expose any of his group to whatever is going on in the tent. “We need to get settled in right now,” he tells them. At that, the three become visibly agitated and the words of the innkeeper comes back to him. “If you refuse, sometimes they go away, sometimes not.”
While not worried about what these three would do to his group, he’s more worried about what his group would do to them. Hoping to diffuse the situation, he says, “We may stop by later this evening after we have something to eat.”
His words have a somewhat calming effect on them. “The lady’s words are greater than any food. Take not long in coming,” the lady says as they abruptly turn away and move down the road.
Fifer glances to James and asks, “What was all that about?”
“Are we going to hear her speak?” Miko asks.
James glances at the departing trio and says quietly, “Not here. Let’s get our horses settled in first and we’ll talk where we won’t be overheard.”
They all turn somber at that. Not exactly what they were expecting to hear. Fifer glances to Illan who nods his head gravely.
Taking the horses around back, they find only one other horse in the stable. Visitors here must be few, with all that’s going on it isn’t too surprising. No stableman is around so they choose a set of stalls together and get their horses settled in. Then they take their packs with them and return to the inn where they head upstairs to their rooms.
James has them all come into his room and they close the door. He gives the others a rundown of what he and Illan were told by the innkeeper. When he’s done, Qyrll asks, “Do you plan to go and listen to the lady’s words?”
He sits back a moment and considers the question. “Maybe,” he finally says.
“What?” asks Jiron. “You can’t be serious.”
James looks to him and says, “I am. Something is going on here and it’s possible I could be the cause. Also, consider this. If she finds out where The Ranch is, she could send all her crazies there to ‘destroy the demon’ which would mean a bloodbath. No, I need to stop this now. She and her followers could become a veritable plague upon the land.”
“So what do you propose to do?” Illan asks.
“Later on, I’m going to go and see what’s going on,” he says. “After I get a little rest and some food.”
“We’re going with you,” Jiron says, several of the others nod their heads in agreement.
“It wouldn’t be wise for you to go in there alone,” Illan agrees.
James considers it for a moment and then says, “Very well.” To Miko he says, “Go downstairs and see if we can get our meal up here.” He hands him some coins to cover it.
“Alright,” replies Miko, taking the coins. “I’ll be right back.” Leaving the room, they hear his footsteps going down the hallway to the stairs.
“What are you planning to do there?” Fifer asks.
“I don’t know, really,” he admits. “People don’t go mad such as we’ve seen in so short a time unless something is causing it.”
“Magic?” suggests Fifer.
Shrugging, James replies, “Maybe. Who knows?”
“Have you felt anything since coming here?” Jiron asks.
“No, but the pavilion isn’t exactly close either,” he replies, shaking his head. He sits in contemplation for several minutes until Miko returns saying their food will be up shortly.
“What did I miss?” he asks.
“Not much,” replies Jiron. He goes to the window and looks out onto the courtyard below. Nothing is stirring out there. The only thing which disturbs the night is the light coming from the pavilion area.
It isn’t long before there’s a knock on the door and the innkeeper’s son arrives with their food and plates enough for all of them. James gives him a few coppers for a tip before he returns downstairs. Roasted chicken, bread and ale, not much variety but there’s a lot of it.
Each of them fills a plate with a portion of the chicken and then finds a place to settle down to eat. James and Illan take the small table and the only two chairs in the room while everyone else makes do with either the bed or floor. Jiron just stands.