A few villagers mingled around Taiga. Mouse stood atop a rocky hill, looking down over the worms as they curried favor with Taiga.

  Annoying.

  Taiga smiled back at them while backing up a few paces. They should’ve been at the top of the hill by now, but no. Those villagers ushered over the moment they’d begun towards the mountain path for the flowers.

  Jule slipped on some loose rocks, sliding back to her position from three minutes ago. Ellio caught her from behind while Mouse laughed. She shot him a glare. “I’ll laugh when you fall.”

  “I haven’t yet.” He beamed at her.

  Sweet Bun launched up past them, her toes clinging easily to the stable stone. She leapt from point to point, avoiding any loose rocks on the path. When she reached the curve of the path that evened out, she turned and chirped at them.

  She’d slept outside beneath their window. Taiga left it open so she could hear them through the night. Now, she excitedly lurked around them, and Mouse managed to get a single pet in on her before she noticed. Her feathers were as silky and soft as he’d hoped.

  Jule cursed as she steadied herself between loose stones. “These damn flowers better be worth it,” she muttered when she passed him.

  “You chose the mission,” Mouse reminded her, glancing up the hill and stepping on the most stable rocks. His boots hit the path, and he took a few easy steps. He spun back towards her just in time to catch her slipping back another few paces. “Have you considered not stepping on the loose rocks?”

  “And which ones are those??” She snapped, waving her arm out between them. “Every damn rock here is loose, and every one of them wants to kill me.”

  Mouse’s head rolled to the side, his neck cracking. He didn’t understand her struggle. This, of course, made it more funny. But how much longer would this take? Another step, and Jule slid back into Ellio, who waited behind her.

  Taiga pulled away from the last villager with a nod before stepping off the path and into the grass. He smoothly rose up the hill, passing Jule and Ellio quickly. “What are you doing, messing around?”

  Jule watched Taiga, her jaw slack. “Are you experts at this or something?”

  “Of what, climbing hills?” Taiga let out a laugh. At least they could enjoy her struggles.

  “First, this is a steep mountain path.” It wasn’t, despite the confidence in Jule’s voice. “And second, I do not have the shoes for this.”

  This was true. She wore some sort of sandal thing from Monx. This did seem to slow her and Ellio down a little, but surely stepping in the worst spots on the path didn’t help their cause.

  Taiga laughed again, before stepping onto the path and reaching a hand out towards her. “Come on.”

  Jule pursed her lips at the offer. “You won’t toss me down the path, will you?”

  “I won’t.”

  She took it, and Taiga pulled up, maintaining her balance and catching her whenever her sandal slipped. When they reached Mouse’s position, she dusted herself off with a heavy breath before fixing her glasses.

  Ellio looked her over before turning back towards the way they came. “At least we made it.”

  Mister positive. Mouse stared at him a moment before deciding to let it go.

  “We still have a ways up the path. We’ll follow this road towards the summit.” Taiga pointed out towards the dirt path, which curved beyond a steep cliff and around a bend.

  Jule huffed, then checked her bag on her back. “Let’s get this over with.”

  She stomped past Taiga and Mouse, and up the path. Ellio followed behind her before Taiga tugged his sleeve. “I’ll catch up in a moment.”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Ellio nodded before turning back towards the trail. Once the siblings made it up a short way, Taiga turned back to Mouse. “Head to the mine.”

  Mouse nodded. “Looking for anything specific?”

  “Not really.” Taiga shook his head. “I just want to know whatever you see before I start poking around the villagers for more information.”

  Mouse considered. If there really was something to do with demons here, it may be connected to the imbalance. On one hand, it seemed like the mercenary guild worked to clean up any demon messes. But on the other, if what the merchants said was true, they were also the ones covering up any messes made.

  He nodded. “Got it.”

  Taiga turned back towards Jule and Ellio. Once they turned around a corner, Mouse set off into the grass. The wooden pillars of old mine construction could be made out to the north, against the western face of the mountain. He slid and jumped across the stoney edge of the mountain out of sight of the village.

  When he reached the end of the cliff past the village’s furthest house, Mouse climbed down and onto the next ridge. Running across it, he kept the pillars in sight until he was above them. Then, after checking his surroundings for prying eyes, he dropped down close to eight meters in height, landing onto a crumbled slope. The drop trembled his legs a moment, but it was nothing of concern. As long as no one saw, it didn’t matter. He walked down the slope and dropped another few meters down to the top of the mine shaft’s support, and then another drop to the mine’s entrance.

  Silence. Not only from the lack of people. But no birds, animals, or insects. A single step on dusty gravel echoed off the cliffside. Even though years passed, the mine track and the ground remained clear of debris. A few weed and plant skeletons made their way between the tracks, but even those halted long before the mine’s entrance.

  White reflected off limestone, the sun dazzling across the ground. A few steps scuffed more dust into the air. The mine glimmered in reflection and Mouse held a hand up to block the glare from his eyes. Old tools and carts lay abandoned on the side of the rail tracks.

  He turned into the mine, walking to the left of the tracks and followed them in. Each step echoed in the tunnel. The old shaft stood strong, and he tapped each pillar to check its stability before moving in. As the light waned and his eyes began adjusting, rocks began to pile to each side of him.

  No more than fifteen meters into the tunnel, the shaft collapsed over boulders and rocks. The cave-in from so long ago looked nearly untouched, aside from a few rocks neatly placed to the side of the track, likely from when the villagers came to investigate the noises.

  Mouse stepped forward, brushing a few fingers against a displaced stone. Where the villagers had dug through was clear, and it would be easy to take apart again. How deep the rocks went was another question. They could ask the villagers when he returned.

  Perking his ears, he stilled himself for several long minutes. Nothing. No scrapes or moans as the villagers reported. He took a quick gander around, inspecting the sides of the shaft for any crevice air could potentially creak through. But any holes were shallow and clogged by mug and rock.

  He clicked his tongue, pounding a boot against the ground. A short echo, then nothing. Dissatisfied, he gripped the displaced stone and pulled up on it. The rock broke free easily, a few small pebbles clacking about. He dug through a bit further until he reached hardened mud. Any further and he’d need a shovel and tools.

  Still, no sound made itself known. Likely a wind conjured by the movement of rocks, whistling and bounding through the abandoned caverns. Though this wouldn’t resolve the issue of the mission never being posted. More questions than answers, really. Mouse replaced several sizable rocks back into place.

  Thump.

  The sound mimicked unevenly with a stone he placed. Mouse almost missed it, the timing nearly even with his action. But undoubtedly, there was an extra ‘thump’ that shouldn’t have been there. He paused, holding in his breath, and listened.

  Nothing.

  An echo? No, none of the other rocks he placed made a sound loud enough to create one. This rock was no different. He picked up another stone, keeping his movements even and relaxed. He used the same force and pressure as before, dropping the stone into the place he’d pulled it from.

  A scratch drowned by the placement of the rock. Nothing, and yet something. But maybe because he wasn’t human, he knew it’d come from beyond where he stood. Close, yet not close enough to be from him. Mouse smiled. He picked a few small rocks into his hand, juggling them into his arm and tossed them into the pile.

  And then he heard the clicks.

  A near reflection of the clacking pebbles. But no rocks would create such metallic sounds. He froze in place, sliding his eyes closed, and listened. Nothing.

  Taiga continually told him, ‘patience.’ Just like with Sweet Bun.

  He held his body in place, breathed deep and released any thought from himself. Then he listened. Just before he’d given up, the clicks of demons drew to him. Mouse flicked his eyes open, and the sounds vanished.

  Mouse abandoned the remaining stones, and turned out of the mine. Taiga was right, as always. There were demons in this mine.

  He took a step before the ground shook. Pebbles and rocks flew about, and he sprinted for the exit. The clicks rose in chorus, and he spun around as black clawed across the walls towards him.

  Rocks and dirt fell around him, bludgeoning into his arms and back as he rose them to protect himself. A hard boulder bashed against the back of his head, and red was the last color he saw before everything turned black.