The hastily built wall was just the first line of defense. In the distance, I could see a large and high wooden wall, much sturdier-looking, surrounding a small area.

That must've been the town itself. That meant we were only in the town outskirts, and my feet were starting to hurt; I had outgrown my boots long ago but hadn't had the time to purchase new ones. I was always busy with other things, whether it was taking on jobs for the Order or being on guard duty for a noble. My only hobbies included nighttime spellbook studies and sewing my own clothes. Shoemaking was sadly not a part of my skill set.

We carried on, the child still holding my hand. Hers was warm and soft. It was a comforting feeling in this new environment I was in.

Carts and wagons passed us by. I tilted my head, a simple question passing through my mind. "Why didn't we continue riding the wagon into the town? Everyone else seems to be doing so."

Bowe smiled, clearly embarrassed. "Actually, that cart wasn't ours to begin with. We borrowed it from a good friend here, and I agreed to leave it outside the gates so he could fetch it for himself soon. My family's cart broke, you see, and the culprit of it?" He shivered. "You'll see shortly, I'm afraid, if you intend to stay in Gretlund for longer than a few minutes."

That last part concerned me. Whatever this threat was, it seemed openly hostile, which was never a good sign for things to come.

Of course, my intuition was correct. Upon entering the wooden walls surrounding the town itself, we were greeted by walls of buildings covered in missing person posters. The amount was daunting.

Bowe tapped my shoulder, tearing my attention away from the posters. "I forgot to ask you on the way here, but why exactly are you visiting Gretlund?" he asked. It's not exactly a good time to visit, unfortunately. You mentioned you were an important figure for the West and the Order. Does that have anything to do with it?" His voice held a sliver of hope.

"Not quite. The Order didn't send me here; it was instead a nearby deity that did so. The reason I'm here is to resolve the happenings plaguing this town. And on that note, could you take me to your mayor? I think it best if I discuss matters with him personally."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods! Finally, someone heard our prayers! You have no idea how long we've been waiting. It's been weeks since this whole spider thing-"

"Hold on. Spider thing? This situation, taking place in Arachnid's Grove, has something to do with the spiders living in it?"

Bowe nodded.

"Why would you build a town so close to a forest overrun by spiders?"

"Because they were never so hostile," he responded as if that were supposed to be completely obvious. "Something's happened, but we have no idea exactly what that 'something' is. We've sent out search party after search party, and I think you can guess what happened to them. Only clue we have is that it has something to do with the spiders based on their recent show of aggression." My companion looked over at a nearby wall lined with posters. "Every single person on those searches. Gone. Vanished. And we can't exactly send more people out. That'd just repeat the cycle."

"Recent show of aggression? Have the spiders been displaying erratic behavior?"

"Yes, actually. When we have run into them, which has been less frequent as of late, they have done nothing but attack us. That's how my cart was destroyed. I was lucky to get out of there alive; they were vicious."

I understood the situation and how dire it was better with Bowe explaining it to me. "Thank you. I needed that information."

"Yeah, no problem."

We walked in silence the rest of the way into town. By the time we reached the town center, the sun was beginning to set. Soless's rays cast long shadows from the buildings, shadowing the miserable town in early darkness.

Looking around, I noticed a surprising number of people in the center. This must've been because they didn't have a better place to be. After all, the forest was too dangerous. Who knew how many of these people would have to go home through the woods and possibly meet their doom?

Bowe stood next to me and scanned the town center. "Hmm.. oh! There he is!" He pointed towards a bench near a street lamp. Sitting on it was a man and a woman. 

The man was on the bigger side, wearing a top hat and a suit. He must've been the Mayor.

With my target in sight, I let go of Phoebe's hand and left her and Bowe behind.

The Mayor noticed me arriving and waved kindly. "Hello, miss," he greeted me as I walked and stood before the two of them. He looked at my outfit, then back at my face. "I don't believe I've seen you around here. Are you a traveler?"

I nodded and curtseyed. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Evelyn. I'm an Honorary Member of the Order of Soless. I've come to discuss your... well, 'spider problem.'"

The woman on the bench looked up at me as well. "Evelyn, you say?" She looked puzzled. "Order of Soless as well... where have I heard that name...?"

The Mayor immediately recognized my identity. "Miss Evelyn!" he exclaimed, his mouth gaping. "Oh, my goodness... I didn't think they'd send someone of your ranking! You can call me Mayor Olestead. What is it I could do for you?"

With an attempt at a smile, I explained, "I've come to help you out with your problems. Now, if we could discuss this matter somewhere private..."

"Of course, Miss Evelyn!" He shooed the woman sitting next to him away.

Casting a glare at him, she stood up, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Mayor, just who is this woman?"

"Miss Evelyn, would you like me to introduce you by your known title, or would you like to?"

I held up my hand, silencing the Mayor. "No need. My name is Evelyn, Violet Witch of the East."

The woman's face shifted into one of disgust. "The Violet Witch? Why is she-"

Mayor Olestead gave the woman a look telling her to shut it. "She is here to help us, Charlotte. Now, prepare her a room in your inn. We have an honored guest, after all."

Charlotte's gaze was frigid as she pushed past me and through the crowd, heading toward a tall three-story building that I presumed was her inn.

I didn't blame the woman for her reaction. Not many had positive feelings toward me. I was used to this.

The Mayor patted the seat next to him. I sat in it obediently. Turning to face me, he began telling me the problems the town was facing: "Our town has always been involved with the neighboring spiders. After all, they've been around for longer than the town itself. When this town was built around a century ago, there were no issues whatsoever. We lived together in harmony, without a single problem.

"That all changed earlier this year, however. A couple of months ago, one of the farmers in town had his cow go missing. The town searched and searched, even searching near the spider's nest, yet was only met with violence from the spiders. They had to retreat back to the safety of the town. Then, it was a person who went missing. Another search party searched the forest and, once again, was driven out by the vicious arachnids. Over these last couple of months, the spiders have been getting increasingly aggressive to the point where we can no longer live with them peacefully. We have sent letters to the capitals, East and West, but to no response. We're at a standstill here and have no idea what to do next."

The Mayor closed his eyes for a moment. "Even my own son fell victim to this," he murmured, his voice shaking ever so slightly. When he opened them again, his eyes sparkled with hatred. "The spiders must pay for what they have done to our town. We have gone far too long without help and suffered for far too long, and now that we finally have the help we need, we'll do anything in return."

I twirled the end of my braid through my fingers. Something about the spiders suddenly becoming hostile didn't sit right with me. There must've been a reason, and I intended to find out. "Understood. Thank you for sharing."

As I stood and was about to make my way toward the town's exit, the Mayor grabbed my hand. "Evelyn, don't!" he urged.

His urgency shook me somewhat. Just how bad was this situation? I sat back down to let him explain his reasoning.

"Miss, I believe that we should hold a town meeting right away. Tomorrow morning, we can find another search party to guide you through the forest. Stay put while I call upon my people for now, alright?"

"I don't work with others, Mayor. I can do this myself."

"Please, I insist. The forest is difficult to navigate."

I hesitated before bowing my head in respectful acknowledgment. I'd leave town first thing in the morning before a search party could even arrive. I didn't work well with others; I preferred to do everything independently. I could handle it.

All around, people of the town were watching me with interest gleaming in their eyes. Even Bowe stood a bit off to the side. His niece was no longer with him, and, for a split second, I wondered where she had gone off to. I eliminated this lingering thought, though. I had no relation with this family. It was best to rid myself of unnecessary connections from my travels. It'd be best to have no strings attached.

I turned my head away from Bowe and looked for Mayor Olestead. I soon found him on an elevated stage in the very center of town. He then began to say, "Residents of Gretlund, please come forth!"

The people, who were initially watching me, walked forward to hear what the Mayor had to say.

Clearing his throat, Mayor Olestead began, "Greetings, my people. This meeting has been called to inform all of you of the arrival of a new guest we have staying in Gretlund. Come, Evelyn!"

I stood, walked up the steps, and onto the stage, joining the Mayor. I felt a twinge of anxiety about being in front of so many people, but I did my best to ignore it. Now wasn't the time to be getting nervous.

The Mayor gestured toward me. "This here is Evelyn, the Violet Witch of the East. She has come to help us."

Murmurs broke out among the crowd. "The Violet Witch? Surely he doesn't mean..."

"But her eyes aren't even violet. Could she be a fraud?"

"She must be using concealment magic, the deceitful witch! Trying to blend in with us, how dare she? She knows perfectly well of her sins!"

"What's someone like her doing in Gretlund? Couldn't they have given us anyone else? Why'd it have to be her?"

I stood calmly. This was normal. It didn't hurt me. Not anymore.

The Mayor coughed awkwardly. "Apologies, Miss Evelyn. Please understand them. They truly are thankful for your offer to help."

"It's okay, I know. They're just... surprised, is all."

The Mayor let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much." He turned back to the crowd. "Now, to convince them that you aren't a threat..."

"I can handle this." I took a step forward and dug my fingers into my broomstick to help distract my mind from what I was about to do. This would take a lot out of me, but I had to go through with it.

"People of Gretlund," I started, trying to appear confident. In reality, I was very much so not. In fact, I was terrified. I hated speaking in public, especially to so many people. I did my best to push down these feelings of nervousness. "I am here to assist you with your spider problems. Now, if someone could please tell me-"

"We don't want you here!"

"Begone, witch!"

"Leave!"

My fingers began hurting from how hard they were digging into the broomstick. Sure, I had dealt with this rightful discrimination whenever my identity was revealed across all kingdoms, so I should be fully used to it by now.

However, I couldn't keep lying to myself. This was genuinely starting to hurt. My heart began aching; why couldn't they just understand that I wanted to help them? Surely my accomplishments across Aestratha were enough to make up for... that. I had no ulterior motives...

I saw Bowe standing amidst the angered crowd. His face was confused; did he not understand who I was? Had he never heard of the Violet Witch? That could be the only explanation. Otherwise, he would hate me, just like all the others. And I deserved that hatred.

The Mayor raised his voice above the noise. "She is here to help everyone. Tomorrow, she will venture into the forest to rid us of our problems. I will form a search party to go along with her. For now, she must get her rest."

And with that, the meeting ended. I stepped off the stage and pushed my way through the crowd. Despite the rage emanating from the crowd, no one was getting violent this time, which was good for me. I wouldn't have to give them more reason to despise my very existence by acting in self-defense.

"Hey, Evelyn!" The voice of Bowe rose above the clamor around me, and I looked around for him. My eyes soon met his across the departing citizens.

He walked toward me, relieved. "Hey," he greeted kindly. "So, what was all that about? Why was everyone so upset with you?"

Now, to be honest, or deceitful. I chose honesty. "While I am a well-known figure, I'm not exactly well-known for the best of reasons."

"Those reasons being...?"

"Just some things from my past. You needn't pay it any mind."

Bowe seemed satisfied enough. "Alright then." He looked up at the darkening sky. "Well, I best be off. I hope to see you again. Phoebe's got a playdate with her friends, so I need to head out early before it gets too dark." He turned and began walking away before halting in his tracks. Looking over his shoulder, he waved. "Goodnight, Evelyn!" And, just like that, he was off.

I stood, blinking away the stinging feeling in my eyes. No one had been that kind to me in a long, long time. Why had he chosen to be so kind to me, of all people? It just... didn't make sense.

I snapped out of these surging questions when the Mayor clasped my shoulder. "Miss Evelyn, your room in Charlotte's inn is ready. Would you like me to lead you there?"

"No, I believe I know where it is. Thank you for the offer." I left him quickly, ready to call it a day. The townspeople's words still stung. I wanted to get their words out of my mind.