After a time, the villagers would eventually come to agree that the two must have been about as confused as the rest of them had been.

They appeared out of nowhere, in a flash of light in the middle of the village square, right next to a market stall. Many had missed it, as they had chosen that precise moment to blink, but in the next instant, they were there. Just standing there, looking around, confused.

That was when the screaming started. It ended only a moment later, when half of the people in the market turned to stone.

Most of those who had managed not to look at them ran as fast as they could towards any sort of shelter. Others hid in whatever spot they could find at a moment’s notice.

“They started talking,” one of them would later report. The man, he called her an idiot, and then told her to put on her mask. He said that she was making trouble for him again, in many harsh words.

“But then she got angry. She told him she was sick of wearing it. That she wanted to feel the sun on her face. I was so scared. I thought for sure I was going to die when they came over to me. What happened instead, though, was… strange. I turned to stone the moment I looked her in the eyes, I know, and after that, I was trapped in my own body, unable to move even my eyes. But I still heard everything.”

After a time, the villagers started growing nervous. They began peeking out of their hiding spots, trying to find out where the two were, and how best to avoid them. They ran around, shouting for help and informing other villagers of the danger. One of them ran to the nearby army encampment to get help.

During that time, either oblivious or indifferent to the terror they inspired, the two made their way to the local tavern.

The old barkeep hadn’t been warned of their appearance, and even if he had been, he wouldn’t have believed a word of it. But upon seeing them, he found himself dropping his mug and taking a step back into the wooden counter, tipping over the jars of lukewarm beer behind him.

Instantly, the patrons of the bar went stiff.

The first of the two appeared normal enough, he had the human visage of a young man, though one could tell from a glance that he was no stranger to violence.

The woman, however, was another matter. Concealing her face then was a rusty golden mask that depicted a fanged, shouting woman’s face, with black crystals covering her eyes and jeweled snakes peering over her forehead and hair. Only she had no real hair. In its place were real, live snakes, unlike those sculpted onto the mask, that hissed at everyone in the tavern, revealing fangs that dripped with poison.

And it was not only her hair that was inhuman. Far more noticeable than that, in retrospect, was her lower body, from the stomach down, where in the place of legs the girl had nothing but a long, green and black diamond patterned snake’s tail.

She was a lamia, a monster thought to have been brought to extinction decades ago.

While everyone stared at her golden mask, paralyzed in fear, she and her companion simply looked around, puzzled, and made their way towards the barkeep. As soon as their backs were turned, the patrons ran off out of the tavern.

 The apparently human man, shrugging, walked over and sat on one of the stools opposite the barkeep, while the half-snake slithering beside him did the same. She wriggled around uncomfortably on the small stool and wrapped her tail in loops around it.

“I hate drinking from under the veil,” she complained with a strange accent. “It’s impossible to do it without spilling. Hey, barkeep – what’s up with everyone? The smell of fear is everywhere. Even you – you’ll need a change of trousers.”

The man looked towards the trembling barkeep. “He’s not the only one, I imagine. Seriously, have you lost your mind? We’re not in Aeliah anymore. Server, please get us some drinks, would you? I’m being plagued by a long parade of disappointments today; I’ll need some assistance if I am to cope.”

The lamia seemed to make a face at her companion, though it was hidden by her mask.

“Server, are you there?” she then asked, the snakes on her head coiling, ready to strike, while she waved a delicate hand in front of the barkeep’s face. With stiff movements, he quickly turned around to create distance between them and shoved towards each of them a mug of ale that had not spilled.

“I don’t understand why they’re so scared of us,” the lamia spoke to the young man. “Last time we were in Evaria, people were aware of mythics.”

“Evidently, things have changed,” the man said, downing his mug and handing it back to the barkeep for more. “I hope we really are in Evaria, at least. If that damned witch brought us to the wrong end of the world…”

“They probably think we’re monsters,” the lamia murmured.

“People will do that if you turn them to stone. Do you want to keep going, by the way? You could probably beat your score at Westmire if we continue like this. You’re off to a great start. Hey! Don’t hit me. Oh, you, relax, barkeep, I’m only joking. We’re not looking to kill anyone right now. Except Lenah.”

“Are we really back to that?” the lamia asked.

“Yes. Why do I need to keep telling you this? The fastest way to break a curse—”

“Is to kill the one who cast it, yeah, yeah. You’re still not going to kill your friend.”

“Friend? You clearly haven’t been paying attention. What kind of friend would force such nonsense on me?”

“One with a sense of humor,” the lamia laughed.

The barkeep, still shaking and frightened to breathe, handed him the refilled mug of ale without a word. The man, grimacing, tried to meet his gaze, but he avoided it.

“Where are we?” the man asked.

A moment passed in deathly silence.

“I’d rather not ask everything twice,” he continued.

“The… the Garland, sir. In Coldbarrow, the kingdom of Evaria.”

“The Garland being the name of the tavern, I take it. Thank the divines, we’re in Evaria. Is Coldbarrow the right place?”

The lamia turned to him, stroking the vipers writhing on her head. “I think so. At the very least, we are in the north.”

“Idiot, that’s obvious. We were supposed to go north. But is this the right village? Any more brilliant insights?”

“Well… no.”

The man snorted. “You’re entirely unhelpful. Urgh. At this rate, we’ll have to ask these damned humans our questions, once they’re capable of answering us. Make them breathe again soon, will you?”

“I’ll need some ravenwood for that.”

“Yeah, yeah. And I’ll have to be the one to get it. No way. It’s your turn this time.”

A small army of soldiers suddenly bounded into the tavern, then, their steel boots loudly thudding on the wooden floor. The man who’d run off from the market to get them had been quick. They wore steel plate armor and drew their swords in unison the moment they entered. The lamia gasped in surprise from behind her golden mask at the sight of them.

One more man, the soldiers’ commander, walked into the tavern from behind the others.

“Remove your weapons and come quietly!” he shouted at the two with an authoritative voice.

Hearing that, the young man at the bar quietly chuckled.

“You’re coming with us!” the knight yelled again. “And if I smell even a whiff of magic, I’ll have my men cut you down like dogs!”

At that, the lamia leaned over to the man. “Like dogs, Emony,” she said, apparently holding back a chuckle.

“Shut up,” the man said.

One of the footmen roughly kicked aside a stool that was in the way between him and them. “Are you two deaf? Do as you’re told!”

A moment of peace hung on a razer’s edge.

“We have more men coming,” said the commander from behind the other soldiers. “They’ll be here in minutes.”

The man and snake glanced at each other, shrugged, and downed their drinks. The lamia really did spill a lot of the ale. Upon seeing that, the man instantly jumped away from her so as not to get wet before quickly composing himself again.

“We don’t have any weapons,” he said, turning to the soldiers. “And you won’t be needing yours. We’d be glad to come with you.”

After a moment, the commander nodded and tapped one of the men in front of him on the shoulder. One by one, they stepped out of the tavern until they surrounded the door from the outside. The two strangers followed.