Once they stepped out from the shade of the trees onto the trail ahead, they found a wagon tipped over in a ditch with a horse still strapped to it, neighing hysterically.
The five of them exchanged silent looks before quickly scanning the area. Izumi and Lloyd moved toward the back of the wagon to investigate. Once they got close enough, they found a pile of rice bags scattered across the ground.
The horse's panicked neighing still hadn't stopped even as Miyuki and Takae tried to calm it down. Izumi and Lloyd looked away for only a moment before a strange sound coming from the pile of bags drew their attention back.
It was a rustling noise, the kind an animal might make when trapped beneath something.
Cautious, the two of them stepped back.
Then suddenly, a hand slipped out from beneath the bags.
It was old and wrinkled, trembling so badly that it barely looked threatening at all. A muffled voice followed soon after, weakly calling for help from underneath the pile.
This time they didn't hesitate.
Together they pulled the bags away and helped the trapped person out.
"Hey guys, we found someone!" Izumi called out, catching the others' attention.
The rest quickly circled back and found the two of them helping an elderly man to his feet.
"Thank you so much," the old man said as Izumi steadied him. "What is your name, young man?"
"It's Izumi Yamada, sir," he replied. "We heard a crashing sound before we came here. If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"
"I was just as shocked as you were," the old man said while dusting off his robe. "One moment I was riding along peacefully, then the next my horse suddenly went wild and drove the wagon straight into this ditch."
"I think I know what caused it," Yuriko said as she walked toward them.
"I think it was this little guy that scared him," she added while holding up a snake by the neck.
"Oh my, that's dangerous, young lady," the old man said nervously, urging her to drop it.
"You mean this guy?" Yuriko asked before gently lowering the snake onto the ground. "He's harmless, see?"
"I suppose that explains it," the old man said while scratching his partly grey hair. "My horse here is deathly afraid of snakes."
"Isn't it dangerous travelling alone out here, sir?" Takae asked.
"No need to worry. I'm used to this area since I live nearby," he replied.
"Do you mean in the town of Toa, the one half a day away?" Miyuki asked.
"Yes," he answered. "Are you all heading there as well?"
They nodded.
"Visiting family? Looking for work?" he asked.
"It's... kind of hard to explain," Izumi replied awkwardly while avoiding his gaze.
The old man noticed their sudden discomfort and wisely chose not to pry any further.
Instead, he smiled and said, "If that's where you're headed, why don't I give you all a lift as thanks for helping me out?"
"Are you sure?" Miyuki asked. "Wouldn't we just be a burden to you?"
"That's nonsense," he replied, waving away her concern. "What kind of man would I be if I left my saviours to walk when we're headed to the same destination?"
He chuckled softly before adding,
"Besides, you'll get there much faster riding with me than on foot."
Despite their hesitation, they eventually agreed, and before long they had helped him pull the cart back onto the road along with all the bags of rice.
Once everything was set, they all climbed onto the back, and the wagon took off once more.
"There sure is a lot of rice," Izumi noted, balancing two bags on his lap like the others. "Are you a merchant?"
"I am," the old man replied, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "Have been since I was your age."
"So what's it like?" Lloyd asked.
"If I'm being honest, it's mostly just moving from village to village and trading," he replied. "The constant travelling has made me age faster than I should have."
He stretched while still holding the reins with one hand.
"I'm just relieved to finally be heading home," he continued. "It's been almost a year since I last left."
Up until then they had been riding uphill, unable to see what lay ahead. But once the slope began to level out, the view finally opened before them.
A large settlement rested in the distance.
The kind that the group—except for Lloyd—had never seen before.
He looked at them staring in awe and quietly chuckled to himself. Even so, seeing it from afar stirred a strange sense of longing within him. His smile didn't disappear, but it faded slightly.
The wagon began rolling downhill toward the town. As they drew closer, he could make out the stone walls surrounding part of it.
"Does that wall cover the entire town?" he asked.
"No," the old man replied. "Most of the town's surroundings are dense forest and uneven terrain, so only the entrance side is enclosed for a few hundred meters or so. It helps the Doshin control entry into the town."
"Who are they?" Takae asked.
"They're armed guards tasked with maintaining order in the town," he explained.
"They're not part of some larger army?" Lloyd asked.
"No. Their role is only to keep the peace," he replied. "There are some stationed at the entrance ahead who inspect people entering the town and keep suspicious folk out."
He tilted his head back just enough to notice the worried looks beginning to spread across their faces.
"Don't worry," he added. "They won't give you any trouble if you're with me."
They chose to trust his words, though the uncertainty still lingered.
By the time they reached the gate, they were all noticeably tense.
The wagon rolled to a stop, and two young men wearing orange kimono and black hakama approached them. Swords hung at their waists.
One of them walked up to the old man and casually said,
"Old man Ito, you're back already?"
"You sure seem disappointed about that," he replied in a sour tone. "And I thought I told you to stop calling me old man."
He flexed his arm proudly.
"I'm still in my prime, as you can clearly see."
"Of course," the guard replied mockingly. "Young man Ito."
He turned to the passengers and asked, "Who are they?"
"They're just relatives of a friend of mine I met on the way here," the old man replied.
"Is that right?" the guard asked skeptically.
"What now? First you call me an old man and now a liar too?" he shot back.
"Just let them through before the young man here blows a fuse," the other guard said, forcing his companion to back down.
"Don't stay away too long or you'll forget the way home," the first guard muttered as he ushered them through.
The old man didn't answer and only responded with the same sour look on his face.
Once they were past the gate, he turned back toward them and said,
"See? I told you there was nothing to worry about."
He flashed them a bright smile along with a thumbs up that they awkwardly returned.
Looking ahead, there were buildings as far as the eye could see and people moving through every corner of the streets.
"Wow, this place is huge!" Yuriko exclaimed as she stared around at everything they passed. "I've never seen this many people before."
"Why?" Lloyd asked. "Are towns like this rare around here?"
"Extremely rare," the old man replied. "And this town is considered old at that."
"How old?" Izumi asked.
"It's nearing a hundred and twenty years."
"No wonder it got so big," Takae said while looking over the crowds filling the streets.
The wagon continued through the town until it suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
Lloyd had been staring absentmindedly at the roadside stalls when it happened. He turned along with the others and saw a procession of shrine maidens in ceremonial kimonos passing in front of them.
He found himself intrigued by them, though not enough to ask questions, and so he turned away again, ready to continue drifting through his thoughts.
That was when he felt it.
A subtle yet ominous sensation crawled up his spine.
He looked back toward the procession and noticed a palanquin being carried by four men alongside the shrine maidens.
Though elegant and eye-catching, he was certain it wasn't the palanquin itself that had unsettled him.
So he kept searching.
Then his gaze locked onto the maiden sitting inside.
Unlike the others, she wore even more elaborate ceremonial garments that immediately set her apart.
Something about her felt wrong.
Not outwardly threatening.
Just... wrong.
Almost as if sensing his stare, she slowly turned her head toward him.
Their eyes met.
Her calm, controlled gaze sent a chill through his entire body, but he didn't look away.
Then, without warning, a small smirk appeared across her lips before she turned away again as though he had never been there at all.