“...This looks quite scary isn't it?” A voice of disturbance escaped from her mouth. Liliana inspected the deserted village in front of her.

Grasping her staff tightly, she turned his head to Darwyn. “What should we do?”

“Search the area.” He said. He ventured into the village with his usual pace, switching his gaze left to right.

“I couldn't feel anything at all. No presence of life nearby.” Shen's soft voice resonated through the empty village.

Smoke arises from Darwyn's helmet each time he breathes. “Let's split, you two go together, I will head this way.” He didn't wait for a reply and continued his pace.

A house with cracked walls, roof filled with holes, the door and window open. A peculiar village, one that he hadn't seen yet. He was curious, yes, but even so, he was vigilant. It was normal for a village to be abandoned. If monsters were too much, or if the place was cursed by an evil deity, people do not have a choice but to leave.

But we haven't detected any of those. He thought. The dust accumulated within his finger as he ran it through the table. The fragrance of something old wafted to his nose. There was a bed, sheets, and a couple of barrel of what he presumed to be alcohol.

Darwyn kneeled on the floor, looked under the bed, and saw... A smiling wooden string puppet with white eyes. He felt something evil from it. The limbs rattled as he violently nabbed it to take a closer look.

The jaw of the puppet could be moved up and down, its eye, though didn't have pupils, stared at him back. Darwyn extended his hand to his belt bag and pulled something out. A miniature symbol of Aversia.

“Aversia, preserver of law. May your presence come down, and we shall shower from its grace. Purify.”

He called for a miracle without a second thought. It was engulfed by a white light for a second, then something came out from the doll. A swirling black fog, it ran across the—.

“Aversia, preserver of law. By the power of your sword, shall I defend the weak! Holy Smite!”

Without showing even a tint of hesitation, he used his miracle and struck down the doll. He didn't know what it was, but he knows that it was evil, and evil does not deserve any mercy.

The black fog scattered as it dispersed within the air. He threw the doll viciously as it hit the wall. His impatience was showing when he walked faster than usual.

“Liliana! Shen!”

He heard a rustle behind him. He hastily turned back with his shield and sword ready.

“Um... What are you doing?” Met with the tired expression of Liliana, he let down his guard. Shen was standing beside her with a seductive smile.

“Are you perhaps worried about us?” Shen covered her mouth while saying “He-he-he.”

“I am.” He said blatantly. Shen's eyes widen in shock while Liliana blushed furiously. “Just what are you saying!” She said, placing her hand around her waist. “Just what are you up to Darwyn!?”

“Nothing. Did you perhaps saw some wooden dolls?”

With that, the two girls looked at each other. “We do.” Shen said anxiously, then she added: “I feel some dark spirit to the dolls, we decided to pile them up just in case you want to do something to it.”

“Haha! Thanks to the quick thinking of the main heroine, the party was saved from the troubles!” Liliana exclaimed.

She earned a laugh from Shen and a blank stare from Darwyn. “Good job.” He said.

“Praise me more!” Liliana said with a smug smile. Darwyn ignored her and headed to the pile of dolls as Shen guided him.

Right in the middle of the lonesome village, wooden dolls stack up to each other, all have the same design.

“Aversia, preserver of law. Provide me with your holiness to defeat the evil before me. Holy Light.”

The very image of his goddess materialized behind him, carrying the sword and scale she saw famous with. A bright blinding light penetrated even the deepest piece of the mountain of dolls.

The intense beacon started a fire, burning the wooden doll. Instead of a normal red fire, what rose was a black flame, the smoke created foul odor.

“What is that?” Liliana covered her nose with the hem of her robe and squinted her eyes.

“As I thought, they were infested with dark spirit. But to think that there's so many of them...” Shen darted her gaze to Darwyn, who stood straight before the flame. “What should we do, Darwyn?” Shen said.

It was already evening, and soon enough, it will be night. He crossed his arms, his foot tapping the ground. “We will spend the night here.” He said.

“A-are you sure? I mean, with those creepy dolls around...”

“I spotted a bathhouse nearby, but well, you have a poi—”

“Let's freaking go!” Liliana exclaimed. “Finally, we could take a bath!” She grasped the hands of Shen while jumping, her hair bounced as she did.

The freezing cold of the river, or any body of water, can cause the body to convulse uncontrollably. She knew it, she experienced personally, after all.

As a woman, it was heaven-sent for them to have something like a bath. Shen was glad, too, of course.

“But first, we gather firewoods...” Darwyn stopped his sentence, “We could've used the dolls to fuel the bath.” he said.

“That's a bit...”

“Don't suggest something scary!”

The water could have turn into black for all they know. But still, just the thought being able to cleanse their body puts a smile on the maiden's face.

***

Inside the barren village, a lone house glowed with a faint light. The sound of splashing and wood burning. Smoke rose from the chimney.

The steam covered the body of Shen and Liliana, soaking wet at hot water. Submerged, Liliana let out a small moan as her face melted into a sloppy smile.

“Haaa... Fwinwally...” Liliana said. A white cloth surrounded her slim yet elegant body.

“Fufufufu. A most anticipated bath, indeed.” Shen replied, her ears twitching. Just like Liliana, white clothing covered her body, but the length wasn't enough to cover it fully. Her generous bosom and her large behind, combined with her curvy hips was not something that can be contained.

Liliana reacted to this by closing her eyes, if she cannot see it, she will not have to envy it.

Since there was no way he could, or would join them, Darwyn managed the fire outside the bathhouse.

“I heard from the elders that hot water is good for the skin.” Shen dropped some knowledge that she picked up during her traveling alone.

“It would be good if there is some magic that can create a hot bath.” Liliana scooped water with both her hands. The transparent liquid showed her white palms.

“It is. But then, only wizards could use it.” Shen raised her head and saw the blue moon peeking through the window. Her hair was tied into a bun, the moonlight gently touched her.

“True. Speaking of magic. Do monks could use it?”

“Hhmm... I would say, technically.” Fixing her gaze at Liliana, Shen lifted her arms elegantly, droplets of water dripped down, and return to the hot bath.

“We use something called Chi” Tracing her body starting to her raised arm, then slowly moving into her chest. She moved gracefully, “It is the mana that flows inside our body,” she said.

“Using that, we could do something like this.” Then chopped the water without making a sound or causing it to billow.

“Amazing!” Liliana copied her but she could only do some loud sloshing noise. “We also did some years of intense martial arts training, of course.”

“Wow, I have no idea that monk have it hard.” Liliana's eyes sparkled with amazement. She's so freaking cool!

“But not as hard as the paladins though.” A certain big silent man appeared inside Shen's head, to which she chuckled.

“I heard that everyone could be a knight, but not everyone could be a paladin. After all, you need the support of the gods. And if you ask me, I would say that they are pretty hard to please.”

“You have to be both a warrior and a priest...” Liliana let out a breath, she faced the ceiling as she laid her back to the wall.

“Indeed. That is why I feel so relieved when I saw the holy symbol of Aversia in his shield. I really thought that A paladin of law, is the goddess watching me perhaps?”

“So that would explain why you acted so careless back then.” Indeed, Liliana always wondered why Shen would obey and agree to anything Darwyn said.

“Fufufu! Indeed. After all, being the servant of the goddess of the law herself could pretty much mean that you are a good person.”

“But what happened when a paladin did something bad?” Out of curiosity, Liliana asked. Shen tilted her head sideways as she pondered on what to say.

“I don't know really. I haven't heard a paladin breaking his vow. Let's ask Darwyn later.”

“Hahaha! Maybe he would say “They die” or something!”

The two laughed together. Their voices reached the ear of Darwyn, who was guarding the fire outside. Sitting beside the fire to ward off the cold, he threw another branch.

He took out his pouch and drunk from it without removing his helmet. They don't die. He thought, answering the question of Liliana.

They either repent.

Darwyn clenched his fist. Or abandoned by their gods.

Then from his belt bag, he caresses the holy symbol of Aversia. And if that happens, they are good as dead.

Once again, he spent the night with nothing but his cold steel armor covering him.