Inari took a long drink before bobbing his head in answer. “I put a small protective ward on my door, but it did not stop them. It was a trivial bit of magic so, in hindsight, I am not surprised it did nothing to halt them. As they had before, they dissolved into mist, and they seeped through the gaps around the door. Once inside, they took form and ransacked my home. They did not stop until they had their fill. My kills, my food, were taken. Yet they still did not seem pacified. At least they left me be.”
“That’s why you were desperate. If your offerings were not enough… What about last night?”
“Last night, I left out more offerings. I made a point of hunting more to ensure there would be enough. Again, more of them came, and they took them. Still, they did not seem happy with it. It was not enough. I watched them march eastward.”
“Towards Littlewatch.” Aloisia exchanged a glance with Tristan.
“They seemed restless. Unfulfilled. As if they had been waiting too long.”
Aloisia turned this information over in her mind, plucking at the bandage across her palm.
“Your hand.” The shaman gestured to it. “Are you hurt?”
She tucked her palm under her armpit. “No, it’s fine.”
“If it requires healing, I can help.”
“No,” she said, a little too sharply.
Tristan raised a brow in a silent question. Whilst Inari’s knowledge had proven somewhat useful thus far, she did not trust him enough to speak of the marking. Not yet.
“Are there any other beings you have seen within these woods?” she asked.
“Such as?” Inari sipped his whiskey.
“Blue flames. Anything like that?”
“Ah.” He grinned. “As there is darkness, so too shall there be light.”
“What are they?”
“Much like the Dusk Dwellers, they have many names. Some call them wisps. My people called them Dawn Dwellers. Not gods, as such. More benevolent spirits. They are the counterbalance to the Forgotten Gods. While they may not be gods themselves, they are powerful beings. As one rises, so too does the other. Such is the balance in all things.”
“Did they show up around the same time as the Forgotten Gods?” she asked.
Inari nodded. “Though they cannot face them directly, as far as the legends state, the wisps are always present where the Forgotten Gods are. They are, by far, more friendly. And do not demand offerings.”
“Would you say they would be capable of harming someone?”
“The wisps?” Inari frowned. “Perhaps. However, I do not think they would be so inclined. The Forgotten Gods, on the other hand…”
Aloisia paced back and forth, her arms wrapped about herself, considering his words. It was a lot of information all at once. But she felt closer to the truth. And getting confirmation these apparitions were real made her feel a little less mad.
“Is that it for your questions?” Inari asked.
“I think so, yes.” Aloisia turned to Tristan, who looked pointedly at her hand.
“Lis…”
She scowled at him. “For now, yes.”
“For now?” The shaman chuckled. “I am afraid my offer was a one-time thing. I cannot guarantee I will be so… gracious in future.”
Tristan stood. “Lis, what about—”
“Enough,” she snapped.
He fell silent. Inari glanced between them, his brow furrowed, as he took a long drink from his cup.
