Atonement's Path

Chapter_13: Lia

Bane dashed back to the carriage as fast as he could. "What's going on?" he exclaimed, frightened.

In the meanwhile, Drake:

Drake observed something when speaking with some locals. "What's up with the people wearing a band with red eye?" he wondered.

A young woman approached Drake and inquired, "Are you a tourist?" Drake said, "Yes, yes."

The lady had a slim figure, brown long hair, dark blue eyes, and appeared to be in her late twenties.

Drake questioned the lady, "Do you know why people wore these masks?"

"It's a celebration of our pasts, and we're not the only village to do so; parts of the region do as well," the woman explained.

"What about these people with bands with a red eye? Are they part of the celebration?" Drake asked again. "Well no, they're Empire soldiers," the woman said.

Drake was even more surprised. "Why is the Empire here now? Are they the ones who attacked us?" he wondered.

While Drake was thinking about the Empire, a large crowd rushed towards them, screaming.