Chapter 14 — Denial in the Mayor's Hall
Norhollow's mayor's hall wasn't grand—just a two-story timber building with an uneven stone foundation, the wood so dark it looked scorched. Inside, the air smelled faintly of pipe smoke and damp wool.
Mayor Haldrin was a stocky man with thinning gray hair and the sort of eyes that always seemed to be measuring you. He sat behind a wide desk cluttered with papers, wax seals, and an untouched cup of tea.
Marcus stepped forward, planting his axe head on the floor with a solid thunk.
"We found your problem."
Haldrin's gaze swept over the mud-stained party, lingering on the cuts, bruises, and the dried streaks of blood. "Looks like you found more than that."
"We found a breeding ground," Lily said flatly. "In the marsh. Big one. And a breeder. It's organized, not random hunting. They're multiplying."
Haldrin's brows pinched together—but not in shock. "Breeding ground," he repeated, almost like testing the words. "You're certain?"
Selene stepped up beside Lily. "I know what I saw. Eggs, young—different forms. And a guardian that didn't follow us out of the marsh. That's planned behavior."
The mayor leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "You'll forgive me if I don't jump to conclusions. Dark sightings are rare here. The last was ten years ago."
Rowan folded his arms. "Then either your luck just ran out, or you've been ignoring a problem that's been building under your nose."
Haldrin's eyes narrowed. "Watch your tone, swordsman. This village survives on steady trade and stable nerves. If I start telling farmers there's a breeding ground in the marsh, they'll abandon their fields and spread panic to the next city by sundown."
Ethan frowned. "So you'd rather pretend nothing's wrong?"
The mayor's lips pressed into a thin line. "I'd rather handle things quietly. I'll send a small party to confirm what you saw."
Selene's voice sharpened. "A small party will die before they see half of what's in there."
Marcus's jaw worked, but he kept his tone level. "We lost time and blood getting you this warning. Don't waste it."
Haldrin didn't answer right away. His gaze moved from face to face, as if weighing something unsaid. "You've done your part. Rest here tonight. Leave the marsh to us."
Outside, the fog was lifting over Norhollow's streets, but the air felt heavier somehow.
"That went well," Rowan muttered.
"It went exactly as I expected," Lily replied. "He's hiding something."
Ethan glanced back toward the hall's dark windows. "Or he knows something. Either way… we can't just leave this alone."
The system chimed faintly in his head, not with an amplification, but with a single unreadable line:
[Danger proximity: Persistent]
He didn't like that. Not at all.