Scola

Nestled amidst the foothills of some mountains, lay the eccentric settlement of Scola. Unlike most villages, Scola wasn't built for farmers or craftsmen. It was a haven for a peculiar breed of adventurers, a melting pot of elves seeking whispers of the past and humans with a thirst for buried treasure.

Scola was located in Central Artiyaem, to the south of Ulloin. Central Artiyaem had a concentrated number of ruins, ranging from cities, castles, temples, and even tombs.

For the elves of Scola, the lure of the ancient ruins wasn't riches, but lineage. Driven by a deep desire to reconnect with their forgotten history, they delved into crumbling temples and deciphered cryptic murals.

Each artifact unearthed, each inscription translated, was a piece of the intricate puzzle of their elven heritage. They were living archaeologists, their pursuit not of material wealth but of cultural identity. 

Humans, on the other hand, were drawn to Scola by the whispers of legendary lost cities and forgotten tombs. These treasure hunters, some driven by genuine academic curiosity, others by pure greed, formed a motley crew. They were skilled, adept at deciphering ancient maps and navigating treacherous landscapes.

Their evenings were filled with tales of past expeditions, whispered rumors of lost civilizations, and heated debates about the location of the next big score.

Despite their seemingly disparate goals, elves and humans in Scola coexisted in a unique symbiosis. The elves, with their keen eyesight and uncanny ability to decipher ancient languages, guided expeditions through crumbling structures. 

Humans, with their resourcefulness, cleared treacherous pathways and provided muscle during excavations. The spoils were often shared, the elves receiving artifacts of cultural significance, and the humans claiming a fair share of any unearthed treasures.

Life in Scola wasn't for the faint of heart. Expeditions were fraught with the danger of collapsing tunnels, ancient traps, and the occasional disgruntled guardian spirit left over from a bygone era.

Yet, for the residents of Scola, the thrill of discovery outweighed the risks. Each unearthed secret, whether a forgotten elven ritual or a chamber overflowing with gold, was a testament to the enduring power of the past.

The first thing Silax noticed when he entered the village was the group of people in black uniforms. 

'What are the Crimson Hounds doing here?'

The Crimson Hounds were an elite group of vampyre hunters, not much was known about them, they preferred to keep to themselves. Their operatives were capable of tracking down vampyres and uncovering their lair, infiltrating without being discovered, and taking out the vampyres.

Callon noticed where Silax was looking and then slapped his head like he had forgotten something important.

"Totally skipped my mind, heard there was another attack last night in Ulloin, this time it was a mother and her child. The Hounds were able to kill the ghoul that was reponsible."

Silax walked past the hunters, not making eye contact.

"Then what are they here for? Shouldn't they be back in their sanctuary or wherever it is they go during the day?"

"That's the thing, seventeen people were attacked within the last two weeks before the ghoul was killed."

Silax turned to look at him with a questioning look on his face.

"That doesn't make sense, ghouls only need to feed on one person, and that could last them days."

"Exactly, that's why the Hounds are out here, far away from Ullion, they are trying to find its lair, cause it's definitely not alone. Right?" 

Not waiting for a response, he continued.

"Although I'm not so sure about their chances, these attacks have been going on for weeks and they weren't able find them, also ghouls are very good at hiding their lairs."

At this point the group were already out sight.

"I wouldn't underestimate them if I were you, there's a reason they are known as specialized vampyre hunters. The might not have thought the vampyre problem had made its way to Ullion before, but with these amount of deaths, it's not just a lone vampyre or some ghouls, there's definitely a coven involved."

Callon was intrigued by Silax use of ghoul and vampyre like they were different creatures.

"I never understood why people differentiated between ghouls and vampyres."

Silax looked at Callon, not surprised by is limited knowledge on the topic, very little was known to the public about the vampyres, even he only knew the little he knew because of the circles he moved in. 

"You wouldn't want an actual vampyre hearing you say that. Although they both feed on blood and can't survive under direct sunlight, there's a major difference between them. Ghouls are mindless creatures with only one thought; consume.

"One look at a ghoul and you would be able to tell that it was a dangerous creature. Vampyres on the other hand, are very intelligent, in fact they are known for their cunning and guile, and they could easily pass for human. You could be sitting next to one at tavern and you wouldn't know."

Callon shrugged his shoulders, balled his fists then took a boxing stance.

"Well, both should pray to never meet me in a dark alley, cause only one of us would be making it out, and it's not the bloodsuckers."

Silax smiled.

"I like your confidence, hopefully we never have to find out."

They had already gotten to their destination, The Dusty Tome, it was both the only tavern and inn in Scola. Its residents were scholars from across the land, bards seeking inspiration, sorcerers yearning for forgotten spells, and even the occasional noble looking to add a touch of history to their private collection (much to the chagrin of the elves).

Silax went in and found a spot to sit, but before he could sit, a middle-aged lady walked up to him.

"If it isn't my favorite elf."

She had a huge grin on her face and had her hair tied in a messy bun.

"A lovely evening to you too Mariam. Also, I'm probably the only elf that comes into this place."

Silax took of his jacket and sat down.

"I wonder why that is. Your kind always seem to avoid this place like the plague."

Silax had a look on his face like he was recalling old memories, his eyes lost focus for moment.

"Being surrounded by humans reminds me of home."

Mariam had a perplexed looked on her face but decided she didn't really care why this particular elf had no problem sitting amongst human and dining with them.

"So, the usual?"

"No, I'll have some rabbit stew with wild rice pilaf on the side, and spiced cider to drink."

That surprised Mariam, all the time Silax had ever eaten in here, he had never ordered a dish with meat in it.

"Don't be surprised, I do eat meat, I just have a preference to what kind, and The Dusty Tome doesn't have those on its menu."

"So why change that now?" Mariam asked.

"I have a feeling this will be my last meal at The Dusty Tome for a while. Same thing for my friend here, and instead of spiced cider a glass of sharbat."

She noted them down and went to get their meal.

Silax looked around as he waited for his meal, things were just like they always were here in The Dusty Tome, filled with weary travelers and patrons pouring over weathered maps and arguing over the legitimacy of the newly acquired "treasure maps", procured from dubious sources.

Five minutes later they got their meal, and they dug in. Silax ate in silence while pondering on the issue with the vampyres.

'If Jack truly has all the items, and the exploration of the ruin proves fruitful, then I will have the means to figure out a way back home. I just hope the issue of vampyres don't become too big in Ulloin, I have too little information on them. That's a variable I can't account for, there were no books on them in Aualis Athenaeum.' 

Callon looked like he wanted to say something, but he kept it to himself. He had noticed Silax didn't answer a lot of his questions whenever they were outside.

After finishing their meal, Silax and Callon stepped out of the tavern.

"No need for you to follow me back to my cabin, you should head back inside and get to bed."

Callon looked around to make sure there was no one around to hear him.

"I've got some things to ask you. It's concerning your conversation with Miss Mariam."

Silax knew what questions he had in mind, in the little time he had spent Callon, he knew the boy had an inquisitive nature. Asking question on every little thing he said. 

"It can wait till tomorrow, it's getting late. I'll come get you tomorrow and we'll head to Jack's together."

Callon had a look of dissatisfaction on his face and wanted to protest, but then he let out a yawn he couldn't stifle.

"Alright. Goodnight Silax."