The abandoned village

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[After multiple re-writes to make the village description less dry and boring here's the next chapter.]

“I see no reason to intentionally make things more difficult for ourselves, so let's go with the abandoned village.” Cassandra suggested.

“Sounds good to me.” Margaret agreed.

“Same.” Silvia also voiced her agreement.

“Very well. Just step in the portal, and don't worry about failing – it's just training, so it's no big deal. Good luck, girls!” The elf told them as he kept watching them from the side.

With Margaret leading the way the three young women stepped through the portal...

…and found themselves in a small abandoned village.

A quick look around revealed little of interest. They were standing in the middle of a small dirt square in the rough center of the village. Around them about twenty buildings could be seen, most of them small one-story houses made from wood. There was one particular building that was twice as big and twice as tall as the houses, likely a storage of some sort. There was also a building with stone walls and wooden roof, about as big as two of the small houses put next to each other. A sign on the door identified it as the local mercantile.

The last building was the only one that was entirely made from stone. It was two stories tall and the signs on the door and walls identified it as both the local tavern and the local inn. Probably also the home of the mayor, or whoever was in charge of the village. Cassandra guessed.

Around the village a forest could be seen. Both it and the village were unnaturally quiet, no sound to be heard and no movement to be seen.

There was a dirt road passing through the village, splitting it in two roughly equal parts. On their right, to the east, the road was completely empty. On their left, to the west, the road also seemed empty at first glance, but after a few seconds of looking Cassandra noticed something moving towards the village. “Any idea who or what that is?” She asked and pointed at what she had noticed.

“A group of creatures headed this way. A spell is hiding them from long-distance observation. I don't think we have a way to dispel it, so we will need to get close to find out more.” Margaret answered after a few moments of staring at the creatures moving in the distance.

“I can't be sure,” Silvia began “But I think the forest around the village is the same one we saw from the other portal, so entering it might be a bad idea. Still, the tower we're supposed to reach is to the west and somewhat to the north” she pointed with her hand towards the tall building in the distance “so either we risk the forest and whatever might be waiting for us inside it, or we take the road west, and risk facing the creatures we can't even see properly from here.”

“Alright, then,” Margaret started as she turned and faced her sister and her friend. “There are a few things we need to consider before we decide what to do next. First, we need to search the village – we might find some clue why there's no one here, and if we are lucky we might find something of use. Also, we need to make sure the village is really empty. If there's anyone still here, be it friend or foe, we need to know. Second, we should search the village's outskirts for anything of interest. And last, but definitely not least, we need to find out more about the suspected enemies headed this way. Also, we need to decide if we should stay together, or split up so we can save some time. Cass, I think you are the best choice for investigating our 'guests'.”

“A dress is not the kind of clothing I would have chosen for this kind of task, but I doubt we'll find anything better in the village, so I'll do what I can. At least it's green, so it might help me blend in with the bushes in the forest, if I have to hide.”

“So, what should we do first?” Asked Silvia.

Vote: What should Cassandra, Margaret and Silvia do now?

[Not going to list all the possibilities, as that would take too long. Simply suggest whichever course of action you consider best.]

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