Book Eight: Chapter 115

The town or hamlet, whatever it was called, looked like it was straight out of a medieval movie. People, all of them pale and sickly, stared in awe at the group as they were led toward the center of town. There was a large fountain there. People were bathing in the reservoir and filling buckets with fresh water from a basin in the middle.

“Come, come, are you thirsty?” Finley pushed people out of the way. “This is our fountain, it’s magical! The water comes from a spring somewhere deep underground.”

“Er...” Mike looked at Nyx.

“It is safe to drink,” she said. “This fountain was here...before.” No sooner had she spoken did Finley vault over the rim of the fountain to wade toward the middle. Men and women got out of his way, too busy gawking at Mike and the others.

“There are no old people here,” Sofia whispered. “I don’t see any children, either.”

“The young ‘uns are being kept further away from this place,” declared Cecilia.

“That’s because they’r