In Yael the arrival of the cooler seasons meant there was need for even more protections against the spirits. Esai was accustomed to such things since his childhood and was already helping his mother to paint talismans and to decorate the yard with colored stones that would ward off the property and distract the spirits with their vibrant colors. Spirits were playful and preferred colorful objects and were intrigued by their own reflections so even their pond on the property was thoroughly cleaned of weeds so that its reflective surface would shine under the light of Dafiel’s moon. Of course not everyone was quite so fearful and many rebellious teens found it more fun to prank others and ignore the threat of spirits. Esai found himself encountering such a group one night when a pair of girls ran past him with tears in their eyes. Esai had been finishing up some late night rounds in the village, mostly making certain that bells and talismans were hanging from the trees set in the four corners of the village, and he was surprised to see spirits chasing after the girl.

“What fools.” He murmured to himself before turning away. He knew some teens liked to wear masks and to chase through the village in the evenings after each other so Esai was content to just leave them be. If they wanted to play then they could play as much as they wanted and he prayed that Dafiel or Lurin wouldn’t punish them too severely for such disrespect. Perhaps even some of the spirits would be amused by the teens’ playful antics. However, he couldn’t get those frightened faces out of his mind and it was only after a few more steps towards home and away from the forest that he turned back around. She did seem really frightened. Even if it was a prank it was too much. As an evening breeze rattled the empty branches of the ghastly trees looming about him, Esai started running after the group. Something just wasn’t settling right within his heart and he knew that he couldn’t leave them alone. Thankfully his instincts were on point as he witnessed the masked teens running like a fire had been lit on their behinds away from the forest. However, the masked trio were alone and two of the group were missing. “The girls!” He cursed under his breath as he continued further into the forest and found the pair nestled beneath a larger tree, holding onto each other for dear life. A wirenth was growling as it stalked towards them, its sharp claws and teeth gleaming in the moonlight.

Esai quickly glanced about and grabbed the first thing that he spotted - a large fallen branch from an older tree. “Back off!” He yelled out loudly, his heart racing despite his best intentions to put on a brave face for the girls. If only he had some sort of weapon and not just a branch! Esai threw a rock towards the beast to grab its attention as well before swinging the branch in an arc before him to ward off the creature. “Get up and walk slowly away then run as soon as you hit those trees.” He instructed the girls as he kept his gaze on the wirenth and kept it away from them and focused on himself.

“Thank you, Esai!” Mirena whispered as she grabbed her sister and tugged her along after her through the trees. Once both girls were out of sight, Esai let out a breath and found himself at a loss of what to do. Did he keep swinging at the beast or make a run for it himself? I need to give them a few more moments. His body was sore but he was focused and determined to keep the wirenth back. It was only a few moments later that Esai found himself completely astounded whenever another howl broke through the forest and the wirenth actually backed away from him. Taking advantage of the moment, Esai tossed the branch towards the creature and bolted through the forest. He didn’t stop running until he was back in the safety of his family home where he collapsed on the floor with a loud groan. Keeping the wirenth away from the girl’s and keeping it from killing him had been exhausting, especially after a long day of work. Needless to say he expected that those boys would think twice about chasing anyone through town again for some silly prank, especially into the forest where the spirits waited for them in various forms like tonight.

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