Irredeemable

Town

With nowhere to go, Gravel kept walking. As they walked, they stared at the charm that had found its way into their care. They knew that the power to infinitely generate soul could prove useful, but they were still left wondering who would value it so much, as to kill someone and nearly set fire to all of Hallownest.

The smith had given them one task: don't let them take it. Yet, he hadn't bothered to mention who. This made them rather uneasy. They had always made sure to avoid towns, since agents of the king may be lying in wait, but now they were even more hesitant than before. Even surveilling a town could prove catastrophic.

Despite this, they knew they were running low on... everything. Perhaps visiting a smaller town for some supplies would prove a good idea. If they were lucky, maybe they could find out more about the charm they held. It took quite some time for them to find a suitably small town, away from most bugs. Their bad luck streak finally came to an end in the resting grounds, where they encountered a small community that looked like it relied solely on itself, without producing nearly enough. It wasn't the greatest of places to stock up, but Gravel knew beggars can't be choosers.

As they walked into town, they looked up at the archway sign marking the entrance. Reading was a bit of a struggle for them, but they eventually figured out that it read "Sombre Town." It was a fitting name for a tiny community, especially one in the resting grounds. With nowhere else in town to go, they made their way to one of the only buildings in town marked with a sign. After deciphering the name, "Sombre General Store" they entered the store.

A bell chimed quietly when they entered, alerting the store's owner to their presence. They seemed kind enough; old, smiling, seemingly harmless, all the boxes were checked. Gravel quickly made their way through the store, grabbing only what they needed, as their geo was... limited, to say the least. They brought the owner a hooded cloak, a tent, and a few medical supplies.

"Seems you'll be headed out soon." The owner said, as he calculated the price.

"Any destination?"

With no other way to respond, Gravel shook their head. Using most of their geo, they finished the purchase.

"Well that's unfortunate. We have an inn here, if ya wish to stay the night."

As tempting as the prospect of a bed was, they knew they had to keep moving. As they turned to leave, the bell chimed again. Three relatively large beetles entered the store and the lead beetle made sure the owner knew it.

"Otis! My favorite shop owner!" He began, slowly.

"You can cut the act, Eritt. We both know why you and ya friends are here." Otis responded.

"What? After all we've done for you and the rest of Sombre Town, you think we're no better than low down thieves? I'm hurt, Otis, I really am."

Otis chuckled. "If ya don't plan on taking anything, how'd ya know what I was thinking?"

With no better answer to the question, Eritt grabbed a few items from the store. "We're just collecting the tax this town owes us."

With that, they walked out, leaving no room for further debate. Otis made sure to explain the situation to their small, confused customer.

"Ya see, a few years after the town was founded, we ran into a bit of an issue. A terrible beast, a Mawlek, decided that it had more claim here than us. When three mercenaries showed up and accepted our plea for their aid, they were hailed as heroes. But the power went to their head, and now... I wonder if we were better off with the Mawlek."

Gravel left the store and prepared to return to the wilderness. Hopefully, with their current supplies, they wouldn't need to stock up again for a while. Yet, as they stepped out of the town limits, they felt the need to stay. Why? They had what they needed. There was nothing else to get. No. It was the mercenaries. They couldn't stand to see them continue to terrorize and pillage the town. They couldn't believe themselves, choosing to risk their own life for the sake of a tiny town that wasn't in any actual danger.