"Is anyone there?" Fen yelled outside the tent.

  This was the fourth residence they'd visited since talking to Hyark, and they had yet to encounter another creature.

  "Hello?" Fen called out, louder this time.

  Fen had led them deeper into the outskirts, further away from the "inner city," the walled-in part of what the locals considered Modonia proper. Closer to the inner city, the living conditions weren't terrible -- not nearly as pristine as the streets surrounding the municipal building Taka and his companions were staying in, but not destitute. But the roads Fen led them down to reach the places further down on his list were. Sick beggars crouched down next to crumpling buildings, the bug eyes of malnourished children peered from alleyways, and gangly-looking beast folk sized their party up before they saw Zirko and realized that it wasn't worth the trouble.

  Fen looked around, then snuck a peek inside the tent. Zirko posted up in front of him, facing away.

  "Anything?" Maeve asked.

  Fen had taken a liking to Maeve, so she had assumed the role of go-between between the beaver man and the rest of their group, mainly because he wasn't as snappy when he spoke to the fox girl. For whatever reason, whether that be the lie that Maeve was Lady Xesha, Jukartha's niece, or that Fen was just attracted to her, Fen was much more considerate towards Maeve compared to the rest of their party.

  Fen's head re-emerged from the tent, "nothing. Not a trace."

  Zirko let out a huff, the same sound he made each time they failed to acquire any new or useful information along their search route at each of the sites for the missing creatures. Fen side-eyed him, but neither man said a word aloud. There was a strange tension between them, but Taka didn't know why.

  The next two searches went similarly. The first was a lean-to that Taka found to be uncharacteristically well-decorated, but once again, no one was there. The next was another tent, but this one bore marks of a struggle. Taka's excitement at potential clues simmered down after seeing Fen's uninterested reaction.

  "Clues?" Taka asked aloud.

  The beaver man turned toward him, "not yet," Fen said. "The damage here is well within the expected parameters, and there doesn't look or feel to be anything else that could be of use."

  Taka nodded with the golem's head. Fen's brief explanation made sense -- they were abducted by the same group that attacked Kronkswell, presumably. That didn't sit right in Taka's stomach, but it made sense that damage was to be expected to the residences.

  "One more," Fen said as he set off, leaving the rest of their party to scamper to catch up with him.

  The last residence to investigate for the day was a hut that was even smaller than the house Hyark lived in, with a door barely sitting in its frame, the hinges holding on by a thread.

  "Anyone home?" Fen called out and banged on the door,

  Taka could hear the creaking of the floorboards and looked to Fen, who took a step back and fell into line with Zirko, Taka flanking him.

  From inside, the door cracked open, and all Taka could see were bright, emerald eyes and large, floppy ears.

  It's a kobold, Syla sent to Taka, surprising to see one of them around here.

  Why? Taka replied. And aren't kobolds more... scaly?

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  Syla cocked their head at the worm.

  What? Syla sent. No, kobolds are dog folk. Be careful around them, though, they can smell lies. Literally.

  Really? Taka asked, his nerves rising a bit. Ever since he used his CHARM skill on Hyark to obtain more information, it felt like he was carrying some burden with him, one he had yet to understand. It wasn't guilt, or at least, not just guilt. It could've been a combination of any number of things, but for a while now, a weight was growing within Taka's chest. He wasn't sure exactly when it started, or how it grew, but he could feel it now. The Burden, he decided to call it.

  "What do you want?" The kobold asked as he took in their party: a beaver man, a lizard man, a fox girl, what appeared to be an orc priestess, and a worm. To Taka, even listing off all the different species that their party was comprised of sounded like the start to a bad joke, but in terms of utility, there was a large number of spells and Divine Arts that at least one of them could use.

  Taka took a good look at the kobold and realized it was just a kid, like so many of the other street urchins living off pennies in the further reaches of the outskirts. His mind was beginning to lose focus, and he kept having to actively remind himself what their goal was and what he was doing there.

  "We're looking for an 'Eylen Zorf,' do you know her?" Fen asked.

  The kobold was about to answer, but stopped mid-breath, "I have to wait for my mother to come home. Or my father. They're both working right now."

  "But you know an Eylen Zorf, yes?" Fen pressed.

  The kobold boy paused for a moment, then nodded his head.

  "Then who--" Fen began.

  "--Please come back in a few days when my parents are back," the kobold interrupted before shutting the door in Fen's face. The kobold didn't slam it shut, but the motion was far from gentle. Fen turned back to the rest of the group, offended by the kobold's action.

  "Well, that was a bit unnecessary," Fen said, "a simple no would've sufficed."

  Before Taka could ask if they should try knocking again, Fen had already set off; the beaver man didn't waste much time. Maeve and Syla followed as Taka stared at the latest residence, trying to work the uneasy feeling in his stomach. Zirko stayed behind, patiently waiting for the worm.

  Taka thought about using his CHARM skill on the kobold boy to make him at least more inclined to talk, but shut the thought down. He felt queasy thinking about Hyark's reaction to being released from CHARM, and how paranoid she appeared after the skill broke off.

  Using his CHARM and FEAR skills made sense to Taka while training against goblins and other monsters in the forest, but today was the first time he had successfully used his CHARM skill on another living person. His stomach lurched at the thought of Zirko being mind-controlled in a similar, yet much more extreme manner, and a chill went down his spine. He didn't know much about goblins, but he had landed the final blow on at least two of them, for training with Deon, but still in cold blood. What makes their lives any less valuable than my own? How much intelligence do goblins actually have, and does that even matter when it comes to the sanctity of life? Taka could feel himself starting to spiral, so he took a few breaths, just like his mom had taught him to when he was a child. He missed her. Simply knowing he could always call her if anything went wrong was a comfort he took for granted and now missed as much as his own body.

  Sir Filo, Zirko sent. We should go.

  Yes, let's, Taka responded as he took one last look at the hut.

  The walk back to the municipal building was uneventful. There were more slums in the outskirts, and Taka had to maneuver the golem around young children who ran beneath his legs and tried to sneak up behind Zirko, the key word being tried. Although their group stood out and drew attention for the eclectic mix of species they had gathered into one party, they were intimidating enough, both physically and magically, to ward off anyone looking for an easy score.

  At the entrance of the municipal building, Fen led their group inside and parted ways at the front desk, citing work he had to do that didn't concern their investigation.

  "I'll see you all again tomorrow, don't be late," Fen said before slipping away.

  Taka and his companions made their way up to their rooms, Taka's chest still feeling heavy as they walked. When they got to their rooms, each prepping for the coming days in their free evening, Taka couldn't shake the feeling. All throughout dinner and the rest of the night, he could feel The Burden in his stomach, something that had been growing for weeks, but had only now become a problem that impeded his thinking.

  As he tried to sleep that night, he kept thinking about the creatures he'd hurt and manipulated, and how even if at the time he didn't feel right about what he was doing, he still went through with it and didn't really look back.

  Why? Taka asked himself as he faded into sleep...

  The Burden... I hope you're enjoying reading this story as much as I am writing it! If you like what you're reading, please drop a follow or maybe review this wormy story! As always, if you have any other suggestions about anything, or thoughts or questions or just want to say hi, please do so in the comments! Thanks for reading : ))