“Well, Zendric was a foremost expert on monsters,” the Swamp Witch went on. “Not that I doubt your amazing prowess in battle, but I daresay that if you want to find and fight these ‘dog-men’ and save your townspeople, Zendric is your wizard.”

Evin leaned back and smiled. Suddenly their quest to find the dog-men didn’t seem so impossible. “The wizard Zendric,” he said. “And Curston. Got it.”

“Good,” the old woman said, then adjusted the kerchief around her wrinkled face. “Now, seriously lads, leave me alone. You’re making my third eye twitch.”

Jorick’s forehead crinkled. “Your third … What?”

But the old woman had resumed ignoring them, bustling across the sludge-covered ground to continue her shopping.

Brow still furrowed, Jorick looked up at Evin. “Do you really think we can trust that woman?” he whispered. “She’s totally crazy!”

Evin bit his lip. “Well, I don’t know what else we can do. We don’t really have any other plan, and Curston isn’t far. A wizard who’s an expert on monsters would be really helpful.”

“Are you sure?” Jorick asked. “I just remembered that my dad took me to Curston once. That place is in total ruins. There’s nothing there. Why would some famous wizard live there?”

Evin shrugged. “I have no idea. But we have to try if we want to save our families.”

Jorick looked down and his voice fell. “You think if we do this, we’ll find my dad?”

“I’m sure of it. We go to Curston, and then we’ll find your dad, all right?”

Jorick glanced up and watched the Swamp Witch croak in glee upon discovering a jar of dried chickens’ feet.

“All right,” Jorick said. “But first can we find some food before that witch takes it all?”

Chapter Five

Evin and Jorick salvaged as many food supplies as they could from the mayor’s storehouse and the few homes that weren’t completely decimated, and retreated back into the woods to sleep. They were both overcome with exhaustion after the long day, and with the clouds covering the night sky it had proven far too dark to travel.

Lying on hard-packed dirt and with rocks digging into his side, Evin thought he’d never get to sleep. Soon, however, he found himself dozing off, his discomfort forgotten in his exhaustion.

Evin dreamed that he was in a giant broken-down house. At first he thought it was the inn, but the building was in too much squalor, and it stank. His parents would never let the inn fall into such disrepair.

In the dream, Evin walked through the halls of giant house, looking through open doorways. There were many other kids huddled in cramped rooms, from babies to teenagers, all wearing worn-out clothes and grumbling about their hunger. Everything seemed gray, and he felt a dreadful sense of unease.