[Jaykobell]

The two figures stood in front of the raggedy gate. Just as they had heard, the place almost looked abandoned. Certainly, no one had been here in a long time.

"This is it?"

Both figures were heavily dressed, layers on top of layers — so much so that no skin or hair could be seen on neither of them. However, the one who had spoken in a quiet voice was the one clad in greens and browns, and the tallest of the two.

[The Front Gate - 1]

[Jaykobell]

The second figure was dressed similarly, save for minor details that differed. They were smaller, for one thing, and their colors were mostly reds and blacks. They eyed the small ad they had in their gloved hands. "Yep," they answered, and they looked up at the gate once they had folded the paper and put it away in a pocket. "Fits the address and the general looks of it."

The green one crossed their arms pensively, looking over the gate in silence.

The two of them looked on in silence, standing still, and not going in despite this being their destination.

[The Front Gate - 2]

[Jaykobell]

"U-umm..."

A soft-spoken voice called out to the two figures who were looking up at the large gate.

A smaller, more timid figure approached. Compared to the dark figures ahead, he was dressed in beiges and whites, with just minimal accents in black. It was a stark contrast, and so was his demeanor.

The two figures turned around. "Ah, Caraway!" the red figure spoke. "Here you are. Come along!" they instructed, motioning with a hand for the pale plague doctor to walk up and join them on this mission. "We shouldn't waste time!"

[The Front Gate - 3]

[Jaykobell]

With the instructions spoken, the red figure headed on inside and through the gate. The green one had turned around to look back at Caraway as well, but they followed after the red figure shortly after they had crossed past the gate.

"A-ah, r-right!" Caraway replied, and he scrambled onward through the snow in order to follow along. Wearing boots did help walking in this sort of weather, but the cold would soon seep through his clothes, he was sure. Despite all the layers, they weren't quite meant for cold temperatures.

[The Front Gate - 4]

[Jaykobell]

When Caraway caught up to the two older figures, he fiddled with his hands nervously. "Um..." he mumbled, mostly to himself, eyes looking down at the ground. "Briar?" he called out, looking up to look towards the red figure ahead of him. "Wh-why are we here?"

The red figure abruptly stopped in their tracks, and the green one followed, angling their mask towards Briar. With a swift movement, Briar turned around to face Caraway. "I'm glad you asked!" they announced, raising an arm up in the sky, their finger pointing upward. "Honestly, I'm not sure."

[The Front Gate - 5]

[Jaykobell]

Caraway awkwardly stopped in his own tracks, and then he stared. The answer is one he had heard before, and yet, it still left him flabbergasted every time he heard it. "Wh-what do you... mean?" he asked hesitantly, unsure if he really wanted an answer.

"Well, there might be something worth checking out here," Briar answered, shrugging nonchalantly. "Or there might not be." They put both hands against their hips, satisfied with their explanation.

Caraway, meanwhile, was still in the dark as their purpose for being here. And despite wearing a mask that hid any sort of facial expression, his silence and his body language were plenty to convey his confusion.

[The Front Gate - 6]

[Jaykobell]

Seeing Caraway's confusion, the green figure took over. "We found a flyer talking about this place," they explained, their quiet voice muddled all the more by their mask. "We thought it might be worth investigating."

Caraway looked up towards the taller figure, and he was grateful for a clearer explanation to their purpose for being here. Even then, it did take him a second to put two and two together. "Ah, so you mean..." he said quietly, hesitating to add more before speaking again. "If they're...?"

The two colored figures looked back at him silently, seemingly frozen in place.

[The Front Gate - 7]

[Jaykobell]

"Right!" came a loud, sudden answer from Briar. "Just as Fiore said," they confirmed with a nod. "So there might be nothing to worry about here, but there possibly could be something. And so we're here!"

"I-I see." Caraway took a moment to look around them now that they had passed the gate. There was a forest nearby, as well as a barn and a farmhouse. It looked a little barren besides those locations, but there was some movement around — others who had heard of the flyer, for sure.

[The Front Gate - 8]

[Jaykobell]

Of course, Caraway assumed whoever was here was here for their own reasons. And meanwhile, there was something else they needed to figure out. "So where are we going from here?" he asked, looking around and then settling on the two figures.

"There's a few places to check out!" Briar agreed, and they turned around to look at the different places around here. "Perhaps..."

As they touched on the subject, Caraway noticed Fiore turning their attention towards the forest just a little ways away. The trees shone in the sunlight thanks to the snow and frost all over their branches and pines.

[The Front Gate - 9]

[Jaykobell]

It was obvious to Caraway that Fiore wanted to go explore that area first, and maybe they had been about to suggest it; but they had no time to say anything before Briar spoke again. "That barn looks like the perfect first step!" And without giving the others time to argue, they headed onward towards it. "Come on!"

Caraway immediately felt bad as Fiore looked away from the forest and towards Briar in silence, and he wondered if they regretted keeping quiet. "Briar," they spoke out, "I don't think we should start there."

[The Front Gate - 10]