"How many villages and towns are there in Valeria?" to visit every one of them would take time.

"Around fourteen I believe. Though I don't remember now clearly because some of the villages have either joined themselves or the existing ones have split up to form a much smaller colony," he answered as they made their way down the road. 

She looked at the village where the lanterns didn't burn outside the houses. It was as if everyone had decided to head to bed early which made it somewhat…

"Do you sense something?" Penny asked him. Her ears allowed her to pick only the sound of crickets and the rustling of the leaves which moved against each other. Valeria was much sunnier in comparison to Bonelake during the time of day until the time of evening which wasn't something Bonelake had. 

"Villages being quiet or the owl hooting on the other side of the tree?" Damien asked her, his dark red eyes making it look almost black because of the night. 

"The village. What time is it?" she had been so busy trying to figure out what the Artemis was up to as well as caught up with her own feelings that she hadn't gone to check what time it was. 

"Almost touching seven. Look," Damien pointed out the large tower clock that was moving its second hand up above and far from where they stood, "The village here is sure quiet. Do you think people will mind if we go and knock on the door?"

"Why would you do that?" Penny asked him, her eyes looking at the village like him as they continued to walk. 

"For joy," came out the dull voice of Damien and he yawned loud enough that he could have gathered attention who were around them but in the entire village where the houses were located they were the only ones, "It is awfully quiet. I don't think I have come here but only pa.s.sed by it."

"Did you see people at that time?" she asked him. 

"I did. It wasn't this deserted. Let's go meet the magistrate to see what is going," saying this, they headed towards the magistrate's office which would be much better looking than the houses that were made of mud and stones. 

When they did reach the magistrate's office, they caught sight of a woman who sat behind the desk. Penny was surprised to see a woman in the magistrate's seat for a change. She appeared to be cutting vegetables though instead of signing parchments or papers unlike other magistrates she had met so far. 

Hearing their footsteps, the woman raised her head from the vegetables to look at the couple who arrived. 

Damien put up a bright smile seeing the stern look on the woman's face, "Good evening, milady."

"Good evening," the woman responded back. Her eyes darted to look at both the man and woman who had appeared in front of her, "How can I help you?" though she had been cutting vegetables she didn't mind being caught by it.

"You must have been a new appointee. I didn't see you the last time I was here," Damien's words made Penny slightly frown. A while ago he had told her how he had only pa.s.sed through this village and hadn't actually walked through in here. 

"I was a.s.signed two months ago. You must have visited before that," came the sharp reply of the woman. By the looks of it, Penny deduced that the magistrate lady was a human. Her eyes were a mix of gold and brown making it look like honey. 

The pureblooded vampire nodded his head, "I guess so too. It has been a while since I last visited. I am Councilman Damien Quinn and this is my subordinate Councilwoman Penelope. We are here to look at some of the recent case files. You wouldn't mind showing us the files, would you?" he asked her. 

"I haven't seen you before nor have I received any intimation about your visit. I will need proof that you are from the council," the magistrate lady appeared to be more strict than b.u.t.tering the council members who had arrived here. But Damien didn't have it. Even if he did, they would need to show one for Penelope and the woman would take it to be a suspicious act. 

"What proof do you have that you're part of the council?" Damien smiled, his eyes flickering at her and a smile plastered on his face. They should have gotten written seal by Lord Alexander, thought Penny to herself. 

The woman was about to pull out the drawer when Damien raised his hand to say, "Councillors and the magistrate cards can be falsified and faked. You don't think I would just believe it. For a magistrate, you have turned it to your house. Where are the guards of the village?" Damien tried to intimidate the woman by making use of the facts that could get her into trouble. 

"Patrolling the village. You didn't expect them to wait for you to show up. There's no one who comes at this hour of the night, I don't see it be disrespectful to the work," answered the lady and then pulled open the drawers to take the files that were in there to place it on the desk.

"Here are the case files," so that was what she had gone to reach for earlier in the desk, said Penny to herself. The files were nothing but a bound amount of parchments on the table. 

"Wasn't hard at all. We all can get along," Damien muttered under his breath without keeping his mouth sealed as he picked up the files to take a look at them, to say, "Hmm? Is this all that is there?"

"Yes. This is all the recordings," the magistrate woman confirmed. Her eyes looked straight at them without blinking her eyes.

"No problem," Damien brightened up suddenly, "Thank you for your a.s.sistance and continue your good work."