Since then, there was no settlement where the Whisperers could set foot because every newcomer was stripped of their rags and examined for secret signs of Dolya. Should their bodies reveal marks or skin paintings resembling wild gazes, alarms were raised, and the wanderer was chased away. Whether it was a work of nature created in a mother’s womb or indeed a secret mark of the Whisperers, the person was damned, and only fear of a curse could save them from death. Still, many have fallen, cunningly attacked, struck from a distance, or tracked and slaughtered in their sleep.

So the Whisperers wandered, forever silent and alone. As their bodies were stronger, their lives were longer, and time moved slowly for them. Their despair was also doubled because the world withered before their eyes and, untamed by their whispers and divine artifacts, foul powers grew in strength.