"No, I don't think so. Let's move on to the next farm over across the road," he said. They moved across the road to the next farm. Again every field was completely barren like some one had ravaged it. The Professor knelt behind a dumpy looking scarecrow and picked up the dirt. He sifted it through his hands. "Peculiar," he whispered to himself. "Miyu what do think about this?"

"The soil seems to have lost it's fertility... Whatever did this caused damage to the soil's quality. It's clumpy, and it feels very strange compared to properly fertilized soil. Something is very off..."

"Yes...Let's inspect one last farm just to check," he said. They made their way over the next hill. There was a man leaning tilling a field. He waved at them. The professor noticed a dagger in his belt. "Good day sir! We are travelers. We heard about the crops and we've come to inspect them!" The Professor saw the farmer's other hand move away from the dagger. They reached the field where the crops had been torn up. He looked around the field past the two dumpy scarecrows on either side of the field. "Hmm, not as much damage here," he said. He turned to the farmer who was rigging up a carriage. "May we ride back into town with you? It's a long walk, and if you are going there anyway," he asked the farmer.
"S'fine" the farmer grunted back.
The Professor and Miyu rode on the back of the cart. "What did you think about that last farm?"

"It seems like the farms each got less damaged, even if only a smidgen, the farther we got from town. Considering that, it could be that there is something either right near the town or just in the outskirts that is doing this damage, and only going so far for its task..."

"Yes, I wonder about that. Each farm was still damaged, but the damage wasn't as bad the further we went. Did you also notice the scarecrows?" he asked looking ahead as the farms moved away from them.

"If there were crows here, they sure weren't scared of the scarecrows, that's for certain. The scarecrows look like someone was eating them too or something."

"I'm more concerned with the fact that all of those scarecrows looked exactly the same. Let's not forget this is 1011, they can't mass produce these things. It is peculiar," he said. It was also strange that the soil around the scarecrows had been moved, not only moved but also dried of nutrients.

"But how did the scarecrows get here if the farmers didn't make them themselves?" Thinking about it, she looked to the one they were traveling with at the time. "Sir, have there been any traveler's beside us nearby recently?"

"Hmmm," the farmer thought to himself," not that I can think of."

"Miyu I think you aren't grasping this idea. The scarecrows weren't put there, they brought themselves there," the Professor said as they passed a farm. He looked at the scarecrow in the distance. He thought it was watching him back but that was preposterous...or was it?

"Huh? But how can a scarecrow bring itself somewhere?" Miyu let her head shift to her shoulder, staring at the man as though he'd completely lost her, which he had. Then, a thought came to mind. "Wait... You mean like those dummies back near the neighbor's?"

"No not like the autons. Autons are mindless creatures. No these aren't scarecrows they're just meant to look like scarecrows. It's like the Gargoyle myths of the old days, how Gargoyles on churches would come to life at night and cause mischief. It's the same concept but with scarecrows. At night they become something else," the Professor said.

"So these are like the mythical gargoyles that can impose as a statue, only they impose as scarecrows?" She was basically reiterating what he said, but then nodded anyway. "Should we do a little stakeout tonight to see what they're doing and the like, then?"

"My god! Miyu," he said looking at her. His face grew into a smile. "I think you're getting the hang of this!"

"W-What are you even talking about, Professor?" She laughed nervously, a very feint hue of pink on her cheeks, barely visible in comparison to the color of her hair. "What was that a response to...?"

"My dear, we are going to stake out one of the farms tonight and see what is going on. Hopefully we can put a stop to it," he said. Looking at another scarecrow who again seemed to be looking at him.

"I wonder though... If the scarecrows are living, then they could hear us. If they did, what happens if they know our plan anyway?"

"Well," he said thinking for a second. "Then we run," he replied very matter of factly.

She pouted. "That's really it? I thought we could do something a little more creative. Though don't ask for ideas since I had none." She laughed quietly, smiling to him.

"Well I kind of need to know what species they are before I can know how to get rid of them," he said. They rolled in to town and they both got off the carriage. "Thank you again my good man!" he said back to the driver. The driver grunted in reply.

Hearing the driver's grunt, Miyu laughed lightly to herself. "He is a good person, but either he doesn't recognize that himself or he's still rather uneasy about the situation- at least, that's my guess... What d'you think?"

"I think it's a little of both honestly. Well Miyu we have a few hours to kill before sunset, what say we introduce ourselves to the Lord in that castle there?" he suggested.

"That could be fun. I never met someone that lived in a castle, nor been in one for that matter. It sounds neat." She smiled easily to him, nodding. "I'm right with you, Professor!"

The walked through the town looking at everyone with their empty stalls. Miyu and the Professor moved to the castle gates. There was a guard there. "Halt! Who art thou attempting to enter the fortress of Lord Geoffry?" the guard said.
"I am the Professor and this is Miyu," the Professor quipped back at the guard.
"A professor, eh? Bringing a student a long with you?" the guard questioned.
"It's like a field trip," the Professor explained.
"No one sees the lord of these Celtic lands with out appointment," he said.
"Oh, but didn't I say?" the Professor said digging a little black wallet out of his coat. He opened it and showed what was inside to the guard.
"Right you may pass," the guard said.

Miyu seemed baffled upon the sudden change in the guard's decision as she looked to the Professor curiously. "What was it that is so special in the wallet, Professor? I'm curious."

He looked around for a second as they were walking in. He took it back out and opened it. It looked like a blank piece of paper inside the wallet. "It's psychic paper. It shows them whatever I want them to see," he said as the walked up the front steps of the castle.