The Shop

>"We are just the messenger."

>Roll away dramatically.

You give your vague response, leaving the Gatekeep with only more questions as you travel further into town.

Gatekeep:
"Wait, what? What does that even mean!?"

>Give him one of your many saxophones as a sigh of kinship. He is in your tribe now.

There is no room in Gatekeep's inventory for anything else.

Despite their confusion, the Gatekeep continues to follow behind you.
Overhead, your new winged companions circle about, waiting to be called.

Every house you pass is either empty or abandoned. The lack of any actual remains make you wonder if the residents had managed to successfully escape, or grimly if whatever tore through was simply just a very clean eater.

Gatekeep:
"Everyone should be fine... I think.
There's a shelter just under the castle for emergencies like this."

You see said castle in the horizon, surprisingly undamaged compared to everything else you've seen thus far.

And as you pull closer... the shelter comes into view...

Gatekeep:
"That creature isn't breaking through those wards anytime soon... I hope.
I should go anyway... Just in case."

"Whoever you're looking for should be inside too..."

They turn to face you once more, eyes stern.

Gatekeep:
"You're not going to try and hurt them are you?
I'm sorry, I know it's a bit late and all, but after everything just now...
Can I really trust you inside these walls?"

The path to the shelter is clear.
However, it would be just as easy to ignore the situation at hand and head for the castle just a bit further away...