ã€ŠHeart of a Monsterã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Story Time

    A long shadow stretched across the clean hallway floor as the automatic door slid open. Only the hum of the air conditioning could be heard throughout the well-illuminated hall until the owner of the shadow began to proceed through the room. Loud clicking of shoes echoed from one end of the hallway to the other. Rhythmic clicking of shoes on tile flooring continued for a full thirty seconds before coming to an abrupt halt. Near the end of the long hallway stood the source of the clicking: a beautiful woman with her hands on her hips.

    ¡°Well, well, well, we may have suffered setback after setback, but we¡¯ve finally got things rolling again, darling!¡± said the elegantly dressed woman. Wrapped in a bright red dress, shining heels, long and dark hair, bright red lipstick, neatly done make-up, and bright silver and golden jewelry adorning her wrists and neck; it was clear she held considerable status. Although her relaxed expression and gentle smile would normally elicit a calmness, her eyes reflected a peculiar image: that of a darkened jail cell, its sole inhabitant shrouded in the darkness on the floor.

    ¡°Your brilliant plan was a magnificent success, milady. Those foolish rebels never suspected a thing,¡± said the woman¡¯s short attendant. Her attendant was a short man dressed in fine clothes, but nothing as eye-catching as the woman¡¯s attire. On his face was a rather overdone expression of amusement as he continued to praise the woman, ¡°Why is it that you must waste your time with such trivial matters? Why do you not leave it to the guardsmen or even delegate the deed to me? You know just how capable I am!¡±

    ¡°Ah, my dear Baund, you of all people know just how much I do love the personal touch. Why would I ever leave such exciting shows to someone other than myself? There is only one person who could fit the role, and that would be none other than yours truly,¡± as she spoke, she crossed her arms over her chest, gaze ever fixated on the inhabitant of the cell.

    ¡°Oh, why, yes! Of course, milady! No one but you could have carried out this mission as flawlessly,¡± the attendant, addressed as Baund, continued his praising.

    ¡°Dear Baund, you are just too much,¡± the woman replied. The tone in her voice reverberated authority and patience.

    ¡°Your brilliance knows no bounds, milady. You had the rebels playing right into your hands,¡± Baund continued, his overly zealous jubilation concerning the recent success of the woman knowing no bounds.

    ¡°Yes, Baund, it was all a simple matter really. To be fair, they played right into my hands. Nothing truly spectacular,¡± the woman¡¯s eyes shifted focus from their original target as the attendant continued to prattle on about his lady¡¯s glory. Her tone had somewhat changed; there was still the air of authority, but with diminished patience.

    ¡°With you conducting such spectacular missions, the rebellion will be put down in a matter of weeks! Then those filthy animals will understa--,¡± Baund was immediately cut off.

    ¡°Baund!¡± The woman stopped her attendant midsentence with clear annoyance in her voice; the gentle smile replaced with an almost repulsed expression. When the woman realized how she had addressed the attendant, she quickly recomposed herself. ¡°Oh, uhm, well, we both know just how great I am, but that¡¯s not what we came to gloat over, now is it?¡±

    Baund now stood silent, but still beaming with the over-the-top, yet sincere, enthusiasm. The woman returned her focus to the jail cell. She took one step closer to the iron bars. Despite having had renewed the gentle smile on her face, the woman¡¯s expression turned to one of depression as she gently reached for the bars. She felt the cool, smooth metal as her hands slid down while she squatted by the cell.

    ¡°I know you probably won¡¯t want anything to do with me until the time comes for¡­ well. Let¡¯s not think about that right now, darling,¡± the woman said softly. She let out a long, heavy sigh, ¡°Do you think¡­ I could ask a favor? When this is all said and done, could you pass along a message for¡­ No, no, you wouldn¡¯t. It was a bit presumptuous of me, I suppose. It is fully within your rights to curse me for what I¡¯ve done to you¡­ to everyone. I could say that I¡¯m sorry, but given recent events, you at least know that I don¡¯t like to lie. Such a shame I¡¯m just so good at it.¡±

    The woman rose from her squatting position in front of the cell, hands still embracing the cold metal bars. Her head was hanging low, long hair obscuring her face, mouth still moving without sound. She seemed to be speaking to no one as no one could hear a sound passing her lips. Finally, she returned her arms to her sides and stood frozen for just a moment before spinning to face her attendant with renewed composure.

    ¡°¡¯Damn you to hell¡¯ is probably what you¡¯re thinking, but let¡¯s be fair here: you were the one who stirred up quite a mess all over the place. After everything is said and done, I will join you in hell and we can kill one another all over again and again and again! Oh, doesn¡¯t that just sound exciting,¡± she spoke with the same tone that she entered the hallway with.

    ¡°Someone as perfect as you has no place in hell, milady! If need be, I will take your place when the time comes,¡± Baund began to chime in again.

    ¡°Dear Baund, you are just too good to me,¡± the woman replied as she turned toward the exit; her eyes, however, turned to look at the cell one last time. There was a rather mischievous looking smile drawn on her face now. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, darling. I won¡¯t keep you waiting too long. Come along, Baund.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, milady. Allow me to get the door for you,¡± the attendant began running down the long corridor to hold the door for the woman.

    ¡°Baund¡­ it¡¯s automatic¡­ well, it¡¯s the thought that counts,¡± the woman shrugged and began walking down the long hallway, all the while she kept her new grin.

    After the walk through the long passageway, the door could be heard shutting behind the woman and her attendant. The silence of the cells returned for a brief moment. After two or three minutes had passed, groaning could be heard from within the cell that the woman had stopped at. Although the hallway was well lit, the cells on either side were nearly pitch-black. The sole inhabitant of the entire cell block had begun to move.

    Darling¡­rebels¡­everyone¡­why does all of that sound so familiar? The inmate thought about multiple topics presented by the visitors. Ughhh, my head is killing me. What happened? Where am I?

    The inmate¡¯s vision was blurred, the darkness of the cell did not help as they tried gathering their bearings. Am I in prison? What have I done to end up in this situation? What, where, and why? I¡¯m asking all that, but I can¡¯t even remember WHO that woman was. What could she possibly want with me? Wait, WHO exactly am I? Why can¡¯t I remember anything? What is going on here?

    The inmate felt immensely dizzy and thirsty, perhaps even delirious. They brought their left hand to their head and gently rubbed around their temples. No good, this headache is just too much right now. I guess I¡¯m not getting any answers right now so there¡¯s no point in making my head feel worse. Perhaps some rest on a cold floor in the darkness will do me some good¡­

    Without many other options available, the inmate resigned to simply laying back down on the floor of their darkened cell. There they slept, in a cell so strangely shady despite the lighting in the hallway immediately in front of it that the inmate could not even see their own hand right before their eyes. It was a fitful slumber as the inmate continued to toss and turn as they had strange glimpses of various people and places, none of which seemed even remotely familiar. Except one image of a quaint little farmhouse and barn on the side of a long dirt road. There was even a groundwater well between the two buildings. Fencing posted around the yard behind the two structures held many wooly sheep. There was even a small vegetable garden on the side of the house furthest from the barn. The inmate was not entirely sure what seemed so soothing about the image, but it was the most comforting of the presentation their slumbering brain presented.

    Eventually, the inmate awoke to the same scene: a dark cell with a well-lit hallway just beyond the bars. The dizziness and aching in their head had subsided. It was only as the inmate attempted to sit up that they realized something was wrong with their right arm. A loud gasp could be heard as pressure was applied to the limb in an effort to get up.

    ¡°Ah, ow, ow, ow! What now?¡± the inmate ran their left hand over their right shoulder, which was draped in a scratchy cloth. It seemed that the prison garb was composed of a linen cloth shirt and pants. They moved their hand down their right arm to find that it felt swollen and hot. A feeling of dread washed over the inmate as they discovered that they were operating with a broken right arm. ¡°Could this get any worse?¡±

    As though on cue, the lights in the hallway immediately went out, leaving the inmate without any sight whatsoever. Terrified, the inmate trembled in the darkness. Their heartbeat grew louder and faster as their breathing also became erratic. The inmate sat there, in horror as their breathing continued to quicken. Suddenly, a low, red light began to illuminate the darkened hallway. However, this did little to relieve the inmate who couldn¡¯t even see the cell on the opposite side of the hall from theirs. Regardless, the inmate slowly got up from the floor, careful not to put too much weight on their right arm. Cradling their broken arm with their remaining one, the inmate walked toward the cell door and peered down the now poorly lit cell block.

    After only a few seconds of looking down the hallway, the door could be heard opening. It was still too dark to make out what exactly was by the door, but whomever it was quickly made their way down to the inmate¡¯s cell. After reaching the cell, the newcomer was identified as someone wearing dark clothes and a hooded cloak to conceal their face. The inmate was not sure what to make of the new visitor and before they could ask anything the cloaked figure spoke.

    ¡°I apologize for my tardiness and for not being able to answer any questions at this moment. There is too much at stake right now. Just know that I am here to help you despite how troublesome you¡¯ve been,¡± the voice was that of a man. As the cloaked man spoke, he procured a key from somewhere on his person. The key was swiftly thrust into the cell door¡¯s lock and turned. Clicking could be heard from the cell lock and the cloaked man pushed the cell door back.

    Dumbstruck and in sheer awe, the inmate simply backed away from the cloaked man. They continued trembling and their breathing had only slightly slowed since the lights had gone out. But what terrified the inmate most was when the cloaked man made the motion to enter the cell.

    ¡°What are you doing? From what I have been told, you know no fear! Cowardice is unbecoming of someone with your reputation. Furthermore, I¡¯m here to free you! Now is not the time to be hesitating when you should be--,¡± the cloaked man¡¯s voice trailed off as he stopped and paused. The man sat there, quietly muttering something to himself, ¡°This facility is known for drastic practices¡­ hang on a moment¡­ I doubt you know where you are or why you are here, but you do remember who you are, yes?¡±

    The inmate backed themselves into the corner of the cell furthest from their guest as the man approached. Still cradling their broken arm, the inmate tried to speak, but could not muster the words. They slowly slumped to the ground in the dark corner of the cell. It seemed that the cloaked man had a much better grasp on the situation than the inmate just from the fact that the man knew who the inmate was to begin with. However, questions continued to arise in the inmate¡¯s head, but no sounds save the panting escaped their lips.

    ¡°Well, this just became considerably more difficult,¡± the man continued to speak. ¡°Listen, I do not have time nor the patience to explain, but we have to get you out of here now. It is vital that you do precisely as I say. Do so and you will get the chance to see the light of day again. Or, should you prefer, you can stay here like a good prisoner and await your execution. Make this easier for me as well; I¡¯m not accustomed to this grunt work and sneaking about.¡±

    The inmate could only just make out the man in the poorly lit cell as he stood over where the inmate cowering.

    Facility? Remember? Execution? What the hell is going on? Who is this guy and how does he know me better than I know me? I can¡¯t stop shaking. What do I do? Can I trust him? But if I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll be executed and I don¡¯t even know what I did to deserve such a punishment! The inmate¡¯s mind continued to race with questions, but they could not find it in themselves to speak up. They continued to simply sit in the corner of the cell, unsure of what to make of the whole situation. Trust this stranger and attempt a prison escape to God only knows where or stay and await an execution.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t the time for this! Get up, we¡¯re going,¡± the man said, grabbing the inmate by the right arm and jerking them up from the cold ground. A pained gasp came from the inmate as they took back their injured arm from the forceful rescuer. ¡°Oh, I apologize for that, but we really must be moving. I already mentioned that my arrival was not as timely as the plan called for. Walk and talk with me, or walk and listen, you rebel soldiers are good at listening at least, yes?¡±

    In the end, it seemed that the decision to either go or stay was made for the inmate. Still unsure on whether or not the man could be trusted, the inmate followed out of the cell and into the hall. Together, the two began making their way towards the automatic door at the far end of the hall.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t the time to try and restore any memories, just know that you are a rebel soldier who was captured during a mission that failed due to a mole in your team. You were sentenced to death, twice now, really, but we are hoping to prevent that.¡± The man¡¯s authoritative voice resonated throughout the cell block; his gaze fixated on the exit door as they continued to walk through the long corridor. ¡°In order to escape this facility, you will need to make your way downstairs. There is an armory which is located directly two floors below us, in there you will find some trinkets that may help catch you up on what is going on. Once you¡¯ve secured your equipment, make for the emergency exit which will be back in the staircase. Once you make it outside, you¡¯ll need to make a dash across the courtyard for the exit gate which will be locked. Do not let yourself be seen until I manage to open the gate for you. Avoid all contact with guards; if you had your memory, I would fear more for their safety despite you being unarmed. Regardless, you should not see more than a handful as there should be a distraction on the other side of the facility, but that won¡¯t last forever. After you are through the gate, make for the eastern tree line. From there, you will wait for a signal from your comrades.¡±

    As the man finished his briefing, the pair had reached the door to exit the cell block. The man produced a keycard from a pocket and inserted it into the reader by the door. The door slid open slowly to reveal another poorly lit hallway. Fortunately, there were more red lights in this hallway than the cell block; the inmate could almost make out their hands in the new light. Lights on doors in the new hallway gave indicators for what lay beyond. For the most part, it seemed to be more cell blocks.

    ¡°The closest staircase is that way,¡± said the man, turning the inmate in the direction of the staircase. ¡°Last thing, take this security keycard. In the event of an emergency, such as this one, most doors and systems will require security clearance.¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°But won¡¯t you need this card?¡± the inmate asked, as they inspected the card they were given. It was hard to make out any features on the card, but there was some sort of identification. Unfortunately, it was too dark to read anything on the card.

    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t forget how to speak, hmm? Well, don¡¯t underestimate my skills. I have no need for that card beyond ensuring you have a means of escape,¡± the man proclaimed, he sounded almost insulted by the inmate¡¯s query. ¡°Now then, let us get this operation back underway. I¡¯ve always hated waiting on those who turn up late and I absolutely refuse to keep stalling our work any further. Go, now.¡±

    With that said, the man pointed back down the hallway towards the stairs one last time before turning and heading in the opposite direction.

    He said he had to open the exit gate for me¡­ I guess he can only do that somewhere else in this building. The inmate watched the man walk down the hallway for a moment before he turned around a corner and was gone. I don¡¯t know what is going on here, but I guess I have no choice but to do as he says. Two floors down, armory, gear, emergency exit, exit gate, and eastern trees.

    The man¡¯s list of instructions continued to repeat over and over in the inmate¡¯s head as they made their way toward the stairs. An eerie quiet made for quite the unnerving atmosphere given that this was a prison with seemingly no guards. Despite what the man had said, it still seemed off that an entire floor of cell blocks would be deserted of security. Still clutching their broken arm with their left hand, the inmate slowly neared the end of the dark hallway. Conveniently, they found the staircase door at the end of the hall as a lit-up sign above the door read ¡®Northern Stairs.¡¯ A card reader was located by the door and the inmate inserted the card just as the man had done previously. After the reader finished verifying the card, it beeped and flashed a small green light. The keycard was removed from the reader as the pneumatic components in the door began to work. The large automatic door was a bit slow but opened the way to progress. Inside, the inmate noticed that there were stairs going up and stairs going down.

    According to that man, I must be on at least the third floor. How much more of this place is there that there are stairs leading upwards? As the inmate considered the size of the prison, they also noticed a window to the outside world. It was still dark as it must have been the middle of the night, but sections of the courtyard that the man had mentioned were illuminated by floodlights and spotlights from towers along the outer wall of the facility. The inmate surveyed the view of the courtyard for a moment, thinking that this was a good vantage point for determining a place to hide while waiting for the gate to open. There were many shadows to hide in and multiple piles of equipment or animal-pulled wagons scattered about the courtyard. Some of the wagons were parked in a neat line along the right wall all the way toward the outer perimeter, leading from the building to the exit gate. What also caught the inmate¡¯s attention were the six guards stationed around the yard.

    It looks like this must be the third floor. There appears to be six guards out there, none of which seem to be paying attention to the gate or emergency door which should be below me. I think if I¡¯m careful, I should be able to make my way around the yard staying out of sight keeping behind those wagons. Carefully considering their approach, the inmate was startled as a loud siren began blaring throughout the facility. It took the inmate a minute to calm down as the loud siren continued assaulting their eardrums. After having gathered themselves, the inmate noticed out the window that the guards were on the move as the siren had stirred them into action. It was only now that the inmate took a closer look at the guards; they were armed with blades and crossbows. The inmate¡¯s breathing quickened again as they realized that these guards were not meant for recapturing escapees.

    I could turn around; I could go back to that cell right now and maybe this will all blow over. I don¡¯t know who that man was, maybe he was trying to escape and was hoping I would serve as a decoy. There¡¯s no way I can just trust someone who shows up and says, ¡®you¡¯re a rebel for a cause you know nothing about and I¡¯m here to get you out of jail!¡¯ The inmate trembled and took some deep breaths. But¡­ what if he was telling the truth? It would make some sense given what that woman had been talking about. Even if I do stay, I¡¯m apparently marked for execution. It doesn¡¯t make any sense! Why am I to be executed? What did I do to end up here? Why can¡¯t I remember anything? Dammit! I don¡¯t want to die here without knowing why I have to die!

    With that thought in mind, the inmate felt a cold tear run down their cheek. After a few moments, the blaring siren came to a long-winded end. The inmate took one last look out at the courtyard before looking down the staircase before them. Slowly, hesitantly, and reluctantly, the inmate began to descend the stairs. Once at the landing between the second and third floors, the inmate looked back up the stairs again. It was still difficult to see, but the door to the third-floor cell block was shutting and light from the outside did little to provide any viable visibility. After another deep breath, the inmate turned to the stairs again, but this time was different.

    A loud beep could be heard from just down the flight of stairs before the inmate and the familiar sound of an automated door began to opening followed. Quick on their feet, the inmate jumped behind the stairs leading back upward to hide from whomever was passing through and prayed that they were not coming up stairs. The heavy tread of boots could be heard descending the stairs from the second floor to the first. Another beep and the first-floor door began to open, all the while, the inmate had been holding their breath to avoid any sounds.

    That was too close. I couldn¡¯t tell how many there were, there were just so many pairs of boots hitting the ground. There¡¯s no time for hesitating or second guessing now, I¡¯ve got to get down there. The inmate thought to themselves as they pushed up from the stairs they were pressed up against.

    The inmate made their way down the stairs to the first floor where they found the emergency exit that the man had mentioned. As much as the inmate wanted to open the door and make for the gate, they recalled the instructions they were left with. ¡®There is an armory¡­ you will find some trinkets that may help catch you up on what is going on.¡¯ The prospect of escape was undoubtedly high on the inmate¡¯s list of priorities, but these ¡°trinkets¡± the man spoke of might help the inmate remember something.

    The armory is supposed to be directly below where I split up with that man, so just down the hall on the left, right? But I could just leave now¡­ it might even be safer to cut my loses and run. Even so¡­

    Still looking at the exit door, the inmate had inserted the keycard into the card reader of the door leading to the first floor of the facility. How difficult could it be to make it to the armory, grab whatever it was the man was talking about, and get back to the emergency exit? The door opened slowly to another dimly lit hallway. Peering out the door revealed a dark passageway with a few other doors on both walls, and luckily no guards. Quickly, the inmate made their way through the hallway to find a door labeled ¡°Armory C.¡± Once more, the keycard was inserted into the slot of the reader; a beep sound and the pneumatic devices pushed the door aside so that the inmate could proceed.

    Inside the armory were walls lined with weapons which were visible due to small spotlights shining on their racks. From sharpened longswords to intricately designed crossbows. The inmate slowly walked along the racks through the armory observing the different blades, bludgeons, and bows.

    What about any of this is supposed to help me remember anything? The inmate confusedly thought as they procured a longsword from one of the racks. Although the man had told the inmate to avoid all contact with guards, it only made sense to arm oneself in such a situation. Holding the blade with their left hand as their right arm fell limp at their side, the inmate began making a swinging motion.

    Hmm, posture is off and my grip does not provide good control. These swinging motions are not very effective either. Guess I¡¯m not a left-handed blade master. The inmate had mentally calculated after their demonstration, following with the thought, Wait, how the hell do I know what makes a good swordsman?

    Shaking their head, the inmate returned the weapon to its place on the wall rack. It seemed that just holding a weapon had some kind of effect on their memory. Unfortunately, this was not the effect that the inmate had been hoping for.

    Was I really a soldier for some rebellion? If so, what weapon did I choose to use? I can¡¯t use a bow or crossbow with my broken arm. Further, even if I do find the weapon I use, it seems my dominant hand is unusable. There were many factors for the inmate to consider regarding these ¡®trinkets,¡¯ as the man had put it. They continued down the armory, eying everything that sat on the rack before them. Whips, maces, daggers, spears, great swords and even a flail, but nothing stood out.

    Nearing the end of the armory, the inmate noticed a large crate with a light shining over it. Curiously, they drew closer to peer inside. What lay within the crate was a large great axe with a unique design applied to both the blade and haft and a harness for holding the massive weapon. Across the head of the blade were engravings of what appeared to be shining rays of light over scorched earth. Further, the well-kept, wooden haft of the axe was adorned with streaks of shining silver, reaching up the axe like veins over muscle. The inmate reached for the haft with amazement. Carefully, they brought the hefty-looking axe from its crate and admired it for some time. Despite being so cumbersome, the weapon felt strangely light in the inmate¡¯s hand; the axe felt almost natural somehow. Something about this weapon spoke to the inmate, as if they knew a deeper story surrounding the blade. Suddenly, the inmate envisioned something familiar; the farmhouse from the strange string of images they had dreamt of earlier. But this time, they saw that this axe was mounted on a wall within the farmhouse.

    This is what that man sent me to find, I¡¯m sure of it, the inmate thought to themself. With no doubts about their choice in weaponry, the inmate proceeded to snatch up the harness as well and fastened the axe to themselves. It was a bit tricky getting the clasp to close around the haft with only their left hand, but the inmate eventually managed. Having collected what they were sent to find, the inmate turned and began to exit the armory. They stopped briefly to ensure no guards were in sight before making their way back down the dark hallway to the stair well.

    Still filled with fear regarding the night¡¯s events, the inmate considered what the deal must be concerning the man from before. Having collected the axe, it was clear to the inmate that the man must have been telling at least some truth. This meant only one thing to the inmate: Not only can he get me out of here alive, but he also has to be able to tell me who I am.

    Standing before the emergency exit door in the stair well, all the inmate could do was draw a deep breath. Unlike the other doors, this emergency exit required no keycard, but just a push. There was no going back and only one chance for escape. Throwing fear and anxiety to the side, the inmate thrust open the door and leapt out from within the stair well.

    Now outside, the inmate quickly crouched behind some piled up boxes containing military grade equipment. From their hiding place they could see four of the six guards that had previously been noted while surveying the courtyard from the third-floor window. Thinking back to their positioning, one should be closer to the exit gate while the other was somewhere off to the left wall. While none of the guards were looking toward the hiding place, the inmate quickly made for the lined-up wagons while keeping to the shadows. After making it to the first wagon, the inmate took a moment to make sure no one had seen them. Quietly and slowly, the inmate moved from wagon to wagon, checking to make sure no one was looking in their direction. Despite both the cover of the wagons and the shadows, the inmate feared any risk of failing their escape.

    Just a few more and I¡¯ll be only several meters from the gate, the inmate thought to themselves as they bolted for the next wagon in the line. Three wagons more and the inmate would be free of the prison. Unfortunately, as the inmate readied themselves to move to the next wagon, they heard a bit of commotion coming from the guards.

    ¡°All hands, we have reports that a high priority prisoner has escaped. This is not a drill, assume dangerous; lethal force has been authorized,¡± one voice called out to the entire yard.

    ¡°High priority? You think it¡¯s that prisoner that the princess brought in?¡± One guard asked another.

    ¡°I doubt it, last time I saw that sad sack, she was beat to a pulp. I heard that The Doctor also headed the interrogation. Probably doesn¡¯t even remember a thing about the rebellion,¡± another guard replied.

    Well, I can¡¯t say that he¡¯s entirely wrong. But I have escaped, and I¡¯m getting out of here now! The inmate silently exclaimed to herself. She continued just as careful as before as she neared the exit gate. After finally reaching the last wagon, the inmate looked to the gate with anxiety. The gate was still closed and gave no indication of opening anytime soon. Worried, the inmate began to question where the man was with getting the gate open. She hadn¡¯t been left behind or the man hadn¡¯t been captured himself, right? Or perhaps, she was just a decoy in that man¡¯s escape attempt?

    Loud crunching of boots on gravel slowly began to near the inmate¡¯s hiding place. She ducked down as low as possible to avoid being spotted. Her heart began racing as the guard drew ever nearer. It was only a matter of time before she was spotted and either returned to her cell or killed.

    Not like this, I don¡¯t want to die like this, was the only thought in the inmate¡¯s head. Suddenly, the crunching of gravel stopped. The last time it sounded was so close that the inmate assumed the guard was just on the other side of the wagon. It was at that moment that the inmate considered another option; she slowly began to reach for the axe she had stolen from the armory. She was clearly in no condition to wield such a large weapon with only one hand despite the apparent weightlessness she had discovered, but she drew the blade in her left hand regardless. Holding her breath, the inmate had prepared herself to spring into action but was stopped short. The gate before her had started to open.

    ¡°Why is that gate opening?! Who opened the gates?¡± came one voice from somewhere in the yard. ¡°Someone tell control to shut the gates then find me whoever did that!¡±

    Crunching of gravel resumed and it drew closer again. All the inmate could think of was that the guard would see her if she didn¡¯t make a move now. With that in mind, she jumped up and began sprinting for the exit gate. Almost immediately, a blinding light was focused on her.

    ¡°What?! Hey, you! Stop right there! The prisoner is making a break for it,¡± came a voice somewhere behind the prisoner, likely the guard walking up on her hiding spot. It didn¡¯t matter who the voice belonged to, the inmate could see just beyond the exit gate. She ran and did not look back until she felt a sharp pain in her left leg. Still running and clutching her axe, she turned to see that a guard had fired a crossbow bolt at her and grazed her leg. That was not enough to stop the inmate.

    Turning forward, the inmate saw that the gate was now closing. Don¡¯t stop, got to get under that gate, the inmate thought. With only a few feet from the gate and only about three feet of space between the wrought iron gate and the ground, the inmate dove under the gate. Just as she rolled over and got back up, the gate was closed again. Not the time for celebrating, the inmate began sprinting for the nearest tree line for cover. Having left behind the guards and the prison, the inmate took cover behind a thick tree. Leaning against the tree and catching her breath, the inmate looked back toward the gate to ensure she wasn¡¯t being followed. What she saw was a tall metal and stone wall surrounding a tall prison facility in the middle of a field with a long dirt road stretching out for seemingly miles.

    Still gasping for air and with her heart still racing, the inmate looked at her bleeding leg. While the graze didn¡¯t cut deep, it was still bleeding heavily. Without anything at hand, the inmate grabbed the linen shirt she was wearing and pulled. Without much effort, the shirt tore, perhaps even too much.

    ¡°Ugh! I didn¡¯t mean to rip off that much,¡± the inmate said to herself, feeling a touch embarrassed that her shirt did not do the best job of covering her now. Despite the embarrassment, it was understood that modesty was a luxury she could not afford given the current situation. She used the torn linen scrap to cover the wound on her left leg. Just as she finished dressing the wound, the inmate began to stand.

    As soon as she stood, another blinding light had found her. She was unable to shield her eyes from the bright light as one arm was broken and the other held her axe.

    ¡°Give it up, drop your weapon and you will be returned to your cell unharmed,¡± came a loud voice from the direction of the light.

    No¡­ it can¡¯t end like this. I¡¯m not going back until I know what sent me there in the first place! The inmate¡¯s silent resolve must have shone on her face.

    ¡°This is your last warning! Place the axe on the ground and then return to your cell,¡± the voice called out.

    The only response that the inmate had was to take a deep breath and firmly grip her axe. Slowly, she brought the weapon up from her side and pointed it in the direction of the lights and voice. Cold wind began blowing all around; leaves danced between the inmate and her captors.

    ¡°Crossbows ready,¡± the voice ordered. At that moment, time seemed to stand still. The inmate wondered if this really was the end for her. To die alone in some unknown forest and without any memory of who she really was or why she was being targeted for execution. She looked to her axe, still pointed at the prison guards that were training crossbows on her. Focusing her mind, she mentally revisited that farmhouse from her dreams and she remembered something: I won¡¯t die until I go home one last time.

    ¡°Fire!¡±

    The inmate closed her eyes and held her breath.

    ¡°The inmate was certain that this was the end and that all had been for naught. She opened her eyes and¡­ hmm?¡± a weary sigh came from the man sitting by the small bed. ¡°Finally asleep, are you? Good, I don¡¯t really know where I was going with that story anyway.¡±

    The man rose from the stool he had been spinning his tale from. Quietly, he grabbed a candle on the nightstand and made his way out of the bedroom. At the door, the man gave a tired smile, blew out the candle, and said, ¡°Goodnight, Aridean.¡±

 Chapter 2 - A Normal Day

    Loud creaking could be heard as the man pushed open the front door to his home. Graying black hair on his head and in his stubble along with the beginnings of wrinkles around his blue eyes indicated that the man had age on him. He was dressed in a red, flannel button-up, jeans, and leather boots. As he walked onto his front porch, he took a quick glance at his surroundings. The sky was still dark as the sun was just making its way above the trees on the horizon. Sheep were both sleeping and grazing in a nearby pasture and the man surveyed his garden before descending from his porch. He deeply inhaled the cool morning air and then exhaled, feeling somewhat refreshed.

    ¡°How that girl does it, I¡¯ll never understand,¡± he said aloud to himself, his eyes fixed on the barn just twenty meters from his front porch steps. Heaving a sigh, the man walked toward the faded red painted barn, passing a small groundwater well which was nearly overflowing. Once he had reached the door to the barn, he pulled the door open internally remarking how he has said numerous times to lock the barn door at night.

    ¡°Aridean, you need to get up or you¡¯re going to be late,¡± the man called into the barn. However, no response was heard as the barn seemed devoid of anyone save two sheep and a lamb who had started bleating as the man entered. Ropes were hung on wall hooks and most stalls were empty as most of the flock were out in the pasture. A workbench in the corner to the left of the door also held a toolbox with many well-used tools, most notably sheep shears of varying sizes. Bales of hay were stacked near the back of the barn, as were bags. Some bags were empty, some were full of wool, but all were kept in a neat working space near the back of the barn. Wooden beams were set in place to support the roof, but one was strangely wrapped in some cloth. Lastly, there was a wooden ladder in the barn that led to the loft just above where the man stood.

    After waiting a moment for any response to his previous announcement, the man called again, ¡°Aridean, wake up!¡±

    This time, a response was given in the form a black cat jumping down the ladder from the loft. This cat, however, was missing its rear left leg, but still managed its way down the ladder with ease. Once on the ground, the cat hobbled over to the man¡¯s feet, where it sat and looked up at him; the cat gave a yowl as though to say good morning.

    ¡°There you are Mott, so she¡¯s up there then,¡± the man said to the cat. Another yowl from the cat sounded in affirmation and the man heaved another sigh. He made his way over to the ladder and began making his way up to the loft of his barn as the cat left through the barn door. Creaking sounds could be heard coming from the old wood as the man ascended.

    Having reached the barn loft, the man found a mass laying in the center space. The mass, covered by a thick quilted blanket, slowly and rhythmically pulsed up and down as a quiet snoring sound could be heard with every pulse. The man stood up from the ladder and approached the mass on the loft floor before him. Standing over it, he folded his arms and spoke, ¡°Aridean, you do know you have a bed in the house you could sleep in.¡±

    At once, the snoring had ceased and the mass before the man had begun to move. The quilt was pushed away to reveal an unexpected sight. The person under the quilt was covered in short light-brown fur and atop her head were long horns and a long mane. Her face resembled that of a bovine¡¯s, having both large nostrils and a long snout. Furthermore, she had a long thin tail with a switch on the end and a pair of long legs with stifle knees that ended with hooves instead of feet. She was dressed in a white, woolen button-up and heavily knitted cotton pants. Aridean was not a human, but a minotaur.

    ¡°Good morning, father,¡± Aridean said to the man, wiping the sleep from her eyes. When she opened them again, the man could see his reflection in her brown eyes. She stood a full foot over the man who must have been at least six feet tall.

    ¡°In Minoran,¡± the man said immediately following the greeting.

    ¡°Ghos nion, Paur,¡± Aridean repeated, in the language known as Minoran, native tongue to the minotaur people.

    ¡°You need to be quick about getting ready this morning, you don¡¯t want to be late for work,¡± the man said with a stern tone and tired expression on his face. He turned toward the ladder and began walking.

    ¡°I know, sorry, father,¡± Aridean replied with a yawn. She watched as the man descended from the loft. The minotaur stood for a moment before deeply inhaling while stretching her arms slightly backward and up over her head; from ground to the tip of her fingers was probably eight and a half feet. Exhaling, Aridean then stretched forward and reached for her hooves.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already drawn a bath and I¡¯ll have breakfast ready in just a little bit,¡± the man called from the bottom of the ladder. Aridean smiled as she stood back up and began to walk toward the loft ladder. Rather than descending from the ladder, she sat on the edge of the loft with her hooves hanging in the air. Twisting and pushing off, she turned around as though she was going to grab the ladder but held onto the edge of the loft as she fell. Aridean hung from the loft for just a second before dropping to the ground, which given her height was only about a foot from her suspended position.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick before heading in,¡± Aridean said to herself as the man had already left the barn. She turned around and walked toward the support beam which was wrapped in cloth. Attempting to psych herself up, she spoke, ¡°Gonna break one-forty-six today! Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    Aridean stretched her arms out above her head toward the beam and jumped. After she grabbed the beam and suspended herself in the air, she adjusted her grip for comfort. Once in a suitable position, Aridean began to pull herself up toward the beam. Although her arms were not exactly thick, it was clear that they had serious muscle to them. With her chin above the beam, she counted, ¡°one!¡±

    The minotaur slowly lowered herself to her starting position before repeating the exercise. Her counting continued, but gradually began to slow as Aridean became more and more tired. By one hundred twenty, she was taking ten second breaks between pulls with heavy panting. Determined to at least make one-thirty, Aridean persevered and pushed her worn out arms to pull her just a few more times.

    ¡°Come on! One-thirty-nine!¡± Aridean said, chin just barely above the beam this time. Despite the screaming muscles, Aridean forced one more pull and had to arc her chin upwards to make it above the beam. With that, she dropped from the beam with her tired arms falling towards the ground. She felt like the blood in them had been replaced with sand with how heavy and numb they were.

    ¡°So close¡­ and I don¡¯t think I should count that last one either,¡± Aridean said aloud, still panting from the intense workout. ¡°Well, I shouldn¡¯t keep father waiting any longer.¡±

    The minotaur turned on her hooves and began walking for the barn door, stopping only to pet the lamb that had been watching her. Exiting the barn, she felt the rush of cool air blow past her; mane and tail flowing in the wind. Before making her way to the farmhouse, Aridean stopped by the well and dipped her hands into the cold water. Cupping some of the cool liquid in her hands, she pulled back and splashed water in her face to help her cool down. With a sufficiently soaked face, the minotaur walked to the farmhouse. Wooden steps leading to the porch creaked somewhat underneath her hooves. Aridean opened the door to the house and entered the front room, but not before bending over somewhat to avoid hitting her head on the door frame.

    Wooden flooring, a simple rug in front of a stone fireplace, and plain furniture decorated the rustic abode. There was a hallway in the back of the room which lead to the bedrooms and restroom. Windows allowed natural light to illuminate the room. Their front room served as not only a living room, but kitchen and dining room as well. Aridean¡¯s father stood by the stove with strips of bacon sizzling in a pan. Kitchen space was tightly packed in the corner immediately to the right of the front door. Much of the counter space had been taken up by an assortment of fruits and vegetables as well as some cutlery. A small dining room table, which would only comfortably seat two sat between the kitchen space and the back wall. Beneath the table sat Mott, chewing on a small piece of bacon that Aridean¡¯s father must have thrown to her. In the living space was a coffee table with a chess set and some books stacked on top. Wooden chairs with padded cushions in the seats sat on each end of the table. These chairs and the table sat before a moderately sized stone fireplace which had some interesting decor: a great axe of unique design crossed by a longsword of similar intrigue.

    ¡°Breakfast will only be a few minutes, but you should go ahead and wash up,¡± Aridean¡¯s father said without taking his focus off the food he was preparing.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll only be a few moments,¡± Aridean replied before excusing herself to her room. Again, she bent over to pass through the door. Inside, there was an exceptionally large bed which had been well made with a nightstand at the head of the bed. There was also a small cushion on the floor by the head of the bed which served as Mott¡¯s bed. A window above the bed gave way to a nice view of the pasture behind the farmhouse. There was a small chest at the end of the bed which contained an assortment of children¡¯s toys; it was not actually Aridean¡¯s decision to leave them, but she did not mind keeping them. The bedroom also had a dresser sitting across from the bed and a full body mirror just beside said dresser. Aridean made her way over to the dresser and pulled open one of the drawers to collect a fresh set of clothes for her day. With everything she needed, she made for the restroom for a quick bath.

    In the restroom, Aridean began undressing. Brown fur covered just about every inch of her legs, arms, chest, and stomach. However, on her back were three streaks of white fur that looked as though something had clawed the brown color off her back. Aridean slowly slipped into the warm water in the tub. Between her warm fur and the warm water, she felt like she could slip back into a comfortable sleep. Against what she wanted to do, Aridean quickly cleaned herself in the bath and silently fumed about not having time to relax longer. After finishing and drying herself, she redressed in a hurry and tossed the previous day¡¯s attire into a clothes hamper by the restroom door. She exited the restroom and moved back into the front room. Almost ready for the new day, Aridean sat at the dinner table as her father brought her a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast with a grape jelly smeared across the surface.

    ¡°Thank you for breakfast, father,¡± Aridean spoke cordially, grabbing a forkful of eggs from her plate. Her father sat across from her and silently ate his breakfast. As the pair finished their meal, Aridean¡¯s father began to speak.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be home with plenty of light left, right?¡± the man said with a stern tone in his voice.

    ¡°Of course, father. I don¡¯t know of anything that would keep me,¡± Aridean replied, her tone sounded sweet and innocent. ¡°I should be going. Thank you again.¡±

    Aridean stood from the table, pushed in her chair, and moved her plate and utensils to the kitchen sink. She then grabbed a backpack sitting by the front door and slung it over her arms and onto her back. Opening the door, Aridean could hear her father blow a heavy sigh. She was used to the man being quiet and strict with her, but something about his attitude seemed just a bit more solemn than usual. She hesitantly turned to half face her stone-still father, still sitting at the table with just a few bites of eggs and toast left.

    ¡°H-happy birthday, father,¡± she said before leaving the farmhouse. The man looked to the door as the minotaur exited and then shut it behind her. Certain that he was alone now, the man¡¯s head fell into an open hand.

    ¡°Dammit, of all the days to be like that¡­,¡± he quietly muttered to himself.

    Outside, Aridean descended the front porch steps and began walking toward the dirt road. Far down the east route was the capitol city, to which Aridean had never been before. Her father had told her it was nothing special, but she couldn¡¯t shake the curious desire to visit one day. Regardless, Aridean had started walking the west route to the nearby village of Thellia. Her farmhouse grew smaller and smaller in the distance behind her as she passed through the clear countryside. Normally, she would entertain herself by daydreaming what it would be like to travel to different places throughout the world that she had learned about in school, but her father¡¯s somber demeanor today had her a bit worried. Had something happened? Was she in trouble?

    Still worried, as Aridean reached the top of a hill, she was passed by a horse-drawn wagon. Aridean kept her head down and avoided eye contact with the driver and passengers but could feel them glaring. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the passengers or the wagon; they were just average people. No fine clothes or anything to display wealth or status, nothing to give any ¡®better-than-you¡¯ vibes. Regardless, they angrily glared at the minotaur walking past them. Aridean was almost sure she heard one spit in her direction. After the carriage had passed, Aridean stopped and shivered a little as a cool breeze blew past.

    I can¡¯t help it¡­ I can¡¯t do anything about it, she thought to herself. Still staring at her hooves, she shook her head and continued toward her destination. Eventually, the village came into view over the horizon and as it drew closer and closer Aridean kept reminding herself that it was just another day: go in, take care of business, and get home. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t keep telling herself that as she had planned to find something nice from the marketplace for her father as a birthday present. That was the part of the day she was dreading the most. About another half mile to the first building in the village, Aridean began walking past a short stone wall.

    ¡°What exactly should I go looking for? A new hat? A watch? He did break a hoe the other day while tending the garden, I want something he¡¯s sure to use at least¡­¡± her mind began to wander, which helped alleviate her nerves a bit. Nearing a side road, the stone wall was cut off and out from behind it jumped a slim, young man dressed in neat, clean clothes.

    ¡°Halt, minotaur! State your business in my kingdom!¡± the young man exclaimed. Aridean initially jumped back, startled by the sudden interruption in her gift planning. After collecting herself, she chuckled a bit.

    ¡°Good morning, Jean,¡± Aridean responded to the young man.

    ¡°That¡¯s KING Jean Hallon, minotaur!¡± Jean said, cracking up into laughter halfway through his own name. He had his hands on his hips with his head held high, posing like some kind of superhero. Jean had been Aridean¡¯s friend since she started school. He normally met her on her way into the village, often with some sort of charade like his current act.

    ¡°Forgive me, my liege,¡± Aridean replied with a bow.

    ¡°Heh, I haven¡¯t gotten you to jump like that in a while. Anyway, morning, Ari,¡± Jean said having dropped the whole ¡®King Jean¡¯ shtick. ¡°I guess you¡¯re headed to work then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m hoping to get enough money today to buy father a nice birthday gift,¡± Aridean replied as the two began walking into the village.

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t mind loaning you some money if you need it,¡± Jean offered.

    ¡°I appreciate it, but you know I don¡¯t want to be a bother. Besides, what would your mother or father say if they found out you loaned me anything?¡± Aridean said.

    ¡°Hey, they wouldn¡¯t care so long as I got it back eventually¡­ well, they¡¯d probably be okay with it¡­ after a while,¡± Jean, unconvincingly, tried to assure Aridean.

    ¡°Even so, thank you, but I¡¯ve got things under control. But could I ask you to meet me at the general store this afternoon?¡± Aridean asked her friend.

    Jean thought for a second before replying, ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but you don¡¯t want to try going by yourself? I know it makes you uneasy, but it¡¯s not gonna get any easier if you keep having me drag you around town.¡±

    The pair had come to the first building in the village and Jean walked just ahead of Aridean, who had stopped a few feet behind him.

    ¡°I-I know, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to go alone just yet,¡± Aridean said smiling nervously at Jean. Jean rolled his eyes and shrugged. This was not the first time he had encouraged her to go herself, but he knew fighting her on it would go nowhere.

    ¡°If you say so, I¡¯ll see you there after you get off work,¡± Jean said, turning his back to Aridean and waving his hand goodbye.

    ¡°Thanks, Jean,¡± spoke Aridean despite Jean having already walked out of earshot. ¡°Now I need to get to work.¡±

    Aridean walked around the building she had stopped in front of and around the village itself. She could hear villagers conversing about their days, gossiping about silly rumors and news, and could also smell some lovely treats from the local bakery. Aridean eventually came up on the rear entrance to her place of work: Mutt¡¯s Tavern. One of the more popular establishments in the village for food or drink, the tavern had been one of the first buildings constructed when the village first started growing. However, recent business had been rather slow. Aridean entered through the back door into the kitchen and was immediately greeted by her boss.

    ¡°Gray! Get an apron on and take this order to the elves at table four!¡± came the commanding voice of the restaurant¡¯s owner, George Yeomen. Given his role as owner of Mutt¡¯s Tavern, George had picked up the nickname ¡°Mutt¡± when he inherited the tavern. His kitchen consisted of several stoves lined up against a wall, two large sinks (one being filled with dirty dishes), multiple kegs and drink containers, plenty of counterspace covered by ingredients and cutlery, and a large clock above the rear door. There was also a closet containing mostly cleaning supplies by the door leading to the dining room. Apart from George and Aridean, other employees included George¡¯s two sons: Roan and Andrew. However, Aridean rarely spoke to them about anything unrelated to work.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Y-yes sir!¡± Aridean called back, quickly removing her bag from her back and procuring her waitress apron from it. In her rush, she struggled with the neck loop getting caught on her horns but eventually managed to get the apron on right. Ready to begin her duties, she rushed the meals her employer had prepared out the kitchen door and made her way through a quaint dining room. Modest wooden furniture, a clean but faded paint job on the walls, and a floor that was anything but clean; that was about all there was to Mutt¡¯s Tavern. She found her customers waiting at a table near the front door.

    ¡°Sorry for the delay, here are your meals,¡± Aridean said, carefully setting plates upon the table before her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said one of the two elves, disinterestedly. Aridean didn¡¯t mind it though, frankly she even preferred that treatment.

    Always do prefer the elven and dwarven customers¡­ well, until the dwarves have a little too much to drink, Aridean thought to herself. She returned to the kitchen to start work on the dishes in the overloaded sink. Dish work was often interrupted by the need to run more dishes to customers or bus tables. Aridean wished she could be the one behind the stove, away from the staring and glaring of customers in the dining room. Even Aridean knew that wouldn¡¯t work though as she was not the best when it came to cooking. Further, on her first day George had made it abundantly clear that there would be no fur in any of the dishes or else. Regardless, Aridean actually enjoyed working at the tavern, despite her circumstances surrounding the job.

    After several hours, the kitchen clock read one-thirty. Mutt¡¯s Tavern was only open until two due to reduced business. Aridean collected a mop and bucket from the supply closet. After filling her bucket with some water and soap, the waitress moved into the dining room and began with mopping up a spilled beer. She was slow and thorough; George was sure to let her know if she missed a spot, and she couldn¡¯t afford to have him upset today. About half-way through the mopping, Aridean heard the front door open as a customer must have been entering. Given that the tavern was nearing closing time, she simply kept her back turned as she would have avoided eye contact regardless.

    ¡°Excuse me, could I just get something to go?¡± the customer¡¯s voice spoke softly. Aridean turned to face the customer and was startled by the sight. Shocked, she took a moment to register that the customer was not one of the usual visitors; he was a fellow minotaur. Large, intimidating horns on his head, black fur all over save the white patch on the bridge of his snout, and a tail that swayed back and forth; he had all the makings of a minotaur. Dressed in a light brown vest and pants with a dark-green cloak over his shoulders, Aridean was simply at a loss for words. This was the first of her own race she had ever spoken to. Oddly enough, the minotaur seemed somewhat surprised to see Aridean as he followed his previous statement with, ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Uhm, I, uh, something to go? Uhm, y-yes, what would you like?¡± Aridean replied nervously, her grip on her mop grew tighter and she herself shook somewhat.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ just some sausage and bread,¡± the minotaur answered, still using the same soft tone of voice as he had originally. Initial shock had left her customer, but Aridean was still processing the encounter.

    ¡°Of course, p-please, just one moment,¡± Aridean said, directing him to a table. She then made for the kitchen, bringing her mop and bucket with her. Having put her cleaning supplies back in the closet, Aridean got the bread and a small bag before her boss took notice.

    ¡°Gray? It¡¯s about closing time, what are you doing?¡± the tavern owner asked sternly.

    ¡°We have a to-go order waiting: sausage and bread, sir,¡± Aridean answered.

    ¡°A to-go this late? Everyone in Thellia knows we start closing around now. Who¡¯s out there?¡± George said, making his way to the dining room door. He looked out into the room and saw a mostly empty restaurant, save Aridean¡¯s customer. Aridean grew worried, she wasn¡¯t sure how George would react to finding out who she was serving. Would he be upset with her? Was she going to be yelled at again?

    ¡°Ugh, damn,¡± George muttered, quiet enough that only Aridean could hear him. ¡°Just make sure he pays up.¡±

    ¡°Oh, y-yes, of course, sir,¡± Aridean replied, somewhat confused. She was sure that not only would George yell at her, but at the unusual customer as well. But upon reflection, George had often times defied her typical expectations of bitterness with begrudging tolerance. With her boss¡¯s approval, Aridean then collected some spare sausage and put it in the bag with the bread. Before making her way back out, she took a moment to think about how her first interaction with someone from her own race was about how she would serve them sausage and bread. Most would probably find it mundane or even comical, but Aridean began to shake with anxiety. She shook so much that she could hear Roan and Andrew whispering about how the hairs on her tail were starting to stand up.

    He¡¯s a minotaur like me, so why do I feel¡­ scared trying to talk to him? Aridean thought, unable to control her shaking body.

    ¡°Gray, take that order to that one and get him out of here, we¡¯re just about done for the day,¡± George ordered, snapping Aridean back to reality.

    With a silent nod, Aridean took the bagged meal out into the dining room. She crossed the almost empty restaurant and stood before the minotaur.

    ¡°Here you are,¡± she said, avoiding eye contact and extending the bag to her customer.

    ¡°Thanks, kind of surprised I got service in this village,¡± the minotaur replied with a smile. He then pulled a small coin pouch out of one of his pockets. The minotaur laid a fistful of eight copper coins on the table and accepted the bag from Aridean. He then turned and made his way to the door. Standing at the front door, the male minotaur turned to look at Aridean one more time. He caught that she was actually looking him in the face now and he gave a friendly smile before leaving. Aridean just stood at the table for what felt like an hour before pulling herself together. In a hurry, she collected the coins from the final customer and returned to the kitchen to deliver the payment to George.

    ¡°Actually paid up, huh? Good, just hope he doesn¡¯t make this place a regular stop. One¡¯s been bad enough for business,¡± George said aloud, counting the coins. He then pulled a small lock box from under a counter and set it on some free counterspace. Using a key he kept wrapped around his wrist, George opened his lock box and counted twenty copper coins.

    ¡°Here¡¯s your pay for today, Gray,¡± George said. Aridean counted the coin after removing her apron and stuffing it back into her bag. She felt a bit disappointed, hoping that he would award her a little more.

    ¡°S-sir, do you think¡­ would it be¡­¡± Aridean hesitantly started.

    ¡°What? You want more? Gray, you should count yourself lucky you¡¯re getting that. If I didn¡¯t owe Simon, I¡¯d consider firing you now,¡± George said, clearly aware of what Aridean was trying to ask. Having threatened her employment and mentioning her father, Aridean quickly resolved not to ask any further for any raise.

    ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯m sorry sir,¡± Aridean said, head hanging low or at least as low as a seven-foot-tall minotaur could hang their head. She merely collected her bag and pay, thanked George for the coin, and left Mutt¡¯s Tavern. With a disappointed sigh, Aridean began making her way toward the marketplace.

    Mostly wooden buildings with signs stating what the stores held within all up and down the dirt street. Many patrons moved about from store to store, gathering groceries or other supplies. Aridean watched as people walked around the marketplace from behind the general store at the end of the road. She felt incredibly nervous and wondered if her customer from earlier was around somewhere. If that were the case, what would these people think of him? She feared that they would treat him the same, or even worse knowing that there were two minotaurs running around the village.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting! Ready to go birthday present shopping?¡± came Jean¡¯s familiar voice from behind. Startled, Aridean¡¯s entire body seized up for a second as she nearly fell over. It was typical of Jean to sneak up on her like this, but rarely did he ever get a reaction like that.

    ¡°Ari? Two scares in one day? You are feeling okay, right?¡± Jean asked, half-concerned and half-jokingly. Aridean composed herself after the sudden raise in heart rate.

    ¡°Yes, sorry Jean, today was¡­ just a little weird,¡± Aridean responded. Jean chuckled a little.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for me scaring you. Also, my day was a bit different, too. I met someone who I think you¡¯d like. You don¡¯t have work tomorrow, right? I¡¯ll introduce you to him later,¡± Jean said as he ushered Aridean into the marketplace. ¡°So, you ever figure out what you wanted to get Mr. Gray for his birthday?¡±

    ¡°Well, I have some ideas, but I really don¡¯t know. I really didn¡¯t make as much as I had hoped today at work and I don¡¯t have much else saved up,¡± Aridean said, closely following Jean into the crowd. She had been considering all sorts of gifts for her father all through work but couldn¡¯t decide on anything.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay, we¡¯ve got time to check out some stores. I¡¯ve heard good things about the nick-nack store by the bakery,¡± Jean said, pointing towards a store whose sign read ¡®Antique Collections¡¯. Aridean simply nodded and followed her friend to the store.

    Inside the shop, there were shelves, racks, and tables lined with all sorts of expensive and cheap looking items. A musty smell lingered in the warm air of the store front. Only one other person occupied the store apart from Aridean and Jean: a clerk sitting behind a counter on the other end of the room reading a newspaper. With a single look at Aridean, the clerk scowled and returned to his newspaper.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get looking,¡± Jean said enthusiastically with a wide smile on his face. Something told Aridean he was just looking for an excuse to look through collections of various junk. Without another word, Jean began inspecting a counter lined with small ceramic sculptures.

    ¡°Wow, look at the detail on these, Ari! I wish my tools were half as well made to be able to make something this defined. The color combination is so cool, too!¡± Jean said, inspecting a sculpture of fish jumping from a stream. Aridean was glad Jean was happy but was not interested in the sculptures. She wanted to look for something she thought her father would enjoy.

    ¡°Oh, right, admire the artwork later, we¡¯re here for a reason. Well, what about one of these replica swords? Wasn¡¯t Mr. Gray a part of the military for a time?¡± Jean asked while carefully holding a replica sword he found on a nearby rack.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if father would like that, he doesn¡¯t talk much about his time in the military. Besides, you really think I could afford one of those?¡± Aridean replied to her overly excited friend. It was true that her father was a high-ranking officer in the military for a time, but he rarely spoke on it. If Aridean ever asked about his military career, he would deflect any questions with the same ¡®that was a long time ago¡¯ bit.

    ¡°Well, okay then. Hmm, there¡¯s still a lot left here, but if you want to check out a different store, we could do that too,¡± Jean said not even trying to hide the fact his attention had returned to the ceramic sculptures on display. Aridean decided to walk through the store and look at the amenities it held a bit more. Her hooves clopped against the old wood floor of the shop loudly as she moved from table to table. She doubted she¡¯d be able to find a replacement for her father¡¯s broken gardening hoe in a store like this. Monocles, canes, teacups, and more arts and craft projects were all she seemed to find. Aridean had come across a small selection of hats that she considered. She had even gone so far as to try on a straw hat and a bucket hat. Unfortunately, having a head with horns made wearing the made-for-humans hats difficult to balance properly. Regardless, they did not seem like suitable gifts.

    There was also an interesting selection of old maps, a few compasses, and even a globe that Aridean took the time to study. Many of the maps she surveyed missed some towns that Aridean was aware of from old maps her father had. She assumed they were just older versions of the empire¡¯s territory. Aridean had further found herself absolutely entranced by the globe, spying all sorts of far-off lands she could only imagine visiting one day. From the snow-covered mountains of Drovania to the endless desert dunes of Voxun, Aridean toyed with the idea that she was already planning her own little expedition into some territories beyond the reach of the empire.

    Nearing the check-out counter, Aridean noticed a table with some shining jewelry on it. With a bit of curiosity, she drew closer to the table and surveyed the items it held with interest. One she found particularly intriguing was a copper locket with a silver lining. Inside the locket was empty space for a loved one¡¯s picture. Aridean could not take her eyes off the locket; it wasn¡¯t a new tool or anything with any particular use, but Aridean was sure she wanted this to be the gift she gave her father.

    ¡°Fifty copper pieces, hooves,¡± said the clerk from behind the counter, never having taken his eyes from his newspaper. With surprise in her eyes, Aridean immediately rummaged through her bag to find her coin pouch. Along with today¡¯s pay, Aridean frantically began counting the copper pieces within, setting aside the counted ones into a pile on the jewelry table.

    ¡°Forty-eight¡­ is that all I have? I was sure I had just a little more than that,¡± Aridean said disappointedly and shaking her coin pouch as though it would materialize more copper coins. Jean, who had snuck up behind Aridean, began whistling and dropped two extra copper coins onto the small pile Aridean had built up. Shocked, Aridean turned, mouth agape, to her generous friend who simply winked and returned to his sculptures yet again. Positively beaming, Aridean scooped up the coins and locket and moved to the check-out counter.

    ¡°You really want that? Eh, I¡¯m in no position to turn away business. Coin is coin,¡± the clerk said, taking the large mound of coins Aridean had piled up before him. After counting the coins and accepting Aridean¡¯s payment, he spoke, ¡°Now if you¡¯re done, could I ask you two to leave? That clopping on my floor is distracting.¡±

    Outside the store, Aridean continued to admire the locket with unbridled excitement. Jean walked alongside her, quiet yet happy for Aridean. The two made their way out of the marketplace, passing the bakery and the blacksmith. Aridean was so invested in the gift for her father that she hadn¡¯t even noticed she walked with Jean down the main road of the village. Many of the villagers had chosen to ignore the minotaur anyway, the few that didn¡¯t were scowling toward Aridean who had not registered their presence.

    ¡°Jean, I can¡¯t thank you enough for this,¡± Aridean finally spoke after the initial wonder wore off.

    ¡°Ari, it was just two copper pieces. I¡¯m sure you would have done the same for me,¡± Jean replied nonchalantly. Aridean gave her friend a grateful hug as the two began to exit the village. She had lifted Jean off his feet in a bit of a bear hug he could not reciprocate as Aridean had bound his arms to his sides. Once released, he simply nudged his minotaur friend with his elbow.

    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t going to be of any use to him, but I really hope he likes it,¡± Aridean began to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s gonna love it,¡± Jean assured her. The two continued on their way out of the village the same way they came in, on a long dirt road with clear countryside to both sides of the road. Despite the unusual and disappointing workday, Aridean¡¯s mood had dramatically improved. Nearing the fork in the road that Jean had met Aridean before, however, stood some familiar faces. Three boys in matching blue jackets were waiting for the pair to show up, standing at the short stone wall that Jean had jumped out at Aridean from.

    ¡°Well, well, how¡¯s it going cowgirl?¡± came a mocking voice from the group of boys before Aridean and Jean. Upon registering who had addressed them, Aridean¡¯s face immediately filled with an anxious expression. Jean had taken notice of this and began to grin.

    ¡°How you doing, Reil?¡± Jean said, maintaining his usual carefree and playful attitude. He took a step forward, putting himself between Aridean and the three boys. These boys had been long time bullies for Aridean, and she was terrified by the mere sight of the gang. Reil Long and his friends, Hark and Bud, seemed to derive never-ending joy out of ¡®teasing¡¯ Aridean. Teasing typically included insults and laughing at her mistakes, but on occasion it would escalate to actual pranks that at one time ended with Aridean nearly breaking her arm.

    ¡°Doing fine, Farmhand J. You having to play the knight in shining armor again? Don¡¯t you ever get sick of it? It¡¯s not like you owe her or anything. Let her stand up for herself,¡± Reil replied.

    ¡°You want me to back down from being her knight? I¡¯m not standing between you and her. I¡¯m standing between her and you! Ari doesn¡¯t need any protection from you guys, quite the opposite. If I were you, I¡¯d be careful about messing with someone who could throw me thirty yards without breaking a sweat!¡± Jean said, Aridean¡¯s face grew visibly more anxious.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe she could do that, but like she would! Aridean may be a minotaur, but she has the backbone of a bird with two broken wings. Besides, she can¡¯t do anything to us unless she wants to get the town watch involved,¡± Reil retorted.

    ¡°You really want to take that chance though? You know, I¡¯ve seen Ari here lift a full-grown cow and carry it across a raging river once. I know I wouldn¡¯t want to upset her,¡± Jean continued to half-bluff, it was actually just across a gentle stream. Although Aridean¡¯s shaking body and visible distress made the half-lie less and less convincing.

    ¡°Whatever, she can¡¯t touch us, which means we can do whatever we want,¡± Reil said moving closer. He noticed that Aridean was clutching the locket that she had bought at the pawn shop earlier and snatched it away.

    ¡°Well, well, what do we have here? Cowgirl likes her jewelry, does she? Where did someone like you get the money for something like this? You pillage and rob someone for it?¡± Reil taunted while holding the locket up for his companions to see. The two goons just snickered and laughed.

    ¡°N-no, I¡­ Jean loaned me a little money for it. Please, Reil, that¡¯s my father¡¯s birthday present,¡± Aridean said, her legs felt like little more than jelly underneath her and her voice had begun to crack up. Having witnessed Reil snatch Aridean¡¯s locket, Jean was taken aback. This was the first time he had seen Reil bother her in such a way, but it was not the first time something of a similar caliber had occurred between the two.

    ¡°Oh, you got this for old man Gray, huh? Why waste your time? You¡¯re not his real daughter. How long before you just go off and join that stupid rebellion, cowgirl?¡± Reil spoke with malice in his voice. Aridean¡¯s throat tightened as she tried to respond to the insult. Jean¡¯s playful attitude had all but vanished at the insult to his friend, his fists tightened by his sides.

    ¡°Reil, you¡¯re going to give that back to Ari right now,¡± Jean said with the most serious face Aridean had ever seen him make. It was at this point that Aridean grew even more anxious than she thought possible, she had never seen Jean so upset.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will. Cows don¡¯t need jewelry after all. You want to accessorize, Ari? Hark, you still got that ear piercer and a cattle tag?¡± Reil laughed, as did his goons. The bully¡¯s laughter was immediately halted as Jean punched him. After realizing what had just happened, Reil snarled, ¡°You¡¯re gonna regret that, farmhand.¡±

    The two boys began to fight there on the dirt road with Aridean and Reil¡¯s goons witnessing the scuffle. Fists flew, dirt was kicked up, and Aridean thought she saw a tooth fly. At one point, Reil had thrown Jean to the ground. Luckily, Jean was quick enough to stand up before Reil could pin him down. But avoiding the pin did not help as Reil threw a punch that knocked Jean over. Jean fell, stumbling backward and hitting his head on the stone wall. The boy went limp as a large gash on his head began to bleed. Aridean froze with fear, her heart sunk in her chest and she felt as though she couldn¡¯t breathe.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Reil said, having realized what he had done. His goons stood, frozen like Aridean, until Reil started to laugh manically.

    ¡°Oh, Ari, look what you¡¯ve gone and done! I can¡¯t believe you would do that to your best friend,¡± Reil exclaimed, his boisterous laughter continued, eventually his goons joined in.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Aridean asked, too shocked by what had just happened to even move a muscle.

    ¡°Just wait until the town watch hears about this! Best part is that no one will believe anything you say,¡± Reil said as he motioned for his fellow thugs to walk back to the village, still laughing over pinning Jean¡¯s injury on Aridean.

    ¡°J-Jean?¡± Aridean called out to her unconscious friend, tears welling in her eyes. It was one thing to Aridean that she be the one who was hurt, but what had happened left her petrified. She called out again, ¡°Jean!¡±

    Aridean finally collected herself and rushed to her friend¡¯s side. First, she checked to make sure that Jean was still breathing. She then looked over the boy¡¯s bloody head and bruised face. It wasn¡¯t a pretty sight and Aridean was worried that Jean might die without immediate attention. Normally, Aridean would patch Jean up with some basic first aid her father had shown her, but this injury was beyond her abilities. Aridean carefully scooped up Jean in her arms and was about to make a mad dash for Thellia¡¯s doctor. But she was worried about having to go back to the village, despite Jean needing a doctor.

    ¡°Jean, I¡¯m so, so sorry,¡± Aridean said, a tear sliding down her cheek. Her legs felt weak under her.

    Jean needs me, I can¡¯t let him down, with that thought in mind, Aridean¡¯s resolve strengthened somewhat and she began to run the boy back to the village. To hell with what this village thinks of me, I can¡¯t leave Jean like this.

    It was a clear shot straight to the doctor¡¯s office at the center of the village. Aridean heard gasps and whispers as she ran through the street, but she didn¡¯t have time to think about any of it. Finally arriving at the doctor¡¯s, Aridean noticed a sort of clicking sound that had been following her the whole sprint. As she walked through the doctor¡¯s front door, she realized that the sound was coming from Jean. With more tears in her eyes, Aridean noticed what the sound was. Despite his unconscious state, Jean was tightly clutching the locket that Aridean bought for her father¡¯s birthday in his left hand.

 Chapter 3 - What We Have

    ¡°Hi-ya! You¡¯re that minotaur girl that lives with Mr. Gray, right?¡± came a voice from behind Aridean. Startled, Aridean, leaning against a large tree behind the schoolhouse, raised her head from its hiding place buried in her knees and turned to face the owner of the voice. It was a young boy with short, blonde hair and common clothes; he had a bit of a goofy grin on his face. Aridean just sat silently looking back at the boy, eyes wide with surprise.

    ¡°Hey, hello? Oh! Maybe you speak Minoran? Mine¡¯s not very good, but here goes: woon bei ti?¡± the boy said with amusement. Puzzled, Aridean¡¯s mouth started to move.

    ¡°W-what--,¡± Aridean started before being cut off.

    ¡°Hey, you do speak English. So, what¡¯s your name?¡± the energetic boy asked.

    ¡°W-what did you want to ask me?¡± Aridean asked, still confused.

    ¡°Your name, I¡¯ve asked in two languages now, right? C¡¯mon! I want to hear it,¡± the boy replied.

    ¡°But you asked, ¡®where¡¯s the milk¡¯ in Minoran,¡± Aridean told the boy.

    ¡°I did? Ugh, Minoran is so hard. You think you could teach me sometime? I want to learn enough to at least have a conversation with a minotaur like you. Speaking of ¡®you,¡¯ will you answer my other question now?¡± inquired the oddly inquisitive boy. Aridean was stumped, why would anyone want to have a conversation in Minoran and with a minotaur no less. Nothing about this boy made any sense, but something about him was different and it made Aridean want to speak with him.

    ¡°M-my name¡¯s Aridean Gray,¡± Aridean finally answered.

    ¡°Aridean? That¡¯s a funny name,¡± the boy began to giggle a bit. ¡°I¡¯m Jean, Jean Hallon. I hope one day to travel the world and make a name for myself selling exotic art pieces.¡±

    Strangely, Aridean did not feel uncomfortable around this boy as she did with the other kids. Jean sat himself down on the grass in front of Aridean, still smiling from ear to ear. The two kids began talking, rather it would be more accurate to say Jean began asking questions about random topics that Aridean would answer. Pets, family, favorite foods, and how Aridean maintained her mane were all subjects visited during their discussion. Aridean spoke with this Jean kid for nearly a full hour before realizing this was the first time she had enjoyed speaking with someone that was not her father. Time continued to pass as the two kids discussed various friendly topics and the shadow of the tree the two were under grew longer.

    ¡°Well, we should probably be going home before it gets too late,¡± Jean said, finally cutting off their chat.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± Aridean agreed, hesitantly. The classmates stood up from their tree; Jean couldn¡¯t help but point out how Aridean was almost twice as tall as him despite the pair having discussed that they were both only eight years old. Aridean didn¡¯t mind the tease, if anything, she found Jean¡¯s brand of messing with her to be refreshing. She hoped that Jean could keep talking to her and teasing her in his own way.

    ¡°Uh, J-Jean? Do you think we could, maybe¡­ t-talk like this again?¡± Aridean asked nervously. Jean returned her look with a cocked head and befuddled look.

    ¡°Ari, why do you ask that?¡± Jean questioned. Aridean shook somewhat, feeling rejected by the first person to actually want to talk to her until he followed with, ¡°We¡¯re friends, right? Isn¡¯t talking what friends do?¡±

    Aridean¡¯s nervousness faded in a matter of seconds having heard that from Jean; she even began to smile. This was the first time Aridean had heard anyone use that word to describe her.  Friends, the whole idea had seemed completely foreign to Aridean this morning and here she was now.

    ¡°R-right! We¡¯re friends¡­ wait, Ari?¡± Aridean asked her new friend.

    ¡°It¡¯s short for Aridean. I think it has a nice ring to it, too. I mean, if you prefer, I could call you Dean, but that doesn¡¯t sound quite right,¡± Jean said smiling. Aridean returned his smile and thought about it for a while. This was the first time someone had called her something that was not insulting or hurtful. She was feeling confident that she could enjoy being called ¡®Ari.¡¯

    That was eight years ago, and Jean has been by my side ever since. Aridean thought to herself, eyes locked on the locket Jean had protected for her. Darkness had engulfed the countryside and it had been raining for well over an hour. Aridean, soaked by the rain, slowly trudged along the long dirt path home. After reaching the top of the hill where she had encountered the carriage from the morning, she could see the lights of her farmhouse. Upon seeing her home, Aridean shook a little remembering that she promised to be home before the sun went down that day. Would father be upset that she was out so long given her circumstances?

    ¡°Get a move on, it¡¯s late, it¡¯s raining, and I¡¯ve gotta get back to the doctor,¡± came a voice from behind Aridean. Jean¡¯s father, Mr. Hallon, was accompanying Aridean home, though not as friendly about it as Jean would have had he been there. Jean¡¯s father was a little younger than Aridean¡¯s father, but much more vocal and forceful. Mr. Hallon had never expressed much sympathy for Aridean, not like Jean. Given his son wanted to make friends with a minotaur, he had actually adopted a reluctantly tolerant attitude toward her. However, that tolerance was nowhere to be found today. With a solemn look on her face, Aridean continued her trek home.

    Aridean and Mr. Hallon eventually reached the farm, the patter of rain on the roof drowned out the bleating of all the sheep that had been moved into the darkened barn. Aridean¡¯s hooves were caked in mud, and she doubted that Mr. Hallon¡¯s boots faired much differently. The pair ascended the stairs to the front porch, finally clear of the cold rain. Aridean reached for the doorknob to her home, but Mr. Hallon stopped her and angrily banged on the door. Any sound inside the house could not be heard over the rain coming down and after a few seconds of waiting, Mr. Hallon banged on the door again. Finally, the door swung open to reveal Aridean¡¯s father. He looked both Aridean and their guest up and down, as though studying the pair, his tired expression never leaving his face.

    ¡°Simon, we need to talk about your ¡®daughter,¡¯¡± Hallon spoke, not even giving Aridean¡¯s father the chance to invite the two inside. ¡°My son has taken a serious blow to the head because of this one! He¡¯s still at the doctor¡¯s, unconscious!¡±

    Simon Gray, Aridean¡¯s father, listened to Mr. Hallon¡¯s statements. However, as if ignoring the furious ravings of his guest, Simon spoke, ¡°Aridean, why don¡¯t you clean your hooves and go to your room while I speak with Mr. Hallon.¡±

    ¡°No! She needs to hear this too! She needs to know just what she--,¡± Mr. Hallon began to shout before being cut off by Simon.

    ¡°Aridean, go on,¡± Simon said softly, his expression never having changed. Aridean began to speak, she wanted to tell them what had actually happened that led to Jean¡¯s injury, but nothing would come out. Mr. Hallon had made it absolutely clear he didn¡¯t want to have any conversation with her to begin with. Without the ability to speak her mind, Aridean nodded silently and wiped her hooves with a small towel by Simon¡¯s mud-caked boots sitting next to the front door. Without a word, she then retreated into her room, the wooden floor creaked underneath her now mostly clean hooves. Closing the door behind her, she noticed a fresh set of clothes sitting on her bed for her along with Mott. Upon seeing Aridean enter the room, Mott hopped up on her three legs and made her way to Aridean where she began sniffing and licking Aridean¡¯s wet furred legs. Although still drenched from the rain, Aridean could not even think about cleaning herself up. If anything, she wanted to know just what her father and Jean¡¯s were discussing in the front room.

    ¡°I¡¯m done with this Simon,¡± boomed Mr. Hallon¡¯s voice from out in the living room. Aridean was taught eavesdropping was rude, but she just had to know how badly her father was to be reprimanded for what she was indirectly responsible for. To that end, Aridean quietly cracked open her bedroom door and simply listened to the conversation going on in the other room.

    ¡°I¡¯m sick of having to deal with this Simon! The whole of Thellia feels the same! This is precisely why we can¡¯t have her around; people are bound to get hurt,¡± Mr. Hallon shouted. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s happened, and it was my son!¡±

    ¡°What happened to Jean?¡± Simon asked softly, exuding an aura of patience despite the situation he found himself in.

    ¡°That beast knocked him against a stone wall, he¡¯s been out cold for several hours now! A group of boys saw it happen and plenty of villagers saw her running him to the doctor¡¯s,¡± Mr. Hallon answered. It seems that Reil had already dispensed his version of the ¡®truth¡¯ to the village, not that it mattered. No one was going to believe Aridean except Jean, and he was unable to attest to her innocence. Even so, Aridean still felt she was responsible for what had happened. Jean would not have been hurt if he was not trying to defend her.

    ¡°We¡¯ve all put up with her long enough, you of all people should know that you can¡¯t trust minotaurs! They¡¯re bloodthirsty savages, the whole lot of ¡®em! Why else you think they¡¯ve got that damn rebellion going on in an otherwise peaceful nation,¡± Hallon continued, piling on why the village despised the minotaur people. ¡°You know better than anyone what those monsters are capable of.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you call Aridean a monster when you don¡¯t know her, or minotaurs for that matter,¡± Simon warned sternly. His decision to stand by Aridean only angered Hallon further.

    ¡°Do you need me to say it? Maybe it¡¯s the wake-up call you¡¯ve needed since you moved to Thellia with that thing! Listen up Simon: Aridean is dead! She¡¯s gone and you know damn well it was a minotaur that did it,¡± Hallon shouted. Aridean gasped having heard Hallon mention her name, even though it was clear he was not referring to her. Tears began to well up in her eyes again and her heart ached in her chest. Mott pawed at Aridean¡¯s pant leg, concerned for her owner. Mott¡¯s head cocked to one side and her tail flicked from side to side waiting for Aridean to acknowledge her. Simon had fallen silent after hearing Hallon¡¯s proclamation. Hallon heaved a heavy sigh before speaking again.

    ¡°Simon, the village has put up with one of those things living here because of the man you use to be. What changed you? You don¡¯t owe the minotaurs anything. After what they did to your family, I can¡¯t fathom why¡ª,¡± Hallon had started up again with a more passive tone of voice.

    ¡°Send me the bill for the doctor,¡± Simon finally said, having cut Hallon off. He then took a swig of alcohol from a flask on the dining room table. ¡°I¡¯ll have a word with Aridean.¡±

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    ¡°You¡¯ll have¡ªyou¡¯re just going to have a talk with her, as though you really are that thing¡¯s father? What good will that do to one of those things? Are you even listening to yourself anymore?¡± Hallon retorted without any patience left, obviously unconvinced that his words were getting through to Simon. Simon had fallen silent again, or rather, Aridean just couldn¡¯t hear what her father was saying at that point.

    ¡°Fine then! But you¡¯re going to keep her out of the village and away from my family from now on! I don¡¯t ever want to see that creature again,¡± snapped Hallon, seemingly having been rebuffed in some way by Simon. ¡°How the mighty Crusader Captain of the Empire has fallen.¡±

    With that final insult, Hallon left through the front door out into the rain that continued to shower the countryside. Simon sat at the dining room table for a while, motionless like a stone statue. After some time had passed, Aridean questioned whether she should come out and speak with him or if staying away and giving the man some space would be the better option. Finally, Simon threw his head back with his flask at his lips. He downed the rest of the alcohol he was drinking and returned the flask to the table before standing. Upon seeing her father stand and turn toward the bedrooms, she quickly shut the door in an effort to hide the fact that she had heard everything. Slowly, Simon made his way to her room as she moved back toward her bed. Aridean curled up by the side of her bed, some rainwater still dripping from her horns and mane onto her bedroom floor. Her long tail sat in a small puddle of water that had dripped off her. Mott had returned to Aridean¡¯s bed; the black cat had realized that Aridean was in no mood to play and decided to curl up on her bed and nap. Aridean could hear Simon¡¯s footsteps outside getting closer to her door. Once she was certain he was on the other side of her bedroom door, the footsteps had ceased. Things had fallen silent, save the rain hitting the window of the bedroom. It felt as though an hour had passed before Aridean heard a knock at her door.

    ¡°Aridean,¡± came Simon¡¯s voice, speaking with a softness that he had always used when addressing Aridean when she was little. ¡°I know you heard all that. May I come in?¡±

    Aridean was unable to respond, she had just fallen silent as she was stuck in thought. No matter how hard she tried to focus herself, she could not speak to her father nor stand to open the door. Aridean sat there at her bed with an expression on her face that exuded desperate anxiousness, immense regret, and extreme fatigue all at once.

    ¡°Aridean, I¡¯m coming in,¡± Simon said, as he did the doorknob to Aridean¡¯s room began to turn. Her father then pushed the door open and he entered the bedroom to the sight of a rain-soaked minotaur curled up in a fetal position on the floor. With just one look, Simon heaved a weary sigh and moved to stand before the minotaur.

    ¡°Aridean, I--,¡± Simon began.

    ¡°Why? Why do you do this?¡± Aridean asked, voice shaking in anticipation of her father¡¯s answer. Her vague question, however, seemed to make perfect sense to Simon.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to go through this,¡± Simon told Aridean.

    ¡°Why though? Why do you care? He¡¯s right, you know. You don¡¯t owe me anything. Minotaurs ruined your life, so why did you take me in?¡± Aridean inquired. Her father¡¯s normal tired and somber expression seemed to reform into surprise for a second at the revised question. Simon took a moment to formulate an answer he deemed worth sharing, it was at this time that Aridean had begun to look up at him as he thought.

    ¡°I owe you so much more than you could imagine,¡± Simon said, his gaze had focused out the window on the rain falling in the dark night as he was seemingly lost in thought over what his own answer meant. Aridean could not help but find the answer puzzling and even felt a bit hurt by it.

    ¡°What are you talking about? You don¡¯t owe me anything at all. You¡¯ve told me all about it before, how minotaurs took everything from you. Why do you do this to yourself?¡± Aridean gestured toward her own body as her way of asking why Simon allowed her to live with him. ¡°You were a legend in the Empire¡¯s military. But in an instant, that vanished. Why though? Someone like you is capable of so much, yet you decided to raise me despite what others would think. What¡¯s weirder, you saved a minotaur; one of those beasts that killed your family!¡±

    ¡°Aridean, you are not a beast,¡± Simon said with a stern voice. ¡°You are my daughter.¡±

    ¡°W-what? How can you even say that? Doesn¡¯t it hurt? I¡¯m not your daughter! I¡¯m just an animal that has only caused you trouble! The people of Thellia see it, surely you do too. There¡¯s no reason you should continue to suffer for me,¡± Aridean exclaimed, voice slowly rising in volume. She had begun to stand on her hooves again, but her tear-filled eyes focused solely on Simon.

    ¡°No one in Thellia could understand what we have,¡± Simon said, finally looking Aridean in the eyes again. He slowly lifted a hand toward her face to wipe away her tears. However, Aridean suddenly jerked back as his hand drew closer. Simon stopped upon seeing Aridean back away from him.

    ¡°What do we have exactly? Mr. Hallon is right: there¡¯s nothing between us! We are not of the same blood, let alone even of the same race. I¡¯ve always been a burden on you! Thellia would gladly have you here if it weren¡¯t for me. Villagers are always talking about how great you use to be before I came along, and I¡¯ve told you what villagers think of me. I¡¯m just some monster walking through the village because of what minotaurs have done. I¡¯ve had to put up with the whispers, bullying, rumors, shouting, and hatred because I was born a minotaur. People are always muttering things would be better if you had never found me or if I had just not been born! I never had a choice in any of this! You¡¯re the one who has decided to live like this! What exactly do you think when look at me? Am I just a mistake that you never should have brought into your home or am I a deranged man¡¯s idea of a trophy over the minotaurs that took your family?¡± Aridean had begun to cry and her voice had escalated to a shout, but Simon remained silent with his usual tired expression on his face. Aridean could not tell whether the man before her was exuding an air of patience or apathy, which confused and frustrated her further. Without thought or hesitation, Aridean shouted, ¡°Maybe you do need to hear it! I¡¯m not Aridean, I¡¯m not your daughter. I¡¯m just some minotaur that you keep that¡¯s just hurting you.¡±

    ¡°Aridean, you--¡± Simon said, his voice unfazed by Aridean¡¯s exclamation. Aridean moved past Simon and pulled open her bedroom door.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± she spoke before running through the front room. Aridean threw open the front door and returned outside, in the cold and dark, rainy night. Tears poured from her eyes like rivers, but it was hard to tell given all of the rain on her face as she ran from the porch toward the barn. The minotaur pushed open the barn door and entered the dark structure, throwing the door closed behind her. She ran toward the ladder that would take her to the loft of the barn. Once in the barn loft, Aridean curled up on the floor of the loft and began to sob. Sheep throughout the barn were bleating on the floor below her, but they could not drown out the depressed cries of the minotaur occupying the loft above.

    After some time had passed, Aridean¡¯s loud sobbing had diminished to sniffling and heavy breathing with occasional hiccups. While unable to fully collect herself, Aridean decided she would sleep in the barn loft tonight. She usually only did this if she was too tired and sleepy to head back to the house after working out, but today was different. Still soaking wet, Aridean removed her shirt and pants before covering herself in the quilt from the previous morning. Dressed in only her underwear, she felt cold as her fur was matted to her skin from all the rainwater that had assaulted her. As she cast aside the drenched clothes, Aridean heard a clinking sound from her soaked pants. Slightly surprised, the minotaur slowly moved to where she had thrown the wet pair of pants. She reached into one of the pockets to find that she had forgotten all about the locket she had bought her father for his birthday.

    ¡°F-father¡­ I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Aridean said, tears welling up in her eyes that had gone red from her previous cry. She held the locket close to her chest and sat on the loft floor with her back to a support beam.

    ¡°You have no reason to be sorry, Aridean,¡± came a voice from the loft ladder. It was Simon who had followed Aridean out to the barn. He too was wet, but nowhere near as much as Aridean. Aridean herself had nearly jumped out of her skin with surprise after her father revealed himself.

    ¡°Aridean, there¡¯s a lot to talk about concerning what goes on between us,¡± he started as he approached Aridean. This time, Simon sat beside the minotaur and put a large bowl covered by a small cloth down on the floor in front of them, a familiar smell emanated from the bowl. He then pulled a backpack off his back and opened the zipper.

    ¡°Father, I--,¡± Aridean tried to speak, but was cut off.

    ¡°Aridean, please let me speak. I¡¯ve been on this earth for many years, and I¡¯ve made many, many mistakes across those years. Many of those mistakes haunt me to this day and I do not know if I will ever be given the opportunity to make amends,¡± Simon spoke while pulling a fresh set of clothes from his backpack for Aridean. ¡°I know there are a great many regrets that I will have to take with me to the grave, but I can¡¯t let you resenting yourself to be one of them.¡±

    Aridean remained silent, accepting the fresh change of clothes from her father as he held them out to her. The minotaur was simply entranced by the display that the man was putting on at that moment in time, she couldn¡¯t even think of what to say to her father. Simon then pulled a spoon and a hairbrush from the backpack. He passed the spoon to Aridean and gestured to the bowl on the floor. Upon picking up the spoon, Aridean realized the familiar smell was her father¡¯s pork stew, her favorite.

    ¡°You and Hallon both said it: Aridean is dead. My blood daughter is gone, and I¡¯ll never hear her laugh or cry again. That isn¡¯t something someone can just¡­ move on from; not a day goes by where I wish I could hold her one more time,¡± Simon said as he began to stare into empty space ahead of him. ¡°Perhaps one of my many mistakes was burdening you with the ghosts of my past when I gave you her namesake. But I want, no, I need you to know one thing without a doubt¡­¡±

    Simon turned to look Aridean in the eyes before finishing his thought, ¡°When I look at you, I see one decision I made where I am certain that it could never be a mistake. You are my daughter, even if we don¡¯t share blood or race. We don¡¯t need those to call one another family, Aridean. I have called you my daughter since the day I found you and I will continue to call you my daughter until the day I die. A life without you in it isn¡¯t worth living to me.¡±

    Having professed his feelings regarding their situation, Simon pulled a short wooden stool up and had Aridean, still draped in her quilt, turn her back to him. As Aridean began eating the pork stew he had provided, Simon began to brush Aridean¡¯s mane with the hairbrush. Simon¡¯s stew was delicious, the rich and creamy stew blended with tender cuts of pork in a way that Aridean found irresistible. Aridean thought about the scene playing out in the barn loft and realized they had not discussed something like this since her first day at school when she was younger, and it played out in about a similar manner. Simon may have changed over the years from a respected and high-ranking Crusade Captain to a simple shepherd, but he remained resolute in the face of Aridean¡¯s overwhelming existentialism regarding the struggles the two faced living together. Aridean was halfway through her meal when she felt a new tear roll down her cheek. A smile crept across the minotaur¡¯s face as the tear dripped off her face and into her stew. She then set the bowl aside and reached for her locket.

    ¡°Father, I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s late a-and it isn¡¯t something that you might get much use from, but¡­ happy birthday,¡± Aridean nervously spoke as she turned to Simon and offered the locket. Simon looked the locket over once and gave a warm smile. He had never struck Aridean as the sentimental type, but his face told her everything she needed to know.

    ¡°Aridean, I love it,¡± Simon said as he took the locket.

    Aridean smiled and hugged her father before returning to her stew. Simon continued to brush her mane as she ate the dinner he had prepared hours ago. Despite it having gone cold some time ago, Aridean still desired a second bowl. She had forgotten how hungry she had been and was overjoyed to be eating her father¡¯s cooking. Time passed and the two decided they would return to the farmhouse to retire to their beds for the night. Aridean dressed herself in the fresh change of clothes, but not before noticing Simon inspecting the white fur pattern on her back. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen it, but something about her back always seemed to put him into deep thought. Aridean did not want to say something that might ruin the otherwise salvaged evening and moved with her father down the ladder to the barn floor. The duo exited outside the barn where the heavy rain had slowed to a calm drizzle. Aridean followed Simon back up the porch steps and into their home where she then wished her father good night. Aridean returned to her bedroom and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Having concluded her cathartic evening, Aridean climbed into her bed feeling both mentally and physically exhausted. She turned off the lamp on her nightstand and closed her eyes.

    ¡°Everything is going to be okay. Like father said: we don¡¯t need blood or race to be family,¡± Aridean whispered to herself, another smile made its way across her face in the dark bedroom. Feeling good about her place in her father¡¯s life, Aridean slipped into a deep sleep there in her warm bed.

 Chapter 4 - Your Burden No More

    Screaming and crying could be heard coming from outside the tent flaps. Everything was hazy and there was a distinct smell of smoke coming from somewhere. A towering, female minotaur stood before a knight clad head to toe in plate mail armor. She spoke, but the words could not be heard, and the knight could be seen drawing a long blade. Whatever the pair were discussing, the situation for the minotaur was deteriorating fast as the knight assumed a battle stance. As the knight raised the blade, the minotaur raised her hands as though to shield herself. In an instant, the minotaur fell to the ground as a thin stream of dark crimson now coated the knight¡¯s blade. The knight slowly began to sheath his weapon. Before the blade was fully sheathed, the knight¡¯s attention was drawn to something within the tent. His hand reached out toward a basket. Upon thoroughly investigating what it was that intrigued him, the knight jerked back as though a snake was attempting to strike him.

    More screaming could be heard from outside as the knight stood in the middle of the tent over the female minotaur. It was impossible to tell whether the knight was looking at the basket or the body before him with his faceplate covering his eyes. Seemingly, the knight was deeply lost in thought for a long time. Eventually, the knight clenched his fists and focused his gaze on the basket. As he drew nearer, he rearmed himself with his sword. Once within striking distance, the knight raised the blade over his head where it waited. After having prepared his strike, the knight had frozen still as a statue. Rather, everything below his arms had frozen as his hands trembled holding the blade above his head. A loud scream could be heard as the blade came down.

    Aridean¡¯s eyes opened wide as she woke up in her bed. She shuddered a bit and took a deep breath as she looked up at her bedroom ceiling.

    ¡°That was one weird dream,¡± she told herself as she began sitting up in her bed. The minotaur began to stretch her arms toward the ceiling with a yawn. At the foot of her bed sat Mott, still sleeping. Aridean bent forward and ran her fingers under the cat¡¯s chin and scratched behind its ears as well. Mott¡¯s response was to roll over so that Aridean could more easily reach her chin. After giving Mott some attention, Aridean moved her legs over the side of the bed. Her hooves hit the sturdy, wood floor and she pushed her bedsheets off her. Mott watched Aridean ready herself for the day, all the while expecting more chin rubs. Sunlight illuminated the bedroom through the window above Aridean¡¯s bed.

    ¡°Ugh, I slept in again, didn¡¯t I? Has father already started the chores?¡± Aridean asked no one in particular as she straightened her bed. As she was finishing up, she heard a knocking from her bedroom door.

    ¡°Aridean, breakfast is ready,¡± Simon called from the other side.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be just one minute,¡± Aridean replied, looking for some fresh clothes to replace the ones she had slept in. Some specially tailored jeans for her minotaur legs and a large, white tee shirt made the getup she decided on. Once dressed, Aridean pulled a small bag out of her dresser which caught Mott¡¯s attention. The black cat quickly jumped from her place on the bed and sat down in front of Aridean. Aridean in turn squatted down and pulled a cat treat from the bag.

    ¡°Alright, give me a high-five,¡± Aridean said with a smile on her face and a hand extended for a high-five. Mott followed her owner¡¯s command as best she could and put her front, left paw up to Aridean¡¯s hand. ¡°Great! Now, spin!¡±

    The black cat, despite missing her rear, left leg, was quick to obey and spun around in her spot in front of Aridean twice before sitting again. Aridean giggled a little and rewarded the display with the treat she had procured, which Mott graciously accepted. With that, Aridean stood back up and put the treat bag back into her dresser before moving to her bedroom door.

    Moving into the front room, Aridean could smell the breakfast that her father had prepared and she could hardly keep from drooling a bit. Simon was bringing their plates to the table; eggs, bacon, and toast again, but Aridean did not mind. Aridean took her seat at the table as Simon took his. Breakfast did not last long as Aridean practically inhaled what was on her plate.

    ¡°Thank you for the meal,¡± she told her father as she moved the plate to the sink. Their sink was filled with dirty dishes; although she was not at work today, it would still be Aridean¡¯s responsibility to clean the dishes. Simon quietly finished his meal and gave his plate and fork to Aridean to clean.

    ¡°One of these days you should start learning to cook,¡± Simon said while collecting his boots. He then proceeded to his chair by the coffee table in the living space where he slipped on the old, reliable working boots.

    ¡°Well, you know how impatient I get when it comes to cooking,¡± Aridean reminded her father. On the few occasions she had tried to cook, she would worry about burning her creation or leaving it undercooked. Many dishes have been both burned and served cold, but none could compare to the seared steaks Aridean once tried to make for Simon. It was her first-time cooking and she had practically served her father a raw steak marinated in a sauce that was likely rancid. Simon was sick in bed for two days after eating Aridean¡¯s cooking. For a while, Simon played it off as a seasonal flu which did not trick Aridean for long. After figuring out that she caused her father¡¯s illness, Aridean felt so guilty over the whole ordeal that she refused to try cooking again for a full year.

    Having heard her excuse, Simon simply sighed while shrugging and began to make for the front door.

    ¡°Do you mind shearing some of the sheep today? We have a large order from the tailor, and I need to run to town for some errands,¡± Simon asked as he pulled on a coat that he had laying over his chair.

    ¡°Of course, leave it to me,¡± Aridean replied as she began scrubbing dishes under some warm water.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be back in a few hours,¡± Simon said exiting the farmhouse. Aridean focused on her dishes and hummed a light tune to herself. However, the smile on her face began to fade away as she thought about the melody she was humming. It was a song that Jean taught her, and she could not help but worry about Jean. When she had left the doctor¡¯s with Jean¡¯s father yesterday, Jean was still unconscious. Further, she thought back to what Jean¡¯s father had said to Simon last night: ¡®But you¡¯re going to keep her out of the village and away from my family from now on! I don¡¯t ever want to see that creature again.¡¯ Aridean began to fear that she might not be allowed to see Jean again. She knew that she had taken Jean to the doctor because he was hurt defending her, but no one else saw it that way and it did not seem like anyone wanted to see it like that. To the people of Thellia, it was Aridean who had hurt Jean.

    Unfortunately, her own woes were not the only worries on her mind as she also remembered Mr. Hallon¡¯s final insult to her father the previous night: ¡®How the mighty Crusader Captain of the Empire has fallen.¡¯ Aridean did not know much about her father¡¯s past, much less his military career, as he never liked to speak of it. But she knew that a Crusader Captain was one of the highest-ranking officers throughout the Empire¡¯s military. Her father was not just a hero, but a legend to many people, so to see someone treat him like a washed up drunk as Hallon had last night sent shivers down Aridean¡¯s spine. Again, the thought that his life could be much happier and accepting if only she were out of the picture began to surface.

    ¡°N-no, father and I are okay; all we need is one another. He¡­ he said that we are going to stay a family regardless of what the world thinks,¡± Aridean assured herself. After a deep breath, Aridean returned to her dishes, albeit concerned. Plates, cups, and utensils were all carefully scrubbed with an old rag that had been dipped in warm, soapy water. Eventually, Aridean finished cleaning the dishes and had set them neatly in a tray so that they may dry.

    But it¡¯s just so unfair¡­ Reil¡¯s the reason Jean was hurt, not me. Just because I¡¯m a minotaur, I have to suffer everyone else¡¯s hatred. Reil gets off scot-free and I¡¯m the one who¡¯s blamed for Jean¡¯s injury. Why can¡¯t I just be treated like all the others? It¡¯s not like I asked for any of this and I haven¡¯t done anything to deserve it either. But¡­ it¡¯s not just me¡­ father also has to put up with it because he took me in.  Aridean¡¯s head was filled with concern. She had always been able to power through the societal abuse in the village, but having it brought home in the form of Mr. Hallon the previous night was like having her castle walls torn apart.

    Come to think of it¡­ why did father decide to take me in? Jean has always treated me nice, too. What about them makes them not hate the sight of me like the rest of Thellia? Like Mr. Hallon said last night, father lost his family to minotaurs. Despite being seen with me often, Jean is still popular with others from school. He doesn¡¯t need to give me any pity or anything when he could spend time with his fellow humans. Neither of them have a reason for treating me the way they do. Especially father: how could he take in a minotaur after what one took from him? Aridean continued to contemplate her status in the lives of those important to her. Recalling a time she asked her father why he decided to adopt her, all Aridean could remember was his vague answer: ¡®I needed to.¡¯

    ¡°Okay, c¡¯mon, no need to be thinking about that now. Perk up a bit, today is going to be nice and quiet. Alright, now to check up on the garden and then shear those sheep,¡± Aridean said, listing off the chores she was aware of for the day. Aridean turned on her hooves toward the door and began to make for the garden. Mott was quick to follow as the old cat rarely let Aridean out of her sight while Aridean was home. The two exited the farmhouse onto the front porch where the cold air greeted them. Aridean began to walk down the porch steps and turned toward her father¡¯s vegetable garden, all the while thinking that the air may kill the plants if it stays as cold as it has been recently.

    Simon¡¯s vegetable garden was a simple plot of tilled soil on the west side of the farmhouse. Only five rows that stretched fifteen yards each, but the garden had served Simon and Aridean well. Simon mostly planted tomatoes, squash, and string beans, all of which he used in preparing the stew that Aridean loved so much. Aridean squatted down in front of the first bushel of beans to inspect its vines for any produce. Some small beans were scattered throughout the bushel, but Aridean could tell that they were not ready for picking. On the other hand, she had picked up her father¡¯s collection basket and began gathering some bright, red tomatoes. She was pleased to see that a few of the squash had also matured and were ready to be picked as well. After finishing her harvest, Aridean took the basket inside the farmhouse and left it sitting on the kitchen counter. Either her or Simon would wash the vegetables later that day. Having brought in the crop concluded Aridean¡¯s business with the garden as the rain from yesterday still soaked the soil. Aridean¡¯s hooves were coated in cool mud from moving through the finely tilled garden.

    Having finished her first chore, Aridean then made for the barn to begin shearing her sheep. However, as she passed the well between her farmhouse and the barn, she saw something moving out in the pasture where the sheep normally grazed. It was something large, but it moved quickly behind some trees at the far end of the small field before Aridean could get a good look. Curiously, Aridean began walking toward the fence that closed off the pasture. As her hand reached the front gate, she heard someone from behind call to her.

    ¡°Good morning, Aridean! How are you today?¡± came a familiar voice. Aridean turned to confront her guest and was happy to see the town watch¡¯s captain, Finn Watson.

    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Watson. I¡¯m fine today, how are you doing?¡± Aridean replied. Finn was another human from Thellia that treated Aridean like she was a living being. Finn and Simon had served in the military together with Finn working directly under Simon. Even after the two retired, their brothers-in-arms bond remained as strong as ever. Being that the two were good friends, it was only natural that Finn made nice with Aridean after Simon had adopted her. Although at first uneasy about the whole situation, Finn quickly came to look at Aridean like a niece and she in turn liked to think of Finn as an uncle. Unlike villagers of Thellia, Finn only ever snapped at Aridean if she did something he considered wrong, but that did not happen often.

    ¡°Doing fine. Is, uh, well¡­ is Simon around somewhere?¡± Finn asked Aridean with what sounded like worry in his voice. Aridean thought the question was rather odd. It was not unusual for Finn to visit the farm, but Aridean was almost always made aware of his visits beforehand. Being that Finn did not know Simon was not home at the moment told her that something might be off.

    ¡°No, sir; father went to town about an hour ago to run some errands. He should be back in just a little while. Is everything okay, Mr. Watson? You look a bit upset,¡± Aridean said feeling a bit anxious.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine¡­ I just have some¡­ news that Simon needs to hear. Uh, well, in the meantime, you don¡¯t mind me loitering about, do you?¡± Finn replied, unable to fully convince Aridean that things were alright. As long as she had known him, he had always had trouble hiding worry or things that bothered him.

    ¡°Of course not, would you like me to get you something to eat or drink while you wait? Please, let¡¯s move into the house. You are probably a bit cold after the long walk out here,¡± Aridean offered her guest.

    ¡°Some hot tea sounds lovely,¡± Finn said, following Aridean back to the house. Once inside, Aridean immediately moved to the kitchen and retrieved a kettle from one of the cabinets. As she began pouring water from the sink into her kettle, she also turned on the stove so that it could be heating up. Finn had decided to take a seat in the living space in front of the fire that Aridean¡¯s father had started before he left. Aridean had just set the kettle on the stove top when Finn began to speak again.

    ¡°Huh, I still can¡¯t believe he¡¯s kept these,¡± Finn spoke. Aridean turned to see the man admiring the engraved battle axe and sword crossed over the fireplace. There was certainly more to those blades than Aridean had ever been told. Whenever asked, her father would respond with something along the lines of ¡®they¡¯re just reminders.¡¯ Reminders of what exactly, Aridean did not know. Other answers were even more vague and unclear. Aridean was just left to assume that they played a major role in his military career. That said, with Finn, her father¡¯s right-hand while in the military, expressing his own interest in the blades, Aridean had a thought.

    ¡°Did father use those when you two were in the military? He¡¯s never really told me the story behind them,¡± Aridean asked Finn. Given this was the first time the two were alone since Aridean was little, this seemed like the best time to dig into her father¡¯s past a little. Maybe she could piece together what made him retire from the military.

    ¡°Simon never told you? Well, I don¡¯t know the full story behind either of them. Supposedly, each of these blades are enchanted with some holy magic capable of smiting all evil. I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s all I really know, even then I don¡¯t know if I really believe that whole hocus pocus. I saw him using that sword in a few battles, but I never saw Simon wield an axe during a real mission, just training exercises. I know he said a long time ago that they have some special names, but I don¡¯t remember those either. Don¡¯t guess that¡¯s what you really wanted to hear though, huh? Sorry, Aridean, but that¡¯s all I got,¡± Finn explained. Nonetheless, Aridean was intrigued by the answer.

    Although she knew her father was a master with many different weapons, she also knew he always preferred the balance between power and speed of a longsword. However, what piqued her interest was hearing about the enchantments on the blades. Simon was no magician, which told Aridean that he must have some connections with practitioners of holy magic. Her next question was why her father would need holy magic enchantments on his weapons. Unfortunately, it was already made clear that Finn was about as clued in as Aridean was now regarding the significance those blades held.

    ¡°Father never mentioned anything about holy magic¡­ oh, your tea is ready,¡± Aridean announced, pouring a cup of hot tea out for her guest. Before serving, she made sure to stir in a spoonful of sugar; she knew Finn liked his tea sweet.

    ¡°Ah, thank you, Aridean,¡± Finn said gratefully, accepting the beverage. He sat in the chair he had claimed and began to enjoy the refreshing drink.

    ¡°You enjoy your tea, I must shear some of the sheep for father. I¡¯ll be out in the barn if you need anything,¡± Aridean said moving toward the door. Finn waved as his minotaur-hostess exited the house. Mott was right behind Aridean as she opened the door; the cat never cared much for guests and was not about to be left alone with one.

    Back outside, Aridean and Mott began to head back to the barn again. As the two reached the barn door, Aridean looked back out into the pasture. She was looking out at the tree line where she saw something moving before Finn had arrived. This time, there was no indication of any movement save the grass and tree branches dancing in a cold breeze. Aridean¡¯s tail and mane was also windswept as she stood there wondering what it could have been. Simon had taught her how to scare off coyotes and wolves that sometimes came around to snack on the sheep, but whatever it was she saw earlier was definitely larger than the usual sheep predator. Although curious, Aridean decided it was best to forget about it for the time being and just let her father know that there may be a bear or something around when he got home. With that in mind, Aridean pushed open the barn door and entered the dimly lit barn.

    ¡°Alright, first things first: let¡¯s get you guys some hay so you¡¯ll sit still for me,¡± Aridean said to the sheep scattered throughout the barn as she closed the barn doors. She then moved to the back of the barn where the hay bales were stacked up, sheep eyes watching with expectations. The hay bales were tucked behind a small wall that kept the sheep from snacking on the entire supply all at once. Aridean took a moment to figure out how she was going to grip the bale she had selected and then seemed to give the large bundle of dried grass a hug. Having wrapped her arms around the bale as far as she could reach, she began to grab onto the bundle and lifted it from its stack and onto her left shoulder. Lambs had started to crowd around her as they were becoming increasingly excited. Aridean giggled a little as she gently pushed past and moved over to the shearing space that was set up. Her father had already set out a tarp on the ground in front of the wool collection bags by the hay bales. Aridean carefully placed the hay bale in the center of the tarp. Within seconds, nearly all the sheep and lambs in the barn had crowded around the delicious bundle. Stragglers would wait for some of the eager ones to leave before taking their turn.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Yeesh guys, not even a ¡®thank you?¡¯¡± Aridean joked with a quiet giggle. With a smile on her face, she turned to the workbench where she retrieved a clean set of shears. Mott had taken up a nice sleeping spot on the workbench and only moved as Aridean drew near as though she was asking if she could help in some way. Aridean simply gave the cat a scratch behind the ear which received the response of a happy sounding meow. She then snipped a small bit of her mane off that had been falling in her face the past few days to both make sure the shears were good and relieve herself of a minor inconvenience. Now fully prepared, Aridean returned to her flock of hungry sheep and began cutting at the fluffiest one she could find.

    One sheep was sheared, then two, then three, and so on. Time passed and the tarp had filled with copious amounts of wool. Aridean had finally sheared all the sheep and watched as they began to scatter from the now nearly devoured hay bale. The hard part now complete, Aridean returned the shears to the workbench and retrieved a bag from the back of the barn. She then set out collecting all the wool on the tarp and throwing it into the bag. It was as she was picking up the last few clumps of wool, the barn door opened with cold air rushing in. All the sheep immediately huddled together having been exposed to the cold outside and having lost their wooly coats. Aridean looked up to see that Finn had come out to the barn.

    ¡°Aridean, do you need any help out here? Just getting a little antsy waiting on Simon,¡± Finn asked as he shut the barn door.

    ¡°Just finishing up, Mr. Watson. Thank you though, I appreciate the thought,¡± Aridean replied, tying up the fully packed wool bag and sitting it beside the rest.

    ¡°Ah, sorry I didn¡¯t come out sooner. Kinda got a bit carried away enjoying the tea you made,¡± Finn said, leaning against one of the support columns of the barn.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s quite alright. I¡¯m glad to hear you liked my tea, it¡¯s about the extent of my kitchen expertise,¡± Aridean said, moving toward her pull up beam.

    ¡°You still use that? Simon has you doing military exercises, huh?¡± Finn asked as he began to sit on a small stool and pet a lamb that came to him.

    ¡°Well, father does not really approve of any military training, but I did get him to show me some basic exercises. Now I just do them because I find them relaxing,¡± Aridean said, having already begun her pull ups.

    ¡°What¡¯s your current record then? Someone with strength like yours is probably pushing well over a hundred,¡± Finn said. He always did like to make conversation out of small topics like this.

    ¡°Maybe if I were to pace myself, I could go further but I usually tire out around one-forty,¡± Aridean replied, having already completed her first ten pull ups.

    ¡°Okay then. Uh, well, Aridean¡­ I wanted to wait for Simon to get back, but maybe I should tell you why I¡¯m here today. I, uh, don¡¯t know how to--,¡± Finn started but was cut off as the barn door began to open. Again, cold air rushed into the barn and the lamb that Finn was petting rushed back to the huddled flock. Aside from the cold air having entered, Simon also stepped into the barn.

    ¡°Welcome home father; Mr. Watson is here for you,¡± Aridean said, pushing thirty pull ups.

    ¡°How you doing Finn? Can I get you anything?¡± Simon asked as he shut the barn doors behind him.

    ¡°No, no, Aridean¡¯s already made me tea. But I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back now. Uh, Aridean, you mind if we all head back to the house? I¡¯ve got some things I need to discuss and I think you should probably be there too,¡± Finn said with a distinct sound of hesitation in his voice.

    ¡°Oh, uhm, yes,¡± Aridean answered, dropping from her beam. She had only completed fifty-four pull ups but could feel her arms starting to tire. It was now clear that something unusual was going on as Finn had never called her into discussions he had with her father before. Aridean had been thinking Finn was acting a bit off the entire time he had been at the farm, but just chalked it up to town watch drama. Before following her father and Finn out of the barn, Aridean scooped up Mott and carried the lazy cat out in her arms.

    The group returned to the farmhouse where Simon and Finn sat in the two chairs in the living space. Aridean pulled up a chair from the dinner table and sat beside her father with Mott in her lap. Finn had poured himself another cup of tea, which had gone cold by this point, and waited a while before speaking.

    ¡°Listen, there¡¯s no easy way to say this, so I¡¯m just gonna get it out there in the open: Hallon¡¯s boy still hasn¡¯t woken up. Doctor says he¡¯s in a coma and doesn¡¯t know when, or even if, he might wake up,¡± Finn revealed with a solemn tone.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Aridean said, heart sinking and shivers running down her spine. The news was just so sudden and Aridean simply froze. Jean had taken a significant blow to the head, but to have been made comatose was not something Aridean had even considered. Aridean was not even sure how to process the news in her head as she just kept running over and over what Finn had said. Her best, and only, friend since she was a child was put into a coma trying to defend her from some village bullies.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aridean, I know you and that boy were friends. Which is why what I have to say next is even more difficult. The villagers of Thellia¡­ they¡­ well,¡± Finn began, but could not piece together what it was he was trying to tell Simon and Aridean.

    ¡°What next, Finn? What does the village have to do with any this?¡± Simon asked calmly. Finn took a deep breath and a swig of his tea before speaking again.

    ¡°Simon, it¡¯s bad. Everyone in Thellia believes that Aridean caused the boy¡¯s injury. People are spreading rumors, saying she was just a walking time bomb and that this was a long time coming. Some people are even talking about you and how you let a minotaur into the village,¡± Finn responded with hesitation and reluctance in his voice. He held his head low and could not bring himself to look either Simon or Aridean in the eyes.

    ¡°People in Thellia are always spreading rumors about us, but that doesn¡¯t answer the question, Finn. What does everyone want me to do to clean this mess up?¡± Simon asked, maintaining his usual calm.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Simon. Everyone seems to believe Aridean assaulted Hallon¡¯s boy. Words aren¡¯t going to change anything this time,¡± Finn spoke. Finally lifting his head and looking Simon in the eyes with a clear expression of guilt, ¡°Aridean Gray is expected to stand trial for the assault of Jean Hallon. They wanted me to come and arrest her, but I managed to talk some sense into the lot of them. All of Thellia expects her to turn herself in within the next forty-eight hours.¡±

    Aridean gasped and covered her mouth in sheer shock. She was going to stand trial for the assault that put Jean into a coma when she was not the cause. Time seemed to stand still as no one in the room made a move or spoke a word.

    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m g-going to--,¡± Aridean said tearing up, having broken the long silence.

    ¡°Aridean is not standing trial for something she did not do,¡± Simon said, his expression had shifted somewhat after having processed the news. His voice was still filled with patience, but Aridean could tell that her father was finding this difficult to handle as well.

    ¡°Simon, if there was any other way, I¡¯d consider it. Unfortunately, this was the best I could get for her,¡± Finn responded, having dropped his head again to avoid further eye contact.

    ¡°Standing trial for a crime she did not commit was the best Thellia had to offer? What would the sentence be if she is found guilty?¡± Simon asked, a hint of anger had been mixed into his tone, but his face still maintained calmness.

    ¡°If? Simon, no one in Thellia will want to hear anything defending her. Everyone has already made up their mind. Aridean is already guilty and will likely be sentenced to prison for years to come. You see, this is the sort of thing I was afraid of when you started letting her walk around town,¡± Finn exclaimed, nervously rubbing his hands together in his lap. Having heard that she would be sentenced to prison for something she did not do, Aridean¡¯s heart sank further as she began to feel a bit nauseous. Her blood felt cold in her veins as she froze in place. Mott, still sitting in Aridean¡¯s lap, merely looked up at her owner, confused as to why the petting had ceased.

    ¡°The sort of thing you were afraid of? You expected something like this, did you? Do you also think Aridean put Hallon¡¯s boy in a coma? Of all people, Finn, I thought you would understand that Aridean is no threat to anyone,¡± Simon said, having taken a bit of an offensive tone when addressing the matter. He slowly stood from his chair and leaned over the coffee table, eyes never leaving Finn.

    ¡°I know that, Simon! I¡¯ve known Aridean almost as long as you have, y¡¯know! I¡¯ve watched her grow up ever since you brought her to Thellia years ago; she¡¯d never hurt anybody. But the villagers have already made up their minds. Rumors spread like wildfire in Thellia and for a minotaur like Aridean, well that¡¯s more akin to a volcano eruption. People in Thellia are scared of minotaurs, you of all people should understand. People are scared that Thellia may end up like those ransacked towns further west with Aridean here,¡± Finn said without hesitation.

    ¡°You will not lump Aridean in with that rebellion nonsense! I don¡¯t want to hear you talking about her like she¡¯s with them! Aridean has never caused any trouble for anyone, it¡¯s always been everyone else not giving her a damn chance! If the people of Thellia wou--,¡± Simon had begun shouting before being interrupted.

    ¡°Stop! Please, just stop it,¡± Aridean snapped, tears streaming down her long face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anymore. I don¡¯t want to hear what everyone thinks or what you think they should think. My best friend was hurt because of me. Jean was hurt because of me; I didn¡¯t push him into that stone, but I was the reason. All because I¡¯m a minotaur he was hurt; not just him, but you too, father. I really don¡¯t want to see you angry either, especially not with Mr. Watson. I couldn¡¯t bear seeing you hurt by the people of Thellia. Please, just stop fighting this. They¡¯re right after all; I¡¯m a minotaur and I¡¯m going to cause trouble. Just yesterday I met a minotaur at the tavern. It was the first time I had ever met another of my own kind! Do you know what I thought as we spoke? ¡®What is a minotaur doing here?!¡¯ Thellia even has me condemning minotaurs because they¡¯ll cause trouble! For all I know he could be bringing the rebellion with him to Thellia! I don¡¯t want to see anyone get hurt and I don¡¯t want to cause any trouble. Please, father¡­ I can¡¯t take it.¡±

    Simon had fallen silent by Aridean¡¯s sudden outburst. The man took a moment to think before letting out a long sigh and sitting back in his chair. Finn had also maintained silence throughout Aridean¡¯s cries and could not bring himself to look at either of his hosts. Aridean just repeated ¡®please¡¯ through stifled sobs and hiccups. Eventually, Aridean managed to quiet herself enough that Finn felt comfortable enough to speak again.

    ¡°Aridean, I know this can¡¯t be eas--,¡± Finn began to say, clearly unsure on how to ease the tension of the whole situation.

    ¡°Finn, you¡¯ve delivered your message. I¡¯m sorry, but could you give us some time alone,¡± Simon said using his usual calm and collected tone of voice. However, rage was painted on his face, and he refused to look in Finn¡¯s direction.

    Quietly, Finn nodded and got up from his chair. He set his teacup on the coffee table before slowly making for the door. As he stood at the door, he spoke one last time, ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t mean much now, but I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    With that, Finn exited the farmhouse, leaving the two tenants in near silence. The only sounds were the crackle of the fire in the fireplace and Aridean¡¯s light crying. Simon seemed to stare into the fire and heave another heavy sigh. He slowly turned to look at Aridean, who held her face in her hands as tears continued to slide down her fuzzy face. His expression shifted from one of anger to one of sorrow upon looking at Aridean. Simon gently reached for Aridean¡¯s brown-furred hands. With one touch, Aridean jerked back from Simon and got up from her chair. Mott had jumped from Aridean¡¯s lap as she stood and watched from the floor. Aridean quickly made her way from the living space to her bedroom, leaving her father and Mott with the crackling fire. Simon pulled the neck of his shirt back with one hand and grabbed something from under his shirt with the other hand. Simon quietly muttered to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not losing you, too. I can¡¯t lose you¡­¡±

    After slamming the door shut behind her, Aridean sank down to the floor leaning against the door. She was still having trouble composing herself through the tears that streamed down her cheeks. It happened again, the contempt and prejudice that the town of Thellia held for her had made its way to her home. Her castle walls had been demolished and she felt so vulnerable. It was one thing to have to put up with the unjustified hate at work or school but dealing with it at home was another thing entirely. Aridean felt trapped in a never-ending nightmare.

    Why does it have to be like this? Why doesn¡¯t anybody believe that I didn¡¯t hurt Jean? Why can¡¯t I just be treated like everyone else? What do I have to do? Aridean contemplated as her sobbing began to fade away.

    What I have to do¡­ doesn¡¯t matter, does it? I¡¯m a minotaur, cursed to be hated by everyone because of what other minotaurs have done. That¡¯s just not fair¡­ I just want to live a peaceful life with father. But that¡¯s not possible now. I¡¯m going to trial for hurting my best friend and likely going to prison for years while Reil gets away with it. Why? Where¡¯s the justice in that? Even if everyone knew it was Reil, would he be tried just as severely for hurting a fellow human? Is this just my punishment for being born? I hate this so much¡­ I hate being a minotaur so much. I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t want to go to prison. I just want to stay with father.  Aridean continued to monologue internally as the tears finally stopped. She had grown tired of the crying and could not muster the tears anymore.

    Stay¡­ with father. Father¡­ what does he think of this mess? There¡¯s so much to him I just don¡¯t get, despite being his adopted daughter for sixteen years¡­ Does he really want to keep defending me, even when he knows it¡¯s already over? I don¡¯t want to be a burden on him anymore. What good have I been to him? He says we are a family, but¡­ how can he possibly live with a minotaur after what happened to him? Does he hurt whenever he sees me? How can he stomach calling me by his real daughter¡¯s name? What if¡­ everything he¡¯s been telling me was a lie? No man could possibly be okay with a life like this given his past. Aridean thought to herself, hands and face feeling frozen.

    Father has never lied to me¡­ he¡¯s always been so good to me. But why? What makes him treat me differently? His life would be so much better if he had never taken me in. His life, Jean¡¯s life, and everyone in Thellia would be so much better off without me around¡­ It was not the first time that Aridean thought that. There was so much buzzing about in her head, but it all came back to ¡®everyone would be better off without me.¡¯

    Aridean continued to contemplate her next move while staring into empty space. If one did not know any better, they would almost think she had died by how still she sat on the floor save the occasional raspy inhale. Her eyes felt heavy from all the crying, and she was mentally exhausted from overthinking her current situation. Aridean pushed herself up from her seated position in front of the bedroom door and stood on her hooves. Hooves clopped on the hardwood floor as she approached her bed. A tired and apathetic expression was spread across her face as she pulled the covers back. One hooved leg at a time, Aridean climbed into bed and pulled the blanket over herself. Only her tail, drooping off the side of bed, was left uncovered.

    I guess this is it then¡­ I suppose this was always meant to be. I¡¯m sorry father, this is the only thing I can do to let you live your life again. Aridean silently apologized as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

    Whilst sleeping, Aridean dreamed up a familiar sight. Her dream was that of the knight slaughtering the female minotaur in a tent again as a battle of some kind raged outside. Just like last time, the knight brought down his blade on the female minotaur who fell to the ground. Blood trickled down the knight¡¯s sword as raised the weapon over his head once more. With trembling hands, the sword above the knight shook uneasily. However, the knight gave out a fierce battle cry as the sword came down. It was at this point that Aridean shot awake again with a loud gasp.

    ¡°W-what? That dream again?¡± Aridean said to herself. Mostly awake again, she looked around her room which was bathed in darkness. She had gotten into bed in the early afternoon but must have slept until the dead of night. Her eyes took a moment to fully adjust to her lightless surroundings, but she managed to make out her room.

    Aridean pushed the blanket off of her as she sat up in bed. She twisted and moved her legs off the bed. Reaching for her lamp on the nightstand, Aridean noticed a pleasant smell. After cutting the light on, she took note of what made the pleasant smell: a sandwich Simon must have brought her while she was sleeping. One whiff of the fresh bread had her stomach rumbling. She began to tear up a bit as she took the sandwich and began to eat. Cold cut ham, fresh cheese, and tomato slices were contained within the two slices of bread; a plain meal, but Aridean preferred keeping her sandwiches simple.

    Having finished her meal, Aridean stood up and turned around. She carefully made her bed so that it was so nice that one would think it belonged in a fancy hotel. After straightening the bed, Aridean moved to her dresser where she procured some paper, a pen, and a large backpack. Barely holding back tears, Aridean began to write on the paper. It took time as she wanted to ensure that the message conveyed her innermost thoughts accurately and concisely, but she did not slow down for a second. After finishing the letter, Aridean left it on the top of the dresser as another drawer was pulled open. From this drawer, Aridean pulled two sets of clothes that she pushed into her backpack. While zipping up the backpack, Aridean shivered as she turned around to look at her room again. There was not much to it, but she had always been okay with that. A comfortable bed, nightstand, rarely used cat bed, children¡¯s toy chest, dresser, and a full body mirror were all the bedroom amenities she needed. As she made her way back over to the nightstand, Aridean caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. What she saw made her feel disgusted, but it was just a normal, female minotaur in the mirror, albeit with a depressed look on her face.

    Aridean cut off the nightstand lamp and made for the bedroom door. Careful to keep the noise down, Aridean turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open. The front room was dark as Simon must have gone to bed a while ago; the fireplace had been extinguished and moonlight coming through the windows offered little light to fill the room. Aridean slowly began to make her way to the front door where she grabbed a large black coat hanging on a hook. Quietly, she removed her backpack and slipped on the coat, which fit snuggly over her shoulders. As she was putting her backpack back on, Aridean heard a quite yowl. She turned to see Mott¡¯s bright, green eyes shining in the moonlight that poured into the room from the window. Her beloved cat was staring up at her only a foot from her hooves with its head cocked to one side.

    ¡°Mott, I¡¯m counting on you to take care of father, okay? I need you to do that for me, my little kitten,¡± Aridean spoke quietly as she kneeled down to rub the chin of her faithful companion. For a few minutes, Aridean rubbed the black cat with a smile as it purred for her. Eventually, her smile faded as she decided she needed to do what must be done. Aridean stood back up and opened the door to the farmhouse; the door creaked somewhat. Cold air blew past Aridean¡¯s face and made her mane dance a bit behind her. As she began to walk out the door, Mott moved to follow but Aridean closed the door before the cat could get outside. Inside the house, Mott, confused, began to stand on her one rear leg and pushed on the door with her front paws. From the outside, Aridean could hear Mott¡¯s muffled yowling from the other side of the door. Aridean felt horrible but knew it would be better for Mott this way; ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ was the only thing she could think.

    Standing in the cold darkness, Aridean looked out toward the road and then to the pasture. She could so vividly recall the time that Simon took her out with the sheep and the first time she got one to walk up to her as she offered it some hay. It was as if she could see the two of them, with the sheep walking up to them. Little Aridean giggled as the sheep graciously took the hay and allowed the minotaur girl to stroke its head. Simon had a warm smile on his face watching little Aridean play with the farm animal. Aridean could recall many more memories as happy as that but given her current intentions, she did not want to remember any happier times with her father. Having made up her mind, Aridean descended from the porch and walked past the farm well heading toward the road. Upon reaching the road, Aridean looked back at the farmhouse that she called home. A single tear rolled down her cheek. She then looked down the west road leading to Thellia.

    ¡°I won¡¯t cause any more grief for anyone. I¡¯m too scared to face trial, but the town is free of minotaurs this way. Hopefully, when Jean wakes up, he won¡¯t have to deal with Reil anymore. Now father will be accepted by everyone again,¡± Aridean said as she turned on her hooves and began walking down the east road. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have been so much trouble over the years, but I¡¯m not your burden any longer.¡±

 Chapter 5 - Long Road Ahead

    ¡°Hey, Ari, being the town minotaur and all, I¡¯m guessing you know about the rebellion going on, right?¡±  Jean asked.  A bit surprised, Aridean looked at her friend wondering what brought that up.  It was after school, Jean and Aridean were walking back to Aridean¡¯s house to hang out and relax, that is assuming Simon did not put them to work helping him with the sheep.

    ¡°Well, yes.  A lot of people talk about it and some people say that I¡¯m--,¡± Aridean began to respond but was cut off.

    ¡°Some people think you¡¯re a part of it, right?  I wonder why that is, I mean, you¡¯ve lived in Thellia with Mr. Gray your whole life, haven¡¯t you?  I haven¡¯t heard anything about another minotaur visiting Thellia in¡­ well, come to think of it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of another minotaur ever coming to Thellia,¡± Jean continued to think aloud.  Aridean was still unsure about where he was going with this but decided to continue anyway.  She knew Jean was not about to just drop a topic that he seemed interested in.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a part of the rebellion and I have lived in Thellia for as long as I can remember.  Even so, people worry that I¡¯m going to bring them in.  But I¡¯ve never even met another minotaur.  Perhaps that¡¯s for the best, though,¡± Aridean said, looking down to the ground that her hooves were walking over.

    ¡°Why do you say that?  If I were you, I¡¯d love to get to meet another from my own race,¡± Jean asked before adding with a teasing tone, ¡°I bet you¡¯d love to meet a fine, young male, huh?¡±

    ¡°Jean,¡± Aridean said, semi-annoyed.

    ¡°What?  Don¡¯t you want to fall in love?  Heh, Ari in love, I¡¯d like to see that one day,¡± Jean continued to tease, Aridean merely rolled her eyes.  ¡°But seriously, do you really believe it¡¯s okay if you never meet another of your own kind?  Don¡¯t you think that¡¯d be a bit lonely?¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe if I gave it some thought, but right now I still have you and father.  I think that may be all I need,¡± Aridean answered, but she already knew her real answer without giving the question any consideration.

    ¡°Easy to please, huh?  That male isn¡¯t gonna have to work very hard at least,¡± Jean said with a snicker, Aridean again rolled her eyes and considered smacking the back of Jean¡¯s head.  ¡°I think it¡¯d be great if another minotaur were to visit one day.  If people met another one like you, then maybe Thellia would ease up on you a bit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± Aridean replied.  Although the thought had crossed her mind on occasion, she was not sure about having another minotaur in the village.  What if that new minotaur really did bring the rebellion with him?  What would happen to Thellia if the rebellion were to finally arrive?

    ¡°Well, did you know that there are some towns in the east that actually welcome minotaurs?  Supposedly, they haven¡¯t been affected by the rebellion much at all.  Maybe one day you¡¯ll get the chance to check them out.  Oh, even better, maybe one day we can go together when I make it big as an artist; I¡¯d love to see what minotaur art and culture is like,¡± Jean said with enthusiasm, as though he was already planning their trip in his head.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know about leaving home for all that¡­ but if you went with me, I guess I¡¯d be okay with it,¡± Aridean said with a bit of uncertainty.  She was fully aware that there were towns within the empire that did not despise her race and traveling the Empire did sound exciting to her.

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll also find you that male when we get there,¡± Jean added with another snicker.

    ¡°Maybe we will and maybe I¡¯ll smack you if you keep that up,¡± Aridean retorted as Jean began to laugh.  Aridean heaved a sigh, she knew she was in for bad puns for the rest of the day now.

    ¡°Oh, I think I see Mr. Gray¡­ is he flagging us down?  Ugh, I guess he¡¯s got some work for us.  I was hoping we could have another pull up contest,¡± Jean moaned.

    ¡°But I always win,¡± Aridean said, wondering why her friend was so fixed on silly pull up contests that always ended the same.

    ¡°Not true!  I won once,¡± Jean said confidently.

    ¡°But I just let you win that one,¡± Aridean said, this time it was her turn to snicker.

    ¡°Not the point, I still won,¡± Jean returned.  The two friends laughed a bit as they walked up to Aridean and Simon¡¯s farm.

    Sorry I couldn¡¯t take you with me Jean¡­ It¡¯s for the best though.  I wish you the best of luck becoming the great artist you dream of being.  Maybe one day we will see each other again, out in those eastern towns we talked about, Aridean thought to herself, hopeful for her dear friend¡¯s success and her own future.  She had been walking for hours and the sun had finally reached the highest point in the sky as Aridean reached a bridge crossing a small river.  Many white clouds overhead were soaring westward, occasionally blocking the sun.  Patches of trees dotted the countryside to either side of the road, but there were no especially wooded areas in sight.  River water rushed down the channel and some small fish could be seen in the shaded areas under trees and the bridge.  Cool breezes often blew past Aridean as she continued down the long road and stopped before the bridge.

    It would be for the best if Jean just forgot about me.  I¡¯m leaving so he and father can move on and live simply and accepted by everyone else.  It¡¯ll be easier for Jean to achieve his goals if I¡¯m not around, the same goes for father, Aridean told herself internally.  She was no longer able to cry from the self-inflicted depression, rather just shouldered the mental weights.  Trying to focus on other matters, Aridean took her bag from her back and reached inside to pull out a small canteen.  Giving the container a quick shake revealed that it was nearly empty.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know when I may reach the next town, may as well fill up here,¡± Aridean said to herself.  She walked down the hill the bridge sat upon and toward the bank of the river.  The water was crystal clear and raced southward.  Aridean could not see how far down the river stretched, leading her to believe this may be the only bridge for miles.  Although the current was not especially strong, Aridean could see that it was quite deep and she was still counting herself lucky to not have contracted a cold from the rain the other night.  Regardless, she decided to roll up her pants legs and soak her legs for a bit.  Aridean had been walking for hours and lost track of the distance she had put between her and Thellia.

    ¡°Just a little break, my hooves are killing me,¡± Aridean said as she bent down to dip her canteen into the river water.  Water rushed inside the canteen and as the bubbles stopped, Aridean brought the opening to her mouth.  A few gulps of cold water were exactly what her dry throat needed.  Once she had enough water, she dipped the canteen back into the river so as to keep it topped off before she set out again.

    With a full canteen, Aridean returned it to her bag.  Despite knowing what was in said bag, she felt now was an appropriate time to take stock of what she had packed.  Within the large backpack were two spare sets of clothes, the canteen, a few snack bars, a small first aid kit, a large hairbrush, and a small and light pouch of copper coins for emergencies.  Aridean also kept a map of the empire in her bag, along with an old compass and an even older pocket watch that she wasn¡¯t even sure was correct.

    Hooves and lower legs still soaking in the river, Aridean pulled her map out of her bag.  Unfolding the paper revealed a large portrayal of the empire¡¯s territory.  Aridean set the map down on the ground beside her and looked it over thoughtfully.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ thought I swapped this out; this map is seriously outdated.  Thellia isn¡¯t even on it,¡± Aridean said, pulling a pen from one of her coat pockets.  She marked the approximate position of Thellia on the map and began tracing a mostly straight line along the page.  Although she was not certain of the positioning, she felt confident enough that she was close using her memory of more up to date maps.

    ¡°Here¡¯s this river, it leads down toward Lake Marquos,¡± Aridean continued to speak aloud.  ¡°Feels like I¡¯ve come a long way, but it looks like I have many more miles before I reach the capital¡­¡±

    Truth be told, Aridean had no intention of going anywhere near the capital.  Given the state of the empire and the uproar of the rebellion picking up steam throughout, she imagined that the capital would be even less fond of minotaurs than Thellia.  Her goal was to take some northern roads that passed the capital on her journey east.  However, Aridean was not looking forward to that either as a lot of rebellion activity took place in the northern regions.  If she were not careful, someone may mistake the traveler for a member of the rebellion up there.  Roads south of the capital were certainly options, but that would nearly triple the length of the journey and Aridean¡¯s supplies were limited.  Further, she wished to avoid towns as much as possible until she reached the east half of the empire.

    ¡°Just going to keep north of the capital,¡± Aridean said, heaving a sigh and folding her map up again.  She returned the paper to her bag at her side before slowly lowering herself back onto the ground.  From her position on the ground, Aridean looked to the sky and just watched clouds roll by.  Despite the calm and serene setting, Aridean¡¯s face seemed to exude apathy.

    Why couldn¡¯t things just be simple¡­ I never asked to be born a minotaur.  I really wish this is all just a nightmare and I¡¯ll wake up in bed at home.  But it¡¯s not, is it?  I¡¯m really running away from Thellia, becoming a fugitive because I¡¯m too much of a coward to face everyone.  It¡¯s not fair that I¡¯m the one to be tried for what happened to Jean, but no one wants to hear that.  Jean¡­ what will he think when he wakes up?  What if he has woken up?  Could he testify for me?  Aridean thought to herself, her brow raising with a bit of hope.  But almost as soon as that hope blossomed, her own conscience dashed it.

    No¡­ I¡¯m sure he would, but he doesn¡¯t need to bother with me anymore.  He can live a normal life with the other humans now that I¡¯m gone.  Maybe¡­ he¡¯ll just forget all about me when he wakes up.  That would make things easier¡­ for both of us,  Aridean continued to demean herself internally.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about what father¡­ Simon¡­ must have thought when he found my letter this morning.  Maybe, he¡¯d agree this was for the best.  Now he doesn¡¯t have to live with one of the beasts that took his family from him,¡± Aridean said aloud as she drew her hooves from the river.  The minotaur sat up straight and pushed herself up from the ground whereupon she shook each of her hooves to throw water off them.  After a satisfactory job shaking had been complete, Aridean bent down and collected her bag, making sure to zip it back up so as not to lose anything.  She slung the bag over her shoulders and had decided it was time to move on.  Feeling a little refreshed after her break, the minotaur began to walk back up the hill toward the bridge.

    As Aridean reached the top of the hill, she took notice of a group of travelers crossing the bridge from the opposite side.  Ever unsure on how people would treat her, Aridean froze up on her end of the bridge as the group seemed to also take notice of her.  The group consisted of two elves, a dwarf, and a human; they began conversing over something after having noticed Aridean.  It seemed that they were discussing what the deal was with the unusual traveler across the bridge.  Aridean on the other hand had begun mentally weighing whether or not she should just hide under the bridge.  Unfortunately, that would do no good having already been noticed; further, it would have looked especially awkward, even for her.  After a moment of speaking among themselves, the dwarven man began to approach Aridean with what looked like a friendly expression on his face.  Aridean was a bit worried and was unsure on what exactly the dwarf wanted.  What made Aridean especially uneasy was the sight of the large warhammer the dwarf sported.

    ¡°Hail, horned one, we¡¯ve been traveling for a few days now.  Recently, someone lost our map, don¡¯t suppose you know your way around here, do ya¡¯?  We¡¯re looking to get to the town called Hunlio,¡± the dwarf spoke as he continued to approach Aridean.  For whatever reason, as the dwarf mentioned ¡®someone,¡¯ he turned to look at the elven man behind him.  The elf, upon realizing he was being made the subject of a mild insult, merely rolled his eyes with his arms crossed over his chest.

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    ¡°H-Hunlio?  Uh, there¡¯s a road leading southward about six miles back that way; just keep straight for the first four forks in the road and turn south on the fifth,¡± Aridean answered, pointing back down the long country road she had walked.  She continued, a bit flustered, ¡°b-but that road is quite long and often sees a lot of wild animals.  You may want to consider looking for a place to get something to eat or rest.  A small village called Thellia is just an extra ten or eleven miles along this road.  There are a few forks that way, but they¡¯ve all been marked.  There¡¯s also a road from there leading straight to Hunlio that you can take.¡±

    ¡°Ho-ho, a guide to the countryside, are you?  I told you lot it was worth asking the lady,¡± the dwarf called to his companions.  ¡°We appreciate the help, hooves.  Have a good day now.¡±

    With that, the dwarf tossed Aridean a copper coin as he motioned for his group to join him.  As the remaining three strangers passed, the two elves nodded to Aridean as a token of thanks.  Less friendly was the human woman who simply gave Aridean an indifferent, but inoffensive, stare as she walked past the minotaur.  Aridean could not help but notice how well equipped the team seemed to be:  the dwarf had a warhammer, one elf carried a bow and quiver, and the human kept a short sword on her waist.  Given their apparent need for weaponry, Aridean suspected the only unarmed member was likely a practitioner of magic.  With all that in mind, Aridean felt relief as the group passed her and left her standing at the bridge.  The odd group continued down the road on their journey to Hunlio.  For a long while, Aridean watched them as they grew smaller and smaller in the distance before finally descending behind a knoll.  With the group out of sight, Aridean finally took a deep breath.

    ¡°Thank goodness the dwarf was the one to ask,¡± Aridean told herself.  Having worked at Mutt¡¯s Tavern for a time gave Aridean the chance to meet a lot of people.  She had taken notice that dwarves generally do not mind minotaurs, at least when they are still sober.  However, while she never got a sense of the dwarf being condescending, they do tend to still refer to her using names that humans and some elves use in belittling her.  Aridean also had developed some preconceptions on elves from her work as a waitress as well.  Elven customers were often stuck up and did not act like anyone was worth their time.  She felt approaching elves was a bit easier than humans because the elves treated humans similarly:  like they were lesser than the elves.  Being thought of as a lesser being was something Aridean has struggled with because of the treatment human customers and villagers of Thellia gave her.  While she did not like being thought of as lesser, she had come to cope with it when it came to dealing with elves.

    Finally, human customers were the most terrifying to Aridean.  All it took was one small slip up and they would report her to her boss, even if the incident in question was entirely out of her control.  They yelled, insulted, avoided, ignored, and even threw things at her.  Human customers had treated her like she had a disease or as though she had murdered someone.  Aridean had always had social anxiety because of her being a minotaur in a mostly human town, but the way she was treated did not do her any favors.  Aridean found humans scary despite standing at least a foot in height over all of them.

    Having sorted her thoughts on the encounter in her head, Aridean slipped the coin that the dwarf had given her into a coat pocket before turning back to the bridge.  As she began to walk across the sturdy wooden bridge, she also started to review her strategy for her journey east.

    There are still at least thirty miles between me and the capital.  Since I¡¯m not going there, I¡¯ll split off somewhere up the road and make my way to the nearest town.  I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have much luck finding an inn or even a restaurant that will serve me, but there aren¡¯t many other options, Aridean continued to consider her plan as her hooves reached the dirt road on the opposite side of the bridge.  There should be a town just a few miles northeast of where I am now.  Depending on how long it takes to get there, I may see about staying the night there.

    Aridean continued to walk and think to herself as the bridge behind her grew smaller with distance.  The next notable landmark that Aridean was aware of was the Konarch Forest.  Given that this was the furthest east she had ever been, Aridean began to develop an interest in seeing the forest.  She was aware that it was just a plot of land densely populated with trees and brush, but it would be the first time that she had seen something of the sort.  The countryside between Thellia and her home that she knew was mostly clear open fields with only a few trees scattered throughout.

    Another hour of walking down the long dirt path and Aridean managed to reach the top of another large knoll.  From her position on the hill, she could finally see the forest that she was looking for.  She had stopped atop the hill to take in the view of the forest.  At first, Aridean thought the whole sight looked strange:  the familiar sight of clear fields abruptly ended with a wall of shady trees.  After a moment of wonder, Aridean continued toward the forest with a bit more speed than she had previously given on her journey.  Soon enough, she stood at the entrance to what seemed to be a tunnel made of trees.  Over her head were tree branches so thickly packed with leaves that hardly any sunlight made it to the forest floor.  Aridean thought it almost looked like she was walking into the barn at home given how dark it was.  She was divided on whether she were glad or disappointed that it did not smell of manure though.

    Thick tree trunks with large roots surrounded the path forward as a ceiling of leaves blocked Aridean¡¯s view of the blue sky.  Roots that had grown out into the path intertwined with one another and looked like veins under earthy skin.  Aridean continued to walk through the forest for a long while; what light passed through the trees started to dim.  Upon taking notice of the rapidly fading sunlight, Aridean thought it best to pick up the pace just a little to make it to a town before nightfall.  However, she could not help but admire just how many trees had grown in one place.  Aridean looked past the trees immediately to her right and left to see hills and valleys littered with even more.  Birds were singing overhead in the leafy ceiling and Aridean watched as two squirrels scampered out onto the pathway.  She giggled a little watching the squirrels fight over a single acorn.  Just a few seconds into the scuffle, the smaller squirrel had snatched the acorn and made its way to a nearby tree with the larger squirrel right behind it.  With the two acorn gladiators now gone, Aridean¡¯s entertained laughter quickly faded.

    ¡°Oh¡­ that reminds me of Mott.  She always did like to tussle with squirrels,¡± Aridean said to herself as she continued to walk through the forest.  ¡°I wonder what that old, three-legged girl is up to now.  Hopefully, she will keep fa¡­ Simon company from now on.  Ough, what does he think of this?  Has he even noticed I¡¯ve left yet?  Surely, he wouldn¡¯t come looking for me¡­ maybe¡­ maybe he thought this was the best move too.  M-maybe he¡¯s okay with me leaving.  But¡­ what if¡­ he¡¯s glad?¡±

    As she spoke, Aridean¡¯s voice began to crack and her eyes began to tear up a bit, ¡°I-I¡¯d deserve it¡­ I deserve this too¡­ A happy and simple life with him was not possible.  I¡¯m a minotaur, one of the monsters that slaughtered his family.  I can¡¯t fathom why he ever bothered with me.  I can¡¯t fathom what made him care¡­ that is, if he ever truly did.¡±

    Aridean wiped a tear from her face and took a deep breath.  She decided that was enough motivation to keep moving forward through the forest.  Although her mind had decided the best course of action, her heart ached in her chest as she continued deeper into the forest.  She continued to sniffle a bit as she tried calming herself down.  Every third step, as if in rhythm, she sniffled through her sorrows.  Finally, after having calmed her nerves, Aridean had reached a fork in the path with a signpost indicating which fork led to.  The sign pointing toward the path to the right read ¡®Crown of the Empire, Librynthum.¡¯  On the other sign was solely the town¡¯s name, ¡®Vylione.¡¯  Aridean kept to her plan to steer clear of the capital city and turned down the left path.  Although she had never been to Vylione, she heard it was a fair-sized town that managed to turn considerable profits through lumber trading due to its location near the Konarch Forest.

    Vylione is one of the biggest producers of lumber in the empire.  Lumber jack work requires strength; perhaps the town sees minotaur lumber jacks and isn¡¯t as harsh as Thellia, Aridean thought to herself, hopeful that she may be able to find an inn that allowed minotaurs.  As she continued to consider other options should the town reject her, the snapping of a tree branch could be heard.  The snap was eerily loud and startled Aridean as it was not a branch she had stepped on.  Now alarmed, Aridean looked around her to see if someone was around; tree branches do not just snap without some force acting on them.  Although she had taken notice of the broken branch that had spooked her just a few meters behind her, Aridean did not see who, or what, broke it.

    ¡°H-hello?  Somebody out there?¡±  Aridean called in the direction of the broken branch.  She waited only seconds before turning around again and continuing on her path, having picked up the pace again.  Only now had she considered that traveling alone and obviously unarmed may make her an appealing target for highway men and thieves.  Having scared herself a bit, Aridean had increased her pace to the point that she was practically jogging through the forest.  She kept that pace for a solid twenty minutes as she briskly moved down the long and winding forest trail.  It was at this point that she thought maybe she was in the clear.  Surely she was not far from the town now, at least close enough to dissuade bandit ambushes.

    Aridean took a moment to catch her breath and took a swig of water from her canteen.  The refreshing drink slid down her parched throat, making her feel rejuvenated.  As she went to put her canteen back in her bag, she heard the sound of rustling brush coming from behind her. With a bit of surprise upon realizing she was not alone, Aridean turned around to see a single, large, gray wolf eyeing her.  After Aridean took notice of it, the wolf began to snarl at her.

    ¡°Uh¡­ k-keep back, d-don¡¯t come any closer,¡± Aridean stuttered as her heart began to race.  She had raised her hands up somewhat, as if surrendering to the animal.  Aridean slowly backed away on her hooves as the wolf moved in.  She was shaking all over and could not find the willpower to speak or shout.  The wolf showed all its teeth as it growled loudly.  Furred skin on the wolf¡¯s snout had constricted as the snarling continued.  Once it had reduced the distance between her and it to about three meters, the wolf let loose a loud bark.  As though it was signaling ¡®Now!¡¯ three more wolves leapt out from behind trees on both sides of the road.  Aridean gulped nervously; this was not the ambush that she had anticipated falling victim to.  She had chased off coyotes on the farm, but not wolves nor without a shepherd¡¯s crook or staff of some kind.  The pack of wolves began to close in on Aridean, growling and drooling.

    Terrified, Aridean immediately turned on her hooves and began to run as quickly as she could.  Immediately, the wolves gave chase after the minotaur they sought to make dinner out of.  Aridean¡¯s sprint was keeping her ahead of the wolves, but they were gradually catching up.  All she knew was she wanted to get away as quickly as possible.

    Run, run, run, run, run!  Don¡¯t stop running!  Just got to get to town, they¡¯re bound to leave me alone if I just get near other people, was all that Aridean could think as she began panting.  Her tail and mane were flying freely behind her as she ran; one of the wolves had started to try biting at her tail as it closed in.  An intense and sudden pain shot through her rear as one wolf had managed to snag her tail in its teeth but was quickly thrown off as Aridean put out a quick burst of speed.  She could hear barking and snapping of jaws just feet behind her.  It was as she finished her thought that she tripped over a large root just beneath the soil.  As her face hit the ground, she felt a tremendous pain in her left leg.  She turned over on her back to see that a wolf had gotten her leg and was biting down as hard as it could.

    ¡°Ahh!  G-get off!¡± she screamed as the wolf bit down harder.  She could feel the wolf¡¯s teeth dig deep into her flesh and muscle.  Blood quickly coated the jaws of the aggressive wolf and Aridean¡¯s leg.  Pain shot through Aridean¡¯s leg as she began to panic.  The other three watched and observed Aridean, as if timing their attacks.  All she could think to do was punch the wolf¡¯s snout.  With a whimper, the wolf backed off long enough for her to stand again.  However, one of the other wolves managed to bite down on her right arm.  Her new aggressor was vigorously jerking its head back and forth, dragging the minotaur¡¯s arm along with it.  Despite being utterly horrified, Aridean screamed as she swung the wolf off its feet and into another that had jumped at her.  Both wolves flew a few feet away, but they were not down for long.

    Having momentarily freed herself, Aridean attempted to flee again.  Adrenaline had kicked in, numbing the pain slightly as she attempted to escape.  Blood had begun to pour from her new arm wound and her leg was not much better off.  Again, the wolves gave chase after the now wounded and slowed minotaur.  Her leg and arm were hot and stung, but Aridean continued to push forward until a wolf had jumped on her back.

    Claws had managed to slip under her backpack and sank deep into her back as she let out a pained gasp.  The wolf shredded her coat and shirt to get its claws deeper into her skin.  To confirm its tight hold on its prey, the wolf ferociously bit into Aridean¡¯s right shoulder.  Aridean fell screaming from the viscous attack.  Luckily, the wolf had lost its grip as Aridean fell to the ground.  Unfortunately, Aridean had also violently struck her head on a large rock just off the dirt path.  She opened her eyes to blurred vision on the ground; Aridean saw two blurry blobs that must have been wolves slowly approaching her.  She was still able to hear the snarling and growling as her vision began to fade to white.

    Do I really deserve this?  Maybe this is how it should be, but I don¡¯t want to die like this.  Father, I¡¯m scared, Aridean thought to herself as another tear welled up in her eye.  The last thing the minotaur could see before her vision had totally faded was one of the blurry wolves leaping at her.  Although she could not see anymore, she waited for the killing blow to come.  But the wolf that had lunged at her did not strike.  Before finally fading into unconsciousness, Aridean thought she could hear somebody shouting from somewhere nearby.

 Chapter 6 - City of Stone

    ¡°Mngh¡­ ohhh¡­¡± Aridean moaned.  Despite having just woken up, she felt like she needed to go back to sleep.  Not only did she feel some pain in her leg and arm, but her head felt like it was about to split in two.  She decided five more minutes would be alright before realizing something important:  was she not just about to be killed by strangely hostile wolves?  How is it that she is, presumably, still alive after that encounter?  Aridean¡¯s eyes slowly opened upon considering her situation.  What she saw was darkness overhead lit by many, many stars and one dimly lit moon.  There was a dim light somewhere behind her, but she could not crane her neck to see the source.  Strangely, the stars seemed to be moving, if slowly.  She also felt the ground beneath her rocking and, on occasion, seemingly jumping.  Too worn out from her encounter, she merely looked around from her laying down position.  Short, wooden walls on both sides and the ¡®ground¡¯ beneath her was also wooden too.  Aridean surmised she must be riding in a wagon.  Further, she took note that she was covered in a blanket and was using a folded towel for a pillow.  Aridean needed a minute to take notice that there were people speaking nearby.

    ¡°¡­ just glad we were able to catch up to her in time.  All those bites must hurt, especially on her tail.  You¡¯ll never know just how tender these things are, Captain.  It¡¯s a shame, she¡¯s got a nice tail,¡± spoke one voice, it seemed to belong to a man.  Someone snorted and another snickered after the first man¡¯s comments.

    ¡°What?  What¡¯s so funny?¡±  the same voice asked.

    ¡°Oh, nothing.  But I bet she¡¯d love to hear that you think she has a nice tail end,¡± answered another man¡¯s voice as a woman began to softly laugh.

    ¡°Huh?  Oh¡­ oh!  Hey!  You know I didn¡¯t mean it like that!  Ugh, it¡¯s every time I bring up a girl with you, Captain!  Rana!  Stop laughing, c¡¯mon,¡± came the first man¡¯s voice again, complaining.  Despite the man¡¯s complaints, the laughter did not cease.

    Without thinking, Aridean, still trying to fully wake up, spoke, ¡°Where¡­ am I?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Rana.  Rana!  I think she¡¯s waking up,¡± the first man¡¯s voice came from somewhere in the dark.  It seemed that Aridean had been made someone¡¯s guest while she was unconscious.

    ¡°If she is, then leave her be.  I¡¯d imagine she¡¯d like a moment or two to gather herself after an evening like that,¡± spoke a feminine voice, presumably belonging to this ¡®Rana.¡¯

    ¡°You sure?  You don¡¯t think maybe she needs some water or something?  I can take care of that,¡± came the man¡¯s voice again.

    ¡°Just let him do what he wants, it¡¯s what he¡¯s going to do regardless of what you say,¡± came the other man¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Fine, fine.  But when she starts snapping at you, I told you to leave her be,¡± Rana responded.  After finishing her statement, some movement could be heard somewhere behind Aridean as she tried to sit up from her spot in the wagon.

    ¡°Ahh¡­ ow,¡± Aridean quietly groaned; it seemed that the pain she felt in her arm and leg were a bit more than just some aching.  Just trying to sit up was a bit of a challenge as her arm felt like it was about to break when she applied any amount of pressure to it.  Having removed her arm from under the covers, she noticed that someone had dressed her wounds for her.  Although she did not see it, Aridean could feel her leg was wrapped snuggly in bandages as well.  Further, she felt something wrapped around her torso and the shoulder that the wolf had bitten into.  Aridean could even feel her tail wrapped where it had been bitten.

    ¡°Hey, take it easy, you¡¯re okay now.  I mean, a bit tore up, but you¡¯ll be fine.  Rana knows how to take care of wounds like this easy,¡± the man¡¯s voice came, clearly directed at Aridean.  Aridean, having finally sat up, began to rub her head.  She found that she had a bit of a lump from where she had struck the stone that knocked her out.  Just touching the lump also made her feel sore, so she stopped and turned to look upon the man who was coming to check up on her.  Aridean let out a short, quiet gasp when she took note of who her rescuer was.  The man that was approaching her was another minotaur, in fact, it seemed to be the same minotaur that she met at Mutt¡¯s Tavern a few days prior.  Aridean¡¯s face froze with an expression that relayed shock and uneasiness to her savior.

    ¡°Uh¡­ are you alright?  Uh, well, I guess you¡¯re probably a bit confused about where you are and maybe how you got here,¡± the minotaur spoke.  ¡°So, you¡¯ve been out cold for a few hours now.  A pack of wolves jumped you and I¡¯m pretty sure they were going to eat you if we hadn¡¯t stepped in.¡±

    Aridean¡¯s eyes only seemed to grow wider as the minotaur spoke to her.  She had pushed herself into a corner of the wagon, curling her legs into a fetal position.  No words could escape Aridean¡¯s mouth, rather the sounds of deep breaths were all that came from her throat.  Her rescuer looked at her with a bit of confusion as he waited to see if Aridean would speak to him.

    ¡°Um¡­ could I interest you in some water or perhaps something to eat?  What?  Is there something on my face?¡± the minotaur spoke, hoping to elicit any response from his guest.

    ¡°Perhaps you should slow down and introduce yourself first.  She just woke up in someone¡¯s wagon under moonlight somewhere unknown and going elsewhere unknown.  To her, we¡¯re just a bunch of strangers, you know,¡± the feminine voice came from the front of the wagon.  Looking beyond the minotaur before her, Aridean could see two more figures in the front seat of the wagon, one of which also had horns.  Aridean felt uneasy; her head felt like it was splitting open from where she had hit it and she felt the urge to vomit.

    ¡°Oh, right.  Well, my name¡¯s Vidor Stonehoof, it¡¯s a pleasure meeting you.  I¡¯m joined by my sister, Rana, and our captain, Bryn Smithson.  We heard you screaming back in the forest and found you just in time to stop those wolves.  Well¡­ not before they could rip you up a bit; sorry we didn¡¯t find you sooner.  But don¡¯t worry!  Rana knows first aid and practices healing magics; she¡¯ll get you fixed up right as rain when we get back¡­ Oh!  No, no!  Don¡¯t worry, I wasn¡¯t looking when she was wrapping your back,¡± the minotaur said, Aridean¡¯s expression never changing.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t looking much,¡± came the other man¡¯s voice, presumably this Bryn¡¯s.  Rana chuckled a little at the man¡¯s tease.  Vidor had turned back around to look at his captain with an annoyed expression.  However, the captain did not look back at Vidor as he kept his eyes firmly on the dirt path the wagon was rolling down.

    Captain?  The only other person here doesn¡¯t have horns¡­ so their ¡®captain¡¯ isn¡¯t a minotaur?  Who are these guys?  What exactly were they doing in the forest?  And just where are we going now?  I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this¡­ Aridean pondered, worried about the relationship between the band that had saved her and her current predicament.  Despite the introduction, Vidor could see that Aridean was not budging.  He turned his back to Aridean as he reached into a bag sitting atop a small wooden chest near the other two strangers at the front of the wagon.  From the bag, Vidor pulled a water canteen and some bread, both of which were offered to Aridean.  Hesitant, Aridean slowly reached for the canteen.  Vidor gave a small smile as Aridean¡¯s fingers touched the canteen.

    ¡°Oh¡­ oh no,¡± Aridean quietly spoke, quickly retracting her fingers from the canteen.  She covered her mouth as the sheet covering her fell to the floor of the wagon.  Underneath the sheet, Aridean was still wearing the pants she had set out in, but she was not dressed in a shirt and was covered solely by the bandages that Rana had wrapped her in.  Fortunately, Rana had done a thorough job in covering Aridean, but it would not keep Vidor from staring.

    ¡°Oh, uhm¡­ y-you alright?¡± Vidor asked, his smile had been replaced with a confused expression and he was visibly trying, and failing, to avert his eyes.  Rather than answer him, Aridean quickly turned her back to him and leaned over the railing of the wagon.  Quick motions in both her injured arm and leg caused considerable discomfort, but she had to turn over quickly.  With her head outside the wagon and several feet above the ground, she began to vomit.  After having learned what the retching sounds were, the two strangers in the front of the wagon gave a quiet chuckle.

    ¡°Oh¡­ well, it¡¯s here for you when you¡¯re done,¡± Vidor said with a nervous smile as Aridean continued retching over the side of the wagon.  After she was finished purging the remaining contents of her stomach, Aridean simply fell limp over the railing of the wagon.  Feeling drained, she watched as her hand swayed side to side in the air above the ground.  A long glob of drool hung from her lower lip.  Aridean did not have the strength to clean it up at the moment, so the drool just swung above the ground like her arm before finally dropping.  Perhaps not the most pleasant of introductions on her part, but she could not help but feel so much better with it out of her system.

    ¡°So that¡¯s the effect your brother has on women, huh?  Quite the charmer that one,¡± the other man¡¯s voice joked from the front of the wagon.  Rana could be heard laughing again whereas Vidor seemed to take offense.

    ¡°Hey, I heard that, you know.  I¡¯m not trying to be a creep or anything!  Ugh, this is so unfair,¡± Vidor replied in response to the teasing from his captain.  In order to back up his statement, Vidor had effectively turned his head away from Aridean.

    ¡°Ugh, gross,¡± Aridean complained as she started to lift herself back up into the wagon.  Her arms felt a bit weak as she pushed off the wagon railing, but she managed to get herself back up from her slumping position.  Once she was comfortably reseated in the back of the wagon and recovered in her sheet, Vidor again offered her the canteen and bread.  She took the offerings with a little less hesitation than she showed during the first attempt.  Aridean unscrewed the cap on the canteen and proceeded to take a large swig of cold water before biting into the bread.  Although the bread clearly was not fresh, it still went a long way with Aridean after having cleared her stomach; she really wanted the vile taste she had in her mouth removed.  She finished her bread and had another gulp of water from the canteen before returning it to Vidor.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Aridean said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.  Vidor gave her another friendly smile before turning to put the canteen back in its bag.  Despite the friendly atmosphere she was in, Aridean still could not help but feel uneasy.  Wolves had just tried to eat her alive, but now she¡¯s woken up in the back of a wagon headed for an unknown destination and was surrounded by three strangers.  Something about the situation seemed a bit off, but for other reasons than the obvious.

    ¡°If you¡¯re up to it, why don¡¯t you tell us your name or what you were doing out there by yourself?  I mean, no rush or anything.  If you prefer to just go back to sleep, that¡¯s fine too,¡± Vidor said, turning back to Aridean.  Another hunk of bread was in his hand, this one he proceeded to eat himself.

    ¡°I¡­ uhm¡­ well,¡± Aridean began, but could not figure out how to start.  Frankly, she was not even sure if she wanted to answer.  As Aridean stammered, she began to hang her head low; all she could see was the wooden floor of the wagon between her legs.

    ¡°Vidor, perhaps it¡¯s best if you just let her rest.  We should be getting back before daybreak.  You can ask her about her story then,¡± Rana¡¯s voice came from the front of the wagon.  Vidor turned to look at the third minotaur as she spoke and huffed, seemingly disappointed.  Clearly, that was not what he wanted to hear, but it seemed that he agreed to do as his sister said.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re probably right,¡± Vidor spoke as he finished his hunk of bread.

    ¡°M-my name is Aridean Gray,¡± Aridean said, unable to look Vidor in the eyes.  Despite the environment she grew up in, Aridean hated nothing more than being rude to others and given these people saved her life she felt she owed them this much.  ¡°I-I was traveling east¡­ I-I¡¯ve¡­ got business out there.¡±

    ¡°Heading out east?  On foot?  You¡¯ve got a long way to go if that¡¯s the case.  What kind of business do you have to take care of out there?¡±  Vidor began questioning with enthusiasm.  Technically Aridean had not lied to Vidor, but he seemed particularly interested in hearing more about her ¡®business.¡¯  The one thing she did not want to discuss was that the kind trio had just picked up a fugitive from Thellia.

    ¡°Gray?  That¡¯s an interesting name for a minotaur¡­¡± came Bryn¡¯s voice from behind Vidor.  Although he had not looked back at Aridean, she could feel he wanted to hear more about how she came about her name.  But Aridean did not find the idea of sharing her origin and life with Simon appealing; she¡¯d likely look like a raving lunatic with such a bizarre tale.

    ¡°How about we all just leave her be for now?  Aridean, do you see any red in your bandages?  I¡¯ll change them now that you¡¯re awake if blood has been seeping through.  After that, I¡¯ll keep these two off of you so you may rest until we get home,¡± Rana gently offered.  Aridean looked over her bandaged arm and leg but found no red color to them.  While the wounds underneath the dressings still stung somewhat, she was more concerned with the lump on her head that was giving her a massive headache.  A bumpy road and the occasional jostle of the wagon was not doing her any favors either.

    ¡°Th-the bandages are fine, thank you,¡± Aridean called to Rana, who had only just turned to look at her.  Rana was an almost fully black furred minotaur like her brother.  She, too, had a patch of white fur across the bridge of her snout.  But unlike Vidor, Rana also had white crescents surrounding her bright, green eyes; like quarter moons wrapping around small Earths.  Her horns were just a few centimeters shorter than Vidor¡¯s and she was dressed in a linen dress of sorts with some peculiar, purple pattern sewn into the fabric.  Her lower body was obscured from Aridean¡¯s vision as she sat behind the wagon railing in the front passenger seat beside Bryn.  Bryn himself wore a small, plumed hat atop a head of wavy, black hair.  He was also wearing a leather tunic with a white, cotton shirt underneath.  However, Aridean could not discern his race from the back of his head.  Obviously, Bryn was not a minotaur, but he was also too tall to be a dwarf.  The only other races that fit would be elf, human, or half-elf.

    Why would any of those races associate with a minotaur?  What¡¯s the deal with him?  Just who exactly saved me from those wolves and what am I getting into now?  Aridean thought to herself, concerned yet curious.  Jean, Simon, and Finn were about all the humans that had ever treated Aridean, a minotaur, with any degree of kindness.  All other humans looked at her as though she was a criminal in stocks walking through the village.  Every elf Aridean had ever met while working in Mutt¡¯s Tavern was too stuck up to give even humans the time of day.  That said, the elves had rarely ever registered Aridean¡¯s presence despite serving them their meals.  Aridean settled on guessing that Bryn might be a half-elf; she had never met one but had heard they were somewhat distanced from both full-blooded humans and elves.  Perhaps a half-elf could relate to the sort of treatment that humans and elves show minotaurs?

    ¡°Alright then, if your bandages are still fine, perhaps you would like to lie back down for a little while?  You hit your head pretty bad, and I can¡¯t imagine the wagon ride is helping with any lingering headache.  Just let me know if you need anything, okay?¡±  Rana said with a kind and soft voice.  Her tone was sweet but also exuded an air of ¡®do-as-I-say¡¯ which compelled Aridean to simply nod and agree that lying back down for some rest would be best.

    ¡°Oh, Aridean, before I leave you alone:  what are you going to do when we get home?  Are you sure about heading east when you may run into more trouble like that?  Some of the northern roads are starting to see more trouble and traveling alone can be dangerous.  If you want, we could set you up a place to stay,¡± Vidor commented as Aridean began to lay her head back on her towel-pillow.  It was at this moment, her eyes, just above the wagon floor, noticed the equipment that sat underneath the wagon seats.  These people were armed to the teeth and then some!  Arranged in neat piles were each of the trio¡¯s gear.  The pile nearest to Aridean consisted of a large, metal shield and hand axe, the size of which suggested that it would be too small for Rana or Vidor.  Their next equipment stash was made up of some kind of brass knuckles that had a large, razor-sharp blade across the knuckles apart from the usual teeth-breaking studs.  These ¡®knuckles¡¯ sat atop a few old looking books that had clearly seen much use; Aridean could tell that these were spell tomes from the glyphs written on the spines.  Aridean did not know much about magic, but Simon had shown her how to identify some basic aspects, such as these tomes.

    Aridean felt especially unnerved looking at the final pile of weaponry:  a longbow and quiver underneath a small crossbow with its own quiver and multiple large daggers.  Whomever this pile belonged to seemed to be equipped well enough to go to war.  Aridean, feeling a bit uncomfortable in the company of her hosts now, had not realized that her eyes had gone wide at the sight of the mini-armory under the wagon seats.  Aridean had also not realized that Vidor had made a note of her discovery.

    ¡°Oh, you saw all that?  Okay, yeah, maybe we carry a bit much, but it¡¯s always best to be prepared.  Lately, roads have been getting pretty dangerous because of an increase in animal attacks and monster sightings.  Don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t draw any weapons unless we really need to,¡± Vidor said, trying to alleviate Aridean¡¯s concerns.

    Prepared?!  What are they preparing for?  Even this is a bit much for defending oneself against bandit gangs!  There must be something more to this group.  Are they going to kill me?  I could be in danger now.  But why would they have saved me if they just wanted to kill me?  I don¡¯t even know where we¡¯re going or how long until we get there.  Should I try sneaking away now or wait for my chance at their home?  What do I do?  Father, what should I do a situation like this?  Aridean internally panicked.  Although she did not respond to Vidor¡¯s last comment, she had at least managed to give a tired, forced, and awkward smile in an attempt to tell Vidor that she understood their situation.  Vidor, seemingly convinced by Aridean¡¯s pitiful smile, returned his own before moving toward the front of the wagon with his sister and captain.  Despite not having answered his questions verbally, it seemed that Aridean¡¯s surprise at the weapon stash told Vidor everything he needed to hear about her plans to move east.  She realized that she was going to need to revise her strategy in a manner that had not been previously anticipated.  Aridean turned on her side, back facing her hosts, as she lay back down.

    Well¡­ assuming they didn¡¯t just rescue me from wolves just to kill me themselves and that I will be granted the option of leaving I¡¯m going to need to be prepared for any more trouble like those wolves.  Do I need to learn how to use a weapon?  But even if I do, I¡¯ve never killed anything before and I don¡¯t want to either.  Aridean began considering her options, hopeful that the trio had not just rescued her to endanger her wellbeing themselves.  She jolted forward as the wagon must have hit a particularly large rock or bump in the road.  Another wave of nausea crashed over her throbbing head.

    Ugh, my head hurts¡­ maybe a little more rest would do me good.  I¡¯m not in any condition to make any move right now anyway.  Aridean thought to herself as she closed her eyes and slowly drifted back to sleep.

    Whilst sleeping, Aridean had another dream.  This one was not that recurring dream where a knight struck down a female minotaur, but one far more familiar.  Aridean stood at the road before Simon¡¯s farm.  A bright, beaming sun lit the countryside, save a few patches of shade from some white, fluffy clouds in the sky overhead.  Pleasantly warm air circled around Aridean as she looked toward Thellia and then down the road she had been walking for most of a day.

    ¡°When¡­ did I get home?¡±  Aridean asked herself as no one was around to hear.  Confused, Aridean watched from the road as the barn door opened and Simon emerged.  The man was leading the sheep from the barn toward the pasture gate.  Aridean watched Simon as he pushed open the gate to the pasture and ushered the obedient flock in.  Quickly, the sheep had taken out to the pasture and began to graze on the long grass.  Seemingly satisfied, Simon closed the gate back behind the last little lamb that lagged behind the rest of the flock.  He then turned and walked to the water well where he splashed his face with some cold water.  As he wiped his face clear with his sleeve, Simon looked up to where Aridean was standing.  Aridean could make out a rather depressed expression on his face despite the distance between the two.

    ¡°F-father,¡± Aridean called as she began to walk towards the well.  Simon turned and walked toward the farmhouse without a sound.  Aridean, watching Simon leaving her behind, began to pick up the pace as she chased after him.  As she reached the base of the porch steps, Simon had already entered the house.  Aridean reached the door but heard the click of the lock sliding into place on the other side of the door.

    ¡°F-father, it¡¯s me!  Please, let me in,¡± Aridean called, but heard no response.  Simon had not seemed to register her calling out for him.  She began to knock on the door as she called for Simon to let her in.  Worried, Aridean moved to the window beside the door and looked in to see what her father was doing inside the house without her.

    At the kitchen table, Simon sat in silence.  He was reading over a letter he held in one hand and taking swigs of alcohol from a flask held in his other hand.  Mott was sitting on the table facing Simon but turned to look at Aridean as she peered in from the window.

    ¡°Mott!  Get father¡¯s attention, get him to let me in!  Please,¡± Aridean shouted to her cat.  Strangely, Mott just sat perfectly still on the table.  The cat did not dare make a move or sound.  Watching Mott for a while, Aridean noticed that her cat had ceased blinking as it just stared at her.  Starting to feel a bit scared, Aridean turned her attention back to Simon who was finishing the letter he was reading.  Simon¡¯s lips began to move as he balled up the letter with the hand that held it.  He tossed the balled-up letter into a trash can, lips still moving; Simon was speaking, but Aridean could not hear a word of what was being said and she was never any good at lip-reading.

    Simon leaned his head back and put his flask to his lips.  He must have drunk the last of whatever was in the flask as he held it over his head for what felt like a long time.  Having finished his drink, Simon dropped the flask on the table beside Mott, who was still silently watching Aridean in the window.  At this point, Aridean was starting to hold her breath out of fear; what had become of her father and cat?  What exactly was it that she was witnessing?

    Simon reached into his shirt for something.  Aridean could not quite make out what he was reaching for until she noticed a bright glimmer from around Simon¡¯s neck.  Small chain links around Simon¡¯s neck had produced the familiar glimmer.  He had pulled out the locket that she had given him for his birthday.  Aridean felt a bit relieved to see that her gift to her father was truly appreciated.  Simon looked the locket over, opened it up, and began to move his lips again.  When his lips stopped moving again this time, Simon¡¯s grip on the locket tightened to the point that Aridean could see veins on his hand pushing against the skin that covered them.  Simon gave a forceful yank to the locket wrapped around his neck, breaking the chain.  Whatever relief Aridean had felt seeing her father wearing the locket instantly dissolved as her gift was broken before her eyes.  Mott had begun hissing from her perch on the table.  Aridean¡¯s faced filled with horror as she watched Simon forcefully throw the locket into the fireplace.

    Aridean¡¯s eyes filled with tears as Simon stood from the table and moved to his bedroom.  Mott continued to loudly hiss from the table as Aridean began to sob.  She could not believe what she just saw; her father, who said he loved the gift, had just thrown it into a fire like it was trash.  Knowing she did not want to see anymore, Aridean turned from the window and began to run from the porch.  She ran, crying, back down the road she had been traveling the previous day.  She ran and ran and ran until she came upon a large tree just off the side of the road.  What made her stop was an unsettling sight.  From behind the large tree stepped a man clad in a suit of armor.  The man held in his right hand a sword that was dripping blood from the blade.  Aridean took only a second to recognize the figure before her:  it was the knight from her other dream.  Lying on the ground behind the knight was the female minotaur he had slain.  Aridean fell back in fear as the knight approached, armor clicking with every movement.  Slowly, she watched as the sword the knight held was raised over his head, just as he had done in Aridean¡¯s dreams.  With a fierce cry, the knight brought his blade down towards Aridean, who tried to shield herself with her hands.

    A loud gasp and Aridean was awake again.  She quickly looked over her arms and legs to make sure that her dreams had not physically scarred her somehow.

    ¡°That¡­ that was too much.  Just a dream¡­ just a dream,¡± Aridean quietly told herself with a sniffle.  She could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she tried processing what it was that her own mind was showing her.  Darkened sky still lingering overhead, Aridean lay her head back down as she finally began to calm down.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Are you alright?  You must have had a bad dream, you¡¯ve been tossing and turning for a while now,¡± came a voice beside Aridean.  Eyes wide open again, Aridean took a moment to remember that she was not alone; Rana was sitting beside Aridean with a calm look on her fuzzy face.

    ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯m sorry.  Everything is fine, just¡­ a bad dream is all,¡± Aridean replied, though she could still feel her heart racing and she was trying her best to hold back tears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything is okay now,¡± Rana spoke with the same soft voice she had used earlier.  The minotaur turned and reached into Aridean¡¯s bag that was sitting to her side.  Rana pulled out a clean, white shirt which she handed to Aridean.  Aridean took the shirt and looked beyond Rana to see that Vidor had also fallen asleep at some point.  Bryn was still at the front of the wagon, having a drink from a canteen.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind them, Vidor¡¯s a heavy sleeper and Bryn¡¯s too busy steering the wagon to watch you dress yourself,¡± Rana said with a smile.  With a silent nod, Aridean pushed the blanket off of her and put on the shirt that Rana picked out for her.  Despite having Rana take her shirt off to patch up her bleeding back, Aridean had no need for a fresh change of pants as the leg the wolf had bitten was rolled up Aridean¡¯s leg.  Since Aridean seemed to be awake, Rana began to speak again, ¡°I¡¯ll understand if you don¡¯t wish to talk, but what were you really doing out there by yourself, Aridean?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ uhm,¡± Aridean stammered; the perfectly legitimate question had entirely caught her off guard.  Hearing Rana speak with her kind, but ¡®answer me right now¡¯ tone, Aridean felt like an insect trapped in a venus fly trap.  She was not entirely sure how to answer the question, or subtly avoid the subject entirely.

    How do I tell her I ran from home because they wanted to imprison me for something I didn¡¯t do?  Even if they believe me when I say I didn¡¯t do it, would they really be okay with hearing that I¡¯m running from the law?  Aridean¡¯s mind buzzed like a swarm of bees as she desperately thought of a means of avoiding the question.

    ¡°Do you really think heading east will solve your problems?¡±  Rana asked, the expression on her face had shifted to a more serious look.  Aridean, stunned, just looked at the minotaur after hearing the question.

    Solve my problems?  Aridean thought to herself.  It¡¯s almost as if she¡ª

    ¡°We know why you¡¯ve decided to leave that small town; Thellia, right?  A shame really, Vidor said the restaurant you served him in served some great sausage,¡± Rana said, interrupting Aridean¡¯s train of thought.  Aridean¡¯s eyes simply went as wide as they could after hearing Rana¡¯s confession.

    ¡°Why I left?  I really--,¡± Aridean started, but was cut off as Rana¡¯s bright green eyes began to look directly into her own.  As if her very being was cut simply from Rana¡¯s gaze, Aridean just fell into a stunned silence as Rana began speaking again.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t try lying.  Vidor¡¯s given me plenty of practice calling out lies over the years and you don¡¯t seem the type to bluff easily.  You are Aridean Gray; the adopted, minotaur daughter to the shepherd and former Empire military man, Simon Gray.  Both of you have lived in Thellia for nearly seventeen years now,¡± Rana began as Aridean¡¯s jaw slowly began to drop.  ¡°You attended school in Thellia for at least eight years and picked up a job as a waitress at the restaurant called Mutt¡¯s Tavern.  You only managed to start working there because the owner owed Simon, who used that favor to allow you a job.  Furthermore, despite living just outside the village for years, you¡¯re too afraid to show your face outside that tavern without someone close to you.  Does all of that sound about right, Aridean?¡±

    ¡°H-how did y--,¡± Aridean fumbled over her words as she tried to ask Rana how she knew so much about her life.  Only a few people could know all of those facts, it was even less likely that someone from outside of Thellia could know any of it.

    ¡°Vidor told me all about you.  Your meeting with him in Mutt¡¯s Tavern was not coincidence.  I¡¯ll admit that I do not know the specifics beyond that; you may ask him when he wakes up.  But for now, I want you to answer me:  what will heading east accomplish?¡±  Rana spoke without the kind voice she was using earlier.  Rana had become something truly terrifying, yet familiar.  She did not sound objectively angry, rather disappointed with Aridean.  It took Aridean a moment to realize why Rana seemed so scary:  it was just like the time when Simon had found out she was skipping school to avoid the other kids.  Simon was dreadfully horrifying that day as he reprimanded and scolded her behavior.

    ¡°W-what will it accomplish?  I-I hope that it will allow Simon to live peacefully in Thellia again,¡± Aridean responded, still trying to sort out how Rana, or Vidor for that matter, could know so much about her.  These three people were complete strangers to Aridean, but they seemed to know her life story about as well as she did herself.

    ¡°Really?  That¡¯s noble of you, but what does that accomplish for you, Aridean?¡±  Rana asked, her determined and resolute stare never having faltered.  Aridean felt more and more uneasy by the questioning and the authoritative tone Rana was using.

    ¡°F-for me?  What does that matter?  I¡¯m doing this for Simon,¡± Aridean replied, uncertainty and shakiness in her voice.  Upon hearing her answer, Rana proceeded to fold her arms over her chest and grunted.  Clearly, that was not the answer Rana wanted to hear.

    ¡°It does matter, Aridean.  What if you couldn¡¯t even find the life you¡¯re looking for out there?  Did you even consider what may become of you if you did make it?  Was your goal when you left Thellia not to reach any of the towns out east at all?  Was your goal to die in the Konarch Forest as a meal for some rabid animals all along?¡±  Rana snapped as Aridean curled up in the corner of the wagon she was sitting in, hugging her legs tighter and tighter as Rana berated her actions.

    ¡°I-I-I was scared,¡± Aridean responded, unable to look Rana in her eyes any longer.  ¡°I felt trapped, cornered.  It was like being locked in a dark room with no doors, just a single window.  I didn¡¯t care if the glass cut me on the way out, I didn¡¯t care how far down I fell; I needed to get out.  I just wanted to escape¡­ escape from a town that had never welcomed me to begin with¡­ and all the lies.¡±

    Aridean¡¯s face grew hot, and she could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes again.  She quietly began to sob into her hands as Rana let out a loud sigh.  Rana seemed a bit upset after seeing Aridean start to cry.  Gently, Rana grabbed the blanket that Aridean had been sleeping under and slowly wrapped Aridean in it.  Now sitting beside Aridean, Rana wrapped her arms around the sobbing minotaur.  The two sat in the back of the wagon for a while as Aridean calmed down in Rana¡¯s arms.  Bryn had turned to see what the commotion was from his seat at the front of the wagon, but upon registering that Rana had things under control, returned his focus to the road.  Vidor, somehow able to sleep through Rana¡¯s scolding, simply shuffled a bit and was quietly snoring.

    ¡°Aridean, I¡¯m not about to lie to you.  I¡¯ll never get the chance to experience exactly what it was you had to put up with.  I¡¯ll never understand exactly how much it must hurt you to have had to constantly suffer the abuse and hatred.  But I¡¯m a minotaur, too.  I know it¡¯s hard to live out here in this day and age.  I¡¯ve suffered my share of prejudice from people who would condemn me for just being born.  I¡¯m doing everything I can to keep Vidor from having to see what you have, but I can¡¯t protect him from it forever,¡± Rana spoke with the gentle tone she used earlier again.  ¡°I can tell you that we know your background, but we don¡¯t know you as an individual.  That said, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a smart one who just made a lapse in judgement when you decided to run.  Everyone makes mistakes, but whatever comes next for you, please, just think it through.  Think about how your decision affects you just as much as you considered others.¡±

    Aridean¡¯s crying had mostly subsided by the end of Rana¡¯s lesson.  Although she did not reciprocate the hug that Rana was giving her, Aridean thought to herself how gentle Rana was despite housing the overwhelming strength of a minotaur in her black furred arms.  Finally quiet again, Aridean wondered if this is what having a big sister was like.  Despite the comforting atmosphere that Rana had shrouded Aridean in, Aridean still felt disturbed because of the one question on her mind.  Normally, Aridean would not ask something that she feared would be offensive, but the uneasiness began to gnaw at her until she finally decided she would speak her mind.

    ¡°Rana, why do you act like you care about what happens to some stranger like me?¡±  Aridean asked with a sniffle.  Though her hands no longer covered her face, she was still unable to look Rana in her eyes.

    ¡°We may be strangers now, but I would like to think that we could be good friends.  We wouldn¡¯t have that chance if we left you in the forest, would we?  There¡¯s a lot more to it than just that, of course.  But I¡¯ll just say that I¡¯m sure we¡¯re a lot more alike than you might think, Aridean,¡± Rana answered with a smile on her face.

    ¡°F-friends?  Y-yeah¡­¡±  Aridean nervously responded, all she could think of was the one friend she had left behind.  ¡°Rana, could I ask one more thing?  Why were you guys following me?¡±

    That figure I saw the other day in the pasture and then the broken branch back in the forest just before those wolves appeared¡­ those had to be one of these minotaurs, Aridean thought to herself.  Rana began to giggle, her quiet laughter slowly evolved into a vocal chuckle.

    ¡°Aha!  Ha, ha, ha, ha!  Heh, so you noticed?  Vidor¡¯s trained for a while to master tracking and hunting, but subtlety is simply beyond him,¡± Rana replied with a short laugh, she also finally removed her arms from around Aridean.  ¡°We were following you because we wanted to ask you something.¡±

    ¡°What?  What would you want to ask a minotaur-farm-girl?¡±  Aridean asked, uncertain as to why on earth the group would be looking for her for anything.

    ¡°Well, Vidor wanted to be the one who talked to you about it.  That said, I¡¯m glad we had this chance to talk,¡± Rana responded, not answering the question.  Now that Aridean had finally calmed down, Rana got up and returned to the front of the wagon with Bryn who pointed out that the sun was starting to come up.  Aridean took the moment to look out to the sunrise over the horizon; a bright orange began to slowly creep its way across the land and trees that Aridean could see.

    ¡°Vidor, time to wake up, we¡¯re home,¡± Bryn called from the front of the wagon.  Aridean saw Vidor stir a little and groan as he repositioned himself; seems he liked to sleep in just as much as she did.  Vidor did mumble a bit, something about wanting just another few minutes of shut eye, but Aridean could not entirely make out what it was he had complained about.  After watching the sleeping minotaur ignore his wake-up call, Aridean fixed her gaze ahead of the wagon to see another dense forest.

    Home?  I don¡¯t see a house or anything.  What are we doing way out here?  Wait, where is ¡®here¡¯ exactly?  Aridean began to ponder.  It only just occurred to Aridean that she had no idea where the wagon had taken her as she had lost consciousness deep in the Konarch Forest and woke up on a country road.  Without hesitation, she grabbed her bag and began sifting through the contents until she found her heavily annotated map.

    Position of the sun tells me we have been traveling north, perhaps a little eastward¡­ I don¡¯t see anything that may tell me where we are.  How far did we travel while I was asleep?  Aridean thought to herself, a bit too nervous to ask.

    ¡°You can put that map away, Aridean.  You won¡¯t find this on there,¡± Rana said, having turned to see Aridean studying her map.  Aridean looked up from her map to see that Bryn had stopped the wagon and Rana was stepping down from her front seat.

    ¡°Rana has the key to the house; she¡¯ll just need a moment,¡± Bryn said, finally revealing his face to Aridean.  He had dark blue eyes, a small scar across his nose, and a friendly smile surrounded by a goatee of black hair.  Aridean wondered what he meant by key as there was no keyhole on the dirt road or on any of the trees before the wagon.  It was not until Rana waved her hand with a bright green glow surrounding it that Aridean understood it was a metaphor.

    Before her widening eyes, Rana had channeled magic that caused the dirt path to split horizontally a little longer than the width of the road in front of the horses drawing the wagon.  Aridean¡¯s jaw visibly dropped at the sight; it was her first-time witnessing magic in action, and she was having a hard time believing what she saw.  As Aridean gaped in awe of the magical prowess, Rana then raised her same hand which still glowed a bright green color.  This time, the road on the opposite side of the split raised from the ground to reveal a tunnel just as wide as the road that had been magically buried.  Walls of the tunnel appeared to be smoothed out and were lit by torches on either side.  Once the rumble of the moving earth had ceased, Rana gave a quick exhale before examining her handiwork.  She then returned to her seat in the wagon.

    ¡°I really should practice this more, but we¡¯re good to go now,¡± Rana said, sounding a bit upset with her use of magic.  Aridean, still in awe, could not even begin to ask what part of her casting needed any work.

    Wh-what was that?!  Why does their front door need to be hidden underground?!  What are they doing living underground?  Wait, do they actually live underground?  Aridean¡¯s mind began buzzing with questions concerning the reasoning for magic being the key to opening the strange group¡¯s home.  However, still stunned by the display, Aridean could not ask any of the questions that filled her head.

    ¡°Nicely done, Rana.  Aridean, could you make sure that Vidor actually wakes up?  We¡¯ve a report to give and he¡¯s not about to sleep the day away in the wagon again,¡± Bryn said, sounding a touch annoyed that Vidor was still sleeping in the back.  He then whipped the horses pulling the wagon to start moving again, into the secret underground tunnel.

    ¡°Oh, uhm, yes,¡± Aridean responded after the initial awe of Rana¡¯s magical exhibition wore off.  Given her task, Aridean turned around to see Vidor on the wagon floor, eyes still shut.  Hesitantly, Aridean reached for Vidor¡¯s shoulder to shake him awake.

    ¡°I¡¯m up, you don¡¯t have to bother,¡± Vidor said with his eyes still shut.  Aridean jerked her hand back, startled.  Vidor then gave a long yawn as he began to sit up right.

    ¡°G-good morning,¡± Aridean spoke, nervously.  As she greeted the minotaur, the wagon began to enter the underground tunnel; Aridean examined the smooth, rock walls surrounding the group.  Once the wagon had fully entered the tunnel, Bryn stopped the horses and Rana got down from the wagon again.

    ¡°Morning!  You sleep well?  The wagon isn¡¯t the best bed, but I hope you didn¡¯t have too much trouble sleeping,¡± Vidor said, finally opening his eyes.  As he spoke, he went for the bag he seemed to keep rations in.  From the bag, he pulled out a different canteen from the one he had offered Aridean previously and began to drink from it.  Aridean saw Rana walking to the back of the wagon where her hand had begun to emit a bright, green glow again.  Waving her hand, Rana was closing the tunnel with her magic.  The wagon beneath the group shook as Rana moved the entire tunnel back underneath the ground.  After the shaking ended, Rana returned to the front of the wagon and Bryn ordered the horses move further into the torch-lit tunnel.

    ¡°I-I slept fine, I don¡¯t have a problem sleeping on¡­ firm mattresses,¡± Aridean said, thinking back to how often she would sleep on the wooden floor of the barn loft at home.  Thinking about it, she probably used the barn loft more often than her own bed.  As she finished answering Vidor, he had offered the canteen from before to Aridean.  Aridean accepted the canteen and had a few gulps of cool water before returning it to Vidor.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good news,¡± Vidor responded with a short chuckle.  He then looked at Aridean for a moment before the smile on his face faded, ¡°Oh boy, you still have a bit of a lump on your head¡­ hope that doesn¡¯t hurt too much.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Aridean gently reached for her head and began to rub the area around the bump on her head.  While it was not massively painful, Aridean did feel a bit of discomfort when pressure was applied to the bump.  Aridean spoke, ¡°I-it¡¯s not too bad, but I hope it heals soon¡­ ow.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get someone to check you out after we get you settled in.  In the meantime, I¡¯m guessing Rana¡¯s already spoken to you; about me wanting to speak with you,¡± Vidor said, his carefree smile had been altered into a more sympathetic expression.  Aridean looked at him with a quizzical expression on her face.  She understood what Vidor was talking about, but she still could not fathom what it was the group came to her for.  Although no one was speaking, silence was disrupted by the creaking wagon and tread of horses pulling said wagon.

    ¡°Well¡­ yes, she did.  She mentioned you wanted to talk to me about something, but I have no idea what you would want to ask me.  Y-you¡¯re¡­ not about to tell me that you guys are kidnapping me or something, right?¡±  Aridean asked, worried by Vidor¡¯s nonchalant attitude.  Several reasons the group may have picked up Aridean crossed her mind:  kidnapping, slaving, or even bounty hunting for Thellia.  None of those sounded ideal, but Aridean could not picture an ideal outcome for her.

    ¡°What?  No!  You really think we were going to save you from wolves just to kidnap you?  Look, what we want to ask you isn¡¯t going to affect your freedom or anything.  You¡¯re free to say no and move on, but we would like you to consider our offer,¡± Vidor said, trying to calm Aridean down.  ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve probably already guessed that something was off with a group of two minotaurs and a human traveling together.  You probably thought it stranger that the minotaurs referred to the human as their captain.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ human?¡±  Aridean said, slowly turning to look at Bryn in the front seat of the wagon.  It was as she turned she noticed the bright light at the end of the long tunnel the wagon was moving down.

    ¡°Ha, you thought I was a half-elf, didn¡¯t you?  Sorry, but I¡¯m pure-blood human,¡± Bryn said with a short laugh, Rana had joined him in laughing.  ¡°That means I won the bet, Vidor.  You¡¯re paying for dinner on our next assignment.¡±

    ¡°Dammit,¡± Vidor muttered under his breath with mild annoyance.  Aridean had completely lost interest in the two as she looked beyond the wagon and could make out a rather peculiar image beyond the end of the tunnel.

    ¡°A-anyways, like I was saying, I¡¯m guessing you probably figured out that we were no ordinary group of travelers.  We were hoping you would come with us and maybe join up with us.  We¡¯d really like to have you on our side; I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot we could do together.  But I guess I should probably warn you that we¡­ well¡­ how do I say this?¡± Vidor rambled as Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide as the wagon exited the tunnel and entered the well-lit area beyond.

    ¡°You guys¡­ you¡¯re with the rebellion,¡± Aridean said trying to take in the sight of her hosts¡¯ home.  Aridean found that the group had transported her to an underground settlement with structures made of smooth stone.  There were all sorts of inhabitants that Aridean could see going about their business throughout the hidden township; there were mostly dwarves, humans, and minotaurs, but even a few elves scattered about.  Their underground base was illuminated by bright, magic orbs that dotted the stone ceiling; seems that the rebels relied on magic to light their home.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ well, yes.  How did you know?¡±  Vidor asked as Aridean continued trying to process the sudden epiphany.

    ¡°C¡¯mon Vidor, she¡¯s a farm-girl, but I doubt she¡¯s stupid.  Three strangers, the captain being a human, with enough weaponry to fight a town militia and enough supplies to feed three families saves her from wolves and drags her to their underground home.  Either she thinks we¡¯re the most well-equipped band of mercenaries or she pieces together the only other logical conclusion.  The whole mercenaries bet is a bit shot with the whole underground HQ anyway,¡± Bryn answered for Aridean.  Bryn continued to drive the wagon to a sort of stable where several other wagons had been parked.  Stable hands approached the wagon as Bryn stopped the horses pulling the group¡¯s wagon.

    ¡°Welcome back, Captain Smithson.  Welcome home, Stonehooves,¡± spoke one of the stable hands as he began to unhitch the horses from the wagon.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to be home,¡± Rana responded as she descended from the wagon.  Bryn also got down from his seat on the wagon and turned to address his squad.

    ¡°Alright you two, grab your gear and help the crew here with the clean-up.  After things are done here, you¡¯re free to grab some breakfast at the mess.  Just make sure you¡¯re prepared to give our report to the General when he¡¯s ready for us,¡± Bryn commanded as Aridean, still a bit stunned from her discovery, sat silently in the back of the wagon.  ¡°Aridean, you¡¯re free to join me or help Rana and Vidor.  If you¡¯re coming with me, then let¡¯s be going.¡±

    As Bryn began to walk away from the wagon, the same stable hand that had greeted them looked up to see Aridean sitting in the wagon and spoke, ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve brought a new recruit home?  Well, it¡¯s nice to meet you.  Welcome to the city of stone, Stonehaven.  Not the most imaginative name, but certainly fitting.  My name¡¯s Joseph and I manage the stables here.¡±

    Aridean returned a forced, nervous smile but found herself unable to speak despite the friendly atmosphere she found herself in.  Nothing about this situation sat right with her.  As Bryn said, she had been trying to deduce who the group that had saved her were and members of the rebellion was one possibility that she considered.  But having the truth she somewhat hoped had not been true revealed to her left her mind buzzing with questions and concerns.

    New recruit?!  I can¡¯t let myself get wrapped up in the rebellion!  I don¡¯t know how to fight a war and I don¡¯t want to learn how to either!  There¡¯s got to be some way to get out of here.  If I just ask to leave, would they just let me go?  Surely not, I know where their base of operations is now; I¡¯m a liability if they just let me go.  What do I do to get out of here and keep moving as far as possible?  Aridean began mentally calculating her next move despite an overwhelming paranoia.

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s not a recruit, Joe.  Not unless she wants to be anyway,¡± came Vidor¡¯s voice behind Aridean.  Upon hearing this, Aridean turned to see Vidor collecting his weapon stash; turns out he was the one sporting a bow, crossbow, and several daggers.  With gear in hand, Vidor jumped down from the wagon, hooves clopping loudly as they hit the stone floor.

    ¡°Aridean, could you hand me my books?  I forgot to grab them before getting out of the wagon,¡± Rana asked from the ground.  Aridean, still a bit stunned by the predicament she found herself in, shook her head as if to wake herself up from a dream before quickly collecting Rana¡¯s magical tomes.  One at a time, Aridean passed the old books to the minotaur sorceress who then stored them in a backpack.  Aridean also correctly assumed that the brass knuckles belonged to Rana and retrieved them for her as well.  With all her own gear in hand, Rana spoke again, ¡°Thank you very much Aridean.  Why don¡¯t you get down from there and go catch up with Bryn?  He¡¯s probably filling out some forms in the building next to the stables.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, Aridean¡¯s not interested in watching the captain fill out a bunch of dumb papers and talk mission stuff with the higher ups.  Why don¡¯t you stick with us for a bit?  We¡¯ll go get some breakfast and you can tell us all about living in Thellia!  Or we could even show you around before we have to give our report,¡± Vidor chimed in with enthusiasm.  There was something about the excitable tone and happy-go-lucky attitude Vidor seemed to give off that made Aridean feel a little better about her situation.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll stick with you two for now¡­ i-if that¡¯s okay,¡± Aridean responded nervously.  She was by no means mentally prepared for what the day had in store but sitting around in the wagon was going to get her nowhere.  With her decision locked in, Aridean first grabbed her bag before slowly descending from the wagon and anxiously eying her surroundings.

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you want to do,¡± Rana said in her gentle voice.

    ¡°Yes!  I can¡¯t wait to show you around!  But first things first, I¡¯ll bet you¡¯re ready for something to eat.  The head chef makes the best omelets!  You¡¯ll never guess his secret ingredient when he makes a chef¡¯s special though.  Rana, let¡¯s take her to the mess hall first,¡± Vidor suggested with a wide smile on his face.  Without waiting for the other two, Vidor turned and began marching in the direction that presumably the mess hall was in.

    ¡°He just wants to go because he¡¯s the one that¡¯s hungry,¡± Rana said with a sigh, but as she finished her statement, Aridean could hear her stomach rumble.  Clearly a bit embarrassed, Rana added, ¡°Uhm¡­ well, I suppose I¡¯d like something to eat as well.  Come along Aridean.¡±

    Aridean slung her backpack over her shoulders and followed Rana away from the wagon.  Although the initial shock had worn off, Aridean could not help but internally panic over how she had associated herself with members of the rebellion.  She could not stop considering her options about how to distance herself as quickly as possible.  However, she quickly reminded herself that she was underground now and had no means of digging her way out without causing some kind of scene.  It did not sit right with her, but Aridean surrendered to the idea that she would have to wait and see if they would just let her go.

    Whilst internally contemplating a method for escaping, Aridean followed Rana past several stone structures.  Engravings on the buildings labeled them as different departments, one reading ¡°Armory¡±, another reading ¡°Training Hall¡±, and another reading ¡°Archives¡±.  Many different people were bustling about their business, moving from building to building with supplies or papers.  As the pair passed by the Archives building, Aridean found herself standing in what appeared to be a city plaza, complete with a fountain, park benches, and trees.  Almost immediately, Aridean began questioning how they maintained trees underground but assumed there was some other magical explanation that she probably would not understand.  Aridean continued to follow Rana, but as they passed the fountain, Aridean heard a shout from somewhere nearby.

    ¡°Look!  It¡¯s Rana!  Hey, Rana, Rana!¡±  came a loud, young sounding boy¡¯s voice.  Aridean turned toward whoever was shouting to see a group of children racing toward her and Rana.  The group consisted of two human kids, a boy and a girl, and a juvenile, male minotaur.  Upon reaching Rana, the boys wrapped their arms around Rana¡¯s legs while the girl took Rana¡¯s hand in hers.

    ¡°Hello everyone, how are you all doing?¡±  Rana greeted with a chuckle, hugging each child as they released their captive.  Aridean slowly moved back and even tried to make it look as though she was not associated with the group by sitting on the edge of the plaza fountain.  However, she was failing to be subtle about watching the kids and Rana as they converse.

    ¡°Rana, you said you¡¯d be back yesterday!  That means you owe us an extra game of hide and seek,¡± said the human boy.

    ¡°Welcome back Rana, do you have time to play with us?¡±  asked the girl.

    ¡°Hi Rana, do you know where Vidor is?  He said he¡¯d teach me how to shoot his crossbow when he got back,¡± came the minotaur.

    ¡°First things first,¡± Rana said in her sweet voice which immediately shifted to a tone of annoyance as she continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to have to have a word with Vidor¡­¡±

    As though throwing a switch, she returned to her cheerful and kind voice, ¡°Second, I¡¯ll play with you all in a little bit, okay?  I¡¯m showing a new friend around today; say hello to Aridean, everyone.¡±

    Aridean¡¯s body tensed up after hearing that she was being made the center of attention.  Not only did she hate being the in the spotlight, but children made her nervous.  It was not that she did not like kids, rather she was afraid of upsetting them.  On multiple occasions back in Thellia, village children would look at her like she was a monster and break down crying.  Further, if the children were upset with her, the adults were upset with her as well.

    Feeling a bit stressed, Aridean managed to muster a rather goofy looking, anxiety-filled smile and waved her hand hesitantly as the kids looked in her direction.  Both boys returned smiles of their own and waved, but the young girl turned back to Rana.

    ¡°Is she nice like you?¡±  the girl asked Rana while tugging on her fuzzy hand.

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s shown herself to be a very nice person,¡± Rana responded with a smile.  ¡°Why don¡¯t you three get to the school building?  Class should be starting soon.  We¡¯ll play whatever games you want after your classes, okay?¡±

    Each child moaned at the mention of the school but seemed to obey Rana with minimal resistance.  With another hug to each of the children, Rana sent them on their way to school.  After the kids had left the plaza, Rana motioned for Aridean to continue following her.  Only now did Aridean even begin to question what it was she had just witnessed.

    Children?  A school?  Why does the rebellion keep kids and offer schooling?  Rather, how does it afford to do so?  Aridean thought to herself about the scope and reach of the rebellion¡¯s organization.  It was hard to fathom that a rebellion could make space for children and organize an educational institution while also fighting a war.  Aridean had always thought the rebellion consisted of warmongering brutes, at least that was how newspapers depicted them.  This revelation was a bit of a surprise considering the empire¡¯s reporting on the rebellion.  That in mind, Aridean found it difficult to wrap her head around the idea that the kind strangers that had saved her from a rabid pack of wolves were capable of any brutish behavior.  Although they did carry plenty of gear, the group had seemed like pleasant enough people.  Perhaps there was something more to them than Aridean initially suspected.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re good kids.  But could you do me a favor and let me know if you see Vidor with them?  It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust him to teach safety, rather I don¡¯t think they need to learn how to shoot,¡± Rana spoke as the two continued walking through the plaza.  ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re almost to the mess hall.  Hopefully, Vidor is waiting for us and saved me a blueberry muffin.¡±

 Chapter 7 - New Beginnings

    ¡°Yeesh, what took you two so long?  You see this line we¡¯re gonna have to wait in now?  You can¡¯t blame me for not being able to save you your muffin this time, Rana,¡± Vidor complained as Rana and Aridean finally caught up to him.  Like every other structure in this underground city, the mess hall was a building made entirely of smooth stone with the engraving ¡°Mess Hall¡± carved above the doorway.  A short line leading into the building was forming by the front door.  Aridean took a mental note that the line was filled by mostly minotaurs, but there were dwarves and humans scattered throughout.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, but we were stopped by some kids.  Hamuln mentioned something about you teaching him how to shoot a crossbow,¡± Rana said, slowly crossing her arms over her chest.  She also gave Vidor a rather menacing look which seemed to have him a bit worried.  Aridean knew she was glad that she was not the one on the receiving end of Rana¡¯s terrifying gaze.

    ¡°Oh¡­ uh¡­ well, what¡¯s the big deal?  He wants to learn how to shoot and I offered to teach him,¡± Vidor responded, sounding a bit unsure of himself.

    ¡°Vidor, he¡¯s six.  He doesn¡¯t need to be running around with anything dangerous.  Keeping him and the other kids away from weapons is part of why we joined up, remember?  We want to help them and giving them as normal a life as possible is the best we can manage right now.  You agreed to that, or have you changed your mind?  Maybe you think we can¡¯t handle things anymore?  Do you want to see children fighting battles now?  You absolutely will not be teaching anyone how to shoot a crossbow, are we clear?¡±  Rana scolded with authority in her voice.  Aridean noticed that Rana¡¯s voice carried the same scary tone it had when she confronted her about having run away from home.  It seemed that the effect on Vidor was similar to what Aridean experienced.  Actually, even though the scolding was not directed toward her, Aridean too felt guilty and a bit scared of Rana as she continued disciplining her brother.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.  I won¡¯t teach them how to shoot,¡± Vidor said, avoiding eye contact with his sister.  His ears had fallen flat against his head in submission.  Rana maintained her stern look on Vidor for just another moment before heaving a sigh.  Vidor was visibly relieved hearing Rana sigh, it seemed to mark the end of her lecturing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too; perhaps that was a bit much.  Let¡¯s just drop this for now and go eat.  Aridean, what were you thinking about having?  Vidor always gets a sausage-stuffed omelet and I usually settle on scrambled eggs and a muffin,¡± Rana said, going back to her sweet tone again.  Aridean could not help but notice how it was like a light switch how quickly Rana could switch between scary and kind.  As Rana was speaking, she led both Vidor and Aridean to the back of the line leading to the mess hall.

    ¡°They don¡¯t usually have much apart from eggs and sausage, but they do know how to make them taste real good,¡± Vidor chimed in with childish enthusiasm.

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ just decide on what to have once we¡¯re inside,¡± Aridean replied.  Truth be told, eating a nice breakfast was the last thing on Aridean¡¯s mind.  Although it was readily apparent she was not in any immediate danger, she did not feel comfortable in the least bit knowing that she was brought to the rebellion¡¯s underground headquarters.  If anything, she could not decide on whether she was in more danger now than she was running from wolves in the forest.

    The trio of minotaurs stood at the back of the line leading into the mess hall.  There were at least twelve patrons between them and the front door.  Soon enough, people were lining up behind the group.  Aridean¡¯s eyes darted around nervously, from her front to her back.  Everyone around her were strangers, rebels, and of various races.  The line slowly moved forward and Aridean followed Vidor and Rana closely as they inched closer to the door of the mess hall.  She could feel the hair on her tail standing on end and she was focusing all of her willpower into keeping her body from shaking with anxiety.  But she almost immediately crumbled under stress when she heard someone behind her begin to speak.

    ¡°Hey, I haven¡¯t seen you around before.  Are you new here?¡±  Spoke the voice.  Aridean¡¯s body trembled and she feared she may fall over.  Slowly, she turned to see a human woman.  The woman wore a simple white dress and had short, blonde hair.  Upon registering the visible distress in Aridean¡¯s eyes, the woman added, ¡°Oh, are you alright?  You look a bit on edge.¡±

    ¡°Morning Jess.  Yeah, she¡¯s new.  Found her out in the Konarch Forest running from wolves.  She¡¯s not exactly talkative, I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s not good with new faces,¡± Vidor said, stepping in for Aridean who could not find it in herself to speak.

    ¡°Oh dear, is that where that lump on your head came from?  Well, I see that you¡¯re with the Stonehooves so I can assure you that you¡¯re in good hands,¡± the woman named Jess responded.  ¡°My name is Jessabelle Smithson, but everyone just calls me Jess.  If you¡¯re with Vidor and Rana, then I guess you¡¯ve met my husband, Bryn.  Let me know if you need anything and I¡¯ll do my best to help get you settled in.¡±

    ¡°Th-thank you,¡± Aridean replied nervously.  Jessabelle slowly raised a hand for a handshake but was surprised to see Aridean flinch as her hand came up.  Aridean, after collecting herself, looked back at the woman with apprehension and embarrassment.  Both Rana and Vidor had noticed Aridean¡¯s reaction and looked to one another with a bit of confusion over what they had witnessed.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aridean said as Jessabelle lowered her hand back to her side.

    ¡°Oh, no need to be sorry dear.  But like I said, if you need anything then don¡¯t hesitate to ask,¡± Jessabelle repeated with a kind smile.  Unfortunately, Aridean did not notice Jessabelle¡¯s smile as she was trying to actively avoid eye contact and had unconsciously chosen to simply look down at her hooves.

    ¡°Come on you two, we¡¯re next to get inside,¡± Rana said, ushering both Vidor and Aridean into the mess hall.  Aridean felt a wave of relief wash over her as she left Jessabelle outside.  However, the relief only lasted for a few seconds.

    ¡°Oh, before you go, do you mind if I get your name, dear?¡±  Jessabelle asked as Aridean stood in the doorway to the mess hall.  Her body had visibly tensed up again and all she could wonder was why on earth this complete stranger would want to know her name.

    ¡°My name¡­ is¡­¡± Aridean stuttered as she tried to speak.  She looked to Rana and Vidor.  Rana looked back to her with a smile on her face as though encouraging her to speak up a bit.  Vidor, however, took note of Aridean¡¯s hesitation.

    ¡°Her name¡¯s Aridean Gray,¡± Vidor finally spoke in place of Aridean herself.  Aridean¡¯s hung her head low upon hearing Vidor speak.  Why was it so difficult for her to just tell someone as friendly as this Jessabelle her name?

    ¡°Gray?  That¡¯s an interesting name for a minotaur.  Strangely familiar, too,¡± Jessabelle said with a hint of curiosity in her voice.

    ¡°Captain said the same thing,¡± Vidor told Jessabelle with a laugh.  Seemingly satisfied now, Jessabelle waved the group goodbye as the three minotaurs finally entered the mess hall.

    Within the stone building, Aridean found herself in a large dining room densely populated with citizens of the underground city.  Laughter and idle chatter could be heard throughout the room from the patrons.  A short line was formed by the right wall where people were being served their meals from the kitchen staff.  The door to the kitchen itself was located near the back of the room; off to the side were the bathrooms.  The dining room itself was furnished with many small wooden tables, surrounded on each side by a few wooden chairs.  Some of the chairs had cushions in the seats, but they had obviously seen better days as most of them were torn and the packing was bleeding out of the tears.  Walls were painted a light tan color and pictures of people Aridean did not know were hung on these painted walls.  Although uncertain, Aridean assumed the people in the pictures were members of the rebellion.  What Aridean found most confusing about the scene was the wooden flooring; the building itself was made of stone but used a wooden floor.

    Wooden floor, pictures on painted walls, and homely furniture.  Is the aesthetic supposed to make everyone feel at home here?  I wouldn¡¯t expect an atmosphere like this from a rebel organization.  Even so, this place¡­ it actually kind of reminds me of Mutt¡¯s¡­ well, if Mutt¡¯s were cleaner, Aridean thought to herself after finishing her analysis of the mess hall.  Vidor ushered her to the line to be served breakfast.  Aridean stood behind Rana and Vidor in the line and watched as the people ahead of them made their orders and were almost immediately served.  Aridean wondered if the food they were served was prepared in advance or continuously being cooked in the kitchen.  She knew that George always preferred serving his customers fresh and hot meals but thought that if he could keep pace like this then Mutt¡¯s would see more business.

    ¡°Morning Rana, morning Vidor; you two just want your usuals today?¡± spoke a member of the serving staff from behind the counter.  The staff member was a human man wearing an apron over his normal clothes.

    ¡°Good morning, Sven.  Yes, the usual for me please,¡± Rana responded.

    ¡°Morning, can I get extra onion in my omelet today?  Please?¡±  Vidor asked with enthusiasm and a goofy smile on his face.  Sven rolled his eyes with a short chuckle after hearing Vidor¡¯s request.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just wrap a full, un-chopped onion in your omelet,¡± Sven joked as he turned to grab Rana¡¯s breakfast.  When he turned back around, he took notice of Aridean who was standing a full foot behind Vidor¡¯s back and was watching him work.  Sven handed Rana a plate with scrambled eggs and a large blueberry muffin before asking in a teasing manner, ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen her around before.  You finally work up the nerve to talk to a woman that ain¡¯t your sister, V?¡±

    ¡°What?  What are you-- oh, you mean Aridean.  No, we¡¯re not¡­ well, yes I can¡­ ugh!  No fair, Sven!  We brought her in after she had a bit of an incident and we¡¯re showing her around after breakfast,¡± Vidor explained with a bit of annoyance in his voice.  Rana could not help but laugh a little as Vidor fumbled over his words.  Aridean stood behind Vidor still, a bit confused by the peculiar exchange unfolding before her.

    ¡°Ha, ha, cool yourself, V.  I¡¯m just pickin¡¯ with you.  Bettin¡¯ she could do better anyhow,¡± Sven continued to joke while calling to another kitchen staff member to get Vidor an extra-onion stuffed omelet.

    ¡°Okay, well that one just hurts,¡± Vidor said, clearly not offended, but still obviously annoyed with Sven¡¯s teasing.

    ¡°Alright, well, Aridean, right?  What will it be today?  You name it, we¡¯ll make it,¡± Sven said with a cheerful smile on his face.  Aridean was a bit confused; she had not even seen a menu.  Surely, he was exaggerating when he said they would prepare anything for her, but she had hoped for some options.  Aridean turned to look at Rana and Vidor and realized she had available options.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll just have¡­ what Vidor¡¯s having, please,¡± Aridean answered meekly.  Rana looked at Aridean in surprise but shrugged and took her plate to a nearby, empty table.  Vidor on the other hand looked to Aridean with the same goofy looking smile he had when he asked Sven for extra onions.

    ¡°Huh, guess you¡¯ve got more game than I thought, V,¡± Sven teased before calling out to someone in the kitchen, ¡°Hey!  That extra-onion omelet?  I need two of those!¡±

    ¡°Seriously Sven, stop.  C¡¯mon, Aridean, they¡¯ll bring us ours when they¡¯re done,¡± Vidor said while directing Aridean to the table that Rana had claimed for the group.  Aridean did as she was told and followed Vidor to their table but rather than sit in one of the chairs, Aridean simply stood by the table.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Aridean?  You gonna sit down or what?  Oh, do you need to use the restroom?  They¡¯re over by the back wall there,¡± Vidor said as he observed Aridean not joining him and Rana at their table.

    ¡°N-no, I just, uh¡­¡± Aridean replied.  She was hurriedly trying to think of an explanation regarding her behavior but failed to think of something.  Hesitantly, she reached for her chair that sat her beside Rana and across from Vidor.  She slowly pulled it back and began to sit.  As she scooted her chair up to the table, she nervously looked around the room and then to the kitchen door.

    I haven¡¯t been allowed to eat in a place like this since I was little¡­  Even then, it was just that one time with Simon and all the other customers had avoided any tables near ours.  Is it really okay for me to be sitting here?  Sir would be upset with me if I were to sit at a table in the dining room of the tavern, Aridean thought to herself about how unusual the treatment was in this mess hall.  Years had passed since her first, and only, time eating out with Simon.  In truth, while she loved getting to spend time with Simon, the entire experience had made her incredibly uncomfortable.

    ¡°Calm down, you¡¯re not a waitress here.  Just relax and your breakfast will be out shortly,¡± Rana told Aridean as she reached into her bag for a book.  Rana then proceeded to open said book to a page that had been folded over at the top right corner and began reading.  Aridean thought that was odd as Rana had her breakfast already.

    ¡°Are you not going to eat?¡±  Aridean asked Rana.

    ¡°It¡¯s rude to start eating before everyone is served,¡± Rana answered, her gaze never having left her book.  Aridean thought about insisting that Rana eat her eggs before they grew cold but refrained from doing so thinking that Rana would not change her mind.

    ¡°So, Aridean, why don¡¯t you tell us about yourself?  Now¡¯s a good a time as any to start learning about each other, right?¡±  Vidor inquired with a smile on his face.  Upon hearing the question, Rana¡¯s eyes quickly darted from her book to Vidor before moving to look at Aridean.  Despite not having said a word, it seemed that Rana also was interested in hearing Aridean.

    ¡°A-about me?  Rana already told me just about everything there is to me.  She probably did a better job describing me than I could do myself.  A-actually, now that I think about it:  Rana said you told her about me.  How did you find out everything about me?¡±  Aridean asked, looking down to her hands that covered her lap.  Vidor let loose a loud sigh and leaned back in his chair.

    ¡°So, you mentioned we already know the short version, Rana?  Well, the truth is, we didn¡¯t initially know about you.  We were just passing by Thellia on the way home.  I was walking through the village looking for someplace to get something to eat when some guy came up to me and started asking all about me.  Uhm¡­ what was his name again?  John?  Anyways, he¡¯s the reason I knew so much about you and where to find you that day.  Gonna be honest, it felt a bit awkward, but I¡¯m glad that guy got me to speak with you in that restaurant you worked in,¡± Vidor explained with a wide smile on his face.

    ¡°Jean¡­¡± Aridean quietly whispered to herself.  That made sense, Jean was the only person she could think of that would not only know so much about her off the top of his head but would also be so friendly to a stranger and a minotaur no less.  It was only now that Aridean recalled that on the same day of Jean¡¯s incident, he mentioned having met someone interesting.

    That¡¯s right!  When he found me at the marketplace, he said he had met someone he wanted to introduce me to.  He must have been referring to Vidor¡­  I still remember him asking if I felt lonely because I had never met another minotaur before¡­ You¡¯ve always looked out for me¡­ but now I¡¯ve gone and¡­ Aridean contemplated as her throat began to tighten.  She could not finish her thought lest it may cause her to burst into tears there in the middle of the mess hall.  Instead, Aridean pushed the guilt from her mind and decided to focus on her discussion with Vidor.  Perhaps she could get him to talk about a means of leaving the rebel base.

    ¡°Perhaps we should tell her a bit more about ourselves seeing as we are still strangers that picked her up in the forest.  She doesn¡¯t know much beyond our names, after all,¡± Rana suggested, having closed her book.  Vidor leaned back in his chair as Rana slipped her book back into her pack.  It seemed that Vidor was contemplating his next thought carefully.

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right, but where do we begin?  You already figured out that we¡¯re members of the rebellion.  Uhm¡­ I guess we¡¯ll tell you a bit about some of the adventures we¡¯ve had.  So, we both joined the rebellion about four years ago after some intense training.  This last trip out with the captain was our twenty-fourth mission, just some simple reconnaissance in a town further west of your hometown.  Things go well on a few more and Rana might just be recommended for a captain position herself,¡± Vidor began.  Aridean remained quiet throughout, but she could not help but think back to the massive weapons stores the group had in their wagon.  Aridean was certain that to be that well equipped, the group must have suspected some sort of trouble despite their mission being ¡®simple reconnaissance¡¯.  Even so, she did not feel comfortable asking anything and feared the sight of how well armed a combat unit for the rebellion must be.

    As Vidor finished his explanation, a member of the mess hall¡¯s kitchen staff approached the group with two plates and a single, large glass of milk.  Each plate held a fluffy looking omelet, which had Vidor licking his lips as it was placed on the table before him.  The kitchen staff placed both Aridean¡¯s meal and the milk before her on the table.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ is Vidor not having anything to drink?¡±  Aridean asked.

    ¡°Just trust me on this,¡± the kitchen staff responded with a wink before turning to return to the kitchen.  Aridean, a tad bit confused, shrugged as her new companions picked up their forks and began to enjoy breakfast.

    ¡°I know there¡¯s a lot you could ask us about, being in the rebellion and all, but I really want to hear about you.  What was it like living in a human village all your life and under a human¡¯s roof?  I never got the chance, but Rana¡¯s always told me that humans outside our base here can be rude to us minotaurs,¡± Vidor asked with a smile and a mouth filled with a large piece of his omelet.  Aridean could tell that Vidor did not exactly share the same table manners as his sister.

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess the best way to describe it was¡­ unpleasant.  L-living in a human village, not under one¡¯s roof.  Simon is a very generous man and I owe him so much for putting up with me over the years.  That¡¯s¡­ part of why I decided to run away from Thellia,¡± Aridean answered.  ¡°The villagers were scary, and I was so afraid of leaving the farm knowing what they were like.  There were days where Simon had to walk me to school when I was little because I was so frightened by the other kids.¡±

    ¡°Scary?  What made them so scary?  Surely not all of them were bad to you though, right?¡±  Vidor further probed, having already finished half of his meal.  Rana had finished her eggs and was happily taking the first bite out of her muffin that she had hyped up so much.  Aridean could see an uncharacteristically ecstatic smile spread across Rana¡¯s face as she chewed the muffin.  She could not help but think maybe she should have asked for one as well.

    ¡°Well, there were two humans from the village that I actually liked to see.  One was the town watch¡¯s captain, Mr. Watson, who was friends with Simon during their time in the military.  The other was Jean, my best friend and classmate, who told you everything about me,¡± Aridean said as she reflected on the nature of her friendship with Jean.  He had always been a wonderful and reliable person in her life, but as to why she just could not fathom.  Whenever she thought about why Jean treated her the way he did, she just became further baffled.  He had no reason to make friends with the minotaur in a human-dominated village and Aridean knew people had been talking behind his back for it, too.  But whenever she asked Jean why he put up with her, his answer served to confuse Aridean even further.

    Why were we friends, Jean?  ¡®Ari, it hurts you¡¯re asking me that!  We¡¯re friends because we want to be, isn¡¯t that enough?¡¯  But why did you want to be?  You knew people talked badly about us, about you.  I can¡¯t thank you enough, but I can¡¯t understand you either.  Hopefully, everyone will stop talking about you now that I¡¯m gone.  Aridean thought to herself.  She really wished he was here with her now; thinking about how she missed Jean filled her with a sense of dread.  Although she was trying to hide her discomfort, Rana seemed to notice Aridean tense up.  Rana finished the bite of muffin in her mouth before speaking.

    ¡°Vidor, let her eat first.  Asking about her life can wait until after breakfast,¡± Rana told Vidor in an effort to get him to ease up on Aridean.  Aridean turned to look at Rana, who returned a simple smile as she picked up her nearly finished muffin again.

    ¡°Oh, right, sorry.  Anyways, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love the food here, Aridean.  You can get so many different flavors added to these things and they taste so good,¡± Vidor responded.  Aridean slowly grabbed her fork from its place beside her plate and cut off a bite of her omelet.  She stabbed into the cut piece and lifted it to her mouth.  Only one word came to mind when she finally bit down into the food:  incredible.  Normally, Aridean preferred just simple scrambled eggs with some bacon, but this meal was something she had never imagined.  The crunch of onion, juicy bits of sausage, and fluffy eggs combined into an absolutely incredible breakfast.  However, there was another flavor that she could not quite place as she continued to chew.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good, right?  I just love these things,¡± Vidor commented, finishing his breakfast.  Aridean herself had begun to slow down as she began to realize what the last flavor in her omelet was.

    ¡°Uh oh,¡± Aridean spoke, while covering her mouth.  Her mouth had grown incredibly warm and she had a sneaking suspicion as to what the unmentioned flavor may have been.  Not only had her mouth and throat grown increasingly warm, but she could also feel warmth enveloping her entire face.  With one hand, Aridean began fanning her face and grabbed the glass of milk she had been served with the other.  Ice cold and refreshing milk slid down her throat to relieve her of the spicy surprise.  The display elicited laughter from Rana while Vidor looked on with astonishment.

    ¡°Oh¡­ I guess you don¡¯t really like spicy food,¡± Vidor remarked.  ¡°Uh¡­ did I forget to mention I get lots of freshly diced peppers in my food?  Sorry about that, Aridean.¡±

    ¡°Ahahahaha, oh, I¡¯m sorry, too.  When you asked for Vidor¡¯s meal, I assumed he had told you what that would come with and I thought you could take the heat,¡± Rana joined in as her laughter was beginning to die down.  Aridean finished her glass and set it down on the table while trying to catch her breath.  She never could take spicy food and this omelet before her was probably the most intense experience she had ever had.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ maybe I¡¯ll just go get you something else.  Let me go see if I can get you one of Rana¡¯s muffins,¡± Vidor said, getting up from his chair and walking back toward the kitchen counter line.  The burning sensation in Aridean¡¯s mouth and throat had subsided, but she needed a napkin to wipe her nose after her ordeal.  Despite the consequence, Aridean did in fact really enjoy the omelet she was served but would make certain to not have any peppers added if she were to have it again.  Rana had finally ceased chuckling and finished her muffin before retrieving her book from her bag.  Aridean had no idea what Rana was reading as the cover was blank.  She did not seem to be studying any magic spell tome as there were no glyphs on the spine.  Although making conversation was not her strength, Aridean thought that if she were going to be with them for much longer, she may as well try and play nice with Rana and Vidor.

    ¡°W-what are you reading?¡±  Aridean asked nervously.

    ¡°This?  It¡¯s just some silly romance story about a dwarven couple whose separate peoples are at war over territory in the mountains.  This one isn¡¯t an especially interesting read, but I like to finish what I start.  If you like, we can stop by the library and pick you up a book later,¡± Rana replied, her eyes never having left the page she was reading.  Aridean could not help but admire the focus Rana exhibited as she continued through her book and answered Aridean¡¯s question at the same time.

    It was a few moments later that Vidor returned with a muffin and a second glass of milk.  He set both down in front of Aridean before returning to his seat.  Aridean, grateful for some extra milk and a non-spicy breakfast, thanked Vidor who returned a friendly smile.  Aridean grabbed the muffin she was given and went to take a bite.  Just as she bit down into the moist and sweet treat, the doors to the mess hall opened to reveal Bryn and three male minotaurs.  Two of the minotaurs were dressed in full armor and armed with large blades.  But the last one seemed for all the world like a simple, old minotaur; graying fur around his face and wrinkled skin by his eyes showed age.  He held a walking staff in his left hand and was dressed in some fine clothes.  Upon taking a closer look, Aridean noticed he wore an eyepatch over his left eye and had a large scar running down the length of his right arm.  Simply by the way this minotaur conducted himself with his entourage, Aridean could tell that he must have considerable status around here.  But what stood out most about him was that he was just like both Rana and Vidor.  This minotaur was mostly black, save the graying fur, with a white patch of fur over his snout.

    Bryn pointed towards Aridean and the other two minotaurs; his lips also moved, but she could not make out what it was he was saying.  As Bryn lowered his hand, the trio of minotaurs and Bryn made their way toward Aridean¡¯s table.  One could hear the commotion and morning chatter throughout the mess hall die down as the patrons took notice of the group moving through the room.  Aridean was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable, something about the trio headed her way made her fur stand on ends.  When the trio reached the table, Vidor, who was facing away from the door, finally noticed the group that had approached them, if only because Aridean had frozen up again.

    ¡°G-general,¡± Vidor stuttered, so startled by the appearance of the older minotaur that he nearly fell out of his chair.  He scrambled up from his seat and gave a salute to the old minotaur.  Rana had followed suit, albeit with less nervousness and more tact.  Aridean, however, could feel her blood run cold upon hearing Vidor; she thought that Rana and Vidor were to meet with this ¡®General¡¯ later in the morning.  Nervously, Aridean swallowed the bit of muffin in her mouth.  She was in no way mentally prepared for this encounter, and it certainly showed on her anxiety-filled face.

    ¡°Ghos nion Vidor, ghos nion Rana.  Malai ri tou?¡±  Spoke the old minotaur.  Aridean was so stunned by the sudden appearance and by how both her hosts were behaving in this minotaur¡¯s presence.  Even so, she quickly translated what was asked of Rana and Vidor in her head:  May I join you?

    ¡°Plur,¡± Rana and Vidor responded in unison.  Despite being fluent in the Minoran language, English was Aridean¡¯s first learned and more comfortable language.  That said, Aridean again had mentally converted the spoken Minoran into English:  Please.  Having been invited to the group¡¯s table, the old minotaur pulled back the only remaining seat at the table which sat between Aridean and Vidor.  Both Rana and Vidor returned to their seats as the old minotaur waved his guards away.  Bryn had pulled up a spare chair and sat just behind the General.  Slowly, the other patrons began to return to conversing with one another or eating their breakfasts, but it was still noticeably quieter now.  Without a word, the General turned to Aridean and used his one good eye to thoroughly inspect the young minotaur before him.  During this, Aridean had stiffened her entire body; her arms were firmly pressed to her sides and her back was perfectly straight.  She had no idea what to expect next but was starting to feel too afraid to make any move.  It seemed that now would be a bad time to excuse herself to the restroom.

    ¡°You are the child Captain Smithson has told me about, yes?  Aridean Gray, correct?¡±  The old minotaur asked Aridean with a deep and commanding voice.  Slowly, he reached his hand toward Aridean who jerked back somewhat.  The old minotaur put a hand to Aridean¡¯s head despite her unwillingness and took a deep breath.  As the minotaur exhaled, a bright green light began to glow from his fingers atop Aridean¡¯s head.  He held his hand on Aridean¡¯s head for just a moment after which, the green glow faded.  As the minotaur took back his hand, Aridean reached to her head.  She ran her hand across her horned dome and was surprised to find that it was normal.  The minotaur had used some sort of magic to accelerate the healing of the lump on her head.

    That light¡­ he uses magic like Rana, Aridean thought to herself.  She had been fighting a slight headache all morning, but not after her magical treatment.  It was only now that Aridean¡¯s body became a little less tense.  Although she was able to physically calm herself, Aridean was internally panicking and questioning why the General of the rebellion was speaking with her.

    ¡°Bryn, you have not eaten yet, have you?  Go get yourself something,¡± the old minotaur ordered.  Bryn stood from his seat behind the General and gave a salute before heading toward the kitchen counter.  Both Rana and Vidor sat with their full attention given to the General.

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    ¡°Uhm¡­ uh, p-pla, yoh Aridean,¡± Aridean barely managed to answer through anxiety.  She had resorted to answering the General in Minoran as she was now surrounded by three other minotaurs.  Having heard her speak in their own language, both Rana and Vidor looked to Aridean with amazement.  Even the General had raised an eyebrow to show slight surprise, if only slight as the rest of the expression on his face was that of grave seriousness.

    ¡°Hmm?  Quite a surprise to hear you speak in our tongue, child.  Having grown in an Empire village, I suspected you would know only English.  Speak the tongue you are more comfortable with,¡± the General said.  Aridean was a bit surprised by the response; she thought the conversation was going to take place in Minoran.

    ¡°I was beginning to think she didn¡¯t know Minoran,¡± Vidor whispered to Rana, who was quick to shush him.  His side comment had not been whispered quietly enough and the old minotaur turned to look at Vidor with mild annoyance.  Vidor¡¯s expression quickly shifted into one of submission, similar to the look he had after Rana scolded him just outside the mess hall.

    ¡°I am Mikali; everyone refers to me as the General.  Aridean, you come from the village of Thellia, yes?  Captain Bryn has told me all he knows about you and what he told me has piqued my interest.  I was hoping to ask you about yourself, are you alright with that?¡± the General asked, but it sounded more as though Aridean did not have a choice in the matter.  It was at times like this that Aridean wished she knew some sort of magic capable of making her invisible, but given that was not an option, Aridean slowly lowered her muffin back down onto her plate.

    ¡°Y-yes, sir,¡± Aridean nervously responded.  She had become so frightened that she could hear her heart beating within her chest.  With each thump, Aridean felt her entire body jolt.

    ¡°Be at ease, child.  I¡¯ve not come with intentions of harming you,¡± Mikali spoke, but it did little to soothe Aridean¡¯s nerves.  ¡°I¡¯m quite interested in hearing your story:  you¡¯ve lived in Thellia, an Empire loyalist village, all your life.  How did this come to pass?¡±

    ¡°W-well, sir, even I don¡¯t know the details¡­ my real parents died before I could even speak; I don¡¯t know anything about them or even what tribe I¡¯m from.  Luckily, I was found and adopted by a very kind and generous man who raised me from when I was a baby,¡± Aridean explained, all the while, she could not make eye contact with any of the other three minotaurs surrounding her.  Instead, she just focused on her hands that were nervously rubbing together over her lap.  As she finished her statement, Aridean heard a low grunt come from Mikali.  Hearing his grunt, Aridean looked up but saw his expression had not changed and that Bryn had returned with his breakfast.  Perhaps she had just imagined the grunting sound?

    ¡°You cannot recall your mother nor father nor even your own tribe?  Such a lonely life you must have led thus far,¡± Mikali commented, leaning back in his seat.  He rested his walking staff over his lap and folded his arms over his chest.  Aridean herself kept quiet now, unsure on how to respond to Mikali.  Although the majority of Thellia reviled her, she was happy with Simon.  ¡®Lonely¡¯ was not necessarily a term she would have used to describe her situation back home.

    ¡°But you weren¡¯t alone, were you, Aridean?  You had John, right?¡±  Vidor chimed in, apparently still as curious to hear about Aridean¡¯s life.

    ¡°She said her friend¡¯s name was Jean,¡± Rana quickly corrected her brother before returning her attention to Aridean.

    ¡°Y-yes, most¡­ almost all of the humans in Thellia were horrifying in some regard.  But I still had Jean and Simon.  I don¡¯t know what I would have done without them¡­ well, I suppose I wouldn¡¯t even be here if not for the both of them,¡± Aridean said.  She took a moment to think about how she was where she was because of those two.  Simon took her in and saved her life when she was an orphaned baby.  If it weren¡¯t for Jean, who told Vidor about her, she would have died in the Konarch Forest as dinner for wolves.

    ¡°Simon Gray, correct?  What exactly is the nature of your relationship with that man?¡±  Mikali asked, his deep voice sounded intrigued.

    ¡°Simon is my fa¡­ was my caretaker after whatever incident left me an orphan.  For as long as I can remember, I¡¯ve lived with him on a modest sheep farm.  We¡¯ve lived there together for almost seventeen years now.  He was the one to give me my name,¡± Aridean answered, still unable to look Mikali in the eye.

    ¡°I must admit to being curious:  where did he come up with the name Aridean?¡±  Rana inquired, having jumped in before Vidor or Mikali could.

    ¡°Well¡­ it was the day I met Vidor that he¡­ apologized for it.  Aridean was his daughter¡¯s name.  I¡¯ve asked him about his daughter before, but he never liked to talk about that.  I¡¯m really not sure what compelled him to give me the same name, but it¡¯s the name I¡¯ve always known,¡± Aridean replied.  In her mind, she could visualize the first time she asked about her name.  Aridean could vividly recall her six-year-old self, sitting in front of the fire in the living room.  Little Aridean turned to Simon and asked the question: ¡®Why did you decide to name me Aridean?¡¯  Aridean¡¯s memory of Simon drew in a breath and let it out before answering: ¡®Because I think of you as my daughter.¡¯  Obviously, the next thing to come out of little Aridean¡¯s mouth next was: ¡®But what about your real daughter?¡¯  Aridean recalled the scene with such vivid detail that she almost felt as though it were happening again.  Despite always thinking of the farmhouse as a warm and inviting sanctuary, at that time it felt as though the whole house had frozen over in the dead of winter.  Aridean remembered that the warm atmosphere within her personal castle had turned frigid and it seemed as if time itself stood still as Simon considered his answer.

    ¡®Let¡¯s not think about that right now.¡¯  That was his answer after what felt like an eternity of silence.  I never meant to offend you, Simon.  I¡¯m so sorry for being so inconsiderate, Aridean finished reviewing the memory in her head.  Feeling a bit guilty over something that she asked ten years ago, Aridean needed a moment to compose herself.  She took a deep breath before looking back up to the three minotaurs.

    ¡°This Simon gave you the name of his deceased daughter?  What do you make of his decision, child?¡±  Mikali asked, his one eye trained on Aridean.  She could almost feel the old minotaur¡¯s gaze upon her as he spoke.

    ¡°I-I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I understand the question,¡± Aridean stuttered.

    ¡°This man has taken you, a minotaur child, into his home and given you the name of his late daughter.  How does that make you feel?¡±  Mikali clarified, though Aridean was fully aware that that was the question he was asking.  Aridean¡¯s hands were planted on her lap and she slowly ran them up and down her legs as she contemplated an honest response.

    ¡°After everything Simon has done for me¡­ I wouldn¡¯t even be alive today if it weren¡¯t for him¡­ so, I guess I feel¡­ guilty.  Guilty and remorseful that I¡¯ve cast everything to the winds.  There¡¯s so much I want to tell him; about who I want to become because of him and to apologize for wasting everything he¡¯s done for me,¡± Aridean slowly monologued, her voice began to crack up.  The more she told Mikali, the closer she drew to breaking down into tears.

    ¡°Waste?  What do you mean?  Does it have anything to do with why you left Thellia?¡±  Vidor asked, clearly unaware that Aridean was quickly falling apart.

    ¡°Nearly seventeen years together and I just leave in the dead of night with nothing more than a note that basically told him that we were never cut out to be¡­ a family.  No matter how much I wished it to be true, I can¡¯t be his daughter and he can¡¯t be my father.  I¡¯ll never forgive myself for it, but I keep telling myself that it is for the better.  Now he¡¯s safe to live a normal life as a retired military man in a village that revered him as a hero, but loathed his decision to take me in,¡± Aridean managed to answer despite being on the verge of tears.  Rana had fallen silent; even Vidor seemed to understand that this was becoming a delicate subject for Aridean as he refrained from prying further.  Mikali, on the other hand, had let out another stifled grunting noise.  This time, however, Aridean was certain that he had grunted during her explanation, and she noticed a bit of a scowl across his face.

    ¡°Did Simon ever tell you what had befallen your mother and father?¡±  Mikali asked, his facial expression still had a hint of disdain on it.

    ¡°N-no, I never knew my real mother or father, just Simon.  I asked once and he told me that they were wonderful people.  He said that it was a shame I nev--,¡± Aridean was cut off abruptly.

    ¡°Would you like to know what became of them?¡±  Mikali inquired.  His expression had softened somewhat, but Aridean thought he still looked prepared to throw a fist if someone so much as looked at him the wrong way.

    ¡°What?¡±  Aridean asked with disbelief.  Her eyes had grown wide, and she was finally looking Mikali in his one good eye.  From just his stone-cold gaze, Aridean could tell that the old minotaur was gravely serious about what he was offering.

    This minotaur knew my real parents?!  But I don¡¯t even know what tribe I¡¯m from, how could he?  Aridean¡¯s mind was a buzz at the startling revelation.  Although she knew nothing about them and had come to grips with the idea that she may never learn anything about her real parents, Aridean¡¯s curiosity began to exponentially grow after hearing that Mikali may be able to tell her about her birth parents.

    ¡°Let us head back to my home and I will explain everything there,¡± Mikali spoke, rising from his seat at the table.  ¡°Bryn, Rana, Vidor, please join us.¡±

    With the General¡¯s invitation, everyone began to rise from the mess hall table they were seated at.  Aridean, however, was much more hesitant and anxious about going along with the General.  Something about the way he conducted himself was unnerving.  Upon noticing the General moving from the table, the rest of the mess hall diners had gone near silent again.  Aridean could hear some whispers from the patrons.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that the General¡¯s talking to?¡±  Came one voice.

    ¡°Is she new?  I¡¯ve never seen her around here before,¡± commented another voice.

    ¡°Is General Mikali giving that new recruit some special treatment?  What about her caught his attention?¡±  a third voice asked.

    ¡°You think Vidor¡¯s already made a move on her?  ¡®Cause if he hasn¡¯t, I might see if I got a shot with her; she is kind of cute,¡± a final whisper was heard saying.  A tad bit embarrassed, Aridean felt she was not entirely meant to hear that one.

    Bryn, Rana, and Mikali were already on their way out the front door of the mess hall while Aridean remained sitting at the table.  Vidor turned as he reached the door and noticed that Aridean¡¯s shock was still plastered across her face.  Vidor returned to the table and reached out to Aridean, giving her shoulder a gentle shake.

    ¡°Aridean?  You okay?  Let¡¯s get going,¡± Vidor spoke gently.  Aridean could hear a hint of concern and patience in his voice.

    ¡°R-right, I¡¯m coming, sorry,¡± Aridean replied, standing from her seat.  After pushing her seat back under the table, she turned to see Vidor looking directly at her.  Vidor, in turn, simply gave Aridean a friendly smile.

    It¡¯s like he¡¯s trying to tell me not to worry, everything¡¯s going to be okay.  Even so¡­ I don¡¯t know if I like where this is going, Aridean analyzed, not entirely convinced that now was a time for smiling.  Vidor motioned for her to join him in chasing the others, to which she nodded and followed.  On their way out the mess hall, Aridean could still hear some whispers about the scene that had unfolded.   She reconsidered the homely atmosphere the mess hall gave off upon having first entered the building.  She could not help but feel more like she was walking through the streets of Thellia with all the whispering.

    The interior to the General¡¯s home was not exactly what Aridean had expected.  Plain living room furniture and more smoothed stone walls, sparsely decorated with a few picture frames and banners.  Aridean briefly glanced at the pictures to see that most depicted some of the General¡¯s rebel forces.  One did stand out with the General and two young minotaurs at his sides.  Having the title of General, Aridean thought he would own a more extravagant estate in this underground city.  But upon reflection, perhaps this would be extravagant given the location and circumstances for the resident.  Aridean could not help but notice that the coffee table in the center of the living room was almost identical to the one Simon had at home.  The coffee table itself sat on a nice floral pattern rug which seemed out of place given who owned it.  On both sides of the table were two couches and on the end opposite the fireplace was a large, cushioned chair.  The arrangement of seating within the room seemed fitting for a strategy meeting, but Aridean guessed that actual rebellion affairs were conducted elsewhere.

    Apart from the living space, Mikali¡¯s home also seemed to have a standard kitchen and dining room.  Nothing especially stood out in either of these rooms save just how extraordinarily tidy and clean they seemed to be.  Within the kitchen was a wood burning stove, but no wood around to be used for fuel.  Either Mikali did not do much cooking or he utilized fire magics to heat his meals.  The dining room had a fair-sized dinner table with enough space to comfortably seat at least six.  Aridean could not imagine having so many guests at once herself, however.  There also seemed to be a few rooms down a hallway in the back of the living room, at least one must have been the house¡¯s bathroom.  Aridean assumed the other rooms might be a study or Mikali¡¯s bedroom.

    Something that did strike Aridean as exceptionally unordinary was the futon set out in the corner of the living room.  Although the sleeping space was kept in neat fashion, the location seemed entirely out of place.  That in mind, Aridean wondered why there would be a futon in the living room when the bedroom must be just down the hall.  What was truly unsettling about the sleeping space in the living room was the large, spiked mace leaning against the wall by the futon.

    ¡°Welcome to my home; please take a seat,¡± Mikali instructed, gesturing Aridean toward the chair at the head of the table.  Aridean quietly sat down in the chair she was offered.  To her left, Rana and Vidor sat together on one couch.  To her right, Mikali sat by himself on the other couch.  Bryn had moved into the kitchen and could be heard pouring water.  Aridean was not certain how this discussion was going to play out but decided for once that she would be the one to take the initiative.

    ¡°Sir¡­ General Mikali, sir, you mentioned that you know what happened to my parents.  Do you mind telling me what you know?¡±  Aridean asked, using all of her willpower to look Mikali in his one, good eye.

    ¡°Hmph, Bryn said you were quite the meek child in the wagon.  But I like the initiative.  Before I tell you what became of your tribe, I must ask one thing of you so that I might be certain of something,¡± Mikali began as he rested his walking staff on the ground in front of his hooves.  ¡°I need you to show me your back.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but my back?  W-what?¡±  Aridean asked, both confused and embarrassed by the General¡¯s request.  Vidor¡¯s eyes went wide as he looked to the General upon hearing what he had asked of Aridean.  Rana, however, looked to her brother with an annoyed yet serious expression that non-verbally conveyed to him ¡®No, you are not looking¡¯.

    ¡°Bryn mentioned that Rana performed first aid on you when they picked you up.  She had mentioned seeing an unfamiliar pattern on your back as she was patching you up.  I would like to see the mark you bear for myself,¡± Mikali clarified.  Despite his explanation for the request, it did little to relieve the discomfort Aridean was currently experiencing.  Although the General¡¯s face remained stern, Aridean¡¯s face conveyed clear unwillingness and uneasiness.

    ¡°I¡­ well, uhm¡­ I don¡¯t know if¡ª it¡¯s just that I--,¡± Aridean stuttered, entirely unable to properly finish any thought in her head.  Whether it was from embarrassment or confusion, she could not quite tell.

    ¡°Child, calm yourself.  If it makes you more comfortable, Rana will simply up on your shirt while I examine this pattern on your back.  We won¡¯t take more than a moment,¡± Mikali spoke.  He seemed to be taking a patient approach in trying to coax Aridean into a more comfortable state as his tone sounded somewhat considerate.  Aridean surmised that he was being honest in that he did not mean any harm nor was he trying to make her uncomfortable, but that did little in the way of easing her nerves.

    ¡°We¡¯ll make this quick, Aridean.  Just turn around and I¡¯ll hold your shirt,¡± Rana instructed as she got up and approached Aridean.  ¡°And Vidor, why don¡¯t you go help Bryn prepare some tea?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ r-right, the tea,¡± Vidor commented, seemingly snapping out of a trance.  His eyes only just left Aridean as he stood from his place on the couch and moved out of the living room and toward the kitchen.  Loud hoof clops could be heard all throughout the house as Vidor left the living room.

    Aridean still was not sure about this whole ordeal but took a deep breath.  She exhaled and looked to Rana, who gave a gentle smile of assurance.  Slowly, she stood from her chair and turned her back to Rana and Mikali.  She felt Rana¡¯s fingers as they reached under her shirt and brushed her lower back.  Rana had quickly pulled the back of her shirt up to her shoulders; the front of her shirt had ridden up her stomach and was caught under her chest.

    ¡°Just one second, Aridean, I need to cut these bandages off,¡± Rana said, still holding Aridean¡¯s shirt up with one hand.  Her other hand had reached for her razor knuckles that she had clipped onto her belt.  With one swift motion, Rana used the odd instrument to slice through all of the bandages covering Aridean¡¯s back and torso.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Mikali hummed as the bandages that had been wrapped around Aridean fell to the ground.  ¡°What was it again?  Wolves?  They really tore into you, child.  Rana, you may release her now.¡±

    Just as Mikali had ordered, Rana lowered Aridean¡¯s shirt.  Aridean took a moment to readjust the shirt for comfort as she turned back around.  As she was sitting back down into her chair, Vidor and Bryn emerged from the kitchen with cups and a kettle of tea.  Vidor distributed cups to everyone in the room as Bryn followed and poured piping hot tea into each cup.

    ¡°So, what exactly did her back tell you?¡±  Vidor asked the General; he had completely dropped any sort of respect for the chain of authority.  Strangely enough, Mikali did not seem to mind Vidor¡¯s ignorance as he leaned back on the couch he was seated on and drank some of the tea Bryn had prepared.  After having a taste of the beverage, Mikali set the cup back down on the table.

    ¡°There is no easy way of delivering such grave news, so I shall just come out and say it,¡± Mikali began, focusing his stern gaze toward Aridean.  ¡°Child, you are of a tribe that was thought to have been completely wiped out before the rebellion began.  I¡¯m afraid that there are no more of your tribe walking this earth alongside you.  Poor child, your being here with us is nothing short of a miracle.¡±

    Aridean was stunned by the news.  Although she had come to terms with the fact that she might never know her real parents, she had not expected to hear something with such finality to it.  Her eyes slowly lowered to where she was just looking into her hot cup of tea that she held with both hands.  Not only was she left speechless, Aridean could not even fully process the news she had received.

    ¡°You were able to discern all of that just by the fur on her back?¡±  Bryn asked Mikali as he sat beside the General.

    ¡°The pattern on her back is a symbolic mark born by the Ithlaum tribe of minotaurs.  In Minoran, Ithlaum means ¡®illuminated hunter¡¯.  It is unfortunate, but her tribe was the first to be targeted for extermination prior to minotaur rebellions,¡± Mikali explained.

    ¡°Damn¡­,¡± Vidor said incredulously whilst leaning forward in his seat.

    ¡°Ithlaum tribe?  I¡¯ve never heard of that tribe.  Why have you not told us about them before?¡±  Rana asked Mikali directly.

    ¡°It is unfortunate, but the entire tribe had been wiped out.  At least, all but this child it would seem.  The Ithlaum were a strange tribe that kept to themselves for the most part,¡± Mikali answered with a stern tone.  Rana seemed to be a bit upset by the answer but shook her head with sigh as it seemed Mikali was not going to elaborate further.

    ¡°Well¡­ do you know what happened to Aridean¡¯s mom and dad?  I mean, you already thought the tribe was gone, but here she is.  Maybe they--,¡± Vidor began to ask.

    ¡°What good would that do?¡±  Aridean interrupted with a grim tone, her head held over her tea as it began to grow cold.  ¡°I never knew them to begin with and knowing exactly how they died won¡¯t bring me any comfort.¡±

    ¡°While that may be the case, you still need to know what happened to your people, child.  As I said, your tribe was the first to be attacked.  It was the Empire¡¯s doing; those dogs invaded your tribe¡¯s territory and slaughtered everyone,¡± Mikali explained with a particularly agitated tone.  Although she was not interested in hearing his account of her tribe¡¯s massacre, Aridean still listened with an apathetic expression spread across her face.

    ¡°Do you know why the Empire attacked this particular tribe?¡±  Bryn asked.

    ¡°That is something that has eluded me to this day.  Many years ago, the minotaur tribes lived in harmony with the human empire.  While no one would say the minotaurs and humans were strictly allies, there was no bad blood between the races either.  The sudden hostility of the humans toward us minotaurs just came out of nowhere one day nearly seventeen years ago.  Rumors spread that it had something to do with a supposed minotaur, deranged he was, having slaughtered most of a human town almost a year before the Ithlaum attack.  However, there is no way of knowing for certain that that was the spark for the human attack,¡± Mikali answered.

    A deranged minotaur attacking a human town?  Could that be the minotaur that killed Simon¡¯s family?  I don¡¯t know if I even want to know, Aridean thought to herself.  Despite Mikali having caught her attention, the apathy on her face remained.

    ¡°All of that in mind, child, you need to be aware of who was guiding the attack on your tribe.  It was none other than the man you refer to as your family:  Crusade Captain Simon Gray,¡± Mikali finished.  Upon hearing Simon¡¯s name spoken, Aridean¡¯s eyes grew wide and her jaw began to drop.  Both Rana and Vidor¡¯s surprise was also prevalent on their faces as well.  Even Bryn had raised his eyebrows but resorted to drinking his tea to mask his own amazement.

    N-no, that¡¯s not possible¡­ Simon?  Simon would never do such a thing¡­ This old man is just telling me a lie at this point; it¡¯s not like he knows Simon or anything, Aridean thought as she tried rationalizing what she had just heard.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­ S-Simon?  No, he couldn¡¯t do that.  Simon would never commit such an atrocity,¡± Aridean retorted.  Despite her protests, she considered the possibilities.  Simon was a man of high rank in the military and had just lost his family to a deranged minotaur.  If anyone were to have the necessary resources and desire revenge for what had happened to him, surely it would have been Simon.  But at the same time, Aridean had never known Simon to exhibit any sort of malice or cruelty.  Even when he chased off foxes or wolves that hunted the sheep, he made sure not to cause any severe injury to the creatures that threatened his livelihood.  The idea that the Simon she knew, even if he had been Crusade Captain for the Empire, was capable of genocide was as foreign as night was to day.

    ¡°I understand that you do not wish to acknowledge it, child, but it is the truth.  Shortly after the Ithlaum attack, Simon had vanished.  Only now do I have an see why he disappeared:  for whatever reason, he had left the military and kept you.  Perhaps this was a madman¡¯s idea of keeping a trophy over the minotaur people,¡± Mikali suggested.  His stern face told Aridean that he held no compassion for Simon nor her feelings toward the man who had raised her.

    Aridean had slumped back into her chair, eyes still wide and focused on the floor in front of her hooves.  She felt like she was unable to breath properly and slowly shook her head back and forth in disbelief.  Mikali¡¯s suggestion rang in her head, but in her own voice as she recalled three days prior when she made the same insult to Simon herself.  Her heart felt like it was shattering in her chest.  All the while, Rana, Vidor, and Bryn remained silent throughout the exchange; it seemed they did not want to intervene during such a delicate subject.

    ¡°Aridean, child, now that you know the truth behind both your family and Simon Gray, what do you plan to do?¡±  Mikali finally asked, his voice softened a bit.  Aridean was unable to answer as she was still having a hard time trying to process what Mikali had told her.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve no plans for your future, allow me to ask you one thing.  Now that the truth has been revealed to you, surely you now desire justice for what has befallen you since before you could even stand on your own hooves.  I ask that you join our cause; our mission to return the Empire to days of peace by overthrowing those who have disturbed the balance between the races,¡± Mikali announced.  Bryn crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on the couch, kicking his feet up on the coffee table.  Both Rana and Vidor looked to Mikali with shock on their faces.  As soon as they realized that Mikali was gravely serious about his proposition, the two turned to Aridean in anticipation of her answer.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t do that,¡± Aridean responded, her apathetic expression returned to her fuzzy face.

    ¡°Are you sure?  After the life you have been born to struggle through?  Do you not desire a brighter future, not just for yourself, but all minotaurs around you?  Reconsider your decision, child,¡± Mikali said, the softness in his voice was slowly fading and replaced by a more stern tone.

    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t,¡± Aridean answered.

    ¡°I see¡­ well that is your decision to make,¡± Mikali spoke, he turned to Bryn seemingly finished with Aridean.  ¡°Captain Smithson, arrest Aridean.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±  Aridean asked shocked and confused.  All the while, Bryn stood from the couch and approached Aridean, pulling a rope from his bag.

    ¡°Arrest her?!¡±  Vidor repeated, standing from his seat.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!  Grandfather, please!¡±  Rana begged.

    Grandfather?!  Aridean was shocked by the sudden reveal before looking closely at the pictures on the wall again.  Oh¡­ I see, that picture is of Mikali and young Rana and Vidor.  Now I see it, how did I miss it before?  The female in the image has the same white crescents around her eyes as Rana.

    ¡°I am serious, Rana.  Should she desire to leave, she would be a liability to our safety.  Furthermore, I refuse to allow the sole child of a dead tribe to endanger herself by venturing out into the Empire alone.  That in mind, we do not know what she may be capable of should she be given free rein in our home.  Until such a time that she is deemed not a threat, she is to be kept under guard,¡± Mikali reasoned with his stern tone.  As he did, Bryn had begun tying Aridean¡¯s hands together with his rope.  Aridean herself was still in shock and unable to withdraw her hands or resist.

    ¡°She may be just the leverage we need should Simon ever decide to return to the Empire¡¯s military,¡± Bryn off-handedly commented as he finished binding Aridean¡¯s wrists.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ perhaps, she did speak fondly of Gray.  Perhaps he would be hesitant to find out we have liberated his trophy,¡± Mikali remarked after considering Bryn¡¯s suggestion.

    What?!  No!  I won¡¯t let you use me to hurt Simon!  I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s the reason my entire tribe is gone, he¡¯s raised me like his own since he found me!  Aridean shouted in her mind, but barely managed to open her mouth.

    ¡°Aridean!  C¡¯mon!  You can¡¯t really be okay with all this, can you?  Speak up!  Say something already,¡± Vidor snapped.  Aridean looked to him to find that anger was beginning to fill his face.  She internally questioned why he seemed so invested in this ordeal that did not concern him or his own wellbeing.  Aridean held her head low again and took her hands back from Bryn with a forceful tug.  Bryn looked to her in surprise by the sudden and unexpected act of resistance.

    ¡°F-fine¡­ I¡¯ll join your organization,¡± Aridean muttered.  ¡°Maybe he was the reason my tribe is gone, but Simon raised me since I was a baby.  I¡¯m not going to be used to hurt him.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?  It would seem that his influence over you is stronger than I initially believed.  I confess that your devotion to him does have me somewhat concerned.  Regardless, so long as you pledge your allegiance to our cause, you will be allowed entry into our ranks.  It will be easier to keep watchful eyes on you this way as we work to earn one another¡¯s trust.  I am certain that in time, you will begin to see that this is best path for you.  Although we may have experienced an uneasy beginning, let us work together to fulfill our mission,¡± Mikali replied.  Apathy once again washed over Aridean¡¯s face, but she did manage to give Mikali a rather defeated nod to confirm her new, reluctant decision.  Vidor¡¯s angered expression softened, but it did not shift into one of content.  Slowly, he sat back down beside Rana as Bryn began removing the rope around Aridean¡¯s wrists.

    ¡°Well, now that that excitement is over with, I suppose we need to start getting you settled in,¡± Bryn said to Aridean as he put his rope back into his bag.  ¡°We can save all the training and exercises for later.  For today, let¡¯s find you a bunk to rest on in the barracks.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe she will be alright in the barracks, Captain?  You also noticed how restless she was on the ride home with just the three of us.  Perhaps there is somewhere more private she may stay, at least until she becomes a bit more comfortable around others,¡± Rana mentioned, voicing concern for Aridean¡¯s sake.  Aridean seemed to ignore any attempt to include her in the conversation.

    ¡°Why not let her stay here for a few nights?  She could just stay in my room; I mean, we¡¯ve already slept together after all,¡± Vidor suggested nonchalantly.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±  Mikali asked, looking to his grandson with stunned concern.  Although her own defeated and depressed expression did not change in anyway, Aridean was surprised to see that the General knew how to express emotions other than grave seriousness.

    ¡°What he meant to say was that they were resting in the wagon at the same time on the way home, grandfather.  Vidor, please choose your words more delicately next time,¡± Rana both clarified and scolded.

    ¡°What?  All I said was¡­ oh¡­ uh, yeah, I can see why that may have been taken out of context now.  Sorry, grandpa,¡± Vidor replied as he began to understand how his previous statement was not interpreted as he would have preferred.  ¡°Sorry if I made you feel awkward too, Aridean.  Damn, I just cannot stop making myself look weirder and weirder today¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s fine; I¡¯ll just take a bunk in the barracks,¡± Aridean said aloud with a depressed tone in her voice.  ¡°May we go to the barracks, Captain Smithson?  If it¡¯s alright with everyone and if we are done here, I think I¡¯d like to lie down for a little while.¡±

    ¡°Aridean¡­¡± Vidor moaned, but no response came from Aridean.  Instead, Mikali nodded to Bryn who gestured Aridean toward the door.  Both Aridean and Bryn left the Stonehoof family in their living room and made their way for the rebellion¡¯s barracks.

    Just the same as all the other buildings in this underground city, the barracks was made entirely of smooth stone.  A simple foyer decorated with only a few rebellion banners and flags separated the men¡¯s barracks from the women¡¯s barracks.  There was an old carpet on the stone floor, but it was covered in dust and dirt from where people had clearly not wiped their shoes or hooves.  A filthy carpet like that seemed a touch out of place as the rest of the building was kept neat and clean, but Aridean was not in the mood for thinking about such trivial matters.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find you a bunk and I¡¯ll leave you to clear your head, sound good?¡± Bryn asked with a friendly smile.  Aridean did not reply, merely followed closely behind Bryn as he opened the door to the women¡¯s barracks.  Inside, the room was furnished with many bunks lined up against the walls and forming neat rows in the middle of the room.  Only a small group of patrons were present, a few female minotaurs and a human woman.  These other residents did not seem to give much attention to Aridean and Bryn as they made their way through the room.  Although, one of the minotaurs did give a friendly wave to Bryn as the pair were moving about halfway through the room.

    ¡°How about this one?  It¡¯s close to the showers and you can just turn over to face the wall if you don¡¯t want anyone to bother you,¡± Bryn said as the pair reached the opposite end of the room.  He had picked a bed in the corner of the barracks just a few meters from another door that was labeled ¡®Showers¡¯.  Again, Aridean refused to respond, but did nod in agreement that this bed would suffice.  Her unresponsiveness was met with a disappointed sigh from Bryn.

    ¡°Look, Aridean, I don¡¯t know how hard this must be for you, but you gotta understand that General Mikali does want what is best for the minotaur people, you included.  Not just your race, he¡¯s also working hard to restore the peace between humans and minotaurs.  I¡¯m not gonna lie, I don¡¯t always agree with the man, but sometimes it takes doing the hard thing to do the right thing.  Just give it some time,¡± Bryn said, trying to assure Aridean that she is making the right choice to have joined the rebels.

    ¡°I understand, Captain.  This is just so sudden.  I¡¯m just going to need a little while,¡± Aridean said, her eyes listlessly falling to the ground around her new bed.

    I¡¯m not here for him or you or even the whole damn minotaur race.  I¡¯m only here to keep you guys from using me to hurt Simon, Aridean thought to herself.  She did not want to hear anything about Mikali¡¯s intentions nor anything regarding what the rebellion was planning.  All she could think about was how she really wanted to run back home as fast as she could.  But even if she were not stuck in an underground city, she was still wanted in Thellia for a crime she had not committed.

    ¡°Well¡­ alright then,¡± Bryn hesitantly replied.  ¡°Anyway, as I said back at the General¡¯s house:  today we¡¯re just getting you settled in.  Here is your bunk, the showers are through there, and you know your way back to the mess hall.  Tomorrow, we¡¯ll see about finding you a group for your training.  For now, that will be all.  If you have any questions, someone here will be able to answer for you.  I have some matters that I must attend to.  Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re gonna be fine here.¡±

    Aridean watched with empty eyes as Bryn walked back across the barracks and left the room.  While not entirely alone, Aridean felt that she was being allowed the most privacy she would be getting in her new home.

    Home¡­ this is no home.  I might not be behind bars, but I still feel like I¡¯m in prison.  It¡¯s not entirely unlike living in Thellia.  I¡¯ve just traded one cell for another.  Except¡­ this cell doesn¡¯t have Simon or Jean.  What have I done?  Aridean¡¯s mind stirred, and she could feel tears welling in her eyes.  She turned back toward her new bed and allowed her bag to slip off of her shoulders and onto the stone ground beneath her hooves.  The bag hit the ground with a soft thud.  Aridean took a moment before climbing onto the bed she had been assigned.  She sat on top of the sheets, rested her head on the pillow, and ran her right arm under her pillow and head.  Aridean had chosen to face the wall that her bed was seated against, her tail drooped off the free side of the bunk.  She did not feel like going to sleep now but did not have the motivation or energy to do anything.  Lying in bed for the rest of the day and perhaps even longer was all Aridean wanted.  A hopeless and hollow feeling had gripped her, and it was not unfamiliar to her.

    ¡°¡®How long before you just go off and join that stupid rebellion, cowgirl?¡¯ You asked me that three days ago, Reil¡­ well, look at me now¡­.  What the hell have I gone and gotten myself into now?¡± Aridean muttered to herself, tears streaming down her fuzzy cheeks.  ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Jean.  You got hurt defending me from some stupid insult like that and then I go and do this?  I¡¯m so sorry Simon.  I¡¯m just not worth it, I never was.¡±

 Chapter 8 - Training Session

    Birds were heard singing throughout the forest as a gentle breeze blew through the leaves of the trees. Beyond the tree branches overhead, white clouds dotted the bright, blue sky. Bright sunshine beamed down through the forest canopy, giving the dirt path on the forest floor a comfortable warmth. Birds continued chirping as rabbits raced one another from bush to bush. A lone squirrel had happened by the dirt path, collecting acorns and looking in every direction as it picked up each nut. Everything about the scene was calm and serene; the ideal location for a picnic or just thinking. In fact, Aridean had decided that she would do just that.

    The minotaur was chewing on a bite of a sandwich and leaning with her back against a tall oak tree. She held the sandwich in her right hand, resting her arm on her right knee between bites. Save the birds serenading her, Aridean slowly ate in otherwise silence with a rather tired looking expression on her face. As the sandwich in her hand shrank, she reached into the pocket of her uniform to retrieve a compass. Aridean casually flipped open the latch on the compass as she took another bite of her snack. She looked over the device in her hand as she swallowed the last bit of sandwich.

    ¡°The mark is supposed to be somewhere in the eastern section of the forest,¡± Aridean said to herself while looking at her compass. She let out a tired sigh, ¡°I need to get moving if I don¡¯t want to get left behind.¡±

    Aridean slipped the compass back into her pocket and stood up from her tree. While massaging a slight kink in the back of her neck, the minotaur began walking in the direction of her current objective. Her hooves tread over the dirt path that seemed to stretch deep into peaceful forest. As she moved through the forest, Aridean reviewed her current assignment in her head.

    So, this is my final test before being assigned to a team. Ugh, couldn¡¯t they just let me work in the mess hall? I¡¯m not cut out for this soldier business¡­ Quit complaining¡­ just get this done and mope later, Aridean thought to herself. Remember, our goal is to rendezvous at the abandoned granary right now.

    As Aridean walked through the forest, she could not help but remember the time that she was nearly made dinner for rabid wolves. While it was not a particularly pleasant experience, she thought it was nice to at least have had some time alone to herself. She had not been allowed much privacy since joining the rebels. Daily group training exercises, sharing the barracks, and helping work the mess hall did not leave any time for just Aridean. That in mind, Aridean felt glad she had some time to breath fresh air without anyone around to spoil her alone time.

    Aridean continued walking along the dirt path and looked up through the tree branches overhead to observe the sun. She guessed, based on the position of the sun, that it was probably six in the afternoon. Despite how late it was already getting, Aridean thought about slowing down to enjoy her stroll for a bit longer. The team was not expected to convene until about seven o¡¯clock and she was only about a fifteen-minute walk from the rendezvous point. Even so, Aridean did not slow down for fear of being reprimanded over not taking the task seriously.

    ¡°I already stopped to eat; I can¡¯t really afford to lag behind anymore,¡± Aridean said to herself. Though she was speaking to no one in particular, Aridean was unaware that her alone time had already been disrupted.

    Loud wooden creaking noises could be heard behind the minotaur. Upon taking notice of the alarming sound, Aridean stopped in her tracks. She drew a deep breath and exhaled. Without hesitation, Aridean turned around to discover that she was being followed by a group of four vicious looking creatures. Each of them had bodies made of wood and bark and long, wooded claws on the ends of branch-like arms. Beneath their sinister eyes was a gaping hole lined with sharpened bits of bark, resembling fangs.

    Treants¡­ four of them and they don¡¯t appear keen on leaving, Aridean thought to herself with an apathetic expression on her face. She took a deep breath as the monsters slowly approached and snarled at her.

    ¡°Do we really have to do this?¡± Aridean asked the creatures as they approached her. Creaking wood and rough snarling sounds were the only response Aridean seemed to get from the monsters before her.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s just get this over with,¡± Aridean moaned as she reached for the large battle axe strapped to her back. As she drew her weapon, the treants roared; one made the first move and lashed out toward Aridean with sharp, wooden claws. Aridean swiftly ducked under the attack and swung her axe, cleaving right through the monstrous appendage that had just tried to strike her. The treant recoiled in pain as its limb fell to the ground; the creature began to retreat into the forest, still making its awful snarling noises. Two of the other creatures moved forward to challenge their would-be prey.

    Aridean calmly stood back up and assumed a defensive stance as she had been trained. One of the challenging treants lashed out with two wooded claws as the other began to circle around Aridean. Aridean¡¯s response was to nimbly lean back and jump, tucking in her knees so that they met her chest. While sailing backward through the air, her hooves reached the height of her head when standing. Her sturdy horns zipped past the ground, only inches from making contact with the tough, dirt road. Still rolling backwards in the air, Aridean extended her legs as her hooves were making their way back under her. Upon landing, she quickly spun about on one hoof with her axe out. She managed to catch the flanking treant as it attempted to launch its own attack. The blow was met with a loud roar from the monster as it slowly slumped forward, not falling to the ground due to Aridean holding the axe in its body.

    With a blade buried deep into its body, the treant was felled. A bright green, syrupy liquid began to leak from the monster¡¯s new wound, coating Aridean¡¯s axe. She began yanking the axe to retrieve it from her quarry but found that it was stuck fast in the monster¡¯s corpse. Aridean let out a loud sigh as she rolled her eyes. As she began to focus again, she noticed the second treant coming in for another attack. With a mild amount of exertion, Aridean hefted the axe, still lodged inside the now dead treant, over her head. Aridean brought down the axe and treant, which collided with the attacker who fell limp on the ground. Aridean turned to see the final treant grabbing at her axe head with one claw and swiping at her with another.

    Quick on her hooves, Aridean released her grip on the axe handle and leapt backwards. This treant held tight to Aridean¡¯s axe and approached the minotaur. Confident that she was now unable to defend herself, the treant snarled and launched a flurry of claw swipes in Aridean¡¯s direction.

    ¡°I just wanted to enjoy some time to myself,¡± Aridean told the creature as it continued its advance. Easily evading the monster, Aridean heaved another sigh. Her axe was no good to her if it was not within reach. Aridean¡¯s solution was to hop backwards to allow her some distance from the treant. Aridean raised a hand to the monster as it slowly moved toward her, still making wooden creaking noises with every motion.

    Just like she showed you, breath in and out. Just focus on the flow of the energy, Aridean thought to herself as she closed her eyes and began to concentrate. One by one, Aridean ran her thumb along her individual fingers as she muttered an incantation. As she continued muttering, a small orange orb began to manifest in the palm of her hand. Within a matter of seconds, the orb held in her hand began to take the appearance of a small sun with a powerful heat emanating from its surface. With the monster drawing near, Aridean opened her eyes and used her thumb to flip the orb as though she were flipping a coin.

    The orange orb sailed through the air toward the treant, which continued to snarl at Aridean. Upon making contact with the monster, the orb erupted in an inferno that engulfed the treant. Roaring, the monster flailed about as the flames roasted its wooden body. As the final assailant burned, Aridean moved past it to collect her axe. With one hoof on the corpse of one of her attackers, Aridean gave the weapon a forceful yank which managed to set it free. With one powerful shake, the axe was cleared of the treant¡¯s green blood.

    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m in a bit of a rush,¡± Aridean apologized as she set her axe back in its holster on her back. Now that the area was clear of anything trying to eat her, Aridean began walking down the dirt path again.

    I guess that¡¯s one good thing about this whole mess I¡¯m in now: at least I¡¯m no longer afraid of my own shadow, Aridean thought to herself as she left behind the monstrous bodies. Before, Aridean would have simply turned tail and ran without a second thought when approached by vile creatures like those treants. But now, she was capable of standing her ground, albeit with indifference over the matter.

    Approximately fifteen minutes of walking through the forest, Aridean finally found a clearing occupied by a single, run-down building of plaster and wood. A dilapidated, shingle roof covered most of the building, save one gaping hole near the southwestern corner of the structure. Several of the windows appeared to be smashed and the one door was barely holding on.

    ¡°Am I really the first one here? Even after stopping for lunch and fighting off those monsters?¡± Aridean wondered aloud as she approached the broken building. As she was reaching the door, she heard another sound coming from behind her. Luckily, this one was not snarling and making predatory noises toward her.

    ¡°What? We can¡¯t call this a tie?¡± A voice joked behind Aridean. She turned to see Vidor smiling at her and with his bow drawn. Something told Aridean he had also run into some trouble on his way here, but he seemed to be his usual carefree and happy-go-lucky self. If he had any trouble on the way over, he seems to have handled it with the same amount of ease as Aridean had.

    ¡°Oh, hey,¡± Aridean greeted her comrade as she opened the door to the granary. With even the slightest force, Aridean thought the door may fly right off the sole remaining hinge. Both minotaurs stepped inside the building. Within the front room was solely a large table and a few stools surrounding it. Nothing decorated the walls save cobwebs and dust; the wooden floor was caked with dirt. Although this building had seen its use for operations like the one Aridean and Vidor were on at the time, the structure was certainly not maintained for long term use.

    ¡°Aw, is that all? You almost sound upset to see me,¡± Vidor playfully joked as the pair took a seat at the table.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just a little tired is all,¡± Aridean replied.

    ¡°Really? I thought you¡¯d be excited to finally be done with all your training. Just think, this time next week we could be out on a mission together! You¡¯ve mentioned wanting to travel before and you¡¯ve demonstrated impressive navigational skills. I¡¯d bet my crossbow that you¡¯d make for a phenomenal addition to any team you¡¯re assigned to,¡± Vidor encouraged with his usual overly-enthusiastic attitude. ¡°Well, that said, I still hope you get matched up with us. Man, can you believe your training is almost over already? Seems like yesterday you agreed to join the rebellion. These last two years sure have flown by.¡±

    Two years of this nonsense¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been that long already, Aridean thought to herself. Just thinking about how time has passed by so quickly seemed to put her in a bit of a trance. After a minute of reflection on the past two years, Aridean shook her head to bring herself back to reality.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯d really rather just stay back at the base and be allowed to work in the mess hall. I¡¯m still not so sure about all this combat stuff,¡± Aridean complained as Vidor kicked his hooves up on the table the two were seated at.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that? I¡¯ve seen your skills: you¡¯re a natural when it comes to swinging that axe around and not half bad with a sword either,¡± Vidor complimented. Aridean remained silent and looked out the mostly shattered window. There was still plenty of light left in the day, but she knew this exercise could last through the night.

    ¡°Anyways, I was actually rushing my way here hoping to catch you alone. I know how punctual you like to be,¡± Vidor started. Aridean, somewhat curious, turned her attention back to her comrade.

    ¡°You wanted to speak with me alone? Have I done something wrong again?¡± Aridean asked, feeling a bit nervous.

    ¡°No, no, no¡­ well¡­ I don¡¯t think so? But that wasn¡¯t what I wanted to talk about. You know once this test is over, we¡¯ll be throwing a bit of a celebration for all the new recruits who will be joining their own teams. You¡¯re looking forward to it, right? There¡¯s gonna be food, music, sparring, and all sorts of fun stuff. I remember when Rana and I had our celebration: I won the archery contest that year!¡± Vidor excitedly explained. His excitement was painted on his face; his hooves returned to the ground as he brought up his bow to pretend drawing an arrow over the table.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t really been planning on going. I¡¯ll probably spend a quiet evening either studying in the library or cleaning up the mess hall,¡± Aridean responded, having lost interest again and returned to looking out the broken window. Her response and obvious indifference over the party prompted a long, drawn-out sigh from Vidor.

    ¡°Yeah, knew you were gonna say something like that. Which is why I¡¯ve set up something for you that will be at the celebration. I know you don¡¯t like surprises, but I really want you come see it,¡± Vidor insisted, lowering his bow onto the table. Aridean, again somewhat curious, turned back to Vidor.

    ¡°Something for me? What is it and why did you bother doing something for me?¡± Aridean asked, trying not to sound ungrateful.

    ¡°Well, that would be telling, but I did it for you because we¡¯re friends,¡± Vidor answered with a smile. Aridean thought about it: ever since having joined the rebellion, Vidor and Rana were probably the closest things to friends she had. Just like back home, she actively avoided other people when not working the mess hall, so she really had not spoken to many people in her new home. Part of her told her not to get attached to anyone because they were soldiers fighting a war. Many of the bright, happy faces in the mess hall had vanished over time.

    ¡°With that out of the way, you¡¯re definitely coming to the party now, right? I can¡¯t wait! Man, I hope Rana hurries up so we can get this done and get back home. Kinda wondering what¡¯s taking her so long. Really thought she¡¯d beat us both here. Huh, guess that sets the tone for the kind of captain she¡¯s gonna be,¡± Vidor said with a snicker. Aridean remained silent again as her response to Vidor¡¯s teasing of his sister was to shift her eyes slightly upward.

    ¡°Hmm? What are you looking at?¡± Vidor asked, having noticed Aridean¡¯s attention was now focused behind him. ¡°She¡¯s standing right behind me, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯ve been here for at least twenty minutes now,¡± Rana said, spooking Vidor out of his chair. ¡°Sorry for not making myself known sooner, but I thought I heard something out back. Thought that it may have been the reason we¡¯re out here, but it was just some mice.¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Captain,¡± Aridean greeted Rana as she sat at the table alongside her. Vidor was slowly picking himself up off the ground, as well as some arrows that had fallen out of his quiver.

    ¡°No need for formalities, Aridean. I¡¯m not quite a captain yet anyway. You know this exercise is my test just as much as it is yours. Nonetheless, it¡¯s good to see both of you made it here safe. Neither of you ran into any trouble on your way here I hope,¡± Rana responded as she took some papers from her bag and began laying them out upon the table.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Rana, you know that we know this forest and the monsters in it like the back of our hands,¡± Vidor claimed while reseating himself at the table.

    ¡°Nothing I couldn¡¯t handle, but I may need you to help me practice my magic again,¡± Aridean answered.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you that fire magic isn¡¯t really my strong suit, but we¡¯ll see what we can do after the task at hand is complete. For now, you two do know what we¡¯re here to investigate, yes? A nearby settlement of ours has reported that something in the forest has become bold enough to pillage and steal supplies. Mostly it¡¯s been foodstuffs that¡¯s been taken as this settlement helps produce a lot of the food that Aridean serves in the mess hall back home,¡± Rana began to brief. Aridean and Vidor both listened to their leader attentively as a slight draft was felt dancing through the room.

    ¡°Yes, I had noticed that the portion sizes were starting to shrink from what we normally serve. Further, I¡¯m sorry to inform you of this, but it seems that we cannot be baking your favorite muffins anymore because of the supply shortage,¡± Aridean chimed in. Upon hearing the fate of his sister¡¯s beloved muffins, Vidor¡¯s eyebrows shot up with surprise. Vidor looked to Rana, seemingly anticipating a spectacle worth watching. Rana¡¯s head was held low over the table.

    ¡°This just became personal¡­¡± muttered the awkwardly dramatic minotaur. Aridean noticed Vidor¡¯s face was now filled with concern, whether it was for Rana or the team¡¯s target, she could not tell. Quickly composing herself, Rana cleared her throat before speaking again.

    ¡°At any rate, we do not know who or what the thief is. The settlement reports that they suspect a monster of some kind as it causes quite the commotion when it invades, unlike what would be expected of a person. Although the robberies have not been discrete, no one has been able to catch this creature in the act. However, trails of stolen supplies have led us out into this region. Our objective is to investigate the area and stop whatever has been stealing from the local settlement,¡± Rana finished explaining.

    ¡°Alright, so where do we start? It¡¯s not like the monster¡¯s going to come directly to us,¡± Vidor said while looking over one of the papers that Rana had set out on the table. Aridean was also reviewing a report regarding the most recent attack; apparently the creature had made off with three bags of almost forty pounds of grain each.

    Over one hundred pounds of grain in a single night? No one managed to catch whatever was capable of moving that? Not only does that tell us whatever we¡¯re after is something big and powerful, but also where the grain for Rana¡¯s muffins is going. This isn¡¯t just some animal we¡¯re dealing with; it must have some degree of intelligence to be able to hide itself while making off with all that food. Aridean thought to herself as she finished reading the report.

    ¡°For the time being we¡¯re going to stake out the area from this old granary. If either of you two need a moment to rest, now would be the time. We can take shifts patrolling the perimeter while watching for any activity in the surrounding forest,¡± Rana instructed with her naturally kind and gentle tone. Aridean could not help but think it was odd that Rana would seek the rank of captain given her personality. While Rana had previously demonstrated she can be authoritative with her older-sister personality, most people expected someone more forceful when referring to a captain. Aridean wondered how Rana would fare as a captain given her normal cheery attitude and friendly demeanor.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take the first shift then. I¡¯ll call if I see anything out of the ordinary,¡± Vidor said, standing up from his seat at the table. He rearmed himself with his trusty long bow as he made his way for the front door, exiting outside without another word. As the door shut behind Vidor, Rana let loose a long-winded sigh. Aridean looked across the table to see that Rana was shaking somewhat.

    ¡°R-Rana? Are you okay?¡± Aridean asked hesitantly. As soon as her name was spoken, Rana¡¯s body immediately tensed up. Aridean felt a bit uncomfortable seeing Rana in such a state. Just a few seconds later, Rana looked to Aridean with a bright smile on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you though,¡± Rana responded, but the smile quickly faded away. ¡°Oh, who am I kidding? To be honest with you, I¡¯m nervous about this whole captain thing. I know when and how to act like an older sister for Vidor, and I thought that might help prepare me for being a captain. But I¡¯m starting to realize that there¡¯s a lot more to being a captain than just firmly scolding my team.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make a great captain,¡± Aridean said nervously.

    ¡°I appreciate the thought, Aridean, but I feel you¡¯d make a better captain than I could. Grandfather never really approved of us enlisting anyway,¡± Rana said, her gentle smile slowly returning. Aridean shuddered at the idea that she could be a captain, just being a lowly grunt still seemed like too much to her.

    ¡°Rana, do you mind if I ask why you decided to join the rebellion? If General Mikali was against it, why did you sign up?¡± Aridean asked curiously. Rana let loose another sigh before answering.

    ¡°For me, the truth is, I only signed up to keep a close eye on Vidor. I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of him going off and getting himself in trouble¡­ or worse. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve always been a part of the same team: so he is never out of my sight,¡± Rana said confidently.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    That does sound like Rana. Not interested in conflict or any extreme excitement like a battlefield, but just wants to keep a close eye on her brother. Her devotion to him is admirable, it kind of reminds me of Jean and me¡­ Except, I abandoned Jean. Rana would die before even considering abandoning Vidor. Aridean thought to herself. Although Aridean managed to keep her chin up, a sudden wave of guilt crashed over her.

    ¡°Alright, but do you know why Vidor signed up?¡± Aridean questioned further.

    ¡°I can¡¯t be for certain as there could be any number of answers to that question. You¡¯ve known Vidor since even before you joined us: he¡¯s carefree and ambitious. He¡¯s always mentioned wanting to see the Empire and embarking on rebel operations would allow him that opportunity. Further, you know how social he is; he probably sees this as a chance to meet new people. He was so excited the day he met you. I remember the day before we picked you up: ¡®Rana! I met a female minotaur in that human town. I mean, she seemed really surprised to see me, but I think we could be great friends. Well¡­ maybe even more,¡¯¡± Rana answered, mimicking Vidor¡¯s voice as best she could. Aridean¡¯s eyebrows shot up as Rana finished speaking and had begun to giggle.

    ¡°Maybe more? More than friends?¡± Aridean inquired, genuinely curious as to what Rana¡¯s response would be. Rana¡¯s giggling ceased as she realized that Aridean was seriously questioning what she had meant.

    ¡°Aridean, you¡¯ve demonstrated yourself to be smart and quick witted, but you really do not know how to take a hint, do you? I¡¯ve told you before, and you¡¯ve clearly seen it, but subtlety is beyond Vidor¡¯s abilities,¡± Rana claimed with an eyeroll. Seeing Aridean¡¯s confusion only grow clearer, Rana sighed, ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ve said too much. Wouldn¡¯t want to cause any problems.¡±

    Entirely baffled, Aridean stared blankly at Rana hoping for an explanation. Instead of continuing the discussion, Rana shrugged and smile at Aridean. Despite the silence that now spread throughout the room of the aged building, Aridean¡¯s mind was anything but quiet. She could not get Rana¡¯s words out of her head: ¡®more than friends¡¯.

    Okay, slow down and think it through: Vidor wanted to be friends since we first met, and Jean had already told him everything about me. Why he wanted to make friends with someone who was too anxious to speak a full sentence to him is beyond me. Since then, he¡¯s rescued me from wolves, found me a place to stay when I had nothing, and is always making time for me¡­ wait a minute¡­ Aridean pondered the implications of what she had just reviewed. After a few moments of contemplation, Aridean¡¯s eyes widened and her mouth slowly fell agape.

    ¡°Wait, do you mean that Vidor--,¡± Aridean started before being cut off by Rana¡¯s familiar laughter.

    ¡°Ahahaha! You finally catch on? I¡¯m sorry, but honestly seeing you struggle with that was actually entertaining,¡± Rana spoke with her usual soft and kind tone.

    ¡°I-I¡­ I, uh, don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯ve never¡­ but,¡± Aridean stuttered as she could not fully wrap her head around the sudden epiphany.

    Vidor¡­ likes me?! Like, he like-likes me?! But why? What have I done to earn his affection? How does one start to like someone else? How does someone start liking someone like me? I guess I¡¯m flattered, but I just don¡¯t understand why he¡¯d be interested in me. Aridean¡¯s mind was now even more abuzz than a bee¡¯s nest. Across the table, Rana¡¯s laughter was slowly quieting down as the amusement she got must have been wearing off. Aridean thought that of all people, Rana could probably best explain why Vidor has taken an interest in her.

    ¡°R-Rana¡­ do you know why Vidor is¡­ well¡ª,¡± Aridean started to ask, but was again cut off. Rana raised her hand to tell Aridean to just listen before speaking further.

    ¡°Aridean, calm down. I can¡¯t say for certain what it is about you that Vidor likes, but I can tell you that he is always talking about you when you¡¯re not around. Grandfather believes he may be a bit obsessed even,¡± Rana answered with a gentle smile.

    Aridean¡¯s body felt warm all over; she felt a bit embarrassed after hearing what Rana had to say. She still could not fathom what it was about her that had captivated Vidor. If anything, Aridean had tried her best all her life, both before and after joining the rebel cause, to not stand out. Nothing about this big reveal made any sense to her. Even so, Aridean was curious; without thinking, Aridean¡¯s lips began to move again.

    ¡°What do you think about it, Rana?¡± Aridean asked. She wondered if this was what a normal conversation between school kids was like.

    ¡°Well, as your friend, I¡¯m happy for you that you¡¯ve found someone who wants to be with you. As Vidor¡¯s sister, I just hope you let him down gently if you are not ready or not interested,¡± Rana responded with a gentle smile. ¡°That said, Vidor did ask me to ask you your thoughts on him if we ever had time alone together.¡±

    Aridean froze upon being posed the question. What did she think of Vidor? She had not given that much thought beyond what she saw when she looked at him. Whenever she did think of Vidor, the word ¡®minotaur¡¯ resonated in her head. Like her, Vidor was a minotaur; one of the creatures responsible for having ruined Simon¡¯s life. Minotaurs were the cause of the rebellion that ravaged the Empire and were unwelcome in many human villages, such as Thellia. Minotaurs were hated for good reason; how anyone could be happy to see one was simply beyond Aridean¡¯s comprehension.

    However, despite his being a minotaur, Vidor had rescued her when she would otherwise have been killed by rabid animals. Vidor helped find her a safe place to live when she only had the clothes on her back. Vidor was kind to her and had always been there when she needed something over the course of the last two years. In a way, Vidor¡¯s chivalrous and generous actions coupled with his happy-go-lucky and wacky personality in a way that was so pleasantly familiar to Aridean.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ almost like they¡¯re the same person¡­¡± Aridean muttered, looking into her hands resting upon the table.

    ¡°Hmm? I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t quite catch that,¡± Rana said, leaning over the table to hear Aridean better.

    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I was just remembering something,¡± Aridean replied, looking Rana in her bright, green eyes. ¡°I¡­ hadn¡¯t given it much thought. D-did he need an answer now? This is just so sudden, and I¡¯ve never been good at confessing my feelings.¡±

    ¡°Of course, take your time. It would probably mean a lot more to him if you told him yourself when you¡¯re ready anyway,¡± Rana calmly said, leaning back into her chair.

    ¡°Rana, could I ask one last thing? Do you know what it¡¯s like to¡­ love someone?¡± Aridean asked, looking away from Rana with embarrassment clearly painted upon her face.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of an odd question, don¡¯t you think? Surely, you¡¯ve felt something that you would consider love at some point in your life. Even if you have never had romantic feelings for another, what about the bond you share with Simon? What do you feel when you think about him? Do you two not feel affection as one another¡¯s family? Or is it like grandfather said and you merely revere the man with blind devotion?¡± Rana asked in her kind tone. Aridean looked back at Rana quizzically; initially unable to comprehend the distinction Rana was making. Was it not natural for a child to respect their parental figure? But respect is not what Rana was referring to in this scenario.

    ¡°S-Simon¡­ I never could understand him. He raised me like his own from when I was just a baby. He took in a minotaur, one of the creatures that had taken his real family away from him. Not only that, but villagers would always be talking about me, about him, about us. That¡¯s why I could never tell what he was thinking. But even so¡­ I was¡­ happy with him,¡± Aridean slowly explained, feeling a bit guilty over having left him all alone again.

    ¡°If that is not affection shared between two that truly wanted to be a father and daughter, then what was it?¡± Rana asked with another gentle smile. Aridean held her head low over the table and could feel a single tear fall from her eye.

    ¡°Lies¡­¡± Aridean quietly whispered. As the word left her mouth, Aridean bit down on her lip and fought to hold back tears. While she attempted to compose herself, the front door to the granary could be heard opening.

    ¡°Rana! Aridean! We might have a bit of a problem,¡± Vidor called from the door.

    Twilight had covered the forest, painting the world surrounding the group in a bright orange light. Shadows stretched far from the trees or leaves that cast them. Clearly there was no more than one hour of light left in the day. With that in mind, the trio of minotaurs moved quickly past brush and around tall, thick trees. Vidor led the group as he pointed out signs that told him they were on the right path to finding their target. Each member of the group knew things would only grow more complicated if the creature they were hunting were allowed to escape into the night.

    ¡°This thing moves fast, but also leaves behind an easy-to-follow trail,¡± Vidor said, pointing out some crushed leaves just off the side of the dirt path the group stumbled upon. The shape of the crushed leaves resembled that of a heart shape. What concerned Aridean about the tracks Vidor was following was the size.

    ¡°That¡¯s a footprint? This thing is massive; its foot must be at least half a meter wide,¡± Aridean commented with surprise apparent in her voice. As they spoke, the group continued to pursue their mark deeper into the forest.

    ¡°I told you, the thing must have been standing at least five meters tall,¡± Vidor replied enthusiastically.

    ¡°We¡¯re nearing the settlement that the creature has been terrorizing. This must be it preparing to snatch more supplies from the town,¡± Rana proposed as she jumped over a fallen tree.

    No more than two kilometers away was the settlement that the rebels called The Ville. Although the citizens were not trained rebel soldiers, they had established their territory deep in a forest that kept them far from Empire eyes. Their attempt to hide from the reach of the Empire worked for some time, but ultimately the small town was discovered. Since having been discovered, Empire soldiers have occupied the territory. However, the citizens remained loyal to the rebel cause and have been smuggling copious amounts of supplies to the rebel headquarters. The task was made easier by bribing some of the financially sated guards that had been stationed at the town.

    ¡°Vidor, what more can you tell us about this monster?¡± Rana asked as the group jumped a small creek. Still making their way quickly through the forest, Aridean noted that there must only be about forty minutes of light left in the day.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s big, but I guess you two figured that much out from all those tracks we¡¯ve been seeing. Other than that, it was covered in dark brown hair; a bit darker than Aridean¡¯s fur,¡± Vidor explained.

    ¡°Do you have any idea what the beast is though?¡± Rana inquired, sounding a bit less patient. Aridean got the feeling that Rana was testing her brother to see if he had been studying the bestiary guide that rebel scouts had put together.

    ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­ I think it¡¯s a¡­. Look, I don¡¯t know what it is. I¡¯ve skimmed the monster guides before, but I never saw anything like this in them,¡± Vidor exclaimed.

    ¡°You really need to take your studies more seriously,¡± Rana said after heaving an annoyed sigh. Just as she finished speaking, Vidor halted the group¡¯s advance. Quietly, he gestured toward a large bush just in front of what seemed to be an open clearing in the forest.

    While the clearing itself seemed nothing out of the ordinary in a forest such as the one the team found itself in, it was the sole occupant of open space. In the center of the clearing sat a large, brown-furred lump. Just sitting, the beast appeared to be at least five meters tall. It was covered almost entirely in its brown fur and sat with its legs crossed and back to the three hunters. Whatever the beast was, its body was almost bean-shaped and had no discernable neck. There was no visible nose on its face, just a mouth and two huge black eyes. Its arms and legs seemed to stretch almost the length of the creature¡¯s body. Unaware that it was being watched, the beast sat in the clearing and was vigorously shaking a bag of grain that was entirely empty. Upon registering the beast, Aridean¡¯s and Rana¡¯s eyes went wide and their jaws slowly dropped.

    ¡°What is that thing?¡± Rana asked with surprise in her voice. Vidor, however, turned to her with a smirk on his face.

    ¡°And who was telling who to start studying more?¡± Vidor teased with a snicker. Unamused, Rana proceeded to whack her brother on the back of his head.

    ¡°Sasquatch,¡± Aridean spoke. Both Rana and Vidor turned to look at Aridean, whose eyes never left their mark.

    ¡°Sasquatch?¡± Vidor asked, confused.

    ¡°A sasquatch: rare, enormous, hair covered beasts with intelligence comparable to that of a young child. Obviously, with a body like that, they hold considerable strength and are capable of impressive, physically challenging feats. I¡¯ve even heard rumors that some circus act managed to train one. They¡¯re basically gorillas that are no less than four meters tall,¡± Aridean explained. ¡°What one is doing in this forest and how no one managed to see something so large stealing over one hundred pounds of grain is beyond me, however.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ so now we know what it is,¡± Vidor concluded. ¡°Follow up: what¡¯s a gorilla?¡±

    ¡°Not now, Vidor. Aridean, you seem to know a lot about this sasquatch monster; have you encountered one before? Do you have any ideas as to how we can put it down?¡± Rana asked, being sure to keep her voice down in order to avoid drawing the attention of the target.

    As Rana asked her question, the scene unfolded in Aridean¡¯s head as though it was yesterday. She was only seven years old and playing a game of checkers with Simon. Suddenly, the sheep could be heard out in the pasture causing quite a commotion. Simon had moved to the window in the living room with little Aridean right behind him. Horrified, Aridean saw a massive, hair-covered monster lift one of her favorite lambs to its mouth and bite down. A dark red mist sprayed from the creature¡¯s maw as Aridean began to cry over the loss of her pet lamb. ¡®Today was supposed to be a good day,¡¯ Simon grunted, clearly irritated by the beast¡¯s presence.

    As Aridean continued sobbing for her lamb, Simon moved to his bedroom. He returned only a few seconds later with a broadsword in hand. ¡®Father?¡¯ little Aridean called through stifled weeping.

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this,¡¯ was the last thing he said before going outside to deal with the sasquatch¡­ I just remember begging him not to go outside. I thought it might eat him, but he managed to defeat the beast. Problem is, I don¡¯t know how¡­ ran right to my room after he left the house and cried into my pillow, too scared to watch his battle, Aridean internally reflected.

    ¡°Uh, hello? Aridean? You know how to take care of this thing, right?¡± Vidor whispered, snapping Aridean back into the present. She looked to Rana and Vidor and then back to the monster before them.

    ¡°W-well, sasquatches have tough hair and thick skin. They¡¯re not invincible, but they are really durable,¡± Aridean explained in a hushed voice.

    ¡°With that in mind, you mean to say that your axe and Vidor¡¯s arrows won¡¯t do much more than make it angry¡­ Do you know of any potential weaknesses we could exploit?¡± Rana asked, keeping a close eye on their target. The sasquatch the group was hunting was now using a finger to draw something in the dirt. Whatever the beast was drawing, it did not seem to have any meaning as it just appeared to be squiggles.

    ¡°Uhm, they operate like wild animals despite having demonstrated a degree of intelligence. Fire is an effective means of keeping it at bay,¡± Aridean answered. Having heard Aridean¡¯s recommendation, Rana took only a moment to formulate an attack strategy.

    ¡°Okay, Vidor and I will keep its attention while you prepare a fireball. I¡¯m going to try sneaking up closer. I¡¯ll see about keeping it in one place; Vidor, move around the clearing and keep it between us. When you have a good shot, aim for the eyes. If nothing else, taking out its sight will make it far more difficult for it to run or retaliate,¡± Rana ordered. Both Aridean and Vidor nodded their understanding of Rana¡¯s plan. With everyone on the same page, Rana and Aridean watched as Vidor slowly crept around the tree line, keeping out of the sasquatch¡¯s sight by hiding behind trees and large bushes.

    As Vidor kept moving into position, Rana made her move. Keeping low and moving quietly, Rana left the cover of the trees and made a slow approach toward the creature. It¡¯s back still turned to her; the beast had begun to pound the dirt it had been playing in. As Rana reached a distance of about ten meters from the sasquatch, a loud rumbling sound could be heard throughout the area. A bit surprised, Rana had stopped dead in her tracks as the monster before her began rubbing its stomach.

    It¡¯s hungry! Rana! Aridean internally panicked. As Rana began to advance again, all Aridean could think of was the shower of gore and blood she was witness to when her lamb was eaten alive. Unable to contain herself, Aridean began hyperventilating.

    N-no, please¡­ I-I don¡¯t want to see that again. I don¡¯t want to see Rana get eaten, Aridean thought as she felt herself breaking down. Her legs felt weak and her arms were frozen at her sides. As her jelly-like legs gave out underneath her, the sasquatch began to stand.

    Seeing that the target was getting ready to attack the nearby town again, Rana decided now was the time to strike. Rana stood from her crouching position and raised her hands to the sky, breathing deeply. Her hands glowed a brilliant green color as magic power radiated from them. As the sasquatch lifted its leg to start moving, Rana slammed her glowing palms down onto the ground before her.

    At first, nothing seemed to happen when Rana finished casting her spell. But soon, the ground beneath her and the monster began to rumble, shake, and quake. Out from under the sasquatch, stone began to grow from the ground, wrapping itself around the legs of the creature. It looked as though a plant of stone was attaching itself to the creature, or perhaps a snake made of rock capturing its prey. Confused, the sasquatch looked at the bindings that kept it anchored in place until it lurched backward. Just as quickly as the stone had grown from the ground, it began to sink back into the crust of the earth.

    The sasquatch fell on its backside where it looked up to the quickly darkening sky with befuddlement. After the initial shock wore off, the creature began to survey its surroundings. It didn¡¯t take long for the beast to notice Rana, standing a few meters from its head with her hands still glowing their bright green. Having been spotted, Rana immediately assumed a battle stance with her razor knuckles held high. Aridean could only gasp and stare on with wide eyes at what unfolded next.

    ¡°Augh!¡± Rana grunted as the beast had grabbed her with its enormous hands and long arms. The speed of something so large was simply astonishing as Rana did not have much of a chance at dodging the grab. Rana¡¯s hooves flailed as the monster lifted her from the ground. Holding its captor upside down, the sasquatch slowly rose from its lying down position. It watched as Rana squirmed within its grasp.

    No¡­ it¡¯s just like the last time. I-I can¡¯t move, Aridean continued to panic. Another loud rumble could be heard from the monster¡¯s stomach. Rana¡¯s face was coated with visible panic as well at this point. Slowly, the beast lifted Rana above its head. Its maw opened wide, Rana could see its large teeth and tongue. Each tooth was at least the size of her head and drawing ever closer. Rana braced herself and closed her eyes as something zipped by her right horn.

    Roaring loudly, the sasquatch held tightly to Rana with one hand as the other began rubbing its right eye. Rana was swung about in the air as the creature¡¯s eye began to bleed. Between its eyelids, half an arrow shaft could be seen embedded in the monster¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Aridean! Now!¡± Vidor yelled from across the clearing. Having revealed himself, the sasquatch focused all its attention on Vidor. Still holding its eye with one hand, the one firmly grasping Rana was lifted up over the beast¡¯s head.

    ¡°Ah! Ahhh!¡± Rana could be heard screaming as the hand holding her was hastily extended in Vidor¡¯s direction. As the sasquatch¡¯s arm extended as far as it could go, its grip on Rana was released and the minotaur flew directly into her brother.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Vidor gasped as he was struck with his own sister, the duo flew backward a short distance. The siblings landed on the ground, stirring up a small dust cloud from the impact.

    ¡°Vidor¡­ Rana¡­¡± Aridean quietly called out. Vidor sat on the other side of the clearing, pinned to the ground by an unconscious Rana lying on top of him. Aridean watched as Vidor struggled to sit upright. Given the difficulty he seemed to be having, the force of his sister having collided with him must have injured him severely.

    ¡°R-Rana¡­ c¡¯mon! Get up,¡± Vidor groaned as he attempted again to simply sit up. Rana remained unresponsive, her body entirely limp laying across Vidor¡¯s stomach. Vidor arched his neck so that he could at least see the sasquatch as it continued to roar in pain from his arrow. As he watched the beast, however, his eyes began to widen.

    Roaring loudly, the monster brought its massive fists up over its head. With tremendous force, the fists were brought down onto the stone wrapping its legs to the ground. Shards of rock and dirt flew in every direction as the stone began cracking. Vidor began to wiggle his way out from under Rana as the sasquatch repeated its effort. Bits of rock rained down on Vidor and Rana as the former managed to slowly stand back up. Quickly, Vidor threw one of Rana¡¯s arms around his shoulder and began to hobble back toward the trees for cover. However, just as he took his first step, stone cracking and breaking could be heard throughout the clearing.

    Vidor turned around with fear in his eyes to see that the sasquatch was standing back up and looking right at him. With considerable effort, Vidor continued to hobble his way away from the beast while still carrying Rana. Panic washed over Vidor, his blood running cold as he turned back again to see the beast he was fleeing from was only a few meters behind him. As the sasquatch advanced upon its prey, Vidor gasped and dove back down onto the ground, covering both his and Rana¡¯s head.

    Another loud, pained roar was let loose by the sasquatch as flame enveloped its entire back. The beast began grabbing at the singed hairs on its scorched back, which only irritated the new burns further. Furious, the monster turned to see Aridean with her axe drawn and a vicious scowl painted across her face.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think she knew what anger was¡­¡± Vidor commented upon registering the rage Aridean exuded. Taking the gravity of the situation seriously again, Vidor shouted, ¡°Aridean! Fall back, get out of here!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Aridean muttered to herself as the sasquatch charged her. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this.¡±

    As Aridean¡¯s feisty quarry approached, it moved to dive at her. The ferocious monster slid along the ground a short distance and looked to its empty hands. Confused as to where Aridean had gone, the beast noticed an odd darkness descending upon its face. Looking up from its prone position, the sasquatch saw Aridean above it. She had managed to evade the dive from the sasquatch by leaping high into the air. At the apex of her jump, Aridean quickly ran a finger along the edge of her axe blade. The weapon quickly began to glow a brilliant orange as her finger passed over the metal. Intense heat could be felt radiating off of the surface of the weapon.

    Now falling back down to the ground, Aridean readied her weapon. The sasquatch roared as its hunter fell from above. With all her strength, Aridean swung the axe as she reached the beast¡¯s head. Aridean¡¯s blade cleaved through hair, skin, and even bone; the sasquatch¡¯s roaring had abruptly ceased as warm blood shot out of the wound like a geyser. If he did not know her, Vidor may have thought that Aridean¡¯s natural fur color was a dark crimson as she was covered in the beast¡¯s blood.

    ¡°That was for Mr. Bow,¡± Aridean angrily spat, feeling somewhat invigorated having avenged her late pet. Throughout the air, the unpleasant scent of burnt hair was all that anyone could smell. Aridean looked at the felled beast in front of her before putting her axe back in its holster on her back.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Vidor muttered to himself, entirely astonished by the performance that Aridean had just put on. Aridean hastily ran toward Vidor and Rana, still lying on the ground on the opposite end of the clearing. Aridean helped Vidor to his hooves and took Rana from him so that he may walk easier.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ just, wow. That was incredible,¡± Vidor said as the group began to walk away from the scene.

    ¡°Sorry I took so long¡­ I was a bit scared at first. But when I saw you and Rana in danger, well¡­ it¡¯s like something just took control,¡± Aridean responded.

    ¡°Sorry? Aridean, you saved our lives! Wait¡­ that means we¡¯re even now. Dammit! I thought I looked cool having saved your life, but that loses value now that you saved mine,¡± Vidor exclaimed as the two returned to the dirt road leading them home. ¡°Uh¡­ I mean, thanks for what you did back there.¡±

    ¡°Eheh, d-don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay. I¡¯d be really upset if you had gotten hurt¡­ well, hurt worse than you are,¡± Aridean said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m fine; little sore, but nothing a nice nap won¡¯t fix. Anyways, after standing up to something like that, going to the celebration later is going to be a cinch, right?¡± Vidor asked with a goofy looking grin on his face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just get back first, okay? You and Rana need some rest before you¡¯re ready for any partying,¡± Aridean replied while looking away from Vidor. ¡°B-but¡­ I am looking forward to it¡­¡±

    Jean¡­ I¡¯m not that little minotaur girl that needs you to play my knight in shining armor anymore. Thank you for all your help over the years, but¡­ I think I found the strength I need to play the role of a knight myself now. I still miss you so much and wish you were with me every day¡­ but I managed to find someone almost exactly like you and that makes me feel a little better. You could never be replaced, but I think you¡¯d be excited to know that I found someone that I¡­ like¡­ the same way I liked you, Aridean thought to herself as she and Vidor continued through the forest path. Rana, still a bit out of it, groaned as Aridean carried her through the forest. Although Vidor could not see it, Aridean was looking away from him with a bright smile on her face.

 Chapter 9 - An Evening Out

    The bell on the front door rang out throughout the dining room signaling the arrival of another customer. Its ringing was almost entirely drowned out by the commotion of all the other patrons in the restaurant. However, Aridean had managed to always make a note of when she heard the doorbell chime; she did not want to keep anyone waiting. Customers that had to wait on her would often be angry with her.

    Everything seemed like an ordinary day in Mutt¡¯s Tavern: Thellian villagers seated throughout the dining room alongside a few passing traveling merchants or other mobile folk. Dirt littered the floor near the door despite the welcome mat and small bits of food were visible under tables. Creaking of wooden furniture under the guests and the chatter or discussions between said guests could be heard all around.

    Aridean was delivering plates to a table of dwarves when she heard the doorbell ringing. Her ears flicked at the chime, which two of the dwarves laughed at. Although embarrassed, the minotaur waitress finished serving her clients and turned to find the new customer. It was a pleasant surprise to her to find that Simon and Finn had stopped by for lunch; the duo were seated by a window table near the door. Not often did a smile creep across her face while she was working, but Aridean just could not contain herself as she approached Simon.

    Although she was almost certain she already knew what the two were planning on ordering, Aridean playfully asked the men what they would be having. Just as she guessed, Finn came by for a meatball sandwich. Though he did decide to mix things up by asking for a plate of chips instead of french fries. Simon¡¯s order was also just what Aridean had expected: grilled salmon with a side salad.

    Only a few minutes after handing the order to George in the kitchen, Aridean reentered the dining room and made straight for Simon and Finn¡¯s table. She happily handed over their meals and asked if there was anything else she could get the two. Finn was unable to answer her as he had already begun to stuff his sandwich into his mouth. Simon, on the other hand, looked at Aridean with his usual tired face. Just as his lips began to move, the doorbell rang out again which caught both Aridean and Simon¡¯s attention.

    Aridean gasped and felt her whole body tense up upon registering who had just entered the restaurant. Clad in shining armor, but dripping with blood, was a knight. This was not just any knight, but the same one that Aridean kept seeing in her dreams; the one that continues to slay a female minotaur and then come for her. Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide and she could feel her breathing quickly becoming erratic as the knight surveyed the room. Although his face was covered, it was clear that the knight had stopped to focus in on Aridean, standing only a few meters away.

    Having realized that the knight was looking for her for whatever reason, Aridean¡¯s blood felt cold all throughout her veins. The only warmth she could get came from something wrapped around her wrist. She managed to pry her eyes from the imposing knight by the front door to the restaurant to see that Simon was holding on to her. His warm hand and gentle touch, however, was not quite enough to convince Aridean that everything was alright. Even so, Simon began to speak just as the knight started slowly walking in Aridean¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Aridean? Wake up,¡± Simon said, completely ignoring the entity that struck pure terror into his adopted daughter.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Aridean responded, confused by what it was Simon was telling her. She could not tell which was more baffling, what Simon had said to her or his seeming obliviousness toward the knight coming their way.

    ¡°Aridean! You need to wake up already,¡± Simon continued.

    ¡°H-huh?¡± Aridean snorted as she jolted awake in her seat.

    ¡°Ah, there you are. Have you been sleeping well recently? You still seem to stir a lot in your sleep,¡± Rana asked with concern in her voice, but a gentle smile on her face. Rana was lying in a hospital bed and Aridean was seated in a small folding chair by her side. After their mission to put a stop to the sasquatch, Rana had been admitted to the rebel base¡¯s hospital. Vidor had also been forced to allow a doctor to look him over but had long since escaped the building saying he had things to do before the recruitment celebration that was scheduled that evening.

    ¡°Oh¡­ sorry, Rana. I came by to keep you company, but I guess my snoring isn¡¯t really good conversation,¡± Aridean said, avoiding the question Rana had asked. Rana let loose a quiet giggle.

    Walls, flooring, and ceiling were all, as all structures in the base, made of smoothed stone. However, the hospital was different from other stone buildings as every square inch of the building was scrubbed every day to avoid any sort of infection in the patients. Although she volunteered to work in the mess hall, Aridean had been a part of the cleaning crew for the hospital on more than one occasion.

    Rana¡¯s room was fairly standard by all accounts; there was the bed, a countertop for staff materials, and a window that looked out into the rest of the underground town. Unnatural, magical lighting coming from the miniature sunlight orbs outside was illuminating the room. Unfortunately, there was not much in the way of entertainment for patients.

    ¡°Well, while you were sleeping, I did at least finish reading that book you brought me the other day. Thanks again for getting that for me, it¡¯s been really dull being cooped up in here,¡± Rana said. The minotaur reached for a small book on the countertop by her bed and handed the novel to Aridean. Aridean took the book and put it in her backpack which she had set on the floor beside her chair.

    ¡°Of course. At least today you should be getting out, right?¡± Aridean responded as she zipped up her bag.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for grandfather worrying so much, I probably would have been out yesterday. Honestly, I still don¡¯t believe I required a hospital visit. No broken bones, just a soreness in my leg, arm, and pride after being thrown into Vidor. But grandfather was worried that maybe I had a concussion or even internal bleeding after the blow. I¡¯m just glad I didn¡¯t end up goring Vidor; still counting myself lucky my horns didn¡¯t hit him,¡± Rana complained with her natural gentle and friendly tone.

    Aridean was not about to forget Mikali¡¯s reaction to seeing his grandchildren injured. Despite having spent nearly two years with him as her boss, Aridean felt incredibly uncomfortable just mentioning his name. He was part of the reason she, unwillingly, wound up joining the rebel army after all. However, the concern for Rana and Vidor displayed a side of him that Aridean did not think he had. Although Aridean did not particularly care what he thought, what he said to her and the way he said it after Rana and Vidor were seen by a doctor stuck with her: ¡®Thank you for protecting my grandchildren, thank you¡¯. He had spoken that phrase while holding Aridean¡¯s hands in his own; she remembered feeling them tremble somewhat.

    Even someone as tough and cold as Mikali can care for someone. I actually thought he was about to start choking up, Aridean thought to herself. She shifted herself in her chair for comfort before noticing Rana looking at her with the familiar, caring smile that she spread on her face.

    ¡°You never answered me, Aridean: are you still having bad dreams? Is there something you want to talk about?¡± Rana asked with a concerned tone. Rana¡¯s older-sisterly nature made it impossible for Aridean to hide just about anything from her. Even if Aridean did not wish to discuss anything, Rana was sure to pry so as to know whether or not everything was okay.

    ¡°W-well¡­ yes, I am still having bad dreams. It¡¯s nothing new though, I¡¯m fine, promise. They¡¯ll probably just go away with time,¡± Aridean answered. Rana clearly remained unconvinced by the serious expression that she now had.

    ¡°If you say so. But if you ever do need to talk about anything, I¡¯ll be there to listen,¡± Rana replied, having relented from forcing her way into Aridean¡¯s business further. She continued with a playful smile, ¡°I just want to know that my team is doing well.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Rana. Wait, your team? Even after what happened with the sasquatch, you managed to make the rank of captain? That¡¯s incredible,¡± Aridean said with a hint of astonishment. Despite the mission being a success, it ended with most of the team having taken some serious damage. Aridean did not expect Rana or herself to have passed their tests due to the circumstances regarding their encounter.

    ¡°Well¡­ technically speaking, I¡¯m not a captain yet. Although we did ensure that the sasquatch would no longer trouble the supply settlement, we did suffer some blows that could have been easily avoided had we just been a bit more careful. I never could have imagined something as large as that sasquatch could move so quickly. You did mention they are capable of some impressive acts, though. I¡¯m ashamed to admit that wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve underestimated an enemy, but I¡¯ll learn from that mistake and do better in the future,¡± Rana began to explain while grabbing a cup of water from the counter by her bed. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve convinced grandfather to allow me a sort of probation regarding my captain ranking status. Not being an officially organized military, there are plenty of loopholes in his system I can exploit. It helps that our intel did not really specify what it was we were going up against and that I just know how to get what I want from grandfather. He¡¯ll actually be by in just a little while to brief me on our first assignment.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that I¡¯ll get to be a part of your team. I won¡¯t let you down, Captain,¡± Aridean responded, which was met with a bit of a snort from Rana.

    ¡°Captain, huh? That¡¯s going to take some getting use to. Perhaps you could just keep calling me Rana, okay? I¡¯m also glad to hear you¡¯ll be happy to join Vidor and myself. I knew you wouldn¡¯t be comfortable on a team with people you don¡¯t know too well. Plus, Vidor would be upset with me if I did not push to have you assigned to our team,¡± Rana replied with another short laugh. ¡°Speaking of Vidor, he asked me to remind you to meet him in the plaza later if you came by. Said something about wanting to spend some time with you during the recruitment celebration.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was going to go back to the barracks for a quick shower before heading to our meeting place,¡± Aridean replied.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s a good thing I woke you up. You should probably get going if that is your plan. The celebration should be starting within the hour after all,¡± Rana commented as she took a sip of water.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be going then. See you later,¡± Aridean said as she stood from her chair. She collected her bag and made for the door; Rana smiled and waved as Aridean left the hospital room.

    Out in the hallway, Aridean gently closed the door to Rana¡¯s room behind her. She let out a loud sigh before turning and walking down the hallway to the front door. There were only a few other occupants in the hallway apart from Aridean, mostly cleaning staff and a couple of nurses who were loudly discussing their evening plans. It seemed to Aridean that other patients were still in their assigned rooms and any visitors were already gone. If anything, that made Aridean feel a bit more comfortable as she made her way out of the building.

    Keeping close to the wall the entire walk down the long hallway, Aridean reached the reception of the hospital. She gave a curtesy wave to the smiling and jolly, dwarven clerk at the desk as she moved through the room to the door. Loud clopping from her hooves on the stone floor echoed across the room, but it did not seem to bother the clerk. Even so, Aridean felt a bit insecure about the loud noise potentially drawing attention to her. Regardless, she finally reached the door and pushed her way out of the hospital. Aridean drew in a deep breath and let it out before turning in the direction of the barracks.

    ¡°Maybe, with some luck, the showers are mostly clear because of the festivities today,¡± Aridean said to herself as she began to walk back to the barracks.

    Stonehaven was busy and bustling with citizens setting up booths, decorations, and moving equipment through the main street on which the hospital sat. Aridean kept close to the walls of the buildings on her way as she was trying to avoid others. Although there were plenty of other minotaurs around mingling and conversing with the humans, dwarves, and elves, Aridean just wanted to keep to herself. Stonehaven was accepting of the minotaur people, but her life in Thellia had instilled in her the desire to keep out of sight. Despite having lived in this underground city for nearly two years, old habits just die hard.

    Eventually, Aridean arrived back at the barracks. As she pulled the door open, a pair of elves stood on the other side just inside the foyer that divided the male and female barracks. Without a word, Aridean pulled the door back and stood behind it to allow the elves to pass. One of the elves nodded their gratitude as they walked away and Aridean slipped inside the stone building.

    Quickly, and as quietly as her hooves clopping on the stone floor would allow, Aridean made her way over to her personal bunk near the far end of the female barrack. Her backpack fell onto the bed as she arrived at her bunk. She knelt down by her bed and reached underneath to pull out a footlocker. With a clicking sound, the latches were undone and the lid to the container was pulled open. Aridean secured a change of clothes and a towel from the box before closing it and slipping it back underneath her bunk.

    Despite having noticed that she was the only occupant within the barracks, Aridean elected to continue trying to keep the noise down as she made her way to the showers. She quietly pushed the door open and entered the shower room. A total of twenty shower stalls, ten on each wall to her left and right, lined the room she was in. Between the stalls were several small benches, underneath some of the benches were drains for collecting any excess water. At the far end of the shower room was another doorless passageway that led into the lavatory, though Aridean did not have any use for those facilities at this moment. It seemed that not another soul was present, much to Aridean¡¯s relief.

    ¡°Oh, good, I really didn¡¯t expect to be the only one here,¡± Aridean said to herself as she draped her fresh set of clothes and towel over a stall¡¯s curtain. After pulling the opaque, white, plastic sheet of a curtain closed, Aridean began to remove her clothes. Just like her clean clothes, she draped the used set over the curtain as well. Now prepared, the minotaur turned around to the stone wall of the stall that held two large buttons, one blue and the other red. These shower buttons were about up to Aridean¡¯s stomach on the wall and controlled whether cold or warm water would be used for the shower. After being pushed, Aridean would have seven minutes to clean herself. Aridean pushed the red button and almost immediately, the showerhead three feet above her began to rain warm water down upon her. She was clearly delighted by the experience.

    Warm water ran down her body, from the top of her head and horns all the way down her legs and hooves. Her fur and mane were matted to her skin, as though plastered to her body by the water. Although she was enjoying the shower, Aridean knew she was on a timer and quickly took some shampoo from a nearby dispenser within the stall and began to scrub it into her fur coat. Soap and suds also began to ride down the tall minotaur and pooled around her hooves as it slowly flowed into the drain beneath her. Just as the last of the soap was washed from her fur, the shower¡¯s refreshing rain ceased.

    ¡°Really wish I had just another minute or two, but I need to get going anyways,¡± Aridean quietly said to herself, slightly upset her shower was now over. She took the towel she had brought in and began to dry herself. The process of removing water from her fully furred body took a fair deal of time, but it was something that just could not be helped. After sufficient drying, Aridean began to put on her fresh clothes. She dressed in a plain, white t-shirt and specially made jeans for her minotaur legs; it had become her favorite casual get-up. She, unfortunately, did not have much else to wear anyways.

    Now decent again, Aridean pushed open the curtain to the shower and grabbed her used clothes. She made a quick trip out to her bunk to put the dirty clothes into a small basket under her bed and retrieve a large hairbrush from her footlocker. With the brush in hand, Aridean moved to the lavatory so she could see in a mirror just how much brushing her mostly dry mane needed. She spent a few minutes brushing a few knots out of her mane before looking pleased with herself in the mirror. Satisfied, she left the lavatory.

    ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯m ready¡­ I just hope Vidor doesn¡¯t expect me to get too involved in this festival,¡± Aridean said as she put her hairbrush back with her other belongings.

    Honestly, I¡¯m still not so sure about even going out tonight¡­ I would much prefer to just study something new in one of the textbooks at the library. But, at the same time, this will be just like all those times Jean walked me through Thellia. Sure, it made me a bit uncomfortable, but having him near made everything okay¡­ mostly. I¡¯m sure being with Vidor will make being in public easier, Aridean thought to herself as she exited the barracks. Despite her hesitations, Aridean was certain that she would be spending the evening with Vidor.

    Back through the town of Stonehaven, Aridean was again trying to keep out of the way of other citizens as they were finishing setting up their booths and equipment. Magical and artificial light from the glowing orbs on the ceiling of the underground city were starting to dim. Every evening, the bright orbs would dull so as to simulate moonlight in the underground. Aridean had come to find out that this was done to allow non-rebel citizens and children in the city the chance to experience moonlight. Lights in and around the stone buildings were slowly being turned on to illuminate the streets as the celebration was beginning.

    Still don¡¯t really understand the whole fuss about turning the pretend suns down if we¡¯re just going to turn on all the lights, Aridean mused in her head. Although she recalled that she had been told it was to allow some semblance of a normal life in the city for citizens, the whole idea just seemed entirely unnecessary.

    As Aridean arrived at the main plaza of Stonehaven, the celebration had gotten into its full swing. Everywhere she looked were people of various races talking, laughing, eating, and drinking together. Booths with long lines were set up to serve various snack foods. Some booths hosted carnival games, none of which Aridean had ever had the chance to play; lines for these stalls seemed to contain a much younger and hyperactive demographic.

    Delicious and mouth-watering scents wafted through the air as the loud commotion from crowds everywhere surrounded Aridean. Feeling a bit out of place in the party plaza, Aridean found herself a stone bench to sit on at the edge of the plaza.

    I really wish Jean was here, he would have loved something like this. I remember all the times he said he¡¯d drag me by my horns through the Hunlio carnival if we ever had the chance to go together. Maybe he finally got to go now since he didn¡¯t have to worry about me tagging along? I should probably start looking for Vidor, he should be around here somewhere, Aridean thought. She began surveying the crowd for signs of Vidor. Although there were several tall, black-furred minotaurs in the plaza, none of them had the white patch on their snout that Vidor had. It was at this point that Aridean began to worry; there were a lot of people around.

    D-did he forget about me? I-I don¡¯t like being out here with so many strangers. Maybe I should just go back, Aridean deliberated with growing concern. Just as she stood from the bench she was sitting upon; a familiar voice was heard.

    ¡°Boo!¡± Came Vidor¡¯s voice from behind Aridean. Aridean jumped from the bench with alarm and turned to see Vidor smiling at her. Her fur was standing on ends and her eyes were positively bulging from the startling greeting. Upon noticing her distress, Vidor¡¯s smile quickly faded.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you that bad,¡± Vidor apologized, scratching the back of his head.

    ¡°U-uhm, don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m just a bit jumpy is all,¡± Aridean replied a little flustered, her heart rate never having come down despite the spook factor having left her.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t make you wait too long, did I? Just wanted to make sure that your surprise was ready,¡± Vidor mentioned, his goofy-looking smile slowly returning to his face. In all honesty, Aridean had forgotten Vidor mentioned having a surprise for her. She thought tonight was just going to be the two of them talking, walking, and snacking on some of the doughnuts that the Stonehaven bakery had prepared.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t waiting long, but I am glad to see a familiar face now,¡± Aridean said.

    ¡°You were already having second thoughts, weren¡¯t you? Well, I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t take off without me. C¡¯mon, I want to give you your surprise before we actually join in the fun here,¡± Vidor said, gesturing Aridean to follow him. Without hesitation, Aridean walked right beside Vidor as the two began to walk down a street away from the plaza.

    Commotion from the celebration was slowly quieting down as the two moved further and further from the plaza, even the delightful smells were becoming lost to their nostrils. Vidor was quiet all the while as the two walked down the street, though his carefree smile remained on his face. Aridean initially thought it a bit odd that Vidor was not making much noise until she realized how far from the plaza they had gotten. While the talking and laughter could still be heard, Aridean wondered why they were leaving the celebration so far behind. Where exactly were they going for Vidor to give her the surprise he prepared for her?

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re here,¡± Vidor exclaimed with enthusiasm as he stopped Aridean in front of a very familiar building.

    ¡°The¡­ mess hall?¡± Aridean asked, confused. Vidor smiled at her and pushed open the door.

    Aridean gasped as the duo entered the mess hall. Inside was not the normal, family-run restaurant aesthetic dining room that she had become accustomed to. It was as if the entire building had been renovated from top to bottom. The room itself looked as though it belonged in a five-star restaurant. Marble columns were spread in an orderly fashion throughout the room and red carpets covered walking space between tables. Tables were covered by cloth sheets, elegant seating surrounded said tables, and candlelight surrounded a single, well-made table in the center of the room. Vidor took Aridean by her hand and walked her to the center table where he pulled a chair out for her. Aridean could not tell what was more surprising, that Vidor had somehow managed the change of the mess hall or that his happy-go-lucky nature allowed him to act so gentlemanly.

    ¡°Pretty cool, right? Not only did I make sure we would be the only ones here, but I got a magician to apply an illusion to make it look straight out of the capital city,¡± Vidor bragged smugly as Aridean continued to look around the room in amazement. Illusion or not, the dining room was absolutely captivating given its current degree of elegance.

    ¡°Vidor¡­ you did all this? For me?¡± Aridean asked after finally processing her surroundings.

    ¡°Well, this is just thanks for the other day. I saved your life back in the Konarch Forest and now you saved mine. Thing is, you also saved my sister¡¯s life, so I felt a bit shown up,¡± Vidor answered with one of his big smiles. ¡°I definitely don¡¯t show it as much as Rana does, but I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without her. A fancy dinner doesn¡¯t really repay you saving her, but I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s a start.¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what to say. This is¡­ like a childhood dream come true right now,¡± Aridean spoke, giving her full attention to the minotaur sitting just across from her. ¡°Jean had always talked about the two of us going around the country and visiting big cities. He knew I wouldn¡¯t really care much for it, but he kept hyping up the two of us sitting in a fancy restaurant in the capital.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ w-well, I¡¯m glad you think it¡¯s nice,¡± Vidor responded, his smile slowly fading as he sounded a bit flustered for some reason. Aridean was about to ask if everything was alright, but the door to the kitchen was thrown open. Out stepped Sven, one of the mess hall staff, who pushed a well-polished food cart out towards the table Aridean and Vidor were seated at. Sven was dressed in a remarkably well made and expensive looking waiter uniform. Upon Sven¡¯s food cart sat a large, covered platter.

    ¡°Dinner is served; hope you like seafood,¡± Sven said as he uncovered the platter on the cart. Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide at the sight of the meal that Vidor had ordered for the two of them. There were two separate, but equally impressive, grilled fish dishes served with steaming rice, mixed vegetables, and large, well-oiled salads. Even the food Vidor had prepared for this dinner looked as impressive as the mess hall¡¯s illusion. Additionally, there were two wine glasses and a large glass bottle which caught Aridean¡¯s attention for a moment.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just apple cider; I know you and Vidor don¡¯t drink. Took some time, but I found the fanciest, non-alcoholic stuff we had for you,¡± Sven assured Aridean as he poured out the drink into the two glasses. He moved the meals from his cart to the table and set the cider bottle in the center of the table before grabbing his cart and returning to the kitchen.

    ¡°Seafood and apple cider? Vidor, how did you manage that?¡± Aridean inquired. Given Stonehaven was far from any coastline, fresh seafood was as valuable as a goldmine. Apple cider was easier to come by but was not necessarily a commodity in the rebel base. Both were items of great interest to anyone in the underground city who wanted to at least pretend they were dining fancifully.

    ¡°Well, the cider¡¯s actually mine that I¡¯d been saving for a while; this seemed like a good use for it. It¡¯s the fish that was hard to get: required a few favors to the head chef to get into his high-end storage,¡± Vidor answered as he began picking at his dinner with a fork.

    ¡°I never imagined I¡¯d get to do something like this. Jean could always paint a picture in my head for me, but not even in my wildest dreams did I think I¡¯d actually be somewhere like this,¡± Aridean commented as she cut off a piece of fish. The delicate piece of food simply crumbled as her fork sliced through it with ease. She picked up the first cut with her fork and brought it to her lips. Only one word came to her mind as she bit down on the juicy, tender fish: delicious.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Aridean? Do you¡­ well¡­¡± Vidor began to ask but seemed to stop himself. Aridean noticed that Vidor had not even taken a bite of his food, which was very unlike him.

    ¡°Vidor? Are you alright?¡± Aridean asked, putting her fork down on her plate as she awaited his answer.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­ just¡­ uh,¡± Vidor responded with uncertainty in his voice before giving a quiet groan. ¡°Aridean, are you in love with your friend Jean?¡±

    Aridean was entirely taken aback by the question. She had not anticipated Vidor asking something like that to her. Both of the minotaurs looked to one another in silence. Aridean¡¯s face was filled with surprise while Vidor¡¯s seemed to show concern.

    ¡°V-Vidor, why are you asking that?¡± Aridean asked. She felt that an otherwise wonderful evening was derailed by a single question. Vidor groaned again before answering.

    ¡°It¡¯s just, I was trying to put all this together for you. I know it¡¯s clich¨¦ and all, but I thought this might be romantic. But the thing that bugs me is that you only seem to want to talk about Jean and all the adventures you two had planned,¡± Vidor began to say apprehensively as his eyes began to avoid Aridean¡¯s. ¡°I know Rana¡¯s already mentioned¡­ well, what I think about you. I-I was hoping all this might, y¡¯know, make you feel the same way.¡±

    Still processing Vidor¡¯s confession, Aridean¡¯s gaze fell upon the table in front of her. She was having a difficult time trying to formulate a satisfactory response. Her mentioning of Jean was not in any way meant to offend Vidor, but nonetheless left her feeling guilty that she brought him up. Silence lingered throughout the mess hall again for what felt like minutes.

    ¡°To tell you the truth¡­ I think I was,¡± Aridean finally announced, which was met by a quiet and annoyed moan from Vidor. ¡°How could I not have been? He was the only person other than Simon that actually didn¡¯t mind me being around. He was a ray of sunlight in a stormy sea of hateful and scary humans. Jean made my terrifying life in Thellia bearable¡­ even enjoyable at times.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ understand,¡± Vidor said with his head held low over his dinner.

    ¡°But it¡¯s been almost two years since we last spoke to one another¡­ I¡¯ll always think of him as my friend, but I¡­ sincerely hope he¡¯s moved on from me. The people of Thellia were always talking about us; they would not have allowed us to be together anyway. But knowing that doesn¡¯t help the void in my heart that I made when I ran away,¡± Aridean continued. ¡°Since then, it was recent, but I think I¡¯m starting to realize that there¡¯s someone here that is trying to fill the void that I created when I left him behind. Someone just as kind, brave, and fun. Someone whose personality is almost a perfect copy of his. Now, whenever I even say his name, his face and this other person¡¯s are practically interchangeable. When I think about how much I miss Jean¡­ I start to realize how much I¡¯ve fallen for someone here too.¡±

    Vidor¡¯s eyes began to light up a little as he looked back up at Aridean across the table.

    ¡°D-do you mean¡­¡± Vidor began to ask before being cut off.

    ¡°Living in Thellia made me fear meeting a fellow minotaur. I thought that the minotaur people were nothing but trouble or savages despite never having met one. Jean asked me what it was like to be the only minotaur and to never have met another. At the time, I said I was happy with him and Simon. But¡­ I think I was lying to myself. I was certainly grateful to have them, but I was so alone as the only minotaur in Thellia for almost seventeen years. Over the last two years, someone very special found me and saved me from not just certain death, but that crushing loneliness. I-I was so scared when I saw you and Rana about to be killed by that sasquatch. I¡­ I don¡¯t ever want to lose anyone else that I love,¡± Aridean professed as she began to tear up. ¡°Vidor, I loved Jean, yes. But right here, right now, I need you to know that I love you. You¡¯ve always been there for me; whether I was scared or sad, you¡¯d be there. I would never have made it through all the training, the chores, or any of the last two years here without you. Anytime you go on a mission, I¡¯m so scared that you might not come back. I don¡¯t want to mess this up, but I don¡¯t want to lose you either.¡±

    It was now Vidor¡¯s turn to stare in stunned silence. Aridean felt hot all over after her confession and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Having had completely ignored the exquisite meals before them, the expertly prepared dishes had since grown cold. After a moment of quiet, Vidor snorted and then began to laugh.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ you don¡¯t know what that means to me. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been through, but I promise I won¡¯t ever leave you to your loneliness again. I love you too,¡± Vidor said, sliding his hand across the table and gently grabbing Aridean¡¯s. Aridean sniffled and another tear rolled down her cheek; she could not recall a time she felt this happy. His hand felt so warm in her own.

    ¡°I¡­ thank you, thank you so much,¡± Aridean responded, wiping her tears off her now smiling face.

    ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯s even more impressive than I imagined,¡± Vidor commented.

    ¡°W-what¡¯s impressive?¡± Aridean asked, both confused and a bit embarrassed.

    ¡°Oh, this is just the first time I¡¯ve seen you smile for real. I wish I could have seen this sooner,¡± Vidor answered, Aridean gave a quiet laugh. ¡°And I think that¡¯s the first time I got you to laugh. I¡¯m so glad I set this up tonight, sorry I made it so awkward.¡±

    With their feelings now known to one another, the duo sat together at the table and ate the now cold dinner. Although they both knew it would have been better warm, the fish still tasted incredible despite the temperature drop. Once their plates had been cleared, Sven returned to retrieve the dirty dishes. Before returning to the kitchen, he caught a glimpse of Vidor giving him one of the goofiest smiles Aridean had ever seen. Sven smirked and gave Vidor a thumbs up as he walked the dirty dishes back to the kitchen. It appeared that Sven was entirely aware of what Vidor¡¯s non-verbal communication meant.

    ¡°Uhm, Vidor? Is this what they call a¡­ date?¡± Aridean asked as Sven exited the dining room. She felt a bit embarrassed asking the question as she felt she already knew the answer but wanted to confirm with Vidor anyways.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ huh¡­ y¡¯know, I think it is. I-I mean if you want to call it our first date, I¡¯d have no problem with that. B-but if you think this is going too fast, I don¡¯t want to rush you or anything. I mean I¡¯d be happy if this was our first date, but¡­ I really meant for this to be the night I finally tell you how I feel. To be honest, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get this far,¡± Vidor hastily and awkwardly replied. Another laugh from Aridean seemed to signal to Vidor that she was happy to call this their first date as well.

    Although she had never considered dating, Aridean was particularly happy with calling this her first date. After a lifetime of ridicule and belittling from the people of Thellia, she never gave finding love the time of day. It all came back to her personal fear of minotaurs that she thought it would be best if she never met another. But right now, she felt as though nothing could ruin her evening. Even so, she wished she had something a little nicer to wear for her first date with Vidor.

    ¡°I hope you enjoyed dinner. But are you ready for your surprise?¡± Vidor asked enthusiastically. Aridean was caught off guard.

    ¡°What? I thought this dinner was the surprise,¡± Aridean stated.

    ¡°Nope! Like I said, dinner was just thanks for saving Rana¡¯s tail. In fact I¡¯ve actually got two more surprises for you,¡± Vidor responded as he produced a sheet of paper and a pen from a bag that he had pulled from under the table. He passed the paper and pen to Aridean who looked to him with obvious confusion.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ what¡¯s this?¡± Aridean asked.

    As she finished her question, the front door to the mess hall was pushed open and in walked an elven man. Aridean recognized the man as Yuthe ¡®Sparrow¡¯ Galesong, a high-ranking member of the rebels. His motivations for having joined the rebellion, however, was something that she was not made privy to. Yuthe moved to the table where Aridean and Vidor were sitting. Standing between the two minotaurs, the elf gave a courteous bow and stood with his hands behind his back. Puzzled by the inexplicably impeccable timing, Aridean quietly wondered if this scene had been rehearsed.

    ¡°You know Sparrow, right? He¡¯s got an assignment out west and Thellia is out that way. I had an idea given he¡¯s gonna be out there. So, he¡¯s doing me a favor: he¡¯s going to deliver a letter from you to Simon,¡± Vidor explained, much to Aridean¡¯s surprise.

    ¡°I owe Vidor for running several errands for me, I believe this arrangement works out substantially in my favor. Take your time writing whatever you wish to send. I may not be a postman but rest assured that I will deliver your message without fail,¡± Yuthe added.

    ¡°Vidor, you have no idea what this means to me. I miss Simon so much, but¡­,¡± Aridean spoke, choking up a little.

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong? I thought you¡¯d be excited to tell your dad how you¡¯re doing,¡± Vidor said, surprised by Aridean¡¯s sudden and unexpected hesitation.

    Aridean was not sure how to respond. She was being given the chance to write to her adopted father. It was something she had dreamt of doing since she started living in Stonehaven alongside the rebels. But, deep down, an unsettling feeling kept her from ever putting a pen to paper. How was she supposed to explain to a former military officer of the Empire who raised her that she was now a part of the, literally and figuratively, underground organization working to undermine his authority? What would she say differently from what she had in the letter she left as she ran away? What would Simon think of her now after two years apart?

    However, what bothered her most was the even more terrifying question: Would Simon even want to read a letter from her after everything? Aridean was able to vividly recall the dream she had a long time ago; the dream she had before arriving in Stonehaven. In that dream, Simon had locked her out of the farmhouse and could be seen through the window balling up a letter and tossing the last birthday gift Aridean had given him into a fire. Is that what the result of her letter would be? Aridean was too horrified by the thought to lift the pen in front of her.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s just¡­ I-I don¡¯t know if Simon would want to hear from me. I¡¯d probably upset him by writing to him after so long,¡± Aridean eventually explained with a sullen expression. Vidor looked at her with astonishment while Yuthe waited silently and patiently by the table.

    ¡°Aridean, I¡¯m not going to say I know what¡¯s best here, but don¡¯t you at least want to try? You lived together as family for most of your life; he¡¯d probably be more upset you didn¡¯t write sooner. I know I wouldn¡¯t want to keep grandpa waiting two years if we were separated. If nothing else, what have you got to lose just writing a letter to him?¡± Vidor encouraged.

    Aridean took a deep breath before biting her lip as she looked at the blank paper before her. Vidor was right, she really had nothing to lose given she practically renounced Simon after running away so long ago. It was probably the idea of trying to work her way back into his life that scared her. However, with Vidor¡¯s encouragement, she did manage to pick up the pen she had been loaned.

    ¡°Hey, there you go! Just take your time; I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll love to hear that you¡¯re alive and well,¡± Vidor exclaimed with a smile. Aridean, however, was not entirely convinced yet.

    ¡°W-what makes you so sure of that though?¡± Aridean asked, the worry in her voice so strong she sounded as though she may start to cry.

    ¡°Because you two love one another, right?¡± Vidor answered with a confident and self-assured grin.

    How can Vidor be so romantic and yet so cruel at the same time? I love Simon; I miss him dearly. But I can¡¯t fathom why or how he could love me in return. Running away two years ago was for his sake¡­ now, how could I be so bold as to worm my way back into his life? Aridean depressingly thought to herself. She looked to Vidor across the table, who was still smiling at her. After taking a deep breath, the pen in her hand was pushed into the paper before her. However, no motions to scribe a single letter were made.

    ¡°V-Vidor¡­ I really appreciate the thought, I really do. But I¡­ I¡¯m scared. I abandoned Simon two years ago. I can¡¯t do something like this,¡± Aridean stuttered apprehensively. Vidor¡¯s smile shrank a bit after hearing Aridean.

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable. Tonight¡¯s supposed to be special¡­ maybe this gift was a bad idea. I didn¡¯t really consider how you felt about something like this being sprung on you. I¡¯m real sorry about this,¡± Vidor apologized, his beaming expression had softened a fair deal. Aridean slowly set the pen back down on the table before looking back at Vidor. Yuthe, who had elected to remain silent throughout the exchange, simply looked to Vidor as if to non-verbally ask if they were done. Vidor smiled and gave a nod to the elf. With that, Yuthe gave another courteous bow and left the mess hall. Now alone again, the minotaur couple sat quietly in the middle of the lavish, candlelit dining hall. Aridean was a bit surprised by how quickly Vidor was to give up on encouraging her to go through with writing the letter. It seemed a bit unlike him, but she assumed that her reservations told Vidor everything he needed to hear.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize; if anything, I¡¯m sorry for being so ungrateful,¡± Aridean responded with a discouraged tone of voice. She wondered to herself if avoiding contact with Simon really was for the best. In her heart, she knew that writing a letter to her adopted father was everything she wanted and more. However, her own logic dictated that she must distance herself from Simon for both their sakes.

    ¡°Well, I guess that one was a bust. But I¡¯ve got one more gift for you,¡± Vidor said to Aridean¡¯s surprise. Vidor stood from his seat at the table before adding, ¡°C¡¯mon, I wanted to give you this somewhere special.¡±

    ¡°Another gift? Vidor, when did you find the time to set all of this up? You really didn¡¯t have to go through all the trouble, you know,¡± Aridean inquired. Vidor laughed as he took her hand in his and led her to the front door of the mess hall.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is the last one and there¡¯s no way even I could mess this one up! Let¡¯s get out of here, the illusion should be wearing off soon anyways,¡± Vidor said gently pulling Aridean by her hand out of the dining room.

    Outside, Vidor led Aridean around the side of the mess hall. Down the street, the commotion from the festival could be heard in full swing. An enticing smell of different sweets and snacks lingered through the air. Aridean knew Rana would be upset if she were still stuck in the hospital.

    In an alleyway behind the mess hall, Vidor led Aridean to a flight of stone stairs that led to the roof of the mess hall. Not much light was able to reach the duo in the alley, most of the lampposts were on the street out front of the building. The couple¡¯s hooves clopped loudly against the stone as they ascended the stairs. Having reached the flat roof, Aridean immediately took notice of a cushioned bench near the front railing. In front of the bench was a small firepit filled with small branches and tall, dry grass. It seemed that the pit was hardly large enough to roast marshmallows.

    Vidor gently pulled Aridean toward the bench on the roof and insisted that she sit as he reached into his bag. He had procured a flint and some tinder and began attempting to strike a fire. After five failed attempts to strike fire into the pit, Aridean reached into the firepit and took the smallest branch she could find. Just a bit of concentration and touching her fingertip to the end of the branch set the dry wood ablaze. She carefully returned the branch to the pit where a fire quickly began to burn through the organic fuel. Vidor looked just a little embarrassed as Aridean sat back down on the bench.

    ¡°Okay¡­ well, I feel useless now,¡± Vidor murmured with feigned annoyance. Aridean¡¯s response was to giggle quietly as Vidor sat down beside her. Together, the two looked past the firepit in front of them to the festival in the brightly illuminated plaza. Music, laughter, and screeching children could be heard coming from the plaza.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite the view; I wonder if this is what it¡¯s like in the capital city,¡± Aridean finally said with wonder.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get to find out one day, I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Vidor said, lifting his arm closest to Aridean over her and around her back. Slowly and cautiously, Vidor rested his hand on Aridean¡¯s shoulder. Much to his surprise, and her own, Aridean did not resist the gesture as she normally did when someone went to touch her.

    ¡°Thanks for tonight, Vidor. I really enjoyed it,¡± Aridean said, scooting just an inch closer.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me just yet! I haven¡¯t given you your last gift; almost forgot actually,¡± Vidor replied, quickly retracting his arm and reaching into his bag again. From out of the bag emerged a necklace. The necklace was made of an above average sized, silver chain. Only one ornament was attached to the necklace: an ivory disc, only two inches across, with a silver trim and a bright, shining ruby set in the center.

    ¡°I want you to have this. Rana said it belonged to our mom. Not only do I think it¡¯ll look good on you, minotaurs also think rubies bring happiness and good fortune,¡± Vidor said confidently. His gift was met with Aridean¡¯s shock and awe. Although she did not wish to be ungrateful, such a gift seemed a bit much especially after the evening the two had already had together and that she just learned it is a memento of Vidor¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Are you sure you really want me to have this?! But surely it means a lot to you and Rana. I can¡¯t accept something so special,¡± Aridean began to protest. Despite her protests, Vidor smiled again as he began to undo the latch on the necklace. Without another word, he wrapped the necklace around Aridean¡¯s neck and closed the latch. Aridean felt the presence of the cool, metal chain around her neck, but her fur kept her from experiencing any chilling sensation.

    ¡°Happy birthday, Aridean,¡± Vidor excitedly exclaimed as Aridean inspected the accessory around her neck closely.

    ¡°W-what? But it¡¯s not my birthday,¡± Aridean quickly interjected with confusion. Vidor laughed as Aridean adjusted her new necklace to sit more comfortably around her neck.

    ¡°I know, but you never told me when it really is. I just know you kept saying that you were almost seventeen when we first brought you in, so your nineteenth birthday must be coming up soon. All the surprises tonight were to make up for having missed the last two,¡± Vidor explained with his usual enthusiasm. Aridean was simply left speechless by Vidor¡¯s actions.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what to say¡­ thank you¡­ for probably the best birthday I¡¯ve ever had,¡± Aridean said with another smile on her face. Vidor wrapped his arm around her again. Aridean, in turn, snuggled up against Vidor who was delightedly surprised by the unanticipated display of affection.

    ¡°Well¡­ I, uh, we¡­ uh, d-did you want to¡­ I don¡¯t know, go check out the festival?¡± Vidor clumsily managed to squeak out.

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to just sit here for a while longer,¡± Aridean answered, looking out toward the festival with Vidor and resting her head on his shoulder.

    ¡°R-right. I think I¡¯d like that too,¡± Vidor replied somehow sounding simultaneously both joyous and nervous. Together, the minotaur couple sat on the bench on the roof of the mess hall gazing upon the festival in Stonehaven in silence. The only sounds were the crackling of the firepit and the distant commotion of the celebration going on in the plaza.

 Chapter 10 - Those First Steps

    A cool breeze could be felt gently passing by Aridean as she sat in the wagon. Her mane danced in the flowing air as it whistled quietly in her ears. Creaking wood from the wagon wheels could be heard as they rolled over dirt and the occasional pebble as well as the clop of the horse hooves that drew said wagon along the road. Many large and dark clouds could be seen throughout the sky overhead. There were trees sparsely rooted to either side of the trail the wagon moved past, but more impressive was the snowy mountainside on the northern horizon.

    Within Aridean¡¯s hands was a detailed map of the northern reaches of the Empire. Carefully surveying the map, she used a worn pencil to make notes regarding the wagon¡¯s trip along the northern trails. Many annotations regarding direction and distance lined the outer reaches of the map page while some crude, but obvious, symbols marked the landmarks that the wagon had passed on its journey.

    Vidor sat across from her, sleeping on the wagon floor with a folded blanket under his head acting his pillow. Quiet snoring indicated he was in a deep slumber; Aridean assumed he was exhausted after having to be the night watch the previous evening. At the head of the wagon sat Rana, who kept the horses moving forward. She herself made no noise, but the slosh of water from her canteen could be heard as she took a swig.

    Nothing about the group seemed out of the ordinary as they traveled along the long road on this average autumn afternoon. The group had been traveling north-east for about three days now and were hoping to finally reach their destination before the weather became unfavorable.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh no,¡± Aridean moaned quietly. Her sudden disappointment was the product of observing a small streak of water moving down her map parchment. Worried that the page may become destroyed if it were to become too soaked, Aridean quickly folded the map up and put it into her bag. With her navigation tool now safely sheltered from the oncoming rain, Aridean moved to the front of the wagon with Rana.

    Rana put the cap back on her canteen as Aridean sat down beside her. She wiped her mouth of a small water spill before giving Aridean a friendly smile, which Aridean returned with one of her own. Aridean noticed Rana¡¯s eyes shift downward slightly.

    ¡°Uh, R-Rana? M-my eyes are up here,¡± Aridean clumsily and nervously joked with a goofy grin. Rana snorted before responding.

    ¡°Heh, good to see you finally decided to open up a bit. I was just looking at that necklace is all,¡± Rana replied in her usual sweet and friendly tone.

    ¡°Are you okay with it? Vidor mentioned that it belonged to your mother after all,¡± Aridean said, clutching the necklace in one hand. Her thumb ran across the back of the smooth ivory and her fingers felt the cool, but shiny, ruby on the front.

    ¡°I think it looks good on you. But I will admit I was a bit surprised that you two got along so well the other night. Aridean, you know it would have been alright to have just said you weren¡¯t ready,¡± Rana answered sounding a little more serious.

    ¡°I never worked up the courage to tell Jean how I felt about him. I didn¡¯t want to miss my second chance, especially since you had already told me that Vidor felt something for me. Maybe I did rush things the other night, but I honestly haven¡¯t felt this happy in quite some time,¡± Aridean confessed with shy, but sincere, enthusiasm. Rana looked at Aridean for a moment with a thoughtful expression before giving a friendly smile.

    With eyes on the road, the two female minotaurs sat together without another word. Many dark clouds were starting to fill the sky overhead and a cool breeze could be felt blowing westward. Much to their dismay, Aridean and Rana began to feel the cold and wet feeling of rain pouring down on them. A slight drizzle had greeted the team as they reached the top of a knoll where they were also able to see their destination. Their goal was to meet with a contact regarding Empire activity in an eastern town called Byrden.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve come out this way. I wonder if that bakery is still open, it had some wonderful cakes you should try,¡± Rana mentioned as she tried to take her mind off the rain that was starting to come down on the wagon.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to just get out of the rain. You said there¡¯s an inn here that allows minotaurs, right? We should probably look for our contact there¡­ before we go cake shopping,¡± Aridean suggested, clearly not trying to avoid thinking about the poor weather. Rana let loose a disappointed sigh.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. But we are not leaving without getting something from the bakery should it still be there,¡± Rana replied.

    ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± Aridean said as the two shared a short laugh.

    Although their destination was in sight, so too was a solid mile stretch of road between them and Byrden. Slowly but surely, the drizzle that had greeted the group of minotaurs was transforming into a steady rainfall. Aridean moved to the back of the wagon again and opened a chest. Within the chest were all sorts of helpful tools and items, but Aridean went digging through the random things for something in particular. Near the bottom of the chest, she found some well-folded raincoats. Aridean handed one coat to Rana and the two were quick to protect themselves from the rain.

    Still rooting through the chest, Aridean pulled out a large tarp. She turned to the sleeping Vidor with the tarp in hand. Working as quickly and quietly as she could, Aridean spread the tarp over Vidor to cover him from the rain as well.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± came Vidor¡¯s voice as his body shifted position on the wagon floor to face Aridean. Startled, Aridean nearly fell backwards out of the wagon as she jumped back. She wondered how long he had been awake as he had never opened his eyes.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re awake? I-I¡¯m sorry, was I too loud?¡± Aridean asked after composing herself from the scare she had suffered.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine. Y¡¯know, a lot of people find the sound of rainfall to be relaxing when they¡¯re trying to sleep. But I guess those people aren¡¯t sleeping in the rain,¡± Vidor answered as he opened his tired, bloodshot eyes. ¡°Getting to that inn sounds like a great plan.¡±

    Vidor rose from the wagon floor and draped the tarp he was wrapped in over his head and shoulders. After a loud and drawn-out yawn, he gave his usual friendly smile albeit with obvious drowsiness in his eyes.

    Rain continued to lightly fall around the trio as they moved in the direction of a darkened sky full of rain clouds. Puddles were starting to form on the road the wagon rolled along and the patter of rainwater drowned out the creaking of the wooden wheels. Fortunately, thunder and lightning did not make an appearance until the team finally reached the town they were headed toward.

    ¡°Welcome to Byrden; now where was that inn again?¡± Rana announced as she began surveying the buildings that lined the sides of the road. As expected, only a few people were out and about as it seemed a storm was coming soon.

    ¡°The map I was looking over said it should be on this side of to¡ªthere it is,¡± Aridean exclaimed as she pointed out a large, brick building that was down a side road. Over the double doors at the front of the building was a sign that read ¡®Tranquility Inn¡¯. Tranquility Inn was actually a large chain of inns and taverns throughout the Empire, some locations allowed minotaurs with varying degrees of reluctance. Beside of the inn was a fair sized stable with a few horses and a single wagon kept out of the rain. Rana pulled on the reins of the horses drawing the wagon and got them to turn toward the stable. Soon enough, the group was out of the rain and disembarking from their now soaked wagon.

    ¡°Alright, you two collect your things and feed the horses while I get us a room,¡± Rana said as she began walking toward the front door of the inn. Vidor slowly and lazily slung his bag over his shoulder and began moving toward the front of the wagon with his eyes shut. Aridean managed to catch Vidor as he began falling toward the ground; it seemed that he was still too tired to do much of anything. With haste, Aridean moved to take care of the horses herself, not only because they reminded her of the sheep on Simon¡¯s farm, but also so Vidor could focus on just standing up.

    ¡°Sorry about that. Haven¡¯t been this out of it for a while,¡± Vidor spoke as Aridean lead the horses to a nearby post with dry hay spread out. ¡°H-huh? What was¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Is something wrong?¡± Aridean asked, turning back to her friend who seemed to be a bit more alert than he had a moment ago. Vidor was looking in every direction, as if he were being hunted by something.

    ¡°It just felt like something rubbed up against my leg a moment ago¡­ am I just so tired that I¡¯m imagining things now?¡± Vidor answered while stretching and letting loose another yawn. Aridean approached the yawning minotaur and looked over his legs. She could not find anything out of the ordinary on Vidor. Perhaps he did just imagine having been brushed. Aridean was aware that a lack of sleep could mess with senses but this was her first time witnessing it.

    Something that did catch Aridean¡¯s eye, however, was something on the ground beside where Vidor was standing. In the damp soil beside both Vidor and the wagon was a footprint. What was peculiar about the print was that it did not belong to one of the minotaurs as it was not a hoof. Strangely enough, there were no other footprints like this one around the wagon.

    ¡°Hey¡­ did you see anybody else out here? This footprint wasn¡¯t here when we got out of the wagon, was it?¡± Aridean asked as she knelt down to look over the print in the dirt a bit better. She could have sworn that the ground around the wagon had been completely smoothed when the team arrived.

    ¡°Huh? Uh¡­ I don¡¯t really know. To be honest, I just blacked out a little bit and only just remembered why I¡¯m wearing a tarp,¡± Vidor answered with a tired laugh. Aridean looked over the footprint for another few seconds with curiosity. As she stood back up, Rana emerged from the inn and gestured the two to join her inside. Taking Vidor¡¯s hand in her own, Aridean led the barely conscious minotaur into the inn.

    Finally out of the rain, Vidor removed the tarp that kept his clothes dry as Aridean and Rana stripped their raincoats. After removing her coat, Aridean looked around the inn lobby with a bit of awe. The walls were smooth, clean, and well painted; further they were adorned with various pictures of popular and historical figures and a plaque stating the Tranquility Inn¡¯s business statement. A well-kept reception desk was staffed by a single man who was quietly reading from a book. However, the man did give a courtesy nod to the group that had just entered his lobby. His expression told Aridean that he did not seem pleased to see minotaur guests, but not necessarily disgusted as she would have assumed either.

    Beyond the walls and reception desk, Aridean also took note of a warm fireplace across from reception. Before the fire were several chairs and couches surrounding a small table upon which sat a checkerboard. Two dwarven guests seemed to be thoroughly invested in a game of checkers at the moment.

    There were large bay windows on both sides of the front door to the inn. Rain was coming down steadily outside. Loud splashing could be heard from outside as the heavy rainwater struck the windows and added to large puddles.

    Aridean also took note of the doorway on the far side of the lobby. It seemed to lead into a dining room of some sort as several patrons were seated at homely looking tables and eating a late dinner. Another doorway was found on the other side of the reception desk with a sign reading room numbers on it. Presumably, that doorway led into a hallway where the guest rooms were located.

    ¡°Wow¡­ I¡¯ve never been to an inn before. I had no idea they were so fancy,¡± Aridean could not help but say out loud.

    ¡°Us? Fancy? Pfft,¡± came the receptionist, quietly after having heard Aridean¡¯s comment. Aridean got the feeling that the man had not meant to be as loud as he had been as he did not seem intent on elaborating further.

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve arrived in Byrden and gotten ourselves a room. We are upstairs in room two-oh-three. Aridean, could you make sure Vidor gets there and gets to bed? I¡¯ll meet you in the dining room for dinner after I speak with the receptionist a bit more,¡± Rana announced as she handed Aridean the group¡¯s room key. Aridean looked over the small metal key which had a paper tag attached to the key loop. Written on the tag was the number ¡®203¡¯.

    ¡°Wait, I can get myself to our room. I¡¯m not dying or anything, I¡¯m just sleepy,¡± Vidor said with a slight hint of defiance toward his sister¡¯s plan. Rana¡¯s expression displayed her annoyance at her brother¡¯s stubborn and childish outburst.

    ¡°Vidor, you haven¡¯t had more than an hour of sleep in over two days now. Your eyes aren¡¯t even open and you¡¯re not even facing Aridean or me; you¡¯re talking to a coat rack,¡± Rana explained to her confused brother. Vidor¡¯s eyes shot open wide and he took a minute to process that he was, indeed, attempting to hold a conversation with a coat rack.

    ¡°Uh¡­ okay, Aridean, could you help me to our room?¡± Vidor asked as he tried to quickly put his embarrassment behind him. Both Rana and Aridean gave a quiet giggle. Aridean took Vidor by the hand again and began to lead him toward the guest room hallway. As they began making their way toward the staircase at the end of the hallway, Aridean could hear Rana speaking with the receptionist.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been to Byrden; is the Honey Drop Bakery still open?¡± Rana could be heard asking, her voice growing quieter as Aridean and Vidor moved down the hall. Aridean snorted while rolling her eyes as Rana¡¯s conversation became too quiet to hear behind her.

    I thought we agreed to finding our contact first¡­ well, she at least waited long enough for us to get out of the rain, Aridean thought to herself as she continued to pull Vidor along. The duo reached the end of the hallway and proceeded into the stairwell, where they climbed up the flight of well-polished, wooden stairs. The clop of their hooves and Vidor¡¯s yawning drowned out the quiet creak of the stairs beneath them.

    Upon reaching the second floor, Aridean pulled Vidor through the hallway. On both sides of the well-kept and tidy hall were a number of doors to guest rooms. Small plaques on the doors indicated the room number. Nearing the opposite end of the hallway, Aridean and Vidor found room 203. Aridean slipped the key Rana had given her into the lock and turned. A loud click that signaled the lock was undone was heard. Aridean removed the key from the lock, turned the doorknob, and pushed the door open.

    Aridean took a moment to take in the guest room that the team would be staying in. It was a fairly small room, especially for a trio of minotaurs. However, it still managed to fit two beds which shared a single nightstand and oil lamp. There was also a single dresser and couch in the room. Currently, the only light in the room came from outside through the single window in the room. Unfortunately, that light would not last much longer as it was getting late and storm clouds were obscuring most sunlight already.

    Vidor, on the other hand, immediately moved toward the closest bed in the room. The minotaur fell face first onto the mattress without a word, solely the sound of his body landing on the springy mattress.

    ¡°Vidor? Don¡¯t you want to at least put your things down? Uhm¡­ Vidor?¡± Aridean asked her sluggish companion. The only response Aridean received was the sound of snoring as Vidor had already fallen asleep with a leg and arm hanging off of the bed.

    I mean, I¡¯m not surprised, but I thought he¡¯d at least put his stuff down first, Aridean thought to herself as she moved closer to her now practically comatose friend. Gently and quietly, Aridean took Vidor¡¯s bag from his back and set it on top of the room¡¯s dresser. She then pulled the blanket on the bed out from under Vidor. With just a little effort, Aridean managed to reposition the dozing minotaur on the bed in what looked to be a more comfortable arrangement. Finally, she pulled the blanket over Vidor¡¯s body, leaving only his head exposed on a pillow at the head of the bed.

    ¡°Mnn¡­ sis,¡± Vidor sheepishly called out as he stirred under the blanket. Aridean quietly giggled after hearing his sleep-deprived moaning.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he talked in his sleep¡­ but if anyone would, he would,¡± Aridean said to herself as she moved toward the room door.

    ¡°Mnn¡­ Rana¡­ not now,¡± Vidor quietly complained, which elicited more, hushed laughter from Aridean. ¡°¡­ asked Aridean on another date.¡±

    He even dreams of spending time with me? Maybe Mikali is right to think he may be a bit obsessed. But¡­ I¡¯d be lying if I said it didn¡¯t make me feel a little special. Thanks Vidor, Aridean thought with a warm smile on her face. With her friend resting in their guest room, Aridean exited back into the hallway.

    Outside room 203, Aridean took her room key and locked the door behind her. She made her way back toward the stairwell at the end of the hallway. Again, the creaking of the wooden stairs was drowned out by the clop of her hooves as they fell upon each step. On the first floor again, Aridean returned to the lobby where the dwarves by the fireplace were finishing up their checkers match. One seemed unusually jovial while the other was fuming with rage, Aridean assumed their game did not end well for the angered dwarf.

    Turing back to the reception desk, Aridean noticed that neither the clerk nor Rana were where she left them.

    I guess she¡¯s already in the dining room? May as well take a look inside, Aridean considered. The minotaur moved toward the inn¡¯s dining room, keeping a wide berth from the enraged dwarf as he moved toward the hall to his room. Peeking her head inside the around the doorway from the lobby into the dining room, Aridean could smell some delightful meals and observed a handful of guests partaking of said meals. It took a moment of surveying the room before Aridean managed to locate Rana as she was being served her dinner. Just before Aridean could begin walking toward her friend, Rana had noticed her and started waving her over.

    ¡°There you are. I¡¯ve already ordered us both dinners. Vidor wasn¡¯t too much trouble, was he?¡± Rana asked as Aridean sat down at her table.

    ¡°I think he was asleep before he even hit the bed,¡± Aridean replied as she looked at the dinner Rana had ordered for her. It was a vegetable soup of some kind. Perhaps not her first choice, but it seemed fitting given the poor weather conditions outside.

    ¡°I hope you like soup. Sorry, but they ran out of pork and I know you don¡¯t eat lamb,¡± Rana spoke as she began to collect a spoonful of her soup. Steam was still rising off the liquid¡¯s surface as she dumped the spoon into her mouth. Her eyes lit up as she quickly grabbed her water glass, signaling to Aridean that it may be a bit on the warm side.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had good soup in a while, but I may wait a minute for it to cool. Anyways, did you manage to figure anything out regarding our business here?¡± Aridean asked as she began swirling her soup with a spoon. Rana took a moment to wipe her mouth with a napkin before responding.

    ¡°Well, we actually arrived earlier than I had anticipated. Our meeting is scheduled two days from now. However, the weather could delay our friend¡¯s arrival,¡± Rana explained with a serious tone and hushed voice despite the dining room having been mostly cleared out. ¡°In the meantime, we need to do everything we can to not draw attention to ourselves. While no one has any reason to suspect us of anything, we are still a group of minotaurs. That alone will set off some people these days. You remember the plan should anyone approach with questions, yes?¡±

    ¡°If anyone asks, I¡¯m your little sister and we¡¯re just stopping by on a pilgrimage to rest and gather some supplies,¡± Aridean answered, finally taking her first taste of the soup she had been served. It was still quite hot, but it certainly had a delightful taste despite being a bit on the salty side.

    ¡°Heh, after the last two years together, I do think of you as a little sister regardless,¡± Rana responded with a smirk and her sweet, older-sister tone of voice. Aridean was a bit surprised by Rana¡¯s statement, but smiled, nonetheless.

    ¡°Well, what are we to do with two days? Hmm¡­ I guess you want to visit the Honey Drop Bakery, right?¡± Aridean asked with a sly smirk on her face.

    ¡°You heard me talking to the receptionist, huh? Well, I know we agreed to take care of business first, but since we have the time¡­¡± Rana answered. Aridean wondered if Rana¡¯s plan all along was to arrive early enough to allow her time to get her sweets fix before the team met up with their contact. Despite having shown herself to be caring and considerate, Aridean had found out Rana had a little bit of an obsession with sweets.

    ¡°Perhaps we will check out the bakery tomorrow,¡± Aridean said, now eating her adequately cooled soup. Rana¡¯s eyes lit up, to which Aridean correctly assumed she was already trying to decide what she would try first when they get to the bakery.

    The two minotaurs finished their meal without much more conversation. After finishing their soups, they decided it would be best to return to their room for the evening. Back in room 203, Vidor was still sound asleep on the bed that Aridean had left him on. However, he had stirred enough that his arm was hanging off of the bed again. Given there were only two beds in the room and one was already taken, Aridean elected to sleep on the couch. Although Rana offered the remaining bed, Aridean firmly insisted that she¡¯d be fine with this arrangement. Having said their goodnights, Rana turned off the lamp on the room¡¯s nightstand and the guests went to sleep.

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    ¡°Hey, Aridean, wake up,¡± Vidor said, gently shaking Aridean¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Huh? Wha--?¡± Aridean responded as she took a moment to collect herself. She took a few deep breaths and could feel herself shaking for some reason.

    ¡°Are you doing alright? You were tossing and turning a lot in your sleep,¡± Vidor asked with concern in his voice. Aridean felt embarrassed; another bad dream had made Rana or Vidor worry again. Having composed herself a bit, she put on the best smile she could manage.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. I-I¡¯m fine, just a bad dream is all,¡± Aridean answered. Her words rang hollow however as Rana seemed to see her visibly shaking on the couch in their guest room.

    ¡°Are you sure it was just a bad dream? It must have hit hard, you¡¯re still shaking,¡± Rana commented sounding gravely serious. ¡°If something is wrong, you know I want to hear it.¡±

    Aridean focused all of her willpower into getting her body to stop shaking as she sat up on the couch. She did not want to talk about her bizarre nightmares with Rana or Vidor, they would likely just worry more. Even so, Aridean also considered talking it through. But if she did, how would they help her anyway? Maybe talking it out would not be a bad idea, but Aridean doubted it would stop the recurring nightmares where a knight in armor came for her with a bloodied blade drawn.

    Last night¡¯s dream was especially alarming: not only did the knight make his appearance again, but Aridean had been cornered in an unfamiliar, empty room. She saw as the blade was thrust into her leg and felt the pain of it being twisted and yanked back out.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. Just got a bit spooked is all,¡± Aridean said, forcing a smile she hoped would convince Rana and Vidor that everything was alright. Truth be told, she still had no idea why she continued to suffer the appearance of the intimidating knight in her dreams.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ if you say so¡­¡± Vidor responded, not sounding entirely convinced despite Aridean¡¯s best efforts. Rana remained silent but looked Aridean up and down with a slightly disappointed expression on her face. She was not quite certain as to why but Aridean felt shame and guilt just from being the subject of Rana¡¯s gaze.

    The trio began to prepare themselves for the day without further discussion regarding Aridean¡¯s restless sleeping. Throughout the room, the clop of hooves on hard wood could be heard as the inhabitants moved to make their beds and sort out their bags and gear. Vidor, however, was forced out of the room by Rana while she and Aridean changed into fresh clothes. Once all the day¡¯s preparations had been made, Rana called for attention.

    ¡°Alright, so we are all aware that our contact won¡¯t be arriving until tomorrow. In the meantime, we have ourselves some downtime. While it is still a bit wet out, the rain has at least stopped. Being team leader, it is by my order that we will be visiting the Honey Drop Bakery as soon as possible,¡± Rana announced. Aridean was almost certain that she saw a droplet of saliva run down Rana¡¯s lips at the mention of the bakery. Vidor visibly rolled his eyes at Rana¡¯s ¡®orders,¡¯ but did not object. Both Aridean and Vidor knew it would likely be a fruitless endeavor to try and persuade Rana otherwise.

    Having made their morning plans, Rana led the group out of their guest room with excitement and anticipation painted upon her face. Vidor and Aridean followed closely behind, Aridean stopped only to lock their room back as they left. The three proceeded down the hallway to the stairs, descended the quietly creaking steps, and made their way back to the lobby of the inn. In the lobby, Aridean noticed that a different receptionist was behind the desk; a cheery-looking woman now attended the desk. What surprised Aridean was that the woman gave a polite smile and wave to the three minotaurs walking past on their way out of the inn.

    I thought the only people who didn¡¯t mind minotaurs lived in Stonehaven¡­ I don¡¯t know if I find it comforting or unsettling that there are humans who treat minotaurs with kindness out here. Even having friendly humans and elves around in Stonehaven just feels so¡­ unreal, Aridean mused quietly to herself.

    Outside of the Tranquility Inn, Rana stopped and reached into her bag. From her bag, Rana produced a map of the town which she quickly handed to Aridean.

    ¡°Alright navigator, what¡¯s the quickest route to the bakery?¡± Rana asked with a short giggle. Aridean looked over the map and nearly instantly located both their current location and their destination.

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s just at the end of the main road we came in on yesterday¡­ yeah, it¡¯ll be the last building on our left,¡± Aridean answered after her quick survey of the map Rana provided.

    ¡°Well, we aren¡¯t getting there just standing around, let¡¯s get going,¡± Vidor commented.

    All in agreement, the team began backtracking up the side road they took to get to the inn. Despite the rain having stopped at some point overnight, there were many puddles and most the dirt path was now mud. A thin fog had also rolled in, keeping the air around them moist but cool.

    Not many townsfolk seemed to be out at the moment, to Aridean¡¯s relief. As the group made their way down the main road, only on occasion did Aridean notice a citizen of the town. Only a single wagon, loaded with various surpluses of items, made its way down the road; Aridean presumed the wagon belonged to a traveling merchant given the vast stock and guardsmen riding the wagon. What shocked Aridean the most about the townspeople that she observed was that only a single child looked at the minotaur team as if they did not belong. However, the child¡¯s stare could easily have been explained away as him not having or having rarely seen a minotaur.

    ¡°Are you okay? You keep looking around like something¡¯s wrong,¡± Vidor asked having picked up on Aridean¡¯s wandering gaze at some point. Aridean herself was caught a bit off guard by the question.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. Yes, I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just¡­ different from Thellia,¡± Aridean answered after deciding her words as delicately as she could.

    At least in Thellia, I knew what to expect. That helped me prepare myself a little¡­ not that it did much good. But here? It¡¯s not at all what I had expected. I don¡¯t expect them to be friendly like Jean. Not being scorned or hated, but actually being acknowledged as a living being by strangers is just¡­ so unusual, Aridean internally explained to herself. She did not know how to explain it to Vidor or Rana as just describing it to herself sounded really weird.

    ¡°Well¡­ okay then. If you say so. I hope it¡¯s better than Thellia,¡± Vidor said while putting on a smile.

    ¡°Oh! I can smell the sweet rolls already!¡± Rana excitedly exclaimed while quickening her pace. Sure enough, Aridean and Vidor too could tell they were nearing the bakery by the smell of fresh baked sweets.

    Just as Aridean said, the bakery was the last building along the main road on their left. It was a modest looking building, almost like someone¡¯s home. A hanging sign by the door read ¡°Honey Drop Bakery¡± and had the business¡¯s logo on it: a dollop of honey being spread over a basket of rolls. Of course, the scent of delectable and decadent baked goods lingered around the store.

    Upon entering the building, the group found themselves in a small front room that had several tables scattered throughout with no particular order or pattern. Many different baked goods were displayed on the tables. Breads, cookies, cakes, and more were spread all over the room be it on the display tables or shelves lined on the walls. On the far end of the room was a checkout desk, behind which sat an older and friendly looking dwarven woman. The only other customer in the store was, to Aridean¡¯s surprise, the male receptionist from the Tranquility Inn. The man gave the group a token nod before returning to the bread selection in front of him.

    ¡°Where to start, where to start¡­¡± Rana said as she began perusing the various goodies she so desperately wished to try. Vidor rolled his eyes as his sister became fully absorbed in her sweets shopping. Ignoring the uncharacteristically excitable Rana, Vidor turned to Aridean with a smile.

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s happy, but what do you want? My treat,¡± he asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you, but you don¡¯t have to do that for me. Frankly, I feel I owe you after my two birthday surprises the other day,¡± Aridean replied. Vidor laughed a bit before responding. Rana had left the two by the front door as she moved through the store with a small paper bag she had pulled from the counter.

    ¡°Hey, that was your birthday¡­ well, sort of. Anyways, this is just me wanting to do something nice for you. Don¡¯t worry about it, you can treat me next time because I offered first this time around,¡± Vidor said with his usual goofy smile on his face. Aridean gave a quiet sigh, she knew Vidor was not going to let up. Having relented to his generous offer, Aridean smiled back and grabbed a paper bag of her own.

    With Vidor, Aridean began looking around the shop. She did not plan on getting too much lest she feel she would be taking advantage of Vidor¡¯s offer. Even so, she took a great deal of time trying to decide between honey buns and zucchini bread.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Jean always shared honey buns that his mother made with me, so getting these would be nostalgic¡­ But Simon made zucchini bread once and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had anything more delicious,¡± Aridean debated. Vidor¡¯s response to her deliberations was to, without a word, grab two honey buns and a large chunk of zucchini bread and put it in a paper bag he had collected. Aridean looked at him with stunned silence as he winked at her before heading for the checkout desk.

    ¡°Aridean, I can¡¯t choose: lemon or angel food cake? I love the taste of lemon and putting it in a cake sounds like heaven but angel food is always a safe choice because of its soft and sweet texture,¡± Rana called out from behind Aridean. Aridean turned around to see that Rana was presenting her two options in each of her hands. However, Aridean had never tried either type of cake and really had no opinion one way or the other. Even so, it was clear that Rana was not about to let her go without voicing an opinion.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ Rana? Do you have my wallet?¡± Vidor called from the checkout. Both Aridean and Rana turned to see Vidor rooting through his bag. Rana, having snapped out of her sweets-trance, looked to her brother with concern.

    ¡°Despite your laidback attitude, you¡¯ve never forgotten anything such as your wallet. Did you leave it back at the inn or in the wagon?¡± Rana responded as she moved toward Vidor alongside Aridean.

    ¡°No¡­ I could have sworn it was in my pocket, but it¡¯s not there and I can¡¯t find it in my bag either,¡± Vidor said, slinging his bag back over his shoulders. An audible sigh was heard coming from the male receptionist as he was walking with his own purchases toward the counter.

    ¡°She still up to her old tricks then?¡± The man seemed to ask without directly addressing anyone else in the shop.

    ¡°Uhm, I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Vidor asked the man as he reached into his own pocket to pull out a small coin pouch.

    ¡°You lot came into town late last night, right? And if I recall, you specifically were about half-dead from how tired you looked. Did you happen to see anyone else outside the inn with you?¡± Asked the man as he began counting coins from his pouch to pay for his own order.

    ¡°W-we didn¡¯t see anyone else out there¡­ but I did notice a footprint that belonged to someone that was not with us near our wagon,¡± Aridean chimed in nervously.

    ¡°Huh, even she still slips up on occasion. Been a while since anyone caught any trace of her,¡± the man said as he nonchalantly handed his coins over to the dwarven woman behind the counter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve been draggin¡¯ the kids on long enough, Dale? What he¡¯s gettin¡¯ at is that Byrden has a bit of a pickpocket runnin¡¯ round,¡± the old dwarf explained as she took the man¡¯s payment.

    ¡°I got pickpocketed?! Aw, dammit! I was saving up to get myself a new crossbow too¡­¡± Vidor disappointedly lamented as he looked over his current, well-used crossbow.

    ¡°Hey, calm down. This particular pickpocket is a bit weird. First, no one in Byrden knows why, but she¡¯s only targeted minotaur visitors. Second, far as anyone knows, she doesn¡¯t keep the money she steals,¡± the receptionist named Dale continued.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t keep it? How are you sure of that and where does she take it then?¡± Rana inquired as she placed her bag of sweets on the counter and pulled out her own wallet. Despite the peculiar situation concerning her brother, she was still able to focus on her satiating her sweet tooth.

    ¡°Well, it took a while to figure out, but she apparently donates every wallet she nabs to the church just up the road. Why? I don¡¯t know. The pastor there is aware of where she gets the donations and is more than willing to return the stolen wallets to any of her targets,¡± Dale answered, having picked up his bag. He looked fully prepared to end the conversation then and there.

    ¡°U-uhm, if the town is aware of a thief, has no one done anything to stop her? A-also, do you know her name? You¡¯ve just been referring to her as ¡®she¡¯ and ¡®her¡¯ this whole time,¡± Aridean anxiously asked the man who seemed entirely uninterested in further conversation.

    ¡°Well, Dale¡¯s just been callin¡¯ her ¡®she¡¯ n¡¯ ¡®her¡¯ ¡®cause no one knows her name. She just showed up one day, spendin¡¯ most her time near or round the church. Perhaps Pastor Raltor knows the little lady¡¯s name, but he hasn¡¯t told anybody if he does,¡± the old dwarven woman jumped in as she accepted Rana¡¯s coins. Rana, like Dale, also seemed entirely uninterested in the conversation as she began to bite into a moist looking muffin.

    ¡°Further, Byrden did put out wanted posters to put a stop to her when she first started her little charade. However, she picked up on that real quick and kept her head down for a while. It was during that time that the pastor must have found out that she was stealing money from minotaur folk like yourselves. In order to keep her out of stocks, the pastor agreed to returning any wallets the thief donates to the church. Almost as soon as the posters went away, the pickpocketing started back up, but again only to minotaurs. Far as I know, any victims after that have managed to get their money back, albeit annoyed by the inconvenience,¡± Dale explained, clearly growing more impatient. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, nothing against you lot, but I¡¯d like to get to enjoying my day off.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry to keep you. But thank you very much for the help,¡± Aridean said as the man turned and began walking toward the door.

    ¡°Yeah, thanks a lot, Mr. Dale,¡± Vidor called out as well. The man, without turning back around, waved his hand as though to say ¡®don¡¯t mention it¡¯ as he exited the shop.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind that Dale. He¡¯s always been a bit rough round the edges with travelers. Bit ironic given he works the inn most days. Anyway, is there anything else I can do for you lot?¡± The friendly dwarven baker asked with a bright smile on her wrinkled face.

    ¡°Well¡­ I was gonna get these, but I guess I gotta go to this church first to get my wallet,¡± Vidor answered. Unexpectedly, the shopkeeper began to chuckle at Vidor¡¯s comment.

    ¡°Oh, you seem like good kids. Being that you got swindled, I¡¯ll just let you have the honey buns on the house,¡± the dwarf kindly offered, much to Aridean and Vidor¡¯s surprise. ¡°Just don¡¯t go tellin¡¯ Dale or else he¡¯ll expect freebies too!¡±

    ¡°Wow, really? Thank you so much,¡± Vidor replied with a goofy looking smile.

    With their sugary-sweet breakfast in hand, the three minotaur customers waved goodbye to the kind dwarf as they exited the shop. Rana had finished the muffin she had started eating inside the bakery and was now savoring a piece of lemon cake with unbridled glee. Vidor handed Aridean one of the gooey honey buns that he had been given. The less sugar-crazed of the group simply enjoyed their individual treats in silence.

    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ve had my fix now and will start acting myself again. I believe we should go get Vidor¡¯s wallet from that church before we do anything else,¡± Rana said as she licked her lips clean of any crumbs of cake. With mouths full of honey bun, both Vidor and Aridean just nodded their agreement. After thoroughly chewing, Aridean swallowed her snack.

    ¡°I think the map said that the church is just up the road here, just outside of town,¡± Aridean spoke after having finished her treat. She pointed further up the main road the three had walked to get to the bakery. Sure enough, there were several buildings outside the town proper further along the road. However, the church the team was looking for must be a bit further than anticipated as it was not readily visible from their current position.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not getting my wallet back just sitting around here. You two comin¡¯?¡± Vidor asked as he began walking up the road while chewing the last bite of his honey bun. Rana and Aridean followed behind him as the three made their way for the town¡¯s church.

    Walking along the road, there were several small homes on to either side. Nothing extraordinarily stood out about any of the houses the group passed on their way to the church. Many puddles were scattered about the yards and the road beneath was more mud than dirt because of the poor weather the previous evening. It was probably because of the muggy weather outside that many of the homes seemed so quiet; the inhabitants were likely sleeping in or just did not want to get out in case the rain came back.

    Or they looked outside and noticed us walking by¡­ Aridean thought to herself, a bit worried that she and her friends might be under surveillance from the windows of the mostly dark and quiet homes. She was unable to shake the feeling that the townspeople were eager to be rid of her and her friends despite the unexpectedly generous treatment they had received.

    ¡°Hey, Aridean, you grew up under a human¡¯s roof and in a human village: did you ever go to a human church? I mean, we got one back home, but I¡¯ve never had the patience to sit through any sermon or anything. What are they like?¡± Vidor asked as the church came into view as the group reached the top of a large hill.

    ¡°Well, Simon always said he wanted as normal a life I could get for me. He taught me about minotaur beliefs and spirits, but I wanted to follow his footsteps and started believing in the human faith anyway. Even so, we weren¡¯t especially religious and Simon knew how uncomfortable church would be for me and everyone else. I¡¯ve never actually attended a sermon before so I really couldn¡¯t say. I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aridean replied.

    ¡°No need to apologize, Aridean. Perhaps if they have a sermon today or tomorrow we could find the time to observe. It would certainly be an interesting experience for all of us,¡± Rana chimed in as the group reached the church.

    Before the group was a solid white building surrounded by a small brick wall only broken by the road leading to the door. Between the wall and the building were several rows of bright and colorful assortments of flowers. Large windows lined the side faces of the church and above the double door entrance was a well-polished wooden cross.

    Behind the structure was a gloomy looking graveyard entirely encompassed by a sturdy looking, iron fence. Many of the tombstones had flowers laid over them and there were a few people standing over some graves with flowers in hand. Just outside of the gate to the fence was a small wooden shack.

    ¡°So, this is the church. I hope that Pastor Raltor guy is here,¡± Vidor said walking up to the front door of the church. Aridean and Rana followed closely behind.

    Vidor carefully pulled the door to the church open. Looking inside, the church was made of a single, large worship hall. Pews were neatly lined up, leading to the back of the room where an altar with various religious symbols were found. On the back wall was another wooden cross, this one had a dimly lit lamp shining down on it from the ceiling. Just beside the alter, reading from a book was a single man in white robes. Upon hearing the creak of the door, the man closed his book and looked toward his guests with a smile on his face. Age was apparent on the man as wrinkles stretched across his face and his hair was a shining gray.

    His smile quickly faded when he noticed who his visitors were. An audible sigh could be heard from across the hall. After taking a moment for himself, the man began smiling again as he approached the three minotaurs at his door.

    ¡°Greetings, my horned friends. Normally I would like to ask if there is anything this humble servant of God could do for you today, but I suspect I am already aware of what you are here for,¡± the man spoke as he neared the group.

    ¡°Hi, I was told that Pastor Raltor could get me my wallet back. I only found out a little while ago that I apparently had it swiped yesterday evening. I was told it was brought here as a donation to the church,¡± Vidor said as he and the man shook hands.

    ¡°Yes, of course. Oh, forgive me, I am Pastor Raltor. Allow me just one moment while I fetch your coin pouch,¡± the pastor replied as he returned to the altar at the back of the room. Vidor turned to Aridean and Rana while the pastor was sifting through various boxes behind the altar.

    ¡°Seems like a friendly enough guy, but I¡¯m guessing most church leaders are,¡± Vidor whispered.

    ¡°Still, I wonder why he allows that thief to bring in wallets. I wonder if asking him would tell us anything. I just find it odd that the thief only targets minotaurs; it¡¯s not like we have notable wealth or nobility,¡± Rana added in a hushed voice.

    ¡°Do you think he knows much about her? The shopkeeper at the bakery said no one knows the thief and that the pastor hasn¡¯t shared any information with the town if he does,¡± Aridean quietly reminded the other two.

    ¡°Well, it couldn¡¯t hurt to ask, right? Even if he doesn¡¯t know, we won¡¯t lose anything. We didn¡¯t have any plans today anyway, right?¡± Vidor concluded the group¡¯s conversation as the pastor was making his way back to the front of the church with Vidor¡¯s coin pouch in hand.

    Vidor turned back around to the pastor as he reached the three minotaurs. Pastor Raltor presented Vidor¡¯s coin pouch with a smile. Happily, Vidor accepted his coin pouch and quickly returned it to his back pocket. The clink of coins bouncing off one another could be heard with every jostle of the pouch as it moved from the pastor¡¯s hand to Vidor¡¯s pocket.

    ¡°Now that that¡¯s out of the way, is there anything I might do for you travelers?¡± Raltor asked with a friendly smile across his wrinkled face.

    ¡°Well, we were kind of wondering what you could tell us about the pickpocket that brought my wallet in. Do you know what her deal is? The lady at the bakery in town said she just kind of showed up one day and spends most her time out here,¡± Vidor inquired. Pastor Raltor¡¯s smile slowly faded as sorrow seemed to replace his content expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t say much for the sake of her privacy, I hope you understand. Just know that she¡¯s been through a lot and has a lot to learn about the world. I¡¯ve tried to get her to end her thieving ways, but she simply won¡¯t listen to reason,¡± Raltor explained after having blown nearly all the air from his lungs.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s had her fair share of troubles in the past, but what compels her to target minotaurs? What exactly does she gain stealing from a passing minotaur? Furthermore, she is surely aware that you return her stolen donations,¡± Rana asked with curiosity.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, hooves?!¡± an angered voice came from the door to the church.

    At the door stood a young lady covered in a large, blue cloak. Her head was uncovered, revealing long and golden hair that reached down just below her shoulders. The girl had bright, blue eyes and freckles sparsely dotted her nose. Aridean noticed that her hands had been clenched into tight fists and a furious scowl on her face expressed to Aridean that the girl was overcome with intense rage.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you monsters took from me that I¡¯ll just take from you. You monsters are the cause of the rebellion and all the fighting throughout the Empire,¡± the girl bitterly shouted.

    ¡°M-m-monsters?¡± Aridean repeated with a fearful tone as her eyes went wide. She could hear the insults from back home so clearly: eyesore, animal, savage, beast, creature, abomination, monster. Dread began to swallow her as her breathing quickened; memories of the hate she suffered in Thellia resurfaced. Vidor looked to Aridean with concern as she began to back away from the girl.

    ¡°Aridean? Are you okay?¡± Vidor asked, completely ignoring the insult from the girl.

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t help it, I can¡¯t¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ please don¡¯t¡­¡± Aridean quietly panicked as she began to curl up there in the church. Both Rana and Vidor were confused by the sudden and unexplained crisis that had overtaken Aridean. Frozen on the floor, Aridean began shaking and she could feel her heart beating in her chest at an alarming pace.

    Even the girl looked confused by what she was witnessing as the anger in her expression seemed to vanish. Despite having made the insult, clearly the girl had not anticipated such a dramatic reaction. She was obviously taken by surprise to see one of the three minotaurs curled into a fetal position, shivering and quietly muttering to itself.

    ¡°Magdalene! These are our guests,¡± Raltor called from behind the three minotaurs. Now the girl in the church doorway could be seen biting her lower lip. Her eyes had drifted down toward the floor at her feet and her clenched fists seemed to loosen somewhat. Rana made a move toward Aridean who sat curled up beside the pew closest to the door. Rana wrapped her arms around the shaking minotaur in an effort to calm her down.

    ¡°You¡¯ve upset my little sister. I understand that you have your prejudices against our kind, but why must you be so cruel to one of us that has done you no harm?¡± Rana snapped at the girl. Vidor looked at Rana in surprise.

    ¡°Sister? Oh, r-right,¡± Vidor whispered, having initially forgotten that their cover was to pretend the three were siblings on a pilgrimage.

    ¡°S-sis? I-I¡­ uh¡­¡± the girl began in a much calmer tone before continuing with more aggression. ¡°U-upset her? She¡¯s almost three feet taller than me and carrying an axe that probably weighs more than I do! Someone like that is upset from hearing the truth?¡±

    ¡°Magdalene! Do you not remember our lessons? Do unto others,¡± Raltor exclaimed with a peculiar smile on his face.

    ¡°W-whatever,¡± the girl responded as she pulled the hood to her cloak over her head. Without another word, she turned and began to walk away. Aridean still sat panicking on the church floor as Rana was gently hugging her close and trying to shush her erratic breathing. Vidor also knelt down by Aridean and was trying to get her to just look him in the eyes.

    ¡°I do sincerely apologize for that. Magdalene has had traumatizing experiences with minotaurs. Please understand that I will say no more without her permission,¡± Raltor spoke after having heaved a weary sigh. Aridean¡¯s shaking gradually began to slow and Rana began to help her stand up.

    ¡°Please understand that our sister has had her own share of trauma as well. Thank you again for your help, but if you¡¯ll excuse us now,¡± Rana said to Raltor. After having finished her statement, Rana turned and began to lead Aridean out of the church. Vidor followed closely behind after having given Raltor a friendly wave and smile to say goodbye.

    Rana had decided that the three would return to the inn for a while, at least until Aridean managed to calm down. Vidor seemed to agree as he had offered no objections, but the expression on his face was one of deep concern for Aridean. In truth, even Aridean was surprised by the sudden anxiety that had enveloped her in the church.

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t help¡­ being born like this,¡± Aridean quietly whispered to herself as she walked with Rana and Vidor back to the Tranquility Inn.

 Chapter 11 - To Aid a Thief

    It was early in the afternoon and the three friends had made their way back to their room at the inn. Rana was seated on her bed facing Aridean, who was sitting on the couch looking down at the floor feeling embarrassed by what had happened just an hour ago. Another light rain had started outside and the patter of droplets smacking the window could be heard throughout the quiet room. Breaking the near silence was the creak of the wooden door to the room as Vidor reentered with a tea kettle and a few cups. He placed the cups on the nightstand between the two beds in the room and poured each minotaur a cup of hot tea.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, I understand, but¡­ are you alright, Aridean?¡± Vidor asked as he handed Aridean her cup of tea and sat down beside her on the couch. She felt immensely embarrassed as she really had no means of explaining the sudden breakdown she suffered in the church. Contemplating an answer, Aridean¡¯s listless eyes just focused on her tea.

    ¡°I¡­ I really don¡¯t know what that was. I thought I¡¯d be prepared for anything, but when that girl called us monsters¡­ I just felt like I was that scared child in Thellia again,¡± Aridean hesitantly managed to answer. Vidor quietly sipped his tea as he listened.

    ¡°So, you never really moved past what you had to endure as a child. Although I had expected some difficulties for you, I had not anticipated you falling apart like that. Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Rana asked after finishing her tea. Aridean took a large gulp of the warm tea she had been given before looking up to Rana, nodding with a nervous smile. It was clear on Rana¡¯s face that she was not entirely convinced but also understood that Aridean did not want to discuss the matter further.

    ¡°Well, on a brighter note: we¡¯ve still got the rest of today and however long tomorrow before our meeting. Not really sure what there is to do here in Byrden, but we could go walking around if anyone else wants,¡± Vidor happily chimed in. His attempt to change the subject was met with instant opposition from Rana who sternly shook her head at the suggestion.

    ¡°Vidor, we¡¯re not on vacation here. In fact, I heard talk on our way back here that some Empire soldiers are in town. We need to act as inconspicuous as possible so as not to draw any attention. If anything, I for one believe we need to review our cover story in case someone asks about our business here,¡± Rana fervently stated while giving Vidor a disappointed look. Being the subject of his sister¡¯s gaze, Vidor was visibly shook.

    ¡°Oh¡­ uh, y-you heard that back at the church?¡± Vidor asked, referring to his forgetfulness regarding the group¡¯s alleged familial bond. Rana¡¯s expression did not change, but she did fold her arms over her chest. Her right hoof began tapping the floor, as if to say she was waiting for Vidor¡¯s excuse. Aridean knew that Vidor was about to suffer Rana¡¯s lecturing again. Although the air in the room was filled with uneasiness, Aridean found the display between the two siblings to be almost entertaining.

    Just as Rana drew in a breath to begin her reprimand of Vidor¡¯s slip-up, a knocking was heard on the guest room door. Vidor almost seemed to be relieved by the distraction whereas Rana was caught off guard entirely.

    ¡°Hello? Is anyone in there? I was told this was the right room¡­¡± came a familiar voice from the out in the hallway. Rana took a moment to compose herself before moving toward the door. As her hand reached the doorknob, Rana turned her head around to Vidor and Aridean as she lipped ¡®we¡¯re family on a pilgrimage¡¯ before turning the doorknob and pulling the door only about halfway open. Outside their guest room stood Pastor Raltor, wearing a dark, woolen coat over his priestly robes.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re still here,¡± the pastor greeted Rana with a bright smile on his face.

    ¡°Pastor Raltor? Is there something we can do for you?¡± Rana asked just as confused as Aridean and Vidor why the pastor had come to see them.

    ¡°I came by hoping to see how your younger sister was doing. That wasn¡¯t the first time Magdalene snapped at one of our horned guests, but her reaction was a first for the both of us,¡± Raltor explained with a friendly tone in his deep voice. ¡°May I come in?¡±

    Aridean and Vidor looked to one another in confusion by the unexpected visit, but Rana opened the door fully and gestured Raltor inside their room. Aridean was surprised by Rana¡¯s invitation but assumed that she thought rejecting Raltor would make the group look suspicious. As Raltor entered the guest room Rana closed the door behind him.

    ¡°Vidor, why don¡¯t you go get another cup and pour the pastor some tea?¡± Rana asked, much to Vidor¡¯s surprise. With slight hesitation, Vidor nodded to Rana and began to make his way toward the door. However, Raltor stopped him as he neared the door by gently grabbing Vidor¡¯s arm and giving a quiet chuckle.

    ¡°Oh, I do appreciate the hospitality, but there¡¯s really no need for that. I¡¯ve really come for two reasons. First, to check on your frightened sister,¡± Raltor began to say before turning his attention to Aridean. ¡°I would like to again apologize for Magdalene¡¯s behavior. I assure you she did not mean any of it, she tends to speak without thinking.¡±

    Despite his kind words and gentle voice, Aridean had a hard time believing what Raltor was telling her. Back at the church, this Magdalene seemed ready to fight the trio of minotaurs without any provocation. Frankly, rude insults seemed well within the girl¡¯s intentions at the time.

    ¡°I understand that you may not believe me, but that is why I¡¯ve come with a request for you specifically,¡± Raltor continued to speak.

    ¡°A request? Uhm, I¡­¡± Aridean began to speak but was hesitant to discuss any sort of favor for the priest. She turned to look at Rana, who nodded her approval. Aridean also turned to look at Vidor for his input, however Vidor only shrugged in confusion and indifference over the matter.

    ¡°Oh, do not fret. I¡¯d simply like to have you and Magdalene sit down for a nice conversation at the church. I¡¯m hoping that by having someone with her own tragic past talk things over with her then maybe she won¡¯t be so crude with the minotaur people,¡± Raltor elaborated. Raltor¡¯s request for Aridean provoked some skepticism from Rana as she looked the pastor over with uncertainty.

    ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Aridean answered despite knowing full well that she really did not wish to sit down with this Magdalene. Even after two years, her fear of the misdirected hate and aggression from the villagers of Thellia lingered and Magdalene seemed to fully encompass the brutal hostility.

    ¡°Aridean, you don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to, but it may turn into something positive if you do this,¡± Rana encouraged much to Aridean¡¯s surprise. ¡°Perhaps this could be the first step to overcoming your fears. Maybe in the process, you can help this Magdalene with her hate as well.¡±

    ¡°That is my hope as well. Magdalene has suffered from the poison of hatred for far too long. I¡¯ve tried and tried to help her through it, but I have come up with nothing. That¡¯s why I¡¯m hoping someone who has been victim to the hatred she harbors may be able to elicit some sympathy from her,¡± Raltor agreed as his facial expression slowly shifted to be a bit more somber. Aridean, still shocked by Rana¡¯s suggestion, looked back down at the floor under her hooves again.

    Even Rana thinks this may be a good idea? But what if I run into Empire soldiers? Rumors were spreading back in Stonehaven that they arrest minotaurs on sight, no questions asked. Further, I don¡¯t know this Magdalene and I don¡¯t think I want to after our first encounter, Aridean thought to herself.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m scared of talking to someone like her¡­¡± Aridean confessed to Raltor, unable to lift her head. Pastor Raltor looked at Aridean and let out a quiet sigh. He then moved toward the window of the room. With hands behind his back and his gaze now focused out into the rain-soaked town of Byrden, he spoke again.

    ¡°Many, many years ago, even long before the rebellion started, I was a simple missionary moving through the Empire and spreading the word of God. I remember taking time to visit a small minotaur tribe to the far south. A very pleasant people, you minotaurs are. I shared stories with the tribe and learned what life was like for them as well,¡± Raltor began. Both Rana and Vidor seemed to be entirely entranced by the old man¡¯s story. Aridean, on the other hand, kept hanging her head low. However, her ears did perk up a little, signaling that she was listening to what the pastor had to say.

    ¡°As you three likely know, the Empire began to discriminate and even eliminate entire tribes of your kind nearly twenty years ago. I recall a young minotaur from the tribe I visited long ago; a good kid that one. All he seemed interested in was one day meeting with the royal family. Heh, I still remember how he refused to sit still as I tried preaching my teachings. ¡®I¡¯m gonna meet a human princess one day!¡¯ Of course, that was in Minoran, but he¡¯d shout and laugh such exciting ambitions even as I hushed him to keep things quiet as I read my sermons,¡± Raltor continued, sounding happily nostalgic as he imitated this minotaur child he spoke of.

    ¡°You speak Minoran?¡± Vidor asked curiously as he sat beside Aridean on the couch again.

    ¡°Well, of course, I was a missionary for the minotaur people, after all. But that¡¯s not relevant right now¡­ Again, almost twenty years ago, the inexplicable prejudice your kind now faces began. Many tribes have been destroyed because of Empire activity, including... including the tribe I performed missionary services for,¡± Raltor persisted despite having adopted a rather solemn tone. Rain was coming down faster and harder as droplets smacked the window. It was during his pause that the pastor raised a hand to cover his mouth as he quietly coughed, although it could not be heard over the rain beating the window in front of him.

    ¡°Pastor Raltor, do you sympathize with the minotaur people? Even if you do not, what do you make of the rebellion that has divided the nation for years now?¡± Rana asked as Raltor lowered his hand back behind his back. Raltor turned to face the trio of minotaurs listening to his tale before speaking again.

    ¡°I know full well the generous and peaceful nature of the minotaur people and would like to see a day come where they are accepted throughout the Empire as they were before. While I may not live to see that day, I would wish nothing more than to be a steppingstone for others to use in order to further relations with the minotaurs and the Empire. I sincerely believe that just helping Magdalene see the better nature of your kind is a colossal leap in bridging the gap between our species. As a man of the cloth, I cannot condone the violence and bloodshed wrought by the rebellion. Even so, it pains me to see your kind suffer in such a manner,¡± Raltor explained with confidence and authority in his voice. ¡°Aridean, yes? I ask you again: won¡¯t you please help me show what minotaurs are truly like to Magdalene?¡±

    Aridean had lifted her head while Raltor was speaking and she was now looking him in the eyes. There was something about the man¡¯s dark eyes that kept Aridean fixed on him for another few seconds before looking to Rana and Vidor. As expected from Rana, she gave a friendly smile and nodded her approval. Vidor took Aridean¡¯s hand in his own, gently squeezing it as he too smiled at her.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll speak with Magdalene,¡± Aridean said, slightly reluctantly. Pastor Raltor seemed to be absolutely overjoyed by her answer as he approached the minotaur, smiling ear to ear. He took both of Aridean¡¯s hands in his own before responding.

    ¡°Honestly and truly, thank you so much for this. I understand that it must be rough for a child such as yourself to plunge yourself into the unknown like this, but I promise you that I will make it well worth it,¡± Raltor spoke with sheer jubilation in his tone now. ¡°Please come with me to the church immediately.¡±

    ¡°N-now?! I-I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready yet,¡± Aridean quickly stuttered through. Raltor was forcefully trying to pull Aridean off of the couch and toward the door as the two spoke, much to Vidor¡¯s apparent amusement as he laughed at the display.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, Aridean. Vidor and I will come to get you after your discussion with Magdalene,¡± Rana assured as she gestured Aridean toward the door. Although it was not quite the comfort that Aridean was hoping for, she took a deep breath before rising from the couch.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to spring it on you so suddenly, but I have not been this excited for something since the Byrden confectionary festival,¡± Raltor responded as he and Aridean moved for the door.

    ¡°C-confectionary festival?¡± Rana repeated with a small line of drool starting to slide down her lip. Aridean heard an annoyed sigh from Vidor as she entered the hallway. Vidor¡¯s expression had quickly shifted to show annoyance at his sister¡¯s obsessive stance regarding sweets as Aridean closed the door to their guest room behind her.

    Despite her reservations, Aridean followed Raltor down the hallway to the staircase of the Tranquility Inn. Quiet creaking of the wooden stairs could be heard as the two descended back to the first floor. Although no immediate dangers were present, everything about the situation made Aridean feel a bit uneasy. She was not looking forward to her discussion with the pickpocket.

    What if she doesn¡¯t wish to talk with me? Has Raltor considered that or is he just assuming my attempt to speak with her will win her over immediately? She seemed so bitter toward us earlier, I can¡¯t imagine anything has changed over a few hours, Aridean thought to herself as she continued down the hallway toward the lobby with Raltor. It was as they were nearing the doorway to the lobby that Raltor halted Aridean¡¯s stride. From the angle she had on his face, she was not certain but thought he looked irritated by something.

    ¡°Uh, Pasto¡ªmgh?!,¡± Aridean began to ask before Raltor¡¯s hand swiftly covered her mouth. Confused, Aridean looked to the priest who had turned to look her in the eyes and put a single finger to his lips using his hand not covering Aridean¡¯s mouth. Having indicated that she must remain silent, Raltor then pointed out into the lobby.

    Aridean followed Raltor¡¯s finger and found that the lobby was occupied by several Empire soldiers. Two of the soldiers, clad in sturdy armor, were seated around the checkerboard that was used by the dwarves from the previous evening while a third was consulting the receptionist. Now on edge, Aridean¡¯s breathing noticeably quickened and her heart began racing so quickly and loudly that she could not focus in on what the soldiers were talking about amongst themselves or with the clerk at the desk.

    A-are they here because of us?! W-what do I do?! My legs feel like they¡¯re going to give out and they don¡¯t even know I¡¯m here, Aridean panicked as she watched the soldiers.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Smiling, Raltor looked back to Aridean and gestured back toward the stairwell. Together, Aridean and Raltor quietly and discreetly made their way back toward the stairs. Raltor wiped the hand he had used to cover Aridean¡¯s mouth on his coat, apparently her anxious breath had left his palm quite moist.

    Aridean was immensely grateful for the well-padded carpet stretching the length of the hallway. She could not tell whether she would faint from embarrassment or fear if the clopping of her hooves on wooden flooring was what caught the soldiers¡¯ attention.

    Back in the stairwell, Raltor moved to a window by the doorway and undid the lock. He pushed the glass pane out of the way and gestured for Aridean to follow him as he nimbly climbed out of the window and dropped to the ground outside the inn.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ I-I should go tell my b-brother and sister about the soldiers in the lobby,¡± Aridean anxiously said from the window.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about them. As long as they stay in their room, they¡¯ll be fine. The inn won¡¯t just let the soldiers disturb its customers without evidence or anything of the sort anyway,¡± Raltor assured Aridean. Despite not being fully convinced, Aridean took another deep breath and looked back toward the lobby where the soldiers were stirring. Although none of them seemed to have noticed her, one was making his way toward the hallway where she would be in complete view if she did not move quickly. Alarmed, Aridean began climbing out of the window. In her haste, Aridean wound up hitting one of her horns on the windowsill as she dropped to the ground.

    ¡°Ow¡­¡± Aridean complained as she rubbed the area around the base of her horn that she had hit. Now outside the inn, Aridean was met with a steady drizzle. It was not the downpour from the previous evening, but the sky was choked with large dark clouds obscuring most sunlight.

    ¡°There we are, back on track. Come then, let us be off for the church,¡± Raltor triumphantly exclaimed as Aridean wiped some dust from her pants. Quickly, Aridean moved to follow Raltor as the two made their way toward the main road of Byrden.

    ¡°Uh, a-are you sure that my brother and sister will be okay with those soldiers back there? It¡¯s just that the Em--,¡± Aridean began to ask again as the two turned onto the road leading to the church. It was as she began to explain her concerns that Raltor began to laugh.

    ¡°Oh, child, you can stop with the act now. I¡¯m aware that you are not their sister,¡± Raltor said, continuing to laugh.

    Aridean¡¯s entire body felt cold by the revelation. If Raltor knew they were not all siblings, did he also know they were members of the rebellion? Aridean quickly considered turning and dashing back to the inn to warn Vidor and Rana not just of the soldiers, but of Raltor as well. However, considering the pastor could see through their lie, she did not want to do anything particularly suspicious. If anything, Aridean thought maybe there was a chance of convincing Raltor that she was indeed the younger sister of Rana and Vidor.

    ¡°W-what are you talking about? I-I think I¡¯d know my fa--,¡± Aridean began to bluff before being cut off yet again.

    ¡°Child, it is not good to lie. I¡¯m no expert on minotaurs, but I can take one look at the three of you and tell that you are not of their tribe,¡± Raltor calmly explained. Despite his honesty, Aridean was now feeling immensely distressed simply walking with the otherwise kind, old man.

    ¡°S-so, you knew? Does that mean¡­¡± Aridean began to ask but failed to finish her thought.

    ¡°I know not your business here in Byrden and it is probably best we keep it that way. I simply wish to have you sit down with Magdalene and help her grow as a person. Fret not, I¡¯ve no intention of selling you out so long as you behave yourself,¡± Raltor assured with a friendly smile on his face. Aridean was becoming more and more uneasy with every word that Raltor spoke as it seemed he had somehow become aware of the group¡¯s affiliation with the rebellion.

    ¡°W-was it Vidor?¡± Aridean asked, knowing full well that she both knew and did not want to hear the answer. Again, Raltor laughed as the two began to pass by the Honey Drop Bakery. Just as it was this morning, the smell of sweet and delicious baked goods wafted through the air, even on the opposite side of the road from the shop.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to guess that subtlety is a bit difficult for him, hm? But, yes, it was when he questioned your relationship during your episode at the church that I took note that you three must have more going on than meets the eye,¡± Raltor explained as he and Aridean continued to walk further along the dirt road leading up to the church.

    Rana¡¯s going to be furious if she finds out that Vidor¡¯s slip got us caught. I¡¯d best do whatever Raltor asks of me to keep us out of trouble¡­ and to spare Vidor from Rana as well, Aridean anxiously thought to herself. She let out an audible sigh as she followed Raltor to the church just outside the town. For whatever reason, Aridean was slowly developing a bad feeling regarding her current task.

    Despite the uneasiness Aridean experienced having learned of Raltor¡¯s knowledge of her affiliation with the rebellion, both her and Raltor sped up their stride as the rain seemed to be picking up again. Just as it was in the morning, the countryside outside the town was, apart from the rain, mostly quiet with not a soul in sight. Even with the rain coming down the way it was, Aridean found it odd that there were no residents of the country homes out tending to any chores. Presently, however, what truly bothered Aridean more was the mud that was becoming caked on her hooves.

    As the rainfall was becoming more waterfall-like, the pair finally arrived at the church. Raltor pulled the door open and politely gestured Aridean in. Grateful to be out of the rain and off the muddy road, Aridean stood by the door while she waited patiently for Raltor¡¯s instructions.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s good to be back and out of that gloomy weather, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Raltor asked with a smile on his face. Aridean¡¯s response was to politely nod with a nervous smile on her face.

    Raltor closed the worship hall door behind him. Doing so left the large room considerably darker as little light managed to illuminate the room through the several small windows along the walls. Having taken notice of this issue, Raltor moved to the front of the hall where he took a small matchbook and struck a match. Using the burning match, Raltor went around the room, lighting several candles that were mounted on the walls.

    ¡°So then, Aridean, is there anything I can get you before I go to collect Magdalene? Perhaps something to drink?¡± Raltor gently asked as he blew out his match. Having discarded the extinguished, burnt stick, the pastor looked back at Aridean with a friendly smile.

    ¡°O-oh, I-I¡¯m fine, thank you¡­ uhm¡­ w-well, maybe a towel to clean my hooves off? I-I don¡¯t want to be tracking mud in your church,¡± Aridean hesitantly replied.

    ¡°Of course, please wait just one moment and I will be right back. Go ahead and have a seat anywhere, child,¡± Raltor spoke as he turned and made his way toward the back room of the church. As Raltor exited the hall into the back room, the door¡¯s creaking loudly echoed through the front room. Aridean did as she was instructed and took a seat in a pew around the middle section of the worship hall.

    I didn¡¯t really have the chance to take things in this morning¡­ so this is a church. It¡¯s a lot quieter here than I would have thought, but I guess the rain is keeping the faithful at home today. Maybe I should ask the pastor if he will be conducting a service sometime later or tomorrow. Well, even if I can¡¯t take part in one here, I suppose I could try the church back at Stonehaven, Aridean thought to herself as she waited. Rain was loudly and rapidly slapping each of the windows around the hall.

    An odd stillness seemed to reside within the cool, candlelit room, apart from the ongoing rain. Aridean looked all over the worship hall for anything that might stimulate her mind in some manner while she waited. Her eyes landed upon the altar, decorated with a single cloth sheet and several ornaments, positioned at the front of the hall. Out of curiosity, Aridean rose from the pew she was seated at and moved toward the altar for a closer inspection.

    Aridean took note that the altar itself was just an ordinary wooden table; she could not help but think that there would have been some intricate or masterful design to it. Much to her surprise, however, it was an average table covered in a green, fleece sheet. What did not surprise Aridean was the cross that had been sewn into the cloth. Laid out on top of the altar, in a rather unorganized fashion, were several religiously themed ornaments.

    This tithe tray looks almost golden with that shine and with such a clear reflection¡­ surely, it¡¯s just painted though. I¡¯d have a hard time believing a small church like this would keep gold, Aridean thought to herself as she admired a small collection tray. Moving on, Aridean also took note of a weathered book and wooden bowl containing plain-looking water. She surmised that the bowl must be holy water. What truly caught her attention, however, was the surprising amount of dust on the old book and the floating gunk in the water. Speaking of dust, it appeared to quite clearly coat the uncovered sections of the altar. Aridean could not help but think to herself that Raltor should clean this place up a bit before his next sermon.

    After having made her note on the cleanliness of the church, Aridean continued to examine other items scattered about the altar. She immediately stopped when she noticed a strangely formed, metal cross. Although the general shape was normal, the shaft of this particular cross appeared to have been sharpened. It looked as though the shaft had been shaved down on a grindstone and gave way to a sharp edge.

    That looks almost dangerous! Well, not even almost; someone is bound to hurt themselves with something like this. Why does Raltor keep such a worn piece of metal? Perhaps he¡¯s just sentimental over this piece, Aridean theorized as she examined the almost blade-like cross. Having observed the altar and finding that particular item made Aridean a bit nervous. She thought it best if she returned to the pew she was sitting at previously as she waited for Raltor to return.

    Maybe I should be taking this time to myself to think of what I should discuss with Magdalene¡­ Well, I know she harbors a deep hatred for minotaurs¡­ great start, moron, Aridean thought, considerably annoyed with herself.

    While the rain continued outside and Pastor Raltor continued to prepare himself in the back room, Aridean gradually grew restless having to wait. She had only asked for a towel for cleaning her hooves and wondered what was keeping the pastor. Clearly, the pastor was an older gentleman; Aridean began to consider the possibility that he may have fallen in the back room and was hurt now. Hesitantly, Aridean rose from her seat on the wooden pew she had been waiting on and slowly made her way toward the front of the hall. She slowly drew closer to the door that Raltor had left through and nervously reached for the knob. As her hand gripped the doorknob, the door to the worship hall at the back of the church opened, flooding the room with cloud-blocked light.

    ¡°Ugh, what are you doing here? Wait, what are you doing back there?! Where¡¯s Pastor Raltor, hooves?!¡± came the familiar and hostile voice of the pickpocketing young lady, Magdalene. Feeling as though she was caught having committed cold-blooded murder, Aridean¡¯s grip on the doorknob was immediately released. She stood up straight and turned around to see a rain-drenched Magdalene, her fists clenched tightly by her sides.

    ¡°I-I was waiting on P-Pastor Raltor to bring me a towel for my hooves. B-but he¡¯s been in there for a while now,¡± Aridean explained as she backed away from the back-room door with her hands raised. Both her breathing and heart rate were quickening with her growing anxiety. Magdalene slowly moved into the church but kept at least four pews distance between her and Aridean.

    ¡°Waiting for him? So that means¡­ What?! You?! He wanted to talk to me about you?! He knows exactly what I think about you and your kind,¡± Magdalene announced with a rising fury in her voice. Aridean was quickly beginning to regret her decision to come to the church. Despite having lived with the rebels for almost two years and being sheltered from the negativity and hurtfulness of Thellia, just one sentence from this girl was enough to bring it all back. Hearing just how despised she was from Magdalene was enough to sink Aridean¡¯s heart in her chest.

    ¡°H-he just wanted us t-to talk,¡± Aridean stuttered as she pushed herself into a wall. Although she just sounded a bit panicked, Aridean herself felt as though she were gasping for air between each word she spoke.

    ¡°Is that so? Well, I for one don¡¯t want to talk to a big, dumb minotaur! If you want to talk, then talk to yourself because I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± Magdalene shouted angrily. Aridean was growing increasingly afraid of the girl before her, despite Magdalene clearly being at least three years younger than Aridean.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorry,¡± Aridean struggled to reply as her legs began to grow weak underneath her. She so desperately wanted to run out of the church and as far from Magdalene as she could. Her face was filled with anxiousness and her body had begun shaking. It seemed that Magdalene had taken notice of Aridean¡¯s growing discomfort as the minotaur began sinking down to the ground.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t start that again! I¡¯m not falling for it. You minotaurs are the cause of the Empire¡¯s problems, yet you want sympathy when confronted by the undeniable truth? Do you know what your rebellion has cost me?! Like you could ever understand what your kind has done,¡± Magdalene aggressively barked. As she finished her thought, the door to the back room opened up. Pastor Raltor stepped out with a bright smile on his face and a tray with a kettle of tea and three cups. He also had the towel that Aridean had asked for draped over his shoulder.

    Upon reentering the worship hall, it took Raltor only a moment to take in the scene that was unfolding before him. A loud, exasperated sigh was let loose before the old man moved toward the closest pew. Raltor set the tea tray he had prepared down on the pew before making his way over to Aridean, who had backed herself in the opposite corner of the room at this point.

    ¡°Aridean, child, look at me, everything¡¯s alright,¡± Raltor called out in a friendly tone. He set his hands on Aridean¡¯s shoulders as he tried to calm down the panicked minotaur. Aridean, however, could feel her body seize up from the pastor¡¯s touch. Even through her warm fur, Aridean felt the cold in Raltor¡¯s fingers.

    ¡°Pastor, why did you bring that thing here? They¡¯re nothing but trouble and you know it,¡± Magdalene called from behind Raltor.

    ¡°Magdalene, I¡¯m doing this for your own good,¡± Raltor stated, never having turned to look at Magdalene. The pastor continued his efforts to calm the frantic Aridean. Behind him, a loud grunting sound could be heard, followed by the tap of shoes as they exited the worship hall. Magdalene had decided to leave the church without another word.

    ¡°I-I just want to go home¡­ I-I just want to g-go home, Simon,¡± Aridean quietly stated in a scared and nervous tone of voice. Raltor released his grip on Aridean and stood up with another sigh.

    ¡°Ugh, this just got a bit more difficult¡­¡± Raltor could be heard muttering. ¡°Child, come now, get up and have some tea. I¡¯m sure something sweet and warm will make you feel better.¡±

    Aridean, barely, managed to look up to Raltor as the pastor looked down to her with another smile on his face. Using every once of willpower she could muster, Aridean gave a nervous nod. Raltor turned and proceeded toward the tea tray he had set down when he came into the room. At her own slow pace, Aridean slowly stood back up and followed the old man, albeit still shivering from the anxiety.

    Raltor poured out a cup of tea for Aridean and himself before gesturing Aridean to sit with him on one of the wooden pews. Aridean took the cup she had been offered in both hands, so as to avoid spilling it from her consistent shakiness. Aridean took her seat beside Raltor at the front row pew.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that did not go all according to plan, child. I understand that you may have reservations about continuing, but I beg you to try again when you feel you¡¯ve calmed down some,¡± Raltor apologized and pleaded.

    ¡°W-why is she so cruel,¡± Aridean asked as she was slowly calming down again. Her question was met with yet another sigh from Raltor.

    ¡°I did not want to share it with anyone unless Magdalene permitted it, but I feel you¡¯ve a right to know. I met Magdalene almost eight years ago; she was a survivor of an attack on her hometown that was caught in a battle between a rebel squad and some Empire soldiers,¡± Raltor explained, his voice sounding incredibly serious. ¡°During the aftermath, I took her under my wing and have been with her here in Byrden since. However, Magdalene considers minotaurs pure evil for having instigated the battle that led to the destruction of her home.¡±

    ¡°Eight years ago? B-but why does she have to take it out on me? I-I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Aridean sorrowfully responded. With watery eyes, Aridean drank from the teacup that Raltor had given her. The beverage was warm but not exactly sweet, much to her disappointment. Upon seeing the minotaur drink the refreshment he had prepared, Raltor gave another smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you are being made the target of her misplaced aggression. But just know that I am certain you will be the one to help make her perfect,¡± Raltor spoke as Aridean set her cup aside. Having drank her tea, Aridean felt a bit more relaxed; the nervous shaking of her body had almost immediately stopped.

    ¡°M-make her perfect? I-I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s something I can do for her,¡± Aridean replied, taking oddly elongated pauses between her words as she spoke. Aridean began feeling a bit strange; an unusual drowsiness was quickly overwhelming her.

    ¡°Oh, trust me¡­ when we¡¯re done, she¡¯ll make the perfect vessel,¡± Raltor said as Aridean¡¯s eyelids began to grow heavier and heavier. Upon Raltor¡¯s face was a rather scary looking grin; it was completely different from the friendly smiles he had been giving earlier.

    ¡°V-ves¡­sel? Wha¡ª¡± Aridean began to ask but quickly found she was unable to finish her thought as the sudden sleepiness took over. The out-of-it minotaur quickly slumped over the back of the pew she was sitting in as her consciousness slipped away from her. Her vision quickly began to blur as the world felt as though it was spinning around her. The last thing Aridean could hear before fading entirely was a devilish laugh.

 Chapter 12 - Little Lost Lamb

    Sheep were bleating in the pasture under a warm spring sun with several shady clouds rolling through the sky.  A gentle breeze blew through the eaves of the trees.  Pleasant whistling could be heard as the wind maneuvered through some cracks in the old barn.  Aridean was sitting on the wooden floor of the loft of Simon¡¯s barn, she had just finished folding the quilt she kept there for nights she slept in the barn.

    Feeling pleased with her folding, Aridean stood and walked toward the edge of the loft.  Rather than use the old but sturdy ladder, Aridean leapt from the loft and flew further into the dimly lit barn.  As gravity pulled her down toward the ground, she reached out to grab her pull-up beam.  Having used her arms to catch herself on the beam, Aridean¡¯s legs and hooves continued on their forward path through the air before being pulled back by the rest of her body.  Aridean also heard a bit of a creaking from the beam she was holding onto; she could not help but have a little fun despite her acrobatics potentially jeopardizing the beam¡¯s, and subsequently the barn¡¯s, structural integrity.

    Once her hooves stopped swaying from the rapidly changing momentum underneath her, Aridean proceeded to use her considerable strength to pull her body upward toward the beam.  As she managed to lift her fuzzy chin over the beam, Aridean would mentally count her exercises.  Ten pull-ups quickly turned into twenty and then thirty and so on and on.  The powerful minotaur only began to feel the burn in her muscles once she reached one hundred reps.  Upon reaching one-forty, Aridean felt that she had no more steam with which to give an effort.

    Dropping from the beam, Aridean nimbly landed on her hooves, not that there was much room for having lost her balance as her hooves were maybe eight inches off of the ground from her suspended position.  Her arms fell slack at her sides as she took some deep and refreshing breaths of air.  Looking to cool down, Aridean turned toward the door to the barn with intent to go and splash her arms and face off with cold water from the well outside.

    Mott the cat was sleeping while balancing on a nearby barn stall wall.  Aridean took a moment to approach her companion and reached out with one of her hands after having given her arms a short break.  As her large, furred hand neared the cat, Aridean saw Mott¡¯s ears twitch somewhat.  With a giggle, Aridean ran her fingers behind the twitching ears as Mott let out a long yawn.  Now awake and seeing that Aridean was finished in the barn for now, Mott stretched atop the stall wall and hopped down from her perch.  The three-legged cat rubbed up against Aridean¡¯s legs and purred for just a moment before yowling.  Aridean smiled and took the cat¡¯s call to say that she was also ready to go.

    As Aridean turned around toward the barn door again, she watched as it was pulled open from the outside.  Bright sunlight flooded the barn and Aridean¡¯s eyes needed a few seconds to adjust.  After rubbing her near-blinded eyes, she was able to focus in on who had opened the door to the barn.  In the doorway stood Simon, much to Aridean¡¯s apparent delight.

    Smiling, Aridean began to approach Simon.  Aridean could make out Simon¡¯s usual tired expression on his face despite the angle of the sunlight darkening his features.  As the minotaur neared him, Simon¡¯s lips began to form a tired, but sincere, smile.  The old man opened his arms for a hug as Aridean continued to draw ever closer.

    Just as she closed the distance between her and her father to about two meters, Aridean heard a loud booming sound from outside.  In an instant, lightning flashed in the sky and a foreboding darkness had replaced the warm sunlight.  Aridean¡¯s face immediately shifted from contentment over seeing her father to one of confusion.  The minotaur stopped moving toward the man standing in the doorway to the barn as she took notice of something behind him.

    Another flash of lightning followed another loud booming noise.  It was in that instant that Aridean was able to clearly make out the figure behind her father.  Her face was immediately filled with horror and her blood ran cold.  Every hair on her back and tail were standing on end because of the frightening sight.

    Simon, having taken notice of the minotaur¡¯s sudden distress, turned around to confront what was behind him.  The old sheep herder¡¯s eyes widen in confusion as a knight stood behind him with a bloodied blade raised.  Without hesitation, the knight brought the blade down on Simon.

    Simon fell with a pained and confused look on his face as blood quickly began seeping from the new wound on his back.  Aridean, unable to contain herself, hastily ran toward her father¡¯s side.  Although she thought she was screaming, the minotaur could not hear anything that resembled her voice.  Aridean knelt down by her father as his blood pooled around his body on the ground, tears streaming from her eyes.

    Aridean shook Simon vigorously in an effort to get any sort of response from the man.  Unfortunately, Simon did not make any attempt to acknowledge Aridean as he lay in her arms.  With wide eyes and a heart sunken so deep in her chest that she was no longer sure it was beating, Aridean looked up at the knight.  The knight had again raised his bloodied sword in preparation to strike.  With pure terror griping her heart and mind, Aridean hugged Simon tight and braced herself for the knight¡¯s attack.  Rather than feeling the sharp pain of a blade slicing into her, Aridean heard another loud booming noise from somewhere.

    Aridean¡¯s eyes shot open wide with fear after the third booming noise.  Dream or not, the experience had left the minotaur terrified.  Although these knight-filled nightmares had become commonplace, this was the first time Aridean had seen the knight assault someone in her dream that was not her.

    Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream¡­ Simon¡¯s okay, I know he is.  He¡¯s at home, safe and alive, Aridean thought to herself as she closed her eyes and deeply inhaled in an effort to calm her nerves.  These dreams are getting a bit ridiculous¡­ doesn¡¯t lightning come before the thunder?

    ¡°Unf, whrn an¡ªhnn?¡±  Aridean began to utter before finding that she could not speak clearly.

    Her eyes shot open wide again as she began to process that something was in her mouth.  Aridean could feel cloth on her tongue; she had been gagged while she was asleep.  Further, when she went to remove the cloth from her mouth, Aridean found that she could not bring her hands to her face.  Craning her neck so that she could see what the deal was, Aridean was mortified to see what was keeping her in place.

    Both of her hands had been restrained by her sides.  Her wrists had been shackled by thick rope that kept her hands anchored by her sides.  The opposite ends of the ropes were snuggly tied to metal rungs on the stone platform Aridean¡¯s body was now laying on.  Even more terrifying, Aridean could see that her legs had also been strapped to the platform she was laying on in a similar fashion to her hands.

    W-what the hell?!  What¡¯s going on?!  What happened while I was asleep?!  Aridean mentally panicked.  W-wait¡­ why did I fall asleep again?  Last thing I remember is talking to Pastor Raltor¡­  What happened in between then and now?

    As she tried to collect her thoughts and make sense of her current predicament, Aridean¡¯s eyes quickly darted around the room she now found herself in.  Ominous and grim were the only words Aridean could think of to describe what looked like some kind of cell.  Torches in each of the four corners of the room provided adequate lighting for an otherwise barren room.  Walls containing the room were made mostly of dirt unevenly dug out with a few, thin wooden beams supporting the ceiling.  Flooring was again unevenly dug up dirt, however, a narrow stone pathway led from the platform Aridean was restrained on to a dark staircase.  Aridean could make out small streams of water flowing down the stairs at the far end of the room; the streams pooled just off the stone to form small, muddy puddles near the stairs.

    Is this¡­ a cellar?  W-what¡¯s going on?  Where¡¯s Pastor Raltor?  Aridean mentally inquired as there was no one to answer her questions.  Not that she could ask the questions coherently with the cloth gag limiting her ability to speak.

    As the captive minotaur finished her thought, she heard another loud boom.  A storm must have been raging outside, but that was the least of her worries at the moment.  Aridean quickly began to consider a means of escaping her confinement.  Unfortunately, her breakout planning was short-lived as there was no means of moving any of her limbs or calling for help.

    Can¡¯t move my arms or legs and I can¡¯t call out to anyone.  I could try using some magic on the rope, but I¡¯d probably burn myself if I did that.  How long was I out?  Maybe Rana and Vidor will come looking for me?  But how would they know where to find me¡­ I don¡¯t even know where to find me, Aridean thought as she considered her options.  It¡¯s hopeless¡­ isn¡¯t it?  A-am I going to die in this room?

    Aridean¡¯s body began trembling with fear as she seemed to accept the fact that there was nothing she could do to free herself.  It was at this point she heard a wood-like creaking sound coming from the stairs at the far side of the room.  Dim light reached a short distance into the room Aridean was trapped in and she was able to make out two shadows.  More wood creaking could be heard as the shadows drew nearer.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why you thought that was a good idea, Pastor.  You know I don¡¯t want to even look at those things,¡± came a familiar, girlish voice.

    ¡°Oh, but that¡¯s why I feel you will truly appreciate what I have to show you now; I know I certainly will,¡± came Raltor¡¯s voice as he reached the bottom of the staircase.  His nice robes had been soaked from being in the rain outside.  Aridean thought the look on his face was a bit unsettling.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re finally letting me down here.  Did something special ha--,¡± came the girlish voice again.  Stepping into Aridean¡¯s vision was Magdalene who had been drenched by the rain just like Raltor.  The girl had stopped speaking the instant her eyes met those of the captive minotaur.  Both watched as the other¡¯s eyes widen with surprise.

    W-what is going on?  Pastor Raltor is¡­ showing me to Magdalene?  H-how did he even get me down here?  Aridean¡¯s mind was running amok with questions concerning her current situation.

    ¡°Mstr, whn n nin n,¡± Aridean could be heard sounding.  She hoped that Raltor would understand her muffled question and answer what he was doing.

    ¡°P-Pastor¡­ what¡¯s going on here?  Why is she here¡­ a-and tied up?¡±  Magdalene asked with wide eyes and a body that refused to move from her spot at the base of the stairs.  Aridean looked to Pastor Raltor with the hope that he would answer the questions that could actually be understood.  Raltor grinned as he moved toward Aridean.

    ¡°Think of this as a test, Magdalene.  Oh, how I¡¯ve waited for this day,¡± Raltor announced, much to both Aridean and Magdalene¡¯s confusion.

    ¡°A test?  Pastor¡­ what are we doing?¡±  Magdalene inquired with a concerned expression and uneasiness in her voice.  Raltor, standing in front of the platform Aridean was strapped to, turned to Magdalene and stretched both of his arms outwards.

    ¡°Rejoice, child, you are finally being given a grand opportunity.  Come, Magdalene, approach our¡­ our lamb,¡± Raltor announced with enthusiasm and delight, which left Aridean even more unsettled.

    Our lamb?  What the hell is he talking about?  Wait¡­ did Pastor Raltor tie me up like this?!  T-this isn¡¯t funny!  What is he doing with me?  I-I thought we were just supposed to have a talk, Aridean thought to herself as she was still unable to speak.  Even given her inability to coherently communicate, that did not stop Aridean from emitting muffled cries of confusion and fear from behind the pastor.

    ¡°Our¡­ lamb?  Pastor, what are you talking about?  I-I don¡¯t want to go anywhere near her,¡± Magdalene replied with confusion.  Despite Raltor¡¯s instructions to approach Aridean on her pedestal, Magdalene seemed to be frozen in place at the base of the staircase.  Her hesitancy was met with an audible grunt from Raltor.  Aridean could not see it, but given Magdalene¡¯s worried expression, Raltor must not have looked pleased with her refusal to do as he said.

    ¡°I said:  approach our lamb.  Do you know how long I waited for something like this?!  I am tired of waiting and my patience now is wearing thin, girl,¡± Raltor growled in an aggressive tone unbecoming of a pastor.  Before any action could be taken, Raltor moved toward Magdalene, grabbing her by her arm.  Aridean watched, afraid of what was to come next, as Raltor forcefully pulled Magdalene toward the platform.

    ¡°A-ah!  Pastor!  You¡¯re hurting my arm!¡±  Magdalene cried as she attempted to break free of Raltor¡¯s grip.  Despite his age, Raltor held firmly to Magdalene as he dragged her back to Aridean.  Once the duo had returned to the restrained minotaur¡¯s side, Raltor released Magdalene, who started rubbing her now bright red arm.  Raltor cleared his throat before speaking again.

    ¡°Oh, Magdalene, forgive me, but let us make haste with our work here.  You see our precious lamb before you, yes?  Tell me, what do you propose we do with her?¡±  Raltor asked the young girl.  Magdalene looked to Aridean and then back to Raltor, her confusion clearly painted on her face.

    ¡°W-what we should do with her?  I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Magdalene responded.  She took another look at Aridean and then at the bindings on her wrists and legs.

    Okay, calm down¡­ Raltor said this is some kind of test for Magdalene¡­ Is her test to release me?  I guess that would show some sort of compassion for the people she hates so much.  C-clearly, she wasn¡¯t in on this and is hesitating.  Surely, she¡¯ll propose they just let me go¡­ r-right?  Aridean thought to herself in a panic.  Although she told herself to calm down, her current situation only instilled more fear and worry in her.

    ¡°Think, girl.  Before you lies one of those filthy animals that you detest so much.  Come now, what does your heart yearn for in this moment?  Follow your heart and relish in your decision,¡± Raltor ominously reiterated.  His referral to Aridean as a filthy animal left her confused given Raltor¡¯s previous kind and inviting attitude.

    ¡°W-well¡­ I-I¡­ I guess we l-let her go?¡±  Magdalene stated with an unsure tone.  It was not so much that it sounded as though the young girl did not want to let her go, but as if she were looking for the answer that Raltor wanted.  Undoubtedly the kind pastor would agree with the sentiment¡­ right?

    ¡°Ugh!  Why do you sound so unsure of yourself?!  You have the prime opportunity presented before you.  Yet, you are willing to squander it despite my efforts to bring this fool here,¡± Raltor angrily declared, stunning both Magdalene and Aridean.

    ¡°P-prime opportunity¡­ for what?¡±  Magdalene asked, her voice sounding more and more troubled as the scene unfolded.  Raltor, disapproving of Magdalene¡¯s obliviousness to his intentions, let loose another enraged grunt.

    ¡°Must I spell it out?!  There must be a part of you that understands what I am getting at.  Let loose the pain in your heart and let this lamb know your wrath,¡± Raltor chided with increasing hostility.  From within the sleeve of his robes, Raltor pulled out the metal cross that Aridean had observed on the church altar earlier.  Raltor was quick to thrust the especially sharpened symbol into Magdalene¡¯s hand.  What was odd, was that Raltor put the upper shaft portion into Magdalene¡¯s palm.  Aridean studied the instrument now held by Magdalene and could almost swear that it looked like¡ª

    Is that a dagger?!  W-what the hell is he doing with that?!  What does he expect Magdalene to do with it?!  Aridean thought as her eyes grew even wider with fear.  Magdalene¡¯s eyes also grew as she held the sharp, cross-like dagger in her hand.  The young girl¡¯s mouth fell slightly agape as the pastor spoke to her.

    ¡°M-my wrath?  Y-you mean--,¡± Magdalene began to inquire before being interrupted.  Raltor began to chuckle somewhat before speaking.

    ¡°Yes.  Now is the opportunity to make them suffer as you have.  These creatures you so vehemently abhor¡­ make it known just what fury burns within your heart, girl,¡± Raltor spoke, followed by another evil sounding laugh.  Aridean looked to Magdalene with despair as she was slowly coming to one conclusion as to what it was Raltor was encouraging Magdalene to do.  Magdalene¡¯s head hung lower and some of her golden locks had fallen over her eyes; her body was shaking with hesitation.

    ¡°I-I hate them¡­ b-but¡ª,¡± Magdalene replied before another interruption from Raltor.

    ¡°Think on it, girl.  What good are these creatures?  They¡¯ve only brought pain and suffering to our noble nation, have they not?  After what they have done to you?  To your precious sister?  Do you not recall the pain that she endured by their hands?  Will you not seek retribution for their crimes against you?  Come then, show them the error of their ways¡­ make them suffer.  Make it slow, won¡¯t you?  Instill in them the despair you felt as your wrath and malice overwhelm them,¡± Raltor began to preach.  Aridean found each sentence the old man spoke to be even more frightening than the last.  She was so afraid of what was to come and was beginning to hope that a fear-induced heart attack would take her so that she may be free.

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    Magdalene, her eyes still obscured by her hair, had stopped trembling.  Her grip on the dagger had tightened and Aridean could see her gritting her teeth.  The girl slowly began to turn to face Aridean.

    ¡°Sis¡­¡± Magdalene uttered under her breath.  Now looking at Aridean, Magdalene lifted her head again and her eyes were visible again.  Rage was the only thing that Aridean could see in the small eyes that were looking into her own.  Raltor, standing behind Magdalene, was rubbing his hands together in glee and quietly laughing to himself.

    I-I¡¯m really gonna die here?!  L-like this?!  I-I¡¯m so scared!  Rana!  Vidor!  Please come save me, Aridean cried in her mind knowing there was no way of getting the plea out to her friends.  Although the room itself was already cold from the draft blowing in from the staircase, Aridean felt her blood freeze in her body with fear and desperation.  She was trying to beg and plead for her life but could only make muffled noises due to the cloth in her mouth.

    Slowly, Magdalene brought the dagger over her head.  She adjusted the weapon so that the blade was pointed toward Aridean.  A beautiful shine across the blade in the torchlight reflected Aridean¡¯s tearful eyes.  Sitting above Magdalene¡¯s head, her hand holding the blade was subtly shaking.  Magdalene took a deep breath before letting out an aggressive cry of hate as the blade came down.  Aridean had begun screaming in terror as the girl acted.

    ¡°MGHHHHHH!¡±  Aridean could be heard screaming through her gag.  Her pained cry echoed off of the cold walls of the cellar.  She was unable to look down at where the blade now sat in her leg, still gripped by Magdalene.  She could feel the blade deep within her flesh.  Having broken through skin, torn muscle, and ripped sinew and tissue, the blade only stopped at bone.  Blood had already begun to seep out from between the dagger and her flesh and was flowing down the side of her leg and onto the platform she lay upon.

    It hurts!  It hurts, it hurts, it hurts so bad!  Please!  Somebody help me!  I don¡¯t want to die like this, Aridean panicked as pain and horror washed over her body and mind.  Tears of pain and fear now waterfalled down her brown-furred face.  With every remaining ounce of willpower, she opened her eyes to see that Magdalene was looking at her again.  However, the rage Magdalene had previously been overcome with had seemingly vanished.

    Tears rolled down the smooth face of the young girl and her eyes were just as wide as Aridean¡¯s were.  She slowly turned from Aridean¡¯s gaze to look at her hands, still gripping the dagger in Aridean¡¯s left leg.  Magdalene gasped in horror at the sight as she pulled her hands from the dagger¡¯s hilt, leaving the weapon buried in Aridean¡¯s leg.  The girl looked at her hands, which had small droplets of blood splattered on them, and her body began trembling uncontrollably.

    ¡°W-w-what am I doing?!¡± Magdalene seemed to ask herself in utter disbelief over what she had just done.  Her breathing was quickly becoming erratic as the tears continued to flow from her eyes.

    ¡°Go on, girl.  Make them know pain and suffering.  Make her friends know grief and loss.  Show them the fury of your wrath,¡± Raltor continued to encourage from behind Magdalene.  Magdalene began hyperventilating as her entire body was now shaking violently.  Aridean was still crying out in pain through the gag cloth in her mouth.  Every movement of her leg caused sharp pain to strike her.

    ¡°H-her blood¡­ her b-blood is on m-my hands,¡± Magdalene spoke, again seemingly to herself as she did not acknowledge Raltor.  Raltor grunted in annoyance and a sinister scowl was now drawn on his face.

    ¡°What does her blood mean to you?  Their kind has spilled the blood of your very kin and yet you falter here?  Snap out of it, girl, and show them your unyielding scorn,¡± Raltor said approaching Magdalene.  The young girl continued to fixate on the blood that painted her hands and gasp for air.  Seeing that Magdalene was unable to respond to his instructions, Raltor raised a hand and viciously slapped the distraught girl.

    Magdalene stumbled over, shocked by the sudden blow.  She rubbed her now red cheek with one hand.  The tears on her face mixed with the blood that had smeared onto her cheek from her hand and a small, light red river flowed down to her chin.  Upon realizing what had just happened to her, Magdalene looked up to Raltor in disbelief.

    ¡°P-pastor¡­ I-I can¡¯t do it.  I¡¯ll never forgive them, but I can¡¯t bring myself to kill one¡­ d-do unto others, right?¡±  Magdalene whimpered.  It was only now that Aridean noticed a light from the stairs shining down into the cellar.  She was certain she could hear voices from outside the room.

    ¡°Sergeant, I think I may have found him,¡± came a man¡¯s voice from the top of the cellar.  Raltor looked to the staircase with obvious annoyance upon registering the presence of others approaching.  Aridean¡¯s heart skipped a beat, hoping that just maybe the new arrivals might be there to save her from whatever it was Raltor was having Magdalene do to her.

    The rhythmic clanking of metal armor and stomping of boots on wooden stairs could be heard echoing throughout the cellar as shadows appeared in the light that came from the staircase.  Whoever it was, they sounded as though they were armed and prepared for some sort of trouble, much to Aridean¡¯s relief.  Unfortunately, her relief turned to instant dread as the new guests came into view at the opposite end of the room; they were the Empire¡¯s soldiers that she had seen back at the Tranquility Inn earlier.  Although it was less likely they would kill her so long as they did not know she was a rebel soldier, she still did not wish to be thrown into a jail cell by the soldiers.

    ¡°Pastor Raltor, I presume?¡±  the supposed commanding officer of the trio of soldiers called out before fully taking in the sight before him.  ¡°W-what the hell¡­?¡±

    Each of the three soldiers looked absolutely confused by the sight before them.  A small girl with bloodstained hands was cowering beneath an average looking, old pastor.  Behind them was a minotaur, gagged and restrained to a stone platform, with a small cross-looking dagger jutting out of her upper left thigh.  While the commanding officer looked over the scene with obvious shock, the two subordinates looked to one another with uncertainty.

    ¡°Oh, hello there.  Thank God above that you¡¯ve arrived.  You see, we have managed to apprehend this minotaur rebel,¡± Raltor stated in a confident tone.  Magdalene turned to look at Aridean in surprise after hearing Raltor, but her overall fear and anxiousness remained present.  Aridean¡¯s heart sank immediately upon hearing him reveal her connection to the rebels.  Now they would certainly take her prisoner and have her executed.

    ¡°W-what?  You two managed to capture a minotaur?  An old man and a small girl?¡±  the sergeant asked incredulously.  ¡°W-well, rebel or not, I think you know what we are here for, Raltor.  Pastor Raltor Wilhelm of Byrden, we are here to place you under arrest under suspicion for cavorting with demons and associating with rebel soldiers.¡±

    Had she not been in such tremendous pain, Aridean might have questioned the charges the soldiers had placed on Raltor.  Unfortunately, all she could think about was the blade that was resting within her leg.  Her blood ran cold, however, upon hearing the maniacal laughter that Raltor was now making.

    ¡°Ahahaha!  Well, you can¡¯t fault a guy for trying,¡± Raltor said with a gentle smile on his face.  His bizarre response was met with uneasy and confused looks by the soldiers and Magdalene.  Although she was still in pain, Aridean had also managed to calm herself enough to be dumbfounded by the odd statement Raltor made.

    ¡°So, you do not deny the charges against you?  Very well, that makes things simpler.  Cadets, restrain the pastor and that girl; she may be an accomplice to the old man.  I¡¯ll handle the rebel personally,¡± the sergeant ordered.  The three soldiers began to approach Aridean and her captors.  Raltor had ceased laughing and his livid-looking scowl returned to his face as the soldiers drew closer.

    ¡°I¡¯ve waited so long for this day and she wasn¡¯t even ready yet¡­ A shame really, but I refuse to let this opportunity pass me by.  I¡¯ll just have to make do with what I have now,¡± Raltor angrily announced as one of the cadets reached for his arms.

    Taking deep breaths as she lay on the stone platform behind Raltor, Aridean watched as the sergeant neared her.  Looking beyond him, one of the cadets was pulling Magdalene to her feet and tying her arms behind her back.  She moved her eyes to see the last one that was tasked with restraining Raltor.  Strangely enough, she observed the final soldier having completely frozen up as he was reaching for Raltor.  Aridean looked at the soldier¡¯s face and could only think of one word to describe his expression: terror.

    Cracking noises began to resound throughout the room, along with an uncomfortable squelching sound.  The air itself became eerily cold as the cracking and squelching noises grew louder and louder.  Aridean saw through the tears in her eyes as the soldier apprehending Raltor stumbled backwards, falling to the ground.  She also observed Raltor¡¯s body violently lurching back and forth, the unsteady movements were synced with the spine-chilling sounds that had suddenly started.  Aridean¡¯s eyes grew ever wider as what unfolded next seemed straight out of a child¡¯s nightmare.

    ¡°Ah-ahhhh!¡±  Screamed the soldier on the ground as Raltor lunged toward him once.  The sudden cry of fear caught the attention of the other two soldiers and Magdalene, all of whom turned to witness what was happening.  Aridean watched as Raltor¡¯s body morphed in a horrific manner that could not be comfortably explained.  With his head raised, Aridean could see that Raltor¡¯s mouth had been ripped open.  While that might have explained the squelching noise, Raltor¡¯s mouth was still tearing flesh as his neck began splitting apart.  Blood seeped from the opening, coating Raltor¡¯s robes in a new crimson color.  It looked as though the pastor was being cut in two as his skull slumped backwards and jaw hung loosely in front of him.  Aridean could see dead eyes looking at her from the once kind old man turned monster.

    ¡°What in God¡¯s name?!¡±  The sergeant exclaimed as he stopped to examine the pastor¡¯s metamorphosis.  Squelching continued as the splitting of flesh continued down Raltor¡¯s neck and across his shoulders.  Each of his two arms seemed to burst into two limp, noodle-like limbs as the body continued to fall apart.  Raltor¡¯s robe began ripping as his upper chest and back seemed to inflate.  As the tattered cloth was torn from his body, it became apparent that the inexplicable breaking of his flesh had continued down to his chest.  At long last, the squelching noise had ceased giving hope that the horrific transformation was at an end.

    Raltor¡¯s body now stood on two legs in blood-soaked pants, surrounded by a puddle of even more blood.  Streams of crimson were steadily flowing down his average stomach and lower back.  But the man looked as though an axe had been used to cleave his upper half into two floppy pieces, stopping just below where his armpits once were.  He looked like a two-petal flower in full bloom.  Before anyone in the room could make a move, jagged bits of bone erupted from the ¡°petals,¡± splashing small amounts of blood throughout the room.  The man, if he could even be called that at this point, took one step forward and folded over the flap of flesh with his skull onto his lower jaw flesh-flap.  Now the creature looked more akin to a terrifying deep-sea fish, the bones looking like monstrous teeth.

    ¡°S-sergea--,¡± came the soldier that was cowering in front of the beast before being abruptly cut off.  Raltor lunged at the soldier again, wrapping his jelly-like, split arms around the man as his new maw engulfed the man¡¯s head in its entirety.

    Muffled screaming could be heard from within Raltor¡¯s new mouth and the soldier¡¯s body was visibly struggling.  Aridean could only watch as Raltor dragged more of the man into his body.  She was utterly mortified to hear a loud crunching noise.  The sound of the crunch was followed by the soldier¡¯s body going limp and blood oozed down his neck and over his body.

    ¡°Cadet!¡±  The soldier standing in front of Aridean called out in disbelief.

    ¡°All this waiting for a half-assed display and then this interruption¡­ I waited so long¡­ it was meant to be the perfect ritual¡­ but I can still salvage what is left,¡± a voice that was not Raltor¡¯s boomed as the monster released its now headless prey.  The remaining soldiers, obviously fear-stricken after having witnessed Raltor¡¯s bizarre change, drew swords and pointed them at the beast.  Raltor¡¯s new form was quick to react as the sergeant lunged in with a downward slash.  After a simple dodge of the steel blade, Raltor¡¯s arms wrapped their way around the man¡¯s neck like tentacles.  Now ensnared, the soldier was slowly lifted off the ground by the tentacles.  Having been caught off guard, the soldier lost his grip on his blade and desperately began trying to pry the tentacles off of his now tightening throat.  A deep guttural laugh could be heard, followed quickly by a loud crack.  Immediately, the tentacles were removed from the man who fell to the ground with a thud.

    Being the sole survivor of his squad, the final soldier made a mad dash for the staircase.  Unfortunately, the monster was too quick and wrapped one of its tentacles around the soldier¡¯s right ankle just as he reached the stairs.  The soldier fell as his footing was pulled out from under him, his jaw hitting one of the stairs during his fall.  In a graphic display, the creature dragged the man as he began futilely clawing his way to freedom back into the cellar.  Terrified screaming was instantly silenced, replaced by choked gasps for air, as another tentacle wrapped itself around the soldier¡¯s throat.  Aridean closed her eyes as she was too afraid to see anymore.

    ¡°P-pastor?!¡±  Magdalene called in an incredulous tone after having witness the slaughter.

    ¡°You foolish child, why could you not simply kill that wretch?!  You¡¯ve been an accomplice in the deaths of many, yet you cannot just fulfill the deed yourself?!  The wrath of your heart still burns brightly and I will take it,¡± the abomination raged.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ve¡­ w-what?¡±  Magdalene asked with eyes widening again.

    ¡°Oh, you never noticed it did you?  Every one of your thefts brought me new morsels to tide myself over.  Did you not wonder why you could never find them in the following hours or day?  Don¡¯t delude yourself, they did not flee town to avoid you,¡± the beast formerly known as Raltor announced.

    ¡°W-what?  I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ responsible for¡­¡± Magdalene began to realize in horror what the beast was revealing to her.  Before she could finish her thought, two tentacles wrapped their way around Magdalene¡¯s body.  Her arms were bound to her sides and a third tentacle was used to silence the terrified screams coming from her mouth.  Aridean watched in horror as Magdalene was lifted from her place on the ground and carried toward the stairs leading outside.  Much to her disgust, at the base of the stairs the beast stopped and folded its head back to look at Aridean again with its dead eyes.

    ¡°Once the ritual is complete, I¡¯ll be back for you¡­ your kind always have been my favorite treat,¡± former Raltor announced as the hellish fiend ascended the stairs.

    Aridean was now left alone on the stone platform in a cellar surrounded by three corpses.  She felt cold all over, save the warm and stinging sensation her felt in her left thigh.  Pain in her leg from the knife that still rested within her flesh was intense, but the unbelievable show she had just been witness to plagued her thoughts.

    What the hell was that?!  I¡¯ve got to get out of here now!  Think, think, think!  Ugh!  My leg hurts so bad!  No, I can¡¯t think about that now¡­ not now.  I got to get out of here; if Rana and Vidor come looking for me, they may find that thing.  I¡¯ve got to get out of here for their sakes as well, Aridean thought to herself as she took several deep breaths through her nose to try keeping her mind off the pain.  Having calmed down only slightly, the restrained minotaur began quickly surveying the room again for anything that might be of use.  Unfortunately, she did not manage to turn up anything different from the first time she investigated her surroundings after waking up on this stone platform.

    There¡¯s got to be something I can do to get out of here.  If I could just get the bindings on one of my hands off, I¡¯d be free¡­ Wait¡­ I do have something, Aridean thought to herself as she lifted her head.  She fixed her eyes on the dagger that sat within her leg.  Using her closer hand, Aridean found she was just able to reach the hilt.

    Okay¡­ this is gonna hurt¡­ c¡¯mon, just like popping a joint back in its socket¡­ Except with the risk of bleeding out.  No, don¡¯t think like that.  I¡¯ve got no other options right now, Aridean mentally encouraged herself.  Slowly and reluctantly, Aridean wrapped her hand around the dagger¡¯s hilt.  She took a deep breath again and gave the blade a solid upward yank.  Although the blade did move, it was still buried deep in Aridean¡¯s leg, and the action of trying to remove it sent intense pain through her leg.  A fair portion of blood had begun to leak out of the wound.

    Ahh!  That hurts so bad!  I-I don¡¯t know if I can do this¡­  N-no, if I don¡¯t, then I might die to that thing.  Or worse, Rana and Vidor¡­ got to try again, Aridean thought as she took another deep breath.  This time, without pausing, Aridean jerked on the hilt of the dagger.  Again, considerable pain and a sense of dread washed over her as blood was now pouring from the wound.  But at the same time, Aridean felt hope as she was now holding a blood covered blade that was not still inside her thigh.

    Aridean was quick and meticulous in adjusting her grip on the dagger so that the blade met with the rope around her wrist.  She slowly began sawing her way through the rope that kept her left hand bound to her side.  It felt like an hour had passed before the rope broke away and her hand was free.

    Despite the pain, Aridean felt unbridled glee as she made quick work of the remaining restraints around her other arm and legs.  Finally, she pulled the gag out of her mouth and took a deep breath.

    ¡°Now there¡¯s another order of business I have to take care of before I get out of here¡­¡± Aridean spoke as she looked at her knife wound.  It was quite the deep cut with a river of blood flowing out and down her leg.

    ¡°This¡­ is gonna hurt way more,¡± Aridean said to herself as she looked the dagger over.  Slowly, she ran one of her fingers along the blade, wiping it clear of her own blood.  The metal quickly began to radiate intense heat.  Although she had only managed to get it out of her mouth, Aridean slipped the cloth gag back in so as to have something to bite down on.

    Just go for it, get it over with.  Just do this and go find Rana, she¡¯ll be able to make it all better, Aridean kept thinking as she tried psyching herself up.  After hesitating for a solid three minutes, she quickly put the burning hot blade against her open wound.  Once more, excruciatingly agonizing pain enveloped her as her wound was burned closed.  She screamed through the gag in her mouth as the burn singed her flesh and fur.

    AHHH!  That hurts so much more than the knife being in my leg, Aridean mentally complained as she threw the searing hot dagger away.  Her leg was painfully burned, but the bleeding had stopped after her impromptu cauterization.  As she slowly managed to calm back down, Aridean removed the gag in her mouth yet again and thought to herself how she would never do anything like that again.

    While her leg was still in tremendous pain, Aridean managed to muster the strength to stand from the stone platform she had been laying on.  Unfortunately, her leg was not in the best condition for such activity and the minotaur found herself slumping to the ground.  With a deep breath, Aridean slowly stood back up and forced most of her weight onto her good leg, allowing the injured one to slowly limp behind her.  Aridean slowly and carefully made her way to the staircase and looked up to see a darkened sky.  It was clear that night had fallen, but she could not see any stars as rain clouds had blocked her view of the cosmos.  Regardless, she decided that was irrelevant and that she needed to get moving if she were to successfully escape.

    With difficulty, Aridean managed to stumble her way out of the cellar and found that she was looking out at the dark and depressing graveyard that was behind the church.  Rain was now coming down heavily and Aridean¡¯s fur was quickly soaked.  Leaning against the wall, Aridean started hobbling around the building toward the road.  Just as she made her way to the front of the church, she noticed the door slightly open and candlelight making its way outside.

    I¡¯m not so sure about going to church sermons anymore, Aridean thought to herself as she walked past the door and to the road.  However, she stopped in her muddy tracks as she heard the undeniable cry of unimaginable terror.  Magdalene¡¯s screams could be heard from behind her, from somewhere inside the church.

    I can just go right now¡­ she stabbed me and hates minotaurs.  There¡¯s no reason for me to risk my life for her, Aridean thought to herself as she looked at the door to the church.  Standing in the rain for just a moment more, Aridean then turned her head back to the road.  She lifted her good leg to start her uncomfortable and rain-soaked trek back to the inn.  Magdalene could be heard screaming once again, which was met with a frustrated grunt from Aridean as she paused again.

    I¡¯ve already abandoned those I love¡­ why would it be so difficult to leave behind someone I don¡¯t know?  What am I supposed to do against that thing anyway?  How could I help when I¡¯m barely limping away now?  Aridean mentally asked herself.  She bit her lower lip as she considered her own question.  Her body began trembling as the rain continued to fall.  One last look toward the church and Aridean had made up her mind; she lifted her good leg and began to limp forward.

 Chapter 13 - A Prayer in the Night

    Rain continued to assault the windows of the church as a bolt of lightning briefly illuminated the midnight countryside.  Explosive thunder boomed all around the old worship hall as the storm showed no signs of letting up.  From the outside, the building seemed for all the world like an average place of religious gathering.  One might even think it inviting in the abysmal weather given the front door to the church was slightly cracked.  A modest amount of light could be seen escaping outside from this door that had been carelessly left ajar.

    Slowly opening the door revealed an unimaginable and disgusting sight, however.  The main worship hall was well lit by several candles that had been neatly spaced out on the walls.  But the light gave visibility to bizarre and disturbing scenery.  Wooden pews had been smashed into pieces and the broken parts thrown about the room.  Paint on the wooden walls could be seen peeling away in multiple places throughout the room.  Many theological and religious amenities had been tossed about the area surrounding the altar at the front of the room.  While these observations only made the room look like the church was run down and abandoned, it was the otherworldly and monstrous looking, flesh-like vines that snaked their way around the floor, walls, and ceiling that made the church look like a considerably less inviting place of worship.

    Disgusting vines covered nearly every surface within the room.  Not only did these vines produce a repugnant odor but they seemed to ooze a deep crimson colored liquid.  This liquid had begun pooling in several places on the floor.  Most unnerving about these vines was upon closer inspection, they could be seen pulsing.  It was as if the vines were a living creature, breathing and moving through the decrepit room.

    The only clear surface in the church was the altar itself.  However, the clear space on the altar was quickly appropriated by an unwilling Magdalene as the beast formerly known as Raltor forcefully slammed her body onto the platform.  Still ensnared by one of his disgusting and blood-drenched arm tentacles, all Magdalene could do was catch her breath and squirm futilely.  A deep, guttural laughter emanated from the beast that kept her captive.

    ¡°Cease this wasted struggling, fool.  I¡¯ve work to do and I won¡¯t be allowing you to go free now,¡± the monster ordered.  Magdalene, however, refused to obey the command and continued to attempt to wiggle free from the arm that prevented her escape.

    ¡°W-what is going on?!  What are you?!  What happened to Pastor Raltor?!¡±  Magdalene cried as the beast used its other tentacle-like appendages to smear blood in a peculiar pattern around the altar.  Tentacles binding her began to tighten their grasp, causing Magdalene a fair deal of pain.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t the patience for your asinine questioning.  But I do relish the delicious taste of one¡¯s fear.  Just know I will be taking your heart soon,¡± the beast responded.  Magdalene¡¯s eyes widened as she heard the monster¡¯s objective.  It was going to take her heart from her?

    ¡°T-take my heart?!  W-what does that mean?!¡±  Magdalene continued to inquire in a panic.  Her dread and misery seemed to be the creature¡¯s greatest delight as it continued to deeply laugh at the girl.

    ¡°What delicious irony:  all this time you¡¯ve thought to be under the tutelage of that old goat, entirely unaware of my true intentions.  You¡¯ve harbored a deep hatred in your heart for so long and I have sought to fan the flames of that powerful fury until your wrath was perfected.  You disappoint me in being unable to realize your potential by not killing that miserable and gullible wretch; I truly thought you would be ready by now,¡± the monster began to explain.  ¡°Regardless, your wrath is far more powerful than that of this foolish preacher¡¯s.  It will take time to find another with more compatibility than you and I will harness your hate for my own gain.  Now the time is right; no one will interfere.  You will make me a fine vessel¡­¡±

    Tightening its grip on Magdalene again, the girl felt the air being squeezed out of her.  Her arms were painfully pressed into her sides to the point that she thought bones were about to start breaking.  Gasping for air, Magdalene managed one last cry for help in the form of another terrified scream.  Like the previous attempts, the scream was simply met with more guttural laughter from the beast that bound her in place.  Laying upon the altar against her will, Magdalene¡¯s mouth was covered by another tentacle as the remaining two were raised into the air over the monstrous form they were attached to.

    ¡°Scream and beg all you want.  No one is coming to save you and nothing will stop me from gaining your wrath,¡± the beast spoke as it began to invoke some kind of ritual.  A bulb of unnatural energy began to form in the air between the two tentacles that had been raised to the air.  The bulb was glowing an eerie shade of red; streaks of magic discharge were constantly being given off by the glowing bulb over the monster¡¯s body.

    Magdalene, now unable to even scream, could only watch as the horrific creature unfolded its demonic body.  With Raltor¡¯s head now folded backwards and facing the open door to the church, Magdalene could see down the monster¡¯s unholy maw.  Within she could see the jagged bones that had been forced to tear through muscle and flesh in a random arrangement.  These bones appeared to be teeth for the creature.  Beyond the bone-teeth, Magdalene also observed Raltor¡¯s lungs and heart.  Although the lungs did not seem to move, the heart was still beating at an unusually fast pace.

    Deeper within the dark cavity that had been horribly distorted due to the monster¡¯s influence, Magdalene could make out something very dark in color.  It was no organ, at least none she was aware of, and it seemed to roll around inside the maw.  Magdalene¡¯s eyes grew wide when she saw the mass within the creature¡¯s mouth opened a blood red eye of its own.  Her muffled screams were all but snuffed out by the rain hitting the windows and the boom of thunder outside.

    ¡°Now then, give to me your sinning heart, girl,¡± the unholy abomination shouted, the command echoing throughout the room.  Magdalene¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she continued with her muffled screaming.  The beast began laughing again as the tentacles charging the magic orb overhead began descending upon Magdalene.  Unable to escape, Magdalene shut her eyes tight as she awaited whatever was to come next.  However, unexpectedly, she felt something warm lightly splash onto her face as the beast let loose a howl unlike anything she had ever heard.

    Opening her eyes, Magdalene was shocked to see that her prayers for salvation had been answered, just not how she had expected.  Behind the monster stood Aridean, with a fearsome scowl on her face.  Aridean was holding the hilt of a dagger, the same one that Magdalene had stabbed her with, and had thrust the blade into the back of creature so that the blade was now protruding through the right lung within the maw.  Specks of blood from the attack had made their way onto Magdalene¡¯s face.

    ¡°AUGH!  You dare interfere?!¡±  Came the furious monster that had lost its focus.  The magical bulb over its head quickly dissipated into thin air, much to the fiend¡¯s obvious frustration.  Roaring, the aggressively hostile creature quickly swung its free tentacles around.  Unable to move quickly due to her injured leg, Aridean was hit by the unexpectedly forceful blow and sent flying into a nearby broken pew.  The minotaur struggled to stand back up as the air had been entirely taken out of her from the attack.

    ¡°RGH!  How is this possible?!  Pain?!  From the likes of you?!  What the hell are you?!¡±  the unspeakable horror from beyond ironically demanded of Aridean as she slowly got back on her hooves.  ¡°No matter.  I already told you, I¡¯m saving you as a delicious treat after my vessel is complete.  But I suppose I¡¯ll just have to tenderize you first!¡±

    Having only just gotten back up, Aridean was unprepared for the beast¡¯s sudden charge.  Even if she had been prepared, she was unarmed as the knife she initiated her attack with was still lodged in the creature and she had left her axe back at the inn.  All the defenseless minotaur could do was shield herself with her hands as the tentacles came back for another vicious blow.  This one was particularly powerful and sent her off her hooves and directly through the door to the church.

    Aridean continued to fly backwards after the previous strike into the rainy night, beyond the reach of the candlelight in the church.  Her body landing and sliding along the dirt outside could only just be heard as the mighty rain continued to pour around her.  Laughter emanated from within the church she had just been ejected from, as did a horrified cry for help from Magdalene.

    Ugh¡­ owwww¡­ got to get up.  C¡¯mon, get up.  Don¡¯t pass out now¡­ Aridean thought to herself, attempting to fire herself up.  Unfortunately, her vision was beginning to darken and she was having a difficult time focusing on anything.  Aridean¡¯s eyes slowly began to shut as the rain soaked her furry face.

    I guess¡­ this is it.  I knew that was a bad idea, but how was I supposed to just leave her like that?  Someone with some sense would have left, but I didn¡¯t want to abandon her to that thing, Aridean mentally reviewed her decision to attempt a rescue for Magdalene.  Unable to move and slowly slipping into darkness, Aridean felt disappointment with herself.

    ¡°Father¡­ I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t write you that letter.  Vidor¡­ I would have liked just one more date with you,¡± Aridean quietly spoke as her eyes shut.  She felt this would be the last time they closed in this life as a bright light began to shine.  Aridean had always heard that there was supposedly a bright light to guide the dying to the afterlife, but she did not expect it to be a bright green color.

    ¡°Only one more?  I may not be a romantic, but I think we could have a few more than just one!¡±  came a familiar voice from nearby.

    Aridean gasped as she recognized the voice and her eyes shot wide open.  By her side were Rana and Vidor.  Rana was busy working her healing magics over Aridean¡¯s bruised body and cauterized leg wound, refreshing Aridean with plenty of vigor for the task at hand.  Vidor was holding one of Aridean¡¯s hands in his and Aridean¡¯s axe in the other; he also had his usual, goofy smile on his face after having made his previous comment.

    ¡°Rana, Vidor,¡± Aridean called as she sat up.

    ¡°Sorry we¡¯re late, Vidor lost a bet over checkers with a dwarf,¡± Rana started as the green glow of magic faded from her hands.  Vidor seemed to be offended by his sister¡¯s excuse for their tardiness.

    ¡°Hey, I almost had him.  Besides, you wanted to stop off at that bakery again for some more of that lemon cake,¡± Vidor retorted with annoyance in his voice.  Rana rolled her eyes at her brother¡¯s excuse but knew she could not entirely refute him.  If it were under other circumstances, Aridean would likely have started to giggle at her friend¡¯s exchange, but now was not the time for chatter.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you guys are here now.  Pastor Raltor has turned into a monster and he¡¯s using Magdalene to perform some kind of ritual,¡± Aridean hurriedly explained as she stood back up again.  She took her axe from Vidor and started to make her way back to the church, expecting Rana and Vidor to follow her lead.  To her surprise, Rana grabbed her hand as she passed, halting her advance.  Aridean looked to her friend in confusion.

    ¡°Aridean, slow down.  If there¡¯s some monster in there, we need a plan so that we don¡¯t all end up back out here on our backs like you were when Vidor and I arrived,¡± Rana gently suggested.  Aridean, however, was less than patient with the idea of wasting time devising a plan given what she had seen from the creature within the church.  Even so, Aridean took a deep breath and was able to think on Rana¡¯s words more clearly.  Rain continued to pour down all around the trio.

    ¡°Okay, the plan¡­ uh¡­ first, we need to get Magdalene out of there.  I don¡¯t know what its obsession with her is, but it needs her for its ritual.  After that?  We¡¯ll have to improvise as planting a knife in one of its lungs only annoyed it,¡± Aridean quickly explained in as calm a manner as she could.  Vidor was quick to draw his bow as Aridean began to take the lead in storming the church.  Rana, on the other hand, shook her head and was clearly wishing Aridean had thought over her plan a little more before acting.  Nevertheless, she joined the other two minotaurs as they were reaching the door.

    Peering into the church, the group watched the monster that still held Magdalene captive at the altar.  The girl wriggled and squirmed in an effort to free herself from the tentacle that held her in place, but it was all in vain.  Aridean watched as the creature used one of its tentacles to wrap around the hilt of the dagger she had thrust into it a few moments ago.  Both Rana and Vidor watched with jaws dropped, obviously not expecting a monster of this caliber.

    With a pained groan, the beast had quickly removed the knife in its back.  To the surprise of all the non-monsters present, the gaping wound that hardly trickled blood saw a dark smoke form around it.  The smoke was so thick that nothing could be seen.  Strangely, the smoke cleared as soon as it appeared, revealing the wound the beast had suffered had regenerated.  Rather than throw the weapon it had reclaimed to the side, the monster seemed to inspect it.  Annoyed grunts could only just be heard over the smacking of the rain on the windows.

    ¡°This is that same dagger that you were to kill her with¡­  I can feel the fire magic on it, but a demon lord like me does not feel such pitiful attacks¡­ What the hell did that walking steak do that caused me pain?¡±  The demonic entity mused aloud.  Magdalene continued to struggle within the beast¡¯s grip and could be heard making muffled grunts and exertions of effort in the process.  Outside the church, the three minotaurs began to whisper among themselves.

    ¡°That thing is Pastor Raltor?!  Spirits help us; what happened to him?¡±  Rana first questioned.

    ¡°A knife in the back and through a lung did nothing?  What have I gone and gotten us into now?¡±  Aridean quietly complained.

    ¡°A demon lord?  Huh, kind of expected something¡­ well, bigger,¡± Vidor nonchalantly observed.  Both Aridean and Rana looked to him with mild annoyance over his disappointment with the horror that threatened them.  Having expressed their individual opinions, Rana beckoned her team closer away from the doorway as the demon returned its attention to Magdalene.

    ¡°Okay, Aridean, what do you know about that thing so far?¡±  Rana asked while peering into the church again.  It appeared that the demon was redrawing the bloody glyphs it had made previously.  Aridean¡¯s first attack must have disrupted something or smeared one of its drawings.

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know much more than you two.  That¡­ thing was Raltor.  It uses those tentacle-y things to grab and attack.  It killed three empire soldiers that had arrived to arrest Raltor.  Don¡¯t underestimate it just because it has a human body; those tentacles are incredibly strong.  One strike from those things is what sent me from inside the church to the ground over there where you two found me,¡± Aridean answered in as calm a tone as she was able to.  Vidor looked back at the kicked-up mud and dirt where Aridean had been thrown.  His eyebrows shot up with surprise upon hearing Aridean¡¯s account of the demon¡¯s strength.

    ¡°Yikes, you must have flown about twenty meters then.  Worse yet, that¡¯s not including the extra¡­ maybe two meters you were dragging on the ground.  Yeah, that thing is crazy strong,¡± Vidor commented.  Rana sighed as she turned back to Aridean and Vidor.  The two looked to their leader in anticipation of her orders.  After a moment of thinking things over, Rana sighed again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not liking this one bit, but we¡¯re here and no one else is going to save her if we don¡¯t,¡± Rana began to announce, both Aridean and Vidor nodded in agreement.  ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, let¡¯s do it right.  I¡¯ll try and keep it in place with magic and provide support.  While it¡¯s restrained, Aridean will move in and take out the tentacles holding Magdalene.  Throughout all of this, Vidor will keep pressure up from a distance.  I don¡¯t know how to kill a demon, so our objective is to get Magdalene and get out, understood?¡±

    All through her plan, Rana was drawing the team¡¯s attack in the mud.  Luckily, only just enough light was shining from within the church so that everyone could see what Rana was drawing.  Having concluded their strategy meeting, the three nodded to one another once more before standing and moving to the door to the church again.

    Aridean and Vidor both immediately moved into church, keeping to opposite walls as they entered.  Vidor drew an arrow in his bow as the beast at the altar turned to acknowledge the trio.  Rana stood in the doorway, her hands glowing a bright green color again as she began to cast her magic.  With haste, she threw one of her hands into the air as the demon began to lurch forward roaring loudly.

    Before the creature could move even two feet, the wooden floor beneath it split as an earthen spike shot up from the ground.  This magic spike managed to bore its way into the stomach of the monster, which let out another loud roar.  Vidor then began his assault by first firing an arrow into the right knee of the beast.  He followed by speedily firing a second into the left knee.

    ¡°Aridean, now!¡±  Rana called out.

    Certain that the demon was now immobilized, Aridean moved in as quick as her hooves could take her.  Jumping from a broken pew piece she used as a springboard, Aridean brought her axe over her head.  At the apex of her jump, she began a downward swing.  Unfortunately, the creature reeled back as far as was possible with the impaling earth spike in its abdomen.  The monster threw the two free tentacles up at Aridean, grabbing both her torso and leg as she descended upon it.  Even so, the beast was too late to stop her attack.

    Aridean, despite being captured now, brought her axe down with force on the tentacles that restrained Magdalene.  Her captor roared in pain as Magdalene was dropped from its grasp; both of the tendrils had been hacked entirely off of the main body.  Disgustingly, the two fleshy noodles wiggled as Magdalene threw them off of her and began gasping for air.  The demon turned to see its true prey struggling to her feet.

    ¡°Augh!¡±  Aridean cried out as the tentacle wrapping around her torso began to tighten.  Now it was Aridean¡¯s turn to wiggle and squirm.  Differently, she had an axe that she desperately began to lift again for another attack.  However, the axe never came down upon the tentacle that was starting to crush the life out of her as the one grabbing her leg was redirected to her hand holding the weapon.

    ¡°I have waited so long and I will not allow you worms to interfere!¡±  The demon loudly declared, sheer fury and malice in its voice.  From the ground, Magdalene watched as the beast moved its legs despite the arrows meant to cripple it.  To Magdalene¡¯s and Rana¡¯s amazement, the demon threw its body back and in doing so, shattered the earthen spike that impaled it.  Now free and clearly not slowed down, the monster approached Magdalene as Aridean continued to struggle in a quickly tightening tentacle.

    Frozen in place, Magdalene refused to move as the monstrous maw leaned in.  Blood dripped from the creature as it showed off its many broken bone-teeth.  From within the body, Magdalene could smell the revolting stench of Raltor¡¯s insides.  As the creature lunged at her, Magdalene raised a single arm in her defense.  The maw snapped shut with the same force of a bear trap securing its mark.

    Luckily, the maw did not secure anything as Vidor had pulled Magdalene out of the way of the creature¡¯s attack at just the last second.  He pushed the girl behind him as he drew his crossbow and fired a bolt directly into the skull of the monster.  It reeled back again from the force of the bolt penetrating its body but did not seem incredibly bothered by attack.

    ¡°You are quite the nuisance,¡± the demon angrily hissed before throwing Aridean from its grip directly into Rana at the back of the church.  ¡°Begone!¡±

    With that, the monster charged Vidor.  In response, Vidor holstered his crossbow as quickly as possible and drew a knife in each hand.  Despite his sleight of hand, he was not fast enough and could only bring his arms up to defend himself as the beast forcibly slammed its deceptively powerful tendrils into his body.  Vidor was lifted from the ground and flew directly through a window to the church.  The minotaur was last seen exiting into the dark and stormy night as the window shattered.  Bits of glass shining in the candlelight as they fell out of view, along with Vidor.

    ¡°Vidor!¡±  Rana called out with concern for her brother as she and Aridean struggled to stand up again.

    Loud patter of rain hitting the ground and puddles outside the window nearly drowned out her voice.  For a moment, it seemed like the only thing responding to Rana was the rush of cold air entering the church.  As the breeze danced its way around the room, the candles within the hall flickered.  Aridean watched as the candle nearest her extinguish as another strong gust of cold air ran by; a small stream of smoke slowly wafting from the burnt candle.  Having witnessed the candle being put out had sent a chill down Aridean¡¯s spine.  She did feel a small amount of relief when she finally heard Vidor¡¯s familiar voice from out the window respond to Rana.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay!  This rose bush broke my fall!¡±  Vidor responded in the darkness outside.  If one were to listen very closely, they could only just make out a pained groan over the rain following Vidor¡¯s response.

    Is now really the time for jokes?!  Aridean thought to herself as she managed to pick herself up again.  Unfortunately, the crushing grasp of the demon had left its mark on her and she found she was having difficulty breathing.  Aridean ran her hand along her side to discover immense discomfort in her torso.  She assumed that the monster must have broken a rib or two.

    ¡°Aridean, are you okay?¡±  Rana asked as she moved to keep herself between the monster and Aridean.  Rana turned for only a second to see Aridean wincing in pain before returning her attention to the threat, ¡°Dammit¡­ hang in there!¡±

    The demonic entity seemed momentarily distracted as it turned left and right and spun around.  Aridean watched, a bit confused by the beast¡¯s movements.  Still having trouble catching her breath, Aridean hefted her axe in both hands as Rana brought up her knuckles.  A bright green glow had returned to Rana¡¯s hands as she prepared herself for the next move.  Strangely, the monster did not seem to notice, or perhaps did not care, that the duo was raising arms against it again.

    What is that thing doing?  It¡¯s almost as if it¡¯s looking for something¡­ Aridean thought to herself as she observed the peculiar behavior of the demon.

    ¡°Rgh!  Where?!  Where is my new vessel?!¡±  the demon could be heard aggressively shouting throughout the church as it continued to spin in place.  Eventually, the beast returned its attention to Rana and Aridean, ¡°What have you snacks done with her?!  If she got away¡­ RGHHH!!  You pathetic whelps will know unyielding wrath!¡±

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    Having made its declaration of war, the demon began to charge Rana and Aridean.  Aridean brought her axe up over her head in preparation for a counterattack but was struck with intense pain in her side.  Due to the sudden ache, Aridean felt immensely unbalanced with the axe raised.  Nevertheless, she maintained her uncomfortable stance as the beast began to rush her.

    Rana, however, simply opened her left hand.  Her fingers were tingling with the thrum of magic as she was in the middle of channeling her power.  Aridean watched as the demon only made it three steps before Rana closed her hand into a tightly clenched fist.  As Rana¡¯s fist closed tight, the glowing aura began to shine even brighter and the splintering of wood could be heard nearby.

    Aridean watched as the stone beneath the church rose from under the floor again and snaked its way around the leg of the monster charging her and Rana.  Unprepared for the sudden restraint, the demon lost its footing and began to fall forward.  At this point, Rana rushed the beast as it fell to the ground.  Before the monster had hit the ground, Rana swung the razor-sharp edge of her brass knuckles in an upward slash that severed the two remaining tentacles on the beast¡¯s body.  Needless to say, the monster was roaring in a fit of rage and anger at Rana¡¯s actions.

    ¡°That¡¯s it!  I¡¯VE HAD IT!!¡±  The demon roared as a dark smoke enveloped its body.  Aridean and Rana both took a step back in shock as they watched the smoke move across the body.  Wherever this strange smoke covered the monster¡¯s body it seemed to be obscuring any wounds that the beast had sustained.  Aridean and Rana both gasped as they watched the smoke dissipate, revealing the body had instantly been regenerated.  Holes from Vidor¡¯s arrows were gone.  The massive void in its abdomen from Rana¡¯s initial magic attack had been filled.  But most concerning, the tentacles which made for a serious threat had regrown on the horrific body.

    H-how are we supposed to kill this thing?!  W-what are we go¡ª, Aridean began to think to herself before having her own thoughts cut off.  As she was pondering a means of hurting the demon, it had hastily broken the earthen anchor around its leg and used a tentacle to secure both Aridean and Rana by their throats.  Before either could swing either of their weapons, the remaining two tentacles restrained the arms that were coming in for retaliation.

    ¡°This one is just annoying¡­ but you¡­,¡± the demon stated aloud as it analyzed Rana and then turned its attention to Aridean.  Both Rana and Aridean were struggling as the beast lifted them from their hooves, ¡°you actually managed to hurt me.  I do not know how and I do not care how.  You¡¯ll die first¡­ painfully.¡±

    Having decided to end this showdown, the beast began to not only tighten its grip around Aridean¡¯s and Rana¡¯s throats, but to lean in with maw wide.  Aridean watched in a panic as teeth made of broken bone drew closer and closer.  She still remembered how the monster made its first kill tonight, having crunched an Empire soldier¡¯s head entirely off of his shoulders.  It was certainly not the end she wished to meet as well.

    ¡°A-Ari¡ª¡± Rana barely managed to squeak out as the tentacles choking the two grew ever tighter.  A bolt of lightning outside briefly illuminated the scene in a bright flash.  As things darkened again in the dim candlelight, the boom of the thunder loudly resounded throughout the church.  Cold air continued to dance throughout the worship hall.  A tear rolled down Aridean¡¯s face as her face came within inches of the first bone-tooth within the gaping maw.  Beyond the jagged teeth, Aridean could see lungs and a beating heart.  Aridean closed her eyes as the maw opened wider.

    ¡°AUGHHHHHH!!¡±  The demon roared in pain.  Aridean felt her throat open up again as she fell to the ground in a heap.  Coughing and gasping for air, she noticed that Rana had also been released and was also desperately collecting air for her own lungs.  She then looked at the monster that had been only a second or two away from eating her head.  To her surprise, a crossbow bolt had been fired directly into the beast¡¯s beating heart.  However, much to her confusion, this bolt was glowing brightly.

    ¡°H-h-holy magic?!  What?!  S-she¡­ rah!  That ungrateful maggot,¡± the monster roared.  Aridean turned around to the church door and saw not just Vidor with his crossbow ready but Magdalene by his side.  Magdalene¡¯s hands were glowing with the same white aura that the crossbow bolt now lodged in the demon¡¯s heart was.

    ¡°It¡¯s hurting!  Hold it down again!¡±  Magdalene shouted toward Rana.  Although she was still struggling for air, Rana managed to tap into her magic and ensnare the demon as she had previously.

    ¡°Kill you all¡­ I will KILL YOU ALL!¡±  The dazed beast roared as it began to fight against its new bindings.  This time, something seemed to dramatically weaken the demon as it was entirely unable to free itself as it had done before.  Even the tentacles that it had been using for offensive actions now fell limp at its sides.

    ¡°Hey, you!  I¡¯m going to imbue your axe with holy power; cleave that thing in two!¡±  Magdalene called out as she threw the aura glowing around her hand toward Aridean.  As the aura reached her, it skirted around her body and made its way to the axe she was still tightly gripping in her right hand.  Upon making contact with the weapon, Aridean¡¯s axe began to incandescently glow within the church.

    ¡°She has a name you know,¡± Vidor chided as Aridean slowly stood up on her hooves.

    ¡°Is now the best time?!¡±  Magdalene retorted with great annoyance in her voice.  Despite it clearly not being the best time, Vidor rolled his eyes at Magdalene signaling his own annoyance with her.  Although she was in a great deal of pain and discomfort, Aridean slowly approached the weakened monster, firmly gripping her imbued battle axe.

    ¡°How is this possible?!  I am a demon lord!  I epitomize the very sin of wrath itself!  How could I fail to not only make that impertinent brat my new vessel but also fail to kill these three fools?!¡±  The demon lord angrily declared as Aridean stood before it.  ¡°I will be victorious!  All the world will know the true wrath of Hell itself!¡±

    Aridean raised her glowing axe overhead before speaking, ¡°Feel the wrath of Heaven.¡±

    With that, Aridean brought down the weapon with tremendous force as the demon roared indignantly.  The tone of the roar immediately shifted from defiant and enraged cries to pained anguish as the axe tore right through the body.  Like a knife through butter, Aridean¡¯s axe had done just as Magdalene ordered and cleaved the abominable creature into two pieces.  Although the roaring ended, the body continued to writhe on the ground like the body of a snake after having its head severed.  Blood began to stain the wooden flooring where Aridean¡¯s axe now rested; the crimson liquid began to pool around Aridean¡¯s hooves as it continued to flow from the monster.

    Aridean took a deep breath, feeling confident that the whole ordeal was now at its end.  Her grip on the battle axe loosened as she began to stumble backwards.  However, her relief was short-lived as an unsettling sight began to make its appearance.  Although the body had stopped its squirming on the ground, the same black smoke that seemed to heal the creature began to rise from its remains.

    ¡°How can this thing keep going?¡±  Aridean incredulously asked aloud to no one in particular.  The thick smoke began billowing up from the mangled pile of flesh and blood.

    ¡°Get back!¡±  Vidor called as he moved in front of Aridean.  As Vidor raised his bow with an arrow prepared, the smoke began to clear.  Beneath the black cloud, nothing about the beast appeared to change this time; the monster had not healed its fatal wound.

    ¡°Look at that,¡± Rana said, pointing to something glowing within one of the two split halves of the demon.  Aridean followed Rana¡¯s finger and saw the glowing crossbow bolt that Vidor had shot into the monster¡¯s heart.  Holy magic was slowly fading from the bolt, but what held everyone¡¯s attention was the heart that it had penetrated.  Raltor¡¯s heart had begun to swell, growing in size at an alarming rate.  Slowly, the muscle¡¯s bloated form covered the bolt embedded within it.  To everyone¡¯s astonishment, the heart, now at least five times larger than it was originally, exploded in a shower of blood and giblets.

    ¡°Ugh, gross,¡± Rana complained as she wiped bits of heart off of her arm.

    ¡°I think¡­ that¡¯s that,¡± Vidor said as he unarmed himself.

    ¡°Good¡­ I¡¯m exhausted,¡± Aridean muttered as she now stumbled backward.  Quick to help her, Vidor grabbed Aridean as she began to fall back.  Although she was having a difficult time thinking clearly, Aridean managed to smile at Vidor, who returned his own smirk.

    ¡°Hmm?  It looks like Magdalene¡¯s run off already,¡± Rana commented after a quick survey of the room.  Vidor helped Aridean to lean on his shoulder as the trio made their way to the door.

    ¡°Eh, leave her be.  Doubt she¡¯s in any mood to talk, least of all to us,¡± Vidor responded to his sister with indifference.  However, his usual live-and-let-live attitude returned as he addressed Aridean, ¡°So¡­ about that date.¡±

    ¡°Vidor!  After an evening like this don¡¯t you think it best to let her have some time to herself?¡±  Rana snapped at her brother.  Vidor turned to face his older sister with a worried look in his expression.  Aridean, however, giggled a little before taking a deep breath.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just have a game night with checkers by a nice warm fire?  A-after Rana takes some of this pain away,¡± Aridean said, wincing with discomfort as she stepped on her left leg in a way that triggered a sharp pain.  ¡°Oh, and no bets.  Just a friendly game night.¡±

    ¡°Aw, take all the fun out of it why don¡¯t you?¡±  Vidor replied laughing as he turned back to Aridean.  Rana rolled her eyes, but at the same time, was smiling brightly.

    ¡°You two were just made for each other, weren¡¯t you?¡±  Rana sarcastically asked as the group left the church in the darkness.  Luckily, the rain was starting to let up as they began their trek back to the Tranquility Inn.

    A bright sun was slowly descending in a blue sky mostly clear of fluffy, white clouds.  Pleasantly cool air passed by in a gentle breeze as the afternoon was transitioning into the evening.  Clop of horse hooves could be heard when the creak of the wooden wagon did not drown them out.  On both sides of the wagon was vast countryside with wooded areas conservatively spaced out all around.  With Byrden behind them, the team had only recently begun their venture back to Stonehaven.

    Aridean sat in the back of the wagon as it rocked gently, or greatly if a wheel ran over a rock.  She just watched as the countryside scene her eyes focused on lazily moved by; a drowsy feeling was slowly creeping up on her.  Both Rana and Vidor sat at the front of the wagon.  Rana held the reins to the horses pulling their wagon while Vidor drank water from a canteen.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯m surprised you were so quick to leave, Rana,¡± Vidor spoke as the wagon was pulled into pleasant shade under some trees on the side of the road.  ¡°I just kind of thought you¡¯d want to check out that sweet shop again.¡±

    ¡°Well, you know I would have liked to do so.  To be honest with you, I¡¯m trying not to think about how much I regret not doing so right now.  But I already told you both we needed to leave after our meeting,¡± Rana replied with her normal, sweet and friendly tone of voice.

    Rana mentioned it this morning:  we need to leave before anyone notices the scene at the church and suspects us, Aridean thought to herself.

    ¡°Well, yeah, but why would anyone in Byrden suspect us?  Besides, that thing was not human anymore, if it ever was to begin with.  You know what I¡¯m more concerned with?¡±  Vidor asked, sounding almost serious.

    ¡°Magdalene, yes, I know.  While she clearly did not enjoy our company, I doubt we have anything to worry about her.  She did help us last night after all.  Even if she does decide to report us to the authorities, we¡¯re already well on our way home,¡± Rana answered.  Vidor¡¯s expression shifted to show his own doubt in his sister¡¯s stance on the girl in question.  Magdalene had to have been aware that the group she had helped to slay a demon were members of the rebellion and not the pilgrimaging family they claimed.

    ¡°Uh-huh, we¡¯ll see about that,¡± Vidor stated with annoyance in his tone.  His odd comment garnered Aridean¡¯s attention as she looked to him wondering what he meant by that.  Why was he challenging Rana¡¯s belief that Magdalene, who they had not seen since the previous evening, would not cause them any trouble?

    ¡°S-she was a bit scary, but she did help us in the end.  I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s going to do with herself now that Raltor¡¯s gone, but I hope she¡¯s able to find her own happiness.  Maybe she¡¯ll stop pickpocketing minotaurs now,¡± Aridean commented trying to remain hopeful.  Vidor turned around to Aridean looking a bit confused by her statements.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the girl who stabbed you in the leg last night?  She stabs you and you run to her rescue then wish her well?  What does somebody have to do to make you angry?¡±  Vidor asked before sighing and turning back to the road ahead.  ¡°Aw well¡­ Hey, Rana, could you do me a favor and stop the wagon for a second?¡±

    ¡°Did you really not go back at the¡ª,¡± Rana began to ask her brother with mild irritation in her voice.

    ¡°Just stop the wagon for me, please?¡±  Vidor asked again.  Rana, looking annoyed with Vidor, pulled up on the reins.  The horses pulling the wagon stopped just before they left the delightful shade of the trees.  Rather than get down from his seat in the wagon, Vidor folded his arms over his chest and took a deep breath.  Both Aridean and Rana looked to him with growing confusion.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Vidor?¡±  Aridean called out, starting to feel a little bit concerned for her friend.  He had been acting a bit off ever since the group had started their journey back home.

    ¡°Last chance to change your mind, it¡¯d only be about an hour¡¯s walk back to Byrden,¡± Vidor loudly announced.  Whatever irritation was left in Rana¡¯s expression was immediately replaced with confusion.  Aridean was also left entirely befuddled by Vidor¡¯s sudden announcement.

    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡±  Rana asked, worried about her brother.  Vidor, however, retained the annoyed expression he had and seemed to wait for a response to his declaration.

    ¡°He¡¯s talking to me,¡± came a voice from somewhere nearby.  Startled, both Aridean and Rana jumped in their seats.

    ¡°Who said that?!¡±  Aridean called out, still a bit alarmed by the unannounced guest.  Rather than respond to Aridean, a loud thud could be heard coming from underneath the wagon.

    ¡°Ow¡­¡±  came the voice again, sounding as though it was under the wagon.  Aridean looked over the side of the wagon as she heard dirt shuffling beneath her.  Rana was also looking around the wagon from her seat at the front while Vidor continued to fix his gaze on the road ahead.  When it became clear that Aridean had been looking over the wrong side of the wagon, she turned around at just the right time to catch a glimpse of a humanoid hand reaching over the wagon.  Aridean quickly turned around to face whoever was climbing up into the wagon.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±  came the oddly familiar, girlish voice.  As she finished her response to Aridean¡¯s question, the unmistakable golden locks and lightly freckled face of the pickpocket Magdalene came into view.  She was not wrapped in the blue cloak she had been wearing the previous day but was dressed in a long sleeve, white button-up and long, white skirt with a light-blue trim.  She also had a fair-sized backpack over her shoulders that looked well worn, it was a strange contrast to her nice and, mostly, clean clothes.

    The young girl nimbly pulled herself up and over the side of the wooden wagon and now sat opposite Aridean in the back.  Aridean and Rana were both left speechless by the sudden appearance while Vidor looked back at the girl with indifference.  Magdalene began brushing dirt off of her clothes and wiping her hands clean.  Every pat on her white clothes saw a small cloud of dirt and dust fly up into the air.  Once satisfied with the state of her clothing, the girl surveyed the three minotaurs that were watching her.

    ¡°M-Magdalene?!¡±  Aridean called out in astonishment.  Magdalene looked at her with an impatient expression on her face.  She let out a long, drawn-out sigh and rested her chin in the palm of her hand, her elbow on her knee.

    ¡°How long have you been down there?¡±  Rana asked their stowaway.

    ¡°She¡¯s been under there even before we set out,¡± Vidor answered for the girl.  Magdalene began to nod her agreement with Vidor¡¯s statement.

    ¡°B-but¡­ why?¡±  Aridean inquired, confused as to why the girl had decided to join them.  Of everyone she had met outside of Stonehaven, Magdalene seemed like the last to accept traveling with minotaurs.  The young girl let out another, impatient sigh.

    ¡°L-look¡­ it¡¯s like you were saying:  I don¡¯t know what to do now that Pastor¡¯s gone.  There¡¯s nothing left in Byrden for me.  Not that I¡¯m really leaving anything behind that I cared about anyways,¡± Magdalene answered, sounding very sure of herself.

    ¡°Well¡­ I understand leaving, but I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve decided to follow us.  What were you planning on doing joining us on our pilgrimage?¡±  Rana asked, trying to keep up the group¡¯s ruse.

    ¡°Ugh, you can drop that¡­ I know you guys are rebel soldiers and I¡¯m mostly sure she isn¡¯t your sister,¡± Magdalene replied, clearly agitated by Rana¡¯s bluff.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ no sense in pretending if you know.  In that case, what are you doing here?  Are you sure you don¡¯t want us to take you back to Byrden?¡±  Rana repeated her question with a gentle and sweet tone.  Vidor turned to his sister with an annoyed expression upon hearing her offer to ride the wagon back to town for the group¡¯s uninvited companion.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to stay in Byrden.  To tell you the truth, I-I¡¯ve done some thinking about what happened last night¡­  I¡¯m going with you guys¡­ if you¡¯ll let me,¡± Magdalene responded.  Magdalene looked mildly annoyed by the expressions the three minotaurs now wore.  Aridean still looked stunned that Magdalene had even appeared while Rana¡¯s face was filled with some kind of mix between concern and skepticism.  Vidor, however, gave a small scowl to signify his resentment of her statement.  A gentle and cool breeze blew past the wagon, making Magdalene¡¯s hair and the manes on the three minotaurs dance somewhat.

    ¡°B-but don¡¯t you h-hate us?¡±  Aridean reluctantly inquired, a bit fearful of Magdalene¡¯s reprisal.  She was surprised when Magdalene¡¯s eyes fell to the wooden floor of the wagon where the girl¡¯s feet rested.  Aridean thought that she looked for all the world like a sad, little girl and not the scary, hate-filled pickpocket from yesterday.

    ¡°I-I¡­ I do hate minotaurs¡­ b-but you guys saved my life.  I-I just owe a debt, that¡¯s all.  I-I¡¯m just tagging along to repay you guys for what you did for me.  A-after that, we¡¯re through,¡± Magdalene declared with authority in her voice.  Although she seemed to maintain her serious attitude, Aridean felt there was a degree of hesitation in her words.

    ¡°You¡¯re just coming along to repay us for helping you last night?  Why though?  What are you really after?¡±  Vidor chided, clearly unconvinced that the girl was there with a sense of gratitude for the team¡¯s actions.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of growing up to do, I get that¡­ I thought maybe you guys could help me with that¡­ B-but that doesn¡¯t make us friends, got it?!¡±  Magdalene responded, sounding a little less sure of herself as she finished.

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you want to do.  We¡¯d be happy to have you if you don¡¯t mind traveling with us,¡± Rana said with a gentle smile that seemed to catch Magdalene¡¯s attention for a brief moment.  Vidor also directed his attention to his sister with disbelief in his face.

    ¡°Rana!  She almost killed Aridean last night!  You¡¯re okay with letting her join us?!¡± Vidor incredulously blurted out to his sister¡¯s irritation.

    ¡°Well, you and I have cast our votes.  We¡¯ll let Aridean be the tie-breaker on whether or not we allow Magdalene to accompany us,¡± Rana told Vidor with her do-as-I-say tone that usually kept her brother in line.  Vidor did seem to ease up, but only slightly.  Both of the siblings and Magdalene then turned to Aridean who felt a bit embarrassed having all eyes on her.

    ¡°I¡ªwell¡ªuhm,¡± Aridean stammered.  She was now being asked to decide whether or not Magdalene would be allowed to follow the team.  Vidor was right:  Magdalene had threatened her life the previous evening.  Logically, there would be no good reason for allowing Magdalene to join them given her view of their kind.  Further, Magdalene was aware of their affiliation with the rebellion and had no reason not to report them to the Empire.  Frankly, Rana¡¯s relative acceptance of Magdalene¡¯s presence was strange given all their reasons for not having the girl join them.

    I don¡¯t know!  Why do I have to be the one making this decision?  Vidor¡¯s right:  she did stab me¡­ But Rana thinks it¡¯s okay.  Maybe Rana just thinks this will be a way to keep an eye on her so she doesn¡¯t report us?  I still don¡¯t really understand this change of heart though¡­ She seemed fully prepared to kill me last night but after she stabbed my leg¡­ Aridean thought to herself as she contemplated her decision.  While common sense dictated that she refuse accepting Magdalene, something told her to consider the alternative.

    ¡°Different kinds of people¡­ can be really scary.  But different people can be wonderful too,¡± Aridean began to speak, Magdalene directed her full attention to Aridean as she spoke.  ¡°I don¡¯t know about changing a person or what they think of me.  I think those people can only change if they want to themselves¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ kind of get that, after what you guys did for me last night.  Minotaurs are bloodthirsty savages¡­ at least, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve thought for a long time now.  You guys showed me that¡­ might not be true for all of them.  I-I want you guys to help me prove that:  I don¡¯t want to just ¡­ I want to see for myself that there are more like you out there,¡± Magdalene declared.  Rana smiled, but quickly turned away from the other three.  Vidor¡¯s frustrated expression regarding the conversation seemed to soften as he heard Magdalene¡¯s resolution.

    ¡°I want your help too; your help to realize that there are people who don¡¯t hate minotaurs like us because of what others have done.  I-if you¡¯re sure about coming with us, I¡¯d like you to travel with us for a while,¡± Aridean exclaimed, much to Magdalene¡¯s surprise.  The two managed to lock eyes and Magdalene nodded to Aridean, who gave a gentle smile.

    ¡°Well, I believe that¡¯s that then.  Welcome aboard, Magdalene.  Oh, I suppose we should at least give proper introductions if we¡¯re going to be working alongside one another for a little while,¡± Rana said after a deep breath and turning back around.  ¡°My name is Rana Stonehoof.  My brother is Vidor and our friend is Aridean Gray.¡±

    As she spoke, Rana whipped the horses back into motion.  After only a second, the wagon jerked slightly as the horses began pulling again.  As the wagon exited the shade, bright and warm sunlight enveloped the group as they made their way for Stonehaven.

    ¡°My name is Magdalene Aurisle Ruyno Yorre,¡± Magdalene replied, sunlight illuminating her golden hair to the point that it actually looked to reflect blinding light.

    ¡°Aurisle Ruy¡­ what?¡±  Vidor asked, clearly stumped by the girl¡¯s unusual name.

    ¡°It¡¯s elvish, I guess that means--,¡± Aridean began to clarify before being cut off.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a half-elf, okay?  Let¡¯s not make a big deal over that,¡± Magdalene interjected, sounding almost bothered by her own explanation.  ¡°Anyways, what¡¯s the deal with your name?  Gray doesn¡¯t sound very minotaur-like.¡±

    ¡°O-oh, uh, I was raised by a human,¡± Aridean answered nervously.  Magdalene¡¯s eyebrows shot up immediately upon hearing Aridean¡¯s response.  It was obvious that she had not anticipated that.

    ¡°Huh¡­ o-okay then.  Well, there¡¯s just one thing left that I need before we do anything else,¡± Magdalene said as she pulled her backpack off of her shoulders.  Aridean watched as the girl went rifling through the bag for something.  When Magdalene found what she had gone searching for, Aridean¡¯s heart sank in her chest.

    Magdalene pulled a knife out from her bag.  Upon seeing the weapon, Aridean¡¯s body tensed up and Vidor seemed to do the same.  Rana, however, was not paying attention to what was going on behind her as she was focused on the road.

    W-what is she doing with that?!  Aridean wondered in her mind as Magdalene put the knife down on the wagon floor between her and Aridean.  The girl then presented her left leg  to Aridean, rolling up her skirt over her knee.  Only one word could be used to describe what Aridean saw in the young girl¡¯s eyes:  fear.

    ¡°J-just make it quick, okay?  I-in and out and I-I¡¯ll heal it with some magic,¡± Magdalene nervously squeaked.  Aridean¡¯s body relaxed a little, but now she was entirely confused.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry but¡­ what are you talking about?¡±  Aridean asked as she looked from the knife to Magdalene.  She could see that Magdalene was now shaking, seemingly afraid of something.

    ¡°I-I stabbed you, s-so you need to stab me.  T-that way we¡¯re even,¡± Magdalene replied, her voice sounding more and more terrified.  Aridean was entirely taken aback by the girl¡¯s answer, as was Vidor.  Rana had even turned around again upon hearing Magdalene, confusion painted on her face.

    ¡°Magdalene, I-I¡¯m not about to stab you,¡± Aridean exclaimed, still stunned by Magdalene¡¯s peculiar request.  The young girl looked up at Aridean, warm sunlight illuminating her face.  Aridean could see that her eyes were filled with regret and remorse.

    ¡°You want me to do it?¡±  Vidor asked before being forcibly smacked in the back of his head by Rana.  Having performed her duty and certain there was not about to be any sort of incident, Rana returned her attention to the road ahead.

    Aridean slowly reached for the knife that Magdalene offered.  While keeping eye contact with the odd girl, Aridean gently took the weapon from the wagon floor.  She carefully pulled the knife toward her, away from Magdalene, and slipped it into a spare bag.  With the instrument now out of sight, Aridean zipped the bag closed and looked to Magdalene again, offering a gentle, if awkward, smile.  Magdalene¡¯s response was to silently release her skirt back over her knee, her face turning a slight hue of red.

    The group sat in the wagon as the horses continued to pull them across the long country road.  Most of the rain from the previous evening had already dried up, but several mud puddles were scattered about.  For a while, the only sounds anyone could hear was the creak of the wagon, horse hooves on dirt or plopping into a muddy puddle, and birds chirping from nearby trees.  Despite the odd makeup of the group in the wagon, their surroundings seemed quite idyllic for traveling through.

    ¡°U-uh, o-okay¡­ I-I, uh¡­ I¡¯m s-sorry about that, Ari,¡± Magdalene stuttered, still flushed a light red in her face with embarrassment.  Aridean¡¯s ears perked up upon hearing Magdalene speak.  Vidor also seemed to take note of Magdalene¡¯s apology.

    ¡°Her name is Aridean,¡± Vidor corrected.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s okay Vidor¡­ it¡¯s been a while since somebody called me that,¡± Aridean replied, with another awkward smile.  Vidor looked to her with a small amount of surprise.

    ¡°Well, I could call her Dean, but that just doesn¡¯t sound right¡­ sounds kind of man-ish if you ask me,¡± Magdalene said.  Vidor looked at the girl with mild annoyance for a few seconds before deciding to let it go.

    Vidor returned his attention to the road ahead along with his sister.  Aridean, trying not to be weird or anything, began looking out at the countryside.  She was hoping to avoid creeping Magdalene out.  However, glancing in the girl¡¯s direction every so often revealed that she was actually looking at Aridean.

    ¡°Hey, Ari¡­ can I just ask one thing?¡±  Magdalene begged from across the wagon.  Aridean turned to the girl and waited patiently for the question she wished to ask.  ¡°So, you¡¯re clearly not like any minotaur I¡¯ve seen before.  I guess that¡¯s partly due to being raised by a human.  But even after I insult you, send you into some sort of panic attack, and even stab you in your leg, you came to my rescue.  You had to the perfect opportunity to just leave without any further dangers to yourself, but you didn¡¯t¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­ d-do unto others, right, Magdalene?¡±  Aridean said while giving another nervous smile, much to Magdalene¡¯s surprise.  Magdalene¡¯s mouth had fallen slightly agape with astonishment at Aridean¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Magdalene nervously responded as her eyes drifted elsewhere, as though she were thinking on something.  ¡°O-oh, and you can just call me Maggie.¡±

 Chapter 14 - Welcome Wagon

    Dawn was slowly starting to break over the tree line in the distance.  A bright orange was slowly taking over the darkened sky as stars began vanishing.  Cold air had been lingering all through the night as the wagon rolled along the dirt path.  Sweet smelling flowers just off the well-used road danced in gentle, but frigid breezes.  Many trees still holding onto their leaves were browning as was much of the grass throughout the visible countryside.  Although the cold of the night hung in the air, as the sunshine began to peak over the horizon, a delightful and pleasant warmth began to envelop the wagon.

    It had been agreed upon that the group would not stop given they were so close to home; turns had been taken driving the wagon while others slept in the back.  Presently, Vidor sat in the driver¡¯s seat, holding the reins to the horses that were drawing the wagon.  Aridean sat beside him, prepared to relieve him of driving duty if he were tired.  Both Rana and Magdalene were sleeping soundly in the back of the wagon.  Occasionally, Aridean would look back at the sleeping pair and wonder to herself how they managed to stay asleep despite how bumpy the road had been for the last hour.  Just as the familiar tree line that grew over the ground that sheltered Stonehaven came into view, Vidor let out a loud yawn.

    ¡°Whoo, can¡¯t wait to get home.  Could really use something warm to eat and a nap,¡± Vidor spoke with a tired voice, breaking the long silence.  Aridean quietly giggled at his childish demands, which garnered his attention with a tired smile on his face.

    ¡°Well, if you want to get started on that nap, I can take over for you,¡± Aridean offered as she began to hold her necklace.  She ran her thumb along the smooth back and one finger over the bright ruby set on the front.  Vidor gave a quiet laugh before responding.

    ¡°Thanks, but home is right there.  I¡¯ll stay awake long enough for some breakfast then probably head to our house to sleep for a bit,¡± replied Vidor, yawning again as the wagon began to draw near to the hidden tunnel.

    ¡°Mnn¡­ did I hear something about almost being there?¡±  came the sheepish voice of Magdalene.  Aridean turned around to see the girl, wrapped in a thick blanket, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she sat up.

    Once Magdalene finished wiping her eyes, Aridean could see just how tired and red they looked.  Since Magdalene did not know where Stonehaven was located, she was the only one not to have driven the wagon over the course of the night.  Even so, Magdalene remained awake for an extraordinarily long stretch of time to the point that she had passed out.  Aridean had been quick to bring Magdalene¡¯s loss of consciousness to Rana and Vidor¡¯s attention.

    She probably didn¡¯t feel comfortable sleeping surrounded by the three of us.  But when she finally fell asleep, she seemed to sleep so peacefully, Aridean thought to herself.  Magdalene, still waking up, began to look over the blanket that covered her.

    ¡°Huh?  When did I fall asleep?  And where¡¯d this blanket come from?¡±  Magdalene asked no one in particular.

    ¡°Oh, g-good morning, Magdalene.  You fell asleep about three hours ago and Rana covered you in that blanket before she went to sleep as well.  She said she was worried you might catch a cold since you don¡¯t have a fur coat like us and it was rather cool last night,¡± answered Aridean with a hint of nervousness in her tone.  Magdalene looked to Aridean before looking to Rana, still asleep nearby.

    ¡°O-oh¡­ w-well, she doesn¡¯t have to worry about me.  I can take care of myself.  And I told you to call me Maggie,¡± Magdalene responded, sounding a little unsure of herself.  Upon hearing her response, Vidor snorted and Aridean looked to see his annoyance on his face.  Despite clearly not appreciating Magdalene¡¯s tone, Vidor held his tongue as the wagon came up to the tree line where the secret tunnel to Stonehaven was hidden.

    Vidor pulled up on the reins he held and the horses abruptly stopped in their tracks.  The two horses that had pulled the wagon all through the night looked tired, just like most everyone in the wagon.  Aridean felt bad for them as they had no say in how long they were to pull the wagon but was relieved that they would be getting a break soon.  After another long yawn, Vidor turned to Aridean with a tired smile.

    ¡°You want to try opening the front door this time?¡±  Vidor jokingly asked with his goofy grin.

    ¡°You know I only know fire magic,¡± Aridean said with a smirk.  ¡°I¡¯ll go around to the back door and get them to open up.¡±

    Aridean began descending from the wagon, the old wood creaked as she dropped to the ground.  She felt the hard, cool dirt under her hooves as she landed.  Magdalene and Vidor watched as she started to walk past the horses, Magdalene was clearly confused by what she was watching.  Just before she passed the horses, Aridean heard Rana from the back of the wagon.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Aridean.  I¡¯m awake, I¡¯ll open it up,¡± called the female minotaur as she slowly rose from the back of the wagon.  Both Aridean and Vidor looked at her, surprised to see that Rana was still awake after her last shift as wagon driver.

    ¡°Rana?  How long have you been awake?¡±  Vidor asked as his sister hopped down from the wagon.  She moved to the front of the wagon and joined Aridean by the horses as she yawned loudly.  Aridean was petting one of the two horses as Rana made her way to her side and began petting the other with one hand.  Rana¡¯s free hand began glowing its vibrantly green aura when she began using magic.

    ¡°I never actually fell asleep,¡± Rana answered as she raised her glowing hand.

    Aridean could feel the rumble of the ground underneath her hooves as Rana¡¯s magic did its work.  She watched as the ground only about a meter from her began to split apart and force its way open.  Slowly, the ground on the far side of the newly made fissure began to rise.  The familiar sight of the smoothed-out stone tunnel came into view as Rana opened up their means of entering Stonehaven.  Once the passage had been fully revealed and Rana¡¯s hand had stopped glowing, she looked to Aridean with a smile and tired eyes.  The older minotaur gestured her back into the wagon with a nod of her head before the two made their way into the wagon again.

    Magdalene¡¯s eyes had gone wide and her jaw had dropped at the sight of the tunnel opening up.  Aridean could not help but wonder if that was the same look she had the first time she witnessed the opening of the passageway.  Rana joined Vidor at the front of the wagon while Aridean climbed into the back beside Magdalene.  Now that everyone was loaded into the wagon again, Vidor gave the reins a quick whip to get the horses moving into the tunnel.

    ¡°U-uh, if you never fell asleep¡­ did you hear me a mo--,¡± Magdalene began to speak as the initial surprise wore off.  Rana had started to laugh before the young girl could finish her question.  Magdalene¡¯s amazement seemed to return as the wagon entered the torchlit tunnel.  Aridean observed that she had started to examined the smooth walls, floor, and ceiling.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that.  It¡¯s not much different from how Vidor use to be when he was little,¡± Rana gently told Magdalene.  Hearing his name come up, Vidor grunted in annoyance.  Magdalene, however, fell silent after hearing Rana explain that she enjoyed her childishness.  Judging from the look on Magdalene¡¯s face, Aridean thought the girl looked as though she felt bad.

    Vidor drove the wagon a distance into the tunnel before pulling on the reins, prompting the horses to stop their forward march.  Rana descended from the wagon again and her hand could be seen glowing with its bright green light.  She moved around behind the wagon and waved her hand in a downward motion.  As the minotaur¡¯s illuminated hand came down, the tunnel began to rumble all around as the tunnel entrance descended beneath the ground again.  Yawning once more, Rana returned to her seat beside Vidor.

    ¡°So the rebellion made its base underground in the middle of nowhere?  Have you thought about what if someone else is on the road behind you?  Or what if someone is off the road and notices you doing that?¡±  Magdalene asked as Vidor got the horses moving again down the dimly lit tunnel.

    ¡°Aridean?  You remember the answer, yes?  How about you explain it, just as a refresher on your magic knowledge,¡± Rana responded as her eyes slowly closed.  Aridean assumed Rana was starting to feel too tired to answer herself.  But knowing Rana, she probably did want to test Aridean as her magic tutor.  Magdalene turned to Aridean as the latter carefully thought over how to describe the answer to Magdalene¡¯s question.

    ¡°O-oh, well, we have some specialized magicians that are constantly maintaining and reinforcing a sort of illusionary field that hides anyone opening the tunnel.  Although you see what really happens while you are within the field, anyone outside the field will think we just passed into the forest behind the tunnel entrance.  I-I don¡¯t really know anything about illusion magic except it is usually catalyzed by valuable artifacts, sorry,¡± Aridean explained, hoping her explanation was enough to satisfy Rana.  Rana could be seen nodding in the front of the wagon, whether it was her acceptance of Aridean¡¯s answer or her attempts to just stay awake, Aridean could not entirely tell.  Given Rana did not make any effort to correct or elaborate further on Aridean¡¯s statement, she felt somewhat confident that she passed her pop quiz.

    ¡°Okay, but that raises another question:  what do you do if someone is following you?¡±  Magdalene continued to inquire.  Aridean found her questions to be oddly well thought out despite her blatantly obvious surprise and awe at the surroundings.  Truthfully, Aridean had only asked about these details after her first-time outside Stonehaven as she had been entirely overwhelmed when she had first arrived.  Perhaps Magdalene had prepared herself for something such as this since she knew the three minotaurs were rebels or she was just more capable of organizing her thoughts for someone of her age.  Upon reflection, Aridean decided that being a successful pickpocket like Magdalene likely called for keeping a sharp mind.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t happen often, but we just ride into the forest and circle back around at a small settlement of ours about two miles up the road,¡± Vidor answered.  Magdalene remained quiet after Vidor answered her last question.  As the wagon emerged into Stonehaven from the tunnel, Vidor directed the horses toward the nearby stables.  Joseph the stable manager and two of his workers approached the wagon as Vidor stopped the horses for the final time on this adventure.

    ¡°Welcome home Stonehooves and little lady Gray,¡± greeted Joseph as he began undoing the straps on one of the horses.  Before leading one of the horses to the stable, Joseph looked up at the wagon and noticed Magdalene beside Aridean, ¡°hmm?  You all bring home another?¡±

    ¡°More like she followed us home¡­¡± Vidor responded as he tossed aside the reins and climbed down from the front wagon seat.

    ¡°A¡­ human?  The rebels have more than just minotaurs?¡±  Magdalene quietly spoke with disbelief.  Aridean¡¯s ear¡¯s flicked as she focused in on what Magdalene was talking about to herself.

    ¡°W-well, actually, Mr. Joseph is a half-elf, like you.  But there are humans, dwarves, and elves here as well.  I was surprised too¡­ I didn¡¯t think anyone liked minotaurs,¡± Aridean quietly explained to Magdalene.  The young girl looked up at Aridean with obvious surprise, she clearly had not expected this.  After a moment, the girl turned away with a look that told Aridean that she was pondering something in her mind.

    Aridean began to pack up her things that were around the wagon.  She also passed Rana and Vidor their belongings as they had both already gotten down from the wagon.  As she moved throughout the wagon, the wood seemed to creak with every other motion the minotaur made.  Magdalene also collected her things and carefully folded the blanket that Rana had covered her in the previous night.  After having cleared the wagon of their supplies, Aridean and Magdalene both hopped down over the side of the wooden wagon.  Both landed with either the clop of hooves or click of shoes on stone.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to report to the General before anything else; nothing our contact passed to us was especially worrying, but there are things in the reports that he¡¯ll want to see,¡± Rana explained with a yawn before gently smiling through her undeniable drowsiness.  ¡°Why don¡¯t you three go and get yourselves some breakfast?  I don¡¯t know how long I may be, so don¡¯t wait up on me.¡±

    Having dismissed her squad and Magdalene, Rana turned and walked off to report to Mikali.  Joseph and his staff had already started moving the team¡¯s wagon and horses to the stable.  Aridean was glad to see that the horses were enjoying some well-earned hay.  Magdalene stood by Aridean¡¯s side and was carefully surveying the surrounding section of Stonehaven she found herself in.  On Aridean¡¯s other side, Vidor let out another yawn before turning to Aridean with another smile on his face.

    ¡°Well, guess we got time to relax now.  So Aridean, what do you say to getting something to eat before I pass out?¡±  Vidor asked with a joking tone.

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Aridean replied with a smile of her own.  As Vidor started to make his way toward the mess hall, Aridean noticed Magdalene still in awe of the rebel base.  The young girl was slowly turning in circles as she took everything in despite it all being structures of stone and foot traffic being relatively slow due to it still being early in the morning.  Vidor also took notice of Magdalene¡¯s amazement; he let out a quiet grunt as he rubbed his eyes.

    ¡°Hey, Maggie, Aridean and me are going to get breakfast.  You comin¡¯ or what?¡±  Vidor called out to the girl.  The instant she heard her name, Magdalene snapped out of her awestruck trance and looked to Vidor.

    ¡°Huh?  Oh, uh, yeah, I¡¯m coming,¡± Magdalene said, adjusting the straps to the bag on her back.  As Aridean began to walk with Vidor, Magdalene kept close behind the former.  Although Aridean could not see it, Magdalene¡¯s eyes were constantly darting from building to building, alley to alley, and person to person as the group marched forward.

    It was still quite early in Stonehaven as the road leading to the mess hall was mostly clear of other citizens.  In fact, the incandescent orbs that acted as sunlight overhead were still turned down to resemble stars in the sky.  Lanterns burned on the sides of the roads, the fires within crackling as moths circled just above the dancing flames.  As they neared the mess hall, the delightful smell of warm meals became more and more prevalent.  Aridean could have sworn she heard Magdalene quietly gasp and gawk in sheer awe at the sight of the city.

    Arriving at the mess hall, the gang found that there was no line to wait behind.  Vidor had mentioned to Aridean the perks of returning from an assignment ridiculously early before.  However, she had not actually anticipated the mess hall serving no less than ten patrons at a time regardless of the time of day.  Being that the trio did not have to wait, Vidor pulled the door open as Aridean and Magdalene entered the cozy, family-run looking mess hall.  Magdalene followed Aridean closely as she and Vidor approached the service counter.

    Despite being glad to enter the dining room of the Stonehaven mess hall, Aridean could not help but remember the way it looked a little over a week ago.  Vidor¡¯s surprise for her had fulfilled her childhood dream of dining in a fancy restaurant.  Even if it had been an illusion Vidor got someone to set up for him, it was a real date and gorgeous evening the two had spent together.  Since that night, Aridean could close her eyes and picture the illusionary room so vividly.  However, she still wished to dine in a high-class establishment one day, not an illusion.

    ¡°Well, look who¡¯s back already; how you doin¡¯ A ¡®n¡¯ V?¡±  came the familiar, laidback voice of Sven, the kitchen staff member.  Just looking at his red eyes and wet hair under his hairnet, Aridean could tell that Sven had only just gotten up for a shift in the mess hall.

    ¡°Mornin¡¯ Sven.  Ready for a nap, but could I get my usual first,¡± Vidor responded with another yawn.

    ¡°Good morning Mr. Sven, could I also have my usual please?¡±  Aridean greeted.

    ¡°Two omelets, one with plenty of spicy peppers, you got it,¡± Sven said before calling to one of the cooks in the back to prepare the meals.  ¡°Hmm?  Who¡¯s that?  Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her around before.¡±

    ¡°Her name¡¯s Maggie, stuff happened in Byrden,¡± Vidor answered, sounding particularly annoyed.

    ¡°I-I can introduce myself!  My name is Magdalene Aurisle Ruyno Yorre, but I prefer Maggie,¡± Magdalene quickly chimed in, obviously irritated by Vidor¡¯s introduction for her.  Sven¡¯s eyebrows shot up on his face.

    ¡°Stuff happened?  Everything okay, V?¡±  Sven curiously asked Vidor.  Anticipating an answer, Sven leaned over the counter, keeping his back straight and hands spread far apart.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.  M-Maggie just thinks she owes us for a little favor we did for her is all,¡± Aridean quickly and nervously answered in Vidor¡¯s place.  Magdalene looked up at her with her own curious expression.  It was readily apparent that saving her life from a demon was not ¡®nothing¡¯ as Aridean put it.

    ¡°Huh, well, okay then.  Well, I can tell you that you picked the right minotaurs to go into debt to!  Anyways, what can I get you?¡±  Sven replied with a short laugh.  As Sven addressed Magdalene, Vidor turned to go sit down at an open table.  Aridean was about to join him on impulse but stopped upon hearing Magdalene whisper to her.

    ¡°Hey, Ari, is yours the one with peppers?¡±  Magdalene asked quietly.  Aridean looked to the girl and shook her head.  ¡°I¡¯ll have what she¡¯s having.¡±

    ¡°You got it, Maggie.  Hey, Aridean, real quick, is Vidor alright?  He seems a bit off today,¡± Sven asked before Aridean and Magdalene could walk away.

    ¡°To be honest, I was wondering that myself¡­ he¡¯s been a bit irritable ever since we left Byrden,¡± Aridean hesitantly admitted.  Magdalene looked from Aridean to Vidor at their table and then back to Aridean.  Sven let out a sigh upon hearing Aridean¡¯s answer but put a fresh smile on his face as Aridean turned away.

    Sven smiled at Magdalene before turning and calling out to get another omelet prepared.  With their breakfasts ordered, Aridean and Magdalene left the service counter to join Vidor at a nearby table.  Sizzling on the kitchen grill echoed throughout the mostly empty dining hall.  The enchanting sound of breakfast being cooked was accompanied by the delightful scent of various, fresh ingredients being warmed and combined.  Mouth-watering smells wafted all through the room as Aridean, Magdalene, and Vidor waited without speaking.  Although she was not starving, Aridean was starting to feel her stomach rumble just being in the presence of these stimuli toying with her senses.

    After several minutes, one of the kitchen staff emerged from the kitchen door carrying three plates.  Upon each plate sat a fluffy omelet, each of them looking identical to the others.  Fortunately, and to Aridean¡¯s relief, the chef had labeled Vidor¡¯s spicy omelet with the letter ¡®V¡¯ written in ketchup.  Their breakfasts were carefully set out on the table in front of them.  The trio thanked the kitchen staff, who silently nodded to the gang, before he moved to retreat into the wonderful smelling kitchen.

    ¡°Oh boy, have I been looking forward to this,¡± Vidor spoke with childish glee in his voice.  The minotaur was quick to cut off a fair-sized bite of omelet.

    ¡°Hey, is there a restroom in here?¡±  Magdalene asked as Aridean also cut into her meal.  Vidor pointed to the back of the dining hall with the hand not holding his fork as the other was busy cutting off another piece.  Magdalene stood from the table and moved in the direction of Vidor¡¯s pointing finger toward the mess hall restrooms.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, now that we¡¯re alone, I kind of feel like we¡¯re on another date,¡± Vidor said with a smile between bites of his breakfast.  Aridean looked up from her plate and returned her own smile.  She reached for the ruby necklace that Vidor had gifted her at her make-up birthday surprise.

    ¡°I¡¯m always thinking about our first date when I walk in here now,¡± Aridean gently responded.

    ¡°Oh, great, how am I gonna top that when your real birthday rolls around?  Hmm¡­ well, I guess I do have some ideas,¡± Vidor spoke with a tired laugh.  ¡°So, what are you doing later today?  I was thinking we have ourselves a little camping trip down by the river in the forest sometime; I know this great clearing where you can see the night sky so clear.¡±

    Although the idea of camping with Vidor did sound appealing to her, Aridean looked at the extra meal sitting on the table beside her.  Her smile slowly faded as she stared at the rapidly cooling omelet.  She did not wish to upset him, but now seemed like the best time to discuss his recent behavior.

    ¡°Uhm, Vidor, have you been feeling alright lately?  You seem easily irritated as of late.  It¡¯s just not like you; even Mr. Sven sounded a bit worried about you,¡± Aridean apprehensively asked.  Vidor¡¯s smile was replaced with a surprised expression as he finished chewing and swallowing the last bite of his breakfast.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe I¡¯m just a bit more tired than I thought,¡± Vidor responded, his usual goofy smile returning to his face.  Vidor ran a hand through his mane and began to rub the back of his neck.

    But you seemed so like yourself when we got to Byrden a few days ago despite working on only about an hour of sleep over the course of two days.  I wonder¡­ Aridean thought to herself.  Clearly, she was unconvinced by Vidor¡¯s answer.  She had already taken note that there was something causing him distress, but it was not something she wished to bring up.  At least, not unless the two of them were alone.

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    ¡°Is¡­ is Maggie bothering you?¡±  Aridean inquired.  She felt she already knew the answer though.  Vidor¡¯s smile quickly vanished from his face and he folded his arms over his chest.  Aridean set down the fork with a cut piece of her omelet onto her plate as she awaited Vidor¡¯s response.

    ¡°Well¡­ yeah, she is.  I could get over her robbing me and her weak insults.  That stuff didn¡¯t really bother me, well not after getting my wallet back.  What I don¡¯t get is how you and Rana can be so tolerant of her after what happened between the two of you.  If she wants to see minotaurs as not being savage beasts, good for her.  Thing is, I can¡¯t help but think of her as a savage for stabbing my girlfriend over nothing,¡± Vidor replied, his tone sounding uncharacteristically serious.

    ¡°W-well, there was more to it than--,¡± Aridean began to explain before being cut off.

    ¡°Aridean, you don¡¯t have to submit to her, you don¡¯t have to do anything to please her.  She¡¯s just some stranger, one that robbed us, insulted us, and then stabbed you.  I don¡¯t care if there¡¯s more to it; she¡¯s just a thief and a nuisance we should have left in Byrden,¡± Vidor snapped with frustration all over his face.  Aridean was taken aback by his sudden outburst.  Although his aggression was not directed at her, Aridean¡¯s legs began to feel weak and her ears fell back.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorry¡­¡± Aridean meekly stuttered, clearly distraught by Vidor¡¯s unexpected temperament.  Seeing Aridean begin to shy away from him, Vidor¡¯s eyebrows raised on his head in surprise.

    ¡°N-no, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you, Aridean.  I¡¯m sorry for lashing out like that.  It just bothers me that you can look past what happened for someone we don¡¯t know, especially after the life you had before coming here,¡± Vidor apologized in a much gentler tone than he had previously used.  Aridean¡¯s tensed up body relaxed as he spoke, ¡°I thought that by now maybe you¡¯d be a bit more¡­ confident?  You¡¯ve always been so quiet and shy, but I¡¯ve gotten to see you open up, laugh, and even try making jokes now.  I just think you¡¯d be a lot happier if you were a bit more sure of yourself.¡±

    ¡°Vidor¡­¡± Aridean responded, the distress she had been feeling had now vanished and was replaced by a nervous smile.  ¡°I¡¯m grateful you think so much of me, but I only manage that much when you are around.¡±

    ¡°Heh, you say that, but who¡¯s the one that charges a demon with little more than a butter knife?  Well, like I said, I¡¯m sorry if I had scared you.  I¡¯m going to head home and take some time to rest a bit.  Next time I see you, you better have made up your mind on whether or not we¡¯re going on a camping trip!  And you better say yes!¡±  Vidor said with a laugh.  His expectation for Aridean¡¯s decision on the camping date led to Aridean joining him in a quiet laugh.  Vidor¡¯s familiar happy-go-lucky demeanor and friendly tone of voice was soothing to Aridean¡¯s nerves.

    Vidor rose from his seat and pushed his chair back under the table.  The wooden legs slid across the wooden floor with the quiet sound of wood scraping wood.  Before turning to leave, Vidor looked Aridean in her eyes and gave one of his goofy-looking smiles.  Aridean returned her own smile as she watched Vidor turn and make his way to the door of the mess hall.  His hooves clopping along the floor all the way, something that would not normally be heard if they had not arrived so early.

    Aridean watched as Vidor stopped momentarily at the door.  He pulled the door open but stood behind it as he gestured a few new patrons into the dining room.  Once the door was clear of others, Vidor moved around the door he was holding and left Aridean¡¯s sight as the door shut behind him.  Just as the door closed, Magdalene appeared from the restroom and pulled out her chair.  The young girl sat back down beside of Aridean and grabbed her fork.  However, she stopped when she looked over and saw Vidor¡¯s empty plate.

    ¡°Huh?  Where¡¯d he go?¡±  Magdalene asked, apparently surprised by Vidor¡¯s exit.

    ¡°Vidor¡¯s a fast eater; he¡¯s decided to head home to sleep for a while,¡± Aridean gently answered as she resumed eating her own breakfast.  Although she was a bit surprised by how quickly Vidor had vanished, Magdalene returned her attention to the breakfast before her.

    ¡°He¡¯s already done?  I didn¡¯t think I was in there that long¡­¡± Magdalene spoke as she began cutting into her omelet.  After just one bite, Aridean could see Magdalene¡¯s eyes light up, ¡°wow¡­ this is really good¡­ kinda regret not getting those peppers though.¡±

    Together, Aridean and Magdalene finished their breakfasts without speaking.  Other patrons of the mess hall were entering the dining hall.  It was clear that more were entering than were leaving as citizens of the town outside were beginning to wake up.  Sounds of sizzling grill tops and the clang of pots and pans could be heard coming from the kitchen.  The enticing smells of different meals being expertly prepared also wafted through the room again.  However, the sounds and smells did not elicit the same response from Aridean¡¯s now sated stomach as it had when she sat down at the table.

    Finishing their meals, Aridean began dabbing her mouth with a napkin.  As she finished and set her napkin back down on the table, Aridean noticed Magdalene holding her hands together and hanging her head low with shut eyes.  Magdalene held this position for some time; she almost looked like a statue with how still she managed to keep herself.

    She¡¯s¡­ praying?  Well, she did live with a pastor for eight years now.  It¡¯s just a bit unexpected, a religious thief, Aridean thought to herself as she observed Magdalene.  The young girl sat, both silent and still, her hair slowly falling down in front of her face.  As she looked back up and pushed her hair out of her eyes, Sven approached the table.

    ¡°Hey, Aridean, I know you just got back and all, but we were wondering if you didn¡¯t mind throwing on an apron for a little bit,¡± Sven said.

    ¡°Throw on an apron?¡±  Magdalene asked curiously.

    ¡°I help out here at the mess hall.  Before coming to Stonehaven, I was a waitress back home,¡± Aridean explained to Magdalene.  Immediately, Magdalene¡¯s face scrunched up in disgust.

    ¡°They let a hair-covered minotaur cook food?  Ugh, I¡¯m going to have to find somewhere else to get something to eat now; I don¡¯t want fur in my meals,¡± Magdalene complained as she looked over her clean plate, inspecting it for hair.  Aridean¡¯s ears fell back again in submission and even Sven looked somewhat surprised by Magdalene¡¯s comment.  After she finished inspecting her plate, Magdalene noticed both Sven and Aridean looking at her, ¡°d-did I say that out loud?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ well, Aridean doesn¡¯t actually do any cooking, just cleaning and serving.  We got her to try it once and the result was a mess with some kind of inedible, goopy, almost soup-like batter that was meant to be muffins,¡± Sven spoke, trying to reassure Magdalene on the food quality.  Aridean, after remembering the incident, now wore a disappointed expression on her face, ¡°it was still an entertaining afternoon though!  Heh, Vidor still tried one of the ¡®muffins¡¯ to try encouraging Aridean.¡±

    ¡°He nearly passed out¡­¡± Aridean finished Sven¡¯s story for him with a meek voice.  Sven let out a hearty laugh as he remembered the scene while Aridean was sulking with embarrassment and guilt over the incident.

    ¡°Well, I need Ari to show me around this place.  Once I know where I can sleep, she can come back and clean this place from top to bottom,¡± Magdalene declared, sounding particularly demanding.  Sven did not seem incredibly bothered by the high and mightiness of Magdalene¡¯s decree.  He raised his hands as though surrendering but put his usual smile back on his face.

    ¡°Right, sorry, I had forgotten about your situation.  I didn¡¯t really want to ask her since she just got back anyways.  Well, see you two around,¡± Sven replied in his naturally friendly sounding voice.

    Sven turned and began to walk back toward the door leading into the kitchen.  Aridean and Magdalene saw him raise one of his hands, waving goodbye to the two of them as he disappeared into the other room.  Clanging of pots and pans could be heard as the door closed behind him and the smells of more delicious foods continued to enchant the air.  As the morning rush had begun to swarm into the mess hall, tables began filling up and a line was forming at the service counter.

    Aridean was slowly starting to become unnerved by the influx of other patrons.  Despite her being a staff member, Aridean still struggled when she found herself in large crowds at the mess hall.  She was eager to leave the mess hall and turned to Magdalene.  The half-elf was observing the guests as they entered, took their place in line, and moved to their tables, some with and some without plates.  Aridean, unsure on whether Magdalene was ready to go or not, sat silently and patiently for a short time.

    ¡°Well, we goin¡¯ or what?¡±  Magdalene finally asked, breaking the awkward silence at the duo¡¯s table.  Aridean felt her body stiffen upon hearing Magdalene speak, but quickly calmed down and nodded to the young girl.

    Both minotaur and half-elf stood from their chairs and pushed them back under the wooden table.  Magdalene was shifting her backpack over her shoulders as Aridean led her out of the mess hall.  As the two reached the door, they found that a large brown and white furred minotaur was holding the door for them.  While Aridean managed to nervously squeak a ¡®thank you,¡¯ Magdalene silently stared at the gentlemanly minotaur as she walked past and out the door.

    Standing outside the mess hall, Aridean and Magdalene found themselves standing in the middle of a brightly lit, stone street.  The bright, artificial suns on the ceiling of the underground base were so illuminating that Aridean needed a moment for her eyes to adjust.  Magdalene had gone so far as to cover her eyes with a hand just so that she might see across the street.  Foot traffic had dramatically increased in the hour they had been in the mess hall as rebels and Stonehaven citizens began moving throughout the town.  Loud chatter and laughter could be heard coming from all directions as people went about their daily business.  However, Magdalene seemed to think it time for the two to get down to their own business.

    ¡°Alright, first things first, where¡¯s a bed I can use in this place?¡±  Magdalene asked, having turned to Aridean and crossed her arms over her chest.  She looked particularly impatient for some reason.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ well, there¡¯s the barracks, b-but that¡¯s meant for soldiers.  We could maybe find y--,¡± Aridean began to nervously suggest.

    ¡°The barracks?  That¡¯s where you sleep, right?  Okay, let¡¯s go then,¡± Magdalene interrupted with an insistent tone in her voice.  Aridean looked to Magdalene, having been caught off guard by the sudden decision.  She had not expected Magdalene to be alright with sharing a sleeping space with her, let alone other people.

    ¡°Uh, a-are you sure?  We could probably find you something in the human or elven district,¡± Aridean hesitantly proposed.

    ¡°Nope, the barracks will do.  I¡¯ll have you show me around later,¡± Magdalene claimed while shaking her head at Aridean¡¯s offer.  ¡°I want to see where it is I¡¯ll be sleeping and put my things down.  Let¡¯s get going already.¡±

    Aridean nervously gulped hearing Magdalene¡¯s insistent stance on the matter.  Although she did not sound particularly hostile, the impatience in Magdalene¡¯s tone was somewhat worrying to Aridean.  Nevertheless, the minotaur relented and gestured for the half-elven girl to follow her to the barracks.  Her hooves clopped audibly as she walked along the stone road and Magdalene¡¯s shoes were quietly clicking with every step.

    During their trek to the barracks, Aridean did take the time to point out some notable buildings in the underground city.  However, she was wondering if Magdalene was even paying attention to her attempts to be her tour guide.  The young girl seemed awestruck as the duo entered the plaza.  Quiet amazement in the sights before them were made known as Aridean heard a near silent ¡®wow¡¯ escape Magdalene¡¯s lips.  Nearing the barracks, Magdalene had stopped to observe some flower beds that were used to color the city of stone.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think there would be any flowers down here¡­ they¡¯re pretty,¡± Magdalene spoke.  Aridean was able to recall that the outside of the church in Byrden was littered with many bright and vibrantly colored flowers.  She had assumed that Raltor was the one who had planted them but was now curious after noticing Magdalene¡¯s interest.

    ¡°Back in Byrden, the church had many flowers outside.  Was that you?¡±  Aridean asked, hoping her question would not upset Magdalene in any way.  Standing up from her crouching position over a bed of lilies, Magdalene turned to face Aridean before answering.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ planting flowers helps me feel closer to my sister¡­¡± Magdalene softly spoke, her eyes looked back at the flower bed as she mentioned her sister.  Aridean was only now remembering that Raltor had mentioned something about Magdalene¡¯s sister back when she was tied up in the cellar of the church.

    ¡°D-do¡­ do you want to talk about it?¡±  Aridean hesitantly asked with a gentle tone of voice.  Magdalene¡¯s eyes seemed to burn now glaring at Aridean.  The dramatic gaze sent a shiver down the minotaur¡¯s spine and the fur on her back and tail began to stand on ends.

    ¡°With you?  No,¡± Magdalene replied, both bluntly and forcefully.  But upon taking note of the distress in Aridean¡¯s face, Magdalene¡¯s expression quickly shifted, ¡°Uh¡­ n-not yet.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aridean said, taking a nervous step back from the young girl that was practically half her size.

    ¡°I told you guys I want to change because of what you did for me, but I¡¯m not ready to talk just yet.  A-anyways, this is the barracks, right?  Let¡¯s go,¡± Magdalene stated before moving toward the door of the stone building labeled ¡®barracks.¡¯  Aridean took a deep breath before following Magdalene inside.

    <hr>

    Sweet and fragrant scents of flowers on the sides of the stone road lingered in the still air.  Although it was comfortably cool in the underground city, a gentle breeze would have felt pleasant walking along the street.  Unfortunately, the subterranean location did not allow for any sort of winds.  Further, the small structures of stone surrounding the scene would likely have broken any pleasant winds if any danced through the air anyways.  Regardless, the current setting had a sort of warm safety enveloping the citizens of the city.  While no one other than the dwarven citizens would call life in Stonehaven natural, all races managed to keep high spirits for the most part.

    All around were cheerful smiles and idle chatter and laughter from children and adults alike.  Commotion from huddled groups of varying races was blended together with the discussions of another bunch of different characters.  Despite the friendly and inviting atmosphere that seemed to blanket the street, one may find it difficult to focus on their own thoughts.  It was easy to overhear talk of other¡¯s business, whether that be preparations for a mission or decisions on evening plans.  However, not much else other than getting home and going to bed was on Vidor¡¯s mind at the time.

    A long and loud yawn escaped his lips as his family¡¯s home came into view at the end of the road.  Heavy eyelids and red eyes were not the only clues to giving away Vidor¡¯s current state.  His shoulders were drooping somewhat and his stride was slow as his large body leaned more to his left or right with each step.  Vidor was managing to walk a straight line, if only barely.  All the young minotaur could think about was how much he so desperately wanted to flop down on his bed and drift away to sleep.

    ¡°Good morning, Vidor!¡±  called a nearby and peppy voice.  Vidor turned to see one of Captain Bryn¡¯s friends, a woman whose name he could not quite place.  Vidor knew the woman, but always had a hard time of keeping names straight in his head.  She stood in a small group of two other humans and a male minotaur.  Although he was unable to recall her name, Vidor gave a polite wave and friendly smile in response to the warm greeting.  Seemingly satisfied by his response, the woman turned back to her group to continue their conversation.  Vidor continued walking toward his house, the gentle smile on his face quickly fading due to his excessive mental and physical fatigue.

    Just the same as all buildings in Stonehaven, the exterior of the Stonehoof home was made entirely of smoothed stone.  What set it apart from other homes and structures in the city were the two separate firepits that sat on opposite sides of the path leading to the front door.  These firepits were meant for special minotaur rituals, but Vidor personally did not use them often.  The loud and heavy clop of his hooves on stone rang in his ears as he passed the firepits and his tail gently swayed from side to side.  Vidor covered his mouth with one hand as he yawned again and reached for the doorknob with his other hand.

    Turning the knob and pushing the door into the home, Vidor entered into his family¡¯s home¡¯s foyer.  He slowly and gently closed the door behind him, having been scolded many times for having broken the door off of its hinges multiple times by slamming it shut.  A delightful smell was dancing throughout the house; Vidor could hear someone working in the kitchen.  Standing in the foyer, the doorway to his right opened into an unoccupied dining room with a clean table.  To the minotaur¡¯s left, a doorway leading into the home¡¯s living room.  Vidor noticed that Rana was sitting on one of the couches in the living room.

    ¡°Welcome home,¡± Rana greeted with a smile while speaking Minoran; although her voice was gentle and sweet like always, it was clear that she also desired some time to sleep in her own bed.  ¡°Did you help get Maggie settled in?¡±

    ¡°Aridean and I got her some breakfast and now she¡¯s with Aridean,¡± Vidor answered, also speaking in Minoran.  Whenever they were home, the siblings would speak their native tongue along with their grandfather.  However, Vidor added to his statement in near silence, ¡°but if she ran off, I wouldn¡¯t care.¡±

    Vidor lazily made his way into the living room and sat in the chair at the head of the coffee table.  He blew air from his mouth as he shut his eyes, sinking into the old, but reliable chair.  Rana watched him with a smirk on her face; she always did enjoy seeing Vidor act childish.  Vidor assumed it was because she took pleasure in feeling like the mature one of the two.

    ¡°Rana?  Is that Vidor?  I¡¯m almost done with your breakfast, keep him there for just a moment,¡± came the familiar and authoritative voice of Mikali.  Vidor¡¯s eyes slowly opened back up as Rana rested her head in her hands and elbows on her knees.

    ¡°Is everything okay?  He knows we only just got back and you look even more worn out than me,¡± Vidor asked his sister.

    ¡°After we finished going over the reports we brought back, grandfather informed me that we already have our next assignment lined up,¡± Rana answered.

    Vidor looked at Rana with a curious expression.  It was not unheard of for a team having just come home to have their next assignment given to them in such a short time, but it was not at all a common occurrence either.  Despite his drive and no-nonsense demeanor, Mikali knew that rest was one of the key factors in keeping the soldiers in the rebellion functioning properly.  He would normally order those returning from their own missions to take a day or two in order to relax.

    Vidor shrugged and leaned back into the chair again.  His head raised up so as to face the ceiling of the living room, but his eyes slowly closed again.  Although his bed was only down the hall, Vidor felt as though he could slip into a deep slumber where he sat.  Unfortunately, he was not allowed even a moment as Mikali entered the room.  Mikali was holding a small plate upon which sat some eggs with chopped tomatoes and onions scattered throughout.

    ¡°Welcome home, Vidor,¡± greeted Mikali as he handed the breakfast plate to Rana.  Rana graciously accepted the meal and happily began to enjoy her grandfather¡¯s cooking.  Mikali then took his seat on the couch opposite the one Rana was on.

    ¡°Glad to be home, grandpa,¡± Vidor replied with a tired smile.  ¡°Sounds like our stay won¡¯t be long; Rana mentioned you already have our next assignment.¡±

    Mikali drew in a deep breath before letting it out in a long-winded sigh.  The old minotaur shifted in his seat a bit, trying to find a comfortable position on the scratchy old cushion.  Before opening his mouth again, Mikali set his walking staff to the side of his couch.  As their grandfather became comfortable, Rana was quietly chewing the food she had been given while Vidor could only think about how much he wanted to wait on hearing their next mission.

    ¡°Yes; I wanted you to hear this as the situation is urgent.  You¡¯re acquainted with the elven pathbreaker, Yuthe Galesong, yes?¡±  inquired Mikali, sounding particularly serious.  Vidor¡¯s closed eyes quickly shot open upon hearing the name.  Rana swallowed the food that was in her mouth.

    ¡°Sparrow?¡±  Vidor quietly called out.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you running errands for him the past few weeks?  He really had you scrambling all over the place,¡± Rana added before continuing to eat her breakfast.

    Vidor leaned in toward his grandfather, hands now gripping the hand rests of the chair he sat in.  Rana was scraping the plate her breakfast had been sitting on as she tried to collect the last few bits of tomato and onion with her fork.  Mikali, however, took notice of Vidor¡¯s reaction, having raised the eyebrow over his good eye in interest.

    ¡°So you do know him, hmm?  I¡¯ve unfortunate news regarding Galesong:  we believe he may have been attacked or even arrested on his way back to Stonehaven.  He was expected back here three days ago and we haven¡¯t heard from him in four,¡± Mikali began to brief.  Vidor¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing the status of the elven man.  His expression was slowly growing more and more worried.  Rana, keeping a cool and collected calm, maintained a resolute and determined face as she now intently listened to her grandfather.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing this is going to be a search and rescue then?¡±  Rana asked Mikali, whose response was to nod back to his granddaughter.

    ¡°When last he spoke, we were told that he would be stopping by a small village to the southwest.  At the time, I had not thought much of it.  But now that he has been missing for some time, action must be taken to ensure his and our safety,¡± Mikali continued his briefing.

    ¡°Just out of curiosity, are there no other teams available currently?  Not only have we just returned, but we also brought along a potential new recruit,¡± Rana inquired.  Mikali looked to her with a gentle, yet somehow still serious, expression on his face.

    ¡°Ah, yes, that half-elf you were speaking of.  Let¡¯s hope she learns quick; no other groups are able to take on this task right now.  Further, I believe this assignment should pose no challenge for you.  There is a reason I want your team on this,¡± Mikali replied sternly.  As his grandfather spoke, Vidor could feel his heart starting to race in his chest.  He was desperately trying to calm himself down internally, but to no avail.  His fingers tightened their grip on the arm rests to the chair he clung to.

    ¡°You mentioned Galesong was stopping in a town southwest of here¡­ Ah, so you wanted us on this because we have Aridean on our team,¡± Rana claimed after a brief moment of thinking.  Her summation was met with another nod from Mikali.

    ¡°Smithson had to remind me, but that child is from a human village.  Truth be told, she¡¯s from the village that Galesong reported to be stopping at on his way back to Stonehaven,¡± Mikali explained with patience in his tone.

    ¡°Y-you mean we¡¯re going--,¡± Vidor barely managed to nervously squeak out of his mouth.

    ¡°Yes.  You¡¯ll be going to the human village known as Thellia,¡± Mikali answered.  ¡°Being that she lived in that village, perhaps Aridean may be able to guide you around and better aid you in your search for Galesong.  You¡¯ll be setting out by noon tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I assure you, Aridean will have no trouble guiding us to Thellia and through this assignment.  You can leave it to us, grandfather,¡± Rana answered with confidence.  Vidor, however, was visibly distraught.  Despite the clear concern and worry in his eyes, both Mikali and Rana did not seem to take notice of Vidor¡¯s uneasiness.

    Having finished their briefing, Mikali excused himself.  The old minotaur collected his walking staff and began to make his way for the front door of the stone home.  All the while, Vidor sat nearly stiff as the stone walls surrounding him.  As their grandfather left, Rana collected her plate that she had set down on the coffee table and made her way to the kitchen.

    Vidor now sat in the living room alone but heard Rana depositing her plate into the kitchen sink.  The sound of running water could also be heard.

    ¡°This should be an interesting assignment.  I hope nothing has happened to Sparrow, but I also think Aridean will be excited to return home after so long.  Perhaps if we have the time, she will introduce you to her father¡­ Then again, he is retired Empire military.  I suppose we will keep our distance while she visits before we return home,¡± Rana called from the kitchen.  Clinking of plates, dishes, and utensils could be heard from within as well.  Splashing of water confirmed to Vidor that his sister was cleaning the dishes.  Despite how particular she was about keeping the house clean, Vidor still thought she would at least sleep a little before starting.

    ¡°U-uh¡­ yeah, I-I bet she¡¯ll love it,¡± Vidor replied.  ¡°Uh, I¡¯m going to go ahead and get some sleep.¡±

    ¡°Alright, sleep well,¡± Rana responded as the clinking and splashing continued.

    Vidor rose from his chair, feeling a little dizzy from lack of sleep and the sudden news.  The minotaur gently shook his head back and forth as his head cleared.  Once he felt stable again, Vidor made his way toward the hallway leading to his and Rana¡¯s bedrooms.  Within the hallway were three doors; Rana¡¯s and Vidor¡¯s bedrooms were directly across from one another while the last room in the house was the bathroom.  Vidor moved toward his bedroom door; the clopping of his hooves muffled by a small rug set out in the hallway.

    Behind the door was a simple if oddly furnished room.  Vidor kept a small workbench for sharpening and constructing arrows and crossbow bolts.  Beside his bench was a closet that kept more of his workbench materials than his clothing.  Most of Vidor¡¯s clothes were either neatly folded in a basket or haphazardly tossed into a bin on the opposite side of the room.  In the center of the bedroom was a large mattress.  What was most interesting about his mattress was that it was solely that, a mattress on the floor.  While there was a pillow and sheet on the mattress, it was not held up upon a bed frame.

    Vidor quietly shut the bedroom door behind him.  He set his gear down beside the workbench and tossed his bag into the wooden chair that was pulled out from under the bench.  Vidor then removed the shirt he was wearing, revealing a mostly slim, with some muscle, physique.  Just like his arms and most of his face, Vidor¡¯s chest and back were covered in entirely black fur.  The minotaur let out another yawn as he tossed the shirt he had been wearing into his unorganized bin.  He then fell face first down onto his mattress with a loud thumping sound.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Vidor cursed aloud as he rolled over to face the ceiling.  ¡°She didn¡¯t even want to write him a letter and now she¡¯s being forced to go back to Thellia?¡±

    Vidor let out a long-exasperated sigh as he began to rub his eyes.  A moan of worry escaped his throat.

    ¡°Dammit!  Sparrow, what the hell are you doing?¡±  Vidor asked no one in particular as he rolled over onto his side.  Unable to think clearly, Vidor resigned himself to sleeping.  As he quickly drifted to sleep, he desperately hoped that talking to Aridean about their new mission would go well.

 Chapter 15 - The New Girl in Town

    Morning time in the Stonehaven barracks seemed to be the same as always. Residents of the sleeping quarters were in and out of the showers, getting dressed, and heading out. There were the occasional stragglers that wished to sleep for just a few more minutes, but the morning greetings and commotion did not allow such luxury. Whether it be discussions on what was for breakfast or the clicking and clopping of foot traffic moving through the building, it became difficult simply to hear oneself thinking.

    Loud chatter trying to be heard over hearty laughter made it near impossible not to eavesdrop on several conversations. From hearing about someone¡¯s enthusiasm for their next job to unintentionally being made privy to another¡¯s love drama; there were often times at least entertaining tales to hear in the mornings. Stories from the familiar and unfamiliar faces were exchanged, some purposefully and others not so much. Not that Aridean cared much for rebel gossip; two years in Stonehaven and she still had not put any effort into making acquaintances with much of anyone apart from Rana and Vidor.

    Being that the day was in every way an average morning to her, Aridean made for her bunk at the end of the women¡¯s barracks. She was particularly careful to keep distance from anyone that seemed to be in the process of moving to the door, mostly trying not to be in the way. Although the weight of her gear slung over her shoulders had not really bothered her, she still wished to put down her equipment and relax a little. She let out a relieved sigh as she reached her well-made bed and slid her bag off of her shoulders. Nearly allowing the bag to fall to the stone floor, Aridean quickly caught hold of one of the straps as it fell from her arm. Getting down on her knees, the minotaur slipped the bulky pack under her bed and reached for the footlocker she kept beneath the mattress with all of her clothes.

    ¡°This bed taken?¡± Magdalene suddenly asked, startling Aridean a bit. Trying to hastily stand on her hooves, Aridean bumped a horn on the bed frame. She turned to see Magdalene looking over the bunk beside her own. Aridean had not even realized Magdalene had followed her through the barracks, having assumed she would find her own bed elsewhere.

    ¡°O-oh, uh, no, t-that one¡¯s available i-if you want it,¡± Aridean nervously stammered. Magdalene wasted no time in throwing her things onto the now claimed bunk. She unzipped her bag and pulled from it two sets of clothes and a rather hefty-looking book. Following Aridean¡¯s lead, the young girl got down to see what amenities lay under her new bed. She looked surprised to find solely a standard footlocker but pulled it out to store her clothes in regardless.

    Still standing back up, Aridean turned from watching Magdalene to see that the morning shower line was long and ever-growing. A quiet and disappointed grunt made its way up her throat, catching Magdalene¡¯s attention. The girl looked up to Aridean curiously before speaking.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Magdalene asked, both sounding and looking as if she were annoyed by Aridean.

    ¡°I was just hoping to get a shower in before doing anything else. Unfortunately, the lines are getting long. I haven¡¯t felt this filthy since living on the farm,¡± Aridean answered while running one hand over her opposite arm. Dirt and dust visibly jumped from the fur coat on her arm as she brushed her hand along.

    ¡°You lived on a farm? Heh, you do smell like you belong in a barn,¡± Magdalene teased with a smirk on her face. Near instantly, Aridean¡¯s ear¡¯s drooped as she turned to Magdalene with worry in her eyes. ¡°W-what? It was just a joke¡­¡±

    It is better than being called the source of all the world¡¯s problems as she was doing back in Byrden. But that kind of reminded me of those bullies back home¡­ I-I can only hope she really did only mean it as a joke, Aridean thought to herself as she turned back to her open footlocker. Given she did not see herself getting in the showers anytime soon, the minotaur closed the locker and slid it back under her bed. She did let out a disappointed sigh, making sure to keep the noise down so as not to alert Magdalene again.

    ¡°Hey, Ari, where can I get some more things for my bed? Like towels, rags, or other clothes?¡± Magdalene asked as she finished loading her own footlocker with the clothes she had brought. ¡°Show me around town for now; maybe the line will be shorter by the time we get back.¡±

    Aridean turned back around to look at Magdalene and nodded. Although she did not particularly want to lead the girl around Stonehaven, she conceded that there was not much else to do for the day. Just as the two were standing back up to start making their way out of the barracks, two older women approached them. One was an elf with wavy silver hair and smooth skin; she was dressed in a green dress of elven design. The elf was accompanied by a human woman with light-red hair who wore a white shirt and blue skirt, similar to Magdalene¡¯s attire. Aridean could not remember their names despite being convinced she had been introduced at some point previously.

    ¡°Aridean, who¡¯s your friend?¡± The human asked with a gentle smile. Nervousness clear on her face, Aridean returned a friendly, if anxious, smile.

    ¡°T-this is--,¡± Aridean began before abruptly being cut off.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Magdalene,¡± Magdalene interjected with an impatient tone. ¡°And we¡¯re not friends, I just owe her for helping me out of a tight spot.¡±

    ¡°Well, that figures. As quiet as she is, Aridean must have done something for you before she actually made a friend,¡± the elf commented with a shrug. Aridean¡¯s ears began to droop again, even though she had no ground to refute the statement.

    ¡°Oh, come now, surely you must think something of Aridean if you¡¯re following her around the way you seem to be doing,¡± the human continued, maintaining her smile. Her expression relayed that of modest concern. Magdalene began shaking her head back and forth.

    ¡°Nope, she already knows. I¡¯m going to pay her back for what she did and then I¡¯m out of here,¡± Magdalene declared, her tone now contained a hint of aggression. Aridean slowly and quietly began backing up on her hooves, only to bump into her bed behind her. She was keenly aware of Magdalene¡¯s stance on their relationship, but she still wished that Magdalene could be less blunt about it.

    The elf let out a smug snort before speaking, ¡°huh, I would have thought if she did make a friend, it¡¯d be with a half-elf. Guess I thought too much of both of you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Magdalene looked at the elf, anger starting to flare up in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t mean anything by it, sweetie. We just thought that Aridean was trying to open up some to someone who might understand her. She¡¯s been here for two years and hasn¡¯t spoken much more than a sentence to anyone that wasn¡¯t Mikali¡¯s grandkids. Frankly, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever gotten the chance to tell her my name,¡± the human kindly attempted to reassure. Her words rang a bit hollow after seeing the elven lady roll her eyes. The human woman shook her head and cleared her throat, ¡°It¡¯s Miriam, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Well, not making friends is her problem, but what does that have to do with me being a half-elf?¡± Magdalene barked at the elf.

    Although she was directly involved in the conversation, Aridean desperately wished to be anywhere else. Not only was she starting to look around for an excuse to take her leave but was also hoping no one would think she was actually taking part in the discussion. Her only solace in the current situation was how she was able to tune out what the others were talking about as she listened in on other groups morning talks. Regardless, her fur had begun standing on ends again and her legs were starting to feel shaky underneath her.

    ¡°It¡¯s only natural for misfits to empathize with one another, isn¡¯t it? One unwanted outcast makes for great company to another,¡± the elf replied, her tone sounding more and more spiteful as she spoke. Magdalene let out a defiant snort yet turned to Aridean with her dissatisfaction clearly painted upon her face.

    ¡°C¡¯mon Ari, you¡¯re showing me someplace where I can get some new clothes in this hole,¡± the young girl commanded. Slightly alarmed, Aridean¡¯s ears perked back up a little upon hearing Magdalene¡¯s order.

    ¡°Uh, r-right,¡± Aridean hesitantly responded.

    Magdalene turned back around to the unexpected company. She began moving past the elf and human as she made her way toward the door to the lobby, entirely ignoring the two that she had been speaking to. Aridean was reluctant to do so but followed behind Magdalene. The duo left the women¡¯s barracks and entered into the lobby. Magdalene¡¯s stride clearly depicted her frustration as she took to marching with purpose and fists somewhat clenched. Aridean, on the other hand, held her head low as she followed with obvious uneasiness. Although she could not make out what the human and elf were discussing while they left, Aridean was certain that they were continuing to talk about Magdalene and herself.

    Magdalene pushed open the door to the barracks building and exited into the artificial sunlight. Just as it had been when the two left the mess hall, the young girl covered her eyes and grunted in annoyance. Aridean, keeping her distance, kept her head low and squinted her eyes as she waited for them to adjust to the new lighting.

    Inside the barracks, the atmosphere felt choked with the bitterness Magdalene and the elf pushed onto one another. Now outside, Aridean did not feel any more relaxed despite the relatively cool and flower fragrant air. Magdalene¡¯s overwhelming frustrations seemed to radiate off of her and linger in the atmosphere around her and Aridean. Her obvious irritation was only further tempered by a grunt of dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Ugh! What was up with them? Never did like pureblood elves¡­¡± Magdalene proclaimed, seemingly to herself. The girl rubbed her temples as though trying to soothe a headache after the confrontation. Aridean remained quiet as Magdalene vented, trying to consider where she could take the girl to avoid any of Magdalene¡¯s residual spite. However, Magdalene turned and snapped at the minotaur with impatience, ¡°How come you didn¡¯t say anything?¡±

    Startled, Aridean¡¯s eyes widened as her ears fell flat against her head again. She barely managed to answer, ¡°Uh, I-I didn¡¯t know w-what to say.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t know what to say? So you¡¯re okay with them talking down to you like that? No wonder they think so little of you. I thought minotaurs like you had backbone,¡± asserted Magdalene, hands on her hips as she was looking rather disappointed in Aridean again.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not what you expected,¡± Aridean apologized. Her legs were growing weak under her again and her face was starting to feel warm. Magdalene proceeded to roll her eyes and turned her back to Aridean.

    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s just go check out these clothing shops,¡± Magdalene ordered, now crossing her arms over her chest. Aridean hesitantly nodded, despite Magdalene not seeing the gesture.

    Aridean took a deep, fresh breath as she collected herself; she did not consider this the most ideal way to spend her morning. The minotaur began to walk, moving past the young half-elven girl, as she began making her way to the market district. Magdalene quietly began to follow however she kept her eyes darting from flower bed to flower bed along the road. Morning greetings and laughter drowned out the clopping of Aridean¡¯s hooves which in turn drowned out the sound of Magdalene¡¯s shoes clicking. Although she did not turn to check, Aridean began to wonder if Magdalene was still following her.

    Passing various stone structures, the two continued to move through the now busy streets. Aridean often thought of the business in Stonehaven as being akin to an ant colony. By night, the streets were nearly empty as most citizens, rebels and civilians alike, were generally asleep. By day, the streets were packed with all sorts of characters that were running back and forth to keep the city functioning properly. This particular rush of activity was especially obvious in the market district of Stonehaven, Aridean knew this and was not exactly thrilled to be going to such a crowded section of the city.

    Aridean continued to lead Magdalene through the frantic city. They passed the mess hall as they were walking, the delicious smells of fresh breakfast meals wafted through the air. These delightful scents seemed to attract a lot of customers as the line to the service counter was backed out of the building again and only growing longer. Faces in the line presented differing emotions. While most everyone was happily conversing with another, some faces seemed irritated, disinterested, and even angered by the wait to get their food. Aridean stopped for only a second to consider heading in to help Sven and the rest of the kitchen staff with the morning rush. However, she, regrettably, knew that she could not simply ditch Magdalene and proceeded to walk with the girl in the direction of the market district.

    Another three minutes of walking through town and Aridean could see the familiar sign of Rana¡¯s favorite bookstore. This store sat on the very edge of the market district and had acted as a landmark for Aridean during her first two months in Stonehaven. Nearing the store, Aridean began to raise her hand to point out some of the shops she thought Magdalene may be interested in. Her lips also began to part so that she may speak but nothing came out. Just as the minotaur was drawing a breath, she heard a young voice squealing.

    ¡°Look! There¡¯s Aridean!¡± came an excited sounding voice from somewhere nearby. Aridean¡¯s fur was standing on ends again as she knew exactly who the voice belonged to without needing to look.

    ¡°Did that kid just call out to you?¡± Magdalene asked curiously as Aridean lowered her hand back to her side. The minotaur took another deep breath as she turned to see a group of three children charging her.

    It was the same trio of kids she met on her first day at Stonehaven. Since then, Rana had properly introduced the children to Aridean in an effort to help her practice communication and responsibility. Despite Rana¡¯s best efforts, however, Aridean did not feel comfortable acting as an entertainer or chaperone for children. Much to Magdalene¡¯s apparent surprise, the kids that were rushing her guide began hugging Aridean. Nervousness and anxiety washed over Aridean and her distress was clear as crystals upon her face.

    ¡°Hi Aridean! Welcome back! Did you just get back? You still have your axe on your back,¡± asked Timothy, the human boy who had wrapped his arms around Aridean¡¯s right leg.

    I do?! I thought I left that back at the barracks! Aridean internally shouted at herself. Sure enough, Aridean was still carrying her massive axe in its holster strapped to her back. While in the barracks, she had only dropped her backpack carrying her other supplies. It was not the first time she forgot to put down her weapon; being a minotaur, Aridean¡¯s strong back did not always allow her to acknowledge the extra weight of her axe. The first time she had been given the axe, Aridean thought she had lost it after a training exercise while it sat in the holster on her back, much to Vidor¡¯s amusement.

    ¡°Welcome back Aridean, do you have time to play? If not, do you know where Rana is?¡± asked Julie, Timothy¡¯s sister who was holding Aridean¡¯s left hand firmly.

    Where is Rana when you really, really need her¡­ Aridean internally moaned. Despite her familiarity with the three kids and Rana¡¯s help, she never thought her ability to handle children had improved.

    ¡°Morning Aridean! Can you show me how you do that magic trick again? I wanna do it, too,¡± Hamuln the minotaur child requested as he released his grip on Aridean¡¯s left leg.

    He wants to know HOW to cast magic? Hamuln knows I use fire magic; it isn¡¯t meant for party tricks! Rana would probably kill me if I started teaching children how to use fire magic¡­ Aridean thought to herself while at the same time trying to think of an excuse to not demonstrate her use of magics. Luckily, she took notice of Magdalene just a few feet away from her and the children, observing with what looked like surprised intrigue.

    ¡°U-uh, g-good morning, everyone,¡± Aridean managed to speak through her uneasiness. ¡°Y-yes, we just got back¡­ but I did mean to drop my axe off back at my bunk. R-Rana is likely at her house asleep right now; she hasn¡¯t had much time to sleep lately. A-as for showing you some magic, I-I¡¯m sorry, but that will have to wait a little while. I¡¯m showing Maggie around Stonehaven today. U-uh, say hello everyone.¡±

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Having heard her name mentioned, Magdalene¡¯s eyes slightly widened with surprise. Although she seemed more composed than Aridean, it was clear that the girl was not prepared to deal with younger children. Regardless, the kids that surrounded Aridean turned with bright smiles on their faces. Hamuln and Timothy both waved to Magdalene.

    Aridean noticed Magdalene¡¯s apparent hesitancy to respond. The half-elven girl slowly lifted her right hand and waved back, looking somewhat unsure of herself. Julie gripped Aridean¡¯s hand again and gave the fuzzy hand a slight tug.

    ¡°She¡¯s nice like you, right?¡± Julie asked Aridean.

    ¡°U-uh, she can be, yes,¡± Aridean answered, sounding a bit unsure of her own answer. She heard Magdalene grunt in annoyance. ¡°O-oh, you three should probably be getting to class. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be sure to let Rana know you¡¯re looking for her when she wakes up.¡±

    Upon hearing Aridean speak the word ¡®class,¡¯ all three children moaned in unison. Nevertheless, the trio listened to Aridean and waved goodbye while racing one another down a road that led in the direction of the school building. One of Magdalene¡¯s eyebrows quickly rose on her forehead. Aridean, relieved that the children were gone now, took yet another deep breath as her nerves slowly settled down.

    ¡°Kids and school? How does your rebellion manage that?¡± Magdalene inquired, her tone sounding less impatient than normal and more interested in actually hearing Aridean speak for once. Although she was still nervous just speaking to the girl, Aridean at least felt less like Magdalene was about to lash out.

    ¡°O-oh, well, to be honest, it isn¡¯t easy. Sheltering children who have lost their parents in the rebellion takes a lot out of everyone. But that¡¯s exactly why some people fought to start the school here¡­ to give them some semblance of a normal life,¡± Aridean answered.

    ¡°Lost their parents¡­?¡± Magdalene repeated, seeming to trail off in her own thought. Her gaze had followed the road where the children had run off. Aridean gave a solemn nod before elaborating further.

    ¡°Timothy and Julie, the two human children, lost their parents while they were on a mission some years before I arrived. Hamuln, the minotaur boy, lost his mother to illness about a year before I came to Stonehaven. I¡¯m not certain, but I don¡¯t think he ever knew his father. Now the three of them live under the care of Hamuln¡¯s uncle,¡± Aridean explained, her tone sounding increasingly somber as she spoke. Although she looked concerned by Aridean¡¯s explanation, Magdalene¡¯s face filled with dread as she described Hamuln¡¯s situation.

    ¡°That one¡­ didn¡¯t know his dad? And then he lost his mom¡­¡± Magdalene seemed to ponder aloud, again with her voice trailing off into her own thoughts.

    ¡°Maggie? Are you alright?¡± Aridean asked, both reluctant and hesitant. Even though they had only known one another for a short while, she knew just how quick Magdalene was to switch from this brooding state to her usual feisty and brash attitude. Surprisingly, however, Magdalene did not exhibit any sort of hostility or aggressiveness when posed the question.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I¡¯m good. Let¡¯s just go check out those clothes shops,¡± answered Magdalene, her tone sounding a touch gentler than Aridean had heard from the girl previously.

    Aridean turned back toward the market that she had guided Magdalene to. She was aware of multiple tailors throughout the district and had already calculated the most efficient route through the market to visit each as quickly as possible. Given Aridean did not know Magdalene¡¯s taste in clothing, she had just assumed visiting each would yield something worthwhile for the half-elf. Both minotaur and half-elf began walking into the district.

    The vast majority of Stonehaven was either in the process of still waking up or gone for breakfast. However, there were still a number of early risers scattered throughout the market moving from store to store. Non-combat citizens were out shopping for groceries or other supplies. Rebel soldiers were lined up in short queues at the only commercial blacksmith in Stonehaven. From the line, Aridean could hear not just the boasting of one¡¯s new custom order but also haggling for better prices and the laughter that ensued after a failed haggling attempt. However, Vidor had already let her in on the secret that the owner does not haggle, at least not for lower prices.

    Aridean¡¯s gear was issued to her by the rebel armory stores. Although she was not interested in keeping weaponry and armor, the one time she had spoken to the blacksmith owner was an experience she would not soon forget. It was not necessarily an unpleasant conversation but one that left her feeling immensely awkward and uneasy. The smith had attempted, without any success, to coerce Aridean into ordering something with flair to match her ¡°fire-y¡± fighting style. Given the smith was a dwarf with a passion for smithing, he had gone so far as to inspect Aridean¡¯s ¡°shoddy and disgraceful¡± weapon. Needless to say, Aridean wished that it was a discussion that had never taken place to begin with. She never had any true interest in learning how to use any weapon and only did as she was told as an unwilling soldier. Now she felt relief passing through the market and keeping a wide berth from the blacksmithing shop.

    Luckily, Aridean and Magdalene had no business going toward the blacksmith. Both minotaur and half-elf continued along the street to the first store that Aridean was showing to Magdalene. The two had come upon a quaint little tailoring shop with a sign that read ¡°Stonehaven Stitchworks¡± just beside the front door. It was not until Aridean was reaching for the doorhandle that she took notice: Magdalene had stopped walking a few yards behind her.

    Magdalene held her head low, a somber expression drawn upon her face. The girl kept one hand by her side while the other slowly rose, palm facing upwards so that her downcast eyes gazed upon it. Clearly, Magdalene was deep in thought concerning something. Aridean was somewhat stunned by Magdalene¡¯s current state. It had been obvious that something about the children had affected her, however, Aridean had not expected a reaction such as this. Anxiety filled Aridean once more and she could not find it in her to call out to the entranced Magdalene.

    ¡°Hey, Ari¡­ you said you were raised by a human, right?¡± Magdalene asked after a moment of thinking. As she asked her question, the girl lifted her head to look Aridean in the eyes. Aridean was a bit caught off guard by the question and it showed as both her brows rose on her head.

    ¡°Y-yes¡­ W-why do you ask?¡± Aridean inquired, both nervous and curious.

    ¡°So, if you were raised by a human¡­ does that mean¡­ you never knew your parents?¡± Magdalene questioned, her voice sounding slightly more worried than usual. The second question was just as odd as the first one was to Aridean.

    ¡°No, I never knew my real parents,¡± the minotaur answered. Her curiosity was growing stronger by the second as she wondered where this line of discussion was coming from.

    ¡°I-I see¡­ Okay, well, this is our first stop, right? Let¡¯s see what they have in here,¡± Magdalene announced. She proceeded to move around Aridean and push open the door to the tailoring store. As the girl entered, Aridean stood just outside the shop, entirely stumped by the conversation the two had just shared.

    What was that just now? She did seem a bit bothered by hearing about the children¡¯s loss of their parents¡­ perhaps she had a similar situation? She does resent the minotaur race because of how the rebellion had done something to her sister. I guess she might have lost her family because of the rebellion. But still¡­ what does that have to do with me? What was all that about? It was a bit odd and¡­ I kind of wish we hadn¡¯t talked about it. Now I¡¯m thinking about Simon again¡­ Aridean thought to herself before following Magdalene into the store. She felt a bit depressed as Simon¡¯s name seemed to echo in her mind.

    Within the small, stone building was a single room. Within said room, many tables and countertops of varying sizes and shapes were scattered about. Upon most of the tablespace were neatly folded articles of clothing of a few different fabrics. On only some of the counterspace near the clerk desk were the several materials, bundled in rolls or folded sheets. Behind the clerk¡¯s desk sat the shop keeper, an older gentleman who was busy stitching together a pair of trousers. Despite his clear focus on the task, the old man peeled his eyes from his work long enough to give Aridean and Magdalene a friendly smile and nod to welcome them in. However, no words were spoken as his mouth was shut holding several pins and a bit of thread.

    Magdalene had already begun to peruse the shirt selection, looking over mostly light-colored shirts. As the girl walked through the store, clicking echoed off the stone walls with every step of her shoes. Aridean stood by the entrance, silent and patient as Magdalene continued to browse the selection.

    Minutes passed as Magdalene surveyed the tables. Eventually, the girl reached into a neatly folded stack as she found a shirt she seemed to like. Aridean watched as Magdalene pulled from the stack a long-sleeve white button up. She felt somewhat baffled as the shirt Magdalene had started to look at seemed to be almost exactly alike what she was wearing already.

    ¡°Ari, what do you think of this?¡± Magdalene asked, holding the shirt over her torso as she turned to Aridean.

    ¡°Uh¡­ isn¡¯t that basically what you¡¯re already wearing? Do you not want to change it up a little?¡± Aridean asked, still wondering about Magdalene¡¯s choice.

    ¡°As long as it¡¯s clean and bright, I really don¡¯t care if it looks the same. But if you think I should get something different, why don¡¯t you help me find something?¡± Magdalene almost seemed to challenge with a somewhat bossy tone of voice.

    ¡°O-oh, uh, I-I don¡¯t really have a good eye for--,¡± Aridean began to stutter. Magdalene¡¯s hands flew to her hips and she had an annoyed expression on her face again.

    ¡°Just shut up and get over here; help me find something already,¡± Magdalene ordered. What left Aridean surprised was the distinct lack of spite or bitterness in her words. Although she still felt awkward, Aridean felt as though Magdalene was not intending to belittle her in any way for once.

    Hesitantly, Aridean took a step toward Magdalene. One loud clop rang out throughout the store, then another, and another. The clopping ended as Aridean found herself standing side by side with Magdalene at one of the display tables in the clothing store. Magdalene had already gone back to looking through the clothes that lay before the two of them while Aridean nervously studied the girl.

    After a moment, Magdalene snapped her fingers which in turn snapped Aridean out of her examination. Without a word, the half-elf simply pointed toward the mountain of folded shirts in front of them. Not needing to be told, Aridean looked at the clothes and anxiously lifted her hands to start sifting through the pile in search of something that perhaps Magdalene would like. Another moment passed and Aridean lifted a bright green shirt off a new stack on the table; what she discovered beneath the first shirt caught her attention.

    ¡°Uhm, what do you think about this one?¡± Aridean asked as she collected the shirt she had found. A mostly white, short-sleeve t-shirt that had several, yellow frills around the shoulders. Another interesting feature to the shirt was the stitched, red rose sitting high on the right side. Upon seeing the design, Magdalene¡¯s face scrunched up just a bit in confusion.

    ¡°You think I¡¯d look okay in that? That looks like something someone would wear to sleep in,¡± Magdalene responded as she continued to look over the shirt Aridean held. Feeling rejected, Aridean¡¯s ears drooped slightly as she looked over the shirt again before Magdalene continued, ¡°Eh, I guess it¡¯ll do. I do need something to sleep in after all.¡±

    Having been caught off guard yet again, Aridean¡¯s ears perked up slightly. Magdalene grabbed the shirt from Aridean and set it aside with the first shirt she had picked out. After taking the time to smooth out the two shirts that Magdalene had collected, she turned back to Aridean.

    ¡°Alright, now you,¡± announced Magdalene. Aridean¡¯s head immediately cocked to one side and her left ear twitched slightly.

    ¡°Now me¡­?¡± the confused minotaur asked.

    ¡°Yes, now you. You helped me find something, now I¡¯m helping you find something,¡± Magdalene explained as she moved to a table with another assortment of shirts. These ones were a fair deal larger than the ones she had been looking over for herself, but they were also made for minotaurs instead of small half-elven girls. Aridean was simply taken aback by the gesture; it seemed entirely unlike Magdalene to care about her or anyone else for that matter.

    ¡°O-oh, you don¡¯t have to do that, Maggie. I have plenty back at the barracks,¡± Aridean called out.

    ¡°Let me guess: you were telling me to change up what I wear but you probably just have a bunch of jean pants and plain white t-shirts that all look the same. We¡¯re looking for something for you while we¡¯re here,¡± Magdalene responded as she continued to look through clothes that were far too big for her. Aridean, although embarrassed that Magdalene had so accurately narrowed down her entire wardrobe, moved to join Magdalene by the next display table. Her face felt warm as she tried to soothe her flustered nerves, how was it that Magdalene had so easily figured her out?

    Together the duo continued their search for new clothes. A few minutes passed and the clerk behind the counter had finished his stitching. Having completed his task, the elderly man folded the clothing he had been working with and set it in a basket beside his workspace. He watched as Magdalene and Aridean continued to sort through the store¡¯s stock, occasionally hearing some attempts at conversation between the two. When he realized they were going to be a while, the old man collected another ripped pair of pants and his stitching supplies.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ what about this one?¡± Magdalene asked as she offered the shirt that she had selected to Aridean.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ it¡¯s almost as brown as my fur¡­ from a distance, people might think I¡¯m not wearing anything,¡± Aridean replied as gently as she could. Her face started to warm up as she carefully explained to Magdalene why the selection would not work and as she, regrettably, imagined herself in it. Magdalene looked at the shirt and then to Aridean.

    ¡°Huh¡­ I, uh¡­ I didn¡¯t think about that,¡± Magdalene spoke as her face seemed to turn a light hue of red. ¡°Well, Vidor would probably love seeing you in it. I¡¯ll bet he can be a bit of a perv.¡±

    ¡°H-he¡¯s really not! I-I mean, he can be a bit¡­ out there, but--,¡± Aridean began to nervously protest.

    ¡°Ari, calm down, it was just supposed to be a joke. I¡¯ve never been good at telling jokes¡­¡± Magdalene interjected. She started to fold the shirt up and place it back on the table, ¡°But I can see he doesn¡¯t want me around.¡±

    ¡°W-why do you say that? For as long as I¡¯ve known him, Vidor has never been rude to anyone,¡± Aridean asked, fully aware of just how dismissive of Magdalene Vidor has been. Magdalene looked up to Aridean with annoyance.

    ¡°Okay, now you¡¯re telling the jokes, right? Because I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re joking or if you just don¡¯t know your own boyfriend, Ari. Even if he hadn¡¯t been the only vote to leave me in Byrden, he clearly doesn¡¯t even like hearing my name and won¡¯t look at me for more than a minute,¡± Magdalene answered with an objectively bothered tone. She turned back to the display table and set the shirt back where she had found it, ¡°But that¡¯s fine. He¡¯s closer to what I expected in big, dumb minotaurs.¡±

    ¡°Maggie¡­¡± Aridean meekly called out. Her ears and shoulder had begun to droop again in submission. Magdalene continued to sift through folded shirts on the table before the two. After a few seconds of trying to ignore Aridean, Magdalene let out a tired sigh. The girl rested her hands on separate stacks of folded shirts and held her head over outstretched arms. Golden locks obscured her face as she straightened her back.

    ¡°I said he was closer to what I expected,¡± Magdalene finally spoke, sounding particularly worn out after her short pause and stretch break. Aridean¡¯s ear flicked again, her curiosity stirred having heard that Magdalene was not upset with Vidor¡¯s behavior toward the girl.

    ¡°He¡¯s closer to what you expected? But he¡¯s not everything you thought minotaurs to be?¡± Aridean asked, her curiosity now overflowing. Another sigh was exhaled from Magdalene before she lifted her head. Her golden hair that had covered her face now parted only enough to see her eyes, nose, and lips.

    ¡°I thought minotaurs were savage brutes who started the whole rebellion thing just for the sake of fighting and causing chaos,¡± Magdalene explained. ¡°While he doesn¡¯t think much of me, Vidor¡¯s clearly not trying to hurt anyone just for his own entertainment.¡±

    ¡°You thought we were just a bunch of war-mongering monsters¡­ d-does it have anything to do with your sister?¡± Aridean hesitantly asked.

    Why did I just ask that?! Not two hours ago, she snapped at me to not bring that up! She¡¯s gonna be so mad with me now! Aridean began to mentally panic. She felt the muscles in her back and legs tense up in anticipation of Magdalene¡¯s furious reprisal. However, Magdalene did not even look at Aridean but did draw a solemn look upon her face.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Magdalene spoke, staring into empty space. ¡°It¡¯s why you three coming to my rescue in Byrden was¡­ interesting.¡±

    Aridean stood silent, allowing Magdalene space and air. She really was not sure how to handle the conversation from this point. Although Magdalene seemed calm right now, she had previously displayed the ability to change attitudes in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°W-well? Say something already,¡± Magdalene eventually and nervously instructed. Aridean¡¯s ears both perked up somewhat as she carefully considered her next words.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what happened, but I¡¯m willing to listen w-when you¡¯re ready,¡± Aridean responded. She was trying with every ounce of willpower she had to put confidence in her voice. Unfortunately, confidence was not her strong suit and she hoped that Magdalene was aware of it by now. Magdalene¡¯s expression had shifted to display her flustered state of mind; it was clear that she had not expected Aridean¡¯s offer.

    ¡°I¡­ t-thanks. I¡¯m not ready yet, but¡­ you¡¯ll be the first to know when I am,¡± Magdalene stated, her cheeks turning a slight red again as she avoided eye contact with Aridean. The girl turned away and collected the shirts she had selected, ¡°A-and thanks for taking me shopping. It¡­ kind of reminded me of spending time with sis. But don¡¯t think this makes us friends, got it?!¡±

    Although it seemed that she had changed her mind on finding Aridean a new shirt, that did not bother the minotaur. She watched as the half-elf took her purchases to the clerk who was still stitching away on a pair of trousers. Magdalene placed her shirts on the desk as the old man put down his supplies and work. Aridean watched as Magdalene produced a small coin pouch from her back pocket. Her eyes went wide with surprise as Magdalene began counting coins.

    ¡°Uhm, Maggie, i-is that¡­¡± Aridean began to anxiously ask the girl. Magdalene looked to Aridean with an indifferent look in her eyes.

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± the girl answered in the affirmative. Aridean¡¯s jaw fell open after hearing her answer to the question she could not even finish.

    ¡°W-when did you¡ªh-how did you¡­ it was on the way to the mess hall, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Aridean stuttered, only managing to finish one thought.

    ¡°Actually, it was back in the wagon. I said I¡¯m here to change, but old habits die hard, okay? I¡¯ll pay him back¡­ eventually,¡± Magdalene responded with an insistent tone. Aridean sighed before moving toward the desk. She pulled her own coin pouch out from her pocket before speaking again.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t use Vidor¡¯s money without asking him. I¡¯ll pay for these,¡± Aridean pleaded with the girl. Magdalene shrugged her shoulders as Aridean handed over her own coin to the elderly man behind the desk.

    Having completed their purchase, Aridean and Magdalene exited the store as the friendly old man waved them goodbye. Together, minotaur and half-elf began walking down the street to their next stop. Aridean noticed Magdalene looking over her new clothes again with her head held low. It was not until Magdalene let out an annoyed groan that Aridean realized the girl was not actually looking over the clothes but was deep in thought. A second groan escaped Magdalene¡¯s throat as she seemed to finish her thinking.

    ¡°I¡¯m only gonna say this once so you better be listening,¡± Magdalene spoke with authority in her voice. Aridean¡¯s ears perked up and gave the girl her full attention, ¡°T-thanks¡­ for saving my life in Byrden.¡±

    Somewhat shocked by the sudden gratitude, Aridean¡¯s eyes widened as her ears perked even higher up than normal. Although Magdalene refused to look up to her and after a moment of processing the thanks, Aridean¡¯s lips slowly began to form a nervous but sincere smile. While no more words were spoken between the two, Aridean led Magdalene to their next destination. She did, however, steer clear of the ever-growing crowds that were beginning to pile into the marketplace as the morning rush began to flood in.

 Chapter 16 - Looking Over My Shoulder

    Rana stood before the wagon as the group was making their way up the tunnel to exit Stonehaven. With a deep breath and closed eyes, the minotaur¡¯s right hand began to glow a brilliant and luminescent green. She slowly brought her hand upwards; the action was followed by the sound of stone grating against stone. Beneath both Rana and the wagon, the ground began to rumble as the tunnel shifted. The dead-end wall of the unusual corridor seemed to sink in front of everyone when it was actually them rising upwards.

    As the cavern breached the surface, the subterranean hallway was flooded with natural, and painfully bright, sunlight. Everyone was forced to cover their eyes from the blinding light that assaulted them. A pleasantly cool and gentle breeze blew through the opening and into the tunnel, the flames of the torches on the walls danced as the light wind rushed past.

    Once the tunnel exit finished ascending over the surface of the earth, Rana turned to take her place in the wagon. Vidor sat with the reins to the horses in his left hand, his right still shielding his eyes from the incandescent glow of the natural sun. Rana took just a moment as she was climbing into her seat beside her brother to observed Aridean and Magdalene in the back of the wagon. Aridean was squinting her eyes trying to push through the painfully bright light so that she may see outside the tunnel. Magdalene had turned away and was covering both her eyes with her hands. Some annoyed and impatient moans escaped the girl as it was clear she was not fully prepared for such an experience.

    Once Rana was seated beside him and he felt his eyes had adjusted enough, Vidor whipped the reins which got the horses moving again. With a whinny, both horses began pulling the wagon up the rest of the tunnel. Warm sunshine washed over the horses, then Rana and Vidor, and finally Aridean and Magdalene as the wagon was pulled out from the secret stone hall.

    On either side of the road the wagon was now rolling down were lush green stretches of countryside. Sparsely scattered trees and many small flower patches of varying colors dotted the green fields. A deep blue pond in the distance to the east was bathed in sunlight, reflecting a both beautiful and hard to look at image. Behind them, was the forest and open tunnel that lead to their underground home. Although the group had exited the tunnel, Vidor did not stop the wagon as the tunnel slowly shrank. Magdalene, finally opening her eyes to the world, noticed this and turned to Aridean.

    ¡°Does Rana not need to close that tunnel?¡± Magdalene asked. Aridean shook her head before answering.

    ¡°She only needs to open and close the tunnel when we return. When a team leaves, someone is typically assigned to close it behind them. Returning teams are expected to open and close the tunnel as the magic users still in Stonehaven may not be readily available or know when the team is arriving,¡± Aridean spoke with a gentle tone. As though her explanation was their cue, the assigned magician made his or her presence known.

    Within the tunnel, a bright green glow radiated from within the darkened hole. Having noticed this, Aridean began to point back to the tunnel. Magdalene turned, following Aridean¡¯s pointing finger to watch as the cave-like structure began its descent. Some distance between the team and the tunnel had been made, but everyone could hear the grating of stone as the tunnel to Stonehaven closed shut again. Just like the first time she had seen the tunnel opening, Magdalene¡¯s jaw had dropped somewhat and her eyes widened at seeing the stone move back into place.

    I find it a bit odd that Maggie is surprised by magic like that, Aridean thought to herself as the road where the tunnel once stood had flattened again. Whoever had shut the entrance to Stonehaven had been thorough as the road appeared unchanged before Rana had used her magic.

    ¡°Maggie, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, why do you seem so awestruck by wild magic? You mentioned always having been able to use holy magic, so what about a different kind is so interesting?¡± Aridean asked the half-elf as she turned back to face the minotaur seated across from her in the wagon. Magdalene crossed her arms over her chest and crossed her legs that were stretched over the floor of the wagon.

    ¡°What¡¯s so wrong with me being amazed by something that I¡¯ve never seen before? My magic is something I know, Rana¡¯s isn¡¯t,¡± Magdalene answered dismissively while turning her head. The girl looked at Aridean, who was giving her a curious stare, ¡°What? Like you weren¡¯t amazed by it the first time you saw it.¡±

    Well, of course I was. It was the first time I had ever even seen magic after all. It wasn¡¯t until two months later that Rana showed me that I could use magic. Now that I can cast fire, other magics just seem¡­ natural? Aridean pondered to herself. Although the two had ceased conversation, the surroundings were anything but silent.

    Birds sang from treetops, where branches were lightly swaying to and fro as the wind whistled past. Joining in the countryside traveling symphony was the creaking of the wooden wagon. The creaking was particularly loud as a wheel hit an above average sized rock in the road. There was also the sound of the horses¡¯ hooves clopping along the dirt road in addition to an occasional whinny. Rustling leaves were dropping from high on the tree limbs and sailing through the air via the cool breeze that lightly whipped up Magdalene¡¯s hair and the three minotaurs¡¯ manes.

    As the wagon passed by a shady tree on the side of the road, both Aridean and Magdalene looked up into its branches. Between the leaves, bright rays of sunlight punched through the shade. A clear contrast in color was made where the light met with shadow on the tree. The shaded side was a dark shade of brown, similar to Aridean¡¯s dark brown mane. However, the light side was a light tan-like color, closer to Vidor¡¯s backpack that sat beside Aridean. Wind began blowing once more and the limbs of the tree shook excitedly. Leaves began raining down as the wagon passed out from under the shade of the large tree. One stiff, crunchy, and brown leaf made its way into the wagon, landing right beside Magdalene. The half-elf picked up the leaf by its stem with one hand. She gently spun the leaf in circles between her thumb and finger, examining the dark and light sides that looked similar to the light and shadow on the tree it had fallen from.

    ¡°Sorry for eavesdropping, you two, but I¡¯m a bit curious since you were talking about it. Maggie, where did you learn holy magic? I don¡¯t mean to bring this up, but if Raltor had always been that monster, then him teaching you would have been dangerous to his plans,¡± Rana asked from the front of the wagon. Magdalene, who had spaced out inspecting the leaf between her fingers, shook her head to wake herself up again. She casually dropped the leaf over the side of the wagon where it glided to its resting place on green grass.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention it already? My sister taught me,¡± Magdalene replied. Rana began to move from her seat at the front of wagon to join both Aridean and Magdalene in the back. Aridean caught Vidor watching his sister. As Rana sat down beside her, Aridean saw that Vidor switched focus to Magdalene, if only for a second. His eyes rolled in annoyance as he turned back to the road.

    ¡°How much did your sister teach you? Have you ever given thought to practicing other forms of magic? Being a half-elf, you should have little trouble picking up a new type of magic. I did overhear that you seem to find wild magic interesting,¡± Rana continued to question with a wide smile on her face. It was at this point that Aridean understood Vidor¡¯s annoyed expression, it had not actually been directed at Magdalene for once.

    Oh, Vidor must think Rana is looking for another magic pupil. She was¡­ enthusiastic when training me despite having an incredibly limited reach when it came to fire magic, Aridean mentally reviewed. Two months into her new life at Stonehaven, Rana had discovered that Aridean was capable of channeling magic. Not a full day later and Rana was instructing Aridean on how to use her abilities, the basics of magic principles, and weighing her down with so many different textbooks she had pulled from the library that even Aridean¡¯s arms felt tired after returning them all. After all was said and done, Rana had surprised her by commenting that Aridean was about one-twelfth through an actual institution¡¯s basics to magic course.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never tried learning any other form of magic. Wasn¡¯t really interested because I never really needed magic for much of anything. To be honest, I still don¡¯t think I¡¯m that good despite my sister teaching me everything she knew,¡± spoke Magdalene. Her tone had shifted to sound a bit more somber as she clearly thought back on her past experiences.

    ¡°Well, if you are ever interested, please let me know! I would love nothing more than to teach you what I know! Given your elven blood, you should be able to easily adapt to any element you choose. Elves were the first to discover and practice magic, after all. Oh, I remember the day we found out Aridean was attuned to the element of fire,¡± began Rana. Although she still maintained her kind, older-sister voice, inklings of childish glee could be heard through her words.

    ¡°Uh, Rana, we don¡¯t have to ta--,¡± Vidor started, but was immediately ignored as Rana began to laugh.

    ¡°Ahaha, oh, I still laugh just thinking about it! I¡¯ve no doubt you would have gotten a laugh out of the sight of Vidor running for the plaza fountain, too, Maggie,¡± Rana announced, still laughing. Vidor could be heard audibly moaning in embarrassment while Aridean sulked beside of Rana as the two seemed to have very different thoughts regarding the incident. Magdalene¡¯s eyebrows shot up with curiosity and the girl turned to Aridean.

    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Magdalene asked, leaning forward slightly in anticipation. Aridean¡¯s ears dropped and she nervously sighed.

    ¡°¡­I-I got nervous¡­ magic flared up a-and¡­ I lit his tail on fire¡­¡± Aridean barely managed to speak. Magdalene took a moment to herself to picture the display. After thinking it over for a moment, the girl had to muffle a short laugh that tried escaping her lips. Unfortunately, Vidor still heard the hushed laugh and moaned once again.

    ¡°I would ask how, but I don¡¯t want to hear something boring that ruins the image I¡¯ve got now. Instead, I¡¯ll ask Rana how she learned magic,¡± Magdalene stated as both her quiet and Rana¡¯s boisterous laughter died down. A gentle smile formed on Rana¡¯s face as she looked at Magdalene.

    ¡°Grandfather taught me what he knew. But after he had shown me what he could, I moved on to textbooks and demonstrations from other magicians,¡± replied Rana as the wind blew past the wagon again. ¡°Wild magic is quite versatile, you know. Although I favor using the earth, wild magic gives me access to wind, water, and fire as well. However, I could never achieve the same mastery over fire that Aridean can if she continues to study and practice.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Magdalene asked curiously. Rana¡¯s smile seemed to widen as Magdalene¡¯s interest brought out her magic tutor self again.

    ¡°It comes with Aridean¡¯s natural attunement to the element of fire, hence why that bag burst in--,¡± Rana began to explain with joy.

    ¡°Rana! C¡¯mon already!¡± Vidor whined from the front of the wagon, not keen on having Rana mention Aridean setting his tail on fire again. A short laugh escaped his sister¡¯s lips before she spoke again.

    ¡°Anyway, Aridean has natural attunement to the element of fire. She was born with it and has the ability to unlock the full potential of fire magic, which is ultimately limited by her imagination,¡± Rana finished explaining. Magdalene brought her knees up to her chest as she curled up on her side of the wagon.

    ¡°So, Ari can burn down a village and Rana can make it anew in stone¡­ all I can do is make bright lights¡­¡± Magdalene seemed to sulk. Rana¡¯s head cocked to the side hearing Magdalene¡¯s self-deprecating comment.

    ¡°What do you mean? Holy magic is immensely powerful. Its primarily utilized to bestow blessings and healing upon the ill and wounded but has other uses as well. In fact, its potential for healing goes far beyond anything I could do with wild magic,¡± Rana responded, trying to encourage Magdalene. From the front of the wagon, a low grumble was heard coming from Vidor. Everyone in the back turned to look at the minotaur driving the wagon.

    ¡°Uhm, Vidor, did you say something?¡± Aridean asked. Before speaking, Vidor let out an exasperated sigh.

    ¡°I said we¡­ maybe wouldn¡¯t have finished off that demon lord thing if she hadn¡¯t enchanted my crossbow bolts and Aridean¡¯s axe,¡± answered Vidor. It was clear that Vidor was reluctant to give his compliment to Magdalene. Regardless, Magdalene¡¯s eyes lit up, if only slightly, upon hearing begrudged praise from Vidor.

    Although he had never turned around to look at the girls behind him, Vidor kept his attention focused on the road ahead. Rana looked to her brother with a gentle smile on her face. Aridean look from Vidor to Magdalene, still sitting across from her in the back of the wagon. She noticed that Magdalene was holding her head low again but could just barely make out what she thought was a smile on what of the girl¡¯s face she could see.

    ¡°Healing and demon smiting¡­ you never mentioned the latter, but it sure came in handy¡­¡± Magdalene quietly spoke to herself. Aridean found the comment odd but elected not to press the topic further; she did not want to have Magdalene snap for her eavesdropping.

    ¡°Well, as I was saying, if you ever do wish to learn a different form of magic, you need only ask. In the meantime, are you excited, Aridean?¡± Rana said as she returned her attention to her fellow girls. Aridean looked to Rana with confusion, her ear flicking as her head tilted to the side.

    ¡°E-excited? For what?¡± Asked Aridean, much to Rana¡¯s apparent surprise.

    ¡°Oh, did Vidor not tell you where we are going this time? We¡¯re heading to--,¡± Rana began to answer.

    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise!¡± Vidor hurriedly exclaimed from the front of the wagon. Rana and Aridean both looked to the male minotaur with surprise. Again, Vidor refused to turn around to look at them. However, Aridean noticed that his shoulders seemed to have tensed up as he spoke.

    ¡°Another surprise? Vidor, I told you my birthday isn¡¯t for a while,¡± spoke Aridean with an embarrassed smile. Magdalene looked up at Aridean and then to Vidor with a skeptical expression. Rana simply shrugged off her brother¡¯s odd interruption, assuming he had something planned for Aridean.

    ¡°I-I know, but this is special¡­ I hope you like it,¡± Vidor replied, clearly his voice carried a hint of anxiety. ¡°A-anyway, what is our cover this time? Are we still pilgrims with a half-elf? That¡¯d be an odd band, right, Rana? I think we may want to think of something else.¡±

    He¡¯s unusually quick to change the subject¡­ he has seemed a bit distant this morning. Perhaps he is still a bit tired? Aridean thought to herself regarding Vidor¡¯s behavior. She sincerely hoped that she did not sound ungrateful to Vidor for having put another surprise together for her, but she had not anticipated something else so soon.

    Rana crossed her outstretched legs over the wagon floor and brought a hand to her chin as she began to think. Both Magdalene and Aridean looked to the pondering minotaur as she considered her brother¡¯s statement. Warm sunlight washed over the group as a cloud flew out of the way of the bright sun in the sky. Aridean thought the feeling of warmth was rather pleasant, as though she could fall asleep right there.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose we would look a bit strange. Not to spoil Vidor¡¯s surprise, but there is also the matter of where we are going. If needed, I believe our normal cover could work, but I¡¯m open to suggestions,¡± Rana announced after a moment of thinking.

    Not to spoil Vidor¡¯s surprise¡­ where are we going that Rana suddenly won¡¯t tell me? This is a mission to find Sparrow¡­ but I haven¡¯t even been told where he is yet. This is a bit odd coming from Rana; she¡¯s normally so forward with work, Aridean thought to herself. Just as she finished her thought, she let out a loud yawn. The minotaur¡¯s yawn was followed by a quick snort from Magdalene.

    ¡°Well, you three could pretend to be my servants,¡± spoke the obviously trying to be facetious girl as she rolled her eyes. Vidor¡¯s response was to grunt in annoyance while Aridean looked to Magdalene with curiosity.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡­ could very well work,¡± Rana responded after another moment of thinking. Having heard her speak, Vidor turned around with a disgusted expression on his face and Magdalene looked to Rana with stunned surprise.

    ¡°I was joking,¡± Magdalene exclaimed.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Vidor moaned. Rana¡¯s response to both of these protests was to smile and shake her head gently.

    ¡°Whether you were joking or not, it is not a bad idea. Minotaur servants to nobles may be rare, but not unheard of. So long as you can play the role of a noble, we should have no issue pretending to serve the young Lady Magdalene,¡± Rana explained, finishing her thought with a short laugh. Although she referred to Magdalene as ¡®the young lady¡¯ with the same playfulness she used addressing the children in Stonehaven, both Aridean and Vidor could tell she was quite serious.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I like that,¡± both Vidor and Magdalene unintentionally commented in unison. Despite their agreement concerning the matter, the two grunted their own irritation toward the other. Rana looked to both of the protesters to the strategy before rolling her eyes and turning to Aridean.

    ¡°Well, what do you think about it? Care to play Lady Magdalene¡¯s servant for the course of this mission?¡± Rana asked with a smile. In all honesty, Aridean really did not have an opinion one way or the other over the matter.

    ¡°Well¡­ I suppose it¡¯s worth trying at least. So long as we don¡¯t run into any real nobles no one else should easily figure us out,¡± stated Aridean before yawning again. The gentle sunshine had heated her fur to the perfect warmth that she was starting to have a hard time keeping her eyes open. Rana quickly took note of Aridean¡¯s apparent drowsiness.

    ¡°Do you need to lie down for a while? I heard you had been at the mess hall for most of the evening yesterday because you probably didn¡¯t know we were heading out again so soon,¡± Rana inquired. Aridean opened her mouth to answer but found that only another yawn escaped her throat. Trying to answer through the yawn, Aridean gently shook her head back and forth. However, it seemed that Rana did not accept the nonverbal answer as she raised an eyebrow expectantly and her smile slowly faded.

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    ¡°Not that I care or anything, but when did you go to sleep last night? I went to bed pretty late and you hadn¡¯t even gotten back to the barracks,¡± Magdalene chimed in with a matter-of-fact tone in her voice.

    ¡°Rana¡¯s already figured you out, might as well just do as she says. Just take yourself a little nap; we¡¯ll wake you if something happens,¡± Vidor called from the front of the wagon.

    Aridean first looked to Rana, who was still glaring at her with eyes that said ¡®do as I say¡¯. She then looked to Vidor, who had turned to her to give one of his signature goofy grins. Finally, she looked across the wagon to Magdalene. The half-elf gave the minotaur a disinterested shrug of the shoulders before scooting closer to the front of the wagon to allow Aridean space to lay down. Aridean let out a tired and submissive sigh before reclining on the creaky and stiff, wooden wagon floor. She closed her eyes and quickly drifted to sleep, bathing in the warm sunlight as another pleasant breeze danced over her.

    When she opened her eyes again, Aridean found herself standing in the middle of what looked like a barn without livestock. Feeling a bit confused by her sudden change in scenery, Aridean spun circles looking at the walls, the ceiling, the floor. However, her eyes landed upon something near the barn door, beneath an overhead loft. She was looking at a workbench with well-worn tools scattered about the workspace. What stopped her and made her realize why her surroundings looked so familiar was the presence of a sleeping, solid-black cat on the workbench.

    Eyes began to widen and breathing was becoming a challenge for the minotaur. It was as she looked at the sleeping cat that she realized she had dreamt up a vision of home again. Despite the familiar and beloved surroundings, Aridean¡¯s breathing was slowly becoming erratic as panic and fear gripped her mind and heart. Just as she was about to take a step toward the sleeping cat, something entered her vision. It moved past her and collected the cat from the workbench. With the cat in hand, the figure then moved toward the barn door and exited out into the yard beyond.

    Aridean was horrified by what she saw. What had just picked up the cat from the workbench was none other than herself. Aridean watched as a second her carried Mott the cat away and to the farmhouse. Cautiously, she lifted a shaky hoof from the ground beneath her and moved toward the barn door in an attempted pursuit of herself. With the door only a meter away from her face, Aridean was startled by the sudden and forceful slamming of the barn door right in front of her. She had never seen the doors move so quickly; such old doors should likely have fallen off the hinges if they had been thrown shut in such a manner.

    Now standing in the darkened barn, Aridean¡¯s breath was caught in her throat. Her squeamish legs felt as though they were going to give out under her from the stress. Nevertheless, the minotaur nervously gulped and reached for the barn door with one shaky hand. Trying to push the door back open revealed that the barn door was stuck. She lifted her other hand and pressed hard against the door, feeling it budge if only slightly. Aridean dug her hooves into the dirt as she used as much of her weight to force open the large, wooden doors and was met with success.

    However, the sight beyond the barn door had changed. It was now dark outside and a bright moon floated in the night sky. The world itself felt ice cold as Aridean surveyed the bleak farmland. Despite her warm fur, the minotaur felt the freezing air swirl all around. Standing in the doorway to the barn and running her hands up and down her arms for warmth, Aridean heard the farmhouse door opening. Although it was difficult to see through the darkness, Aridean could just make out what looked like herself again. She watched as her other body descended the stairs from the farmhouse porch and bolt for the road, tail flailing wildly behind her as her hooves hurriedly carried her away. Time almost seemed to stop as Aridean managed to catch her doppelganger crying on her way out of the house. Frozen in place, Aridean watched speechless as the other her continued to run and run until she was lost in the darkness.

    Loud creaking was heard on both sides of the minotaur. Frightened, Aridean found herself being thrown back into the barn as the large wooden doors had slammed shut on top of her. She had been locked in the barn again, but this time having been thrown on her rear. Unlike the first time, before Aridean could even begin to stand back up, the doors began opening again. Bright sunlight flooded the barn, nearly blinding Aridean as the beams invaded the dark room. Once her eyes adjusted, Aridean saw a silhouette standing in the doorway; this one being too small to be her clone again.

    Relief washed over the minotaur still sitting on the floor as she began to make out the familiar features of the one opening the barn door. Mostly black, but also graying, hair, well-toned and muscled arms, and the unmistakable boots told Aridean everything about the person standing before her. What little of his face Aridean could make out through the bright sunlight was the lightly wrinkled skin beside his eyes and what she thought might be a warm smile. A smile of her own quickly made its way to her face as she reached up to the man in the doorway. Unfortunately, her smile vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared when she heard the disappointed, almost disgusted, grunt. Then, sheer terror took hold of the minotaur girl.

    Behind the man rose a familiar looking tool, one that Aridean had become uncomfortably acquainted with. She could feel it in her throat that she was screaming, but no noise could be heard. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest, but her entire body felt numb. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as the tool behind the man came down with tremendous force.

    Aridean¡¯s eyes shot open wide in fear. She could feel herself shaking, even more than normal while riding in the rickety, old wagon. Her face and hands felt cold, but she could not find it in herself to move. Breathing was feeling difficult, challenging even, as she rapidly drew short breaths of fresh air in erratic fashion. Within her immediate vision was the back wall of the wagon, her back turned towards the front.

    It''s okay, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay¡­ just another bad dream. They just keep getting worse and worse¡­ Aridean thought to herself as she felt a tear run down her cheek. The distressed minotaur slowly began to collect herself, drawing in some deep breaths. Just as she began to think clearly again, Aridean noticed the surroundings around the wagon. Twilight had settled over the land and several fluffy looking clouds hung in the air. She saw in the distance behind the wagon that there was a forest with trees of varying colors. The sound of rushing water could be heard coming from somewhere nearby.

    Already evening¡­ how long was I asleep? I don¡¯t feel very well rested¡­ Aridean wondered in her head.

    ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s okay sleeping like that? She sounds like she¡¯s dying,¡± came Magdalene¡¯s voice from somewhere behind Aridean. Hearing the young girl speak had slightly startled Aridean, her body tensed up despite having only just started calming down.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you woke up to see her like that this morning? Whatever; she doesn¡¯t like talking about it but she¡¯s always had a hard time sleeping,¡± answered Vidor¡¯s voice. Aridean was starting to feel a bit self-conscious given their discussion was clearly aimed at her and her unusual sleeping habits. She could feel herself shaking again but was unable to turn over.

    ¡°You two are about the only people she talks to, right? She ever tell you what the deal is?¡± Magdalene continued to question.

    ¡°Aridean has been quite¡­ reserved when it comes to that. I would guess she either has some kind of sleeping disorder or some sort of trauma that haunts her dreams,¡± came Rana¡¯s voice. Aridean¡¯s eyes listlessly gazed upon the wooden floor of the wagon as she reflected upon her inability to share her nightmares. She had always hoped they would just go away, but a good night¡¯s sleep was a rarity to her at this point.

    ¡°Well, whatever it is, it¡¯s weird,¡± Magdalene commented. Aridean felt embarrassed, but knew Magdalene was right. Aridean¡¯s ear flicked as Magdalene continued, ¡°So where are we going?¡±

    ¡°W-what do you care?¡± Vidor quickly returned, sounding a bit caught off guard. Aridean was starting to grow curious given Vidor¡¯s apparent reluctance to divulge the group¡¯s destination.

    ¡°What do I care? I¡¯m going too, y¡¯know. I wanna know where we¡¯re going,¡± replied Magdalene with an irritated tone. Vidor moaned in frustration; his dissatisfaction was followed by a short pause. From immediately behind her, Aridean could hear Rana drawing breath to answer Magdalene¡¯s question, but she never spoke.

    ¡°I said it was a surprise,¡± stated Vidor suddenly and insistently.

    Oh¡­ right¡­ I don¡¯t want to ruin Vidor¡¯s fun. He has no reason to hide it from Maggie and it will be spoiled now that I¡¯m awake. I really don¡¯t want to make myself known since they¡¯ve been talking about me, that¡¯d be embarrassing. Maybe if I can just go back to sleep really fast? But¡­ I do want to know where he was taking me¡­ No, no, that¡¯d not be fair to Vidor, Aridean began to consider. Despite the curiosity, Aridean closed her eyes again as she tried to go back to sleep to avoid further eavesdropping.

    ¡°Yeah, a surprise for Ari, right? So just tell me already before I wake Ari up and tell her you were sniffing her mane while she slept,¡± Magdalene threatened. Rana seemed to find Magdalene¡¯s intimidation tactics rather amusing as she began to quietly laugh. Vidor, on the other hand, was less than amused.

    ¡°What?! I wouldn¡¯t do that to her,¡± a rather indignant Vidor snapped. Magdalene snickered before speaking again.

    ¡°Probably a good thing, too. She¡¯d probably pummel you with that axe of hers if she found out you did something like that,¡± Magdalene snidely commented, clearly trying to get a rise out of Vidor through constant prodding.

    ¡°So? I think a girl who could kick my ass is hot, what¡¯s the big deal?¡± Vidor exclaimed in defense. Both Rana and Magdalene burst into laughter, which was followed by a groan of disappointment from Vidor.

    That¡¯s¡­ sweet? Uhm¡­ s-should I have a talk with him about that? Aridean wondered to herself. Although she understood Vidor¡¯s words to be good intentioned, she still felt somewhat confused.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I see Aridean kicking ass, but I do seem to recall one of the first things you said about her when we picked her up. You said something about her having a nice ass,¡± Rana chimed in with even more laughter. Aridean felt her face warm with embarrassment despite technically having been complimented if in an immensely awkward manner. Magdalene also seemed to enjoy Rana¡¯s comment as her own laughter continued.

    ¡°Ha! She said you weren¡¯t a perv, but I knew you were,¡± Magdalene teased.

    ¡°I am not a perv! Rana, you know I wasn¡¯t talking about her ass! I was telling Captain Bryn that she has a nice tail¡­ two years later and that still doesn¡¯t sound much better,¡± Vidor argued before realizing he had already lost. Both Rana and Magdalene continued to laugh. Aridean could just picture Vidor¡¯s eye¡¯s rolling with annoyance clear on his face, ¡°Can¡¯t you two keep it down? She¡¯s finally gotten quiet; like she¡¯s actually sleeping soundly for once.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, oh, okay. So, where are we going, pervert?¡± Magdalene asked again with less irritability and more teasing in her voice. Vidor did not respond to Magdalene¡¯s question, the only sounds one could hear were the birds, wind, and nearby rushing water as the wagon rolled along the road.

    ¡°I must admit to being hurt you haven¡¯t at least let me in on your little surprise. You told me all about Aridean¡¯s ¡®birthday¡¯ months in advance. Further, you only found out about this mission yesterday, how could you have anything planned?¡± Rana also questioned. Aridean was a bit startled by this revelation; she had known Rana was aware of her birthday surprise. However, Rana was right: given they were only just assigned this task, Vidor could not have a surprise set up for her. Vidor could be heard moaning in distress.

    ¡°That¡¯s cause¡­ I don¡¯t have a plan, Rana. I don¡¯t know how to tell her a-and¡­ I¡¯m a bit afraid to. I didn¡¯t tell you, but one of the gifts I had prepared didn¡¯t blow over so well, it nearly ruined the whole evening. But it did tell me a little about her¡­ that she¡¯s afraid of¡­ well¡­¡± an anxious Vidor began to explain. Aridean began feel self-conscious again as Vidor had a better grip on detailing her personal issues than she did herself. Despite everyone thinking she was still asleep, she so desperately wanted to vanish into thin air to avoid the embarrassment.

    It''s just like the entire time I¡¯ve lived at Stonehaven¡­ Vidor¡¯s always had to be the one to help me just speak. While I¡¯m grateful he was there for me, I really wish I could just do something right myself, Aridean reflected while Vidor had ceased speaking.

    ¡°Afraid of what exactly? She is quite timid, but I¡¯ve always assumed that was just some nerves concerning new surroundings and people,¡± asked Rana. Both Rana and Magdalene seemed entirely invested in hearing what it was Vidor thought Aridean was afraid of.

    ¡°She¡¯s afraid of looking back. There¡¯s more to it that I haven¡¯t figured out yet, but she seems to be afraid of her own past,¡± Vidor finally spoke, uneasiness clear in his voice.

    ¡°That sounds fairly normal though. Why is it so bad for her? What happened to her?¡± Magdalene could be heard asking. Aridean could hear Vidor heaving a tired sigh.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know and I don¡¯t know about asking her about it either. That gift I mentioned? I was going to have Sparrow deliver a letter to her dad. That¡¯s why I still don¡¯t know how to tell her that we¡¯re going to--,¡± Vidor had started to reply.

    ¡°We¡¯re going¡­ t-to Thellia?¡± Aridean interrupted, finally revealing she was awake to everyone. With wide and anxious eyes, she slowly turned over to face her companions, all of whom were looking back at her.

    Rana was seated near Aridean with a book in her hand. Magdalene had taken up a seat beside of Vidor at the front of the wagon, in her hands was one of Aridean¡¯s well annotated maps. It appeared that Vidor had been driving the wagon the entire time Aridean had been asleep as he still held the reins to the horses. Rana and Magdalene both appeared to just be surprised that she was awake while Vidor¡¯s face was full of panic.

    ¡°A-Aridean¡­¡± Vidor barely managed to call out. His voice was quiet and tone concerned.

    Cold wind blew past the wagon, pulling at everyone¡¯s hair or mane. Darkness was quickly blanketing the countryside as the sun was rapidly descending over the horizon. The brisk air could not compare to how frozen Aridean¡¯s face and hands felt. She felt as though her heart had sunk into her stomach and a knot was forming in her throat making it difficult to breathe again. She nervously swallowed as her eyes fell to the wagon floor.

    We¡¯re going to Thellia? Vidor was trying to keep that from me because he knows I can¡¯t do that¡­ What¡­ do I do now? Contemplated the distressed minotaur. Her breathing began to quicken as it also grew louder. Rana put her book aside before scooting closer to Aridean. The older minotaur wrapped her arms around Aridean in a gentle hug. She was quietly hushing the despondent younger minotaur. With Rana¡¯s comfort, Aridean managed to calm herself with a few deep, raspy breaths.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m okay¡­ thank you, Rana,¡± spoke Aridean, nervously. Rana slowly withdrew her arms as Aridean continued to take deep breaths.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you¡­¡± apologized Vidor. Aridean shook her head as she gathered her thoughts. After a few seconds, she looked up to Vidor with a smile on her face, but fear in her eyes.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s fine¡­ I-I¡¯m okay¡­ really,¡± Aridean nervously replied. ¡°I-I think I¡¯m going to just lay back down for a little while¡­¡±

    Rana, Vidor, and Magdalene all watched as Aridean rolled back over and assumed the sleeping position she had held previously. Aridean could hear a worn-out sigh coming from Vidor; she could imagine the visible guilt on his face without even looking at him. Laying in the wagon, Aridean remained still just looking into the back wall of the wagon with wide and uneasy eyes. She lay there, waiting until she heard Rana scoot back to her spot where she had been reading. It was as she heard Rana open her book again that she made her move.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I can¡¯t go back there!¡± Aridean shouted as she hastily pushed herself up from the floor and into a crouching position. Before even finishing her thought, the minotaur had launched herself out of the wagon and found herself falling toward the ground. She could hear Rana and Magdalene gasp as she hit the ground, stirring up a large cloud of dust and dirt. Despite her rough landing, Aridean scrambled to her hooves and started to run as quickly as her hooves would allow back down the long road that the wagon had traveled.

    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s new,¡± Magdalene indifferently commented as she watched Aridean continue her sprint.

    ¡°Shut it!¡± Vidor ordered before calling out, ¡°Aridean, wait!¡±

    After calling out to Aridean, Vidor tossed the horse reins aside and leapt from his seat in the wagon. A small amount of dust was kicked up where he landed. He did not even look back as he gave chase to Aridean. Vidor left Magdalene and Rana sitting in the wagon, Rana having moved to the driver¡¯s seat to rein in the horses.

    ¡°I knew she was having trouble coping but hadn¡¯t anticipated something like that¡­¡± Rana quietly commented to herself.

    Aridean continued to sprint as quickly as she could, her hooves hitting the ground hard with every step. She could only hear two things: her panting and her heart beating in her ears. Nothing mattered to her at that moment though, she could not stop running. There was no way she could ever show herself in Thellia again. However, as the forest that she saw a short time ago in the wagon drew near, she slowed down. The minotaur stood only about twenty meters from the first tree before stopping.

    Her breathing felt labored and her rapidly beating heart felt like it was about to burst in her chest. Even so, Aridean could not think about the intense stress on her body as tears began running down her face. She looked into the dark and foreboding forest in front of her.

    ¡°T-the¡­ K-Konarch Forest,¡± Aridean said aloud. She stood frozen before the trees that were shaking in the wind. Dried and dying leaves rained down and flew past her. Her legs felt as though they were twigs ready to break under her own weight. As she stood in the middle of the dirt road, Aridean could barely hear the sound of footsteps behind her.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ huff, wait,¡± called Vidor, still panting after his own sprint. It sounded as though Vidor had stopped a short distance behind Aridean. Aridean could not move a muscle as she continued to look into the Konarch Forest.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t go back¡­ I shouldn¡¯t even be this close,¡± spoke Aridean. ¡°I can never go back, Vidor. I threw everything away so that he could¡­ I was prepared to live and die alone when I left¡­ It would be better that way; it¡¯d be normal.¡±

    ¡°How could that be better? You¡¯d be willing to live a miserable life of loneliness because you think that¡¯d be better for your dad?¡± Vidor asked calmly. Aridean refused to turn and face him.

    ¡°I never deserved him¡­ I should have just faded away with the rest of my tribe. I¡¯d never have had to live with the humans in Thellia and he¡¯d never have had to deal with them either,¡± Aridean explained weakly.

    ¡°Are you even hearing yourself? You lived with your dad for almost seventeen years and you were happy, both of you were, right? What makes you think he¡¯d agree with that?¡± Vidor pressed; his tone full of concern but sounding somewhat assertive. Aridean shook her head as cold tears fell from her chin.

    ¡°He never came looking for me¡­ And why should he have? I¡¯m the sole survivor of the Ithlaum tribe that he led the assault on. I was nothing worthwhile to him; not even a meaningful trophy and certainly not a daughter,¡± an inconsolable Aridean lamented. Her entire body had gone numb. She felt like her blood had been replaced with lead given how heavy her body felt.

    ¡°Aridean, you¡¯ve lived both figuratively and literally underground for two years, how was he supposed to find you if he went looking? Furthermore, how can you even consider that being his thoughts about what you two had? You¡¯d know him better than anyone; surely, you¡¯d know what he was really thinking the whole time you two lived together,¡± Vidor exclaimed before heaving a tired sigh. ¡°If you could go back and keep yourself from running, wouldn¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t a simple life with your dad all you ever really wanted?¡±

    ¡°All I ever wanted? Who gives a damn about what I want? What does what I want matter?¡± Aridean began to question as tears continued to flow from her eyes. Vidor let out a sigh and Aridean heard him take a step closer, then another, and finally¡­

    ¡°I give a damn,¡± Vidor answered as he wrapped his arms around Aridean. ¡°What you want matters to me. I¡¯d go back and give you everything you wanted, even¡­ even if means we¡¯d never meet.¡±

    Hearing his answer, Aridean¡¯s heart sank in her chest again. Her body felt so cold and numb despite Vidor¡¯s warm embrace. She began to feel a pounding in her head as she tried to process what it was Vidor was telling her. Still unable to move her legs, Aridean barely managed to speak.

    ¡°But why?¡± Aridean asked with a hoarse voice.

    ¡°Why? Because of the same reason you thought running was good for your dad,¡± Vidor replied. The male minotaur loosened his grip on Aridean only enough to turn her to face him, ¡°love. I care because I love you. I want to see you happy because I love you and your smile.¡±

    Aridean¡¯s eyes filled with tears again and her mouth fell slightly agape as Vidor pulled her in close. Although her arms remained at her sides, Vidor¡¯s kept a gentle and warm touch over her arms and back. Aridean began to quietly sob as Vidor continued to hold her. She pushed her face into Vidor¡¯s upper chest as she began to cry.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be scared; Rana and I will be with you this time,¡± Vidor spoke softly.

    ¡°Vidor¡­ I¡¯m too scared to go back there. What would everyone think? They wanted me imprisoned when I left, now they may want m-me executed! But¡­ I¡¯m more s-scared of seeing Simon after so long. I don¡¯t want to go back and h-hear him say I should never have been there to begin with,¡± Aridean said through stifled sobs and hiccups. ¡°After everything he¡¯s done for me¡­ a-and after I ran away¡­ you should have just left me to die alone in the forest two years ago.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that¡­ I don¡¯t know what you must be feeling right now, but I promise I won¡¯t let anything happen to you. You told me just how afraid of being alone you are and I promised I won¡¯t ever leave you alone again, remember? I¡¯m going to keep that promise,¡± Vidor whispered gently into her ear. Leaves began to dance in circles around the two as the last light in the day receded behind the horizon. All that Aridean could hear was the sound of her own sobbing. She could no longer speak as her throat had tightened to an uncomfortable degree. The only thing that ran through her mind was a single word:

    Why?

 Chapter 17 - Moths to a Flame

    Early night had fallen while Magdalene and Rana awaited Vidor and Aridean¡¯s return. A bleak darkness had blanketed the countryside, making it near impossible to see anything that was not within arm¡¯s reach. Not even the light of the moon or stars had managed to illuminate the area as the sky had been choked with many thick clouds. Rana had already lit a lantern that hung from a short post on the wagon¡¯s frame, the only source of light in the night. Magdalene continued to look at the road behind them while wondering what was taking so long.

    Although looking beyond the reach of the lantern light was futile, the symphony of the countryside night was playing in full swing. Whistling winds had begun to blow that more aggressively shook the trees and forced tall grasses to dance. Within said trees and grasses, the chirps and songs of crickets and cicadas rang out from the darkened reaches of the land surrounding the wagon. The sickeningly sweet scents of various flowers were carried along the rushing winds that blew past the wagon.

    Magdalene took a moment to watch the three moths that had appeared from the darkness. Each of them had started flying circles around the dim lantern. Small wings of white and gray with even smaller fuzzy bodies danced around the glass casing that the lantern flame was housed in. Magdalene scooted an inch, and then another, further from the lantern before turning her attention back to the road. However, Rana took notice of the girl¡¯s shifting movement.

    ¡°Maggie? Is everything alright?¡± Rana asked the girl. Magdalene¡¯s cheeks turned a light hue of red but maintained as best a stoical expression as she could.

    ¡°I-I just don¡¯t like bugs,¡± answered Magdalene. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s taking them so long? Has Ari ever done anything like this before?¡±

    Rana heaved a patient sigh as she turned back to the road as well. Neither of the two sitting in the wagon could make anything out apart from a tree sitting just outside of the lantern light¡¯s reach and just off of the dirt path. Thick darkness beyond the lantern light seemed to swallow up anything they could not already see.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever seen this behavior from her, but I suppose this wouldn¡¯t be too unlike her attitude when she ran from her home two years ago,¡± Rana replied. Magdalene turned to Rana with a bit of surprise in her eyes.

    ¡°Ari ran from home? And only two years ago, too? She mentioned having been raised by a human, but I thought maybe she had lived with you two in Stonehaven all her life,¡± Magdalene continued to question. Rana shook her head before speaking.

    ¡°It was two years ago; Vidor and I were on the way back to Stonehaven after a recon assignment with our captain. Vidor insisted we stop by the village we are headed toward for something to eat and came back almost an hour later with the biggest smile on his face. It was then that he told me about his first-time meeting Aridean,¡± Rana explained. ¡°Apparently, Vidor had been approached by her only friend in all of the village she lived in who told him everything about her. Although we should have gotten back on the road, Vidor stopped us when he noticed Aridean from a distance, running back into the village¡­ She was carrying her friend who had been hurt.¡±

    A cold wind blew past the two as Rana paused for a moment. Magdalene shivered slightly as the wind passed; the girl began rubbing her arms to keep warm. Rana on the other hand did not move a muscle as she continued gazing at the dark road behind them. Because of her warm fur, she was not bothered by the cold air anyway.

    ¡°What happened to her friend? And how did that lead to her running away?¡± Magdalene asked with growing curiosity.

    ¡°I do not know what had truly happened to her friend, she¡¯s never told us exactly what hurt him, she would only tell us that it was her fault. Anyway, it was not until the next day that Vidor began spying on her, much to our captain¡¯s frustration. He managed to learn that Aridean was to be arrested for supposedly having seriously injured her friend,¡± continued Rana, sounding particularly solemn. ¡°Vidor was staking out her old home and only got us moving when he saw Aridean leaving her house in the dead of night with only a backpack and the clothes on her back. We picked her up in that forest we passed by a little while ago after Aridean ran into some more trouble.¡±

    Magdalene listened intently to Rana¡¯s recap of Aridean¡¯s backstory. Although there were clear gaps in Rana¡¯s explanation, she felt she understood the jist of things. Magdalene took a moment to think to herself. Although Rana had not noticed it, Magdalene¡¯s face was showed that she was deep in thought.

    ¡°S-so¡­ y-your brother is a s-stalker and a pervert,¡± Magdalene attempted to joke, despite the obvious apprehensiveness in her voice. Rana did not speak, but her eyes did shift toward Magdalene looking slightly irked. Having become an annoyed Rana¡¯s focus, Magdalene backed down as the minotaur¡¯s eyes seemed to nonverbally tell her to stay quiet and behave herself. Magdalene noticed Rana¡¯s ears perk up somewhat as the quiet clopping of hooves began to draw near the wagon.

    ¡°I already told you I¡¯m not a pervert,¡± came Vidor¡¯s voice from within the darkness, sounding particularly annoyed. ¡°A-and it¡¯s not like I meant¡­ to stalk her¡­ damn, I can¡¯t really fight that one.¡±

    From the all-consuming darkness beyond the reach of the lantern light, Vidor and Aridean appeared. Vidor had an irritated expression on his face from having to consistently argue with Magdalene. His arm was gently wrapped around Aridean who was leaning into Vidor¡¯s side. She looked entirely drained of willpower and as though she may fall over if Vidor were not there to support her. Aridean¡¯s eyes were a bright red and the fur on her face was still soaked from the tears she had been shedding.

    ¡°There you two are¡­ are you alright, Aridean?¡± Rana asked as Vidor shuffled Aridean toward the wagon. Aridean did not respond and Vidor¡¯s face was immediately filled with grief as he looked to his mute friend. Vidor let out a depressed sigh.

    ¡°She kinda¡­ cried herself into a trance. I think we should just let her sleep it off,¡± spoke Vidor in Aridean¡¯s place. Although it was slow getting Aridean up into the wagon, Vidor persisted. Once the two were seated in the back of the wagon, Vidor cautiously moved to gently help Aridean lay back down. Aridean herself gave no resistance nor support; her eyes seem to stare into the void of the dark night. Only on occasion could she be heard drawing in a loud but shaky breath.

    ¡°Nice going, you broke Ari,¡± Magdalene snidely jabbed from her seat beside Rana.

    ¡°What?! How is this on me?¡± a defiant Vidor retorted before covering Aridean in a thin sheet.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her we were going back to her home until we¡¯re practically a stone¡¯s throw from its main road! You knew better than anybody how she¡¯d react,¡± Magdalene reprimanded with a matter-of-fact tone in her voice. Vidor, with a face full of disappointment, surveyed Aridean laying in the wagon. However, he turned to face Magdalene with a bold expression.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re any help! You¡¯re exactly the kind of person she was running from to begin with! The way you treat minotaurs is exactly what scared her so much when she was living in Thellia,¡± argued Vidor. For only a second, Magdalene¡¯s face seemed to fill with uncertainty. However, she quickly regained her composure and was fully prepared to continue contending with Vidor. As both drew breath to extend their less than friendly debate, Rana¡¯s voice rang out.

    ¡°Quiet, both of you! Your constant bickering all day has been giving me a headache and Aridean is trying to rest,¡± snapped Rana with a particularly angry look upon her fuzzy face. Both Vidor and Magdalene¡¯s eyes widened after having their argument interrupted, but each relented and no further fighting ensued. Rana let out a bothered sigh as she turned her attention to the road. She whipped the reins to tell the horses to start pulling the wagon along again. As the wooden wagon jerked back into motion, Vidor turned from Aridean to his sister in the front seat.

    ¡°Uh, Rana? Do you think we could¡­ maybe¡­ not go to Thellia?¡± Vidor asked as he moved closer to the front of the wagon. Magdalene took a quick glance at him before turning to Rana. She could see the doubt in Rana¡¯s eyes as the minotaur continued to look out at the road ahead. Rana took a deep breath and shook her head.

    ¡°If I had known this might have been this difficult for her, I would have insisted grandfather find another team for the mission. However, we¡¯re here now and someone¡¯s life could very well be in danger. I¡¯m afraid we must continue,¡± Rana answered as Vidor¡¯s ears and shoulders fell slack in defeat. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ll try to keep her from doing anything that makes her uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°T-thanks, Rana,¡± replied Vidor, sounding particularly submissive. Clearly it was not the answer he desired but he still felt grateful that his sister agreed to try and look out for Aridean.

    ¡°How¡¯s this gonna work? Only Ari really knew this Thellia place, but now she¡¯s somehow even less capable of speaking than normal. What¡¯s the plan?¡± Magdalene asked as she swatted away a moth that flew directly in front of her nose. Rana let out a disappointed sigh as she shook her head again.

    ¡°Uh¡­ what if¡­ you think we could get Aridean¡¯s friend to help us? What was his name again? John?¡± Vidor suggested.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ that could work if we knew where to find him. Also, I¡¯m mostly certain she said his name was Jean. Perhaps¡­ I might have an idea,¡± Rana responded as she continued to formulate a plan in her head. ¡°Maggie, do you mind if I ask a favor?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys supposed to do what I say, you are pretending to be my servants after all. Well, whatever; what did you need?¡± Magdalene answered. Her attempt to lighten the mood was met with a frustrated grunt from Vidor. Rana sighed and then turned to Vidor.

    ¡°Do you remember where Aridean¡¯s home was around here?¡± inquired Rana with a stern tone of voice. Vidor¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He turned to survey Aridean, worried that she may react haphazardly again if she were aware of Rana¡¯s intentions. However, Aridean had closed her eyes and seemed to be fast asleep again.

    ¡°She must be really out of it¡­¡± Vidor near silently commented before turning back to his sister. ¡°Uh, I think so, it was only about two miles outside of the village. B-but wait, are you--¡±

    ¡°Maggie, I need you to ask Aridean¡¯s father for directions to find her friend. Aridean is too far gone right now and he may be inclined to ask too many questions if Vidor or I approach,¡± Rana announced, much to the shock of both Vidor and Magdalene. Vidor¡¯s jaw had dropped while Magdalene had her eyes visibly widen on her face after hearing Rana¡¯s plan.

    ¡°Rana?¡± Vidor called out.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re¡­¡± Magdalene started to speak but found her voice trailing off.

    ¡°If either of you have any other suggestions, I¡¯m all for hearing them. Unfortunately, I feel this may be the best course of action that keeps Aridean from mentally breaking. Vidor will point out Aridean¡¯s old home and Maggie will ask her father where we could find her friend, Jean. Once we know where to find Jean, two of us will seek his help while the last one stays with Aridean should she not have come to by then,¡± explained Rana, sounding confident in her strategy. Rana paused for only a moment to allow the others a chance to speak. When it was clear Magdalene and Vidor had nothing to say, Rana continued, ¡°now then, if we¡¯ve no other ideas, why don¡¯t we take some time to rehearse what Maggie asks Aridean¡¯s father? We should only be about an hour or so out after all.¡±

    Magdalene and Vidor offered no objections to Rana¡¯s plan. Instead, Rana spent time trying to rehearse the conversation that Magdalene and Simon might be expected to have. Vidor had been asked to pretend to be Simon, but his mind was clearly miles away as he continually turned to check on Aridean. Every time Vidor turned to look at his cherished friend, he could feel a strong aching in his chest.

    Magdalene stood in front of the dirt path that branched out from the main road leading to a quaint farmhouse. A large, old barn with a particularly heavy smell of manure stood approximately thirty meters from the house. Although it could not be seen in the night from Magdalene¡¯s distant position, red paint was chipping off of the wood that formed the walls of the barn. Magdalene was able to make out the small water well situated between the house and barn. Directly behind the well was a gate leading out to the pasture beyond the homestead; the gate had been left slightly ajar.

    Chirps of crickets and the croaks of frogs rang out from all directions. The air felt cool and was slowly growing colder as a crisp wind brushed past Magdalene¡¯s face. Fortunately, the cloudy night sky was slowly clearing up, giving way for bright moonlight to illuminate the modest farm. Although it was still plenty dark, Magdalene could see the countryside so clear when bathed in the dim light.

    The girl nervously breathed in and then out before lifting her foot. She found herself slowly moving toward the farmhouse. Given that a light was visible through the window, she felt the likelihood of Aridean¡¯s father being awake even this late at night was high. However, she stopped at the base of the stairs leading up to the porch just before the front door. Magdalene looked back at the road, but there was nothing there.

    ¡°Mnn¡­ calm down¡­ that dummy is supposed to be close by¡­ Just don¡¯t mention Ari and everything will be fine,¡± the girl spoke to herself. Her nerves had become intensely flustered just standing at the base of the stairs to the house. She took another deep breath and began to climb the small staircase leading to the porch.

    Now that the girl stood on the porch, she could feel her heart beating faster and faster. Why she felt so nervous was something she did not fully understand but having been given such a vital task to Rana¡¯s plan¡¯s success was somewhat nerve-wracking. Anxiously, Magdalene inched toward the door with a hand raised and prepared to knock. Although she seemed fully prepared to commence her mission, Magdalene was stopped by something she found unordinary.

    ¡°Huh? Why is¡­¡± Magdalene asked no one in particular, her voice trailing off as she lost herself in thought. In front of Magdalene was a sturdy looking wooden door. What was unusual about the door in front of her was that it was cracked. Light from within the farmhouse bled out onto the darkened porch in a narrow and short stream. The girl shook her head and knocked once.

    Magdalene waited a full thirty seconds before apprehensively lifting her hand to knock a second time. She knocked again, louder than her first knock. Surely the noise had been heard throughout the room beyond the front door. Strangely, no response, verbal or otherwise, was given to the half-elven girl.

    ¡°Uh, hello? Is anybody home?¡± Magdalene called out, beginning to wonder if anybody even was present behind the door. ¡°I-I don¡¯t mean to intrude, but I was looking for directions¡­ Hello?¡±

    Magdalene again waited on the porch, shaded in darkness that even moonlight did not illuminate. A cool breeze blew past and the girl began to shiver. All around her were the sounds of the country night: cricket chirps and rustling of leaves in the trees. Magdalene began to grow worried and could feel her legs starting to shake underneath her.

    ¡°Maybe I should just go¡­ Rgh! I can¡¯t do that. That dummy would only call me useless if I left now¡­¡± Magdalene quietly spoke to herself. She took a deep breath and looked at the door with renewed composure before calling out again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being rude, but I just need a little help.¡±

    Lifting her hand toward the cracked door, Magdalene watched as the light shining out from the house flickered. Startled, Magdalene jerked her hand back quickly. The girl could feel her heart skip a beat. Was someone inside? Why would they not answer her before if they were there?

    Shaking her head, Magdalene resolved to proceed regardless of whether someone was inside or not. Magdalene watched as her hand passed through the light peaking through the cracked door again as it made its way to the doorknob. With a firm grip on the cold metal, Magdalene pushed the door into the house, allowing more light to flood the darkness that had covered her just outside. Although the home looked pleasantly quaint from the outside, something within caught Magdalene¡¯s eye.

    ¡°KYAHHHH!¡± screamed Magdalene in terror as she stumbled backwards. The girl landed on her rear, inches from having fallen down the stairs behind her. Her entire body was shaking and her eyes were wide with horror. Seconds after she had screamed, Magdalene could hear someone sprinting along the dirt path just down the stairs she had nearly fallen from.

    ¡°Maggie?! Are you alright?!¡± Vidor called as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Magdalene did not respond, but her breathing had become more rapid. He saw that Magdalene¡¯s focus was directed inside the house.

    Vidor moved up the stairs, the old wood creaking as his hooves landed on each plank. He carefully moved around Magdalene and peered inside the open door. With a gasp of surprise, Vidor found what had scared Magdalene into screaming. A large pool of crimson blood had been spilled upon the floor behind the door.

    ¡°Maggie¡­ c-c¡¯mon, get up. G-get back; head back to Rana,¡± spoke an apprehensive Vidor as he pulled the frightened girl up on her feet.

    ¡°W-what? I-I¡¯m not going anywhere! It j-just¡­ caught me off guard is all,¡± Magdalene stammered as she wiped dust from her skirt. Vidor initially rolled his eyes but could not truthfully admit he had not been alarmed by the abnormal discovery. Since the girl had decided she was not leaving, Vidor ushered her behind him as he moved toward the door leading into the farmhouse.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Vidor drew his bow and notched an arrow as he moved closer and closer to the open door. Apart from the sizable blood puddle in the room, Vidor also noticed that much of the room was in disarray. Furniture had been tossed, upturned, and even broken all throughout the room. The only piece of unbroken home furnishings appeared to be a solitary, wooden chair facing the pooled blood.

    ¡°What happened here? Ari didn¡¯t live in this, did she?¡± Magdalene asked as she followed Vidor closely.

    ¡°Of course she didn¡¯t!¡± retorted Vidor before setting a hoof inside the house. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what could have happened here¡­¡±

    With his hooves now inside the farmhouse, Vidor aimed his bow to his immediate left. He observed a destroyed kitchenette; counterspace had been smashed and many utensils had been haphazardly thrown about the cooking space. Many different sauces and cooking or baking ingredients had been messily tossed about. Slowly, Vidor eased his grip on the notched arrow in his bow.

    ¡°Huh, reminds me of the time Aridean tried baking muffins¡­¡± Vidor nonchalantly joked as he lowered his bow. Magdalene was clearly not entertained by Vidor¡¯s attempted humor.

    ¡°One: is now really the time for that? Two: didn¡¯t she almost kill you with those muffins?¡± snapped Magdalene impatiently as she slapped Vidor¡¯s arm. Her expression looked rather frustrated by Vidor¡¯s clear disregard for the ruined home.

    ¡°She told you about that?!¡± an embarrassed Vidor anxiously exclaimed as he turned to look at Magdalene. However, having turned from the kitchenette, Vidor could also see the rest of the room in his peripherals.

    Vidor noticed something sitting near the living space in the large room. The entity had been obscured by the door on his and Magdalene¡¯s way into the house. Behind it was a waning fire within the stone fireplace, the dancing flames slowly dying out as the dried wood was nearly spent. Vidor¡¯s jaw dropped and his eyes widened at the sight. Upon noticing the minotaur¡¯s sudden state of apparent dread, Magdalene began to slowly turn. However, Vidor was quick to cover her eyes to prevent her from seeing what it was that had caught his attention.

    ¡°H-hey! Knock it off, I want to see,¡± Magdalene ordered as she tried prying Vidor¡¯s large hand from her face.

    ¡°No¡­ you don¡¯t,¡± Vidor responded with a solemn tone in his voice. ¡°What¡­ the hell happened here?¡±

    Magdalene jerked her head back and threw Vidor¡¯s hand from her eyes. With her vision now restored, the girl looked up at the minotaur with an irritated look. Her bothered expression softened only slightly as she took notice of Vidor¡¯s growing unease. Before Vidor could manage to recover her eyes, Magdalene turned to look upon whatever it was Vidor had discovered. She let out a loud gasp as she covered her mouth with both hands; horror was painted on her face.

    Similar to the kitchenette that the two had previously been joking about, the living space on the opposite side of the room had been entirely demolished. A fine, wooden coffee table had been broken into several large chunks with splintered wood scattered about the floor nearby. There was what looked to have once been a comfortable leather seat turned on its side, strips of its padding had been ripped from the arms and back. There was also the stone fireplace that had a few broken picture frames laying out before the flames. These pictures had been arranged in some kind of pattern on the floor in front of the fire that almost look as if it were in preparation for some ritual. Just above the fireplace, hanging on the wall by brass hooks, was a massive and decorated great axe.

    However, the most pressing discovering on the opposite side of the room from where the half-elf and minotaur stood, was a slumped over body that had been bound to a wooden chair. The body appeared to be male and had been horrifically beaten. Blood streamed down from many different cuts and gashes on the restrained individual, making it readily apparent where the pool of blood by the front door came from.

    ¡°Merciful Lord¡­ i-is that¡­ A-Ari¡¯s dad?¡± Magdalene asked, barely managing to speak. Vidor began to approach the body with caution whilst shaking his head.

    ¡°No, look at the ears: this is an elf. Aridean¡¯s dad is human¡­ That fire is starting to wane and the blood is only just drying. Whatever happened here probably took place¡­ maybe an hour ago max,¡± Vidor pointed out as he stood beside the unfortunate victim. Carefully, Vidor used one hand to raise the head of the elf and gasped after one look at the face, ¡°Sparrow¡­ What?¡±

    Sure enough, the battered and bloodied body belonged to none other than Yuthe Galesong, better known in Stonehaven as Sparrow. Shocked by the sudden revelation, Vidor dropped his elven friend¡¯s head as he took a shaky step backward. Standing a few feet from the body, Vidor felt paralyzed and was unable to move.

    ¡°Sparrow? Isn¡¯t that the guy we were coming to find? What do you think happened that put him here?¡± asked Magdalene curiously.

    Having heard her voice, Vidor shook the disbelief from his mind and regained his ability to move. While entirely ignoring Magdalene¡¯s questions, Vidor moved in closer to the body again and began rifling through the pants pockets. Magdalene was left entirely confused by the utter disregard for the fallen. It was not until Vidor began mumbling to himself that she decided to call out to him again.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Magdalene inquired with impatience in her voice. She noticed Vidor¡¯s shoulders tense up somewhat as she snapped at him.

    ¡°I, uh, I was looking for his reports. They¡¯ve got to be here somewhere,¡± replied Vidor, sounding somewhat anxious. Magdalene was still curious by how quick Vidor seemed to move past the death of one of his friends. She could not help but wonder if the loss of many friends was something Vidor had experienced¡­ and become desensitized to. The very thought made the girl shudder as she stood on the opposite side of the blood pool.

    ¡°Vidor! Maggie! Is Aridean in here?!¡± came Rana¡¯s voice from just outside the front door. Her hooves could be heard loudly clopping as they hit each wooden stair. It was clear that Rana was in a rush to regroup.

    ¡°What?! No! She¡¯s not with you?!¡± Vidor replied with rapidly growing anxiety. His face was filled with concern and panic. Magdalene, with astonishment, turned to see Rana as she appeared in the doorway. Her black fur blended with the darkness outside so well that Magdalene had a hard time seeing the minotaur entering the house.

    ¡°I had just turned my head for a minute and¡ªby the Spirits! What happened here?!¡± Exclaimed Rana in surprise upon registering the absolute disaster within the otherwise modest farmhouse. She then turned to see Vidor, standing over the body of Sparrow, ¡°Oh no¡­ is that Sparrow? How did he wind up here and in such a state?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s too late for him¡­¡± Vidor spoke solemnly. He surveyed the elven body once more before turning to his sister and apprehensively asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Aridean?!¡±

    Rana appeared to be stunned looking over Sparrow¡¯s body, her mouth slightly agape by the team¡¯s discovery. After a moment of processing the new development, Rana closed her mouth and slowly shook her head back and forth. Magdalene, with growing curiosity, raised an eyebrow as she awaited Rana¡¯s explanation. Vidor simply looked to his sister with clear worry in his expression.

    ¡°I-I heard something in some bushes near where we parked the wagon. I thought I should just check to make sure it wasn¡¯t anything bigger than a raccoon. Whatever it was, it ran as I got closer,¡± Rana began to recall as she walked closer to Sparrow¡¯s body. The minotaur knelt down by the body and began to inspect the wounds before continuing, ¡°When I got back to the wagon, Aridean was gone. I-I know she can take care of herself, she took her axe with her, but I don¡¯t know where she ran off to.¡±

    ¡°She took her axe and ran?! Where would she go?!¡± exclaimed Vidor, seemingly to himself as he began looking around the house. It was clear he was thinking to himself as he observed the ruined furnishings of the otherwise normal home. Every so often, the minotaur let out a frustrated grunt.

    Rana, although clearly distraught by the current status of their mission, continued to investigate the elven body before her. After completing her examination of Sparrow, Rana began sifting through the large backpack on the floor beside the chair. Magdalene looked from Vidor to Rana. Before the girl could speak what was on her mind, an audible crashing sound could be heard from down the hallway at the back of the front room. Everyone in attendance immediately turned to look down the darkened hallway.

    ¡°Is someone here? Did you not check the whole house?¡± Rana asked, having turned to Vidor.

    ¡°Maggie found the blood and then we found the body and then you ran up saying Aridean ran off! It¡¯s been one thing after another, okay? Is now the time to worry about that? Aridean¡¯s run off and is all alone now,¡± replied Vidor, frustrated by all of the accumulating stresses he was experiencing. He began to make for the door before being pulled back by Rana. Magdalene continued to simply watch the exchange from across the room, feigning a lack of interest as the two minotaurs spoke.

    ¡°Vidor, Sparrow is dead and it happened in Aridean¡¯s old home. Someone may still be here. It could be Aridean¡¯s father. I¡¯m worried about her too, but we need to figure out what happened here. Check the back rooms while I look over Sparrow¡¯s belongings,¡± Rana spoke, a stern tone and hard expression on her face. Although he was utterly baffled by his sister¡¯s order, Vidor let out an agitated groan and turned toward the darkened hallway from which the crashing noise had come from.

    Vidor notched an arrow in his bow again as he slowly and cautiously made for the dark hallway. There did not seem to be a light in the hallway, but he was certain that he could make out four separate doors. Unfortunately, there was no way to be certain from which door the crashing sound had originated from. Regardless, Vidor knew Rana expected him to investigate each room in the house thoroughly.

    As the minotaur moved into the dark hallway, he found himself squinting his eyes in an effort to focus on the darkened doors. Vidor approached the first door on the right side of the hallway. Just as he began hesitantly reaching for the doorknob, Vidor was startled by something brushing the back of his left leg. Before he could even turn around, a bright light began to illuminate the hallway. Vidor turned to see Magdalene looking at him with an impatient expression on her face and a raised hand that was glowing incandescently.

    ¡°T-thanks¡­¡± Vidor spoke, turning back to the door for only a second. Vidor almost immediately returned his attention to Magdalene, ¡°You didn¡¯t take my wallet again, did you?¡±

    Magdalene¡¯s already annoyed look upgraded to utterly aggravated by the question. However, she truthfully could not deny that the thought had crossed her mind. Feeling a bit insulted, Magdalene let out a frustrated grunt before pushing past Vidor and opening the first door.

    Behind the first door was the house¡¯s washroom. Just the same as the front room, everything within had been demolished. What seemed like millions of bits of glass reflected the bright light from Magdalene¡¯s incandescently glowing hand. Glass littered both the floor and broken countertop in front of the shattered mirror hanging above where the sink should have been. Much of the glass on the floor appeared to be sitting in a pool of water, like pebbles in a stream. A window on the opposite side of the washroom had also been smashed, leaving even more bits of glass about the floor. Cold air funneled into the room from the destroyed window, causing Magdalene to shiver somewhat. Holes had also been punched in the walls and the tub appeared to have been cleaved into sections that would no longer manage to hold water. The toilet had been knocked over onto its side. It was obvious that the entire room was out of order.

    ¡°Bathroom. Needs renovating, but nothing here,¡± Magdalene stated as she pulled the door closed. Vidor, slightly miffed that Magdalene felt the need to joke but call him out for doing so, moved across the hallway to the next door. With Magdalene projecting a light for him, Vidor slowly pulled open the door.

    Behind their second door was a simple broom closet. There were broken brooms on the floor and shelves that had at one point held various tools and other household items. Now, few of those tools or items were held upon the shelves as most were strewn out on the floor with the broken brooms. The shelves within the closet had been torn apart in such a manner that only small sections near their hinges that held the wood against the wall remained.

    ¡°Broom closet. Needs sweeping, but nothing else,¡± Vidor reported. Having heard his attempt to replicate her style of joke, Magdalene rolled her eyes as she let out a semi-annoyed grunt. Vidor closed the door back before turning to look at the final two doors.

    Both Magdalene and Vidor moved further down the hallway with Magdalene¡¯s magic shining through the darkness. Behind them, in the front room, the two could hear Rana still shuffling through Sparrow¡¯s things. Vidor approached the door on the left side of the hallway while Magdalene approached the door on the right. Both minotaur and half-elf pushed open their respective doors.

    Vidor found that it was difficult to see into the room given Magdalene was behind him and focusing on her own room but managed to make out the large bed within. Just the same as the theme had been throughout the rest of the house, this bedroom had been decimated. The bedframe had been scratched, chipped, and broken while the mattress itself had been ripped to shreds. There was a dresser at the back of the room that had not faired much better than the bedframe. Plenty of nice clothes had been haphazardly thrown through the room, all having been torn or ripped. Interestingly, there was a small collection of porcelain fragments near one end of the dresser.

    ¡°That bed is too small for a minotaur, so this must be Simon¡¯s room¡­ what happened here?¡± asked Vidor to no one in particular. Upon finishing his examination of the room and determining that no one was present, Vidor turned to see Magdalene, frozen in place, looking into the room she had opened.

    ¡°So¡­ this must be Ari¡¯s room¡­¡± Magdalene spoke as Vidor moved in behind her and peered into the room. ¡°It looks so¡­ normal.¡±

    Vidor fully understood why Magdalene seemed so shocked by the room with just one look inside. Aridean¡¯s bedroom appeared untouched by whatever force had rampaged through the rest of the house. Her bed had been expertly made and the floor was absolutely spotless. Even the full body mirror sitting in the corner appeared to have been recently cleaned as Magdalene¡¯s glowing hand reflected off the glass so brightly. Apart from the usual bedroom amenities, there was a small chest of children¡¯s toys at the foot of the bed. All of the stuffed toys had been arranged in the chest so all could be easily found.

    ¡°Why is her room¡­ the only one that hasn¡¯t been destroyed?¡± Vidor wondered out loud.

    ¡°How would I know? But there doesn¡¯t seem to be anybody here¡­ what made that crashing sound just a moment ago?¡± Magdalene responded as she closed the door to Aridean¡¯s room.

    ¡°I saw what looked like a smashed vase in that other room. I can¡¯t be for certain given how trashed the house is, but I bet that was what made the noise. Now, what caused it could have--,¡± Vidor began theorizing. He was immediately cut off by Magdalene as she turned around and looked beyond Vidor and into Simon¡¯s room.

    ¡°Gyah!¡± shouted a startled Magdalene as she toppled backwards into Aridean¡¯s bedroom door and then down to the hallway floor. Vidor hastily turned around to see that there was a single rat standing on a broken piece of Simon¡¯s bedframe. He was barely holding back his laughter.

    ¡°¡­ probably been that,¡± Vidor nonchalantly finished his thought. Magdalene, clearly unnerved by the sudden appearance of the rat, slowly rose from the ground. The girl pushed past the minotaur and hurriedly grabbed the doorknob to Simon¡¯s bedroom. With a forceful tug, the door was slammed shut, leaving the rat within. Magdalene shivered as she lowered her glowing hand, magic slowly dissipating and the light fading out. Vidor smirked, contemplating how to use his newfound knowledge of Magdalene¡¯s dislike for rats against her.

    ¡°Maggie? Vidor? Is everything okay back there?¡± called Rana from the front room. The female minotaur stood in the well-lit living space, in plain view of the two at the back of the darkened hallway. Both Vidor and Magdalene began walking back into the light of the front room.

    ¡°Maggie just made a new friend is all,¡± Vidor stated with his smirk.

    ¡°S-shut up! I don¡¯t like rats, okay?¡± Magdalene retorted with great annoyance in her tone.

    ¡°Good to see you two finally getting along,¡± Rana sarcastically commented as she rolled her eyes. Vidor and Magdalene turned to one another for a brief second before turning in opposite directions with obviously irritated looks on their faces. ¡°Anyways, you two found nothing, is that right?¡±

    ¡°No one else is here; that sound was just a rat tipping a vase over in one of the bedrooms,¡± Vidor answered.

    ¡°Well, there was also the fact that Ari¡¯s room was spared from whatever chaos ran rampant through here,¡± Magdalene chimed in. Rana¡¯s ears perked up upon hearing that bit of information, but Vidor stepped in before she could speak again.

    ¡°Speaking of Aridean, I¡¯m going to go find her,¡± announced Vidor as he made his way toward the front door. Although she moved to stop him, something entirely unexpected halted all movement in the house.

    It was the same as standing in the center of an intense thunderstorm, if more violent. A powerful and vicious booming came from somewhere outside the farmhouse. As the savage eruption rang out, everyone could feel the floor beneath them rattling. Something nearby had caused a devastating explosion. After a few seconds, the ground had settled and the ringing in everyone¡¯s ears had abated.

    ¡°Are you two alright?! What was that?!¡± Rana first exclaimed, looking over both Vidor and Magdalene. Despite no clear harm having come to either of them, Rana still insisted on examining for any potential injuries.

    ¡°Whatever that was, we¡¯ve gotta find Aridean, now! She¡¯s out there and could be in trouble,¡± asserted Vidor as he made for the door again.

    ¡°Vidor, wai--,¡± Rana began to stop him, but was cut off before she could halt her brother¡¯s advance.

    ¡°Guys¡­ you might wanna take a look at this,¡± Magdalene called out, looking out the window over the broken sink. Curious, both Rana and Vidor made for the window where Magdalene stood. Each of the siblings let out a gasp in shock.

    The countryside was dimly lit by the near full moon¡¯s enchanting light. Many bright and beautiful stars hung in the night sky. There were some clouds that lazily moved through the air to occasionally block out whatever light the moon offered. However, the object of interest did not require any moonlight to be seen. Magdalene had brought both Rana¡¯s and Vidor¡¯s attention to a bright orange glow on the horizon with a thick plume of black smoke billowing into the atmosphere.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­¡± Rana began to ask but found that she was too stunned to finish her thought.

    ¡°That village¡­¡± Vidor finished for his sister.

    ¡°The village? D-did Ari do that?¡± Magdalene asked as shock began to fade from the trio in the farmhouse. Vidor shook his head and was now sporting a rather aggravated expression on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! She¡¯d never do something like that,¡± Vidor vehemently growled at Magdalene.

    ¡°If she didn¡¯t, then who did?! She hated living here, didn¡¯t she? If anybody wanted to see that village razed, it¡¯d be her!¡± Magdalene exclaimed, sounding very sure of herself. ¡°I knew she wasn¡¯t any different. I knew I couldn¡¯t trust a minotaur.¡±

    ¡°Shut up already! I¡¯m gonna go find her!¡± Vidor shouted as he ran for the door. He was already out on the darkened porch as Rana called after him from within the house.

    Vidor had made up his mind, he was dead set on finding Aridean now. The minotaur charged for the stairs, leaping off of the porch and over the stairs leading to the ground below. Vidor nimbly landed on the dirt path and began sprinting for the road. Just as he reached the main road, a cloud that had been obscuring the moon drifted out of the way. Vidor gasped in surprise at what he found on the dirt road: minotaur hoofprints, moving toward the village.

    Vidor shook his head, freeing himself from any doubt he had been temporarily struck by upon his most recent discovery. Gritting his teeth, Vidor began sprinting down the road, following the hoofprints in the direction of orange glow over the horizon. Although it was not the time for it, Vidor vividly recalled the time he tailed Aridean back to her home. Clinging to desperate hope, Vidor was praying nothing had happened to Aridean.

    As Vidor reached the top of a small hill, the entirety of Thellia came into view. He had slowed and then ceased his sprint as he took in the sight while panting heavily. Many of the buildings had been lit aflame and shouting and screaming could be heard. Eyes widening and heart racing, Vidor simply shook his head back and forth as he tried denying what was before him.

    ¡°No¡­ she wouldn¡¯t¡­ she couldn¡¯t,¡± Vidor spoke to himself as he continued to gaze upon the burning village. Gripped by shock and doubt, Vidor¡¯s eyes looked to the ground beneath his hooves. More minotaur hoofprints were pressed into the loose dirt of the road. Vidor nervously swallowed the lump that had been forming in his throat and began moving forward again. The closer to the village Vidor got, the more he felt as though he was going to break down crying. All he wanted was to find Aridean and leave this town.

    As Thellia drew nearer, Vidor¡¯s eyes fixed on the hoofprint tracks that continued along the road. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he got closer to the bright glow of the fires. However, he stopped immediately as the tracks he was following were covered by a long shadow. Vidor¡¯s eyes grew wide again as he noticed the shadowed figure was a person with horns atop their head. Vidor looked up to see the silhouette of a minotaur standing before the burning village; they were sporting a large great axe in their right hand.

    ¡°Aridean¡­¡± Vidor called out softly with concern. Although the roar of the flames threatened to drown out most other noise, the minotaur turned after registering Vidor¡¯s presence. It was now readily apparent that it was indeed Aridean standing before the burning village of Thellia. Vidor felt paralyzed, unable to move a muscle in his body as he looked over Aridean. Although she appeared to be unharmed, her eyes seemed devoid of spirit. A single tear rolled down her left cheek. Vidor could feel his heart sink as she spoke.

    ¡°Was I¡­ wrong?¡± Aridean asked as the fires behind her continued to rage.

 Chapter 18 - Homecoming

    Vidor stood stunned as the fires continued to roar and rage in the village before him. Snapping and cracking of wood being burnt, weakened, and ultimately destroyed as it crashed to the ground boomed out from the burning structures. Crying and screaming could be heard from panicked villagers somewhere within the scorching town as they ran for safety. Even through all the many cacophonous disturbances, the only thing that resonated within Vidor¡¯s ears was Aridean¡¯s question to him: ¡®Was I wrong?¡¯

    Thick plumes of black smoke were billowing up into the cold, night sky. The air itself was choked with smoke as the normally pleasant countryside breezes carried sooty vapors into eyes and lungs. Burnt ash and splintered wood could be seen jumping as walls and ceilings came crashing down.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ you¡­¡± Vidor started to speak. However, he was still trying to process what was unfolding before his very eyes.

    ¡°Was I wrong¡­ to¡­ have thought this was fair?¡± Aridean asked sorrowfully. She wiped the one tear from her apathetic face and listless eyes.

    Vidor¡¯s mouth slowly fell open as his eyes widened in disbelief. He could not fathom the idea that Aridean had been the cause of this disaster as Magdalene had suggested. However, here he stood with Aridean, providing what seemed to be an admission of guilt. Vidor looked from Aridean to the fires behind her and then shook his head. After a moment to compose himself, Vidor took in a deep breath of the sooty air. He refused to believe what he was seeing and hearing.

    ¡°Aridean, what are you talking about?¡± Vidor inquired with renewed confidence. Aridean slowly turned around to face the fires again.

    ¡°I lived in this village for almost seventeen years, yet the people hated and cursed me for having been born a minotaur. They cursed Simon for taking me in¡­¡± began Aridean.

    Aridean took a moment to pause as she surveyed the enflamed village again. The thick smell of smoke on the wind invaded her nostrils and she could feel her eyes burning. Even so, Aridean stared, unblinking, into the inferno that had swallowed her hometown. Vidor watched as Aridean¡¯s grip on the battle axe she held loosened. Slowly, the weapon slid from her hand and fell to the dirt.

    ¡°When they had finally found a reason to get rid of me, I ran because I was scared. Scared of the people, the village, the thought of being thrown into prison for something I didn¡¯t do. But none of that scared me more than my being a burden on Simon,¡± Aridean continued, her voice sounding more and more as though on the verge of tears again. Vidor could see that her shoulders were shaking as Aridean added, ¡°I was so angry with this horrible village. Why was it that they couldn¡¯t just let me live with Simon like I wanted?¡±

    Vidor¡¯s eyes again began to widen as Aridean spoke depressingly and sincerely. Her hands had balled up into tightly clenched fists that trembled at her sides. Aridean held her head low as a strong wind blew past her, dragging flames from a nearby building to dance inches from her face. Vidor could see the wind dragging not just the fires, but Aridean¡¯s mane and tail. After careful consideration, Vidor sighed defeatedly before beginning to walk toward Aridean.

    ¡°Aridean, you didn¡¯t mean t--,¡± Vidor started to assure before being cut off.

    ¡°But through it all¡­ I... They may have burned any chance I had at a simple and happy life here with Simon. Would it be so wrong if they suffered some sort of punishment for that? But I¡­ I didn¡¯t want this. Just seeing whatever happened here is almost too much¡­¡± announced Aridean as she slowly slumped down onto her knees. Vidor¡¯s eyes widened in surprise now as he listened to her words and he stopped a few feet behind where Aridean now sat.

    ¡°Whatever happened here? So, she really didn¡¯t do it¡­ thank goodness,¡± Vidor quietly whispered to himself with a sigh of relief. Although he could not bring himself to smile, he did approach Aridean again with newfound determination.

    Aridean continued to stare into the fires, lost in her internal debate on the fate of her hometown. Her mind was racing back and forth as cinders danced in front of her face and the pungent smell of smoke continued to occupy the air she breathed in. She could hear the dirt immediately behind her shift as Vidor drew near. Although she felt warm being so close to the flames, Aridean felt Vidor¡¯s warm arms surround her as he knelt down beside her.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You just wanted a happy life here; there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. You ran because you thought that at least Simon could live happily; there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. Whatever happened here, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± spoke Vidor with a gentle tone. Aridean took a deep breath as she leaned into Vidor.

    ¡°I¡­ thank you, Vidor,¡± Aridean responded, sounding choked up. After a moment, Vidor slowly pulled her back up to her hooves. As the two rose from the ground, Vidor also retrieved Aridean¡¯s axe that lay at their hooves. With a gentle smile, Vidor returned the large weapon to Aridean.

    ¡°We should be going; there¡¯s no reason in us sticking around here,¡± Vidor announced as the two minotaurs stood by the oversized bonfire, looking into one another¡¯s eyes. Aridean looked to Vidor with surprise before looking into scorching town again.

    ¡°But¡­ the village,¡± Aridean replied with obvious concern in her tone. Vidor began looking into the fires as well but shook his head before speaking again.

    ¡°You and I can¡¯t do anything about this. Let¡¯s go get Rana, she might be able to put out the fires with her magic,¡± Vidor explained reassuringly. Although the worry in her eyes had not faded, Aridean looked to Vidor and nodded. Vidor had made an excellent suggestion yet leaving the burning village that had reviled her for so long did not feel right to Aridean as the two began making their way to find Rana.

    Together, Aridean and Vidor turned their backs to the raging flames that had swallowed most of the village. Aridean slowly followed behind Vidor as he led her back along the moonlight lit road. However, the duo had not made it twenty paces before Aridean turned around again to look over Gres with grief-stricken eyes.

    Something¡­ just doesn¡¯t feel right about all this. W-why does it feel like¡­ I¡¯m¡ªAridean began thinking to herself before seeing and hearing someone calling out from within the brightly glowing village.

    ¡°Someone! Please, help me!¡± screamed an older looking gentleman as he ran between burning buildings in the direction of Aridean and Vidor. Vidor turned to see what the commotion was. The man was waving to the duo of minotaurs as he continued to make his way to them. Once the man got close enough and the light from the fires shone on his face, Aridean let out a quiet gasp.

    ¡°Mr. Ettoman?¡± Aridean near-silently whispered to herself as she watched the old man charge in her direction.

    ¡°Please! Help me!¡± the older gentleman shouted again as he continued to flee from the fires. However, it quickly became apparent that the man was not fleeing from solely the blazing inferno that had swallowed the village. Aridean and Vidor both gasped as eyes went wide upon seeing the true reason for the man¡¯s desperate pleas for help.

    From behind a scorched bit of wall, a small and impish-looking creature emerged. The monster was as black as the burnt wood it had been hiding behind and its body appeared small and slim. Long arms and a hunched back, but with long claws. This strange creature appeared to be pursuing the old man that was crying for assistance and rapidly gaining ground. Aridean watched, paralyzed, as the beast leapt up onto the man who fell to the ash covered ground. Terrified screaming could be heard from the old man as he made frantic efforts to get the creature off. Aridean was utterly mortified when the monster revealed enormous, jagged, white fangs. In an instant, the impish abomination silenced the screaming as it chomped down on the old man¡¯s throat.

    ¡°No!¡± Aridean shouted as she brought up her axe. Without hesitation, Aridean began to charge the monster that had killed the old man.

    ¡°Aridean, wait!¡± Vidor called out futilely as Aridean continued to advance with her weapon ready.

    Aridean rushed the creature that continued to munch on its prey, hooves carrying her as fast as she could move them. Just as she reached the small beast, Aridean brought her axe back with both hands gripping the haft. With an aggressive battle cry, the blade was swung with tremendous force.

    As the massive blade met its mark, the small creature shrieked in pain. Aridean watched as her weapon sliced horizontally through the monster. While the lower body immediately fell to the ground, the top part was sent upward almost a full foot from the force behind Aridean¡¯s attack. Each piece of the imp-like being had begun to profusely ooze a viscous liquid that was just as black as the beast¡¯s body. With the abomination felled, Aridean looked over her slain target with anger in her eyes. She took a deep breath before moving the monster off of the fallen old man. As she removed the creature, her expression slowly softened.

    ¡°Mr. Ettoman¡­¡± Aridean said as she slumped down on her knees again beside of the body. She laid her axe down beside her as she looked over the old man.

    However, her mourning was quickly cut short as a hissing sound could be heard somewhere nearby. Despite the intense roar, snapping, and cracking of the fires all around, Aridean could hear the hostile hissing of something close. She turned just in time to see a second impish abomination was jumping at her just as the first had Mr. Ettoman. With a loud gasp, all she could think to do was raise an arm in defense. She shut her eyes tight as she awaited the attack.

    Another pained shriek could be heard crying out as Aridean opened her eyes again. Surprised that she had not been made the second monster¡¯s chew toy, Aridean saw that it had been shot with an arrow. The small body wiggled and squirmed in pain as its black blood began to pool around it.

    ¡°Aridean, c¡¯mon, we need to go now!¡± Vidor exclaimed as he approached with his bow drawn. He extended a hand to grab Aridean and pull her up onto her hooves again. Aridean had only bent over to grab her axe from the ground when she heard Vidor again, ¡°Oh, dammit.¡±

    Aridean looked up to see more of the same kind of monster approaching the duo. She turned her head to see that Vidor was facing the opposite direction, staring at even more of beasts. Aridean then looked to both her sides to find that there were yet more imps converging on her and Vidor. The two minotaurs were entirely surrounded by the odd gremlin-like entities.

    ¡°There¡¯s so many¡­ W-what do we do?¡± Aridean asked Vidor as the two backed into one another.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing we can do,¡± replied Vidor as he notched another arrow in his bow. Hesitantly, Aridean nervously inhaled the smoke-choked air before raising her axe again in preparation. However, she lowered it as she noticed the odd ring in the dirt that surrounded both her and Vidor. Vidor had also lowered his bow as he examined the unordinary discovery as well.

    Is it just me or¡­ are we sinking?  Aridean thought to herself as she saw the earth beyond the ring begin to rise. It appeared as though the ground outside her encompassing ring had risen a full foot before stopping.

    ¡°Darkest evils beware,¡± came a familiar voice from somewhere behind Aridean.

    ¡°For you tread on hallowed ground!¡± finished another, also familiar voice.

    In an instant, the raised ground beyond the ring that Vidor and Aridean stood in began to split apart with the loud cracking and grating of stone. Many small fissures in the ground erupted outward from the ring, stretching out toward the numerous monsters. Once the sound of shattering earth had ceased, a luminous light began to shine from the fissures. These lights quickly grew more and more incandescent until, in a flash, the holy magic had made itself known. Multiple spears of holy energy were made manifest and had been launched directly into the monsters that surrounded both Aridean and Vidor. All around the duo were the pained cries of the monsters as they were each impaled on their own spear of holy light.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that was as effective as it was,¡± came the first voice again. Aridean turned to see both Rana and Magdalene standing in front of the dark country road. Each of them still had residual magical energy lingering from their spells as their hands were still glowing brightly.

    ¡°I guess it worked well enough,¡± Magdalene commented as she crossed her arms over her chest. Rana snorted and rolled her eyes but maintained a gentle smile on her face. Vidor, however, appeared confused by the display.

    ¡°Uh¡­ what exactly was that? You two sounded like you just came straight out of that children¡¯s play Rana dragged me to last month,¡± Vidor began to bark, mildly annoyed. Rana gave a light chuckle as she approached both Vidor and Aridean. Magdalene followed her from a short distance behind.

    ¡°Oh, come now Vidor, I thought that was fun. Besides, you said that play was nice,¡± replied Rana as her laughter died down.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, pervert? Jealous you didn¡¯t get to do something like that?¡± chided Magdalene from behind Rana, a mischievous smirk drawn across her face. Vidor looked to the girl with great irritation in his expression.

    ¡°One: not a pervert. Two: jealous? Of that? No. Besides, Aridean and me could pull off something twice as cool easily,¡± Vidor responded with a matter-of-fact tone in his voice. Magdalene proceeded to roll her eyes while Rana stifled some more laughter. Through it all, Aridean simply looked between her companions, growing more and more baffled by the discussion as it progressed.

    ¡°Uh, guys? We are still on the edge of a burning village infested with these little monsters,¡± Aridean announced. Aridean¡¯s statement garnered the attention of Magdalene who moved forward with a particularly furious look on her face.

    ¡°What do you care? You did it, didn¡¯t you?¡± Magdalene inquired aggressively. Aridean was left entirely stunned by the accusation.

    ¡°W-what?! W-why would I do this?¡± Aridean returned with alarm in her voice.

    ¡°One: she didn¡¯t do it. Two: even if she had, how do you explain those monsters? Face it, you¡¯re wrong about her, just like you¡¯re wrong about all minotaurs,¡± Vidor chimed in with a smug look on his face. Magdalene let out a frustrated grunt, clearly annoyed with Vidor¡¯s incessant prodding.

    ¡°She still could have done it and just told you she didn¡¯t. The monsters could have been just outside town; the fires and chaos brought them in,¡± exclaimed Magdalene as she turned her back on Aridean and Vidor. Although Vidor now wore an absolutely livid look on his face, Aridean held her head low in defeat.

    Maggie thinks I did this? It¡¯s true I was afraid of this village¡­ but I¡­ Aridean began to contemplate. Her internal monologue was cut short as a nearby support beam gave way in a burning building. Cinders, smoke, and ash jumped from the heap of roofing and wall that had just come crashing down. Everyone was watching, almost mesmerized by the dancing flames that were burning building, as the black smoke ascended into the black sky. After a moment of gazing upon the broken and charred building frame, Rana began to shake her head.

    ¡°Look, whether Aridean did this or not does not matter right now. We¡¯re here and we can help stop whatever is happening here. We should start by looking for survivors of this catastrophe,¡± said Rana with her gentle tone. Despite her voice sounding more like a sweet schoolteacher¡¯s than a squad leader¡¯s, Vidor nodded his understanding of his sister¡¯s order. Aridean also nodded in agreement albeit with a depressed expression. Magdalene, however, turned her back on the three minotaurs with her arms crossed again. Aridean looked to Magdalene for only a second before her eyes fell to the ground at her feet with a quiet and sorrowful sigh.

    ¡®Whether Aridean did this or not¡¯¡­ I know what Maggie thinks, but does Rana also think I did this? If even she has doubts¡­ it makes me wonder if Vidor really believes it wasn¡¯t me, Aridean depressingly pondered to herself.

    ¡°What about her?¡± Vidor asked, gesturing to Magdalene. The girl turned to see that both Rana and Vidor were looking at her. While it seemed that Rana was busy thinking about something, Vidor wore a most irritated look on his face.

    ¡°I already told Rana that I¡¯d help if we were going to stop the fires. But after this, I¡¯m gone. I¡¯m not working with village destroying minotaurs even if they saved me,¡± asserted Magdalene. Aridean¡¯s entire body felt as though it were about to collapse having heard Magdalene call her a village destroyer. Vidor, disgusted by Magdalene¡¯s attitude, let out an annoyed grunt.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°You could just get lost now; save us all the trouble,¡± Vidor commented before being smacked in the back of his head by Rana.

    ¡°She¡¯s agreed to help us and if we¡¯re going to be putting out an entire village, we¡¯ll need all the help we can get. Now then, Aridean, of the buildings that are not on fire, which seem like good holdouts from those monsters?¡± Spoke Rana as the fires all around continued to crackle.

    ¡°Uh¡­ well, we can see from here that the town hall is already aflame. Other defensible buildings in this village would be¡­¡± Aridean began, voice trailing off as she carefully considered other options that survivors of the disaster might have chosen. She looked all around, counting the multiple smokestacks rising into the air.

    It looks like nearly all of the marketplace is burning¡­ town hall is gone¡­ the schoolhouse? No, too many windows and not enough barricade material¡­ What about¡­ Aridean began to ponder before lifting her head to look toward the northern reaches of the village. Her eyes lit up a little as she did not see a smokestack in the approximate location of her next choice. She turned back to the group before sharing her thoughts.

    ¡°I think¡­ we should try Mutt¡¯s Tavern. It would be plenty safe for survivors and I¡¯m not seeing smoke from its direction,¡± Aridean explained, her tone sounding a bit worried.

    ¡°Mutt¡¯s Tavern will be our first stop then; Aridean, lead the way,¡± Rana ordered with a smile to Aridean. Aridean, although not returning a smile, nodded back to Rana.

    Aridean turned back around to face the direction of the tavern. She kept her large battle axe firmly gripped in her right hand and she began to charge. Aridean could just barely hear over the fires the stamp of Rana and Vidor behind her as their hooves hit the hard dirt beneath them. She was not able to hear Magdalene¡¯s lighter tread at all but could hear the girl cough and pant as some smoke must have been irritating her.

    As the group continued their march toward Mutt¡¯s Tavern, burning buildings on either side of the roads they ran along came crumbling down. Shattered glass, charred wood, and plenty of ash littered the village. The thick smell of the smoke choked not just the air, but the team as well. Although their eyes were starting to burn from the smoke and heat, everyone pressed on, following Aridean as she led them onward. Within minutes, the restaurant that Aridean had worked at for a time came into view. The former employee for the tavern felt relief as her burning eyes saw that the building was not ablaze as the rest of the village was.

    I might not have the fondest memories working here, but I am glad to see it still standing, Aridean mentally told herself as she slowed down to catch her breath a distance away from the store.

    ¡°Ah-ahh!¡± a terrified scream rang out. Aridean¡¯s ears perked up and she focused her smoke-filled and watery eyes in the direction of the horrified cry. She was stunned to see that it was a villager that had tripped, just feet from the door to Mutt¡¯s Tavern. But what brought her back to her senses was seeing that the villager was being chased by another one of the monsters.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± screamed the villager as the monster lunged at him.

    Too scared to move, the villager just raised his arm to defend himself and shut his frightened eyes tight. A second later, a pained and shrill shriek was heard. The villager opened his eyes and lowered his arm with a surprised gasp. Aridean stood in front of the fallen villager, having swung and hit the monster that threatened the man with her axe. The man¡¯s eyes went wide as he gazed upon his savior. Aridean kept her back to the man with her head held low as she repositioned her axe in anticipation of another attacker.

    ¡°A-a minotaur?¡± the man stated in confusion.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, get up! Let¡¯s get you inside,¡± spoke Rana as she lifted the man to his feet and began walking him to the front door of the tavern. The man offered no resistance, not that it would have stopped or even slowed Rana. Together, along with Magdalene, Rana and the man entered the restaurant. Vidor moved to follow them but stopped in the doorway when he noticed Aridean not following.

    ¡°Hey, you coming? This might be the only break we get,¡± Vidor called out. Aridean turned to him with a smile.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll catch up. I just need a minute to catch my breath is all,¡± replied Aridean. Vidor raised his eyebrows but shrugged and followed Rana and Magdalene into the tavern. Now alone, Aridean turned her back to the tavern and took a deep, smoke-tainted breath, ¡°Andrew Yeoman¡­¡±

    Inside the tavern, Vidor noticed the place looked like a tornado had run rampant through the small store. Furniture had been broken and there were several holes in the walls along with broken glass beneath the few shattered windows at the front. The dizzying smell of the smoke from outside lingered in the air.

    Vidor took a moment to recall his first, and only other, visit to the tavern. He vaguely remembered how the pleasant smells of the kitchen wafted through the store. He was hardly able to remember how the now broken furniture looked ready to break on his first time to Mutt¡¯s Tavern. What made the memory special to Vidor, and honestly what he was really able to recollect about his first trip, was having met Aridean for the first time.

    ¡°She was so nervous the first time we spoke. It was kind of adorable,¡± Vidor quietly whispered to himself with a hushed chuckle. Magdalene looked to him with confusion, but shrugged and returned her own attention to the restaurant they stood in.

    Apart from Vidor, Rana, Magdalene, and the man they had saved, there appeared to be a gracious number of villagers taking refuge in the tavern. Immediately upon their entry, the group heard startled gasps of surprise and perhaps even fear. Whispers and quiet discussion among the villagers were not-so-discretely concerned with the fact that two minotaurs just entered the makeshift refuge.

    ¡°Andrew!¡± one man called out from near the kitchen door. The man hurriedly rushed up to Rana and the younger man that she was helping into the store. Without hesitation, the older man took the younger from Rana and retreated back toward his original position near the kitchen door.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m okay dad,¡± the younger man spoke, leaning on his father as they moved away from Rana. Although she did not expect to hear any gratitude, Rana took a deep breath before surveying the remaining villagers in the tavern. After a moment, she turned to Vidor and Magdalene.

    ¡°It looks like a lot of villagers have taken refuge here. Magdalene, see about taking care of any injuries while I fortify this place. Vidor, you and Ari¡ªwait, where is¡ª,¡± Rana began to order before being cut off by Vidor. Having heard her order, Magdalene wasted no time starting to tend to the injured.

    ¡°Said she needed a second to herself,¡± interrupted Vidor.

    ¡°Oh, a-alright then¡­ well, I hope she¡¯s had enough time to herself then because we have work to do. Vidor, you and Aridean should head back out and secure a perimeter around the tavern. Once this place is safe, we¡¯ll start working to quell the fires,¡± Rana continued. The older man that had collected his son from Rana turned to look at her with surprise after having heard her instructions to her brother.

    ¡°Aridean?¡± the man called out, disbelief on his face. His son, whose leg was being treated by Magdalene¡¯s magic, looked to his father in surprise before focusing on Rana; his eyes were filled with surprise just the same as his father¡¯s. Vidor turned to head back outside but stopped by the door as the whispers behind him became more audible.

    ¡°Did that one say Aridean?¡± came one voice.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that Gray¡¯s daughter?¡± another voice was heard asking.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t his daughter dead? You don¡¯t think that¡­¡± a third voice was heard trailing off.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t be, why would that minotaur be here?¡± inquired a different voice.

    ¡°Maybe she came back just to see this catastrophe!¡± exclaimed a final whisper that Vidor managed to pick up. Rather, that was the last one he was willing to listen to as he grit his teeth before pushing open the door and exiting Mutt¡¯s Tavern.

    Back outside, Vidor found Aridean still gazing upon the ruined village. Vidor thought that she must be in deep thought concerning the disaster that had befallen her home, but found he was unable to open his mouth. Instead, Vidor slowly approached Aridean and stood by her side.

    ¡°Was¡­ was that man okay?¡± Aridean asked hesitantly. She did not even turn to Vidor.

    ¡°Him? Yeah, hurt his leg running from that monster, but he¡¯s alive. His dad took him from Rana and Maggie was healing his injury when I left,¡± answered Vidor with a nonchalant tone of voice. He turned to see that Aridean¡¯s eyes had widened slightly and her mouth had fallen slightly agape.

    His father¡­ Sir¡­ Aridean thought to herself. She then took a deep breath and shook herself back to reality. Fires from all directions continued to crackle and pop as she turned to look at Vidor.

    ¡°W-well, what were Rana¡¯s orders? I guess we¡¯re to stand guard from the monsters while she and Maggie work inside,¡± Aridean guessed while putting as much cheer into her voice as she could muster. She had even gone so far as to draw a bright smile on her face as she turned to look at Vidor.

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah,¡± replied Vidor, a bit confused by Aridean uncharacteristically peppy demeanor. Vidor had found her just outside the village, on the verge of tears over her home, ¡°Aridean? You doing okay?¡±

    ¡°H-huh? Y-yes, I¡¯m fine. Why? I-is there something wrong?¡± Aridean responded nervously.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just--,¡± Vidor began before being interrupted.

    ¡°Stop this nonsense! What are you doing?! Don¡¯t you know what is happening here?!¡± shouted an aggressive sounding man from somewhere further into the village. While his yelling could be heard reasonably well over the roar of the flames, Aridean and Vidor could faintly hear the sound of metal hitting metal.

    ¡°That voice¡­¡± Aridean softly spoke, her face filling with surprise again.

    ¡°What was that? We should probably go check it out; may be more survivors out there,¡± Vidor asserted as he turned toward the direction of the shouting. With his bow drawn, Vidor began to advance into the burning village.

    Aridean watched as Vidor disappeared into the smoke that swallowed the road. Having heard the shouting had stopped her dead in her tracks. She could so vividly recall the last time she had heard that voice reprimand her with the exact same phrasing. The memory caused her legs to become weak and she felt like breaking down and apologizing for her past mistakes.

    ¡°Aridean? C¡¯mon!¡± Vidor called out from beyond the smoke. Having heard her name brought her back to reality.

    H-he¡¯s not angry with me¡­ he could be in trouble! I need to find him now, Aridean mentally told herself in an effort to psyche herself up. Although the effect of her personal pep-talk were minimal, she did manage to start lifting her hooves and chase after Vidor in his pursuit of the shouting man.

    Aridean entered the smoke clouds that Vidor had disappeared into. She slowly began to pick up the pace and started chasing after Vidor as quickly as she could run. Small clouds of dust were kicked up behind her as her hooves hit the ground. Smoke invaded both eyes and nostrils for unpleasant stinging and a foul scent, yet Aridean persisted on continuing through the burning village.

    Aridean found herself entering the marketplace. Although it was difficult to see, she was just able to make out a dark silhouette in the smoke choked air in front of her. The figure appeared to be crouched down and examining something on the ground. After a moment, the figure raised their head to reveal the horns on top.

    ¡°Vidor,¡± Aridean called out as she approached the silhouetted Vidor. Vidor turned as Aridean emerged from the smoke into an open and clearer space in the center of the market. She could see the disappointment in Vidor¡¯s eyes as she neared him, ¡°I-is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°We were too late for this one¡­¡± replied Vidor as he turned back to what he was examining before Aridean arrived. As Aridean got closer, she looked over Vidor¡¯s shoulder to see that he was examining a severely injured man. After getting a good look at the man¡¯s face, Aridean¡¯s own face was immediately filled with despair. She let out a terrified gasp before speaking.

    ¡°No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no! It can¡¯t be,¡± Aridean exclaimed, her voice laden with despair. She hurriedly moved around Vidor to the other side of the man. The man had been horribly wounded as a massive gash ran the length of his torso. Copious amounts of the man¡¯s blood drenched his cut shirt and pooled on the ground around his body. Raspy breathing and low coughs were heard coming from the man.

    ¡°This¡­ this isn¡¯t Simon, is it?¡± Vidor asked apprehensively. However, it seemed that Aridean did not register the question as she began to frantically try treating the grievous wound on the man¡¯s chest. Aridean was desperately holding down on the wounds and wrapping smaller cuts and gashes along the man¡¯s arms and legs.

    ¡°T-traitor? Me? W-what¡­ are you¡­¡± asked the man. He took long pauses between words in order to shakily suck in more air. Although his voice was weak, the man sounded disappointed or even guilty.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t¡ªthis can¡¯t be happening!¡± Aridean panicked as she continued to futilely dress the wounds on the man¡¯s body. Vidor watched, paralyzed by Aridean¡¯s determined and vain attempt to aid the man.

    ¡°Hey! You two were supposed to be guarding that restaur--,¡± came Magdalene¡¯s voice from behind the two minotaurs. Having heard her voice, Aridean moved quick as lightning as she turned to the girl. Sure enough, there stood Magdalene with her hands on her hips and an irritated look on her face.

    ¡°Maggie! Please! Save him!¡± Aridean desperately pleaded.

    Having heard Aridean¡¯s cry for help, Magdalene¡¯s expression quickly changed to show her confusion. It was when Aridean got up from the dying man¡¯s side that Magdalene could see who it was Aridean was begging her to heal. She gasped at the sight of the battered and bloodied body. Aridean hastily approached her and grabbed the girl by the hand, pulling her toward the man.

    ¡°H-hey! Let go of me!¡± Magdalene snapped at Aridean as the minotaur pulled her closer to the injured man. Vidor continued to observe, surprised by Aridean¡¯s bold action of grabbing Magdalene. Aridean released Magdalene as the two now stood by the man. Aridean quickly got down to her knees and looked Magdalene in the eyes.

    ¡°Please! Please help him! I¡¯ll do anything!¡± Aridean begged with a frantic tone of voice. Her eyes were filled with fear and tears were starting to form. Magdalene¡¯s own eyes only widened further in surprise. She looked to the man and then back to Aridean, biting her lip as she finished her initial examination of her newest patient.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll try, okay? But these wounds¡­¡± Magdalene replied, her voice filled with uncertainty. The girl got down on her knees and her hands immediately began to glow their bright and incandescent aura.

    Magdalene hovered her hands over the man¡¯s large wounds. Blood continued to pour from the openings, soaking the wrappings that Aridean had administered in a deep crimson color. Vidor watched Magdalene work her literal magic in silence, glancing up at Aridean every few seconds. Each time, he saw a new tear fall from her face.

    It was entirely different from anytime she had used healing magic previously. Most healing magics simply required a quick pass of the focused energy over the wounds. Both Vidor and Aridean had seen it from Rana and or Magdalene before; just a second of concentration from the healer and the wounds would stitch themselves shut. However, the open flesh on the man did not make any motion to repair itself regardless of the time Magdalene spent focusing her magic into the wounds.

    Roaring fires continued to rage all around the blazing marketplace. Beads of sweat began to form on Magdalene¡¯s forehead as she intently focused her magic. The aura glowing on her hands continued to grow brighter and brighter. She had become so keen on channeling her magics that the girl had started to hold her breath. Upon noticing her concentration, Vidor looked at the girl with eyes slowly widening as he witnessed Magdalene¡¯s face turning red. Eventually, Magdalene began to gasp for air, the magic immediately fading from her hands.

    ¡°M-Maggie?¡± Aridean called out, her voice weak but still just as desperate. Magdalene continued to take deep breaths, only looking to Aridean when she could breathe normally again.

    ¡°Ari¡­s-something¡­ something¡¯s blocking my magic,¡± Magdalene reluctantly announced. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and she slowly shook her head back and forth. Aridean¡¯s face was quickly washed over by her ultimate despair and fear. She turned to look over the dying man as he coughed up a small amount of blood. Although her horror persisted, Aridean began to weakly laugh.

    ¡°Heh, heh, y-you¡¯re joking, right? Y-you did say you¡¯re bad at jokes,¡± Aridean spoke through deranged giggles. She turned back to Magdalene, ¡°Maggie, please! You have to save him! I¡¯ll do anything!¡±

    ¡°Aridean¡­¡± Vidor softly called out. Magdalene held her head low, face obscured by her hair. Tears in her eyes, Aridean looked to Vidor to see his expression. It was clear upon his face what Vidor was trying to tell her, ¡®It¡¯s too late.¡¯

    ¡°A-Aridean? Is that¡­ oh¡­ I see now¡­¡± asked the man, his voice only having grown weaker.

    ¡°It¡¯s me! Please, Mr. Watson! Please don¡¯t die,¡± Aridean cried as she moved her face into the man¡¯s sight. Tears began falling from her face and splashing upon the man¡¯s own.

    ¡°Watson? So, not Simon¡­ but she¡¯s still so¡­¡± Vidor quietly commented to himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Aridean¡­ I¡¯m so, so sorry¡­ there wasn¡¯t anything I could do,¡± the man struggled to speak.

    As his voice trailed off, the man gently closed his eyes. Aridean¡¯s eyes widened as more tears began to fall. She put an ear to the man¡¯s chest, desperate to hear anything. Unfortunately, Aridean only grew even more terrified. The minotaur let out a scared and weak cry. Vidor watched Aridean, unable to speak, while Magdalene just turned with her head still held low.

    ¡°N-no¡­ this isn¡¯t¡­ Noooo¡­¡± Aridean sobbed weakly. The crying minotaur pushed her face into the deceased man¡¯s chest. However, the weeping subsided and Aridean grew quiet. Just as Vidor moved to comfort her, Magdalene jumped to her feet.

    ¡°T-there¡¯s more of those things!¡± exclaimed Magdalene, pointing toward a small legion of the pitch-black, impish monsters. Vidor¡¯s gaze followed Magdalene¡¯s finger, he let out a quiet gasp upon setting his eyes on the approaching enemies.

    ¡°Maggie, run! Aridean, c¡¯mon! There¡¯s too many of them,¡± Vidor ordered as he grabbed Aridean by her shoulder. Magdalene was quick to obey the command and retreated a distance away from where Aridean was mourning. Vidor began to pull Aridean to her hooves but found that she was practically glued to Finn¡¯s body. He could not so much as get her shoulder to move an inch.

    ¡°Get¡­ away¡­¡± Aridean mumbled, sounding particularly angry.

    ¡°W-what? Aridean, we gotta go!¡± Vidor responded, both confused and surprised by Aridean¡¯s resistance. His eyes widened as he saw Aridean reach for the battle axe she had laid down on the ground. Her fingers wrapped around the haft and Aridean jumped up from Finn¡¯s side with a furious expression.

    ¡°I said get the hell away from him!¡± Aridean shouted at the top of her lungs as she turned toward the legion of monsters. With only a single, horizontal swing of her axe, the entire road that the gremlins were advancing on began to glow a bright orange. Vidor¡¯s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide at what happened next.

    In an instant, the ground that made the road before Aridean and Vidor began to quake. Grating of stone against stone and the crumbling of rock was heard as the road began to shatter and split. From the many crevices that the quake created, flames began to rise high into the air. The fires that shot forth from the ground began to dance over the rooftops of the buildings on either side of the road. Pained and agonizing screeching could be heard from the monsters that had the misfortune of being caught in the attack. Vidor continued to watch in awe as the event unfolded. Magdalene stood a short distance further away but was just as amazed as Vidor was by Aridean¡¯s attack.

    ¡°Damn, she¡¯s hot when she shows off how powerful she really is¡­¡± Vidor whispered to himself before shaking himself back to reality. ¡°A-Aridean¡­ are you alright?¡±

    Aridean did not respond, simply dropped her battle axe at her hooves. Slowly, she turned to face Vidor with red, tear-filled eyes. Vidor reached out to her as she took a step closer. Both minotaurs began to embrace the other, Aridean pushing her face into Vidor¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°He¡­ he was¡­¡± Aridean weakly began to cry again. However, she had started to become tired of crying so much and instead just took deep, shaky breaths. Vidor gently wrapped his arms around her.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ we did everything we could,¡± spoke Vidor in an effort to reassure Aridean.

    ¡°No¡­ we haven¡¯t, not yet,¡± Aridean replied, much to Vidor¡¯s confusion. Her tone sounded somewhat irritated.

    ¡°What do you mean by that? You tried to stop the bleeding and even holy magic could not save him. What more could we have done for him?¡± Vidor asked Aridean. The female backed off slightly, prompting Vidor¡¯s face to scrunch up with worry. He could see Aridean¡¯s grip tighten on her battle axe and her expression slowly shifting to show her rage.

    ¡°The monsters couldn¡¯t have done this to him, he was too strong for those things. Those wounds, they were made by a person,¡± Aridean began to explain, her annoyed tone sounding more and more angry with every breath. Vidor¡¯s eyes slowly widened and his jaw dropped again as Aridean continued to speak, ¡°I¡¯m going to find who did this to him¡­ I¡¯ll make whoever did this pay!¡±

 Chapter 19 - My Waking Nightmare

    Fires continued to burn hot and bright all around. Both Vidor and Magdalene stood while surveying Aridean with concern and surprise in their respective expressions. Aridean, however, continued to hold firm her embrace on Vidor as she breathed in the smoke-choked air and awaited any sort of input from one of her two companions. Magdalene merely glanced up to Vidor as the male minotaur finally managed to collect himself.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to find who killed your friend? What are you talking about? What are you thinking?¡± Vidor finally asked once he had processed Aridean¡¯s statement. His voice was filled with apprehension and reluctance.

    The couple were still standing in the middle of the road of the burning market. Behind Aridean were the many burnt bodies of the monsters that had just attempted to attack her, Vidor, and Magdalene. The road the creatures¡¯ charred remains rested on was still red hot and scorched by Aridean¡¯s magic. Thick, black smoke absolutely clouded the air overhead, entirely obscuring the view of the starry, night sky.

    Aridean¡¯s arms slowly fell from Vidor¡¯s back as she looked over the body of Finn Watson again. Vidor noticed that she was looking at the man intently, yet expressionless eyes hid whatever she might be thinking. He cautiously released his gentle embrace of Aridean as he felt her shoulders moving slightly. Slowly, Aridean bent over to grab her axe from the ground by her hooves. She took a step closer to the body; apathy painted her fuzzy face as she no longer could continue to cry.

    ¡°Vidor¡­ you found Mr. Watson before I did. Did you see who did this? Where did they go?¡± asked Aridean, her voice was almost robotic as she spoke. Vidor let out a long and stressful sigh as he began to scratch the back of his head.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ I think you should--,¡± Vidor began to respond. It was at this point that Magdalene had approached the two minotaurs but remained quiet while Vidor and Aridean spoke.

    ¡°Vidor, please, tell me,¡± Aridean interjected. She turned back to Vidor with a deadly serious look. Vidor was left stunned by Aridean¡¯s apparent conviction.

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t see their face¡­ they¡­ they walked off down that road,¡± Vidor answered hesitantly. Having given in, Vidor pointed in the direction of the road that Magdalene had previously been running along. Both Magdalene and Aridean turned toward the road that Vidor directed them to. Without a word, Aridean began walking past Vidor and Magdalene.

    ¡°Ari¡­?¡± Magdalene called out as the minotaur passed her.

    ¡°Aridean, wait,¡± Vidor pleaded as he grabbed Aridean by the hand. Aridean had halted her march forward, but refrained from looking at Vidor, ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ you¡¯re not going to fight them, are you? Aridean, whoever did this, they killed your friend! You can¡¯t be running into this without a plan.¡±

    Although she did not turn to look at Vidor, Aridean¡¯s eyes slowly drifted downward. She took a deep breath before slowly and gently pulling her hand from Vidor¡¯s grip. Vidor watched as her hand slipped from his own, unsure about trying to hold her back. Magdalene kept quiet but a distinct flicker of concern appeared on her face, if only for a moment. Aridean, now standing a few feet from Vidor, closed her eyes tight as she inhaled the smoky air around her. When she opened them again, she found that her gaze had fallen upon Finn¡¯s body once more; sorrow and remorse immediately filled her expression.

    Mr. Watson¡­ you were so good to me. Why did this happen? One of the three people who showed me kindness over the years, gone and I don¡¯t even know why. I¡¯ll never forgive whoever did this, Aridean thought to herself as her grip on her weapon grew firmer. After a deep breath, she turned to look Vidor in the eyes with as much determination as she could muster.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ really going to find who did this? Ngh¡­¡± Vidor spoke with a worried grunt. After a few seconds of thinking, the minotaur shook his head, ¡°Alright. But I won¡¯t let you go by yourself.¡±

    Aridean¡¯s determined glare was instantly replaced with surprise. Vidor seemed to notice the sudden shock on Aridean¡¯s face and responded with a friendly smile. Although Aridean expected him continue trying to dissuade her, she remembered just how like it was for Vidor to stand by a friend¡¯s side during their time of need no matter how unreasonable the task at hand might be. Once her astonishment had subsided, Aridean returned a small, but sincere, smile of her own to Vidor.

    ¡°You two are going after someone who killed this man? We¡¯ve already got our hands full with a burning village and the creepy monsters running amok! Are you two insane?!¡± Magdalene scolded while gesturing at the burning shops all around the group. Vidor began to laugh, to both the girl¡¯s apparent confusion.

    ¡°Not to late to run away, Maggie. Aridean¡¯s mind is made up and if I¡¯ve learned anything about her in the past two years, her mind doesn¡¯t change easily,¡± Vidor commented with a smile before turning back to Aridean. His smile faded and an uncharacteristically serious look was drawn upon the male minotaur¡¯s muzzle, ¡°But you¡¯re going to promise me this: if anything happens, you¡¯ll get away safely, okay?¡±

    A glimmer of worry could be seen in Aridean¡¯s eyes as they returned to Finn again. However, she turned her attention back to Vidor with the same determined look she had made previously and nodded. Seeing the two having committed themselves to the pursuit of Finn¡¯s killer, Magdalene growled her frustration.

    ¡°Rgh! Fine! Let¡¯s just get going already,¡± exclaimed an annoyed Magdalene. Aridean looked to the girl in surprise while Vidor stared on with skepticism, ¡°You two might need someone to heal you, you know. Unless Ari wants to burn her wounds closed again.¡±

    Does she really have to bring that up again? Just thinking about it hurts¡­ Aridean mentally complained to herself as Magdalene pushed past both her and Vidor. Having taken the lead, Magdalene did not see the exchange between Vidor and Aridean behind her. The two minotaurs looked to one another after a second of watching the girl march in the direction of their quarry whereupon Vidor then rolled his eyes in annoyance.

    Having expressed his thoughts about Magdalene¡¯s decision, Vidor began to follow the girl alongside Aridean. The trio began to march through the streets of the blazing village in pursuit of the person responsible for the death of Finn Watson, the captain of the town watch for Thellia. Only a moment after having taken up the chase, Vidor began to laugh which was met with a frustrated look from Magdalene.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Magdalene snapped at Vidor. His laughter took a moment to quiet down.

    ¡°I was just thinking that we must look like the weirdest band of heroes to those villagers back at that store,¡± explained Vidor with a smile.

    ¡°Us? Heroes? Whatever,¡± Magdalene responded, her tone sounded agitated but her face slowly turned a light shade of red. Vidor let out another quiet chuckle as the group continued their march.

    Aridean took the time to look to the buildings on either side of road. Although the smoke irritated her eyes, she could still look at the destroyed and charred wooden walls and collapsed roofs and perfectly recall what each pile of firewood was prior to the disaster. Aridean could remember her time in Thellia so vividly, the burning village she now stood within did nothing to impede her delving into memories.

    The tailor¡¯s that bought Simon¡¯s sheep¡¯s wool¡­ the bakery Jean loved so much¡­ Both burned to the ground. Who did this? Why did this happen? Aridean began to ponder to herself while reminiscing. Her trip down memory lane was cut short, however, as a loud and terrified scream could be heard somewhere just ahead of the group. Each of the three team members stopped in their tracks.

    ¡°It came from just up ahead! It could be someone else in trouble!¡± Exclaimed Vidor, notching an arrow in his bow. Without hesitation, the minotaur began to charge toward the origin of the most recent scream. Aridean and Magdalene were following closely behind.

    ¡°That came from¡­ in front of the schoolhouse,¡± Aridean quietly said to herself as she and her friends rounded a corner and saw their destination.

    The village schoolhouse had not changed in her absence; it was not an especially large building but had many small windows. The many windows had been installed in order to allow natural light into the building as there was no electricity within the small wooden structure. Originally, the schoolhouse had been the townhall of Thellia when it had been founded many years ago. For a while, the building was solely maintained as a historic site in the village. It was only two years prior to Aridean starting school that some roaming scholarly types came to the village and discussed with the mayor and his council about starting a proper school in Thellia.

    Just outside of the schoolhouse, the group observed a peculiar sight. There were two humanoid figures engaged in an altercation of their own while they were surrounded by many of the impish monstrosities. One of the non-monsters was a young man, cowering at the base of the stairs that led to the front door of the schoolhouse. However, the sight of the other man prompted Aridean to stop instantaneously with an alarmed gasp. She felt her blood run ice cold in her veins just looking at the second man, clad in a familiar looking set of armor.

    Aridean felt her entire body seize up as fear gripped her mind. The second man was covered head to toe in the shining suit of armor, the visor to his helm obscuring his face. His well-maintained and polished armor reflected the fires of the village. Aridean had seen this scene multiple times in her restless and fitful dreams. Her legs grew shaky as she realized that she was looking at the terror that had been plaguing her dreams for two years: the knight that slays minotaurs.

    ¡°H-he¡¯s¡­ real?¡± Aridean apprehensively commented out loud. Only about twenty meters from her stood a man that was wearing a suit of armor that she had become uncomfortably familiar with. Before Aridean stood the knight that had been haunting her dreams for two years now. Both Vidor and Magdalene looked to her in confusion.

    ¡°Real? What are you talking about?¡± Magdalene asked, still stumped by Aridean¡¯s odd statement. However, Aridean did not get the chance to answer as she watched the knight raise an ornate looking sword over his head. She nervously swallowed as she watched the blade rise, just as she had so many times in her dreams.

    ¡°Answer me, scum! It was your doing, was it not?! Do you have any idea what you have done?!¡± shouted the knight as he lifted his blade in preparation for an attack. Aridean looked to the young man that was still cowering in front of the knight. Tears streamed down the man¡¯s face and fear was clear as day in his expression. Aridean¡¯s eyes widen as she instantly recognized the young man.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I-I never meant for it to--,¡± the young man began to apologize. His apology was cut short as the knight began to swing his blade downward to strike the man. While the knight roared, the young man screamed in fear of his life. However, what silenced the blended cries of anger and terror was the loud and unmistakable clang of metal against metal.

    ¡°A-ah¡­ ah, ugh, h-huh?¡± the young man panted before looking up to see that Aridean was standing before him, having deflected the sword meant to strike him. Although it took a moment to register with the young man, his eyes went wide and mouth fell agape with a short gasp at the sight of Aridean, ¡°N-no way¡­ C-cowgirl?¡±

    I could leave right now, Reil¡­ Aridean thought to herself in annoyance. She focused her full attention on the knight in front of her as he quickly recovered from Aridean¡¯s block. While the very sight of the man in armor shook her to her core, Aridean put on as strong a face as she could and raised her battle axe. However, what surprised her was the knight¡¯s peculiar response to her sudden appearance. The armor-clad individual seemed to stop and keel over somewhat upon the appearance of the minotaur before him.

    ¡°W-what the hell is this? No, it simply can¡¯t be¡­¡± spoke the knight, his voice full of disbelief and doubt. He held his head in his open hand and vigorously shook his head back and forth. ¡°Gone¡­ they¡¯re all gone! You made sure of it! This isn¡¯t possible¡­ an illusion?! A phantom?! What the hell is the meaning of this?! Now you¡¯ve played your true hand, is that it?!¡±

    Aridean felt immeasurable confusion by the knight¡¯s assessment of her being. She was not sure what the man before her was talking about but could almost feel as if the knight was speaking to someone else. A chill ran down her spine as the knight looked to the smoke-filled sky and began to laugh maniacally.

    ¡°Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! So, this is your game, is it?! You find this funny, do you?! Very well, I¡¯ll play your twisted game!¡± ranted the armored individual. The man raised his decorated blade in Aridean¡¯s direction and spoke with authority in his voice, ¡°But I will emerge victorious! I will make sure every last, miserable soul in this damned village knows what a real monster is!¡±

    Without any hesitation, the knight lunged at Aridean. Aridean barely managed to sidestep out of the way as the knight thrust his blade in her direction. Just as she regained her footing, Aridean was forced to hop further back as the man¡¯s sword was rushing toward her in a horizontal slash. In an attempt to retaliate, Aridean swung her axe toward the knight as he attempted another lunge in her direction.

    ¡°W-what?!¡± Aridean stuttered in surprised as her axe blade was stopped dead by the knight¡¯s own blade. The loud clanging of the metal instruments clashing against one another rang out as they had when Aridean deflected the strike meant for Reil. But what was different, and confusing, was that Aridean¡¯s strength was held at bay by the knight¡¯s sword.

    H-how is this guy so strong?! A normal human would still be thrown off their feet from a blow like that! Aridean wondered as the knight pushed against her axe. Aridean lost her balance for only a second from the force acting against her axe. Unfortunately, the knight only required that second to act.

    ¡°Such a disappointment,¡± commented the knight as his sword sliced into Aridean¡¯s left leg.

    ¡°Augh!¡± Aridean cried in pain as her fresh wound began to ooze warm blood. With terror in her eyes, Aridean looked up at the knight standing over her. There was nothing but void to be seen through the visor that obscured the man¡¯s face. Aridean watched in fear as the knight raised his sword over his head.

    It felt as though time had stopped as Aridean was clutching her injured leg and looking at the knight in horror. The same scene had played out numerous times in her dreams but she had never once expected the nightmare to come to reality. Holding her breath, Aridean looked up to the blade raised over the knight¡¯s head and noticed two things about the sword. Something about the sword was strangely familiar to her and, much more peculiar, it was trembling slightly in the knight¡¯s hands.

    W-what? That¡¯s not like my dreams, Aridean mentally observed. Her analysis was cut short as the knight began to let loose a ferocious battle cry. Aridean closed her eyes shut tight, believing that might be the last time they were ever opened in this life.

    ¡°Aridean!¡± called Vidor as, yet again, the sound of metal hitting metal was heard. Aridean opened her eyes with a gasp to see the knight stumbling over as an arrow had just bounced off of the sturdy helmet over the knight¡¯s head. Aridean glanced in Vidor¡¯s direction to see him standing in front of Reil and Magdalene. Magdalene was ushering Reil into the schoolhouse building. Given her chance, Aridean got back to her hooves, leg still bleeding from the new gash.

    ¡°What did that one just¡­?¡± inquired the knight, standing stone-still after having regained his balance. He turned to face Vidor, his sheer malice could be felt radiating off of him just like the heat of the fires engulfing the village, ¡°You dare?!¡±

    In a fit of rage, the knight began to charge at Vidor who notched another arrow in his bow. Vidor only took a second to aim, pull his bowstring, and release the projectile. The arrow soared through the air in the direction of the charging knight but was quickly evaded as the knight simply sidestepped the attack. An annoyed grunt escaped Vidor¡¯s throat.

    Without hesitating, Vidor reached over his shoulder and pulled three arrows out of the quiver strapped to his back. Aridean watched as Vidor notched all three of the fresh arrows at once. Just the same as the first attempt, Vidor was able to aim and fire within the span of a single breath, sending each of his new projectiles hurtling toward his approaching enemy. The three arrows flying toward the knight ensured that he could not avoid the attack as he previously had. However, the knight had unexpectedly swung his blade.

    ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Vidor gawked in astonishment. Aridean¡¯s eyes widened and she held her breath after the display. With one precise swing of his sword, the knight had successfully sliced through each of Vidor¡¯s three arrows. The broken arrows fell to the ground and the knight resumed his advance on Vidor. Although the man was now mute, just being within ten meters of him caused one to almost feel the anger and rage the man silently exuded.

    ¡°Vidor!¡± Aridean shouted at the stunned minotaur. Having heard his name, Vidor acted as quickly as he could. Vidor dropped his bow and reached for one of his daggers with his right hand while grabbing his crossbow with his left. He brought up both weapons just as the knight swung his blade. Steel clashed with steel as Vidor parried the attack with his dagger, he could feel the extraordinary strength of the knight pushing against his own blade. With a confident grin, Vidor pointed his crossbow at the knight and pulled the trigger.

    Aridean gasped as the bolt fired at the knight flew right past her ear. Vidor¡¯s eyes had gone wide and the smug grin he had was instantly replaced with shock. The knight had leaned so far back in such a short span of time that Aridean and Vidor both almost had not registered it.

    ¡°Begone from my sight!¡± exclaimed the knight, his tone serious and intolerant. He had pulled his blade back from Vidor¡¯s dagger and spun about on his right heel.

    ¡°Gugh!¡± Vidor gasped. The knight had extended his left leg during his spin and hit Vidor in the side. Aridean gasped as she saw Vidor was sent flying from the unbelieveably powerful blow. The minotaur was sent sailing through the smoke-filled air and right into the wall of the schoolhouse. Broken wooden boards jumped from the point of impact and Vidor was left sore and dazed after the attack. Aridean watched Vidor struggle for only a second before her friend gave out entirely and fell limp on the ground.

    ¡°Pervert! C-c¡¯mon! Get up,¡± Magdalene encouraged as she ran to Vidor¡¯s side. The girl knelt down beside the minotaur and began to assess his injuries. Aridean was relieved to see that Magdalene was quick to call upon her magic to start aiding Vidor. Even so, the vicious attack had left Vidor unconscious as he lay on the ground covered in bits of broken wood, unresponsive. The knight took notice of Magdalene¡¯s brightly glowing hands and began to growl angrily.

    ¡°Vile witch! While I am on my own crusade to punish this despicable village, I shall not allow such wicked sorcery! Come forth, soldiers,¡± exclaimed the knight as he waved his free hand. As though they were being summoned, the small and solid-black imp-like monsters emerged from various hiding places.

    H-he can command those things?! What the hell is he?! Aridean screamed in her head. She watched, frightened by the size of the small army that now surrounded both Magdalene and Vidor. Magdalene herself seemed to be just as, if not more so, afraid of the sight that slowly approached with frightful hissing and unnerving growling.

    ¡°A-Ari! There¡¯s too many! Help!¡± Magdalene cried out in alarm. Aridean hesitated for only a second before taking a deep breath. She hastily raised her axe over her head and began to focus.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    As many of the small imp creatures closed in on Magdalene and Vidor, Magdalene let out a frightened yell. Hearing her friend¡¯s cry of distress, Aridean brought down the axe from over her head with tremendous force. She had planted the axe head into the ground directly in front of her. Almost instantly, the ground began to glow a bright orange color and this color began to stretch from Aridean¡¯s axe in the direction of Magdalene and Vidor. The orange coloration had drawn a line in the ground that separated the imps from their prey.

    Even so, several of the creatures chose to ignore Aridean¡¯s magic and lunged in Magdalene¡¯s direction. The young girl screamed again as she turned her head with eyes shut tight. However, rather than feel the pain of being bitten or clawed or scratched by the monsters, Magdalene felt an intense heat coming from where her assailants had launched their attack. Magdalene quickly looked up to see that the magic line Aridean had drawn in the ground had erupted into a somewhat mesmerizing, blazing inferno. Pained screeching and disgusting gurgling noises came from the abominations that had leapt at Magdalene and been caught in the fires.

    ¡°W-well¡­ I guess that is kinda cool,¡± Magdalene quietly commented to herself, still entranced by Aridean¡¯s magic. Aridean pulled her weapon from where she had planted it into the ground. She watched as the flames conjured from her magic began to slowly die down. Both the knight and his imps looked on as the fires slowly dwindled down. While it was impossible to tell what the knight was thinking, his next action told Aridean everything she needed to hear.

    ¡°Take care of that apparition! I¡¯ll handle this witch myself,¡± ordered the knight as he slowly turned from Aridean to Magdalene. Unexpectedly, he was instantly stopped as spears of light penetrated his monstrous minions. The knight looked around, confused by the sudden death of his remaining imps.

    ¡°But she¡¯s not the only one with cool magic,¡± Magdalene whispered to herself with a smug grin upon her face. The knight looked to the girl to see that she had launched bolts of holy light from her glowing hands to decimate his remaining soldiers. In a manic fit of rage, the knight roared as he charged Magdalene.

    As the knight began to rush her, Magdalene took aim and fired more of her magic bolts in her assailant¡¯s direction. Unfortunately, Magdalene did not have as keen an eye as Vidor and her first two bolts missed their mark entirely. A third magic projectile was nimbly sidestepped by the charging knight.

    ¡°C-c¡¯mon¡­ just hit him once,¡± Magdalene quietly told herself while focusing her magic. The young girl took a deep breath and fired a fourth magic missile at the man threatening her.

    Magdalene¡¯s expression began to show fear and anxiety as the final bolt she fired would have been a direct hit. To her surprise, the knight had cut through her magic with his blade. She watched, both dumbfounded and amazed, as the holy energy she had sent out in defense quickly dissipated into the air around the knight¡¯s sword. The knight now stood before Magdalene and raised his blade over his head again; his deep voice echoed, ¡°Disappear.¡±

    In the brilliantly shining reflection of the sword, Magdalene could see her fearful face. Her eyes widened in horror as the knight¡¯s shoulders began to lower. The girl turned away and raised her arms in an attempt to defend herself. She thought that time had stopped as her heart began racing faster and faster.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± gasped the knight that had just been threatening Magdalene¡¯s life. Magdalene¡¯s eyes first opened, first seeing Vidor slowly coming to. But she also saw something shining fall right in front of where Vidor was laying. The girl turned to see the knight was still standing over her. However, she could see that the man had lost his grip on this blade as it had fallen to the ground. Just behind the knight, Magdalene saw Aridean hunched over as her axe had been swung down into the ground again. She was surprised to see a great deal of blood coating Aridean¡¯s weapon.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t believe this¡­ I¡¯ve lost¡­ to you? What a shame¡­¡± the knight spoke in an almost calm tone of voice. He coughed and Magdalene noticed a small amount of blood seeping out from under the helmet¡¯s visor. Slowly, the knight turned to look Aridean in the eye; the minotaur had a ferociously determined expression on her face, ¡°To think¡­ this is how it would end¡­ How you would do away with me¡­¡±

    Magdalene gasped at the sight of the knight¡¯s back. Aridean had struck with such force that the armor he wore meant nothing. There was a large, crimson gash all along the back of the man who slumped down to his knees. Vidor and Magdalene held their breath as they watched the man fall onto his bloodied back.

    ¡°That was for Mr. Watson,¡± Aridean angrily declared. The knight took a deep breath from his place on the ground.

    ¡°Watson? I¡­¡± the knight began to speak. A short pause followed before the man finished with, ¡°What have I¡­?¡±

    ¡°Vidor, Maggie, are you two okay?¡± Aridean asked as she moved in closer to help Vidor to his hooves. Without hesitation, she quickly slung Vidor¡¯s arm over her shoulders and helped him stand again. Vidor winced in pain as his right leg felt immensely uncomfortable when he stood up.

    ¡°Ow¡­ I¡¯ll be fine, but I wouldn¡¯t mind having Rana look at my leg,¡± Vidor responded as he and Aridean began to slowly and carefully walk away from the scene. Magdalene, however, took an extra moment before standing back up.

    ¡°I¡¯m right here you know! Rana even said my holy magic can do better healing than her magic can,¡± Magdalene complained, much to Vidor¡¯s apparent amusement. Vidor and Aridean shared a short and quiet laugh while Magdalene stopped in her tracks. Aridean looked back to see she was examining something in her hands. Vidor cautiously took his arm off of Aridean¡¯s shoulders and tried walking by himself.

    ¡°Vidor don¡¯t hurt yourse--,¡± Aridean began to advise before hearing a surprised gasp from Magdalene. Both Vidor and Aridean turned to look at the half-elven girl behind them. The expression on her face was one full of surprise.

    ¡°Ari?¡± Magdalene called out, ¡°You¡­ might wanna take a look at this.¡±

    Aridean, confused, took a step toward Magdalene. As she drew near, Magdalene shifted the object she held into one hand and presented it to Aridean. In the first second, Aridean was all the more confused as the item she had procured was a small copper locket with a silver lining. The thin chain had been broken and dirt caked the front of the locket.

    ¡°What is--,¡± Aridean began to ask. Before letting her finish, Magdalene opened the locket to reveal two separate portraits within. In the door of the locket was a portrait of a woman and little girl, both of whom struck Aridean as being oddly familiar. She was certain she had never met the two in the image but still felt as though she had seen their faces before. However, what truly disturbed Aridean was the portrait in the body to the locket. The second portrait was a headshot of a young, female minotaur, an unmistakably familiar, female minotaur.

    That isn¡¯t¡ªthat can¡¯t be! That¡¯s not possible! W-where the hell did she get that from?!  Aridean could hear herself internally panicking. Her entire body had seized up and she was unable to move. She felt as though she could not even breathe.

    ¡°W-what? Maggie, where¡­ where did you find that?¡± Aridean hesitantly inquired, feeling her entire body grow cold. She could hear her heart racing and breathing quicken. For some reason, Aridean felt immense horror just looking at the locket that Magdalene held out to her.

    ¡°It fell off that guy,¡± answered Magdalene, pointing to the knight that now lay upon the ground. Aridean¡¯s eyes widened and jaw fell open in shock and terror.

    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ that can¡¯t be right,¡± Aridean slowly muttered aloud. The hand holding her axe opened wide and the weapon fell to the ground with a loud, metallic clang. She felt sheer terror swallow her very soul just looking at the knight, but this horror was different from all her nightmares. Aridean¡¯s legs grew weak and shaky underneath her while her body felt extraordinarily heavy.

    ¡°Aridean? Is everything okay?¡± asked Vidor as he looked over the locket that Magdalene held. Vidor was still visibly experiencing pain as he held his side and was limping on his right leg. Aridean did not respond to her friend¡¯s concern; she simply shook her head back and forth in disbelief.

    ¡°This¡­ this isn¡¯t happening, is it? He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s the one that¡¯s been haunting my nightmares? N-no¡­ What have I done?!¡± Aridean panicked as her breathing became erratic and she could hear her heart racing. She quickly ran to the knight¡¯s side, knelt down, and looked over the blood-covered armor. Her hands, hesitant and shaking, slowly reached for the helmet that the knight wore. Both Magdalene and Vidor watched in silence and surprise, stunned by Aridean¡¯s sudden remorse.

    ¡°Even still¡­ you continue to torment me?¡± asked the knight as he grabbed Aridean¡¯s hands to stop her from touching the helmet.

    ¡°W-what? T-torment? I¡­¡± a confused Aridean hardly managed to squeak. She felt her heart aching and a flood of tears had begun to flow from her eyes. The knight pushed her hands away.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re the reason I¡¯ve lost everything. First¡­ my family. Then my dear friend and sworn brother¡­ and then her¡­ now this? Does your cruelty know any limit, you monster?¡± the knight asserted through long breaths and coughs. As the man spoke, Aridean felt her shoulder fall slack.

    ¡°M-m-monster? M-me?¡± Aridean weakly responded as her hands fell to the dirt road. They were barely supporting her as she fell forward, eyes wide in astonishment, ¡°E-even you think I¡¯m¡ª,¡±

    ¡°Go on¡­ laugh¡­ it won¡¯t change what¡¯s to come next. You are nothing without me¡­¡± claimed the knight through more labored breathing and coughs.

    Aridean was barely breathing as she listened to the man¡¯s dying words. Although, she was still hearing the word ¡®monster¡¯ in her mind. Nothing else seemed to register with her as she stared blankly at the knight with streams of tears from her eyes and mouth slightly agape. Her entire body felt ice cold, even through her fur coat and the raging fires that continued to scorch the village around her. She felt as though she were so still that the very thump of her heart slightly jostled her tense body.

    ¡°My regrets¡­ innumerable. But the one that hurts the most¡­ I failed her. I failed her¡­ then you do this. It does make me regret¡­ that she couldn¡¯t take her vengeance herself,¡± the dying man continued with a pained cough. ¡°My only salvation¡­ she isn¡¯t here to see¡­ what I¡¯ve done¡­ what I¡¯ve become without her.¡±

    Monster¡­ m-monster¡­ I¡¯ve only ever been¡­ a monster, Aridean recited in her head.

    ¡°What is he¡­ talking about? Take her vengeance? Hey, Aridean?¡± asked Vidor as he knelt down beside Aridean. The unresponsive minotaur continued to gaze into shining metal of the knight¡¯s helmet that had not been covered by mud or blood. In the shiny, reflection of the armor, Aridean looked at her own reflection.

    ¡°A-Aridean? It¡¯s been¡­ so long. There¡­ you are,¡± spoke the knight in a much kinder tone. The knight slowly lifted his right hand, as though reaching for something in the smoke-filled sky. Even through her distraught state, one of Aridean¡¯s ears flicked at the mention of her name. Her eyes shifted to look at the visor covering the man¡¯s eyes; she could just barely make out the dark blue eyes beneath the metal as they slowly closed shut.

    ¡°I¡¯m home¡­¡± Aridean responded on sheer impulse and habit. Another rough cough from the man before her was heard before he took another deep breath.

    ¡°Aridean?¡± Vidor whispered, perplexed by Aridean¡¯s response to the man who had previously been trying to kill them.

    ¡°Welcome¡­ home. D-don¡¯t cry¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ a cold. I¡¯ll make your favorite for dinner tonight,¡± continued the man, clearly delusional by this point. The man¡¯s voice was growing progressively weaker by the second as he was succumbing to his wounds, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so glad to¡­ see you again.¡±

    G-go now¡­ the real one¡¯s waiting, Aridean depressingly thought to herself. Although she was hoping the idea would reassure her, Aridean felt nothing but pure gloom and agonizing despair.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t worry¡­ about tracking dirt in,¡± the man said slowly. Vidor¡¯s face was scrunched up in confusion over what the man was talking about, ¡°you can¡­ wipe your hooves later. I¡¯m just¡­ so glad to see you.¡±

    With that, the knight slowly released all the air in his lungs. His raised arm fell back to the ground, the metal of his armor clanging against the rough dirt. The man had become still; no raspy breathing or coughing was heard any longer. Aridean¡¯s tear-filled eyes went wide and she found she was holding her breath. As much as she could not believe it, the knight laying on the ground in front of her had breathed his last. The very same knight who had plagued her dreams for two years and struck fear into her heart and soul now lay before her, still as stone. Yet, she felt no relief; Aridean was stricken with horror beyond anything her nightmares had ever instilled in her.

    ¡°Hooves? What was this guy--,¡± Vidor began to ponder aloud before being struck by an epiphany. ¡°Wait, he knew your name, so that means¡­ oh¡­ oh, no¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡­ saw me? He was¡­ glad? B-but he just called me a monster¡­¡± Aridean whispered to herself. Her mind was racing as she was trying to process what she had heard. Not five minutes ago, the man had seemed to claim that she was his tormentor and a monster. Yet, with his last breath, the knight¡¯s voice also sounded sincere and happy to have welcomed Aridean home. Nothing made sense as Aridean slipped between the hopeful and the doubtful.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ is that really¡­?¡± asked a familiar voice from behind Aridean and Vidor. Aridean was still trying to make sense of the man¡¯s last words and focused intently on the bloodied helmet that hid her nightmare¡¯s face. Vidor turned to see the young man who Aridean had swooped in to save from the knight¡¯s attack earlier.

    ¡°He¡­ wanted to see me? But¡­ I only caused his grief¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t understand,¡± Aridean spoke to herself in a trance as she continued to contemplate the knight¡¯s final words.

    ¡°Caused him grief? Cowgir¡ªAridean, that isn¡¯t wha--,¡± Reil began to speak. His voice was drowned out by the sudden hissing of fires being put out nearby. Both Reil and Vidor turned to see Rana and several villagers working to extinguish the flames that engulfed most of the village. Rana¡¯s hands were glowing their bright green color as forceful streams of water were conjured from her use of magic and directed into the burning buildings.

    ¡°There¡¯s the rest of them. Hang on¡­ is that--,¡± came one man¡¯s voice amongst the villagers that followed Rana from Mutt¡¯s Tavern. The man was seen pointing toward Aridean and Vidor.

    ¡°Good God, look what they¡¯ve done! That¡¯s an Empire knight! They¡¯ve killed him!¡± shouted another voice. Rana¡¯s magic stream quickly died down as she turned to see what the villager was shouting about. Her eyes went wide to see her brother and Aridean crouched down beside the body.

    ¡°What we¡¯ve done? He was trying to kill us!¡± Vidor replied in a hushed and annoyed voice that only Aridean could hear. Aridean did not seem fazed by the villager¡¯s comment, however her ear twitched after having heard Vidor speak. Rana quickly ran to Aridean and Vidor¡¯s side, gasping as she observed Vidor¡¯s injuries.

    ¡°What happened here?! Why are you so hurt?! Aridean, are you alright?¡± Rana began to question with increasing concern in her voice. Rana forced Vidor¡¯s arm over her shoulder as she pulled him to his hooves.

    ¡°Did you hear that one? Wait, isn¡¯t that¡ªthat is Gray¡¯s minotaur!¡± came the first villager¡¯s voice again from among the crowd. Non-subtle whispers and murmurs could be heard from the gathered villagers now glaring at the trio of minotaurs. What was most notably heard was the constantly repeated question ¡®what is she doing back here?¡¯

    ¡°What if they¡¯re the cause of all this? What if there¡¯s more of them? We need to get them out of here now!¡± cried a third villager with an increasingly aggressive tone. Vidor snorted at the accusation while Rana was too concerned with looking after her brother to think about what the villagers thought. Aridean was still locked in a bit of a trance where she shifted between slim hope and utter despair.

    ¡°Are you people serious?!¡± snapped Magdalene as she moved to stand in front of Rana and Vidor. The young girl had a particularly frustrated expression on her face as she faced the villagers, ¡°These three come to your village, which is on fire and overrun with monsters, and save all your lives! Even after all that, you want to kick them out without evidence supporting they did this?¡±

    ¡°Maggie¡­¡± Rana quietly called out. Both Rana and Vidor looked to Magdalene in awe, mouths slightly agape in surprise. Although she had not turned, Aridean had at least raised her head as Magdalene shouted at the villagers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t love minotaurs, but this village would be nothing but ash and nobody would have survived if it weren¡¯t for them! You should be thanking them, not trying to run them off!¡± Magdalene proclaimed in defiance over the villager¡¯s claims against the three minotaurs. Whispers from the villagers that Magdalene was lecturing could be heard as the girl finished and crossed her arms over her chest.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± one voice could be heard asking.

    ¡°I think she came in with those three,¡± replied a second villager.

    ¡°Does she own them? Is she a noble or something?¡± another villager inquired.

    ¡°I doubt it; it was that one that was barking orders in the tavern,¡± answered a fourth, pointing at Rana. Magdalene closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hesitation and reluctance were somewhat obvious on her face. However, the girl managed to put on a confident and determined mask as she attempted to act as dignified as possible.

    ¡°Rana may have been giving the orders, but I¡¯m in charge here. My name is Lady Magdalene, a noble from the far east, and you lot will thank my servants for their bravery,¡± Magdalene began to bluff. Both Rana and Vidor¡¯s eyes widened with disbelief. Although she had not moved an inch, Aridean could feel Reil¡¯s skeptical eyes on her. More whispering among the villagers ensued as they discussed the authenticity behind Magdalene¡¯s claim.

    ¡°That¡¯s gotta be a lie! You¡¯re no noble; you look like you just left church. Besides, that one use to live in this village,¡± asserted a woman in the crowd while pointing to Aridean. Magdalene barely managed to hold onto her confidence; she could feel her face warming up and heart beginning to race somewhat. Just as she opened her mouth to speak again, Magdalene felt a large hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, they can¡¯t all be like you,¡± Vidor told Magdalene gently. Magdalene had turned to look Vidor in the eyes, her surprise apparent in her expression. The young girl hastily turned away from Vidor, her cheeks had begun to turn a bright red.

    ¡°W-who asked you, pervert? I was just trying to teach these people some manners,¡± Magdalene stated as she folded her arms over her chest. She huffed annoyedly, ¡°Purebloods¡­¡±

    ¡°They must have burned down the village! They¡¯ve even gone so far as to kill an Empire knight! They¡¯re probably the ones that killed Watch Captain Watson! We gotta get them outta here,¡± shouted a man angrily. The unseen villager¡¯s furious proclamation was enough to fire up others as some began to slowly approach with broken bits of wood pulled from burned rubble.

    Aridean continued to sit still as a stone statue over the knight¡¯s body. She had already felt that it would come to this; no matter how hard she tried, her hometown had never been lenient with her. Rana and Vidor looked at the villagers, both appalled and worried. Magdalene joined Rana and Vidor in taking slow and cautious steps backwards as the villagers advanced upon them all.

    This treatment¡­ so very like everyone in Thellia. It¡¯s almost as though I never even left this damn village, Aridean depressingly thought to herself.

    ¡°W-wait a minute! They really didn¡¯t do any of this! In fact, it was Aridean who saved my life,¡± Reil cried out, moving out in front of Aridean and her friends. The young man stood between the team and the mob, hands outstretched in defense of his saviors. Aridean¡¯s eyes widened slightly and her ear twitched having heard Reil Long, her long-time childhood bully, speak in her defense.

    What? He¡¯s¡­ telling them the truth? But he can¡¯t tell them who really did this. He was a hero in this village, Aridean began to think in a slight panic.

    ¡°If they didn¡¯t do this, who did?!¡± asked one of the angry mob members.

    No¡­ you can¡¯t do this to him! Maybe he only ever thought of me as a monster, but still he--! I-I won¡¯t let you tarnish his name like this, Aridean mentally resolved.

    ¡°The culprit¡­ the culprit is--,¡± Reil began to hesitantly reveal. He turned and began to point in Aridean¡¯s direction. Reil immediately stopped seeing that Aridean had finally moved.

    Aridean lifted her head to the smoke-filled sky with eyes gently closed shut. She took a deep breath as she extended her right arm, holding her massive battle axe for all to see. More whispering could be heard coming from the crowd as Aridean held her free hand just in front of her.

    I¡¯m so, so sorry¡­ so sorry for everything I¡¯ve done to you. Let this be my way of apology, please¡­ Aridean pleaded in her mind. Gasps of awe could be heard behind her as a bright and burning hot ball of flame appeared in her hand. Vidor looked to Aridean in confusion, uncertain as to what she was thinking. His confusion only grew as Aridean began to giggle.

    ¡°Aha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Oh, how I¡¯ve dreamt of this day for so, so very damn long,¡± Aridean announced as she turned to face the villagers. Even more gasps from the mob before her could be heard as they now saw Aridean¡¯s face. She had a wicked grin across her face and fury in her eyes. Reil took a step back from Aridean with a nervous breath.

    ¡°C-cowgirl?¡± Reil called out, his tone filled with anxiety. Aridean¡¯s eyes shifted to gaze upon her childhood bully, she could see Reil was growing ever anxious. Aridean, focused and determined, let out a short but evil laugh.

    ¡°To think, I spent nearly seventeen years in this damn village with all these weak, filthy humans! Burning this disgusting village to the ground is a gift to the world itself! Oh, how gifted I felt the day I found I could use magic to eradicate this horrid eyesore that you wretches call a home!¡± Aridean exclaimed with manic enthusiasm before arching her back and howling with devilish laughter to the smoke-filled sky. Her expression softened somewhat as she turned her head toward the body that lay behind her, ¡°They did warn you about me¡­ didn¡¯t they, father?¡±

    Aridean felt her heart break having mentioned the word ¡®father,¡¯ yet she persisted with another devilish cackle. Gasps and sounds of astonishment rang out from the mob. Reil¡¯s mouth had fallen agape in fear and shock; Magdalene¡¯s face showed she was just as confused, if not more so.

    ¡°Aridean? What are you--,¡± Vidor began to ask before being hushed by Rana. The minotaur looked to his older sister with worry in his eyes. Rana kept quiet, focused on Aridean with a solemn look on her face.

    ¡°She¡­ she came back to burn down our home!¡± cried one of the villagers, both afraid and anxious.

    ¡°She called that knight father¡­ She killed Gray!¡± shouted another voice.

    I¡­ killed Simon¡­ I killed him¡­ I¡¯m a monster, just like they¡¯ve always told me. Even he knew it. I¡¯m just a monster, to be hated and reviled, Aridean told herself. She took another deep breath before looking to the villagers that rallied against her with as much determination as she could muster.

    ¡°Get her!¡± ordered one of the mob members. With that, the small platoon of villagers, armed with little more than sticks, charged at Aridean. Aridean heard the yelling, the cursing, and the roaring of anger and hatred. She closed her eyes for only a second.

    It¡¯s like I never even left¡­ Aridean thought as she opened her eyes again. Without hesitation, Aridean brought back her hand that still held a hot ball of burning, magical flame. Her motion immediately impeded the charging villagers. With force and precision, Aridean slung her arm around, releasing the fireball.

    Her magic attack flew through the air and landed several meters away from the angry mob. As the fireball made contact with the ground in front of the hostile villagers, it immediately caused a massive eruption of superheated earth, stone, and dirt. The villagers all retreated in a panic as the explosive burst of magical energy continued to burn the ground between them and Aridean. Fearful screams could be heard as most of the mob ran from the scene.

    Reil stood just a meter from where Aridean¡¯s fireball landed. He had raised his arm to shield his eyes from the bright flames. Reil felt the heat radiating off of the flames that danced before him, but he did not feel any burns or injury. Squinting his eyes to focus his sight past the fires, Reil could just barely make out Aridean leaving the scene.

    ¡°Cowgirl¡­¡± Reil whispered to himself as Aridean and her companions left the area. Slowly, the flames began to die down and Reil lowered his arm as the intensity of the fire weakened. A cool night breeze whipped up the flames that burned just in front of Reil. Crackling of other fires that continued to rage in nearby buildings and the sounds of hissing flames being extinguished elsewhere could be heard. Although Aridean had left, Reil noticed something else was missing. The young man took a deep breath, ¡°I can¡¯t believe they actually fell for that¡­ you always were bad at lying¡­¡±

 Chapter 20 - A Long Walk to an Empty Home

    ¡°Aridean, what are you doing back here?¡± Simon¡¯s voice asked from behind. Aridean, startled, raised her head from where she had buried it into her knees. Fur on both her face and legs was visibly wet with tears. The young minotaur slowly and reluctantly turned to face the man.

    There stood Simon, looking down at Aridean as she sat behind a large tree in the pasture behind the farmhouse. Although the man¡¯s face was shaded as the sun was setting in the distance behind him, Aridean could see everything so clearly. His face had its usual tired and solemn expression as he slowly crossed his arms over his chest. Aridean could see bright and shining streaks of silver in his otherwise dark, black hair. The man exuded an aura of patience despite almost looking displeased as he spoke.

    Aridean opened her mouth to answer but found that nothing would come out. Sniffling, Aridean turned away again and planted her face back into her knees. Quiet sobbing could be heard from the clearly distressed minotaur child. Simon let out a long and weary sounding sigh before slowly sitting down beside Aridean. The man wrapped an arm around the minotaur child and pulled her close to his side. Almost immediately, Aridean wrapped her own arms around Simon¡¯s torso and pushed her face into his chest. Her small but sturdy horns were firmly and uncomfortably pressed against Simon¡¯s ribs which the man chose to endure.

    ¡°Were the children at school mean to you again?¡± Simon asked gently as Aridean slowly hushed her crying. Simon tenderly and softly ran a hand down Aridean¡¯s mane as he tried to calm her down. A cool rush of air blew through the pasture, rustling the leaves of the tree. Sheep were crowded near the barn and their bleating could be heard all through the pasture. The croak of frogs and the chirps of crickets were also starting to join in the countryside symphony that was beginning to perform for the evening.

    ¡°T-they said t-that I-I¡¯m just a m-m-monster. T-they s-said that w-we can¡¯t really be f-family,¡± Aridean stuttered through stifled sobbing. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to g-go back to the village.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re a monster, then what does that make me?¡± Simon muttered as he exhaled another disappointed sigh. Aridean¡¯s ear flicked having heard the presumably rhetorical question her father posed.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Aridean asked, confused by Simon¡¯s words. She felt Simon¡¯s hand pause its stroking of her slightly unkept mane. Slowly, Aridean lifted her head from Simon¡¯s chest. Her tear-filled eyes looked up at the calm and collected Simon as he seemed to gaze off into the distance. His stoic expression did not give any indication as to what he might be thinking which only served to confuse Aridean further. Simon¡¯s eyes shifted down to meet Aridean¡¯s as she continued, ¡°Everyone says you¡¯re a hero. They think you¡¯re crazy for letting me live with you, but you¡¯re a hero to everyone, father.¡±

    Simon maintained his unreadable face and worrying silence. Aridean, still wrapping her arms around Simon¡¯s torso, continued to look up at the man as she waited for his response. After a moment, Aridean felt Simon¡¯s other arm snake its way across her back. Simon pulled Aridean in close before taking a deep breath.

    ¡°I¡¯m no hero, Aridean,¡± Simon spoke. Aridean¡¯s eyes widened, stunned by Simon¡¯s statement.

    ¡°B-but everything you¡¯ve done for the Em¡ª,¡± Aridean began to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a Crusade Captain anymore. I¡¯m not a hero. My accomplishments are nothing but distant memories now. Now, I¡¯m just a simple shepherd, living in the country on the outskirts of a small village. I don¡¯t need those people¡¯s approval, their praise, their adoration,¡± Simon continued to hold Aridean close in a snug embrace. Aridean could feel herself choking up as Simon finished his monologue, ¡°All I need¡­ is you to keep calling me your father.¡±

    Aridean looked up to Simon¡¯s face again with even wider eyes. She held her breath as she saw the man¡¯s face with the orange sunset behind it. Simon was giving her the gentlest smile she had ever seen. Before, his eyes appeared calm or perhaps even apathetic, but they now looked so kind and inviting. Aridean could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes again just looking at the man that she called her father.

    ¡°I¡¯m no hero, Aridean, and you¡¯re no monster. No matter what they think of us, we can be family to one another. We don¡¯t need them to accept us; we don¡¯t need their permission. Hell, we don¡¯t even need to be the same race,¡± Simon proclaimed to the awestruck minotaur child he held in his arms. ¡°All we need is each other. As long as we have one another, we can always call ourselves family. This is the love we share. That¡¯s just what love is.¡±

    Aridean was left entirely speechless after Simon had finished speaking. After a moment of processing what it was she had just heard, Aridean tightened her embrace on Simon. She could feel that Simon had started to stroke her mane again. The minotaur child pushed her face into Simon¡¯s chest again, more gently than before. Simon, still smiling down at his adopted daughter, took a deep breath and looked out over the pasture again.

    Love¡­ this is what love is? It¡¯s¡­ nice. Thank you, father, Aridean thought to herself as her eyes slowly closed. She felt Simon¡¯s chest slowly push against her face and then retreat as the man breathed. She listened to the rhythmic pounding of Simon¡¯s heartbeat, mesmerized by the beat and warmth of Simon¡¯s embrace.

    Time passed and the sun had completely set behind the horizon. A darkened sky, lit by a dim moon and many small stars loomed overhead. Simon looked down to Aridean again, hearing a quiet snore coming from the child. The man smiled again before standing while lifting Aridean. Having fallen asleep some time ago, Simon carried the minotaur girl back to their farmhouse for the night.

    <hr>

    A cool breeze blew through the open pasture, shaking leaves on trees and causing the tall grass to dance. Morning had finally come as a bright sun was slowly ascending over the horizon. Dark, thick clouds, however, were slowly moving overhead from the east and a quiet crackle of thunder could be heard in the distance. To the west, one could see the smokestacks from the village fires were growing smaller and smaller as the situation was being controlled.

    Despite the clear threat of the ill-tempered weather, Aridean sat before a large tree in the middle of Simon¡¯s pasture. Dew from the grass that she sat upon was soaked into her pants, fur, and onto her tail, but the cold, wet feeling did not seem to bother her. Her tired eyes looked almost lifeless as she focused solely on what was in front of her. At the base of the tree was a large mound of dirt. Planted into the dirt mound and leaning against the trunk of the tree was the blade that Simon had been using in Thellia.

    ¡°Aridean? Why don¡¯t you come back to the house before the storm hits?¡± Vidor asked, standing a few feet behind Aridean. Aridean did not respond as her empty eyes remained fixed on the dirt mound in front of her. Still as stone, Vidor was beginning to grow worried that she had stopped breathing. The male minotaur let out a depressed sigh.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just give her some space for now¡­ it¡¯s been an eventful night and I imagine she¡¯s still sorting out her feelings,¡± Rana suggested as she gently rested a hand on her concerned brother¡¯s shoulder. Vidor turned to Rana, his worry for Aridean clear upon his face, and reluctantly nodded. He looked back at Aridean again before heaving another sigh.

    ¡°I still just don¡¯t believe it. That guy tried to kill her, but he¡­ he was her dad. Not only that, but Ari can put on an act? That was a real surprise,¡± Magdalene muttered, her tone filled with disbelief. Vidor appeared immensely annoyed by Magdalene¡¯s second comment, but let it slide regardless. Along with Rana, Magdalene turned and began to walk back to the farmhouse. Vidor continued to watch over Aridean for a few moments before depressingly shaking his head. He turned and went to join Rana and Magdalene in the farmhouse.

    Aridean remained still, sitting just a few feet from the base of the tree and dirt mound. The warm sunlight that had been shining on her back quickly receded behind the storm clouds that approached from the east. A cold wind raced through the pasture, whipping up Aridean¡¯s mane and shaking the tree vigorously. The minotaur continued to gaze upon the mound of dirt, an apathetic expression drawn on her face.

    Almost seventeen years¡­ we lived together for almost seventeen years. Yet, in all that time, I was just a monster to even you? I never could understand why you chose to raise me¡­ now I never will, Aridean thought to herself. The events of the previous night continued to loop in her mind. Aridean saw flashbacks to having discovered Thellia on fire, seeing the monsters that slaughtered the villagers, and having rescued the few she could. However, what most prominently stuck out to her was seeing the knight that had been the true cause of all the chaos in the village. Even more horrifying was the realization that the knight, who burned her hometown and threatened her life, was her adopted father.

    The land had become darkened as the storm clouds floated overhead. Aridean could feel the beginnings of the rain starting to lightly drizzle down from the sky as raindrops landed on her head. Cool and strong gusts of wind swirled around her as the leaves of the tree were rattled and tall grass in the pasture danced. A bolt of lighting lit up some of the clouds behind Aridean, followed by another crack of thunder. Despite the encroaching weather, Aridean ignored everything around her as her only concern was what was running through her mind.

    After all this time, you finally tell me what you really think. I think I already knew though¡­ why would anyone, least of all you, feel anything for a monster like me? Looking back on it all¡­ I, Aridean continued to internally monologue. She paused for a moment as the rainfall began to gradually increase.

    Aridean held her head low, rainwater having soaked into her mane began to run down her face. Tufts of hair from her mane had fallen into her eyes. She looked as though she had been crying for a while, but not a tear was shed as only rainwater soaked her face. Aridean took a deep breath and felt her hands ball up into fists.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t bring myself to hate you, even after seventeen years of lying to me. Is that because¡­ I still love you? Is that a part of what love is? Or did I love pretending to be your daughter? You never really thought of me as a daughter, did you? What was your real reason? Why did you keep me? I don¡¯t understand, fath¡­ Simon,¡± Aridean exclaimed, her voice full of distress. She could feel her throat tightening with each word that left her mouth. As she finished speaking, Aridean exhaled and allowed her shoulders to fall slack. Her entire body felt absolutely drained and her mind was just as exhausted.

    ¡°He did love you, you know?¡±

    With a startled gasp, Aridean lifted her head to look at the dirt mound again. She then turned to her immediate left and then right with widened eyes. To her surprise and confusion, only vacant pasture surrounded her as the rain fell all around. There was no one around; Aridean was still all alone underneath the tree. After a moment to process what she had just experienced, Aridean covered her wet face with her rain-soaked hands and shook her head.

    I guess grief is already making me go crazy¡­ Aridean thought to herself. The minotaur took another deep breath and looked up at the shaking tree branches overhead, droplets of rain falling all over her exposed face.

    ¡°Arid--,¡± Vidor¡¯s voice shouted, his call to Aridean having been drowned out by the rain and wind. Aridean slowly turned her apathetic gaze in the direction of the farmhouse. She could see Vidor entering the pasture through the gate. He was wearing a large cloak to keep himself dry and was holding a spare. Aridean heard Vidor call out to her again as he made his way toward the tree she continued to sulk under.

    Just like Simon, he¡¯s always looking out for me. Just like Simon, he acts like he cares about me. Just like Simon¡­ he said he loves me. What the hell¡­ does he mean by that? Aridean mentally considered as she rose from the ground. The rain had absolutely soaked her pants and shirt through to her fur, which in turn was quickly becoming plastered to her skin by the cold rainwater. Despite feeling cold, Aridean ignored the rain and looked over the dirt mound again as Vidor approached.

    ¡°Aridean, why don¡¯t we head in? Even with a fur coat, you might catch a cold out here in this storm,¡± Vidor gently suggested as he offered the spare cloak to Aridean. Aridean turned her attention to Vidor; he looked almost afraid from seeing the emptiness in Aridean¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Aridean responded as she slowly accepted the cloak that Vidor offered. The minotaur slung the simple garb over her shoulders and brought up the exceptionally large hood over her head and horns. Now protected from the rain, Aridean looked Vidor in his eyes. Vidor gave a gentle smile, but the worry in his eyes was obvious; it seemed as though he had something on his mind but refused to speak.

    Another bright flash of lightning illuminated the darkened and cloudy sky. The loud crash of thunder almost immediately followed. Vidor put on as confident a smile as he could given his obvious concern. He moved to stand beside Aridean where he cautiously lifted his arm over her back and rested his hand on her shoulder. As though not even registering his gesture, Aridean began to walk back to the farmhouse while Vidor¡¯s arm slipped down her back. An uncomfortable groan could be heard coming from Vidor.

    ¡°Rgh¡­ C¡¯mon, of course she¡¯s not up to it right now¡­ What do I do?¡± Vidor asked himself before rushing to catch up with Aridean.

    Creaking of the wooden steps beneath their hooves could only just be heard over the rain as the two ascended to the front porch of the farmhouse. Aridean stopped at the front door, holding her head low again. Vidor watched as Aridean slowly moved her hand to the doorknob. He heard her sigh deeply before seeing her twist the knob and push open the door with a loud squeaking noise.

    Inside the house, much of the ruined furniture and destroyed amenities remained as they had been found the previous evening. Magdalene was busy trying to clean up the kitchen space while Rana was finishing scrubbing the floor just in front of the door Aridean had opened. Although the furnishings had been demolished, the living space was mostly clear of small and broken pieces. It appeared that the team had not gotten around to the dining table yet as splintered wood and broken chairs still littered the floor. It led Aridean to believe that the rest of the house was in a similar shape. Although she had been warned by Vidor about the condition the house was in this was her first time seeing it herself.

    One look at her childhood home and Aridean could feel her ears falling flat against her head. She surveyed the front room to the house with a pitiful and sorrowful expression on her face. Her heart sank as she took a step further inside, wooden floor creaking quietly under her hooves. What bothered her the most were the brief flashes of her memories that came to her eyes as she looked to each corner of the room.

    Looking to the dining area, she saw her younger self enjoying her first bowl of Simon¡¯s pork stew. Simon sat across from her at the table with a smile on his face. When she turned to look at the living space, Aridean saw herself and Simon playing a game of chess while her cat slept in her lap. Finally, looking to the kitchen, Aridean saw herself attempting to cook for Simon. Despite seeing Simon appear happy with the cooking she presented to him, she remembered the rest of that evening and most of the next three days not ending well for Simon.

    ¡°There you two are. Are you alright, Aridean?¡± Rana asked with as gentle a tone as she could muster. She rose from her floor scrubbing and brushed dust and dirt from her clothes. Magdalene turned from the kitchen with a face that seemed to be almost worried before returning her attention to her own chore.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t really know,¡± Aridean responded with a saddened voice as her eyes fell to now clean floor. Vidor quietly closed the door behind her and stood beside Aridean. He looked to Aridean and put on a smile, but his concern for her was still abundantly clear in his eyes.

    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the plan now? We came and got the job done. The sooner we leave, the better, right?¡± Magdalene suggested as she continued to put broken dishes in the trash.

    ¡°What do you care? I thought you said you were done with us after we saved the village,¡± Vidor quickly returned with a slightly agitated tone in his voice. Magdalene turned to face him while looking a bit stunned.

    ¡°Vidor! Leave her be,¡± ordered Rana sternly. Magdalene looked down into one of the plates she had been cleaning. She bit her lip before letting out a long sigh.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rana. I get it,¡± Magdalene chimed in with frustration. Everyone turned to give Magdalene their attention, ¡°You just want to hear it, don¡¯t you? Fine: I was wrong. Ari wasn¡¯t the one who burned down the village. I¡­ I¡¯m sorry for thinking it was you, Ari.¡±

    Magdalene huffed her annoyance before looking up to the three minotaurs in the room with her. Her aggravated expression was almost immediately morphed into one of shock seeing the three fuzzy faces. Vidor was not looking her in the eyes as he scratched the back of his head, yet his expression told her that he regretted having brought up the topic. Rana, as expected, gave the young girl a friendly and inviting smile. What really surprised Magdalene was Aridean¡¯s reaction.

    Looking as deadpan as she had since they returned to the farm, Aridean stood in the middle of the front room to the house facing Magdalene. Her fur was soaked and appeared plastered to her body. Despite the wet fur, Magdalene could see tears welling up in Aridean¡¯s defeated eyes. Her body shook as she inhaled and exhaled shaky breaths. Magdalene watched as the minotaur slowly brought her hands to her weeping eyes.

    ¡°W-why?¡± Aridean stuttered. Magdalene¡¯s eyes widened and both Rana and Vidor looked to her with confusion and worry. The half-elven girl held her breath as Aridean continued, ¡°Can¡¯t you just hate me like the rest?¡±

    ¡°Aridean? C-c¡¯mon, don¡¯t talk like that,¡± Vidor pleaded as he reached out to Aridean. Quietly sobbing, Aridean made for the hallway at the end of the living room. Vidor and Rana could see her as she pushed open the door to her former bedroom and disappear into the room with a loud slam of the door. Magdalene stood frozen in the kitchen space, the shock on her face was obvious.

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ okay with being hated?¡± Magdalene asked, having been entirely dumbfounded by Aridean¡¯s reaction to her apology. Rana heaved a sigh before turning to Magdalene.

    ¡°You both were there when she took on the blame of having burned down Thellia. It¡¯s clear she did it to spare her father from the village¡¯s scorn. Being hated was something she grew up with so I imagine she felt it would just be natural to have the villagers blame her over Simon,¡± explained Rana, her usual gentle and kind tone having been replaced with a more serious and solemn voice. Vidor let out a quiet and frustrated moan as Rana began to think out loud, ¡°But that begs the question: why did her father cause that catastrophe? I also wonder if he truly was the one that killed Sparrow. Given our recent discoveries, he would most likely be the culprit.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t have it¡­ maybe he lost it?¡± Vidor quietly commented to himself. His personal conversation did not go unnoticed, however. Magdalene and Rana looked to him, expecting him to speak up.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Magdalene asked. Vidor¡¯s ears shot up and his eyes went wide as he looked particularly flustered from Magdalene¡¯s question.

    ¡°N-nothing, just talking to myself,¡± Vidor hastily replied. He began to make for the hallway leading to the bedrooms. Magdalene rolled her eyes and Rana raised an eyebrow, both clearly not accepting Vidor¡¯s response. As he passed the door to the bathroom, Vidor spoke again, ¡°I-I¡¯m gonna go check on Aridean.¡±

    Rana shook her head while taking in a deep breath. She returned her attention to the cleaning up that was still needed, moving toward the broken dining area. Magdalene huffed as Vidor seemed to ignore the two now. Regardless, she too went back to cleaning up the demolished kitchen.

    Vidor stood in front of the large door leading to Aridean¡¯s bedroom. The large minotaur paused in the hallway as he meditated on what he might say to his distraught friend. However, he could not manage to think of anything he could say that may be particularly reassuring given Aridean¡¯s current state. Vidor could still hear her voice in the back of his mind; the more he listened, the more his heart sank. With a nervous gulp, Vidor raised a hand to knock on the door. Hesitating for only a few seconds, the furry fist knocked against the door twice.

    ¡°Aridean? Are you alright in there?¡± Vidor called out, the concern in his voice abundantly obvious. Aridean gave no response from behind the large door, Vidor had expected that, however. With a nervous sigh, Vidor began to speak again, ¡°Aridean, I-I¡¯m coming in.¡±

    Vidor reached for the doorknob. His fingers only touched the knob as it began to turn. Much to his surprise, the door swung open to reveal Aridean. The shock Vidor was experiencing was joined by confusion as Aridean looked almost as though she had seen a ghost. The expression on her face looked absolutely mortified. In her hand was a single piece of paper.

    ¡°Uh, Aridean? Are you okay?¡± Vidor asked, cautiously reaching out to Aridean. As the hand approached her, Aridean recoiled back into her room.

    ¡°W-what is this?¡± asked a distraught and scared Aridean. She was looking over the paper she held in her hand. Her eyes were both terrified and confused by whatever it was she was reading. Vidor caught just a brief glimpse of the writing on the paper and froze. He felt as though his heart stopped seeing Aridean with the paper.

    ¡°N-no¡­¡± Vidor quietly whispered.

    <hr>

    Quiet sobs persisted as Aridean retreated into her childhood bedroom. Quiet creaking of wood under her hooves moaned as she quickly moved through the house. Through tear-filled eyes, the minotaur had only just entered her bedroom. Without hesitation, she used one of the hands she was crying into to slam the door shut behind her. Now alone, Aridean turned her back to the door which she then leaned against as she slowly sunk down to the ground.

    ¡°She¡¯s always saying it¡­ w-we aren¡¯t friends. W-why can¡¯t she just go back to hating us?¡± Aridean asked herself as she slowly calmed down. She wiped her eyes and took several deep breaths as rainwater from her pants dripped onto the floor.

    Two years later and I still run to this room crying. But now¡­ I don¡¯t have him anymore, n-not that he ever really cared, Aridean thought to herself as she finally took her hands away from her face. With a single look around the room she sat in now, Aridean let out a surprised gasp. No one had mentioned to her that her room had been untouched by whatever chaos ran rampant through the rest of the home.

    W-what? Why was my room¡­ left alone? Aridean wondered as she slowly stood up on her hooves. The minotaur walked over to her bed, it appeared that the well-made bed must have had its sheets cleaned recently. Aridean could even smell the faint scent of her of lavender flowers. She looked the bed from head to foot, questioning why it looked so nice; it was entirely out of place given the state of the rest of the house.

    Aridean turned her head to see her full body mirror sitting beside her dresser. In the reflection stood a minotaur with brown fur, drenched pants, and a wet cloak covering most of the soaked shirt she wore. Looking into the mirror brought back her memory of having departed from the farm two years ago; she could see her younger self looking back at her and getting ready to set out for anywhere that was not Thellia. Aridean shook her head and looked away from the mirror as looking any longer may make her cry again.

    ¡°W-what is going on here? Everything in here¡­ I-I don¡¯t understand,¡± Aridean said aloud to no one. She moved to the foot of the bed, where she examined the small children¡¯s toy chest. Hesitantly, Aridean reached for one of the toys in the chest. She could feel her throat tightening just holding the small stuffed sheep plush; it had been the first gift from Simon that she could remember and one of her favorite toys when she was a child.

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    Still gently clutching her plush toy, Aridean looked to the dresser. Immediately, she noticed two things about it. There was not a speck of dust on the old wood and there was a piece of paper with writing on top of it. Curious, Aridean moved closer, setting the small sheep plush down on the dresser as she collected the page. As she picked up the paper, she found there was another underneath it with more writing. However, the pages were clearly written by two different people as the penmanship was dramatically different.

    ¡°What is thi¡ªwhat?! H-he¡­¡± Aridean failed to finish her thought as she began reading from the first piece of paper she had picked up. She did not really need to read more than the first five words to understand what was written on the paper. It took her a second to realize that the page was written in her own handwriting. Aridean had just read the letter she had left Simon when she ran away.

    ¡°W-why is this still here?! For what purpose would he have kept this?¡± Aridean asked aloud with confusion. Her mind began racing, trying to piece together a reason that Simon might have to have kept the letter for the last two years. However, nothing Aridean could think of made any sense to her. With wide eyes, she shook her head back and forth as she put the paper back down on the dresser. Aridean took a step back and inhaled deeply.

    What is the meaning of this? I wrote that letter two years ago! Did he never read it? Did he even notice I was gone? He must have¡­ his last words said it had been a long time since we last saw one another. I don¡¯t understand¡­ Aridean thought to herself, puzzled by the eerie presence of the goodbye letter she had left Simon two years prior. She took a moment to calm her nerves before stepping back to the dresser. Aridean pushed the letter she had written out of the way and retrieved the second paper. Certain she could not be surprised more than she already was, Aridean began to read the second page that was on her old dresser.

    ¡°Hey dad,

    It¡¯s been a long time, I hope you¡¯re well. Sorry I didn¡¯t write sooner.

    I wanted you to know that I¡¯m okay and I¡¯ve made some great friends.

    Stay well and I¡¯ll write to you again soon.

    -Aridean¡±

    Aridean felt as though her heart had stopped when she read who had signed the second letter. Wide eyes and bated breath, Aridean simply looked into the piece of paper without a word. She could not even think straight after having read the letter. The words on the paper continued to echo in her mind as she tried processing where the letter might have come from. However, Aridean was brought back to reality as a knocking on the door was heard.

    ¡°Aridean? Are you alright in there?¡± Vidor¡¯s anxious voice could be heard from behind the bedroom door. Aridean¡¯s already wide eyes grew even larger; she felt her entire body grow colder. She began to move toward the door, she could hear her heart pounding in her ears with every step. Each breath out of her mouth sounded like tired panting as she moved through the room. Standing at the door, Aridean gulped nervously as she reached to lock the door.

    ¡°Aridean, I-I¡¯m coming in,¡± Vidor¡¯s voice spoke again. Although her fingers were around the lock, Aridean moved her hand to the doorknob. The minotaur girl turned the knob and pulled the door open; Vidor stood on the other side, reaching for the outside handle. He seemed a bit surprised to see that Aridean opened the door herself.

    ¡°Uh, Aridean? Are you okay?¡± asked Vidor, his voice filled with worry despite his best effort to sound comforting. Aridean backed away as Vidor gently reached out to her.

    ¡°W-what is this?¡± Aridean inquired as she looked over the letter to Simon that she never wrote. Vidor took a moment to register the paper Aridean held, but once he noticed it and Aridean¡¯s apparent confusion, his eyes went wide with shock.

    ¡°N-no¡­¡± Vidor quietly whispered with a concerned and fearful tone. Although his face clearly portrayed his uneasiness, Vidor spoke, ¡°A-Aridean, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is this¡­ why we¡¯re here? This is what Sparrow stopped in Thellia for, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Aridean, interrupting Vidor as he tried to piece together his explanation. Vidor was clearly at a loss for words by this point. His expression shifted from alarmed to a more serious look as he took a deep breath. Vidor slowly and solemnly nodded his head to Aridean.

    ¡°I¡ªI killed¡ªbecause of¡­¡± Aridean stuttered, failing to complete her thought as her voice began to crack up. A tear formed in her eye and quickly slid down her already wet, furry face. Shaking her head in disbelief, Aridean dropped the letter she held and pushed past Vidor. She quickly began to run for the door to the house, ignoring both Rana and Magdalene¡¯s confused stares in her direction.

    ¡°A-Aridean, wait! I-I didn¡¯t--,¡± Vidor called out as Aridean threw the front door open and exited the house. His concerned words fell on deaf ears as Aridean continued to flee the house, jumping from the porch to the ground, and making a mad dash for the barn. All the while, strong winds rushed into the home, heavy rain could be heard crashing down upon the ground just outside, and the dramatic explosion of thunder boomed from the sky above. Thick, black storm clouds overhead darkened the countryside so much that it looked as if morning had never come.

    Aridean forced open the door to the old barn and hastily rushed inside. Once inside the barn, Aridean quickly slammed the large door shut behind her. Leaning against the door, she could still hear the patter of the rain outside, hitting the roof and walls with force. Despite still wearing the cloak that Vidor had given her, Aridean¡¯s fur was soaked yet again with the cold rain.

    With crossed arms against the door she leaned against, Aridean buried her face in the pit of one of her arms. She felt the chill of the rainwater as it seeped down her fur coat and rested upon her skin. Although she had given up crying, Aridean was still having a difficult time breathing properly. Erratic breathing and rapid heartbeats ironically drowned out the loud rain.

    ¡°I just¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Aridean stated to herself. As she slowly managed to regain control of her breathing, Aridean slowly turned around to look into the dark barn she now stood in. The sight she found made her want to cry yet again.

    Nothing about the barn was how she remembered it. There were no sheep, there were no tools or equipment, there was not even any indication that the barn had been used for some time. Stalls made of wood were beginning to rot away as old paint chipped of every surface. There were multiple leaks in the roof that near constant streams of rainwater funneled through, falling to the dirt ground in the barn. Even the beam that Aridean used for pullups was in disrepair; the cloth that normally wrapped the beam was torn and the beam itself broken. She would not dare try using it for pullups now lest the roof above it may collapse.

    Aridean, feeling immensely afraid by the sight before her, moved deeper into the barn. She looked to every corner to see more of the barn she had loved to play in had become so decrepit. Despite it never having any appeal to her, Aridean was disappointed to find that the barn did not smell of sheep manure. If anything, she would welcome the familiar, albeit unpleasant, scent if it just meant the world she use to know was not gone.

    ¡°But everything that mattered is gone. There is nothing left for me here. No sheep, no tools, no home¡­ a-and no Simon,¡± Aridean told herself with a sniffle as she stopped walking through the dim and rundown barn. With a disappointed sigh, Aridean noticed that she had unconsciously stopped beside the ladder leading to the loft. Similar to all the other wood in the structure, the ladder also looked to be aged and rotting away.

    Slowly, Aridean raised her hand closest to the ladder and wrapped her fingers around the side of the ladder. She took a step toward the ladder before reaching for one of the rungs with her other hand. Cautiously, the minotaur lifted one of her hooves and carefully set it down on one of the ladder rungs. Now having to support her weight, the ladder creaked loudly. Even so, Aridean chose to ignore the old and unreliable wood¡¯s warning as she began to ascend toward the loft. She could feel that the ladder wood was coming loose from age as her hooves rested upon each rung of the once sturdy ladder.

    The loud creaking of the ladder only seemed to grow in volume as Aridean finally reached the loft. She expected to see that the space would be bare, just the same as what was found on the ground floor of the barn. However, she was surprised to find that there was a small chest pushed against the wall at the far end of the loft. Curiously, Aridean rose from the old ladder and stood on the loft floor. Slowly, the minotaur moved toward the chest that had not been kept in the barn before.

    Standing over the chest, Aridean took just a moment to inspect the old container. It appeared to be a simple box with no lock to be seen. The chest was, however, clearly aged as the padded surfaces were torn and metal joints were stained with rust. Aridean knelt down by the chest and grabbed the lid with both hands. As she lifted the lid to see what was contained within, she gasped in surprise. Within the chest was an old, yet clean, quilted blanket.

    ¡°He kept¡­ everything,¡± Aridean quietly said to herself. Removing her hands from the chest lid, Aridean hesitantly grabbed the quilt from the box. Sure enough, it was the same, enormous quilt that she used every night that she spent sleeping in the barn when she lived with Simon. It was the same, woolen quilt that Simon had made for her years ago using the wool from the sheep the two kept.

    Aridean wrapped the large blanket around herself. The quilt felt so warm and comforting, yet Aridean was numb and felt as though she might start to cry again. Barely keeping control over herself, Aridean¡¯s breathing had become shaky again.

    ¡°Why though? If all he ever thought of me was a monster, why did he keep everything? I thought¡­ he¡¯d be happy to have me out of his life¡­¡± debated Aridean aloud.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­ please¡­ don¡¯t leave me alone,¡± came an eerily familiar voice from behind Aridean. Her ears perked up and eyes widened as she gasped her surprise from the sudden presence of another in the barn. Slowly, a frightened Aridean turned to see who had been speaking. Her eyes widened further in fear and shock after seeing who it was that was sitting on the loft edge behind her.

    Aridean held her breath as she examined a human man sitting with legs over the side of the loft. Her heart sank seeing the familiar plaid, flannel shirt and dark but greying hair. She could not see the face of the man as it was buried in the palms of his calloused hands. Aridean thought she was going to choke as the man removed his hands from his face and slowly began to turn toward her. However, Aridean blinked and the figure vanished, leaving her all alone again in the barn loft.

    What the hell... just happened? Aridean mentally asked herself as she took a few deep breaths. Her entire body was shaking; she felt numb and ice cold despite having wrapped herself in a warm, woolen quilt. Just as she was calming down again, Aridean was spooked by the sound of the barn door being pushed open and the loud rain still pounding away upon the ground outside.

    ¡°Aridean? You¡¯re in here, aren¡¯t you?¡± came Vidor¡¯s voice from below. A wave of sorrow washed over Aridean¡¯s face as she failed to work up the nerve to respond. Despite not having confirmed she was in the barn, Aridean could hear Vidor closing the door and moving inside.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ please. I-I didn¡¯t mean for any of this to happen,¡± Vidor spoke; Aridean could hear the worry in his voice so clearly. Vidor¡¯s voice grew slightly louder as he moved deeper into the barn, searching for Aridean.

    But why did you? What were you trying to do? Aridean thought to herself. She still could not find it in herself to speak to Vidor. Aridean¡¯s ears flicked as she heard Vidor shuffling across the ground in search of her. After a short pause of the dirt shuffling, Vidor let out a depressed sounding moan.

    ¡°I-I thought since you were scared that I¡¯d¡­ I know your life here meant a lot to you, your life with your dad. I just wanted you to have a little of that back because I thought it would make you happy,¡± explained Vidor as he sighed deeply. Vidor¡¯s voice decreased in volume yet Aridean still heard him say, ¡°But I didn¡¯t think your dad would react like that¡­¡±

    Aridean¡¯s eyes slowly fell to the loft floor. Her gaze immediately shifted toward the ladder as she heard the wood begin to creak loudly. Vidor must have finished searching the stalls below and was now climbing the ladder to inspect the loft. Both minotaurs were alarmed by a loud cracking sound.

    ¡°W-woah! Ow!¡± Vidor complained as Aridean heard an audible thud. She did not need to look over the side of the loft to know that the old ladder failed to hold Vidor as he attempted to climb up. Vidor let out another exasperated sigh as he resigned to just laying on the ground where he had fallen. It was at this point that Aridean moved toward the edge of the loft. Although she had not seen it, Vidor¡¯s ears flicked upon hearing the movement coming from above him.

    ¡°Why though? Why do you care if I¡¯m happy? No one else does. Even¡­ even Simon called me a monster,¡± Aridean asked as she lay down beside the loft edge. Neither minotaur was able to see the other, but Vidor was ecstatic to know where Aridean was and that she was talking to him.

    ¡°But did he really mean it? Don¡¯t you remember his last words? He said he was so glad to see you again,¡± Vidor replied, still lying upon the dirt ground and looking up toward the ceiling. Aridean paused to think as Vidor continued, ¡°He had been talking crazy the whole time. Didn¡¯t he call you an illusion when he first saw you after you defended that human? It¡¯s like he didn¡¯t really think it was you.¡±

    Still considering the possibility that Vidor might be right, Aridean remembered just how strange Simon had been acting back at Thellia.

    ¡®I¡¯ll play your game, but I will emerge victorious.¡¯ That was one of the first things he said when he saw me. It really was strange and didn¡¯t make any sense to me. But if he wasn¡¯t talking to me, who was he talking to? Aridean mentally debated with herself. She considered the possibility that he might have been talking to Reil, but that would be a stretch given Simon was fully prepared to kill Reil had she not interfered. The only other person that Simon may have been addressing would have been Aridean, yet his words were so strange if they had been directed toward her. Aridean heaved a confused and weary sigh.

    ¡°As for why I care if you¡¯re happy or not: I already told you my answer,¡± Vidor began to speak again. Aridean turned her head to look toward the farm wall of the barn. Vidor continued as he stretched his arms out to his sides, ¡°I love you. You¡¯re the best friend I¡¯ve ever had. I just want you to be happy and I¡¯m willing to do anything to make that happen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the best friend you¡¯ve ever had? But you have so many friends back in Stonehaven; friends you¡¯ve known for years before we met. Even then, when have I actually been a good friend to you?¡± Asked Aridean as she still lay facing the ceiling.

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a great friend to me. I mean, there was the incident when we learned you could use magic, but that was an accident¡­ I hope. And everyone back home is nice to me and all, but they just see the General¡¯s grandson when they talk to me. But you see me and that makes me so glad,¡± Vidor began to explain as he sat up from the ground. Vidor let out a loud sigh, ¡°To tell you the truth, when your friend told me about you two years ago, I was skeptical; I didn¡¯t really trust him. He said you needed to meet another minotaur because of what you had to grow up with.¡±

    Aridean craned her neck and turned her head to look out over the edge of the loft and toward the other end of the barn. She still could not see Vidor beneath her, but her eyes were surveying the ground as she waited for Vidor to elaborate further. Aridean heard another tired sigh from below.

    ¡°When I first saw you, I wasn¡¯t sure what to think. The surprise on your face, or rather¡­ the fear, kind of scared me. But I got a small taste of what you lived with on my way back to Rana and Captain Bryn¡­¡± Vidor confessed with a solemn tone. Aridean slowly peaked her head over the edge of the loft to see Vidor looking into the dirt he sat upon, ¡°I-I¡¯ll never know what it must have been like for you. I don¡¯t know if you really needed to meet me, but you did. All I do know is that I want to be by your side¡­ because I need you.¡±

    As Vidor finished, he let out another long and tired sigh. He continued to look into the empty space directly in front of him as Aridean did not respond. However, he was surprised by the sudden appearance of a droplet of water landing beside him. Vidor raised his head to look up at the loft where he noticed Aridean gazing down at him, the trail of a single tear having run down her snout.

    ¡°Two of the three people that accepted me are gone and for all I know Jean may be, too. When I joined you and Rana as a rebel soldier, I was always hoping that maybe I could return one day and live happily with Simon again. But what could we do to change the minds of the people in Thellia? And now¡­ what good would returning do if Simon isn¡¯t here anymore?¡± Aridean began to speak with a depressed voice. Vidor slowly stood on his hooves, brushing a little dirt from his clothes as he got up.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Vidor said as his ears drooped in defeat.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be alone¡­ you promised me you wouldn¡¯t let me be alone, right? I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to stand up anymore without your support. Vidor¡­ I do need you, too. Please don¡¯t leave me alone in this unfair world,¡± Aridean finished as another tear fell from her face. Vidor¡¯s eyes lit up as Aridean moved her arm and reached out to him.

    Vidor grabbed Aridean¡¯s outstretched hand and could feel her grip tighten as she pushed up from her prone position on the loft floor. Vidor¡¯s hooves left the ground as Aridean pulled him up toward the loft. Once he could reach, Vidor grabbed the edge of the loft and pulled himself up the rest of the way. The two minotaurs looked into one another¡¯s eyes in silence for just a few seconds before Vidor began to give Aridean the most gentle smile he could.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it as many times as you need to hear it: I promise I won¡¯t leave you all alone. I love you, Aridean,¡± Vidor responded with renewed confidence in his tone. Aridean slowly began to form a smile on her face as she leaned in and embraced Vidor. She felt him wrap his wet arms around her back. Despite both of them still being soaked with rainwater, Aridean felt so warm in Vidor¡¯s gentle embrace. The duo loosened their grip on one another and looked each other in their eyes. Aridean and Vidor leaned in close to one another and kissed. Aridean and Vidor wrapped themselves in the colossal-sized quilt that Aridean had found.

    Hours passed as the storm outside continued to crash against the roof and walls of the barn. Eventually, the downpour began to lighten into a steady rain, then to a damp drizzle, and finally the rain had stopped. The dirt path from the house and barn to the road had been covered in mud and the country fields were dark and soaked. Clouds overhead still blocked out the bright sunlight but were not quite as dark as they had been during the storm.

    Birds were beginning to come out of their hiding places as they started to sing their chirps and calls. The barn door creaked open, revealing the minotaur couple that had waited out the storm within the old building. Vidor had his arm wrapped around Aridean¡¯s shoulders as the two began to trudge through the mud back toward the house. Although Vidor managed to put on a kind smile, Aridean was struggling to reciprocate the gesture.

    I am glad he¡¯s looking out for me still¡­ but I can¡¯t get over what¡¯s happened, Aridean thought to herself as she and Vidor passed the overflowing well. Just a few meters from the stairs leading to the porch, Aridean looked up to the front door of the house to see both Rana and Magdalene already waiting.

    ¡°Were you two okay out there all this time? I know you mentioned spending a lot of time in your barn when you were younger, but do you need time to lay down on your bed, Aridean?¡± Rana asked with her usual sweet and friendly tone. Aridean put on a weak smile and shook her head.

    ¡°N-no, I¡¯m okay. I think I¡¯d just like to be going before the villagers come find us,¡± Aridean replied. Vidor pulled her close with the arm he had slung over her shoulders and ran his hand gently up and down her arm. The two locked eyes for a moment where Vidor gave another warm smile to Aridean. Aridean could tell that he had heard the sadness in her voice.

    ¡°Hmm? Well, we might have waited a bit too long,¡± spoke Magdalene as she pointed beyond Vidor and Aridean and toward the road. Aridean and Vidor both turned to see that there was a small group of humans walking in their direction from the road. Vidor¡¯s face immediately filled with irritation while Aridean¡¯s expression showed her distress.

    ¡°What now? We¡¯re on our way out of here, okay?¡± Vidor barked as the group of humans approached. After getting a look at each of their faces, Aridean¡¯s eyes widened in a bit of surprise.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want trouble. We, uh, wanted to talk to Aridean before y¡¯all left,¡± answered one of the older looking men in the group. Despite having a deep and intimidating voice, the man sounded almost remorseful.

    ¡°Is that right? Well, she sure as all hell doesn¡¯t want to talk to anyone from that village,¡± Vidor retorted with aggression. Rana and Magdalene descended the stairs and stood beside Aridean and Vidor. Rana looked to her brother with an annoyed expression, but she did not make any effort to interfere.

    ¡°A-Aridean, please hear us out. We¡­ wanted to thank you¡­ and apologize,¡± spoke a younger member of the villager band. Aridean was immediately struck with confusion while Vidor continued to stare down the men with disbelief in his expression.

    ¡°T-thank me? F-for what?¡± Aridean asked hesitantly. Her legs were starting to feel shaky underneath her and she found herself leaning into Vidor for support.

    ¡°What else? You saved so many last night, me included. If it weren¡¯t for you and your friends, Thellia might not be standing anymore,¡± another young man chimed in. Aridean¡¯s ears perked up slightly as the man spoke.

    ¡°A-Andrew¡­¡± Aridean quietly called with widening eyes.

    ¡°I know my employee and despite how we treated you over the years, you¡¯d never burn down Thellia. You came back to save lives; thank you for saving my son,¡± the older man said with a bow of his head.

    ¡°S-sir¡­¡± Aridean again whispered to herself as her eyes grew ever wider.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ nothing I say can ever make up for what I did. I¡¯m the real reason you were driven out of Thellia two years ago. If it weren¡¯t for me, Jean wouldn¡¯t have been put into a coma and the village wouldn¡¯t have blamed you for it. When Thellia heard from old man Gray that you were gone, they rejoiced¡­,¡± came the final human as his eyes fell to the muddy ground. ¡°But even after causing you so much grief and causing you to run from your home¡­ you saved my life. Old man Gray¡­ said you¡¯re a much stronger character than anyone in the village a-and I think you proved him right last night.¡±

    ¡°Reil¡­¡± Aridean barely managed to squeak as her throat began to tighten. Vidor¡¯s expression began to soften but maintained his hostile aura toward the guests.

    ¡°Gray, I don¡¯t know what you think of Thellia after all this time, but I want you to know that we¡¯re sorry for everything that¡¯s happened to you. We¡¯ll get them sorted out one day; after what you lot did for us, we owe you,¡± said George as he crossed his arms over his chest with a friendly smile on his bearded face.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll take a page out of your friend¡¯s book and try teaching some manners to everyone so that they¡¯ll thank you next time you come by! Work at the tavern hasn¡¯t been the same without you; Roan hated wearing your old apron so much that he left for school in the city,¡± Andrew chimed in with a short laugh. Rana and Vidor glanced at Magdalene after hearing Andrew¡¯s goal. Magdalene noticed the two looking at her and rolled her eyes while turning away, a slight blush on her face.

    ¡°Roan never had the manners you had with the customers anyway,¡± George grunted sounding slightly annoyed. He let out a quick sigh, ¡°Next time you lot are in Thellia, come by the tavern; it¡¯ll be on the house.¡±

    Aridean could feel her eyes tearing up just hearing them speak. While George had been unexpectedly tolerable over the years, he had never offered such a kindness to Aridean. Further, it was particularly ironic to hear that Andrew would work on manners given he and his brother would often gossip about Aridean while she was within earshot of their conversations. Aridean could feel her heart pounding, yet she turned to face Reil as he huffed.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ I¡¯m sorry, really. I know it doesn¡¯t mean much, but I never really meant for things to go as far as they did¡­ If Jean were still here he¡¯d--,¡± Reil started to speak. Aridean gasped and could feel her pounding heart sink in her chest.

    ¡°Jean i-is gone, too?¡± Aridean interrupted with sheer dread in her voice. Reil looked to her with a surprised expression as her own began to fill with terror. Vidor was quick to wrap his arms around her as Aridean leaned into him with hands covering her face.

    ¡°O-oh! Uh, I¡¯m sorry! N-no, Jean¡¯s not dead! He woke up a few days after you disappeared then left about a month after for an apprenticeship,¡± Reil clarified upon realizing what the issue was. Vidor looked to Reil with an aggressively annoyed scowl while Aridean hesitantly removed her hands from her face. Although a tear did run down her snout, Aridean looked to Reil curiously.

    ¡°Aridean, I-I don¡¯t know what was wrong with old man Gray last night¡­ but he hadn¡¯t been the same since you left,¡± Reil continued with a sobering tone of voice. Aridean listened intently with deep, raspy breaths, still trying to calm her nerves after misunderstanding Jean¡¯s situation.

    ¡°W-what do you mean? You and everyone had been right all these years: I¡¯m just a monster, even to him,¡± Aridean spoke as Reil paused to think on what to say. Reil looked up to Aridean whose eyes had fallen to the dirt in front of her hooves. Aridean lifted her head up enough to see a stunned expression on Reil¡¯s face.

    ¡°Aridean--,¡± Reil began to speak before being interrupted.

    ¡°Gray, Simon was a wreck without you. I don¡¯t think any of us will ever forget just how heartbroken and furious he was with everyone in Thellia when he announced your disappearance¡­ He was actually looking to sell this farm before setting out to look for you,¡± explained George with a somber tone. Aridean held her breath, simply dumbfounded by what she had just heard.

    ¡°If he were looking to leave Thellia, what happened to him to cause him to burn it down?¡± Rana asked curiously. George shook his head and heaved a sigh.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what chan--,¡± Andrew began to answer.

    ¡°Actually¡­ I¡­ I think I do know...¡± Reil confessed before turning to Aridean with a depressed look about him. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry for what I said, honest¡­ It was just before you stepped in to save my life: ¡®She¡¯s run off and joined those damned rebels because of what you¡¯ve done! I¡¯ve tried so hard to give her what I took from her and you ruined my beloved daughter¡¯s life! You took everything from her, everything from me!¡¯ A-at the time I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about, but now¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, Aridean. But you should know that you meant the world to him.¡±

    ¡°How did Simon know she joined the rebellion? Where did he--,¡± Rana began to think aloud. However, only a moment of thought and the oldest minotaur turned to look at Vidor, ¡°If he somehow found out that Sparrow knew where Aridean was, perhaps he tortured the truth out of him and hearing it must have set him over the edge¡­ but I still don¡¯t know why Sparrow was here to begin with¡­¡±

    Vidor let out an uneasy grunt at his sister¡¯s theory regarding the discovery within the farmhouse the previous evening. Even if Aridean was not trying to process what the humans were telling her, she would still likely remain silent. Both Vidor and Aridean knew that Rana would be furious to find out that Vidor¡¯s attempted gift was the probable catalyst that caused such a catastrophe in the village.

    Reil turned, wiping his face with the back of his hand. Aridean¡¯s eyes had grown wide and she was hardly breathing. Her gaze slowly fell back down to the ground, but her face seemed to tell everyone she was more puzzled than saddened by what she was told. Vidor leaned in to look at her confused face. He gave a friendly smile when Aridean finally looked back at him.

    ¡°He did love you, you know?¡± Vidor told Aridean with a gentle tone and kind smile. Aridean looked into his eyes for a second before taking a deep breath and looking back at the three guests in front of her. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and found that a tightness was starting to form in her throat. Aridean visibly tensed up as her lip began to quiver. Before anyone could make any move or speak any more reassuring words to the minotaur, Aridean turned and began running for the gate to the pasture.

    ¡°Aridean? H-hey! W-where--,¡± Vidor called out to her as Aridean bolted across the wet dirt and threw open the gate. Rana stopped her brother before he could make any motion to pursue Aridean and simply gave him a gentle smile and a shake of her head.

    Panting, Aridean sprinted across the wet, grassy pasture of her childhood home. Tears fell from her eyes like waterfalls and she choked on her sobs as she tried to catch her breath. The distraught minotaur raced across the open field and made her way back to the same tree where she had last spoken with Simon. Her hooves only stopped moving as she now stood about a meter from the wet mound of dirt from earlier. Failing to catch her breath, Aridean slumped down to her knees and covered her face with her fuzzy hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for what I said! I¡¯m so sorry I was so scared that I ran!¡± Aridean exclaimed as tears continued to cascade from her eyes. Her fingers brushed away excess moisture before her hands fell from her face. A genuine smile accompanied her wet eyes as she examined the mound in front of her, ¡°Seventeen years and I never could figure you out. Seventeen years and¡­ I believed them¡­ I was scared we really couldn¡¯t be family. But through it all, even when I run and leave you behind, you still¡­ I love you, too¡­ I love you, father!¡±

 Chapter 21 - The Woman in Red

    The long, dirt, country road and grassy fields on either side were bathed in warm sunlight.  A cool breeze ran across the open space; grass and wildflowers dancing as the rushing air flew by.  Rustling of leaves adorning the few trees was caused by the wind and birds¡¯ chirping songs and calls added to the afternoon symphony.  In the distance, a small lake could be seen with the bright sunlight reflecting off the water in bright and sparkling shimmers.

    Clopping of horse hooves over the dirt path was almost rhythmic, as was the creak of the wooden wagon the two horses pulled.  The old wood was particularly vocal when hitting a large rock embedded in the dirt road.  Luckily, it was not a large stone as there were those resting in the back of the wagon.  In the driver¡¯s seat, a bored yawn came from Vidor while Magdalene sat beside him looking at one of Aridean¡¯s heavily marked maps.

    Vidor¡¯s eyes drifted from the road to watch Magdalene.  The young girl did not notice that the minotaur was focused on her as she was busy surveying the paper she held, trying to make sense of all of Aridean¡¯s notes.  Vidor studied the girl¡¯s confused expressions for only a few seconds before looking to the sky that was lightly dotted by clouds.

    ¡°Hey, Maggie, I¡¯m bored, wanna play a game?¡±  Vidor asked with a grin on his face.  Magdalene folded the map she held and looked to Vidor curiously.  She then crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

    ¡°Not particularly, but what¡¯d you have in mind?¡± Magdalene replied, sounding both annoyed and intrigued at the same time.  Behind the two, the sounds of either Rana or Aridean shifting in their sleep could be heard.  Vidor looked back to see that neither of them had awoken.

    ¡°You know ¡®I spy,¡¯ right?  I¡¯ll start:  I spy something¡­ brown,¡± Vidor enthusiastically started.  Magdalene sighed again before giving Vidor a rather annoyed look.

    ¡°What are you?  Seven?¡±  commented Magdalene with an irritated tone of voice.

    ¡°So, you playing or what?¡±  Vidor responded.  He had clearly chosen to entirely ignore her remark.  Magdalene grunted and rolled her eyes before surveying their surroundings.

    ¡°A tree?¡±  guessed a uninterested Magdalene as she shrugged her shoulders.  As she made her guess, the horses had pulled the wagon under the shade of a large and tall oak that sat just off the road.  Although the sunlight was not overbearing, the darkened cover was delightful if brief.  A short laugh escaped Vidor as the wagon was pulled out into the sunlight again.

    ¡°Nope, keep guessing,¡± Vidor said with childish glee.

    ¡°Look, I know it¡¯s Ari.  If you¡¯re lost, I¡¯ll wake her up already,¡± reprimanded Magdalene with a stern tone.  Vidor threw his head back and huffed loudly to the sky above.  More shuffling in the back of the wagon could be heard.

    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m not lost and I¡¯m not that predictable that my ¡®I spy¡¯ would be Aridean.  But maybe I should wake her up; she¡¯d probably play a round without complaining,¡± Vidor chided with a disappointed tone.  Magdalene rolled her eyes while Vidor continued, ¡°And what I was spying was that patch of dirt on your leg.¡±

    Magdalene¡¯s eyes widen in embarrassment as she searched her legs for the dirt Vidor had spotted.  She found a large smear of dried mud above her left ankle, just above her muddied shoes.  Magdalene grunted her mild frustration and stretched her skirt toward the dirt smear before a cloth appeared in her vision.  Following the arm that offered the rag to her, Magdalene was somewhat surprised to see that Vidor was giving her the cloth to clean her leg.  Neither of the two made eye contact as Vidor continued to look out at the road ahead while Magdalene turned away from him.

    ¡°¡­Thanks,¡± Magdalene hesitantly said, taking the cloth from Vidor.  Her face had turned a shade of red as she began wiping her leg clean.  Once the girl had thoroughly wiped the mud from her skin, she neatly folded the rag she had been given and placed it between her and Vidor.

    Another bored sigh escaped Vidor¡¯s throat as Magdalene went back to studying the map she had.  Although the two remained silent, the sounds of the countryside continued to serenade them on the long road.  Sunlight bathed the scene in a pleasant warmth as the shadows to trees and the wagon slowly grew longer as the day carried on.  Vidor took a swig of water from his canteen as Magdalene groaned in frustration.  Although his head had not moved, Vidor¡¯s eyes shifted to look at the girl that sat beside him in the wagon.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not lost?  I¡¯m not the best with directions, but I think I¡¯ve figured out Ari¡¯s notes and it looks like we are NOT headed back to Stonehaven,¡± complained an annoyed Magdalene.  Vidor slowly gulped down some more of his water before taking a deep breath.  Slowly, he put a cap on the canteen and began to smile.

    ¡°What?  Where are we going, Vidor?¡±  Rana¡¯s sheepish voice rang out from behind.  A startled Magdalene jolted upright in her seat before turning to see that both Rana and Aridean were waking up.  Vidor had begun to nonchalantly hum to himself, much to Magdalene¡¯s apparent irritation.

    ¡°Are we not going back to Stonehaven?¡±  Aridean asked as she collected her map from Magdalene.  She quickly began looking over her map despite having been asleep for the past hour and not being able to know for certain where they might be.

    ¡°Well, I was hoping you two would stay asleep until we got there but I guess that didn¡¯t work out.  It should be just over this hill here,¡± Vidor replied with a smile on his face.  Aridean was busy looking over her map but did look up at the large hill the wagon was being pulled up.  Magdalene crossed her arms over her chest again and Rana sighed deeply while shaking her head.

    ¡°Vidor, we should really be going home.  Where are you taking us?¡±  asked Rana sternly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I told Grandpa about this before we left.  He didn¡¯t like it, but he knows,¡± Vidor answered, entirely avoiding giving away the true answer.  Somewhat aggravated by her brother¡¯s intent to hide their destination, Rana grunted her displeasure.

    ¡°Knows you don¡¯t listen to him¡­¡± Magdalene snidely commented.  Vidor shot the girl an annoyed look but refrained from responding.

    Turning his attention back to the road, his childish smile slowly began to form again as the apex of the hill neared.  Aridean, still looking over her map, slowly lifted her head as she started to smell something on the wind.  It was a delightful smell, similar to the tantalizing scents that she encountered at the bakery back in Byrden.  Her ears then twitched as she began to hear the noises coming from just over the hill.  Sounds of music and laughter had started to knock against her eardrums.

    ¡°Does anybody else smell that?¡±  asked Rana with wide eyes.  She continued to deeply inhale through her nostrils, obviously mesmerized by the pleasant odors.  Aridean noticed the beginnings of a small stream of drool forming on her lower lip.

    ¡°I hear that.  Pervert, c¡¯mon already, where are we?¡±  Magdalene chimed in as she turned to look at Vidor.

    ¡°Will you stop calling me that already?  Anyways, as for where we are¡­¡± replied Vidor, voice trailing off as the wagon reached the top of the hill it was climbing.  He pulled up on the reins he held, stopping the horses so that everyone could take in the sight.  Aridean, Rana, and Magdalene all turned their attention to what lay ahead of them in the road.  Each of the three looked on in surprise with mouths slightly agape at the scene.  Not even a kilometer down the road was a vibrant and active town.  Colorful buildings and flashy d¨¦cor surrounded by large striped pillars that circled the entire town and were connected by ribbons wrapped near the top of the poles.  People of different races, shapes, and sizes wandered the roads; some were in costumes and some in dresses or suits.  However, there were no citizens with hooves nor horns as far as Aridean could tell.  ¡°Welcome to Hunlio!¡±

    ¡°Hunlio?  Isn¡¯t this that the place that people call party town?  Why are we here?¡±  Magdalene asked Vidor after a moment of processing what it was she was looking at.  Her face showed her apparent confusion.  Vidor had upgraded his childish smile to his usual goofy grin.  He whipped the horses into motion again.  With a whinny, the two horses began to pull the wagon.

    ¡°I was thinkin¡¯ that we needed a break, especially since we only had one afternoon between the last two missions to relax.  Since we were out this direction, I thought we should go check out one of the festivals this place has.  There¡¯s plenty of stuff to do here according to Sven.  Games, shows, gambling, and more.  Oh, and of course there are plenty of sweets to try too,¡± Vidor explained while putting extra emphasis on the ¡®sweets¡¯ aspect.  Aridean could see that Rana was struggling to hide her desire to try the sweets while trying to maintain her composure.  Vidor then turned to Magdalene, ¡°And I thought Maggie might find someone she could pickpocket that was NOT me.¡±

    ¡°Vidor, I do not think now is the time for a vacation.  Don¡¯t you think it would be best for us to return home?  After everything that happened back in Thellia¡­¡±  said Rana as she shook her head.

    ¡°I think now¡¯s the best time!  Especially after everything we¡¯ve been through, it¡¯ll help take our minds off things¡­ and Maggie can join in too if she wants, I guess,¡± Vidor replied with enthusiasm.

    ¡°I heard that, y¡¯know!¡±  Magdalene complained with an annoyed look on her face.  Vidor gave a short and quiet laugh while Rana sighed deeply before turning to look at Aridean.  Aridean herself remained quiet with an indifferent expression as she looked out toward the town the group was nearing.  Music and laughter grew ever louder and the smells were becoming far more pungent.

    Despite the town of Hunlio only being about a day¡¯s walk away from Thellia, this was Aridean¡¯s first time ever seeing it.  Jean had told her all about it after he went for a week; he seemed excited to go back and take Aridean with him.  Unfortunately, the two never got the chance to visit the renowned carnival town together.  All Aridean knew about this town was what Jean had told her and that was not much beyond there were games and good food.

    ¡°Aridean, are you alright with this?¡±  Rana asked after a moment of silence in the wagon.  Having been brought back to reality, Aridean turned to face Rana.  She tried to force a smile on her face but found she struggled to do so for some reason.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t have a problem with it,¡± Aridean answered.  ¡°B-but we are still near Thellia; this part of the country is wary of minotaurs like us.¡±

    Although Vidor seemed thrilled by her answer, Rana gave another exasperated sigh before turning to look at the approaching town, ¡°That¡¯s not really what concerns me right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Rana, really.  Maybe Vidor¡¯s right:  maybe this will help me take my mind off things¡­¡± Aridean said with a forced smile.  Rana looked her in the eyes for a few seconds with skepticism before sighing yet again.  Clearly, she was not entirely convinced but seemed to relent from pressing further.

    As Vidor drove the wagon into the town of festivals, Aridean took a moment to herself in the back.  Despite the loud music and boisterous conversations all around the team, Aridean had entirely blocked all external nuisances out of her mind.  Nothing mattered as she gazed upon her reflection in the brightly polished metal of the instrument she held.  She could see the apathy in the reflected image as lively and animated carnival goers danced and ran along the road.  Aridean slipped the large, ornate battle axe into the harness she had strapped to her back.

    Was it really okay for me to take this with me?  I know he would not approve of this, Aridean thought to herself.  It was the only thing she took with her as the group left her old farmhouse.  At Vidor¡¯s suggestion, Aridean had decided to bring along the large axe that Simon had hanging over the living room fireplace.  At the time, Aridean agreed that a memento would be nice to have.  However, the more she looked at the decorated weapon, the more she regretted several decisions she had previously made.  As Aridean took a deep breath of air, she felt the wagon come to a stop.

    Beaming with excitement, Vidor jumped down from the wagon.  Not even bothering to hitch the horses to the post he had stopped the wagon at, Vidor began surveying the surrounding carnival grounds.  Magdalene, unexpectedly, followed suit and took in the scene with wide eyes.  Both Rana and Aridean slowly descended from the wagon and took care of the horses before moving to join Vidor and Magdalene.  Almost immediately, Aridean noticed that their presence had finally.  Several groups of people stopped, stared, and even pointed in the team¡¯s direction; any gossip among the gawking strangers had been entirely drowned out by lively music and conversations.

    ¡°What do we check out first?  There are some games over there and food stalls lined up down that road!  I think I heard something about a show nearby,¡± a hyped Vidor began to speak.  As he moved to start walking, a young man bumped into Vidor.  Once he regained his balance, Vidor looked to the man, ¡°Oh, sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± grunted the man as he moved around Vidor.  Near instantaneously, the man disappeared into the crowd.

    ¡°Huh, guess Aridean was right, people still don¡¯t like us out here,¡± Vidor stated.

    ¡°Probably, but that amateur was just trying to pickpocket you,¡± Magdalene responded with arms crossed over her chest.  Aridean, Rana, and Vidor all turned to look at the young girl who was still facing the direction the man had walked off in.

    ¡°How could you know that?¡±  Rana asked curiously.  Turning to face her minotaur companions, Magdalene produced a familiar looking pouch.  She shook the small bag, the jingle of coins ringing out with each shake.

    ¡°Because I stole the wallet back.  No one robs dummy but me,¡± Magdalene proclaimed with an odd sense of pride.  Aridean and Rana were entirely awestruck while Vidor held his head low.

    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something to be proud of, Maggie.  But at the same time, you saved me about forty copper pieces,¡± spoke Vidor with a mildly annoyed, yet grateful, tone.

    How does she manage to do that?  Was it when they both stumbled over?  Aridean thought to herself.  Whatever the case had been, Magdalene had been so quick about stealing from the thief that no one had noticed her.  Magdalene tossed the pouch she held to Vidor who caught the bag with a single hand.  As Vidor slipped his wallet back into his pocket, Rana could be heard sighing loudly despite the raucous commotion from all around.

    ¡°I knew this was a bad idea.  We only just got out of the wagon and you¡¯ve already been targeted for pickpocketing.  Honestly, Vidor, what were you expecting coming here?  You know what it is like for us out here,¡± Rana scolded.  Aridean watched as Vidor¡¯s ears fell back in submission.  Vidor was unable to look his older sister in her eyes as he began to scratch the back of his head.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s not like I can help that.  C¡¯mon Rana, we¡¯re already here.  Why don¡¯t we at least try to have a little fun?  I-I think I see a sweets stand just down the road there,¡± replied Vidor, both hesitant and nervous.  Both Aridean and Magdalene noticed Rana¡¯s expression soften slightly as she glanced down the road.  Rana immediately returned her focus to her brother but her gaze was noticeably less forceful.

    ¡°I have got to get my sweets addiction under control¡­¡± groaned a disappointed Rana.  Vidor¡¯s eyes lit up a little as Rana continued, ¡°We¡¯ll just see a show and get some dinner but then we are out of here.  Are we clear?¡±

    ¡°Crystal clear,¡± Vidor answered with childish enthusiasm.  ¡°Why don¡¯t you and Maggie go get your sugar fix while Aridean and I find a show?¡±

    Having made a plan, Rana nodded her agreement to Vidor before looking to Magdalene.  The girl shrugged before the two turned and began walking in search of sweets.  Vidor breathed a sigh of relief as Rana and Magdalene made their way through the crowd.  Aridean noticed that as Rana moved, many of the people around her could be seen visibly avoiding her.

    I kind of expected that.  At least it won¡¯t be difficult to find one another if we get separated here, Aridean mentally commented to herself.  She then turned to face Vidor, who had one of his signature goofy-looking grins on his face.  Without a word, Vidor took Aridean¡¯s hand and led her around to the back of the stable they had parked the wagon at and into a secluded alleyway.  Music, laughter, and idle conversations were still quite audible but Aridean noticed that there did not seem to be anyone else around.  Certain they were alone; Vidor released his gentle grip on Aridean¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Vidor?  Aren¡¯t we going to find a show?¡±  Aridean asked, a bit confused as to why they now stood in the alleyway.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯ve already got it covered.  I wanted to give you something and I just couldn¡¯t wait until we got back to Stonehaven,¡± replied Vidor, his tone full of confidence and excitement.  Aridean slowly reached up toward her neck with one hand as the other was moved behind her back.

    ¡°A-another gift?  Vidor, I¡ª,¡± Aridean began to nervously speak.  However, she had entirely abandoned her train of thought as she realized she was grasping at nothing around her neck.  The ruby necklace Vidor had given her at her ¡®birthday party¡¯ was gone.  A panicked Aridean began looking around as though the necklace were just lying on the ground somewhere nearby, ¡°W-what?  W-when did I lose it?  Oh no!  Vidor, I¡ª¡±

    Vidor began to laugh as he watched Aridean fumble about in sudden hysteria over her loss of the necklace.  Aridean stopped abruptly after hearing Vidor¡¯s familiar chuckle.  Hesitant, Aridean turned to look at Vidor as he took a deep breath.  Aridean felt somewhat afraid by what Vidor might say next.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you didn¡¯t lose it,¡± Vidor said as he pulled the necklace from one of his pockets.  Relief washed over Aridean yet she wondered when Vidor had collected it, ¡°I snagged it off of you while you were resting back in the barn of your old home.¡±

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    What?  Why?  D-did I do something wrong?  I-is he taking it back?  Aridean began to ponder as a wave of worry began to crash over her again.  However, Vidor raised his hand holding the necklace toward Aridean, offering the trinket to her.  Confused, Aridean looked over the gift again.  She quietly gasped when she saw what Vidor had done to the necklace.

    ¡°I-is that--,¡± Aridean began to ask.

    ¡°Maggie had been holding onto it ever since we left Thellia.  I thought you might like to keep it,¡± Vidor explained with a gentle and inviting smile.  Aridean gently took back the necklace that Vidor had gifted to her.

    Aridean looked over the trinket.  Although the ivory disc with a ruby set in the center remained, Vidor had made an addition to the necklace.  Running through the larger chain links of Aridean¡¯s necklace was a smaller, copper chain.  This smaller chain snaked its way through and around just a few of the links near the ivory disc.  Attached to the smaller chain, resting just beside the ivory, was a small copper locket with a silver lining.  Aridean opened the locket to find the portraits that Magdalene had shown her when she found the locket.

    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know what to say¡­ Vidor, thank you,¡± Aridean spoke.  She found herself starting to choke up a little.  With deep breaths, Aridean undid the latch on the necklace and fastened it around her neck.  Still trying to calm her flustered nerves, Aridean pushed herself into Vidor, wrapping her arms around his neck.  Vidor in turn gently wrapped his arms around her.

    ¡°I, uh, I mean, d-don¡¯t mention it!  Eheheh,¡± Vidor nervously responded.  Although his delight was abundantly obvious, it seemed Vidor had not expected Aridean¡¯s sudden affection.  After a few seconds of embracing one another, Aridean released her grip on Vidor and took a single step back.  She then took a moment to look over the necklace Vidor had given her.  The contrast between the minotaur and human charms had certain appeal that Aridean found quite fitting.

    ¡°W-well, why don¡¯t we go find Rana and Maggie and then go see that show?¡±  Aridean suggested nervously.  Vidor, smiling, gave Aridean an agreeable nod before leading her back toward the wagon.  Fortunately, it seemed that Rana and Magdalene had already returned to find them.

    ¡°Uh¡­ is she okay?¡±  Magdalene asked Vidor and Aridean while gesturing to Rana with a worried look on her face.

    ¡°Vidor!  Aridean!  You simply must try these funnel cakes!  They¡¯ve even topped them with powdered sugar and raspberry jam!  Oh, and there was a stall selling elven fudge!  I can¡¯t remember the last time I got to try elven sweets!  I had the hardest time trying to decide which to get first,¡± an overly excited Rana began rambling with positively ecstatic enthusiasm in her expression.  Rana held a large, half-eaten funnel cake in one hand and small bag in her other hand.  Given the delightful scent coming from the bag, and also who possessed the bag, it was a safe bet to assume it contained more sweets.  Vidor and Aridean both glanced from Magdalene to Rana and then back to Magdalene.

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s okay,¡± both Vidor and Aridean answered in unison.  Magdalene¡¯s expression became more disturbed than concerned by their response.  Still chewing on her baked goods, Rana seemed to stop suddenly after looking over Aridean for a moment.  Upon noticing that Rana was watching her, Aridean locked eyes with the sweets-obsessed, older minotaur.

    ¡°Now I see why Vidor wanted Maggie and I gone.  I think it looks nice, Aridean,¡± Rana stated with a gentle smile.  Aridean smiled back as her hand reached up to her necklace, her fingers wrapped around the ivory charm while the locket rested on her thumb.

    ¡°Well, you got your snacks and Aridean and me found a show.  Let¡¯s get going already before I start begging to play some of the games or you run back for more cake,¡± announced Vidor.  Rana gave a nod of agreement as her mouth was full of baked goods again.  With that, Vidor led the group just a little way back up the road they had driven down in the wagon.

    Aridean stuck close to both Vidor and Rana as they made their way through the lively town.  Although music and laughter and idle conversations made up most of the ongoing commotion, Aridean knew there were whispers about her and her friends.  It was not difficult to find the people that noticed the gang as they would stare, point, or scowl.  Just like when she watched Rana head off to find her sweets, Aridean observed that a wide berth had been given to the group of minotaurs and single half-elf from other festival patrons.

    One would think I¡¯d be use to this by now but it¡¯s like it doesn¡¯t even bother Rana or Vidor¡­ I wonder what Maggie thinks of it?  Does she even notice?  Aridean wondered.  Unfortunately, the more she thought about their situation, the more self-conscious she became.  While the town was active and colorful, Aridean felt entirely out of place.  As she continued to follow Rana and Vidor with Magdalene at her side, Aridean¡¯s eyes shifted uneasily all over the place.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s this one.  I overheard something about this show on our way into town.  There¡¯s supposed to be someone famous or something performing,¡± Vidor spoke as he stopped the group.  Vidor pointed to a large tent with an extravagantly designed sign over the entrance.  The sign read ¡®Come see her royal highness of acting¡¯.  With only one look at the sign, Magdalene¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion.

    ¡°¡®Royal highness of acting¡¯?  Why does that sound familiar?¡±  Magdalene inquired while still studying the sign.

    ¡°Something about the Acting Princess.  Y¡¯know, that big celebrity that¡¯s a part of the popular performance troupe, Celestial Drifters or something,¡± replied Vidor.  He had put some playful emphasis on when mentioning the Acting Princess.  Magdalene looked to Vidor with astonishment before turning away quickly.  Despite the uproar from all around, Aridean heard a quiet and disappointed grunt come from the girl.

    ¡°M-Maggie?  Is everything alright?¡±  Aridean hesitantly asked Magdalene.

    ¡°Sis¡­ really wanted to see one of their shows one day is all,¡± answered Magdalene with a somewhat glum tone.  Although her first thought was to say something comforting, Aridean failed to think of anything that might not upset Magdalene.  Vidor clearly had not heard Magdalene as he was eagerly moving toward the darkened entrance of the tent while Rana was busy enjoying the fudge she had purchased.  A worried sigh left Aridean¡¯s throat.

    ¡°W-we don¡¯t have to see the show if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Aridean suggested with a nervous smile on her face.  Magdalene turned to face her with a stone-cold expression.  Aridean could feel her entire body tense up just from Magdalene¡¯s stare.

    ¡°No, we¡¯ll watch the show,¡± Magdalene responded as she moved to follow Vidor into the tent.  Standing a few feet in front of Aridean, the girl stopped and turned her head slightly in Aridean¡¯s direction, ¡°but¡­ thanks, Ari.¡±

    I didn¡¯t really expect that¡­ I know bringing up her sister is a difficult topic.  At least she didn¡¯t snap at me again¡­ considered Aridean as she moved to catch up with the others.  Still a bit nervous, Aridean followed her friends into the dimly lit tent.

    Although it was not difficult to see inside the tent, it had been made abundantly clear where everyone¡¯s attention should be focused.  On the far side of the tent from where the group stood was a large wooden stage bathed in the light of several spotlights.  Dark red curtains hid the backstage from view and the stage itself seemed a little barren without any props.  Although music was playing from somewhere within the tent, the sounds contested with the commotion from beyond the tent walls.  Apart from the stage, the tent was furnished with many polished, wooden tables and cushioned chairs for the audience to sit at.  However, Aridean did not see a single open table throughout the dimly lit space.

    ¡°Thank you all for coming out today!  I certainly hope you have all enjoyed yourselves,¡± boomed a rather enthusiastic and peppy feminine voice.  Aridean turned to see that it belonged to the single person on the stage.  It was a woman with long, dark hair and dressed in a shining, bright red dress and red heels.  Her skin was absolutely flawless with glittery makeup shining in the spotlight upon her face and arms.  The woman had oddly large, golden bracelets on her wrists and a necklace adorned with a single bright ruby.

    As the woman finished her statement, applause and cheering came from the audience.  The woman waved one hand as the other held a microphone that projected her voice to the speakers attached to the support beams of the tent.  She bowed her head to the crowd; her long hair fell below her knees.

    ¡°Encore!  Encore!¡±  several members of the audience began to chant at the woman on stage.

    ¡°Aw, is it over already?  I was really looking forward to seeing a show¡­¡± Vidor complained before turning to face the girls.  His expression showed just how bothered he was as he let out a frustrated moan.  Having finally finished her snack, Rana began to shake her head.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry Vidor.  If we can¡¯t see a show then perhaps we just get some dinner and head home,¡± Rana said.  Although her usual sweet voice was present, everyone could tell that she was not about to tolerate any begging for something else in the carnival town.  Vidor sighed disappointedly but nodded his head as the music in the tent started to fade.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t worry, Vidor.  Our trip out here wasn¡¯t a total waste of time,¡± Aridean told the moping minotaur.  Seeing her gentle smile as she held her necklace, Vidor slowly began to smile himself.  Rana began to usher the others back out of the tent but stopped as she felt a tugging on her tunic.  The oldest minotaur turned to see Magdalene pulling at her clothes.

    ¡°Hmm?  Is everything alright Maggie?¡±  Rana asked gently.  Aridean noticed that the applause within the tent was beginning to die down.

    ¡°I thought dummy didn¡¯t know magic,¡± replied Magdalene as she looked to Vidor with a stoic face.  Aridean and Rana both looked to the girl with confusion.  Vidor, however, appeared slightly annoyed by the odd statement.

    ¡°I guess dummy is better than pervert.  I do know magic, I just don¡¯t bother using it because I¡¯m not very good at it¡­ why are you bringing that up, by the way?¡±  Vidor asked with a mildly agitated tone.  Magdalene, stone faced, proceeded to point toward the ground beneath Vidor.

    ¡°Why are your hooves not on the ground?¡±  Magdalene inquired with the same indifference in her voice she carried previously.  Immediately, both Aridean and Rana¡¯s gazes followed Magdalene¡¯s finger to find that Vidor¡¯s hooves were floating just few inches above the ground.  Rana¡¯s mouth fell open as Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide at the sight.  Vidor¡¯s reaction was not much different as he lifted his hooves even higher off of the ground.

    ¡°W-what the¡ªwhat¡¯s going on here?!¡±  a startled Vidor began to panic.  Rana and Aridean both stood stunned for only a second before reaching out to the flying Vidor.  However, before their hands met, a pink and translucent chain wrapped its way around Vidor¡¯s torso, ¡°W-whoaaa!¡±

    Aridean watched as Vidor was lassoed by the glassy-looking chain and sent flying over the audience within the tent.  She could hear a few of the patrons around the tent gasp and more begin to talk among themselves.  Aridean felt uneasy hearing the chatter from the audience as Vidor flew further away but was entirely unnerved to hear the music starting back up.  By the looks on both Rana and Magdalene¡¯s faces, it seemed the others were just as surprised by the unusual event unfolding before their eyes.

    Having collected herself somewhat, Aridean began to follow the chain that had ensnared Vidor.  Her eyes went wide and mouth fell agape as she saw who held the other end of the chain.  With hands glowing a bright pink color, the one pulling Vidor away was the woman on the stage.  Aridean watched as the performer gave one more forceful yank on the chain that bound Vidor.  Vidor continued to sail over the murmuring crowd as he approached the stage.

    Just as he entered the spotlight, Aridean observed her friend abruptly stop moving.  His sudden stop was caused by the chain, having released its grip on his torso and moving down to his right leg.  Vidor was now hanging several feet above the stage from the chain that reached up toward the roof of the tent, swaying gently while being suspended in the air.  With hands hanging down toward the wooden stage beneath him, Vidor found his face was inches from the face of the woman.

    ¡°Well, hello handsome!¡±  the woman playfully greeted as she leaned in toward Vidor.  She had a bright smile on her face that entirely contrasted the confused and alarmed expression Vidor had.

    ¡°Uh¡­ hi?¡±  Vidor replied, both nervous and confused as he gently sway back and forth.  Aridean could hear more murmuring from the crowd.  Although she could not make out anything that was being spoken, she was certain they were not speaking positively of Vidor.  She watched the woman that had taken Vidor captive as she stood back up and turned toward the audience.  Apart from the music, the entire tent had gone silent as the woman lifted her microphone to her smiling mouth.

    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ve got quite the catch here today, wouldn¡¯t you all agree?¡±  the performer gleefully announced.  Surprisingly, the crowd began to clap before she continued, ¡°First things first, what brings you to Hunlio, darling?¡±

    The woman turned back to Vidor and offered her microphone to him.  The crowd quickly silenced the clapping.  Vidor, still hanging upside down from the magical chain, looked from the woman to the audience and then back to the woman.  Aridean heard a disappointed grunting sound over the speakers before hearing Vidor¡¯s answer.

    ¡°My¡­ master wanted to see a show,¡± Vidor reluctantly answered with another quiet, disgruntled moan.  Both Aridean and Rana turned to see that Magdalene¡¯s eyes had gone wide and her cheeks were flushed red.

    ¡°Your master, hm?  Oh, you mean the little dear in the back, yes?¡±  the woman questioned further with a cheery tone.  She extended a hand in the direction of Magdalene, Aridean, and Rana.  Almost instantly, a blinding spotlight was shone on the three.  Aridean could feel every muscle in her body tensing up as all the eyes in the tent were directed toward the three.

    ¡°That dummy is so gonna get it when we get out of here¡­¡± Magdalene could be heard muttering with a rather furious tone of voice.

    ¡°Hm?  Oh, ho, ho!  What have we here?¡±  the enthusiastic woman spoke, her eyes having widened with surprise and intrigue.  Aridean watched as the woman¡¯s free hand began to glow again.  Within the woman¡¯s glowing hand, a new magical chain began to manifest.  The woman brought her hand back, now gripping the second chain.  Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide as the performer lunged forward, sending the new chain flying in her direction.

    ¡°Ah!¡±  Aridean gasped as she found herself now captured like Vidor.  The magical cord was wrapped snugly around her body.  With a startled look in her eyes, she turned to Rana.  Rana moved to grab Aridean¡¯s hand but was not fast enough, ¡°A-aaahhh!¡±

    Aridean found herself flying above the crowd the same way Vidor had just a moment ago.  Below her were quiet laughs and more murmuring from the audience about the minotaur sailing through the air overhead.  Aridean¡¯s heart was racing as she drifted toward the stage.  As she entered the light of the stage, Aridean felt the chain release her stomach but move toward her arms.  Aridean now floated on the other side of the woman from Vidor, but she remained right-side up as the chains binding her lifted her arms over her head and kept her hooves a foot above the wooden flooring.

    ¡°Well, hello sweetie,¡± the strange performer greeted with the same cheer she had when speaking to Vidor.  Aridean¡¯s mouth fell open but no words passed her lips, ¡°Aw, she¡¯s shy!  Let¡¯s give her a little encouragement, everyone!¡±

    As the smiling woman turned toward the audience, Aridean heard an uproar.  Cheering and clapping coming from the entire tent at the behest of the woman¡¯s request had entirely drowned out the music that had been playing.  Although they were meant to be encouraging Aridean, she felt magnitudes more uncomfortable with the entire situation.  Dangling from a magic chain, Aridean watched as the woman turned back to Vidor.

    ¡°Well, darling, the other one looks too much like you.  Family, right?  But this one has ¡®special-lady-friend¡¯ written all over her,¡± the woman turned back to Aridean and approached with a confident smile.  Aridean closed her eyes and recoiled as her captor reached up toward her face, ¡°After all, you appear to have given her¡ªhm?¡±

    Aridean opened her eyes again and saw that the woman was inspecting her necklace.  She had initially been inspecting the ruby ornament but seemed interested in the locket that Vidor had added to Aridean¡¯s necklace.  The woman opened the locket, her eyes immediately went wide and her smile faded.  After only a second, the woman recomposed herself and locked eyes with Aridean.  The devilish grin on her face unnerved Aridean.

    ¡°Would the young lady who owns these two please come up to the stage?¡±  the performer requested while turning to look in Magdalene¡¯s direction.  Despite the distance between the two, Aridean could see the uneasy look on Magdalene¡¯s face.  Nevertheless, Magdalene began to walk through the tent toward the stage with Rana in tow.  The young girl climbed the stairs to the stage and stood beside the dangling Aridean.  Rana had elected to wait just offstage and outside the spotlight.

    ¡°I-I had hoped to see a show but did not expect to see my servants become a part of the act,¡± Magdalene nervously told the woman.  Aridean could hear an annoyed grunt from Vidor.  The woman proceeded to erupt into laughter; her own amusement was joined by the crowd within the tent.

    ¡°Oh, young lady, I had planned to put on a quick act with these two but I¡¯ve taken a keen interest in this one¡¯s necklace.  Rubies are quite valuable, you know.  Something so grand seems entirely wasted on a servant like her, don¡¯t you agree?¡±  the woman asked Magdalene.  The young half-elf looked to the woman with confusion clear in her expression, ¡°You do know what rubies mean to minotaurs, yes?¡±

    ¡°T-they¡¯re just my servants, I don¡¯t know their life stories,¡± Magdalene nervously replied.  A few hushed laughs could be heard coming from the crowd.

    ¡°I was just thinking since you don¡¯t seem interested that I might take this pretty little trinket for myself!  You wouldn¡¯t mind, would you?¡±  the performer continued as she reached up toward Aridean¡¯s necklace again.

    ¡°W-what?!  N-no, no!¡±  interjected a distraught Aridean.  She had begun to wriggle and squirm as the woman¡¯s hand neared her neck.  More laughter could be heard coming from all around as Aridean began to futilely struggle.  Unexpectedly, however, the woman did back off.  Even so, Aridean was still feeling unsettled by the mischievous grin on the woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°No?  You are telling me ¡®no¡¯?  How interesting¡­¡± spoke the woman as she turned to Magdalene.  ¡°Your servant is awfully rude.  I believe some discipline is in order.¡±

    The bright pink glow of magic began to radiate from the woman¡¯s hand again.  Aridean felt the chains around her wrists loosen for only a second.  However, she found that she was not being set free as both her hands were still tangled and forcibly thrown down toward the ground.  The chains tying her hands over her head and keeping her floating in the air had quickly moved to the stage, dropping Aridean to the ground in the process.  Unable to stand up, Aridean found that she was still snared and was now sitting on her knees.

    ¡°Teach your servant a lesson.  A good slap across the cheek should do the trick,¡± the woman ordered with her bewildering smile.  Magdalene¡¯s eyes went wide as she looked from the woman to Aridean and back.  The surprise in both Vidor and Rana¡¯s expressions was readily apparent.  It was quite frightening to hear cheering coming from the audience at this point.

    W-what is going on?  What is this lady¡¯s deal?  Aridean thought to herself.  She turned to see Magdalene next to her.  The girl was biting her lip and unable to make eye contact with her or the woman in front of them.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter young lady?  She¡¯s just a servant, and a minotaur at that!  You really must teach them manners if you are going to be bringing them out and about like this,¡± the woman chided with her playful tone.  Gently, the woman took Magdalene by the hand and moved her in front of Aridean.  The roaring applause from the crowd continued as Magdalene and Aridean now looked one another in the face.  Magdalene could see the worry in Aridean¡¯s expression and Aridean in turn could see Magdalene¡¯s confusion, ¡°Go on then.¡±

    Magdalene looked from Aridean to the woman.  The girl then looked out toward the audience beyond the reach of the spotlight.  They continued to cheer on the woman as she attempted to coax Magdalene.  Again, Magdalene turned toward Aridean, the former could feel her entire body shaking.  The girl took a deep breath before putting on a hateful-looking face.  The uproar from the crowd was silenced as she brought up her right hand.

    The popping noise rang out across the entire tent.  Aridean felt a sharp pain in her left cheek as Magdalene had put force behind the strike.  Cheering and applause had started again as the woman laughed.  After processing what had just happened, Aridean looked up toward Magdalene.  The girl¡¯s expression had entirely shifted one of hostility.  If anything, Magdalene looked almost as confused as Aridean by what had just happened.  Behind the girl, Aridean could see Vidor¡¯s face was filled with anger.

    ¡°Aha, ha, ha!  That was fun!  Well, thank you everyone for coming out today!  I hope you all enjoyed our final act as much as I did,¡± the exuberant woman announced while addressing the crowd.  Having finished her act, the performer¡¯s hands began to glow once more.

    ¡°Oof!¡±  Vidor grunted as the chains suspending him in the air vanished and gravity brought the black-furred minotaur crashing back down to the ground.  Aridean felt the magical bindings that tied her to the ground had also released their hold on her.  Still looking into Magdalene¡¯s stunned face, Aridean began to rub the cheek she had slapped.  Despite her size, Magdalene seemed capable of packing a punch as the side of her face still stung.

    As Vidor began to pick himself up off the ground the woman began to exit the spotlight on the stage.  Aridean could hear her laugh slowly trailing off as she disappeared behind a curtain just off the stage.  Even though the main performer had left the stage, the applause from the audience continued for a few moments.  Eventually, the cheering turned to idle chatter and conversations between the patrons as people began to exit the tent.

    ¡°A-Ari¡­ I--,¡± Magdalene started to speak.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough!¡±  Vidor snapped as he helped Aridean to her hooves.  Rana had also joined the group onstage.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ are you alright?¡±  Rana asked gently.

    ¡°I-I¡¯d just like to go back to Stonehaven,¡± Aridean answered with a depressed tone in her voice.  Vidor let out a gloomy sounding moan as the team turned to start walking toward the exit.  Just as she descended the stage stairs, Aridean turned to see Magdalene still standing where she had slapped her.

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean for¡­ I thought I was¡­ helping¡­¡± Magdalene quietly muttered as she looked into her right hand.  Aridean could only think of one word to describe the look in Magdalene¡¯s eyes:  terror.  Magdalene shook her head before moving to catch up with her minotaur companions.  Together, the group made for the exit with intentions of returning to their wagon to start their journey home.

 Chapter 22 - In Service of the Master

    Friendly laughter and idle chatter could be heard all throughout the room.  The delightful smells of fresh cooking wafted through the air.  Ringing of the front entrance doorbell rang out as patrons entered or exited.  People lined up at the counter and patiently queued in an orderly fashion that was quickly extending toward the entrance.  Despite the unusual location of the facility, the atmosphere within the dining room was warm and inviting.  It was an average morning at the Stonehaven mess hall.

    As a group finished their morning meal and started leaving, Aridean would approach the empty table.  With haste, the minotaur would collect dishes and utensils in a small plastic tub.  Having cleared the table, she would sit the tub in one of the small chairs before thoroughly wiping down the table with a damp rag.  Before collecting her dish tub and retreating into the kitchen, Aridean made sure that all of the chairs around the table were neatly pushed in.

    Having performed her first duty, the minotaur waitress took her dishes back into the kitchen.  Behind the door leading to the kitchen of the mess hall was a rather impressive setup.  Multiple stovetops and ovens with plenty of counterspace and several sinks lined up in efficient rows filled most of the room.  Perhaps it was just an impressive kitchen to Aridean as her only other exposure to such a facility was Mutt¡¯s Tavern in Thellia.  Regardless, Aridean happily avoided all of that space as she was solely a staff member who would only wait on patrons and clean up.  After her only demonstration of her cooking ability, the rest of the kitchen staff were also happy that she kept away from the cooking stations.

    Aridean moved through the kitchen to a large sink that had a few dirty dishes already sitting within and several other tubs with even more to be cleaned.  She added her tub to the growing collection and opened the hot water tap.  A steady stream of water began to flow from the faucet and Aridean began to intently wash the dishes she had piled up.  The assortment of used dishes slowly diminished as the minotaur worked but other staff would occasionally add to her load.

    Eventually, Aridean had managed to clean all of the dishes that had been brought back.  Just as she was sitting the last plate on a rack to dry, she heard the familiar and friendly voice call out to her, ¡°Hey, Aridean, your shift¡¯s almost up.  Why don¡¯t you go ahead and call it for today?  There¡¯s someone out in the dining room that¡¯d like to see you anyway!¡±

    Aridean turned to see Sven looking up to her from the ordering station with a bright smile on his face.  It appeared that things were slowing down already as Sven did not have anyone else walking up to place an order.  Aridean thought to herself that she must have lost track of the time with how long she had been cleaning.  She glanced to her enormous stack of dishes to see that she had washed more than double the number of dishes she had started with.  With a relieved sigh, Aridean gave Sven a gentle smile and nodded.

    I don¡¯t mind coming in to help so early, but I am looking forward to relaxing a little now, Aridean thought to herself as she untied the apron she was wearing.  As she made for the door leading into the dining room, Aridean deposited the apron in a large hamper to be washed later.  It had been a bit of an adjustment for her as she had become accustomed to maintaining her apron herself from her time working in Thellia.

    Pushing the swinging door open and entering back into the dining room, it only took Aridean a second to spot Vidor and Rana.  They were a bit difficult to miss as Vidor had been intently focused on the doorway waiting for her and waved her over the instant she opened the kitchen door.  With another smile on her face, Aridean began to make her way through the loud and pleasant-smelling dining hall to the table her friends were seated at.

    ¡°Morning Aridean!  You¡¯re finally done here, right?¡±  Vidor greeted with childish enthusiasm.  As Aridean sat down at the table, Vidor pushed a plate holding an omelet on it in front of her.  Rana closed a book she had been reading and gave a gentle smile.

    ¡°Good morning, Vidor.  Good morning, Rana.  I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting, I got a little carried away washing dishes again,¡± Aridean replied as she grabbed her fork to begin eating.  It was clear that both Vidor and Rana had already finished their breakfasts by the empty plates that sat in front of them.

    ¡°You do not need to worry about that, Aridean.  I¡¯m glad to hear you were enjoying yourself.  If anything, we are sorry we did not wait for you to finish up first,¡± Rana apologized as Aridean started chewing on a bite of her meal.  Although her food was starting to cool, Aridean was delighted by the flavor.  She had been cleaning dishes for so long that she had not realized she was as hungry as she was.

    Aridean¡¯s breakfast was delicious.  While it may have been the same thing she ordered every day, the flavor was absolutely incredible.  As Aridean ate her meal, Rana reopened her book while Vidor began tinkering with his crossbow.  Despite the morning having been as normal as possible given the circumstances, Aridean could not help but feel something was off.  Looking to the empty seat across from her, she thought for a moment as she swallowed another bite of her omelet.

    ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t suppose you two know where Maggie is, do you?¡±  Aridean asked while looking from Rana to Vidor.  Vidor rolled his eyes and grunted quietly.

    ¡°Nope,¡± replied Vidor bluntly.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I haven¡¯t seen her at all since we got back from Hunlio.  Don¡¯t worry too much:  she¡¯s a bit headstrong for her age but she¡¯s demonstrated she can handle herself,¡± Rana answered as she flipped a page in her book.

    Maggie¡¯s made herself oddly scarce since we got back¡­ I saw her asleep in her bed when I left the barracks to come here.  But that was especially early and the first time I had seen her since we got back yesterday; she had just vanished after we unloaded the wagon, Aridean thought to herself.  Although she agreed with Rana¡¯s sentiments regarding the girl¡¯s wellbeing, Aridean still felt Maggie¡¯s distancing was a bit different despite their short and altogether unusual acquaintance.  Regardless, Aridean pushed the thought out of her mind and resumed focusing on eating her breakfast.

    ¡°So, I was thinking we pick up where we left off before that last assignment:  you up for a little camp-out, Aridean?¡±  Vidor asked with his signature goofy looking grin on his face.  Aridean swallowed the food in her mouth before looking to her friend and giving a gentle smile of her own.  Just as she opened her mouth to answer, however, Rana let out an exasperated sigh and closed her book again.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to be the bearer of bad news:  we¡¯re waiting on grandfather to decide on our next assignment already.  There are two urgent matters that need our attention and we¡¯re stretched thin.  I¡¯m sorry you two, but you¡¯ll have to postpone your camping trip,¡± Rana announced with her usual kind tone of voice.  Despite how sweet and considerate Rana¡¯s voice sounded, Aridean could hear her reluctance to have shared that information with them.  Vidor turned to his face with a particularly upset expression.

    ¡°What?  We only got back yesterday!  Yeesh, what¡¯s grandpa wasting our time with now?¡± Vidor, begrudgingly, asked his sister.  Rather than answer her brother, Aridean noticed that Rana¡¯s eyes had shifted slightly upward.  Aridean followed Rana¡¯s gaze, her eyes immediately going wide at the sight of what it was Rana had focused on.  Vidor raised an eyebrow upon seeing the startled look on Aridean¡¯s face, ¡°Hmm?  What are you looking a¡ªgrandpa¡¯s standing right behind me, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°I believe Rana informed you that this is an urgent matter, Vidor,¡± boomed the authoritative and stern voice of Mikali Stonehoof.  Having been spooked by his grandfather¡¯s sudden appearance, Vidor jolted upright in his chair as Mikali moved around to the remaining open seat at the table.  Aridean put down her fork and watched silently as the oldest minotaur pulled his seat back and joined her and her friends at the table.

    ¡°Good morning, grandfather,¡± spoke Rana as Mikali leaned his walking staff against the wall behind him.  The old minotaur heaved a weary sounding sigh before surveying his grandchildren.  Aridean was not certain, but she thought she saw the beginnings of a smile on Mikali¡¯s face.

    ¡°Good morning, Rana.  Good morning, Vidor.  Forgive me for having cut your stay at home short again.  We have made a decision regarding what task your team shall undertake,¡± Mikali began to speak.  As he finished his thought, Mikali turned to look across the table at Aridean.  Aridean noticed the old minotaur¡¯s one good eye widened slightly after a brief period of examining her.  Mikali had gone silent and his jaw seemed to drop somewhat.  Aridean could not tell if she were more confused or disturbed to see the old minotaur freeze up the way he had.

    ¡°Grandpa?  You okay?¡±  asked Vidor after a few seconds of awkward silence.  Aridean noticed Mikali blink a few times before shaking his head, as though he were waking up from a dream or trance.  He turned to look at his grandson with his normal, gravely serious look on his face.  The old minotaur cleared his throat before answering.

    ¡°Of course.  Anyway, we¡¯ve spent time debating whether your team would act as diplomats to the lizarians of the Great Wiir Swamplands or be investigating some odd occurrences in a southern Empire town,¡± Mikali explained with renewed composure and authority.

    What was that about?  I know we¡¯ve never really seen eye-to-eye but was he really that surprised to see me sitting with Vidor and Rana?  Aridean thought to herself while feeling slightly annoyed.

    Whenever they were in the same room together, Aridean could almost feel the animosity and bitterness between herself and Mikali.  Despite having been members of the same organization for the past two years, the two made little effort to speak to one another.  Although she would never bring it up to anyone, Aridean was still resentful of the old minotaur for having basically forced her into enlisting in the rebellion army.  While Aridean could not think of any specific reason why Mikali would be so disdainful of her, she got the impression that he cared little for her wellbeing.

    ¡°What was decided then, grandfather?  From what you were telling me, it seemed like we could be going either way,¡± Rana chimed in.  Mikali turned to face his granddaughter before responding.

    ¡°We¡¯ve decided that you will make your way south, to a small hamlet known as Cortonne.  Reports have indicated that something unusual is occurring there.  Rumors that entire squadrons of Empire soldiers are disappearing without a trace have originated from that settlement.  We need to know what has transpired there,¡± briefed Mikali.  As Mikali took a breath at the conclusion of his thought, Rana immediately turned to Aridean.

    ¡°What do we know about Cortonne?¡±  asked Rana.  Aridean paused for a moment to think back to what she knew of the small town.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been before but Cortonne is a small town far to the south.  I recall history lessons mentioning something about a noble family that worked to cure a horribly infectious plague over one hundred years ago owning the entire settlement.  I can¡¯t think of anything special about the place, but I¡¯ve always heard odd rumors from travelers back in Thellia,¡± Aridean began to answer.

    ¡°Odd rumors?  What sort of thing did you hear?¡±  Vidor chimed in as his ear twitched with curiosity.  Even Mikali had raised an eyebrow in interest, much to Aridean¡¯s surprise.

    ¡°Well, according to the rumors, the disappearances that General Mikali mentioned are not recent occurrences.  Supposedly, once a month, several travelers staying in Cortonne will slowly vanish at night with nothing left behind to indicate where they may have gone,¡± Aridean elaborated, her voice becoming more and more lax as she spoke.  It was abundantly clear that Aridean did not truly believe the bit of gossip she was sharing.  Working in Thellia as a waitress, Aridean had overheard many conversations.  Every conversation she heard about the hamlet of Cortonne had been entirely outlandish.  Even so, despite the different customers¡¯ accounts, the stories all shared worrying similarities.

    Mikali grunted loudly, ¡°What nonsense.  It seems other races will believe in any children¡¯s ghost story they are told.¡±

    ¡°I agree that we should check things out if the Empire continues to send soldiers only to have them disappear.  However, I find it difficult to believe these rumors if the town itself is still functional.  Surely people would not live there nor visit if these vanishing acts were actually taking place,¡± Rana said thoughtfully.  It was at this point that Aridean noticed most of the mess hall was starting to clear out.

    Morning conversations were beginning to quiet down as less and less of the patrons remained.  While the enticing smells of fresh cooking lingered, sounds of chairs being scooted under tables started assaulting Aridean¡¯s eardrums.  Looking around the dining room, the vast majority of the morning crowd had already left.  Only a few tables nearer to the order counter had occupied seats.  There was also a short, kitchen staff member wiping down a table just behind Aridean.  Strangely, Aridean did not recognize the one cleaning behind her.

    Hmm?  I may not talk to much of anyone besides Mr. Sven while I¡¯m working here but I don¡¯t know who that is at all¡­  Aridean thought to herself with curiosity.  With their back turned, the staff member leaned forward and stretched as far as they could as they were wiping down the table.  Not wanting to be caught staring, Aridean quickly turned back to her companions at her own table.

    ¡°Grandfather, do you know if we may be able to find out more about Cortonne in the archives building or library?¡±  Rana inquired.  Mikali turned to his granddaughter and took a deep breath.  However, before the minotaur elder could respond, a familiar voice could be heard from behind Aridean.

    ¡°Cortonne?  I¡¯ve heard that place is cursed,¡± came the unmistakable voice of Magdalene.  Aridean turned around again to see that the unfamiliar mess hall staff member was standing back up after having finished wiping down the table they were at.  Her eyes widened slightly as the worker dropped their rag into their dish tub and spun around to face her and the others.  To her surprise, the unfamiliar employee was the half-elven thief, Magdalene.  Upon closer inspection, she was still wearing her usual get-up of a white button up with a light blue skirt.  Her normal clothes were underneath a mostly clean apron that was a bit large for her.  Magdalene also had her sleeves rolled up and had contained her long hair under a white cap.

    ¡°Maggie?  What are you doing here?¡±  Vidor immediately asked with a skeptical look on his face.  Magdalene glanced at her half-full dish tub before locking eyes with Vidor.  She had a somewhat irritated expression.

    ¡°Uh, what does it look like, dummy?  I¡¯m cleaning tables and washing dishes,¡± replied Magdalene, mild agitation in her voice.

    ¡°I see that, but why?¡±  Vidor rephrased his question with a loud grunt.  ¡°What¡¯s a rotten thief doing actual work for?¡±

    ¡°Hey!  I might be a thief but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know honest work,¡± Magdalene retorted, her tone sounding particularly indignant after Vidor¡¯s last jab.  The friction between the two was interrupted by a loud sigh from Rana.

    ¡°And it seemed like the two of you were starting to get along¡­¡± Rana groaned quietly.  The female minotaur shook her head and recomposed herself, ¡°Maggie, do you know much of Cortonne?¡±

    Aridean watched as Magdalene took a deep breath and wiped her hands clean.  Before speaking again, the young girl turned around and grabbed a chair from the table she had been cleaning.  Magdalene moved the chair to the space between Aridean and Vidor at the table and then sat down with the group of four minotaurs.  Aridean was still somewhat surprised to have found Magdalene working in the mess hall while Vidor appeared less than pleased by her joining them at the table.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the place, but there is something weird about it.  Pa¡­ Pastor had told me there was something dark and evil about the town, but he was never clear on that.  I do know that the noble family that owns the place is the Impalivik Family.  I don¡¯t know any details but apparently that family isn¡¯t very active in the Empire anymore,¡± Magdalene explained.  The girl rested an elbow on her knee and her chin in hand while she waited for Rana to think.  Across the table from her, Rana could be seen contemplating what little knowledge the group had regarding their next destination.  Mikali let out a weary sigh.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I know what you are thinking, Rana.  While I¡¯ve no information of use to share, we need to investigate the disappearances,¡± Mikali spoke softly and patiently.  Rana looked up to her grandfather and gave a gentle smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandfather; I won¡¯t let this turn into another sasquatch incident,¡± replied Rana.  Although she had a smile on her face, Mikali¡¯s face filled with concern.  While it was clear the old minotaur¡¯s mind was filled with worry, he kept his opinions to himself.  However, having heard the word ¡®sasquatch,¡¯ Magdalene¡¯s expression immediately filled with confusion.

    ¡°Sasquatch?  Gonna have to ask Ari about that later¡­¡± Magdalene could be heard muttering to herself.  Vidor, having overheard the girl¡¯s comment, grunted his annoyance.

    Aridean watched as the girl pushed her chair back from the table.  As Magdalene stood from her seat, she patted out some wrinkles in her apron before turning to move her chair back.  Mikali also seemed prepared to take his leave as he reached for his walking stick and rose from his own spot at the table.

    ¡°So, I agreed to help out here for a little while longer.  Dummy, Rana, you two done with your plates?¡±  Magdalene asked, collecting Vidor¡¯s plate before he even responded.  Although he was finished, Vidor still rolled his eyes.  Rana passed her empty plate to Magdalene, who looked to Aridean¡¯s plate, ¡°Hey, Ari, not that I care, but are you okay?  You¡¯ve only eaten half your meal.¡±

    ¡°I thought that odd as well.  Are you unwell, child?¡±  Mikali joined in, much to Aridean¡¯s surprise.

    ¡°Uh, I--,¡± Aridean began to speak but found she was too surprised by Mikali to finish a thought.

    ¡°Vidor, see if she needs medicine and ensure she gets some rest in her bunk.  You may have youth, but don¡¯t overexert yourself, child,¡± ordered Mikali.  Although he spoke in his usual gruff and serious voice, Aridean thought he almost sounded¡­ concerned.  Whatever the case, Vidor nodded to his grandfather as the old minotaur stood by his chair.

    ¡°Well, when we heading out this time?¡±  Magdalene could be heard asking as she deposited the dishes into her collection tub.  Vidor immediately began to glare at the girl as she picked up the tub.

    ¡°Who said you were going?¡±  barked Vidor, sounding particularly aggressive.  Magdalene turned back around, looking a bit stunned by Vidor¡¯s sudden hostility.  Even Aridean and Rana both looked to Vidor, both feeling a bit of worry over the outburst.

    ¡°W-well, I-I thought¡ª¡± Magdalene began to reply with uncertainty.  In that moment, Aridean thought the normally brash and hotheaded girl looked almost as if she may start to cry.  That moment did not last, however, as Magdalene shook her head and composed herself, ¡°I still owe you three.  I¡¯m going so I can pay you guys back.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to believe that after that scene back in Hunlio?¡±  Vidor snapped aggressively.  Magdalene¡¯s confidence wavered and she was unable to look Vidor in the eyes anymore.

    ¡°T-that was--,¡± stuttered Magdalene.

    ¡°Vidor, drop it!¡±  both Rana and Mikali ordered in unison.  Vidor did not continue to antagonize Magdalene, but he had not stopped glaring at her.  Aridean noticed that Rana looked somewhat upset by her brother¡¯s insistence that Magdalene not be allowed to join them.  Rana sighed deeply as she began to stand from her chair.

    ¡°You are that child of human and elven blood, yes?  They will be setting out tomorrow morning for Cortonne,¡± Mikali spoke.

    ¡°Maggie, you needn¡¯t join us if you do not wish to.  Why not think things over a bit and let Aridean know if you will be coming along again,¡± suggested Rana with a sweet and kind voice.  Vidor let out an annoyed grunt which earned him a rather scary glare from his older sister.  Aridean turned to Magdalene, who took a deep breath before locking eyes.  Confidence and determination had returned to Magdalene¡¯s face.

    It¡¯s almost like I can already hear her saying she doesn¡¯t need to think things over.  Rana did say she is headstrong for someone her age, Aridean thought to herself.  She gave a friendly smile to the half-elven girl and nodded her understanding.

    Mikali and Rana proceeded to excuse themselves, both commenting on having some more business to address.  Magdalene turned from Vidor and Aridean, collected her dish tub, and made her way across the dining hall toward the kitchen.  Even after the girl was out of sight, Aridean noticed Vidor¡¯s immense irritation.  Although she had given thought to asking about his uncharacteristic resentment, Aridean thought it best to avoid the subject.  Instead, she continued to eat the remaining half of her now cold breakfast as Vidor began to engage in idle conversation about how they would go camping for sure after this mission.

    Upon finishing her morning meal, Aridean and Vidor stood from their table and made for the door.  Aridean noticed that the dining hall was almost empty; it must have been getting later in the morning than she believed.  Vidor moved ahead of Aridean in order to pull open the door leading outside.  With a goofy smile on his face, the gentlemanly Vidor gestured Aridean out of the mess hall.  All around were people of various races moving about the city of stone.  Plenty of conversation between rebel soldiers and civilians alike could be heard, as could the idle chatter and laughter of less serious discussions.  Aridean heard the mess hall door shut and the clop of Vidor¡¯s hooves on the stone walkway as he moved to stand beside her.

    ¡°So, did you really need any medicine or was that just grandpa again?¡±  Vidor asked with his same silly-looking grin.  Aridean turned to him while feeling her face warm up with embarrassment.

    ¡°I-I was just giving General Mikali my attention, t-that¡¯s all,¡± bluffed Aridean, the anxiousness in her voice making her statement rather unconvincing.  Vidor let out a laugh before gesturing down the road.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t have an easy time talking to him.  Grandpa can be a bit tough at times, but he really is trying to do good for the minotaur people; that includes you,¡± Vidor said as he and Aridean started walking along the road.

    You say that, but he left me the options to join a rebellion or be thrown in prison.  It¡¯s hard to think he¡¯s thinking of me, Aridean mentally commented.  She was a bit annoyed by the thought but managed to put on a convincing enough face for Vidor to not think anything was wrong.

    Together, the couple walked through the stone streets of Stonehaven on their way back to the barracks.  All the while, the two listened to various different conversations taking place around them.  Aridean heard all sorts of different topics being discussed as she walked with Vidor.  Another team of soldiers were discussing their next assignment and how the captain expected everyone to do as they were told.  Someone else was talking about what was on the menu that evening at the mess hall; having just ate, Aridean thought making dinner plans this early was a bit odd.  Finally, Vidor and Aridean both came to a stop just before reaching the barracks as a group of school children had sprinted out in front of them from around the corner of another building.

    Aridean and Vidor watched the kids run by them in a hurry to get to school.  It did not seem they were in any particular rush, however, as the children were in the middle of a game of tag on their way through the city of stone.  Laughter and shouting who was ¡®it¡¯ could be heard all the while.  Among the group of kids, Aridean spotted the three that were always fawning over Rana.  Timothy, Julie, and Hamuln all stopped upon noticing Aridean and Vidor; they waved with bright smiles on their faces.  Vidor and Aridean both waved back to the children, the latter feeling a bit anxious.  After a few minutes, the kids had taken their game and moved at least somewhat closer to the schoolbuilding.  Aridean took a quick but deep breath before moving to the door to the barracks building.

    ¡°Well, regardless of whether it was grandpa or you not feeling well, you should still get some rest.  Dunno when Rana¡¯s gonna get us going but knowing her, it¡¯ll be early tomorrow morning,¡± Vidor stated with a smile as he opened the door for Aridean again.  Aridean gently smiled back at him as she moved a little closer.  Although her face felt warm with embarrassment, Aridean wrapped her arms around his neck in a snug embrace.  Clearly thrilled by the sudden affection, Vidor stuttered, ¡°W-whoa, eheheh, I-I uh¡ªw-what¡¯s the occasion?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Vidor,¡± Aridean gently replied as she released her grip on Vidor and entered the building.  Although she was already making her way inside, Vidor stood still at the doorway.  She did not see it but Vidor had the widest smile on his delightedly nervous face as he let the door shut behind Aridean.

    I really hope he didn¡¯t think that was too bold of me¡­ Aridean anxiously thought to herself as she slipped into the women¡¯s barracks.  Much to her surprise, the entire barracks was empty.  Not a soul to be seen inside the large sleeping quarters; no one was still sleeping a bunk and no one was getting ready for the day.  Although it was a bit unusual, Aridean shrugged and proceeded toward her bunk.

    The instant she arrived at her bed, the minotaur dropped to her knees and lowered her head below her bunk.  Aridean reached under the bed and pulled out her chest that held all of her clothes.  The stillness in the room was only disturbed by the sound of her clothes chest scraping against the stone floor.  Aridean popped open the lid of the box and quickly grabbed a clean shirt and pair of pants.  Having collected what she intended to from the chest, Aridean closed the lid and slid the container back under her bunk.

    Standing up on her hooves again, Aridean took a deep breath.  She began to remove the shirt she had been wearing.  Normally she would not change just to take a nap but her current clothes were stained with some sauces that had splashed all over the kitchen floor and then again onto her as she was cleaning up the mess.  As her shirt was lifted over her head and removed from her body, Aridean heard a quiet clicking noise.  The shirt she had just taken off was promptly dropped to the floor beside her hooves as Aridean removed her necklace.

    In her right hand, Aridean held the gift that Vidor had given her twice now.  The minotaur seemed lost in thought as she stared at her reflection in the ruby.  Slowly, Aridean used her left hand to open the locket that Vidor had attached to her necklace.  Her face slowly shifted; her sorrow was readily apparent.  She heaved tired sigh as she examined the two portraits that her father had decided to put into trinket.

    ¡°Finally alone, are we?¡±  came an unexpected voice from somewhere nearby.  Frightened, Aridean¡¯s grip on her necklace tightened as her body seized up slightly.  With wide eyes and her arms wrapped around her modestly covered torso, Aridean began turning around.  Confusion struck the minotaur, however, as there was no one in the room with her.

    Am I¡­ going crazy?  Aridean thought to herself before being startled yet again.

    ¡°Oh no, did I frighten you?  How¡­ interesting,¡± spoke the voice again.  A quiet gasp escaped Aridean as she managed to narrow down the direction of the voice this time.  She slowly turned back around, eyes wide with surprise.  Aridean was now facing her bed again, ¡°There we go, you¡¯re getting closer.  I¡¯ll just come out now.¡±

    Confusion and shock were still painted on Aridean¡¯s face as the voice continued to speak.  Her eyes ran up and down her bed but did not see anything out of the ordinary with the bunk.  It was not until she felt something wrap around her left leg, just above her hoof, that Aridean looked down.  A long, white furred arm was extending out from under her bed, its hand with two clawed fingers and one clawed thumb wrapped snuggly around Aridean¡¯s leg.

    ¡°AHH!!¡±  Aridean screamed as she stumbled back.  The frightened minotaur, free from the grip of whatever was hiding under her bed, fell backwards.  Aridean fell onto Magdalene¡¯s bunk and continued to roll backwards and ultimately into the floor on the other side.  She hit her horn on the bedframe opposite Magdalene¡¯s bunk and had also slammed her hand against Magdalene¡¯s while trying to catch herself.  With deep breaths, Aridean slowly picked herself up only enough to peak over Magdalene¡¯s mattress at whatever it was that had just grabbed her.  A hearty and boisterous laughter erupted from underneath her own mattress.

    ¡°Ahahaha!  You seem fun at least!  But be at ease, I mean you no harm,¡± the voice spoke again.  Unable to respond through her shock, Aridean cautiously stood up enough that she could see the arm coming from under her bed, ¡°I just wish to introduce myself.  I noticed you examining that glorious, little trinket around your neck a moment ago.  Do you like it?  My master received it from his daughter some time ago; it made him very happy.¡±

    ¡°Y-your m-master?  S-Simon?¡±  Aridean hesitated to ask, all the more confused by the creature.  Aridean had initially considered fleeing the barracks until the odd entity mentioned its master.

    ¡°Yes!  My master loved that locket.  Whenever he grew upset or saddened, he¡¯d look into that precious gift and smile,¡± replied the creature under the bed.  Aridean nervously swallowed as she moved in closer.

    I-is this¡­ thing telling me the truth?  Simon¡­ h-he really¡­ loved my gift to him?  Aridean internally wondered as she stood at the foot of her bed now.  She watched the white furred and clawed appendage gesture about on the cold, stone floor.  She was certain to keep out of reach, however.

    ¡°S-Simon¡­ liked the locket?¡±  Aridean asked anxiously.  A disappointed sigh came from whatever it was under her bed.

    ¡°Why do you refer to him like that?  He¡¯d be so hurt to think you moved on from calling him ¡®father,¡¯ you know,¡± stated the bed-dweller.  Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide again and she found she was having difficulty breathing.

    ¡°H-how did you know--,¡± Aridean began to ask.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been with Simon Gray even before you were born, Aridean Gray.  Don¡¯t think ill of him for hiding me from you; he didn¡¯t have a choice,¡± the creature interrupted.  It laughed again, ¡°Why don¡¯t you come down here for just a moment?  I¡¯d love to do proper introductions face-to-face.¡±

    W-what the hell is going on?  I am¡­ I am going crazy, right?  A dream, this is all just a dream.  E-even so¡­ its voice sounds¡­ familiar, Aridean mentally told herself.  She watched the hand pat the ground beside the bed, gesturing her to look underneath.  With another anxious breath, Aridean found herself slowly dropping to the ground.  As the minotaur began to lay down on the ground, the white furred arm receded under her bed.  It was only at this moment Aridean wondered how anything fit under her bunk with all of her belongings.

    Having finally gotten down and now able to peer under her bunk, Aridean let out a gasp.  Her eyes had grown even wider than she thought possible as she finally saw what it was that was speaking to her.  Beneath her bed was pitch black darkness; her belongings could not be seen through the eerie and unusual shade, it as if Aridean¡¯s possessions were not even there.  The only thing visible through the otherworldly gloom was her unexpected guest.

    ¡°It¡¯s so nice to see your face after so long!  You certainly have grown up these last two years, haven¡¯t you?  How have you been?¡±  the ghastly creature greeted with a toothy smile on its terrifying face.

    Aridean¡¯s jaw dropped and nothing but frightened panting escaped her lips.  Her guest seemed to obscure his or her or its body in the all-consuming darkness and solely its head was revealed to her.  However, the creature¡¯s head was horrifying enough that Aridean did was not sure she wished to see its body.  Whatever this entity was, it had a wolf-like looking head covered in white fur.  At least, it had white fur where it had skin; halfway down its snout, the flesh just stopped and revealed white bone.  This creature had no lips and its canine looking teeth were all visible in its wide smile.  Its left ear was long and pointed while its right ear had been partly cut off.  Aridean was unable to see her frightened expression reflected in the beast¡¯s eyes as it only had a dim and dark yellow glow deep in each of its otherwise empty eye sockets.

    Aridean was stunned and unable to respond to the monstrous creature before her.  Still breathing heavily, she could feel her entire body trembling but could not move a muscle.  Having noticed her unease, the creature¡¯s head shook as it let out another exasperated sigh.

    ¡°Oh dear, is it my face?  I may not look as good as I use to but there¡¯s no need for that.  Come now, I know you¡¯ve been taught that it is impolite to stare,¡± the being under the bed spoke as its head slowly rolled over.  Still frightened by the extraordinary visage, Aridean blinked a few times before taking a deep breath.

    ¡°Ari?  What are you doing on the floor?¡±  came an unexpected second voice from behind Aridean.  Having been startled again, Aridean jolted backwards and hit her head on Magdalene¡¯s bedframe.  Rubbing the back of her head, the minotaur stood up and turned to see the owner of the bed she had just hit her head on.  Magdalene stood on the other side of her bunk with a confused look on her face.  Aridean had never heard her enter the barracks.  Having seen Aridean¡¯s back, Magdalene commented, ¡°Huh, I thought your fur was a solid brown color.¡±

    It was the first time Magdalene had seen the three streaks of white fur on Aridean¡¯s back.  The girl seemed oddly enchanted by the bizarre pattern in Aridean¡¯s fur.  Nevertheless, explaining her fur was the last thing on Aridean¡¯s mind.

    ¡°M-Maggie, u-under my b-bed,¡± a panicked Aridean stuttered as she gestured under her bunk.  Magdalene¡¯s face scrunched up with even more confusion.

    ¡°Under your bed?  I-if it¡¯s a rat, get Dummy to deal with it,¡± Magdalene replied, her voice becoming noticeably uneasy as she mentioned a rat.

    It¡¯s not a rat!  I don¡¯t know what the hell that thing is!  Aridean was mentally screaming.  Despite her internal panic and fright, Aridean was unable to speak.  Magdalene examined Aridean¡¯s anxious face for a moment before letting out an impatient sigh.  The young girl moved around her bed and past Aridean.  Magdalene got down on the ground and began to look under Aridean¡¯s bunk.

    ¡°What am I looking for?  I-if there¡¯s a rat down here, so help me I¡¯ll¡­¡± Magdalene started to say before trailing off.  The girl had managed to spook herself with the idea that she might come face-to-face with a rat and was unable to finish her thought.  However, Aridean was left entirely dumbfounded by Magdalene¡¯s rather normal question.

    Aridean quickly got down on the ground again at the base of her bunk.  As Magdalene stood back up, Aridean was left shocked and amazed by the sight under her bed.  There was nothing out of the ordinary about the scene:  all of Aridean¡¯s belongings were accounted for and in a neat and organized fashion.

    ¡°W-what?  B-but it¡­ what?¡±  Aridean barely managed to speak clearly.  Another impatient sigh came from Magdalene.

    ¡°That Sven guy said I could go ahead and have the rest of the day to rest since we¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow.  Not that I care or anything, but it sounds like you really need some sleep or something,¡± Magdalene suggested in her own way.  Aridean was still focused on her magically reappearing property as Magdalene continued to mutter, ¡°Ugh, is this how I¡¯m gonna turn out working at the mess hall?  Lord, give me strength.¡±

    ¡°S-some¡­ sleep¡­ Y-yeah, I think that¡¯s exactly what I need,¡± Aridean nervously responded after her flustered nerves had calmed somewhat.  Slowly, the minotaur stood back up and turned to her half-elven companion.  Magdalene had gone to collect some bathroom amenities from beneath her own bunk.  The girl began moving toward the lavatory facilities but stopped at the door.

    ¡°Real quick:  is there a reason you¡¯re standing around in just a bra and pair of sauce-stained pants?¡±  Magdalene asked Aridean.  Aridean looked herself over before quickly grabbing the clean shirt that was laying on her bed.  Her face was hot with embarrassment as she fumbled to get the clean shirt over her horned head.  Magdalene rolled her eyes as she entered the bathroom.

    Aridean stood at the foot of her bed, staring at the door Magdalene had disappeared behind.  The minotaur took a deep breath and could feel muscles tensing up.  She got back down on the ground and surveyed the scene beneath her bed again.  Nothing unusual about the sight came to mind, all of her organized property was stored under the bunk.

    I-I just imagined it?  Am I that tired?  Aridean internally asked herself as she stood back up.  The minotaur took a moment to swap into a clean pair of pants and put the dirty clothes she had removed into her dirty clothes collection.  Aridean rubbed her eyes before climbing into her bed.  She stared up at the ceiling as a strange drowsiness began to take over.  Her eyelids grew heavy and slowly began to gently close shut.  Just before slipping into her sleep, Aridean could hear a voice.

    ¡°We¡¯ll try introductions again later.  For now, sleep well.¡±

 Chapter 23 - Cortonne, Hamlet of Mystery

    A dark sky with hundreds of stars and one dim moon loomed overhead.  Several large clouds sailed their way through the cool night.  Gentle breezes blew through the area, carrying with them the thick smell of smoke.  Despite the absence of the sunlight, bright orange glows illuminated the scene.  Aridean was frozen with eyes wide and mouth agape having fallen onto her knees.

    Crackling fires surrounded the minotaur and frightened screams could be heard in the distance.  Billowing, black smokestacks ascended into the star-filled sky.  The pungent odor of the smoke choked the air all around Aridean, but the unpleasant scent did not seem to bother the minotaur.  She could not find it in herself to move a muscle.  Stunned and confused, Aridean continued to stare at the sight before her.

    Thellia¡¯s marketplace was burning, each and every shop that Aridean knew was entirely engulfed in flames.  Familiar faces ran past her, screaming as the village around them was set ablaze.  Impish, pitch black gremlins gave chase to the fleeing villagers and had chosen to ignore Aridean.  What did not seem to ignore Aridean, however, was the man approaching her.  This particular individual was clad in armor that reflected the flames in the burning town and was brandishing an elegant longsword.

    No words were shared between the two, the man in armor simply raised his blade in Aridean¡¯s direction.  He assumed a battle stance in preparation for conflict with the astonished minotaur.  Aridean herself did not stand up on her hooves.  She did not speak nor scream.  She did not do anything voluntarily.  Without thinking, and even without willing it, Aridean felt her right hand moving about without her command to do so.

    The limb stretched out without Aridean¡¯s consent and she felt her fingers wrap around something laying on the ground beside her.  Whatever her hand was grasping for, it was large and heavy.  She managed to pry her eyes from the sight of armored combatant long enough to examine what her hand was taking.  Fear and confusion washed over Aridean as she gazed upon a large battle axe that her hand was now firmly gripping.  Her body then began to move without input again; the minotaur slowly began to stand up on her hooves.  Aridean¡¯s disobeying hand moved the massive weapon up to her face.

    Aridean was entirely mortified by the reflection she witnessed in the shining metal of her axe.  What she saw was not the reflection of her terrified and bewildered face, but her face was still present.  Reflected in the metal of the blade was a sinister and wicked-looking Aridean, a dreadfully cruel and sadistic expression on her face.  Was this the face that she had been wearing back in Thellia?

    Panicked, Aridean quickly shut her eyes tight.  Shaking her head back and forth, the minotaur refused to believe what was presented to her.  The roar of crackling fires and screams of frightened villagers slowly began to die down.  When all of the horrendous sounds had finally come to an end, Aridean hesitantly opened her eyes again.  Unfortunately, the surroundings had not changed.  She still stood in the middle of the burning marketplace as now silent citizens fled.  It took Aridean a moment to notice the first change that had taken place since she closed her eyes.  A dark red liquid now coated the massive weapon she held, large globs of the liquid fell from the blade to the ground.

    Gasping, Aridean looked to the ground at her hooves.  Just a few feet in front of her, the man in a suit of armor lay in a growing crimson pool.  Aridean felt her entire body trembling and she could barely breath.  Deep and unfamiliar laughter could be heard from somewhere nearby.  Aridean looked into the reflection of her axe blade again to see that her twisted reflection seemed to be cackling uncontrollably.  The distraught minotaur dropped the weapon to the ground.  She fell to her knees again and lifted her head to the sky.  Her throat began to hurt as she tried to scream, but all that could be heard was the dreaded laughter.

    Aridean jolted upright with a gasp.  She could hear her racing heart in her ears and her entire body was shaking.  One of the horses pulling the wagon let out a quiet whiney and the wooden wagon rocked from side to side as it was pulled across an uneven road.

    ¡°Are you okay?  That must have been a really bad dream you were having,¡± came Vidor¡¯s familiar voice.  While taking deep breaths, Aridean turned to see Vidor looking in her direction.  It was readily apparent that the male minotaur was concerned by the worried expression on his face.  Beside of him sat Magdalene, who was eating a small hunk of bread and also looking at Aridean curiously.  Rana sat in the driver¡¯s seat of the wagon holding the reins to the horses.  She had a worried look on her face but turned her attention to the fog-covered road ahead.

    Heart still beating faster than normal, Aridean took a few more deep breaths.  As she began to calm down, the minotaur looked to her companions and put a smile on her face.  Her attempt to non-verbally bluff that everything was fine did not succeed, however, as Magdalene¡¯s expression was altered to show her confusion.  Vidor, however, leaned in close to Aridean.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ are you okay?¡±  Vidor asked again as he lifted a hand to Aridean¡¯s face.  He gently wiped away a tear that was rolling down Aridean¡¯s cheek.  The smile that Aridean had forced vanished immediately and she let out a depressed sigh.

    ¡°I¡­ I miss Simon¡­¡± replied Aridean with a solemn tone.  Magdalene swallowed the bite of her bread she was chewing on before turning away.  The young girl¡¯s confusion had been replaced with a sorrowful expression of her own after hearing Aridean answer Vidor.  Vidor himself hesitantly withdrew his hand from Aridean¡¯s wet cheek and his ears fell flat against his head.  He shifted his position in the wagon so that he was sitting beside Aridean now.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Vidor apologized as he wrapped his arm around Aridean¡¯s shoulders.  Aridean leaned into her friend, her head resting upon his shoulder.  The female minotaur let out another saddened sigh as her heart began to ache in her chest.

    If only we hadn¡¯t gone back to Thellia, then I wouldn¡¯t have¡­ But you couldn¡¯t have known what was going to happen.  I should be the one apologizing for making you feel guilty again, Aridean thought to herself.  She wanted to reassure Vidor but found that she could not open her mouth to speak again.  Instead, Aridean simply stared off into the distance as she tried to clear her mind.

    Surrounding the wagon were many large and shady trees.  Every time the wagon was pulled over a root that was exposed along the road, everyone was sure to feel it.  A light fog blanketed the forest that the group was traveling through and what little daylight forced its way through the tree leaves overhead was slowly fading.  Luckily, the group was nearing their destination.  While squinting her eyes at something just off the road a few meters ahead, Rana let out a relieved sigh when she noticed a signpost.

    ¡°We¡¯ve finally made it to Cortonne,¡± Rana announced as she pointed out the sign to everyone.  The large greeting sign appeared rather elegant as it was made of chiseled stone and was adorned with flowers.  Carved into the stone was the text ¡®We welcome you to Cortonne¡¯.  The town itself was a bit blurry through the fog, but a small collection of wooden and stone structures surrounded the road beyond the sign that the wagon was now passing.

    ¡°This place would probably look more inviting if it weren¡¯t so foggy¡­ and if that weren¡¯t there,¡± Magdalene commented.  The girl was pointing to something on the opposite side of the road from the signpost.  Aridean followed Magdalene¡¯s finger to see a wrought iron fence.  Enclosed within the sturdy bars was a great number of gravestones.  Many of the tombstones within the large cemetery had bundles of flowers laid upon them.  Each of the flower bunches that the graves were gifted seemed to be the same kind of white flower.  While it seemed that many people must visit the cemetery, Aridean had to agree with Magdalene that it did look quite grim being the first thing they passed on their way into a town in the middle of a fog-filled, gloomy forest after nearly a full week on the road.

    As the wagon rode past the graveyard, Aridean noticed a single man through the mist.  While it was not easy to see through the fog, the man could be seen walking along a stone pathway.  This man held a bouquet of white flowers and stopped at a grave that did not already have a bundle of white flowers.  Aridean was not able to make out many features describing the man besides a long, silver-colored ponytail, a blue coat, and white pants.

    ¡°Wow, look at that.  I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s where the noble family that owns this town lives, huh?¡±  Vidor gawked as the team passed by the graveyard.  Aridean followed Vidor¡¯s gaze to see a magnificent example of noble architecture.

    As the wagon reached the end of the iron fencing that enclosed the cemetery, they found that the fence connected to a sizeable brick wall.  Beyond the wall was a majestic courtyard with walkways of cobblestone and expertly maintained hedges.  A large fountain which contained clear and clean water was located in the center of the yard.  Behind the courtyard was a towering manor that nearly matched the height of the many trees in the forest.  Aridean noted that there were no trees in the estate¡¯s courtyard and if it were not so foggy that this might be the only place in the forest that sunlight might readily shine upon the ground.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t get aristocracy; who really needs a house that big?¡±  Magdalene rhetorically asked as the wagon traveled past the enormous manor.  Aridean felt the wagon jostle somewhat as they must have hit another rock or tree root.

    ¡°Well, I hope you can pretend you do since you¡¯re still acting our master for this assignment,¡± Rana stated with a short laugh.  Aridean noticed Vidor rolling his eyes at his sister¡¯s attempt to make a joke.  Looking across from her, Magdalene quietly groaned and was turned away.  Aridean could see her cheek had a slight red color to it.

    For someone who can be so blunt, she gets flustered really quickly, Aridean thought to herself.  Not wanting to be caught staring, Aridean turned her attention to the small town ahead.  She found herself somewhat surprised by the town that the team was entering.

    Even through the fog, Aridean managed to make out the entire town.  Only several buildings sat on either side of the dirt road.  Of the few structures, only three had signs that named them the town inn or a store of some kind.  Aside from the inn, there also appeared to be general supply store and workshop of some kind.  Aridean speculated that the remaining buildings must be homes for the people who live in this town.  Many windows in the buildings had small planters hanging up; they were all occupied by white flowers.

    Only a few people could be seen either walking the small, dirt pathways or tending to vegetable gardens.  A couple disappeared inside of the general store and Aridean noticed that the team had been spotted by a man working his garden.  This man wiped his forehead with the back of his right, gloved hand before giving a courteous wave to the four travelers.  While the man did not look particularly pleased to see newcomers to the little town, Aridean was still somewhat surprised by his modest gesture.  Cortonne, like Thellia, was located in Empire loyalist territory.  Aridean wondered if the southern reaches of the Empire were less dedicated to the Empire than the west or if perhaps the small size of Cortonne gave its denizens a sense of hospitality to strangers regardless of their race.

    Rana pulled on the reins and directed the horses to pull the wagon toward the inn.  Luckily, there was small stable that guests could use to park their carriages.  Even more fortunate for the group was that there were no other horse drawn carts within the shelter.  Once the wagon had been pulled into the stable, Rana pulled up on the reins prompting the horses to halt with a whiney.

    ¡°Vidor, Aridean, could you two see to the horses?  I¡¯ll take Maggie inside and we¡¯ll see about any open rooms,¡± Rana spoke.  Although her voice carried its usual gentleness, it was clear she was ordering and not asking that Vidor and Aridean hitch and feed the horses.  Aridean and Vidor both nodded to Rana, who smiled and began to get down from her seat.  Vidor, Aridean, and Magdalene began to collect their belongings.

    ¡°Yeesh, here I thought Thellia was a small town.  Guessing not a lot goes on around here,¡± said Vidor as he jumped to the ground from the back of the wagon.  He deftly landed on his hooves and immediately began to stretch his arms and back.  Just as his arms returned to his sides, he let out a yawn.

    ¡°Well, Cortonne is just a small hamlet.  Maybe it means we won¡¯t have to stay long with such little ground to cover,¡± Magdalene stated as she slowly descended from the wagon.  The young girl hit the ground and was annoyed to find that she landed in a small mud puddle.  She grunted frustratedly as she noticed some wet dirt on her ankles.

    ¡°Aridean and I will take care of the horses.  You going to get our room or what, Rana?¡±  Vidor asked his sister with a playful tone of voice.  Aridean noticed that Magdalene had a confused expression on her face now.

    ¡°Is¡­ is he ignoring me?¡±  Magdalene wondered aloud.  Rana let out an annoyed sigh as she gently shook her head.

    ¡°Honestly, Vidor, how is it that you can act like such a child?¡±  Rana muttered to herself yet not out of earshot from the others.  Vidor snorted his frustration after hearing his sister¡¯s quiet reprimand.  Looking back to her companions, Rana smiled, ¡°Come along Lady Magdalene, your faithful servants will see about getting you your room and taking care of your horses.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ can stop that,¡± replied Magdalene with another slight red hue in her face.  Rana laughed as she and Magdalene made for the inn, leaving Aridean and Vidor with the wagon.  Aridean finished collecting her things in a large backpack and slung the bag over her shoulders.  As she descended from the wagon, Vidor continued to watch Rana and Magdalene as they entered the inn.  Once the two were out of sight and the door to the building was closed, he grunted loudly.

    ¡°Maybe I am being a little petty but I probably act that way because you treat everyone around you like a child.  Rgh, that was embarrassing,¡± Vidor grumbled aloud.  Aridean, not wanting to upset Vidor further, quietly began to detach the horses from the wagon.  Vidor shook his head before turning to see Aridean taking care of their chore, ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to do that all by yourself.¡±

    Quickly, Vidor moved around the wagon to detach the second horse.  Together, the two minotaurs led the horses through the small stable to a convenient water trough.  Both horses took their time enjoying a nice drink; Aridean could not resist petting her horse as it drank.  After watering their faithful companions, Aridean and Vidor led the farm animals to small stalls within the stable.  After removing the leads in their mouths, Aridean gave each horse one last friendly pat on the head before turning to a smiling Vidor.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s done.  What do you say to heading in and seeing if we can get some dinner?¡±  Vidor asked with his usual goofy grin.

    ¡°I could eat, but could I ask you something?  What¡¯s going on with you and Maggie?  You almost seemed like you two were getting along when we left Thellia.  Why are you suddenly so dismissive of her again?¡±  asked Aridean with concern in her voice.  Vidor took a deep breath and exhaled in one long, drawn-out breath.  The goofy grin on his face had been replaced with a more stern look.

    ¡°You really gotta ask?  Yeah, I thought maybe she was alright when we were leaving Thellia.  But after that circus act in Hunlio, I¡¯m not so sure anymore,¡± Vidor answered bluntly.  Aridean was a little worried that she maybe should not have brought up the subject as Vidor continued, ¡°She says she¡¯s trying to pay us back and grow as a person.  Thinking about it, I don¡¯t why I believed any of that for even a second.  All it took was a stranger to point out that you are a minotaur to get her to slap you.¡±

    ¡°Vidor¡­ I-I¡¯m sure it was just--,¡± Aridean began to speak with a soft, if hesitant, tone.  Vidor sighed again and shook his head.

    ¡°The heat of the moment, right?  Maybe so, but I¡¯m just not sure about that.  If there¡¯s something we can be sure of its that she¡¯s a thief and hates minotaurs.  She¡¯s got a lot of growing to do if that¡¯s why she¡¯s really here,¡± stated Vidor, bluntly and abruptly.  Aridean remembered Magdalene during their scene in Hunlio.  The young girl had hatred in her eyes almost as frightening as when she held Aridean captive in Byrden.

    Does she still hold a hint of the wrath she showed me back then?  Is Vidor right about her?  Aridean wondered to herself.  Vidor had made a bit of an argument that they did not really know the half-elf that accompanied them.  But even so, Magdalene had put forth some effort to help the team out, if reluctant or hesitant.  Regardless, Aridean thought it best to save the subject for later discussion.  She shook her head before looking to Vidor with a smile on her face.

    ¡°I-I guess we¡¯ll just have to wait and see what her intentions are.  Anyways, why don¡¯t we go get some dinner?¡±  Aridean suggested much to Vidor¡¯s delight.  Her friend¡¯s silly grin returned to his face.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re talking¡­ I wonder if they got fish and apple cider.  You care for another date if they do?¡±  Vidor jovially joked with a laugh.  Aridean quietly giggled as the two began to make for the front door to the inn.  Vidor pulled the door open and gestured Aridean inside with a smile.

    Aridean entered the inn with Vidor right behind her.  She took a moment to examine the quaint room she found herself in.  Almost immediately, Aridean thought to herself that this inn was vastly different from the one back in Byrden.  The d¨¦cor was modest and homely but there was no front lobby with a checkerboard or fireplace.  A friendly-looking, young woman stood at the reception desk, yet her station was scratched and the age was visible in the wood.  Sitting on the desk beside the woman was a vase that held more of the white flowers that appeared all over the town.  Having made her first impressions, Aridean felt a little disappointed with the inn¡¯s accommodations given her previous, and only other, experience at the Byrden inn.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    I guess they don¡¯t see much business in such a small town that they don¡¯t really need to liven the place up.  This is a really small building after all; not even half the size of that other one.  I still remember the man in Byrden saying something about how that inn wasn¡¯t fancy, but compared to this¡­  Aridean thought to herself as she finished surveying the scene.  Rana and Magdalene approached Aridean and Vidor from the reception desk.  Aridean noticed that Rana held two room keys in her hand.

    ¡°Maggie and I have got us our rooms; they actually had a lot of vacancies for whatever reason.  Anyway, let¡¯s get ourselves something to eat before they close the dining room,¡± Rana spoke as she began to guide the team toward the back hallway.  Aridean could see down the hallway only a few doors.  Given this inn was so small, she wondered which door led to her room.  Exiting the foyer and entering the hallway, Rana immediately took a right and passed through another doorway.

    Having entered the small dining room to the small inn, Aridean instantly judged the room slightly better kept than the dining room in Mutt¡¯s Tavern.  Although the floors were clean and the walls were free of stains, the furnishings were clearly old and slightly scratched up.  There was a single doorway that must have led to the kitchen on the far wall.  Disappointingly, one could not smell the delightful scent of a freshly prepared dinner coming from the kitchen door.  In the center of each wooden table sat a small vase with few white flowers.  There did not appear to be any other guests in the dining hall.

    Vidor quickly moved around Rana and grabbed the first seat he could get his hands on, everyone else joining him soon after.  Within seconds, a staff member emerged from the kitchen door and proceeded to take everyone¡¯s order.  As the employee disappeared back into the kitchen, however, a strange silence seemed to fill the room.  The silence did not last long however as the sounds of kitchen utensils clanging and meals being made could be heard coming from the kitchen.

    ¡°So, this has been on my mind for a little while now:  anybody know what¡¯s up with the flowers all over the place?¡±  Vidor asked as he collected one of the flowers from the vase on their table.  Aridean and Rana both looked to the small vase, both of them had been curious about the reason for there being so many small white herbs as well.

    ¡°They¡¯re white lilies, symbols of love in the language of flowers,¡± answered Magdalene, looking to Vidor from across the table.  It had only just occurred to Aridean that Magdalene had mentioned something about enjoying flowers previously.  Each of the three minotaurs looked to the half-elven girl curiously, ¡°I already told Ari:  sis liked planting flowers.  I don¡¯t know why the entire town is covered in them though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit curious now, do you know the language of flowers well, Maggie?¡±  Rana asked with a gentle smile on her face.  Magdalene was quick to shake her head before responding.

    ¡°Sis always liked orange lilies the best, but I only remember what white lilies stand for because I thought it had the easiest meaning¡­ I do like planting flowers but really liked spending time with her more,¡± replied Magdalene, her tone growing more somber as she spoke.  Aridean grew a bit worried by Magdalene¡¯s depressed expression but was surprised to see Vidor¡¯s reaction.

    Vidor had remained silent as Magdalene explained the flowers.  But to Aridean¡¯s surprise, he did not look annoyed by the girl as she had expected.  The male minotaur looked to his sister for a few seconds before allowing his eyes to drop to the table the group sat at.  A thoughtful expression appeared on Vidor¡¯s face as he let out a sigh.

    ¡°They might not be orange, but¡­ do you want to take some with us when we leave?¡±  Vidor hesitantly asked Magdalene.  Having heard his question, Magdalene looked up to Vidor with surprise in her eyes.  The girl seemed to pause for a moment to process what she had just heard but eventually responded by nodding to Vidor.  Both Rana and Aridean also looked to Vidor with small smiles on their faces.  Shortly after, the kitchen door swung open and the kitchen staff member appeared with a small food cart carrying the group¡¯s meals.

    With their dinners in front of them, the team began to eat.  There was little chatter among the four as they ate, the sound of forks hitting plates was more common than voices at the table.  Eventually, everyone had cleared their plate.  Aridean wiped her mouth clear with a napkin while Vidor failed to muffle a quiet belch.  Magdalene looked across the table to male minotaur with a slightly disgusted look on her face.

    ¡°Rana, what is our plan now that we¡¯re here?¡±  inquired Aridean as she set her napkin back down.  Both Magdalene and Vidor then turned to give their attention to Rana who looked out a nearby window.  Beyond the glass was darkness as what little sunlight breaking through the forest overhead was now absent.

    ¡°It¡¯s already late and the sun seems to be down.  I already mentioned it to Magdalene, but I think we should just rest for the evening.  We need to come up with a strategy for talking to the people here about the Empire soldiers that came and disappeared.  We¡¯ll have to pick our words carefully, of course,¡± replied Rana with a serious tone.  Both Vidor and Aridean nodded their understanding while Magdalene examined the three minotaurs.

    ¡°I guess that really means I¡¯ll have to do the talking, huh?¡±  Magdalene spoke as she crossed her arms over her chest.  Vidor rolled his eyes but did not voice any opinion on receiving Magdalene¡¯s assistance.

    ¡°You would have the easiest time but we won¡¯t force you to do anything if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Rana responded with a gentle smile.  Standing from the table, Rana handed a room key to Magdalene, ¡°Here is the key to Aridean and your room.  You two will be right next door to Vidor and me just down the hall.¡±

    Magdalene accepted the key, nodding to Rana.  Aridean and Magdalene began to stand from the table as well but noticed that Vidor was looking to his sister.  Aridean thought that he looked a bit confused by something.  Before she could ask what was wrong, Vidor spoke.

    ¡°Hey, Rana, why can¡¯t I room with Aridean?¡±  asked Vidor.  Rana looked to her brother with her ¡®do as I say¡¯ eyes.  Practically instantaneously, Vidor seemed to back off with his ears drooping down in submission and eyes widened with worry.

    ¡°Do I honestly need to answer that, Vidor?  I don¡¯t know what you two may have been up to in the barn back in Thellia, but we¡¯re here on business.  ¡®Date night¡¯ is going to have to wait,¡± Rana responded with a stern tone.  Aridean could feel her face warming up with embarrassment and thought she could see Vidor looking a little flustered as well.  Magdalene, however, looked to Vidor with a smirk.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, pervert?  Upset you won¡¯t get any goodnight kisses?¡±  Magdalene teased with a smug expression on her face.  Vidor grunted his annoyance and took a deep breath.

    ¡°Hey¡­ it¡¯s not like I¡ªwe didn¡¯t¡­ s-shut it,¡± replied Vidor, his frustration readily apparent in his face and voice.  Magdalene and Rana both laughed as the group began to move out of the dining room.

    Back in the hallway to the inn, Rana directed everyone further down the hallway toward their guest rooms.  There were only a few rooms on either side of the hallway and it seemed that the team had the last two at the far end of the corridor.  Rana and Vidor wished Aridean and Magdalene good night before entering their room.  Just as Magdalene put the key into the lock of their room, Aridean let out a quiet gasp.

    ¡°Huh?  What was that about?¡±  Magdalene asked as she pushed open the door to their guest room.  Aridean had begun walking back up the hallway, much to the young girl¡¯s confusion.  The female minotaur did not stop, but she did slow down and turn to Magdalene.

    ¡°I need to make sure the horses have enough to eat.  I wasn¡¯t paying attention to whether or not there was any hay out for them,¡± answered Aridean as she passed the doorway to the dining room.  Although she did not see it, Magdalene had shrugged and entered their room, gently closing the door behind her.

    Aridean made her way though the hallway and out of the lobby.  Outside again, she initially believed it to be a dark night.  It did not take long for her to notice the small streams of bright moonlight that managed to break through the tree leaves above her.  All around Aridean was the fog that had followed them into Cortonne.

    The minotaur deeply inhaled the cool, moist air before making for the stable that housed her faithful horses.  Upon seeing the two equines, Aridean smiled and patted them on their heads.  She looked around their stable stall to see that they did have some hay laid out, but her expression changed to one of disappointment.  Aridean took just another moment to find a stack of hay in the back of the stable and quickly collected more than enough to sustain her horses.  Upon receiving the delicious treat, one of the horses began to stomp the ground with one of its front hooves while the other let out a, presumably, grateful whiney.  Aridean giggled as she turned to leave and return to her guest room.

    ¡°Glad I remembered that.  I¡¯d have felt so bad if we had to get going tomorrow morning and they hadn¡¯t eaten,¡± Aridean spoke aloud and to herself.  Aridean¡¯s hooves treaded through cool mud as she made her way back to the front door of the inn.  Just as she reached for the doorknob, Aridean heard a rustling in some nearby brush.  Although startled, Aridean took a deep breath and began to think to herself.

    It''s probably just a wild animal¡­ but I should probably check it out anyway.  I doubt it¡¯ll have anything to do with the disappearances we¡¯re here to investigate, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to check anyway.  P-please just be a squirrel or something, Aridean nervously thought as her hand slowly returned to her side from the doorknob.  Hesitantly and reluctantly, Aridean slowly began to approach the brush from which she heard the sudden movement.  As she drew closer, the brush began to rattle some more.

    ¡°This way.¡±

    Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide as her body froze up.  Hairs were standing on ends on her tail and she could feel her heart starting to race somewhat.  Aridean slowly turned both left and right to see that no one was around.  Gasping in surprise, Aridean¡¯s attention was returned to more violent shaking of the brush.  Whatever was in the foliage was making itself known.  Even more surprising, however, was that the movement in the brush began to move.  The entity within the leaves was on the move around the inn, leaving Aridean too startled to make a move.

    ¡°Follow¡­ please.¡±

    That v-voice¡­ why is it familiar?  W-why does it want me to¡­ follow it?  Should I follow it?  Mngh¡­ I don¡¯t like this, Aridean pondered as she watched the rattling brush continue.  Despite what she truly wanted to do, Aridean managed to lift her hooves and start to slowly and cautiously give chase to the entity within the brush.  Aridean continued to follow the brush until she found herself somewhere behind the inn, just a little way away from any other building in the hamlet.  Her legs tensed up in fright when a hearty laugh began to ring out from somewhere nearby.

    ¡°Is this our chance to introduce ourselves properly?¡±  a deep and ominous voice called out.  Aridean felt her entire body seized up and her eyes went wide with shock.

    T-that voice¡­ I-it can¡¯t be¡­ N-no, that thing isn¡¯t real, r-right?  Aridean mentally told herself in an effort to calm herself down.  She noticed that the rattling in the brush that had led her here had ceased.  Her arms were frozen at her sides and even her tail, with hair standing on ends, was stone stiff.  A cool wind blew by and the already thick fog seemed to envelop the startled minotaur.  She was unable to even see the inn despite only being about ten meters from its wall.

    Aridean heard leaves in the surrounding trees rustling and the uproarious caw of a crow from somewhere nearby.  Slowly, the minotaur turned her head to one side; eventually her body followed as she hesitantly and reluctantly turned around.  Fear invaded her mind and it shone in her eyes as Aridean set her sights upon it.  Sure enough, the unknowable creature that she had encountered hiding under her bunk in the Stonehaven barracks was standing behind her.

    ¡°It¡¯s so nice to get to speak with you again.  I¡¯m looking forward to discussing a few things with you, Aridean,¡± spoke the creature in its deep voice with an unsettlingly chipper tone.  Aridean was unable to move, her heart had begun racing and breathing intensified to the point she was practically hyperventilating.  While the creature¡¯s otherworldly head and features remained the same as they looked during their first meeting, the monstrous entity had now revealed the rest of its body.

    Terror had taken hold of Aridean¡¯s mind as the monstrous form before her leaned in toward her.  Its half-skinned head, empty eye sockets, and torn right ear looked exactly as it had when they first met.  This time, the rest of the abomination¡¯s body was visible to Aridean and it seemed to follow a similar, macabre theme just like its head.  The creature stood on two legs and had muscled arms that were thicker than Aridean¡¯s slim waist.  Its legs ended with two-toed feet that sported long claws like its hands.  Where flesh covered its bone, there was white fur; there were multiple spots on its right arm and left leg that did not have fur.  There were three large, spike-like bone protrusions emerging from its back that looked as though they could impale someone if they were to upset the beast.  The creature stood maybe two to three feet over Aridean.  Being a minotaur, Aridean could wrestle a bear, and actually did once per her rebel training, but this monstrosity looked strong enough to take on five bears at once with one of its clawed hands tied behind its back.

    Aridean was frozen in place, unable to move and unable to call out for help.  She watched, petrified, as the dim glow in the empty eye sockets of the monster shifted to the left and right.  It appeared that the creature was checking their surroundings before taking a deep breath.  Aridean¡¯s already wide eyes bulged further as the beast returned its attention to her, the brows over its empty sockets furrowed.  After a moment of examining the minotaur, Aridean was startled by a boisterous laughter.

    ¡°Ahahaha!  You still get spooked so easily!  I remember when you were but a child and all it took was a single crack of thunder to get you huddled under your bedsheets,¡± the creature teased with another laugh.  Aridean¡¯s fear was very slowly starting to change to confusion.  While the boom of thunder did not bother her anymore, it certainly had scared when she was a young child.  But the only person who ever knew that was Simon; how could this thing possibly know Aridean¡¯s childhood fears?

    ¡°W-what are¡ªhnn?!,¡± Aridean began to hesitantly ask.  Before she could even finish her question, a clawed finger was pushed to lips to silence her.  The monstrous form surveyed their surroundings again before locking eyes with Aridean.  A cold wind blew past the two, the monster¡¯s long left ear and Aridean¡¯s mane were whipped about by the breeze.  Aridean could see the creature¡¯s brows furrow again and she thought she could hear a low growl coming from it.

    ¡°Perhaps now really isn¡¯t the best time.  True introductions will have to come later.  Just know that I am a dear friend of Simon Gray¡¯s and I am here to assist you on your journey through this world,¡± the beast gently spoke with what Aridean could only assume was a friendly tone.  It was hard to tell what ¡®friendly¡¯ was when an intimidating monster such as this was speaking to you.  Suddenly, the tone the creature used shifted dramatically, ¡°In all seriousness, you must watch yourself while in this place.  There is something evil in this town and I would be devastated to lose not just my master, but his cherished daughter as well.¡±

    T-this thing¡­ is looking out for me?  W-where did it come from?  W-what is it?  Please, someone, tell me this just a dream, Aridean thought to herself as the monster drew its long, clawed finger back from her lips.  Confusion had now matched the fear Aridean was feeling but she had developed a sense that maybe this creature was not out to harm her.  The beast raised its head and surveyed the foggy surroundings again before looking out to the towering manor that loomed just over the trees and fog in the distance.  Aridean wondered if the beast could see through the fog as it seemed to constantly gaze out into the thick, cold, wet mists.  Her muscles tensed up again as she was startled by the cawing of a crow again; the loud bird sounded much closer than before.

    ¡°I must be going for now.  Fret not though; I won¡¯t be far,¡± the monster said as it turned.  Aridean watched as it lumbered into the thick fog and forest.

    ¡°W-wait!  W-who are you?  What are you?  W-why do you call yourself Simon¡¯s servant?¡±  Aridean asked in a bit of a panic.  However, the beast did not respond, not yet at least.  As the form disappeared into the night gloom, Aridean heard its hearty laughter once again.

    ¡°I too am growing impatient, but I have already told you that introductions will have to wait yet again.  Just watch yourself for now.  I don¡¯t know what it is exactly, but there is something horribly wrong with this place,¡± its voice replied.  Despite the creature having receded into the dark, mist-covered trees, its voice sounded strangely close.  Aridean thought about following the beast into the forest, it seemed to know a lot and curiosity was starting to take over.  Just as she lifted a hoof to move, it spoke again, ¡°Return to your friends quickly and sleep well.  But I warn you:  be careful of who you trust in this cursed place.¡±

    Be careful of who I trust?  Cursed?  What is that thing talking about?  More importantly, was I really about to follow it into a cold and fog-filled forest at night?!  Aridean thought, having now become more confused than afraid.  Although her breathing was still a bit erratic and she could feel her heart thumping in her chest, Aridean felt relief that the beast had left.  Even so, she kept her eyes trained on the space in the fog that it had disappeared into as though she were expecting it to reappear.  A moment passed before Aridean took a deep breath.

    She kept her eyes focused intently on the place where the monster had vanished but began to cautiously back away.  Although the fog was thick and visibility was limited to just a few meters in front of her, Aridean was certain the inn was somewhere behind her.  Her hooves, cold and caked in mud, slowly carried the minotaur through the foggy night.  After a moment on her backward trek, Aridean felt a slight dizziness slowly building in her head.  She did not think anything of it as she intended to return to her and Magdalene¡¯s room to rest for the night.

    It can¡¯t be much further¡­ I didn¡¯t think I walked that far away, Aridean mentally told herself as she heard her hooves hit the ground again and again.  She had startled herself as her right hoof backed into a shallow puddle and splashed some water onto her left leg.  Having taken her eyes from where her monstrous acquaintance had vanished, Aridean merely glanced back up from her wet leg to see nothing but fog still.  Uncertainty and worry were trying to take control but the minotaur finally managed to turn around in her search for the inn.

    Aridean stopped dead in her tracks and froze as she turned her head.  Her face was now inches from the beak of a dark crow that stared back at her with red and menacing eyes whilst perched upon a tree branch.  The ominous looking bird examined the startled minotaur before letting loose a loud, near deafening, caw.  Aridean stumbled backwards, covering her sensitive ears and shaking her now throbbing head.  The slight dizziness she had developed quickly evolved into a particularly nauseating pain.  Still fumbling backwards, the minotaur had stumbled into a tree.

    Ugh!  My head is killing me¡­ am I getting sick or¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t feel so good, Aridean internally commented as she lifted her head to see that the crow had flown away.  Although the creature and crow were now gone, Aridean still got the sense she was not alone.  A horrifying sense of paranoia was eating at her already on-edge nerves.  The minotaur grunted her frustration at her predicament before trying to stand up straight again.  Unfortunately, it was no good as the world was starting to spin beneath her.  The aching in her head had rapidly morphed into a splitting pain and she desperately fought back the rising need to vomit.

    ¡°Ow, ough, w-what is going on?¡±  Aridean asked no one in particular.  Slowly, Aridean slumped down to her knees, still clutching her head in pain.  From here, the minotaur fell to the cold, wet ground, failing to catch herself in the process.  Surrounded by the thick, cool fog, Aridean lay on wet grass and cold mud.  Although the chilling sensation of the moist terrain did provide some relief, Aridean found that she could not keep her eyes open much longer.  The entire world seemed to be spinning as her eyelids slowly closed.  Just before her eyes shut closed and she slipped into unconsciousness, Aridean saw something moving in the mists nearby.  A small, bright red glow was floating in the mists and drawing nearer to the distressed minotaur.

    ¡°Young lady, you mustn¡¯t be walking these streets this late¡­ you may never know who may happen upon you in our little hamlet,¡± spoke a man¡¯s voice in what sounded like a rather dignified tone.  The voice, accompanied by the tread of boots over the damp mud, had been the last things Aridean heard before fading entirely.  Although unable to hear any longer, the familiar caw of the black feathered bird resounded uproariously throughout the fog covered scene.

 Chapter 24 - Count Your Blessings

    There was little light shining through the window as the trees outside almost entirely blocked out the sun. A quiet stillness had settled over the small room, the only noise that could be heard was the rhythmic ticking of a clock on the wall. The lack of noise, however, had ceased as a dazed groan could be heard from one of the two beds.

    Aridean slowly opened her eyes to the sight of a small room. There was a single, large window just beside the bed she found herself laying in. There were two separate beds and two separate, wooden dressers lined up against the wall opposite the beds. A large and gray-colored rug was spread across the polished floor, but most of it had been hidden beneath the two beds. Also furnishing the room was a nightstand with a single lamp located between the two beds.

    Aridean could feel a dizziness in her head; not painful, but she still wished the discomfort would subside. Her right hand was brought to head and she began to rub her temples with her large, furred fingers. With a deep breath, the minotaur began to slowly sit up in the bed, ¡°Ough, w-where am I?¡±

    ¡°There you are! You had me so worried!¡± came a familiar voice with obvious distress in their tone. Aridean, still cradling her troubled head, turned to see Vidor sitting on a wooden stool beside her bed. It was now clear in his expression that he was relieved to see Aridean waking up.

    ¡°Vidor? What happened? Where are we?¡± Aridean groggily asked as she took her hand from her head. She was not feeling perfect but the lightheadedness she woke up with was beginning to fade. Vidor grabbed a glass of cool water from the nightstand and offered the drink to Aridean.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just relax. We¡¯re at the inn. But I was hoping you¡¯d tell us what happened though: Rana and I were just getting in bed when Maggie started banging on the door to our room. She said that you were found outside behind the inn, unconscious,¡± Vidor answered, his worried tone returning. Aridean, having accepted the water she had been offered, had preoccupied herself with her beverage. It was not until the cool liquid hit her tongue that she realized just how thirsty she was. Her glass was emptied within seconds and she found herself gasping for air after drinking.

    Why did I pass out last night? All I remember is seeing¡­ that thing again. After it left, I slowly started to feel sick and then lost consciousness. Somebody found me, though, just as everything went black. Who was that though? Aridean thought to herself. Her thirst quenched, Aridean returned the empty glass to Vidor who put it back on the nightstand. Aridean took a deep breath as the door to the guest room began to open. Both Aridean and Vidor turned to the door to see Rana enter with Magdalene right behind her, each of them carried a plate with some sausage and bread on them.

    ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re awake. You gave us all quite a scare last night, Aridean. Even Maggie was whispering prayers for you,¡± Rana spoke with her usual kind and gentle voice. Vidor and Aridean looked to Magdalene as the girl offered the plate she held to Aridean.

    ¡°I-I-I wasn¡¯t praying for¡­ s-so what if I did? I can¡¯t repay a debt to her if she were dead or something,¡± a flustered Magdalene returned. Rana laughed as the girl turned her back to the three minotaurs, her cheeks turning a light red color. Vidor rolled his eyes at the girl who was no longer looking in his direction and began eating the breakfast that Rana had brought for him. Aridean paused for a moment before smiling at Magdalene and joining Vidor and eating the food that she was given.

    Rana and Magdalene remained quiet as Vidor and Aridean slowly ate their breakfasts. While it was clear that Vidor enjoyed the meal, Aridean was thinking to herself that the sausages were a little dry. After finishing their food, the two set their plates on the nightstand alongside the empty glass. Aridean pushed the blanket she had off of her and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯re up and fed, what happened to you last night, Ari? You said you were just going to make sure the horses had some food but the clerk told me that you were found behind the inn,¡± Magdalene asked curiously. Rana and Vidor looked to Aridean with concerned expressions in their faces. A growing sense of embarrassment was eating at Aridean¡¯s nerves and her entire body began to warm up with everyone¡¯s eyes on her.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really know. After I fed the horses I heard something coming from behind the inn¡­ next thing I knew, I was waking up here,¡± answered an anxious Aridean.

    Would they believe me about that thing I keep seeing? I already tried to get Maggie to see it and it vanished before I could show her¡­ Ugh! What was that thing and why is it following me? Aridean thought to herself. She felt incredibly nervous about mentioning the creature that was following her. It would be a rather difficult to explain situation, not to mention how difficult it would be to believe without any proof.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think that those rumors about people disappearing are real¡­ right? Maggie said this place is cursed; was the curse trying to take Aridean?!¡± Vidor asked incredulously and with bulging eyes. Both Magdalene and Rana looked to him with frustrated and disappointed expressions, respectively. Clearly, neither of them took Vidor¡¯s theory seriously. Aridean, however, considered Vidor¡¯s words for a moment.

    I¡­ I do remember there was that red light just before I passed out¡­ and I heard a voice. That voice must have belonged to the person who helped me back to the inn, but what could the red light have been?  Aridean pondered as Rana let out a sigh. Standing from the bed she was sitting on, Rana looked over her team before smiling.

    ¡°Well, now that Aridean is awake again, we need to start planning our investigation. Maggie and I were talking things over while waiting on your breakfasts and we agreed that we should start by talking with the clerk at the reception desk. Hopefully she can tell us about any Empire soldier squads that have come through Cortonne recently,¡± Rana announced. As both Aridean and Magdalene stood from their respective seats, Vidor let out a quiet groan.

    ¡°Rana¡­ you really think that¡¯s the best plan? If we just ask the lady at the desk, don¡¯t you think she might think it odd that WE are asking about Empire soldiers? Even if Maggie were the one to ask, that lady might think something¡¯s off given the company she¡¯s surrounded by,¡± Vidor inquired with concern in his voice. Rana turned to face her brother and let out a sigh.

    ¡°I know, Vidor. Obviously, I don¡¯t think this is the safest strategy for us, but we need to start somewhere. We can¡¯t afford to wait around for another group of soldiers to come along and asking the people who live here is our fastest bet at figuring out what has been going on here,¡± replied Rana. While Rana was speaking, Magdalene had pointed out Aridean¡¯s gear that had been stashed at the foot of her bed by Vidor. Aridean took only a moment to fit her harness over her shoulders, the large and decorated axe secured fast in its holster on her back.

    ¡°Mngh¡­ I just don¡¯t like this. Something about this town has just been giving me a bad vibe since we got here,¡± Vidor spoke as he rose from his stool.

    Together, the team exited out of the guest room. Magdalene locked the door behind them and the group made for the front desk. Hooves clopped on the well-polished, wooden flooring; the minotaurs¡¯ footsteps nearly drowned out the clicking of Magdalene¡¯s shoes. The hallway was quiet and there did not seem to be any other awake guests in the inn at the time. Aridean took a quick glance out of a window that the four passed to see that the fog from yesterday still lingered.

    As the three minotaurs and half elf reached the end of the hallway, they could hear voices from the lobby. Aridean could make out a man and a woman¡¯s voice; she assumed the woman was the clerk from yesterday. As she entered the lobby with her friends, Aridean found that the clerk was speaking with a man in very fine clothing.

    Without doubt, the gentleman speaking with the clerk must have held considerable status just by the clothes he wore and dignified atmosphere he exuded. He wore a blue coat over a fine, white shirt and white pants with large, blue boots. The man had particularly long hair, most of which was tied back into a long ponytail that reached below his shoulders. He did have a large amount of hair cast over his left eye, entirely obscuring that part of his face. It appeared that he had a scar running down his left cheek, most of it hidden by the hair covering his face and eye. Despite the silver and white hair atop his head, the visible features on the man¡¯s face showed that he might have been about as young as Rana. One last, peculiar observation Aridean noticed was that the man had a purple ribbon tied around his right arm.

    The group¡¯s arrival in the lobby did not go unnoticed by the receptionist at the desk. The woman pointed out the four guests and spoke cordially to the man before her, ¡°Oh, here they are, sir.¡±

    Being the subject of the receptionist¡¯s statement, everyone looked at the woman with surprise. The man she was speaking to turned to face the group with a kind smile on his face. Without hesitation, the man began to approach. Aridean felt a bit anxious; why was that someone seemed to be looking for them? Behind the desk, the clerk began writing in a notebook as the man stood before the team.

    ¡°Good morning, travelers. It is my pleasure to meet all of you,¡± the man greeted the four with an elegant bow. Confusion was readily apparent on the faces of the three minotaurs and Magdalene. After a few seconds of silence, Vidor nudged Magdalene gently. The girl looked up at the minotaur who was facing the man before the team, her eyes slightly widening in surprise when she realized that she was meant to do the talking.

    ¡°H-hello. Did you have business with me or my servants?¡± Magdalene anxiously spoke. Aridean watched as the man rose from his bow and noticed that his visible eye slightly widened. Still smiling, the man let out a quiet and short laugh.

    ¡°Oh, forgive my manners, young lady. I wished to come and check up on your servant that I found passed out last night,¡± the man continued, giving Aridean a quick glance.

    This is the guy that found me last night? What was he doing out there exactly? Wait a second¡­ wasn¡¯t this the guy I saw in that giant cemetery on our way into town? He¡¯s dressed exactly the same, Aridean thought as she began to examine the man again. While the man was acting friendly and presented himself in a dignified manner, there was something strange about him.

    ¡°Oh, you were the one who found her? Well, I appreciate you looking out for my servant. I¡¯ll make sure they behave themselves,¡± replied Magdalene with a bit more confidence than before. She sounded a little more sure of herself but Vidor still rolled his eyes at her bluff. The man gave another laugh.

    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry too much, I¡¯m sure they know how to conduct themselves,¡± the man responded. He cleared his throat, ¡°Oh, where are my manners today? I am Count Vladimir Impalivik of Cortonne. It is my pleasure to welcome each of you to our modest home. If you have need of anything during your stay, you need only ask.¡±

    ¡°My name is Magdalene Yorre. My servants and I have come from the far east,¡± Magdalene responded with as dignified a voice as she could muster. While it was clear she was starting to get into the bluff, Vidor rolled his eyes again. Having noticed his annoyed gesture, Rana lightly punched her brother in his side.

    The count of Cortonne¡­ why does it feel like I¡¯m forgetting something about that? Something about his name is strangely familiar but I know I¡¯ve never met him¡­ Wait, why is the count of this place talking to us?! Aridean slowly began to internally panic. The uneasiness that she felt must have been clear upon her face as Vladimir returned his attention to her. His kind smile almost immediately vanished, however, after the man had taken a more thorough survey of Aridean. Vladimir¡¯s mouth had fallen agape and stunned surprise filled his visible eye.

    ¡°Is that¡­ it couldn¡¯t be, but¡­¡± Vladimir spoke quietly and incredulously, his gaze still focused on Aridean. Magdalene glanced up at Aridean, confused by the man¡¯s odd rambling. Vladimir turned back to Magdalene, his astonishment still clear upon his face, ¡°Lady Yorre, might I ask to have a word with your servant?¡±

    ¡°Huh? I-I guess so, but why?¡± Magdalene replied, having lost a little bit of the confidence she had built up. Vladimir shook his head, as though trying to wake himself up, before taking a step closer to Aridean. The man seemed to entirely disregard Magdalene¡¯s question as he was focused solely on Aridean.

    ¡°Young lady, you were the one that I found just last evening, yes? Might I ask your name?¡± inquired Vladimir. A bit confused and starting to feel a little uncomfortable, Aridean glanced at Rana, Vidor, and Magdalene. Each of her companions appeared to be almost as confused as she was. Looking back to Vladimir, the noble¡¯s visible eye was firmly set upon Aridean. Was it okay for her to give this man her name?

    ¡°M-my name is¡­ A-Aridean Gray, s-sir,¡± answered Aridean hesitantly as she nervously took a step back from Vladimir. There was not much space in the small inn lobby to begin with and Aridean was feeling a bit claustrophobic as the man approached. The nobleman either did not notice Aridean¡¯s discomfort or did not care as he took a step closer, curiosity shining in his eye.

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    ¡°Gray? Hmm¡­ Mrs. Gray, I must know: where did you acquire that blade you carry on your back?¡± Vladimir asked as his hand moved to his clean-shaven chin. It was as if the peculiar man did not register anything but Aridean and her great axe at the time.

    ¡°U-uhm¡­ i-it¡¯s a¡­ f-family heirloom, sir,¡± Aridean anxiously answered. Her legs were beginning to feel a bit weak under her.

    That¡¯s not¡­ technically a lie, right? Aridean thought to herself with uncertainty. She took another step back from the inquisitive man before her and was desperately hoping the encounter was nearing its conclusion. The deep thought and curiosity shone in Vladimir¡¯s eye as it shifted from side to side in a rather exaggerated fashion. Aridean was slowly growing more and more disturbed by the unusual individual who seemed oddly interested in her. It was not until Vladimir began mumbling to himself that the receptionist behind the desk took notice.

    ¡°Count Impalivik, sir? Is everything alright?¡± asked the inn¡¯s clerk, having put her pen down. She looked concerned for the noble who took a few seconds to recompose himself. He turned to the woman behind the desk with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Forgive me, Mrs. Walker; I was just a bit lost in thought is all,¡± Vladimir replied with his confident and dignified tone. Vladimir gave a courteous bow to the woman, who in turn smiled and half-bowed as well before returning to her deskwork. Having collected himself, the nobleman turned back to Magdalene with his kind, if tired looking, smile still present, ¡°Lady Yorre, I must insist that you and your servants join me at my manor for the evening. It would be an honor to have you. There is much I wish to discuss with someone such as yourself; it has been some time since I¡¯ve engaged in conversation with a fellow elite.¡±

    Aridean could feel her entire body tense up and her eyes went wide in astonishment. Magdalene appeared to have a similar reaction to Vladimir¡¯s invitation. The young girl took a moment to process the man¡¯s request. She looked to the three minotaurs that accompanied her. Both Aridean and Vidor were entirely shocked by Vladimir and did not in anyway communicate their thoughts to Magdalene. Rana, however, gave a gentle smile to the girl before nodding. Having noticed Rana¡¯s apparent complacency with the request, Vidor and Aridean looked to the older minotaur uneasily. Similarly, Magdalene had paused in thought, if for only a moment.

    Magdalene hesitantly returned her attention to Vladimir. The girl took a deep breath and put on as confident a face as she could muster, ¡°Count Impalivik, you honor me. I shall humbly accept your invitation. My servants just need time to collect our things from our rooms here at the inn.¡±

    ¡°Splendid! I shall return to the estate to make necessary preparations,¡± Vladimir responded, through his professional and formal tone, the man sounded somewhat excited. Vladimir turned and began to make for the door. As he opened the door, he spoke, ¡°I eagerly await your arrival. My manor is the large estate next to the cemetery that you likely passed upon entering Cortonne.¡±

    As the door shut gently behind Vladimir, a peculiar and awkward stillness seemed to fill the room. The group remained so quiet that the only sounds heard throughout the inn¡¯s front room was the clock behind the desk ticking and the scribbling of the receptionist¡¯s moving pen on paper. Having noticed the strange pause the group was exhibiting, the woman behind the desk put down her pen again.

    ¡°Lady Yorre, yes? Are you alright?¡± the receptionist that Vladimir had addressed as Mrs. Walker asked. Hearing her name spoken seemed to bring Magdalene back to reality. The girl shook her head before turning to the woman.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ hadn¡¯t expected that is all. Thank you for your hospitality the previous evening but it would seem that we shall be staying the night at Count Impalivik¡¯s manor,¡± Magdalene replied with slight hesitation. The woman gave a polite bow and smile before yet again returning to her notebook on the desk. Aridean noticed Rana give Magdalene a gentle nudge before leaning in.

    ¡°Could I get you to ask her about the count? She seems to know him relatively well,¡± Rana whispered to Magdalene. Hesitantly, Magdalene let out a long sigh before approaching the desk with Rana in tow. Vidor, however, gently grabbed Aridean¡¯s arm and led her back into the inn¡¯s hallway. He silently motioned back toward their rooms as Magdalene could be heard asking the woman behind the desk about the count.

    I guess we¡¯re on cleanup duty while Rana and Magdalene gather information on that Vladimir guy, Aridean thought to herself as she followed Vidor back through the hallway. Just as Aridean and Vidor reached the doors to their guest rooms, Aridean immediately groaned in frustration. Vidor turned to her with a curious look on his face.

    ¡°Maggie has the key to our room¡­ I¡¯ll be back,¡± Aridean said, slightly annoyed by the inconvenience. Vidor laughed as Aridean turned to walk back to the front room. Aridean stopped, slightly surprised, when Vidor grabbed her hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rana¡¯s supposed to have the key to our room too. Buuut, I¡¯ve got the key to both of the rooms,¡± spoke Vidor, a smug grin drawn across his face. Aridean was left feeling confused.

    ¡°Wait, what? Did¡­ did you pickpocket the keys off Maggie and Rana?¡± Aridean asked curiously and somewhat surprised. Vidor, still grinning, silently revealed to Aridean that he possessed a small piece of metal with a crooked end. Aridean felt a bit relieved to see Vidor¡¯s ¡®key¡¯ as she breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Oh, lockpicks¡­ If Maggie thought you had stolen from her, she¡¯d probably go ballistic.¡±

    ¡°Eh, she¡¯d get over it if I had,¡± Vidor responded as he began attempting to unlock the door to Aridean and Magdalene¡¯s guest room. The quiet clap of metal against metal rang out as Vidor focused on unlocking the door. Aridean, a bit worried about what someone might think if they saw the two, stood by Vidor to block anyone¡¯s view should they be looking in their direction.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little curious: do you know what Rana was thinking accepting that Vladimir guy¡¯s invitation to stay at his manor? I was a bit surprised that she seemed so willing¡­ doesn¡¯t it sound like a big risk, especially after the poor attempt to sell the illusion that we are Maggie¡¯s servants and she¡¯s a noble,¡± Aridean asked as Vidor continued to work on the lock. A clicking sound was heard and Vidor retrieved his lockpick before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open. He let out a short and quiet laugh after his success.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit more curious about why he seemed so interested in your axe but that¡¯s beside the point. Knowing Rana, it has to be one of two things: she probably thinks he could be a great source of information about the disappearances we¡¯re investigating. It¡¯s either that or she¡¯s hoping to get her hands on some noble sweets¡­ Eh, I guess it could be both, really,¡± Vidor nonchalantly answered as he moved to start working on the door to his and Rana¡¯s guest room. As he inserted his lockpick into the doorknob, he continued, ¡°I¡¯ll only be a minute here and I¡¯ll get our stuff. You should go ahead and grab everything from in there and meet up with Rana and Maggie.¡±

    The fact that he invited four strangers to stay at his mansion shocked me so much that I must have lost track of that. He did seem weirdly intrigued by Simon¡¯s axe¡­ He¡¯s not at all what I expected in an elite, Aridean internally commented as she entered the guest room.

    There was not much in the guest room that she needed to collect, just a spare backpack containing some supplies and Maggie¡¯s pack which held a spare set of clothes and a large, weathered book. Aridean decided she would take a moment to make the beds before moving back into the hall.

    Just as Aridean lifted the sheets to the bed that she woke up in, she heard something tapping on the only window in the room. She had chosen to ignore the noise and finish straightening the beds until she heard the sound again and then again. The tapping became almost rhythmic and it was clear that something must be causing it, as though something was trying to get her attention. Both curious and slightly annoyed, Aridean dropped the sheets in her hands and moved closer to the window.

    It''s¡­ probably just a tree branch or something, Aridean thought to herself, yet was not entirely convinced. Outside, the fog was still thick and little sunlight made it to the forest ground. Droplets of water were running down the glass and a single squirrel was seen bouncing around some trees some meters away from the inn. Aridean was left entirely confused; nothing in sight could have been causing the tapping. In fact, the tapping had stopped the instant Aridean moved in front of the window. Shaking her head, the minotaur turned to go back to making the bed.

    ¡°Remember what I said; guard yourself and be wary of who you trust in this cursed place,¡± came the deep voice. Instantaneously, Aridean whipped back around to see that the view outside had changed entirely. Pitch black darkness had filled the entire window. The only thing visible was the mutilated head of the white-furred creature, the rest of its body consumed in the void.

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Aridean screamed as she stumbled backwards. She had failed to catch herself and fell over onto her side. Just as Aridean hit the ground, she heard the door to the guest room fly open.

    ¡°Are you okay?!¡± Vidor asked in a panic. His eyes were focused on Aridean, still on the floor.

    ¡°V-Vidor, o-outside¡ª,¡± stuttered Aridean as she started taking deep breaths. Vidor quickly moved past her to look out the window. He took only a moment to survey the scene before turning back to Aridean.

    ¡°Was there something out there that scared you? I¡¯m not seeing anything out of the ordinary,¡± Vidor spoke as he offered his hand to Aridean.

    ¡°W-what? O-oh, I must have thought I saw something is all¡­¡± replied Aridean as she took Vidor¡¯s hand.

    Is that thing¡­ messing with me? What does it want¡­ is it even real? Am I just going crazy? No one else gets the chance to see it¡­ but why? Aridean thought to herself. As Vidor helped her to her hooves, Aridean glanced out the window. The scene that she had initially observed had returned; even the same squirrel was still searching for nuts in the open space. She took a few more deep breaths before hastily making the beds as she had planned on doing.

    ¡°Aridean, are you okay? You¡¯re not sick or something are you? We can abort this mission if we need to,¡± a concerned Vidor asked as the two moved back into the hallway. Aridean shook her head as she gently closed the door to the guest room behind her.

    ¡°N-no, I¡¯m fine, honest. I-I must just still be a bit tired from last night and I thought I just saw something out the window is all. Besides, if we leave now, the count will be suspicious of us,¡± Aridean reasoned with as much confidence as she could muster. Vidor let out moan of disbelief as Rana and Magdalene arrived.

    ¡°Ari? How¡¯d you get my bag if I have the key to our room?¡± Magdalene asked curiously.

    ¡°I picked the lock,¡± Vidor answered triumphantly. The pride over his accomplishment seemed to fade the instant he noticed Rana¡¯s stern and upset glare in his direction. It was clear to Aridean that Rana did not approve of Vidor¡¯s use of lockpicking on the guest room door to the inn they were staying in. Magdalene, however, had a rather impressed look on her face.

    ¡°You can pick locks? How long did it take you?¡± inquired Magdalene, her surprise readily apparent. Vidor, ignoring Rana¡¯s disappointed-older-sister-stare, smirked at the young girl.

    ¡°Only about thirty seconds,¡± Vidor replied enthusiastically. Rana sighed and shook her head when she realized that Vidor was enjoying himself a bit too much. Magdalene, however, muffled a short laugh.

    ¡°Pfft! Thirty full seconds? Well, I was impressed,¡± Magdalene chided, now with a smirk on her face.

    ¡°Oh, shut it. Rana, what did you two find out about that Vladimir guy?¡± Vidor asked, somewhat annoyed by Magdalene¡¯s backhandedness. Rana gestured the group back up the hallway toward the front room. Hooves clopped on the wooden flooring and Magdalene¡¯s shoes¡¯ clicking was drowned out just as it had been the first time the group walked through the hall.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t able to learn as much as I would have liked. Count Impalivik is well known throughout Cortonne, not just because he owns the hamlet, but because he is an active member in the community. He seems to take his responsibility to his citizens very seriously. Beyond that, however, his personal life is a bit of a mystery. One weird thing I noted was that the receptionist mentioned this isn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s invited guests to his manor from the inn,¡± Rana spoke as the group neared the lobby. Before anyone could say anything, Rana turned to the group and put a finger over her lips as she motioned toward the front room. Without a word, the group proceeded into the lobby, stopping only long enough for Magdalene to return their room keys. Their business at the inn concluded, the team moved outside and began walking toward the stables to get their horses and wagon.

    ¡°You said this wasn¡¯t the first time this Vladimir person has had strangers at his manor, right? Do you have any idea why that might be?¡± Aridean asked. Rana sighed and shrugged and shook her head. Aridean did not truly expect Rana to know the answer to something so bizarre.

    ¡°It could be any number of things. Nevertheless, we will be Count Impalivik¡¯s guests this evening and I¡¯m hoping we might be able to learn something about the disappearances from him. I want everyone on their best behavior, understood?¡± Rana responded with her usual kind and gentle tone of voice. Both Vidor and Aridean nodded to the older minotaur as Magdalene folded her arms over her chest.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that supposed to be my line, you servants?¡± joked Magdalene with a sarcastic tone. Rana, unsurprisingly, quietly laughed as Vidor, also unsurprisingly, rolled his eyes and grunted his annoyance.

    It did not take the team long to put everything back together in the wagon and get the horses in place. Once everyone was seated in the wagon, Rana whipped the horses into motion. Old wood from the wagon creaked quietly beneath the group and the horses snorted as they began pulling. Rana directed the horses back onto the main road, which was more mud than dirt today. There was considerably less clopping of horse hooves and more of a plopping sound as they moved through the soft and squishy mud road.

    Cortonne was swallowed by a relatively thick fog. Aridean could not see much beyond the buildings that sat just on the sides of the road. Just like yesterday, there did not appear to be many citizens out walking through the small town. Apart from the songs of a few birds and the usual horse-drawn wagon sounds, there were no other noises to be heard as the team made their way up the road. Aridean looked up the road to see the silhouette of the manor that the group would be staying at. As they approached, the image became slightly clearer as sunlight was beaming down upon the large building.

    It was a short ride to Vladimir¡¯s manor¡¯s front gate. At the gate stood two well-dressed attendants. Strangely, however, the two figures were wearing face covering masks. There was no design on the masks, they were simply blank. As the wagon approached, the attendants pulled the gates open to allow the group entry. Each attendant bowed courteously as the wagon passed them by. Aridean watched as the wagon rolled toward the manor as the two strange attendants closed the gate behind them.

    Turning ahead, Aridean let out a quiet but surprised gasp at the size of the building. Vladimir¡¯s manor was enormous, probably larger than even the barracks building back in Stonehaven. Walls were made of chiseled stone and large, if dark, glass windows were evenly spread along the structure. As Rana pulled the wagon up to the front door, Aridean noticed that there were more of the white flowers that were all around the town decorating Vladimir¡¯s front door. Vladimir himself was standing in front of the opulent building with a kind, if tired looking, smile on his face.

    ¡°Welcome to my humble manor,¡± Vladimir greeted with a bow. Aridean thought to herself that the estate was anything but humble as she reexamined the grand design again. She was curious to see what Vladimir thought was grandiose in terms of architecture. Still bowing, the man lifted his head. Aridean felt a chill run down her spine as the man¡¯s one visible eye surveyed the group. The chill in her spine was replaced with utter shock as the man¡¯s lips moved, ¡°It is my honor to have you joining me this evening¡­ rebel soldiers.¡±

 Chapter 25 - A Taste of the Good Life

    As Vladimir stood back up, several more of his sharply dressed servants appeared from the door their master stood in front of.  Just the same as it was with the two at the gate, these attendants wore blank, white face covers for whatever reason.  Vladimir watched with his gentle smile as his staff surrounded the wagon.  The horses that pulled the wagon each let out an upset whiney.  Aridean felt as if she had stopped breathing and her head simply shook back and forth with wide eyes.

    Vidor quickly turned to Rana in the front seat of the wagon.  He was alarmed to see that his sister seemed to have frozen up, her arms trembling.  Turning back around, he examined both Aridean and Magdalene.  Aridean, similar to Rana, was frozen with wide eyes set upon the group¡¯s ¡®host¡¯.  Magdalene was moving but only to turn and watch as the attendants enclosed the wagon they sat in, her breathing was slowly speeding up and becoming louder.  Vidor gave the young girl a quick nudge and motioned toward Vladimir.  With anxious eyes, Magdalene looked into the minotaur¡¯s face before nervously turning toward the nobleman.  Without having spoken, she understood what Vidor was asking of her and hesitantly drew in a deep breath.

    ¡°C-count Vladimir, w-what are you talking about?  Y-you suspect my servants and I are rebel filth?¡±  Magdalene reluctantly inquired.  Vladimir¡¯s smile faded from his face as he crossed his arms over his chest.  A disappointed look appeared on the man¡¯s face as he breathed a sigh of discontent.

    ¡°Ms. Yorre, do you honestly believe I would be so foolish as to fall for such a petty ruse?  Come now, accept the fact that I have seen through your cover,¡± Vladimir replied with a stern tone.  The man surveyed the four guests in their wagon as his servants stood at attention.

    ¡°Ngh¡­ fine, you caught us,¡± Vidor spoke with agitation in his voice.  Without hesitation, he drew his bow and notched an arrow.  Aridean, still too frightened to speak, merely watched as Vidor aimed his shot directly at the man, ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do about it?¡±

    Now with a bow ready and trained on him, Vladimir merely raised an eyebrow over his one visible eye.  Aridean could feel the fur on her back and tail stand on ends as the clever man began to grin.  Vidor, focused and forceful, maintained his readiness to fire upon Vladimir even when the nobleman began to laugh.  Vladimir had been overcome by a curious and unsettling laughing fit.  After a moment, the man recomposed himself and raised a single hand.

    ¡°Ahahaha!  I do beg your forgiveness but I simply could not help myself!  Perhaps I went a bit overboard,¡± said Vladimir, clearing his throat afterward.  His friendly smile reappeared on his face, ¡°Please be at ease; I mean you no harm.  You needn¡¯t worry yourselves about your affiliations in my hamlet.  Everyone is equal here, whether they be rebel or Empire soldier.¡±

    Confusion washed over the team in the wagon.  Rana had managed to collect herself enough to at least turn her head to look in Vladimir¡¯s direction.  Vidor¡¯s determined and forceful glare had softened somewhat, but he still held his bow at the ready.  Magdalene and Aridean, with wide eyes, glanced in one another¡¯s direction before looking back to Vladimir.  The man raised a hand again and snapped his fingers.  His attendants broke their formation around the wagon and lined up in front of their master where they each bowed to the four guests.

    ¡°W-what?  We¡¯re supposed to believe that?¡±  snapped Vidor with slight hesitation.  Despite the readied arrow pointed directly at him, Vladimir locked eyes with Vidor as he maintained his kind, if tired, smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ve no interest in any conflict.  You are free to let loose your arrow, my friend.  But what then?  Mrs. Walker at the inn knows that you four were to be my guests for the remainder of your stay in Cortonne,¡± Vladimir announced.  Vidor gritted his teeth as he slowly lowered his bow.  As Vidor disarmed himself, Vladimir continued, ¡°You¡¯ve come to investigate the bizarre string of disappearances, have you not?  I have invited you to my manor in the hopes that I might enlist your group to assist me with that matter.¡±

    Yet again, surprise and confusion spread throughout the occupants of the old, wooden wagon.  Rana and Vidor turned to one another.  Vidor gave his sister an uneasy shrug of the shoulders; Rana looked back to Vladimir while deeply considering her next steps.  Aridean and Magdalene sat in the back with mouths having fallen agape as they surveyed the servants, still bowing, and their peculiar host.  Rana let out an uneasy groan.

    ¡°What are you planning to do if we elect not to work with you on this?¡±  a reluctant Rana asked Vladimir.  The man¡¯s smile faded yet again; a more serious and solemn expression drawn on his face.

    ¡°Should you so choose, you are free to return to the inn.  However, that would look alarmingly suspicious especially given your objective here requiring you to speak with local citizens such as Mrs. Walker.  I¡¯ve no intention of stopping you myself but choosing to decline my offer truly only leaves you the option of abandoning your quest and returning home,¡± Vladimir answered sternly.  Rana grunted her discontent with the situation and looked to the ground as she began to carefully think again.  Much to Aridean¡¯s surprise, Magdalene moved forward and leaned over the edge of the wagon.

    ¡°I want to know:  what gave us away?  Also, what was the deal with you wanting to talk to Ari back at the inn?¡±  Magdalene impatiently asked the man.  Putting on another smile, Vladimir¡¯s eye shifted to focus on Aridean.

    ¡°Do forgive me, but I neglected to add that I would like to confirm something as well.  Should my suspicions be confirmed true, there would be no doubt that she is no servant to a noble,¡± stated Vladimir confidently whilst maintaining eye contact with an anxious Aridean.  His eyes parted with Aridean¡¯s as he looked back to Magdalene, ¡°There is also the matter that there is no Yorre family within the Empire nor any such name in the elven equivalent of nobility.  I might not be the most well versed in modern aristocracy activities, but I know this much.¡±

    ¡°W-wait, you knew that--,¡± Aridean began to ask.  Vladimir waved a hand and smiled.

    ¡°Magdalene is a human name, Yorre is elvish.  I can tell she is not of pure human nor pure elven blood.  Even if she were of a noble name, she would have been ostracized from her own kin before she could even speak,¡± Vladimir answered.  Magdalene grunted her displeasure.

    Magdalene sat back in the wagon and crossed her arms over her chest.  Aridean thought the girl might be pouting that she failed to convince Vladimir of her status.  Or perhaps it was due to Vladimir¡¯s statement concerning her half-human and half-elven blood; Aridean could not tell what bothered Magdalene more.  Regardless, Magdalene replied, ¡°Fine¡­ but just so you know:  I¡¯m not a rebel.  These guys saved my life and I just owe them is all.¡±

    Vladimir quietly chuckled to himself.  The man recomposed himself before asking, ¡°Now that we have stated our purposes, would you be willing to join me in stopping whatever force is taking innocent travelers from our small town?¡±

    Aridean, Magdalene, and Vidor all turned to Rana.  Noticing the three shift their attention to the pondering minotaur, Vladimir¡¯s visible eye also moved to look at Rana.  Rana herself continued to look down toward the ground for only a few seconds before sighing.  She reluctantly groaned, ¡°I don¡¯t think we really have much of a choice but to accept your offer¡­¡±

    ¡°Rana¡­¡± Vidor quietly called out with a worried tone.

    I kind of expected that but I also wish she had said we¡¯d just take our chances¡­ Aridean thought to herself.  A feeling of woe seemed to wash over her as Rana looked up to the three in the back of the wagon with defeated eyes.

    ¡°Splendid!  Now that we¡¯ve agreed upon an alliance, please disembark your wagon.  I shall see to it that your things are properly stored and trusty steeds well fed,¡± Vladimir announced with enthusiasm.  Before anyone could get down from the wagon, Vladimir clapped his hands together twice.  His obedient attendants moved to unload the wagon and lead the horses away.  Vladimir turned on his heels, ¡°Please join me inside; I shall show each of you to your rooms myself.¡±

    With that, the oddly excited nobleman lifted his right leg and began to walk back into the large manor.  Rana began to descend from her seat in the wagon as Vidor hopped over the railing.  A small cloud of dirt and dust was stirred up as his hooves hit the ground.  Magdalene carefully climbed over the railing and lowered herself down.  Aridean sat in the back of the wagon and reexamined the enormous building they were about to enter.

    It was one of the largest buildings she had ever seen and it looked entirely out of place in the small hamlet known as Cortonne.  Intricate detail had been carved into the stone walls that rose above the trees surrounding the property.  Bright, near blinding, sunlight was reflected off of the cleaned windows.  She could not quite see through the glare but assumed that the interior of the noble home was just as distinguished as the outside.  Aridean noticed some dark colored birds sitting on the rooftop.

    After taking a moment to stretch his arms, Vidor turned to see Aridean still in the wagon.  As Vladimir¡¯s servants began to unload their gear, he spoke, ¡°Aridean?  You alright?¡±

    ¡°O-oh, yes.  Sorry, just a bit surprised by what happened is all,¡± replied Aridean.  Her eyes glazed over the building once more and she shook her head as though to snap her out of a trance.  Nimble and with coordination, she vaulted over the wagon railing and deftly landed on the ground next to Vidor.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not keep the count waiting,¡± Rana said, her usual kind tone had a not-so-subtle uneasy inflection to it.  The minotaur then turned and began making her way for the door to catch up to the group¡¯s peculiar host.  Magdalene followed Rana closely as Vidor and Aridean looked to one another.  Vidor motioned to the door and the two made their way inside.  Standing in the shade of the structure just in front of the door that Vidor held for her, Aridean heard the unmistakable caw of a crow from somewhere close.  She could smell the sweet scent of the flowers that adorned the doorway as she entered Vladimir¡¯s manor.

    Upon entering, Aridean and Vidor both quietly gasped in awe at the sight of the main hall.  It was a large room with stone columns supporting the high ceiling and a well-polished floor that looked almost glass-like.  There were several expensive looking tables upon which sat various gaudy or opulent trinkets and amenities.  Dark red rugs sprawled the floor and reached from the main entrance to the large staircase that sat at the far end of the room.  Smaller, similar rugs stretched out from the main rug to the doors leading to the east and west wings of the estate.  Painted walls surrounded the group and many portraits of supposed Impalivik family members were hung around the hall.  There was also a massive chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling, it looked to be made of crystals and even a few gemstones.

    This¡­ is incredible.  I never would have imagined that I¡¯d get the chance to see something like this, Aridean thought to herself as the awestruck sensation slowly subsided.  After her eyes had taken in the entire room twice, she noticed Vladimir on the staircase landing.  Her host could be heard chuckling to himself as his guests stood by his front door.  Despite the kind look Vladimir¡¯s face, Aridean was slightly confused by his sudden amusement.

    ¡°Do forgive my rudeness; I understand that you might not be accustomed to such lavish accommodations.  Guests such as yourselves always need a moment and I always find their astonishment entertaining,¡± Vladimir announced as his laughter died down.  He motioned for his four guests to join him in climbing the stairs.  As the group began to walk toward the staircase, Vladimir turned and began to walk up a small flight of stairs leading to the east wing.

    Once everyone had reached the top of the stairs, Vladimir led everyone through a hallway.  The aristocratic theming Aridean observed in the entrance hall seemed to carry throughout the entire manor.  More dark red rugs over floors so clean that they looked reflective in the light.  The d¨¦cor throughout the hallway were all free of dust or any sign of aging.  Windows were adorned with curtains of silk.  Even the doors throughout the hallway looked to be crafted with noble detail in mind.  Everything seemed to be maintained to an immaculate standard.

    Vladimir stopped halfway through the hallway, his four guests stopping abruptly as he turned to face them.  His eyes shifted between Rana and Vidor.  With his kind but tired looking smile, Vladimir spoke, ¡°I must apologize.  I know Ms. Yorre and Mrs. Gray, but I have neglected to ask for your names.¡±

    ¡°My name is Rana Stonehoof and this is my younger brother Vidor,¡± Rana answered with a friendly voice and polite smile.  Vladimir¡¯s visible eyebrow raised slightly as he turned to Vidor.

    ¡°Hm?  You decided to take your wife¡¯s name?¡±  Vladimir inquired with curiosity.  Confusion immediately took over both Vidor and Magdalene¡¯s faces.  Aridean felt her own face warming with embarrassment.

    ¡°Wife?  What?  O-oh!  Uhh¡­¡± Vidor redirected with slight bewilderment.

    ¡°W-we haven¡¯t quite gotten there yet, sir.  W-we¡¯ve only been dating for a little over a month now,¡± a flustered Aridean intervened.  It was now that Aridean noticed Rana had a surprised expression in her face as well.  Vladimir examined Aridean intently for a moment; she noticed that the man¡¯s one visible eye shifted down ever so slightly as he surveyed her.  After the man concluded his evaluation, he let out another quiet laugh.

    ¡°Ah, I see now.  Please, forgive me, I seem to have jumped to conclusions,¡± Vladimir said, his smile reappearing on his face.  He cleared his throat before directing everyone¡¯s attention toward the door the group stood in front of, ¡°Ms. Stonehoof, this will be your room for the duration of your stay.¡±

    He¡¯s letting us have our own rooms?  His treatment of total strangers is far beyond anything I ever could have imagined possible from humans, Aridean thought to herself.  Rana gave Vladimir a nod before looking everyone else in their eyes.  Each of them could almost hear Rana¡¯s voice telling them ¡®behave yourselves¡¯ before the minotaur turned and entered her guest room.  Vladimir turned around again and guided the remaining three to the next door in the hallway.

    ¡°This shall be your room, Mr. Stonehoof,¡± Vladimir spoke.  Vidor looked from Vladimir toward the bedroom door and then to Aridean.  He gave her one of his goofy smiles before heading into his own bedroom.  Being the only two left, Aridean and Magdalene followed Vladimir further down the elegant corridor to their rooms.

    ¡°Here are your rooms, Ms. Yorre and Ms. Gray.  Please, take some time to rest or explore my estate.  I just ask that you stay out of the second-floor west wing,¡± Vladimir announced as he directed Magdalene and Aridean¡¯s attention to their respective rooms.  Aridean saw that there was one more room before the hallway ended with a flight of stairs leading downward.

    ¡°You sure do have a lot of room in this place.  Are you and your servants really all that live here?  Aren¡¯t there other Impaliviks?¡±  asked Magdalene curiously.  Aridean noticed Vladimir¡¯s smile immediately vanish from his face.  The empty look in the man¡¯s eye had Aridean somewhat startled.  However, the bizarre reaction lasted only a second.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I am the last of the Impalivik line.  It is a shame, but I fear the name my ancestors built up will end with me,¡± Vladimir answered with his courtly tone.  He began to hurriedly walk past both Aridean and Magdalene, ¡°Please excuse me, I¡¯ve preparations to make.  We may discuss our plans over dinner this evening.  In the meantime, do make yourselves at home.¡±

    The man quickly moved through the long and lavish hallway.  The silky curtains hanging from the windows danced slightly as Vladimir made his hasty exit.  Even after disappearing behind a door that led back into the main hall, Aridean stared at where she last saw him.  She thought it was a bit odd that the man who had presented himself as being so professional and forthcoming would so abruptly end a conversation.  Shrugging to herself, Aridean turned toward the door that would enter into her guest room.  As she reached for the doorknob, she felt the muscles in her hand and back seize up as Magdalene let out a shrill scream.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±  Magdalene screamed in fright.  Aridean turned to see the girl had toppled backward in front of her own open guest room door.  She was panting and looked absolutely mortified.  Aridean, after shaking off the shock of the sudden excitement, moved toward Magdalene and knelt down beside the girl.

    ¡°Maggie, are you alright?¡±  asked Aridean with as gentle a tone as she could manage.  Magdalene turned to Aridean, her face having turned a bright red.  Both Vidor and Rana had emerged from their rooms to see what the commotion was about.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­ I-I¡­ I saw a rat scurry across my floor, okay?!¡±  Magdalene answered, her flustered state readily apparent in her red face.  Vidor quietly laughed to himself before being smacked in the back of his head by Rana.

    ¡°Ow!  What was that for?  C¡¯mon, it¡¯s kinda funny¡­¡± Vidor complained to his sister as he rubbed the back of his head.  Seemingly afraid of the stern look Rana was giving him, Vidor turned to Magdalene, ¡°Ugh, Maggie, you want to swap rooms?  I didn¡¯t see any rats in mine.¡±

    Aridean could hear Magdalene mumbling something about Vidor being a dummy as the girl got back on her feet.  Aridean also stood back up as Magdalene turned to Vidor and spoke, ¡°No, I¡¯ll just let Vlad know and see if he¡¯ll get someone to deal with it.¡±

    With that, Magdalene shut the door to her room before making her way back toward the main hall to find their host.  The trio of minotaurs watched as the girl left before Rana turned to the two others.

    ¡°Well, now that the count has gotten us settled in, what do you two say to looking around the manor until he¡¯s ready to speak with us?¡±  Rana asked.  One of his signature goofy grins was spread across his face as Vidor turned to Aridean.  Clearly, he was all for exploring the Impalivik estate.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Aridean.  When do you think we¡¯d get the chance to check out a noble¡¯s home again?¡±  Vidor said with childish enthusiasm.  Aridean smiled to Vidor as he took her hand and led her through the hallway.  In their rush to start their exploration of the manor, Vidor and Aridean left Rana standing in front of their rooms.  Rana¡¯s response was to simply smile as she rolled her eyes before turning and walking in the other direction.

    Aridean and Vidor had spent hours looking through the enormous mansion that they were guests at.  Every surface within every room appeared to have been dusted, swept, polished, and maintained with expert and delicate care.  All of the amenities that sat upon small tables or shelves were of intricate design.  The aristocratic theme that Aridean observed in the main hall seemed to expand to every part of the building.

    Eventually, the two took to looking outside of the manor walls.  Aridean wanted to get a closer look at the regal courtyard.  Vidor, however, was more interested in what he had found behind the manor.  Aridean waited as Vidor happily ran through a hedge maze he had found no less than three times.  Near the maze was a medium sized greenhouse.  While waiting for Vidor, Aridean peered inside to see that the structure was filled with plants.  She thought it was a bit odd, however, that they all appeared to be the same white flower that they had been seeing.

    On their way back to the front of the manor, Vidor and Aridean walked up to the gate that led into the large cemetery beside of Vladimir¡¯s estate.  The brick wall that enclosed Vladimir¡¯s yard was split by an iron gate.  Beyond the gate were many tombstones of various sizes and several monuments of angels or doves.  Aridean could not find a single grave that was without at least a small bouquet of white flowers.

    ¡°I never really did get why other races bury their dead¡­ do you know why humans do this to their loved ones?¡±  Vidor asked Aridean as the two stood in front of the gate.  Aridean turned her head to look at Vidor, a somewhat puzzled expression on his face.  Before she could answer, however, a voice from behind the two was heard.

    ¡°It is quite the fascinating topic, is it not?  The celebration of one¡¯s life is conducted by their beloved after their passing.  Humans, elves, and dwarves choose to bury their dead as a sort of returning to the earth ritual,¡± answered the voice.  Both minotaurs turned to see Vladimir with his tired but genuine smile.  With hands behind his straightened back, he approached the two, ¡°It is not too unlike the releasing of the spirit that minotaur funeral pyres symbolize.  Each is meant to assist the deceased in their journey to their afterlife; the physical means of which it is done is the primary difference.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess that makes sense but the thought of burying another¡¯s body¡­ it kinda scares me,¡± Vidor replied as he looked back out to the cemetery.  He turned to Aridean, ¡°I-I never said it, but I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t help you bury your dad¡­¡±

    ¡°O-oh, don¡¯t worry about that, Vidor.  Rana¡­ Rana prepared him a fine resting place,¡± said Aridean.  She turned away from Vidor with downcast eyes.  Aridean had not noticed it but Vladimir¡¯s eyebrow shot up.  His apparent curiosity quickly passed, however, as he recomposed himself and cleared his throat.

    ¡°In any event, I¡¯ve come to collect you two.  Ms. Yorre and Ms. Stonehoof are awaiting our return in the dining hall,¡± announced Vladimir as he turned to start back to the manor.  Both Aridean and Vidor followed their host closely as the trio returned back to the manor entrance.

    Within the main hall again, Vladimir led Vidor and Aridean through a hallway in the east half of the building.  The group came to a large, well-polished double door.  As if they were clairvoyant, two of Vladimir¡¯s servants on the other side of the double doors pulled their respective door open.  Aridean and Vidor followed Vladimir into a large dining room where Magdalene and Rana were already seated at the large table.

    Beneath the dining table was a large, dark colored rug that nearly covered the entire floor.  In each corner of the room sat vases of white flowers on top of short tables.  A large window at the far end of the table from where Vidor and Aridean stood had the curtains drawn; light from the setting sun illuminated the room in a bright orange.  There were several more portraits of more Impalivik family hanging on the walls, their names posted on small, shining plaques at the base of their portrait frame.  Two suits of armor stood on both sides of a large grandfather clock in front of the wall opposite the door that presumably led to the kitchen.

    Vladimir took his place at the head of the table.  Following their host¡¯s lead, both Aridean and Vidor sat opposite Rana and Magdalene, respectively.  The dining room table was massive and could have easily seated over twenty guests.  Even the seating around the room had a noble touch:  cushioned seats over a highly detailed, carved wooden frame.  Above the large table was another chandelier though not as overly opulent as the one found in the main hall.  In front of Aridean was a neatly arranged dining set.

    I had always heard that nobles use multiple plates and forks but never thought that was really a thing¡­ who needs four forks for one meal?  Aridean thought to herself as she surveyed the dining tools at her disposal.  Her utensils were made from shining silver and shaped with great detail.  Before anyone could even speak, the door to the kitchen swung open.  Two of Vladimir¡¯s attendants emerged from within, each pushing a food cart with covered dishes on top.  Utterly tantalizing and mouth-watering scents were coming from not just the kitchen doors, but the covered dinners on the food carts as well.

    ¡°Normally, I would treat my distinguished guests to some of the most succulent cuts of roast beef.  Unfortunately, given whom I am hosting this evening, I felt that a bit inappropriate,¡± Vladimir spoke with his fanciful tone of voice.  The attendants quickly collected the dishes they were to serve and set them on the table in front of everyone.

    ¡°What?!  We¡¯re missing out on roast beef?!  Why would that be inappropriate?¡±  inquired a particularly incredulous Magdalene.  Rana and Aridean both looked to the girl with inoffensive, but still uncertain, stares while Vidor had an annoyed expression upon his face.

    ¡°Seriously?¡±  asked Vidor while looking to Magdalene.  The girl returned his bothered glare for only a moment.

    ¡°Oh¡­ right,¡± Magdalene said after realizing that minotaurs do not eat beef.  Vidor sighed his mild grief over Magdalene¡¯s ignorance as Vladimir began to quietly chuckle.  The attendants that had served the dishes now removed the covers to reveal what Vladimir had ordered for their meal.

    ¡°If you would prefer something else over the lamb we have here, you need only ask, Ms. Yorre,¡± Vladimir offered after his laughter had subsided.

    ¡°Oh, lamb?  N-no, that¡¯s fine too,¡± responded Magdalene hastily as she grabbed one of her forks and a knife.  It was readily apparent to everyone at the table that lamb was a satisfactory substitute to the roast beef Magdalene was interested in.  Vidor and Vladimir joined her in eating their own dinners.  Aridean, a bit disappointed, noticed Rana looking in her direction.  Rana gestured toward Vladimir as if to nonverbally ask Aridean if she wanted something else.

    It¡¯s kind of Rana to remember I don¡¯t eat lamb but I don¡¯t want to be a bother to her or Vladimir, Aridean thought to herself.  Without speaking, Aridean smiled at Rana and picked up one of her forks.  Luckily, Vladimir had his kitchen staff prepare some vegetable dishes and fresh bread to go alongside the lamb.  Rana, upon seeing Aridean make her decision, began to eat her dinner as well.

    This is incredible; I thought the food in the mess hall was good, but this makes that stuff look like I made it, Aridean thought as she bit down on her first bite.  The first few minutes were spent in near silence as everyone ate.  It was after Aridean had finished what on her plate she was willing to eat that Vladimir took notice of her.

    ¡°Ms. Gray, do you not care for lamb?  You¡¯ve yet to touch the main course,¡± Vladimir asked after wiping his mouth clean.  Both Vidor and Rana looked up from their plates to Aridean and then to Vladimir.  Magdalene, however, did not seem interested in the conversation as she continued to savor her food.

    ¡°Oh, uhm¡­ well, i-it¡¯s just I grew up on a farm and I raised sheep, sir.  I-I just can¡¯t bring myself to eat lamb after keeping so many,¡± answered Aridean with slight embarrassment.  A moment of silence fell over the dining room, save Magdalene¡¯s chewing and the ticking of the large grandfather clock.

    ¡°Hm?  Ms. Gray, I must say that I am interested in hearing your story,¡± said Vladimir as he leaned back in his seat.  He surveyed his guests with a gentle smile on his face, ¡°Being that we have agreed to work together for a time, what say we take just a moment to learn more about one another?¡±

    As he finished speaking, Aridean noticed Magdalene finally finish her meal.  The girl wiped her mouth and hands with a cloth napkin before bowing her head with closed eyes.  Magdalene¡¯s after-meal prayer had become a common sight.  Even so, Aridean still thought it a bit strange that someone proud of their thievery skill and as brash as Magdalene would take the time for prayer.  Upon finishing her prayer, Magdalene opened her eyes again and turned to Vladimir.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll start:  these three saved my life and I¡¯m only here long enough to pay them back for what they did for me,¡± Magdalene stated.  Surprisingly, despite her keen focus on both her meal and prayer, the girl was fully aware of the conversation that had been taking place.  Aridean assumed that her acute attention to the things around her was probably another useful talent for her work as a thief.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a blunt tale; is there truly no more?  Surely you think something of them otherwise you would not have elected to pursue repaying them,¡± Vladimir reasoned while focusing on Magdalene.  The girl, with focused eyes, turned away to stare into empty space as she thought to herself.  Arms crossed over her chest, Magdalene sat in her seat at the dining table for a while as everyone watched and waited.  She let out a quiet sigh but did not turn back to Vladimir nor the three minotaurs.

    ¡°I already told Ari that she¡¯d be the first to hear my story when I was ready,¡± Magdalene confidently replied before pausing for a few seconds.  She then turned to face Vidor, who was sitting opposite her, ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t trust dummy to keep his mouth shut.¡±

    Vidor, clearly annoyed, opened his mouth to protest.  Before a word escaped his lips, however, Rana immediately followed, ¡°Good, you shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    Both Aridean and Vladimir quietly laughed while Vidor, stunned, turned to his sister.  Rana had her alarming older sister¡¯s ¡®do as I say¡¯ look in her eyes. He groaned, ¡°Hey, Rana¡­ c¡¯mon, I said I was sorry¡­¡±

    Rana glared at a somewhat distressed Vidor for a minute.  As Vladimir and Aridean quieted down again, Rana let out a sigh.  Everyone¡¯s eyes fell upon Vladimir as he cleared his throat again.

    ¡°I take it there is a story to that but I do not wish to pry as it sounds personal to Ms. Stonehoof.  Perhaps I could ask you two about your pasts that have led you to this moment instead?¡±  Vladimir asked while looking from Rana to Vidor.  Vidor leaned back in his seat and put his hands behind his head.  Rana, on the other hand, sat in her chair with her back straight and hands in her lap.

    ¡°Oh, boy, where to start?  Well, you figured us out when you called us rebel soldiers.  The whole thing started back when I was really young so I never really knew what true peace between minotaurs and the Empire was like.  Guess I joined the rebellion so I could explore the Empire and maybe set things right again,¡± began Vidor with a thoughtful look in his eyes.  Rana smiled gently toward her brother, if only for a second.  She then turned toward the group¡¯s host.

    ¡°The peace between our races seems like such a distant memory to me¡­ your kindness has been renewing.  Thank you for taking care of Aridean last night and for your hospitality today,¡± Rana cordially thanked Vladimir.  She ended her thanks with a modest bow of her head toward the human at the end of the table.  Vladimir had gentle, if tired, smile across his face.

    ¡°O-oh, yes, thank you for last night¡­ I¡¯m sorry I hadn¡¯t thanked you sooner,¡± Aridean chimed in.  Vladimir, still smiling, nodded to Aridean before returning his attention to Rana.

    ¡°As for my purpose here:  I joined the rebellion just to protect those that I love.  Losing my mother and father was hard enough¡­ I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of losing anyone else,¡± Rana stated with determination in her voice.  Aridean noticed Vidor looking away, likely embarrassed by his sister¡¯s reasons for having joined the rebellion alongside him.  Rana continued, ¡°It has also given me much time to learn and practice my magic which has been instrumental in protecting others.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you practice magic, Ms. Stonehoof?  The manipulation of the elements and the control of the arcane has always been a keen interest of mine.  Please, what schools of magic do you study?¡±  Vladimir asked with a raised eyebrow over his visible eye.  Rana¡¯s expression shifted so that she seemed to exude childish glee.  Vidor¡¯s face, however, appeared rather annoyed by the new subject the group was discussing.  Aridean noticed Vidor rolling his eyes as he let out a long sigh.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been studying and practicing the use of wild magic since I was a child.  Even so, I¡¯ve read up on many different schools.  Would you believe we were able to witness the incredibly rare astral magic firsthand at a show in Hunlio?  Oh, but it was my greatest delight to discover that Aridean here has attunement to the element of fire.  I¡¯ve also tried getting my brother to learn magic, but he can be quite a handful,¡± Rana rambled excitedly.  Vladimir listened intently to Rana¡¯s passionate, long-winded ranting.  The look on his face seemed to portray just as much interest in talking magic as Rana¡¯s did.

    ¡°Astral magic you say?!  Even I have never seen it myself!  I must hear more about your experience, but first I wish to ask Mr. Stonehoof why he dislikes magic,¡± Vladimir enthusiastically responded.  He turned to Vidor who looked a bit surprised that he was bring brought into the discussion.

    ¡°Uh, well¡­ there¡¯s nothing wrong with it or anything,¡± Vidor began to answer.  Somewhat flustered, Vidor¡¯s eyes darted between Rana and Vladimir.

    ¡°Vidor does not like using magic because of a time while I was training him when his control over the water¡ª,¡± Rana started to answer in Vidor¡¯s place.

    ¡°Hey!  Rana!  You don¡¯t have to tell that story,¡± Vidor defensively snapped as his sister.  Rana proceeded to chuckle to herself; Vladimir also seemed to find amusement in the exchange between the siblings.

    Huh, Vidor never mentioned anything about a water magic incident to me.  I wonder what happened, but I guess he doesn¡¯t like to talk about it if he¡¯s not willing to talk to me about it, Aridean thought to herself while looking from Rana to the distressed Vidor.  Magdalene reached out and grabbed her glass of water.  Aridean thought it odd that the girl did not drink from the glass, however.

    ¡°Hey, dummy, think fast,¡± Magdalene quickly commanded.  Vidor turned to the girl just in time to see her throwing the water from her glass in his direction.  He let out a startled gasp as the cold beverage splashed upon him.  Wide eyes and now soaked clothes, Vidor¡¯s mouth simply fell agape staring at Magdalene.  Aridean, Rana, and Vladimir all watched with surprise.

    ¡°W-what was that for?!¡±  Vidor snapped as he stood from his seat at the table.  ¡°Ugh!  So cold!  I-I think there¡¯s an ice cube down my shirt!¡±

    Magdalene leaned back in her seat after setting her glass down.  The girl crossed her arms over her chest again and huffed disappointedly, ¡°I wanted to see you use water magic.  I thought maybe you just needed some motivation.¡±

    ¡°I already told you I¡¯m not good at magic!  Ugh, I¡¯m gonna go dry off and change¡­¡± Vidor stated as he made for the door leading into the hallway.  Magdalene huffed her disappointment over the ordeal again before throwing her hands up.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll clean up the mess,¡± spoke Magdalene with a somewhat begrudging tone.  Aridean was not sure if she was apologizing to Vidor or to Vladimir for having gotten water over his table, chair, and rug.  Nevertheless, the girl got up from her seat and moved around the table to start cleaning up.  Vladimir stood from his seat, smiling gently.

    ¡°Well, Ms. Stonehoof, Ms. Gray, might I ask that we continue our discussion in the lounge?  There are things I wish to discuss with you two,¡± Vladimir stated.  Aridean and Rana both stood from their seats, prepared to follow Vladimir.  Their smiling host, however, turned to Aridean and spoke, ¡°I do sincerely look forward to hearing your story, Ms. Gray.  I¡¯m certain you¡¯ve much to tell.¡±

 Chapter 26 - These Bonds that Tie Us

    With the sun quickly setting over the trees in the forest outside, little light made its way through the windows.  Vladimir had one of his servants strike a warm fire in the large fireplace.  In front of the warm flames, Aridean and Rana sat on a luxurious sofa.  Vladimir sat in a grand chair of leather and detailed woodwork just a few feet in front of his guests.

    Vladimir had directed both Aridean and Rana into his lounge room to continue their discussion from the dining hall.  The lounge contained several large bookcases, each entirely filled with large tomes.  Not a speck of dust could be found anywhere near the miniature library.  Even the floor, like in the main hall, appeared to have been polished to a degree that left the tiles looking reflective.  A single, round rug covered only part of the floor between the sofa that the minotaurs sat upon and the chair Vladimir was reclining in.  Another one of Vladimir¡¯s silent and masked servants was playing a light tune on a harp in the corner of the room.  After entering the room, Aridean¡¯s eyes had taken note of the large portrait of a woman hanging just above the fireplace and something about the image kept her eyes glued to it even as she moved to her seat.

    The woman in the portrait was blonde and young looking.  Her posture and attire in the image portrayed a certain air of elegance that left Aridean thinking that she should be bowing courteously.  Even so, the woman in the portrait had such a warm and inviting smile on her face which was entirely unlike any other of the portraits hung around the manor.  She held a bouquet of white flowers in her lap and was seated in a regale chair similar to the one Vladimir occupied.  Aridean could not help but analyze the painting for an extra moment; her intrigue had not gone unnoticed.

    ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t she?  That is Carla Impalivik, she was one of the Impaliviks that managed to concoct a cure for the Flare-heart Plague that ravaged the Empire over one hundred years ago,¡± said Vladimir as he too looked to the portrait over the fireplace.  After a second longer of examining the portrait of Carla, Aridean turned her attention back to Vladimir.  Her host deeply sighed before looking to Rana and Aridean with his usual kind, if tired, smile.

    ¡°Count Impalivik, you said there were things you wish to discuss with us?¡±  Rana asked as the light tune of the harp continued to play.  When no one was speaking, the only interruption to the gentle tune was the crackling of the fire.  Vladimir nodded and brought his right leg up, resting his right foot on his left knee.  A sense of purpose in his one visible eye, Vladimir appeared to be contemplating what to ask first.

    ¡°Before we begin, I¡¯d like to ask Ms. Gray her story.  I must admit, you have my interest piqued,¡± Vladimir replied while his eye shifted over to Aridean.  Despite the man¡¯s courteous and noble countenance, Aridean could feel her muscles tensing up somewhat.

    What about me could have him so intrigued?  Aridean thought to herself as she shuddered slightly.  She took a deep breath before locking anxious eyes with Vladimir¡¯s one confident eye.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m just here for Rana and Vidor.  They¡¯ve been good to me since we met and I owe them a lot.  To be honest, Maggie still scares me a bit at times, but we agreed to help one another,¡± answered Aridean with another deep breath.  She noticed Rana looking toward her with a gentle smile on her face while she heard Vladimir let out a quiet laugh.

    ¡°Oh, do forgive me, but that was not quite what I was asking,¡± Vladimir said through his quiet amusement.  The man recomposed himself, cleared his throat, and then spoke again, ¡°I would like to hear about your life outside of minotaur society, as a minotaur child to humans.¡±

    Aridean¡¯s jaw dropped slightly and Rana now looked to their host with a curious expression on her face.  Vladimir had an unreadable expression on his face that did little to tell Aridean what the man might be thinking.  She could feel her own face starting to warm up a bit, though she was not certain if that were due to the hot fire or the anxiousness she was experiencing.  As she took a deep breath, Rana rested a hand on her leg and leaned toward Vladimir.

    ¡°How did you know Aridean was daughter to a human?¡±  Rana asked curiously.  However, Vladimir did not answer.  Still smiling, his eyes shifted from Rana to Aridean.  The man stretched out his hand as though to give Aridean the floor in the discussion.  Rana turned her attention to Aridean.

    ¡°V-Vidor mentioned how we buried my father in front of the cemetery earlier¡­ He probably figured it out from there,¡± Aridean answered for Vladimir.  Rana let out a sigh as she leaned back in her seat.

    ¡°Well, that did confirm things.  But to be honest, there was something far more peculiar that told me there was more to you than meets the eye,¡± Vladimir responded as brought his hand back to its armrest on his chair.

    ¡°Her name, right?  You quickly figured out Maggie this morning from her name after all.  Hmm¡­ perhaps we should consider giving you a cover name, Aridean,¡± guessed Rana.  She crossed her arms over her chest as she began to think to herself about the suggestion she proposed.  Vladimir let out a quiet chuckle.

    ¡°Oh, no, no.  Her name, odd for a minotaur perhaps, was not quite what revealed to me that there was more to her,¡± Vladimir confessed.  The man focused his eye on Aridean, ¡°Ms. Gray, that family heirloom of yours, might I see it for a moment?¡±

    Simon¡¯s axe?  That¡¯s what told him I was daughter to a human?  How did that tell him anything?  Aridean thought to herself.  Confusion painted her face and Rana¡¯s expression seemed just as puzzled by Vladimir¡¯s request.  Both minotaurs looked into one another¡¯s eyes wondering what Vladimir had in mind.

    Aridean waited a moment for Rana to gently smile and nod before looking back toward their host in his opulent seat.  Somewhat reluctantly, Aridean grabbed the large weapon from its holster strapped to her back.  Firmly gripping it, she looked over the decorated battle axe before standing.  Aridean hesitantly approached Vladimir, who stood as she neared and held out his hands.  Delicately, Aridean handed the heavy weapon over to nobleman.

    ¡°My, it¡¯s much heavier than it looks!  To think I would be gifted the opportunity to so much as lay eyes upon it¡­ but to have the fortune to hold it, ohh¡­¡± Vladimir seemed to speak to himself as he eagerly inspected the large blade.  He continued to ramble quietly and to himself, Aridean could not make out what the man was saying despite standing right in front of him.  Frankly, the crackle of the fireplace and even the light harp music nearly drowned out the low rantings of the nobleman entirely.

    Aridean stood patiently, and anxiously, awaiting Vladimir to return her father¡¯s axe to her.  The man was entirely enthralled with the weapon he held, it seemed he no longer registered he even had company in the room.  Aridean brought her nervously shaking hands up and began to worriedly rub them together as Vladimir mumbled quietly to himself.  The man ran his fingers all along the silver-lined haft and across the design on the bladed edge of the deadly tool.  He studied it the same way Vidor had the menu to the inn¡¯s dining room the previous evening, albeit with slightly less drool.  After what felt like half an hour due to her uneasiness, Vladimir glanced up to Aridean for a split second before realizing he was not alone.  The man cleared his throat as he returned the battle axe to its owner, some relief washing over Aridean¡¯s mind as she returned to her seat beside Rana.

    ¡°Do forgive me, I tend to get overly invested in my interests,¡± Vladimir spoke with a smile on his face as he sat back down in his grandiose chair.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Count Impalivik, but why are you so interested in Aridean¡¯s axe?  You were asking about it back at the inn as well,¡± Rana asked as Aridean was seated beside her again.  Vladimir raised his one visible eyebrow, the expression on his face looked somewhat surprised by the question.

    ¡°Ms. Stonehoof, do you not know what it is Ms. Gray holds?¡±  Vladimir responded.  Seeing Rana raise her brows in confusion, Vladimir looked to Aridean, ¡°I¡¯ve only just considered some this:  Ms. Gray, surely you know what that is which you carry upon your back, yes?¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s just my father¡¯s axe¡­ I-I don¡¯t know much else about it,¡± Aridean answered nervously.  Vladimir seemed entirely taken aback by her response.  He leaned back in his chair and quietly hummed to himself as he began thinking.

    ¡°Ms. Gray, might I ask what tribe you are from?  I understand that you may have been daughter to humans, but do you know your blood family?¡±  Vladimir asked suddenly.  Both Aridean and Rana were a bit surprised by the question.

    ¡°Uh, I-I, uhm¡­¡±  Aridean stuttered.  She took a deep breath, ¡°I-I¡¯m I-Ithlaum, sir.¡±

    Vladimir¡¯s one visible eye went wide with astonishment after hearing her answer.  For only a few seconds, only crackling of the fire and the melodious tune from the harp could be heard in the lounge room.  After processing Aridean¡¯s answer, Vladimir began to boisterously laugh.  Rana and Aridean, once again, were left entirely confused by the bizarre reaction their host seemed to have.

    ¡°I must apologize.  Oh, for a moment, I thought you said you were of the Ithlaum minotaur tribe,¡± Vladimir spoke as his apparent amusement died down.  ¡°But that is not a possibility.  That tribe had been eradicated almost twenty years ago.¡±

    ¡°She really is though; she even has the mark on her back to prove it,¡± Rana immediately followed.  Whatever had been entertaining Vladimir about their answers had entirely vanished, the man¡¯s mouth slowly fell open and one eye went wide.  Vladimir appeared to have been overcome by such disbelief that he had been rendered speechless.  Aridean felt a little uneasy by the awkward otherwise stillness in the lounge between the three.

    ¡°Y-you¡­ you bear the mark?  You¡­ really are Ithlaum?  Yet you know not what it is that you carry?¡±  Vladimir asked inquisitively while leaning forward in his chair.  Aridean could see her own reflection in the man¡¯s eye.

    ¡°U-uhm, I-I--,¡± Aridean uneasily began to reply.

    Simon never told me much of anything about this axe¡­ Wait a second!  Mr. Watson said something about it and Simon¡¯s sword!  What did he say about it again?  Something about it being imbued with holy magic, I think, Aridean began to remember with a quiet gasp.  Upon remembering her discussion with Finn back at the farmhouse in Thellia, Aridean¡¯s eye slowly widened somewhat.  She looked back to Vladimir, the surprise still having yet to leave his face.

    ¡°I just remembered:  this axe was enchanted with holy power at some point,¡± Aridean finally announced.  Vladimir attempted to recollect himself before clearing his throat and sitting back in his chair.  However, Aridean could still see a hint of his unmistakable interest in his expression.

    ¡°Yes!  So, it truly is as I thought!  I knew I could feel the faint warmth of holy magic lying dormant within as I held that blade!¡±  Vladimir excitedly responded.  He stopped for a moment as his rested his chin in his right hand.  With eyes darting back and forth while looking downwards, it was clear Vladimir was deep in thought.  When he finally brought his eyes back up to Aridean and Rana, he spoke with his normal and noble tone, ¡°Ms. Gray, you carry the legendary war axe of your people.  While the true name is known only to the Ithlaum, legends refer to it in English as Heaven¡¯s Edge.¡±

    ¡°Heaven¡¯s Edge¡­?  Simon never mentioned any of that¡­¡± Aridean said quietly as she removed the axe from her holster again.  She looked over the massive weapon again, seeing her reflection in the shining and well-maintained metals.  Vladimir, however, raised his eyebrows again as Aridean finished speaking.

    ¡°Simon?  As in Simon Gray?  The Crusade Captain Gray?¡±  Vladimir asked sounding particularly awestruck by the reveal.

    ¡°Aridean was raised by Simon in the village of Thellia.  Being that you are a noble and that he was a high-ranking military official, did you two know one another?¡±  Rana chimed in.  Aridean glanced toward Rana before returning her attention to Vladimir.  Their host had finally fully recomposed himself, his gentle but tired looking smile appearing on his face as he reclined in his expensive looking seat.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I never met the man,¡± Vladimir answered whilst shaking his head from side to side.  Aridean felt a chill run down her spine as he continued, ¡°How interesting¡­ your relation to Mr. Gray would certainly explain how you¡¯ve come into possession of the Heaven¡¯s Edge.  But this news begs the question:  Ms. Gray, your adopted father served the Empire that you oppose as a member of the rebellion.  What has become of your relationship with the Crusade Captain?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Aridean failed to respond with a voice quickly crackling up.

    Her entire body felt cold just hearing the question posed to her.  Her throat felt dry and tight and her legs weak with anxiety.  Rana, having noticed Aridean¡¯s distress, rested a hand on Aridean¡¯s shoulder.  Aridean could see the concern in Rana¡¯s eyes as she simply shook her head.  A tear formed in each of Aridean¡¯s eyes; Rana leaned in and held her close in a gentle embrace.  Vladimir watched the exchange with curiosity.

    ¡°I see¡­ so you hurt one another.  I had heard news that Thellia had been razed recently and that the Crusade Captain had fallen.  Might I hear your story?¡±  Vladimir proceeded to ask boldly with a serious look upon his face.  Rana looked to the man with disgust as Aridean drew in a deep breath.

    I killed him¡­ I killed the man I call my father¡­ why the hell do you want me to say that?  Aridean internally began to panic.  Despite Rana¡¯s efforts, Aridean¡¯s anxiety was quickly overwhelming her.  With her breathing quickly growing erratic, she stood from the couch, ¡°P-Please e-excuse me.¡±

    Without another word, Aridean began to make her exit from the lounge.  Her erratic breathing had elevated to the point that she was practically panting like a dog in the middle of a hot summer day.  As the door was quickly shut behind her, Rana focused her worried-turned-aggravated eyes on Vladimir.  Vladimir looked toward the fireplace as the warm flames continued to dance and pop.

    ¡°Count Impalivik,¡± Rana called out sternly, expecting some kind of explanation.  The man let out a tired and depressed sigh.

    ¡°Forgive me.  I¡­ know that pain.  The pain of hurting a loved one¡­ I know it all too well,¡± Vladimir replied as his dispirited and sorrowful eyes shifted upward.  Rana¡¯s expression softened, if only slightly as she stood and exited the lounge.  Vladimir depressingly sighed as the door shut behind his guest.

    Cool air rushes past Aridean as she pushes open the door to her darkened guest room, the window had been left open and the curtains were riding the gentle breeze.  A small, bright stream of moonlight illuminated the floor but not much else.  Her eyes covered by her hands, she quickly enters and shuts the door closed behind her.  Raspy breathing and stifled sobs, Aridean feels her entire body growing warm.  Leaning with her back on the door, she slowly slides down to the ground.

    If he knows I hurt Simon, why does he want me to relive it?!  What would he gain having heard how I killed him?!  I¡¯m so, so sorry, Simon.  I¡¯d undo everything if I could¡­  Then, maybe, you wouldn¡¯t be--, Aridean could not even finish her own thought.  Her throat grew tight as she continued to only depress herself further and further.  Eventually, the flow of tears begins to end and the pitiful sobbing subsides.  Taking deep breaths, Aridean slowly lowers her hands from her face.

    She moves her hands to her necklace, fingers gently wrapping around the locket.  She looks into the small copper and silver trinket with grief.  Opening the small memento, she looks sorrowfully and thoughtfully into the portrait of her younger self as she continues to take deep, raspy breaths.  Breathing eventually becomes normal again and she speaks aloud, ¡°I was a horrible daughter¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Simon.¡±

    ¡°I told you he¡¯d be heartbroken to hear words like those, you know,¡± a familiar voice calls out with a knowing tone.  Aridean drops the locket held between her fingers and jolts upright in her place on the ground by the door.  In a rush, she stands on her hooves and throws the light switch located beside the door.

    Looking around, she takes in the guest room.  It was lavishly furnished with various amenities of intricate and meticulous detail.  A large, curtained bed that had been expertly made and sat, slightly elevated, by one wall.  The number of pillows at the head of the bed was staggering; an entirely unnecessary number of pillows were available.  On either side of the bed were short tables with vases of white flowers taking up the entire tablespace on top.  There was a smooth, wooden wardrobe that had quartz handles and shining silver lining the doors that took space near the open window beyond the bed.  The carpeted floor had a single, circular rug covering space in the center of the room.  There was also a dresser that was similar in design to the wardrobe; it looked as though someone had just finished polishing the wood.  Finally, there was a small table near the window that did not have a vase of flowers atop it, instead it was surrounded by two cushioned chairs.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide as her eyes landed upon it.  Sitting comfortably in one of the chairs beside the window was the strange creature that keeps finding her.  It looks in her direction as Aridean¡¯s face fills with shock.  With its bony chin resting on one of its clawed hands and both legs crossed, the monster was certainly making itself at home.

    ¡°W-who a-and what are you?¡±  Aridean asked hesitantly.  The beast chuckles quietly to itself while still maintaining locked eye contact with Aridean.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve finally worked up some nerve.  That¡¯s good.  Perhaps you won¡¯t be fatigued after this meeting as well; you are acclimating quickly,¡± the monster spoke as it rose from its seat.  It moved to stand in front of the open window, its boney-back turned to Aridean.

    ¡°A-acclimating?  What?¡±  a confused Aridean inquired.  Her guest did not answer, merely gazed out the window to the moonlit yard below.  With shaky legs, Aridean was unable to move.  A moment of silence ensued, which was ended by the beast drawing in a deep breath and letting out a long-winded sigh.

    ¡°I thought I told you the count could not be trusted,¡± the entity reminded Aridean with an unusually stern sounding tone.  The creature turned to face her; Aridean felt as though it was looking through her very being despite the empty eye sockets.  A chill crept up her spine when it took a step closer.

    ¡°I-I-I--,¡± Aridean began but found she was unable to respond.  The monster sighed again as it shook its head.  It then returned its attention to Aridean, head cocked to one side and backed arched forward as it continued to approach.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t much time but I am growing increasingly impatient.  I already know you yet you do not know me,¡± the monster started explaining.  Surprise in Aridean¡¯s wide eyes, her ears perked up slightly as it continued, ¡°I am a guardian spirit.  As I told you, I am here to act as a guide throughout your life as you journey across the Empire.  As for my name, Simon had always referred to me as Vici.  You are welcome to do the same.¡±

    Aridean was surprised to see the monstrous form bow courteously before her.  The abominable form standing in front of her was not at all what she thought a guardian spirit would look like.  Despite the polite gesture from the creature, Aridean¡¯s muscles in her tense shoulders could not relax.  If anything, she felt more on edge than before as it got closer.

    ¡°A-a guardian spirit?  What are you talking about?  Where did you come from and what do you care what happens to me?¡±  Aridean asked as Vici looked her over from horn to hoof.  Aridean could not tell at all what the creature was thinking as its lack of lips over its large fangs and empty eye sockets meant there was no expression to read in its white fur and bone face.

    Vici finished his examination of the frightened minotaur standing by the door to the hallway.  His lower jaw fell open slightly and a forked tongue ran its way over his bottom fangs.  Aridean could feel her heart racing ever faster; she was immediately reminded of the time she was running from rabid wolves in the forest just by watching the beast.  As the tongue retreated into Vici¡¯s mouth, he took a breath.  Before anything made its way out of his mouth, a crow could be heard cawing from somewhere outside the open window.

    Vici turned and gazed out the window, brows over his empty eyes furrowed angrily.  Snarling, Vici returned his attention to Aridean, ¡°I must leave you for now.  Keep your distance from that cursed human.¡±

    ¡°Cursed human?  You mean Count Vladimir?¡±  Aridean responded with confusion.  Vici refused to clarify, the monstrous spirit turned its back to Aridean again as knocking was heard on the guest room door behind her.  Aridean turned around as the doorknob was rotated and the door pushed open.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I thought I heard you talking to someone and thought maybe Vidor was in here,¡± Rana apologized as she entered the room.  Entirely stumped by Rana¡¯s mundane statement, Aridean spun around again.  Vici had vanished yet again before Aridean could show him to someone else.

    W-what?  Why does it always leave when someone else is around?  Aridean wondered to herself as her heartrate was coming down.  Turning back to Rana, Aridean could see a worried look in her friend¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Aridean?  Are you alright?  I understand that Count Impalivik was crossing a line but you look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost,¡± Rana asked as she took Aridean¡¯s shaky hand in her own.  After a few deep breaths, Aridean pushed a nervous smile onto her face.  She knew she was not going to be able to fully convince Rana but she also knew that telling her about the ¡®ghost¡¯ would likely make her seem insane.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m okay.  I¡¯m sorry for worrying you,¡± answered Aridean as she finally stopped shaking.  Rana, still holding her concerned expression, let out a short and quiet sigh.

    ¡°You were thinking about Simon on the way into Cortonne and after our talk with the count¡­ Do you want to talk about it?¡±  Rana asked.  Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide again and her ears perked up.  She had always known Rana to be caring and considerate of her feelings but found the question rather bold and unexpected.  It did not help matters that Rana was using her older-sister tone that made the question sound more like she was demanding Aridean speak to her rather than offer a choice to talk.  As Aridean processed a response, Rana continued, ¡°Let¡¯s sit down for a minute.  Tell me what¡¯s on your mind, okay?¡±

    Of course, I never really had a choice¡­ I already don¡¯t like where this is going, Aridean thought to herself.  She already felt her throat tightening as Rana ushered her over to the small table that Vici had been seated at when she arrived.  The two female minotaurs sat in the chairs around the table.  Aridean looked out the window and into the dark night.  She heard the caw of a crow again somewhere in the darkness outside.  Shaking her head, Aridean turned back to Rana whose eyes were firmly focused on her.

    ¡°Where do you want to start?  I¡¯ll listen to everything,¡± Rana told Aridean with her usual kind voice.  Aridean looked downward to her hands in her lap; she took a deep breath.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Aridean began to speak.  Her hands were brought up to cover her face as tears began to stream down her cheeks.  Through raspy breaths, ¡°I killed the man I call my father!  His last words to me¡­ he called me a monster, just like everyone else!¡±

    ¡°Aridean, those villagers you saved told you what your father really thought of you.  He loved you,¡± Rana replied softly.  Aridean shook her head as she gasped for air through her quiet sobbing.

    ¡°How the hell could they know what Simon really thought of me?!  Why the hell would they care if I¡¯m happy or not?!  They had always hated me, what the hell would have changed their minds?!¡±  Aridean sorrowfully retorted.  She took another deep breath, ¡°I lived with Simon for almost seventeen years and even I could never tell what he was truly thinking!¡±

    ¡°Do you really need that to know you two were happy together?¡±  Rana asked, her voice was filled with patience and understanding.  Aridean lifted her face from her hands.

    ¡°What?  I-I may have been happy,¡± responded Aridean before planting her face back into her wet palms.  ¡°But how could Simon have been happy living with a monster like me?¡±

    ¡°Aridean, don¡¯t talk--,¡± Rana began.

    ¡°Whenever I think about him now, all I can think is that you and Vidor should never have saved my life back in the for--,¡± Aridean continued to weep.  However, she was cut off by a loud popping sound and sharp pain in her left cheek.  Stunned, Aridean¡¯s hands fell from her face and she cautiously looked up to see Rana standing over her.  Rana had a disappointed expression on her face and clenched fists at her sides.  Frightened and still taking in shaky breaths, Aridean realized that Rana had just slapped her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever even think to say something like that again, do you hear me?!¡± a forceful Rana snapped with authority and sternness in her tone.  Her eyes glared at Aridean with powerful disappointment.  Aridean could feel her entire body shaking again; her thumping heartbeat seemed to move her entire being.  Nervously swallowing, Aridean just looked up to the minotaur in front of her with fearful eyes.

    ¡°R-Ra--,¡± stuttered Aridean.  Rana leaned in and gently wrapped her arms around Aridean¡¯s neck.  Aridean, both frightened and now confused by Rana¡¯s actions, sat in her chair as Rana now held her in a kind and warm hug.  Her eyes were wide and face wet with the tears she had shed; her hands remain in her lap.

    ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to hear you say something like that again.  Don¡¯t ever tell me we were wrong to rescue you that day,¡± Rana spoke softly.  The older minotaur heaved a sorrowful sigh, ¡°It breaks my heart to see you like this.¡±

    W-what?  W-why?  Why does she act like she cares?  pondered Aridean as she listened to Rana.

    A cold wind howled its way into the room from the open window.  Curtains were sent upward where they danced as the wind blew.  Aridean¡¯s wet face felt almost frozen as the breeze assaulted her tears.  Yet, through it all, Rana¡¯s arms still wrapped around her neck in a warm and comfortable grip.  The howling winds settled down and the two minotaurs¡¯ manes that were whipped up had fallen back down onto their heads and backs.

    ¡°R-Rana¡­ w-why do you act like you care?¡±  Aridean asked anxiously.  She could feel the snug embrace Rana had on her tighten slightly.  Rana took a deep breath.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ it hurts to hear you ask me that.  I remember so clearly you asked that when we first met¡­ at the time, we were strangers to one another.  But now?¡±  Rana began to answer.  Aridean felt the older minotaur loosen her grip, Rana shifted and brought her face to Aridean¡¯s.  Her eyes were filled with determination and conviction, ¡°Now, two years later, we¡¯re something more, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°We¡­ are?¡±  Aridean pondered aloud, confused.  Her entire body felt warm and she was having a hard time keeping her hands still in her lap.  A gentle smile crept across Rana¡¯s black furred face.

    ¡°I meant what I said at dinner tonight:  I¡¯m going to protect everyone that I love, that includes you,¡± Rana continued as she wrapped her arms around Aridean again.  ¡°Do you remember what I said back in Byrden?  I said I think of you like a little sister.  But¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that.  I don¡¯t just think of you as a sister; you are my little sister.¡±

    Aridean held her breath as her vision blurred through the mass of tears that welled up in her eyes.  Slowly, nervously and uncertain, her hands rose from her lap.  Practically panting, Aridean¡¯s hands reached over Rana¡¯s back.  Aridean began to quietly sob as she hugged Rana back.  She could not see it, but Rana¡¯s smile had grown wider and her expression was so calm and looked so kind.

    ¡°I know how hard it is to have lost your father; to feel so lost, scared, and lonely in the world.  But I promise I won¡¯t let you be alone.  If you ever need me, just ask,¡± Rana spoke as Aridean¡¯s quiet sobbing slowly faded.  Aridean¡¯s grip on Rana tightened as she took in a deep breath and nodded her head.  When Aridean had finally calmed down, the two released one another and Rana returned to her seat.  Several minutes of silence passed in the room, just the wind blowing outside could be heard.

    ¡°Are you okay now?  It¡¯s getting late.  If you need me to, I¡¯ll stay,¡± Rana offered gently.  Aridean wiped her wet face clear before turning to Rana.  She managed to muster an anxious, but sincere smile.

    ¡°I-I think I¡¯m okay now¡­ but if I--,¡± Aridean started to reply.

    ¡°If you need me, I¡¯ll always be there for you,¡± Rana finished with a kind smile of her own.  Rana took a deep breath as she rose from her seat, ¡°I¡¯ll be just down the hall.  Goodnight, Aridean.¡±

    Aridean continued to sit in silence as Rana moved toward the door.  She watched as Rana grabbed the doorknob, pulled the door open, and gently pulled it closed again.  With a deep breath, Aridean¡¯s lips began to move, ¡°Goodnight, Rana.¡±

    Even though no one had heard her, Aridean could feel her face warming with embarrassment.  Alone in her guest room again, Aridean let out a tired sigh as she stood from her seat.  She moved toward the open window.  Dim moonlight bathed the extravagant yard outside but there did not seem to be anything noteworthy at the time.  Aridean gently closed the window before removing the harness carrying her axe.  She looked thoughtfully over the weapon again, as she did every time she held it, before shaking her head and setting the massive blade to the side.

    Just as she moved to turn the light switch off before climbing into bed, a knocking was heard at her door.  Aridean was a bit surprised to find out she had another guest at her door.  From the other side of the door, she could hear Vidor, ¡°Aridean?  You still awake?  I, uh, kinda heard some of what you and Rana were talking about.¡±

    Aridean moved her hand from the light switch to the doorknob.  She turned the knob and pulled the door open to see Vidor standing in the hallway.  It looked like he was also getting ready for bed as he was only dressed in a white shirt and some loose-fitting pants.

    ¡°Vidor, I-I¡¯m sorry, did we wake you up?¡±  Aridean asked.  Vidor shook his head as Aridean motioned for him to enter the room.  He quietly closed the door behind him as he joined Aridean in the bedroom.

    ¡°Nah, you two didn¡¯t wake me.  But¡­ I kinda wanted to talk to you,¡± Vidor replied.  He smiled to Aridean; it was not the same goofy smile he always had on his face, this one seemed more thoughtful, more genuine.  ¡°I don¡¯t know what is always going through your mind, Aridean.  But I want you to be happy; you¡¯re my best friend, remember?¡±

    ¡°Vidor¡­¡± Aridean called softly.  Her fingers reached up to the necklace around her neck.  The cool ivory disc sat on top of one of her fingers as she held the attached locket between the finger and her thumb.  Her eyes widened slightly as Vidor¡¯s smile quickly faded.  He let out a depressed sigh.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault you¡¯re always thinking like that¡­ If only I had just listened to you about sending your dad a letter.  Then everything that happened back in Thellia¡­ I-I¡¯m so sorry,¡± a gloomy Vidor apologized.  Aridean looked her friend in his upset eyes for a second before shaking her head.  Her hands quickly moved to grasp Vidor¡¯s.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known¡­ I-I¡¯ll never know the truth about whether Simon really cared, but¡­ I like to think he¡¯d be happy to know I have you now,¡± Aridean spoke.  Vidor¡¯s expression began to slowly fill with a hint of relief.  Aridean gave a gentle smile, ¡°Thinking about him¡­ I do feel lonely.  But that¡¯s why I¡¯m so grateful to have you and Rana, too.  You two have always made sure I wasn¡¯t left alone.¡±

    Aridean leaned in close to Vidor.  Each minotaur could feel the warm breath of the other being exhaled onto their faces.  Her face growing warm and nerves tingling with embarrassment, Aridean kissed Vidor.  Vidor¡¯s eyes went wide, ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°Eheheh¡­ Vidor¡­ I¡¯m still¡­ thinking about Simon.  Will you¡­ maybe, stay the night in here with me?¡± Aridean nervously asked after a quiet giggle.  Vidor¡¯s jaw dropped but near instantly reformed into one of his goofy grins after he processed the question.  He nodded to confirm his decision.  With locked eyes and hands gently held together, the couple began to move toward the large bed.

    On one side of the bed, Aridean was removing most of the overly abundant pillows.  Vidor, on the other side, pulled the sheets back.  Before either could climb on top of the large mattress, the duo heard a knocking on the guest room door.  Both minotaurs turned to the door; Aridean was left wondering who it could be now.

    ¡°A-Ari¡­ are you still awake?¡±  came Magdalene¡¯s, oddly frightened sounding, voice from out in the hallway.  Vidor let out a frustrated grunt as Aridean moved toward the door.  Pulling the door open again revealed the young girl standing in the darkened hallway wearing her sleepwear.  For whatever reason, Magdalene was looking down the hallway toward her own guest room with concern in her visibly distressed face.

    ¡°Maggie?  Is everything alright?  What are you still doing up?¡±  Aridean asked softly.  Magdalene shook her head, as if waking herself up, before looking up to the minotaur that towered over her.  She managed to muster the usual forceful look in her eyes as she took a breath.

    ¡°I-I¡­ I was going to ask¡­¡± Magdalene began to speak but stopped for some reason.  During her pause, the girl looked beyond Aridean and noticed Vidor standing by the bed in the room.  Her eyes widened slightly, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s dummy doing here?¡±

    ¡°She invited me in.  What do you want already?¡±  Vidor retorted impatiently.  He raised an eyebrow as he more closely examined Magdalene, ¡°And what exactly are you wearing?  That¡¯s what you sleep in?¡±

    Magdalene looked over the shirt she wore before crossing her arms over her chest.  A light tinge of red colored her cheeks.  With furrowed brows, she answered, ¡°What you don¡¯t like it?  Ari picked it out for me.  You make fun it and you¡¯re making fun of her.¡±

    Vidor¡¯s eyes widened with astonishment.  He began to scratch the back of his head, ¡°Oh¡­ it, uh, it isn¡¯t that bad.¡±

    I really don¡¯t have an opinion one way or the other on the shirt she¡¯s wearing¡­ I only picked it because of the little flower design on it, Aridean thought to herself.  She deeply sighed before returning her attention to Magdalene.  A bit nervous, she spoke, ¡°Maggie, is everything okay?  You wanted to ask something?¡±

    Magdalene let out an anxious groan.  Both Aridean and Vidor were shocked to see Magdalene¡¯s cheeks now flushed red.  The young girl had balled up her hands into tightly clenched fists at her sides.  She looked as though something had angered her as the fists at her sides began to shake slightly back and forth in a rather vigorous manner.  She forcefully expelled the air in her lungs in an impatient sigh.

    ¡°Can I stay the night with you, Ari?¡±  Magdalene asked suddenly and bluntly.  Although Aridean was entirely dumbfounded by the question, she could see it in Magdalene¡¯s expression that she was serious.

    ¡°What?  Why?  What¡¯s wrong with your room?¡±  responded Vidor, his tone did not mask his annoyance in any way.  Magdalene, face still bright red, looked back down the hallway again.

    ¡°S-shut up, dummy¡­ I-I heard some strange noises coming from the room beside mine,¡± Magdalene answered, both embarrassed and anxious.  Aridean leaned out into the hallway and looked toward the room that sat beside Magdalene¡¯s guest room.  Without someone¡¯s voice, the stillness in the dark hallway was only occasionally disrupted by the caw of a crow from somewhere outside the manor walls.  Aridean turned back to Magdalene, her apparent concerns still prevalent on her slightly freckled face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind Maggie, but what kind of noises were you hearing?  Do you want Vidor and me to go check it out?¡±  Aridean offered with as kind a tone as she could manage.  Magdalene seemed to sigh her relief as she moved past Aridean and entered the guest room.  Vidor, still standing by the bed, rolled his eyes and grunted.

    ¡°Thanks Ari.  But I don¡¯t know what it was¡­ it almost sounded like a pack of wild animals eating something in the next room,¡± Magdalene answered as she grabbed one of the numerous pillows that Aridean had set aside from the bed.  The young girl nervously swallowed, ¡°A-and you don¡¯t have to go check it out¡­ I actually did myself.  The room was empty b-but the noise didn¡¯t stop.¡±

    An empty room but she still heard sounds?  I wonder what that may have been about¡­  I¡¯m overthinking things, aren¡¯t I?  No way that monster was serious about Vladimir being cursed or anything, Aridean thought to herself whilst looking down the dark hallway once more.  She could hear a crow cawing from somewhere close outside the manor; perhaps just on the roof over the windows in the hallway.  She shook her head back and forth in disbelief.

    Vidor¡¯s eyes slightly widened and his ears perked up a bit.  As Aridean closed the door to the room, she heard Vidor begin to chuckle.  Both Magdalene and Aridean looked to Vidor as his laughter quieted down, ¡°Ahahaha!  You¡¯re just scared of sleeping in a room by yourself, aren¡¯t you?  You act tough, but you¡¯re such a scaredy cat!¡±

    ¡°What?!  No!  Ugh!  Of course, you wouldn¡¯t believe me!  Rgh!  I knew asking this was a bad idea when I saw you in here¡­¡± Magdalene furiously returned as she made herself comfortable in one of the chairs in the room.

    Aridean sighed as she flipped the light switch.  The darkened room was only lit by the dim moonlight pouring in from the window.  She carefully navigated her way back toward the bed.  Both her and Vidor could be heard moving the sheets and Magdalene turned over in the chair she had claimed.  After a moment of quiet, Vidor could be heard muffling another laugh.

    ¡°This building¡¯s pretty old according to that Count Vlad guy.  I¡¯ll bet it was a bunch of rats,¡± snickered the minotaur.

    ¡°I-I hate you, dummy,¡± Magdalene¡¯s voice nervously replied.  Vidor¡¯s muffled laughter escalated somewhat in volume for a period while Aridean just sighed again.  As she turned over in the bed, back to Vidor, she closed her eyes with a gentle smile on her face.

 Chapter 27 - I Can Correct My Mistakes

    Aridean¡¯s eyes opened slowly and she let out a sheepish yawn.  Her guest room was pitch black save for the little bit of moonlight that was cast along the floor.  Dim light did illuminate the chair that Aridean had been sitting in when speaking with Rana earlier in the evening.  Quiet snoring could be heard throughout the room, coming from just beside Aridean.  The sleepy minotaur slowly began to sit upright in the bed, blinking her tired eyes.

    What am I doing awake?  Wait a second¡­ wasn¡¯t Maggie in that chair when I fell asleep?  Aridean wondered to herself as she rubbed her eyes.  As her hand came back down from her face, she could feel something grabbing at her wrist.  With a gasp, she jerked her hand back from whatever was reaching for her.

    ¡°Oh, good, you¡¯re finally awake,¡± whispered Magdalene¡¯s voice from just beside the bed.

    ¡°Maggie?  What are you doing?¡±  Aridean asked while squinting her eyes.  She had hoped to at least see an outline of the girl but found that the room was simply too dark.

    Without answering, a bright glow began to emanate from Magdalene¡¯s hand.  Aridean¡¯s eyes were still adjusting to the dark bedroom, so the illuminating light from Magdalene was simply blinding.  Aridean quietly grunted while shielding her eyes from Magdalene¡¯s magic.

    ¡°Oh¡­ s-sorry.  Look, I couldn¡¯t sleep¡­ I¡¯m still hearing those creepy noises coming from the other room.  I-I think it¡¯s moved into my room now,¡± Magdalene explained with a hushed voice as she lowered her magically glowing hand.

    As Aridean¡¯s eyes adapted to the incandescent light, she could see a somewhat frightened expression in Magdalene¡¯s face.  Aridean drew in a deep breath before pushing the sheets covering her off.  She shifted her legs off of the bed and her hooves landed on the carpeted floor.  Stretching as she rose from the bed, Aridean acted as though she had had a good night¡¯s sleep but really wished she could climb back into the bed.  While the minotaur reached high over her head and took another deep breath, she listened closely.

    There were several noises that could be heard throughout the guest room of the manor.  First was a loud owl somewhere outside beyond the closed window hooting through the night.  Next was the howl of strong winds blowing past the window; the wind also raced through tree branches and rattled leaves into a shuffle that could only just be heard in the room.  Finally, Aridean could heard Vidor still snoring softly on his side of the bed the two had been sharing.

    ¡°Maggie, I¡¯m not hearing anything,¡± Aridean whispered.

    ¡°Shh!  Listen for it; it went quiet when I woke you up but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll start again.  It¡¯s been going on all night after all,¡± Magdalene replied impatiently.  The young girl then moved closer to the wall that the bed sat against.  She then pushed her ear toward the wall after moving her hair out of the way.

    Aridean watched the girl, somewhat confused and somewhat worried, as Magdalene waited.  She had a particularly irritable look on her face as she awaited the noises she kept claiming to have heard.  After a moment, Magdalene¡¯s expression began to change slightly; the girl began to look more and more confused or maybe even embarrassed.  Still wanting to climb back into bed, Aridean carefully considered what she could say to Magdalene in order to not get her to snap at her again.

    Just as Aridean was about to open her lips, however, Magdalene¡¯s fearful expression resurfaced.  With only a second of hesitation, the girl grabbed Aridean by the wrist and pulled her closer toward the wall she had pressed her ear against.  With wide eyes, Aridean simply looked to Magdalene with surprise.  The girl glared up at Aridean as she gestured with her head toward the wall.  Aridean glanced to the wall and then back to Magdalene before giving in.  Having pushed her ear up to the wall, Aridean¡¯s eyes near instantly went wide in astonishment by what she had discovered.

    It''s¡­ just like she said!  I-I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to sleep if I heard those sounds either, Aridean thought to herself as she listened to what was coming from the other guest room.  Just as Magdalene had told both her and Vidor, it almost sounded as though a pack of wild animals were feasting upon something in the next room.  On occasion, loud crunches could be heard.  While it was near silent, Aridean was almost certain she heard a sort of splattering sound, like someone forcefully shaking water from their hands.  Whatever was in the next room, it made grotesque squelching and smacking noises as it seemed to gorge itself upon its meal.

    Aridean nervously swallowed before focusing on Magdalene, ¡°D-did you want me to check it out?¡±

    Magdalene, astonished, looked to Aridean for a moment.  After giving the offer some thought, the girl nodded her head while still wearing a frightened look upon her face.  Aridean, immediately regretting her offer, sighed worriedly as she hesitantly made for the door to the guest room.  She could hear a quiet creak in the floor as she reached the door.

    As she opened the door to the hallway, she felt a rush of cool air enter the room.  Howling of the wind was particularly louder as it seemed a window further in the direction leading to the main hall was left open.  She could see in the moonlight that poured in from the many windows lining the wall that the curtains by the open window were dancing.  For a split second, she was entirely spooked by the curtains that rode the wind running through the hall.

    Calm down, just some curtains.  T-there¡¯s no such thing as ghosts, you moron¡­ Aridean thought to herself as she took a deep breath.  Her heart still beating quicker than normal, she stepped out into the hallway.  She could just barely hear the creak of the floor behind her and noticed that Magdalene¡¯s bright magic seemed to be following her.  Although she did not turn around, she did feel relief that Magdalene was joining her in their investigation of the peculiar sounds.

    With the girl holding a magic source of light for her, Aridean turned and looked to Magdalene¡¯s guest room door.  The hallway, dimly lit by the moonlight streaming in, looked entirely different from how it did during the day.  Something about the eerie stillness and dark corners made Aridean feel as though something was watching her.  She felt the only thing missing to complete the truly haunted feel was heavy rain and thunder after the dramatic flashes of lightning.  However, the scene felt unsettlingly more terrifying by the consistent quiet save the howl of the wind.

    ¡°C-c¡¯mon, c-check it out already,¡± Magdalene nervously commanded while standing directly behind Aridean.  The minotaur, feeling immeasurably uneasy, took one slow and reluctant step forward.  Magdalene stuck close to Aridean as the two quietly moved toward the bedroom door.  When they finally stood in front of the room, Aridean hesitantly put her ear to the door hoping to hear nothing.  Unfortunately, she could still hear the revolting sounds of some sort of animal devouring a meal in some atrociously messy manner.  Aridean could feel her muscles tense up and she turned to look at Magdalene.  The young girl was eyeing the door with a startled expression before looking up to her minotaur companion.

    ¡°D-do we really¡­¡± Aridean began to anxiously ask but found that she could not finish her thought.  Magdalene let out a frustrated grunt; it was apparent she did not also wish to confront what was in the room either.

    ¡°J-just open the door already,¡± Magdalene ordered.

    Aridean, taking a deep breath, turned to face the door again.  Her hand reached for the doorknob.  As her fingers wrapped around the cool metal, she slowly twisted the doorknob.  Aridean paused for a moment before pushing the door open.  She let out a quiet gasp at the sight that awaited her.

    Although the room was mostly dark, Magdalene¡¯s glowing hand illuminated enough to see within.  There was a magnificent bed with far too many pillows for one person and a small table with two chairs opposite the bed.  Vases of white flowers were held atop a nightstand on each side of the bed.  A large backpack sat in one of the chairs by the table with Magdalene¡¯s everyday white shirt and light blue skirt lying on top.  Just like in Aridean¡¯s guest room, there was a magnificent, wooden wardrobe and a single rug on the floor.  Everything in Magdalene¡¯s guest room looked entirely normal; just the same as Aridean¡¯s.  The only difference was that there was not a male minotaur sleeping in Magdalene¡¯s bed.

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ nothing here?  But those noises were definitely coming from in here, weren¡¯t they?¡±  Aridean asked a bit confused by the mundane discovery.  Magdalene was shaking her head in disbelief.

    ¡°No way, not again.  I-I know I heard something in here,¡± Magdalene claimed in a hurry.  Aridean felt the girl giving her a slight shove to her back, ¡°Ari, go check it out!¡±

    W-wait, what?!  It¡¯s your room!  Why am I the one who has to check it out?!  Aridean internally challenges Magdalene.  She desperately wished she had the nerve to actually call the girl out but found herself looking into the room and sighing deeply.  Slowly, Aridean took a step into the bedroom.

    A long moan echoed throughout the room from the creaking floor beneath Aridean¡¯s hooves as she reluctantly stepped inside.  Magdalene¡¯s light did not seem to follow, leaving Aridean to assume the girl was standing just outside the room in the hallway.  The hesitant minotaur made her way to about the center of the room, just at the foot of the large bed.  She looked around the corner of the bed but could not see anything out of the ordinary in the shadows where Magdalene¡¯s light could not reach.  Aridean then turned her attention to the table and chairs where Magdalene had set her belongings; nothing unusual nor anything that could have possibly been creating the sounds that she and Magdalene had been hearing.

    Nothing¡¯s here¡­ but we both know we heard something.  M-maybe we both just imagined it, i-it¡¯s been a long day after all, Aridean thinks to herself as she begins to move toward the window.  She can hear the hooting of an owl somewhere outside but fails to see any motion in the yard below.  She heaves a sigh of relief but immediately feels the muscles in her shoulders and back tense up as Magdalene lets out a loud and shocked gasp from the doorway.

    ¡°A-Ari!  B-behind you!¡±  Magdalene shouts, prompting Aridean to hastily turn around.  Her jaw drops as she sees the silhouette of someone¡¯s hair falling from the ceiling right in front of the doorway.  Two red glowing orbs are spotted just above where the hair has fallen.  The hooting of the owl outside the window is drowned out by the sickening snarl of some sort of beast.  Aridean is just barely able to see an outline of whoever or whatever it is through the shadows on the ceiling.  Snarling begins to grow louder as the figure seemed to coil back against the wall it clung to.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±  Aridean shrieked as the figure leapt in her direction.  Aridean herself dove under whatever it was that had just attempted to attack her.  As she rolled on the floor, a loud shattering of glass could be heard from behind her.  Upon regaining her footing, Aridean turned to see that the window she had previously been standing in front of was now shattered.  Cold and howling winds could be heard rushing by the new opening, immediately followed by two doors in the hallway outside the bedroom opening.

    ¡°A-Ari, w-what was that thing?¡±  Magdalene asked, eyes fixed on the broken window as she approached.  Aridean could still hear her heart racing in her ears as Vidor and Rana appeared in the doorway.  As Aridean collected herself, Rana joined Magdalene at her side as Vidor moved to the broken window.

    ¡°What happened in here?  I heard screaming and then the window bre--,¡± Rana began to ask.

    ¡°That is one weird dog¡­¡± Vidor spoke as he looked out the window.  Rana and Magdalene both looked to him with confusion as Aridean continued to take a few deep breaths.  Magdalene moved to join him by the window; Vidor pointed out something outside.  Magdalene, clearly annoyed, groaned her displeasure.

    ¡°You think just because it¡¯s running on all fours that it¡¯s a dog, dummy?!  I don¡¯t know what it is, but that¡¯s the thing that almost attacked Ari,¡± snapped Magdalene aggressively.  Vidor merely rolled his eyes at the girl¡¯s unfriendly response.  With a gasp and eyes wide, Magdalene turned to Aridean, ¡°Is that the thing that knocked you out behind the inn yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Maggie, did you see it?  That thing had bright red eyes¡­ T-the last thing I remember seeing before passing out last night was a red glow just like those eyes,¡± Aridean replied anxiously.  Her answer was met with another quiet gasp from Magdalene and expressions of concern on the faces of her friends.  Aridean noticed Magdalene shiver as she and Vidor looked back out the window.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s scarier:  that this place might actually be cursed or that dummy may have been right about it trying to take Ari,¡± Magdalene spoke as she turned back around.

    W-was that the thing that caused me to pass out the other night?  First that¡­ Vici thing and now I¡¯ve got something else chasing me?  What did I do to deserve this?  Aridean thought to herself, dismayed by the sudden appearance of these supposedly supernatural beings.

    ¡°I heard that, y¡¯know,¡± returned Vidor with an annoyed grunt as he too turned back to Rana and Aridean.

    ¡°Enough of that you two; is whatever it is still out there?  What is it doing?¡±  Rana interrupted.  Vidor shook his head while Magdalene moved past Aridean and Rana.  The girl had gone to turn on the room¡¯s lights, the glow surrounding her hand fading as the bulb overhead began to illuminate the room.

    ¡°Whatever it was, it ran through the yard and hopped that brick wall and disappeared into the cemetery,¡± Vidor answered while looking to his sister.  Rana focused her attention toward the shattered window as she began to think to herself.  Magdalene had now moved over to her backpack and began rifling through her belongings.  Aridean¡¯s eyes quickly bounced between her companions before she thought about speaking up.

    ¡°Uh¡­ maybe we should inform Vladimir.  If that thing is what is causing the disappearances around here, he¡¯d want to know about it,¡± Aridean suggested after a moment of awkward silence.  Rana turned to face the younger minotaur with an understanding expression and nodded her agreement.

    ¡°That would likely be the best course of action.  Let¡¯s go find--,¡± Rana began to order before a knocking on the door was heard.

    ¡°You needn¡¯t look far for me,¡± Vladimir announced his arrival.  Aridean immediately turned to the nobleman that was hosting her and her friends for the evening.  She immediately found it odd that the man was still dressed in his fine clothing that he wore all throughout the day.

    ¡°Count Impalivik,¡± Rana called out, her tone sounding somewhat curious by the man¡¯s timely arrival.

    ¡°You believe you¡¯ve made a discovery worth sharing, yes?  Hm?  Gracious!  What happened to that window?¡±  Vladimir asked as he entered the room.  The man¡¯s one visible eye had gone wide at the sight of the broken window.

    ¡°There was some kind of monster in here!  It had been making noises all night long and it almost got Ari!  She thinks it might have been what made her pass out behind the inn, too,¡± Magdalene begins to explain as Vladimir examines the broken window.

    ¡°We were thinking that maybe that creature might be what¡¯s causing the disappearances here in Cortonne.  Let¡¯s go after it and put a stop to it,¡± Vidor chimes in somewhat enthusiastically.  Aridean noticed Vladimir hesitating, turned away from his guests.  His shoulders lifted as he drew in a deep breath and slowly lowered as he let the air out in one long sigh.  Turning back to the group, Vladimir had his signature smile on his face.

    There¡¯s something about that smile of his¡­ it¡¯s like I can feel just how worn out he must be.  It¡¯s impressive he¡¯s able to put on such a mask when he¡¯s clearly troubled by something, Aridean thought to herself about the kind, yet fatigued, looking man.  Rana and Magdalene both started walking toward the door to the hallway.  Vidor turned to Aridean and gave one his goofy smiles.

    ¡°Looks like our work here won¡¯t take as long as we thought.  Still, you should probably go grab your gear,¡± Vidor recommended as he gestured toward the door.  Aridean nodded her agreement and began to follow back into the hallway.  However, it was as she stood in the bedroom doorway that she noticed Vladimir.  The nobleman was standing still as a statue; Aridean was questioning whether or not the man was even breathing.  She felt a little unnerved that the smile he had just shared with her had faded and left behind a most apathetic expression upon his somewhat pale face.  Aridean saw the man¡¯s lips move but could not make out what it was he had spoken to himself.

    ¡°C-Count Impalivik?  Are you alright?¡±  Aridean called from the doorway hesitantly.  Vladimir¡¯s one visible eye shot open wide with surprise.  Looking to Aridean, the man put on his smile again before moving toward the doorway.

    ¡°I must apologize¡­ let us be off then,¡± Vladimir spoke as he exited the bedroom.  He gently shut the door behind him before making his way down the hallway to the main hall.  Somewhat concerned by the peculiarity of the man, Aridean watched intently as the man exited the hallway through the door leading to the main hall¡¯s upper walkway.  The minotaur shook her head before making her way to the bedroom she had been assigned.

    Aridean noticed that Vidor had left the door to her room open when he ran to check up on her and Magdalene.  Peering into the darkened room, Aridean could only just make out the bed with the little bit of moonlight streaming in from the window.  Luckily, she was able to locate the light switch near the door.  With a flick of her finger and a click of the switch, the room was lit by the glowing, filament bulbs overhead.  However, Aridean was immediately filled with confusion by what she saw, or rather what she did not see.

    W-what?  Where¡¯s¡­ where¡¯s father¡¯s axe?  I-I left it right there by the table, didn¡¯t I?  Did Maggie move it?  Aridean slowly started to internally panic as she found that Simon¡¯s axe was missing.  She felt her heart sink in her chest just from the thought that she had lost such a valuable memento and proceed to search the room.  Opening the wardrobe revealed nothing but empty storage space.  Beneath the bed was, for whatever reason, a ridiculous number of spare pillows.  There was no indication of where her father¡¯s blade had vanished to.  The more she desperately and fruitlessly searched, the more intense her abnormal breathing became.

    ¡°Ari!  Hurry it up!  We can¡¯t let that thing get away!¡±  called Magdalene from down the hallway.  Practically panting in her panicked state, Aridean continued to pointlessly search and re-search the guest room.  A minute or two later, the tread of footsteps coming from the hallway could be heard approaching.  Both Vidor and Magdalene entered the room, each looking confused by Aridean¡¯s frantic rummaging of the bedroom.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Uh, Aridean?  You okay?  What¡¯s going on?¡±  Vidor asked gently.  Aridean was a bit startled by Vidor and Magdalene¡¯s appearance.  She had become so engrossed in her quest to find her weapon that their entrance had been entirely ignored.  Taking a few deep breaths, Aridean turned to the two that had come to check on her with uneasiness in her expression.

    ¡°M-Maggie, d-did you maybe move my axe?  I-it¡¯s not here,¡± Aridean stuttered with embarrassment and worry.  Vidor turned to Magdalene, who had raised her eyebrows by the question.

    ¡°Ari, that thing is almost as big as I am and probably weighs as much as I do.  You really think I could move that?¡±  replied Magdalene as she crossed her arms over her chest.  Vidor turned back to Aridean, shaking his head.  He approached Aridean and took one of her shaking hands.  Without a second thought, he had given Aridean one of the daggers that he kept.

    ¡°Ignore her for now and we¡¯ll find your axe later.  Right now, we have to go after that thing.  C¡¯mon, Rana and Vlad should be waiting for us at the cemetery gate,¡± Vidor spoke.  He gave Aridean a friendly smile as he gently pulled her to the doorway.

    ¡°I heard that part about ignoring me, y¡¯know,¡± Magdalene snapped as she followed.  At the doorway, Aridean stopped and looked back into the bedroom she had been assigned as one of the count¡¯s guests.

    Wait a minute¡­ didn¡¯t I¡­?  Aridean began to think to herself, confused by what she only just noticed.  Before she could speak up, Vidor had grabbed her hand again and had begun to lead her back down the hallway.  After her search, the bedroom looked a total mess.  Open wardrobe, unmade bedsheets, excessive quantity of pillows tossed about, and so on.  The only thing that did not appear disturbed by her searching were the curtains dancing in the breeze that entered the room through the window.

    Vidor led both Aridean and Magdalene down the hallway and into the main hall.  The trio quickly made their way down the stairs and proceeded toward the grandiose, entrance door.  Two of Vladimir¡¯s attendants stood at attention by the large double doors.  As the group approached, the well-dressed servants grabbed a handle on the door and pulled open their own door.  Cool air entered the main hall as Aridean, Vidor, and Magdalene exited.  Although the light from the moon was dim, Aridean was able to spot Rana and Vladimir standing by the large gate leading to the cemetery just as Vidor said.

    With haste, the three quickly made their way to join their leader and host.  As the party regrouped, Rana quickly surveyed her team with a gentle smile on her face.  However, as she examined Aridean, her smile vanished as surprise entered the minotaur¡¯s expression.  Speaking softly, Rana asked, ¡°Aridean?  Where is Heaven¡¯s Edge?¡±

    ¡°Heaven¡¯s Edge?¡±  Vidor asked, entirely confused by his sister¡¯s question.  A hint of panic had returned to Aridean¡¯s face and her eyes had gone wider than normal.

    ¡°Heaven¡¯s Edge is the name of her axe¡­ Ms. Gray, where might it be?¡±  Vladimir also asked.  Aridean looked to the man and was surprised by what she saw.  Vladimir had a particularly apathetic look upon his face; as though he had no interest whatsoever despite being the one to reveal the name of the blade to her.

    Aridean simply shook her head as she took in a deep breath, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know where it is.  C-can we make this fast so I can go find it?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ alright, I suppose.  Count Impalivik, do you know where that creature may be hiding?¡±  Rana followed up.  Vladimir turned to Rana, maintaining his uncharacteristically indifferent look.

    ¡°If my guess is correct, there is a large, underground tomb at the center of the cemetery.  Perhaps this creature uses that resting place as a nest of some kind.  We should begin our investigation there,¡± Vladimir reasoned as he pushed open the iron gate.  Without turning to ensure his company was following, the man began to march along the pathway in the direction of the tomb he had mentioned.  Aridean and her friends kept close to the noble that led them through the cemetery.

    No matter where she turned, Aridean saw numerous gravestones.  They all seemed so well maintained; even in the dim moonlight every headstone appeared clean and well-polished.  It appeared that many would come by to pay their respects as Aridean failed to find a single grave that did not have a bouquet of white lilies.  What seemed odd, however, was the seemingly countless number of markers within the graveyard.

    Pushing the thought out of her mind, Aridean noticed that Vladimir had reached the tomb that he was directing everyone toward.  A large stone monument stood over the doorway.  The door, solid iron, was rusted and slightly opened.  Aridean let out a gasp as Vladimir pushed the door open, revealing claw marks on the stairs that led down into the darkness.  Aridean nervously swallowed as Vladimir began to move into the tomb.

    ¡°A-are you sure about this?  If this is that thing¡¯s ¡®nest¡¯, wouldn¡¯t we be giving it an advantage walking down there?¡±  Magdalene asked, clearly a bit spooked as well by the prospect of entering a tomb.  Vladimir turned, silent, showing a most deadpan expression had taken over his face.  Rana shook her head as she turned to address her team.

    ¡°I realize this is a bit much, but we don¡¯t have much of a choice.  We need to take care of whatever it is down there,¡± Rana replied sternly.  She moved to join Vladimir just inside the tomb, ¡°After all, we promised to help Count Impalivik.¡±

    Vladimir, one visible eye wide with astonishment, quickly turned his back to Rana as he proceeded down the stairs.  Aridean could feel herself shaking slightly, but she elected to follow down the stairs leading into the underground tomb.  Just a few steps down, she could hear a snicker behind her.

    ¡°You¡¯re free to stay up here.  Not that you¡¯d be much help anyways; I saw a rat running down the stairs,¡± Vidor teased with a hearty laugh.

    ¡°Rgh!  I hate you, dummy!¡±  Magdalene retorted as she pushed past Vidor.

    Everyone made their way down the stone stairs and entered into a pitch-black room.  Vladimir struck a match that he must have brought and lit two torches that sat adjacent to the stairs.  While the torches did little to illuminate the room, they helped reveal something particularly odd about the tomb.  Walls of smooth stone and flooring of the same makeup created the room that the group found themselves in.  However, there did not appear to be anything else in the room as far as Aridean could tell.

    How far back does this tomb go?  Where are the coffins or sarcophagi?  Are they just beyond the reach of the light?  Aridean thought to herself as she followed Rana and Vidor.  Together, the group began to walk further into the tomb.  Their advance into the crypt was halted by a long and tired sounding sight from Vladimir.  Each of them turned to see their host had not been moving into the tomb with them.

    ¡°What I do now¡­ can never be forgiven.  But I beg of you¡­ please¡­ make this easy for me,¡± Vladimir pleaded with his head held low as he stood by the stairs.  For whatever reason, his voice sounded weak and pitiful; entirely unlike how he conducted himself previously.  The only way Aridean could think of describing Vladimir¡¯s sudden and peculiar state was that the man seemed utterly defeated.

    ¡°What?  What are you talking ab--,¡± Vidor began to ask before being cut off by a manic fit of laughter.  Everyone immediately turned in the direction of the sudden laughing.  Whoever was the source of the apparent glee was shrouded in total darkness.  Even through the amusement, Aridean could hear the clicking of shoes on the stone floor.

    ¡°Oh, Vlad, you¡¯ve done well yet again,¡± came a feminine voice from within the shadows.  Clicking of shoes on stone continued to sound throughout the chamber, volume increasing as the source must be getting closer.  Surprised, Aridean watched as a leg covered by a white dress emerged from the darkness, ¡°But you know how this game works.  You must play your part regardless of whether it¡¯s easy or not!¡±

    As the figure stepped into the light of the torches mounted on the walls, it appeared to be a human woman approaching in a white and red dress.  However, Aridean gasped at the sight of the woman¡¯s unusual facial features.  Her eyes were entirely a deep red color, they looked more like globs of blood sitting in her eye sockets than actual eyeballs.  Her forehead was slightly scarred whereas her neck had been horrifically maimed as dried blood painted her visible upper body.  Even through the deformities on her face and body, the woman was smiling brightly.  Perhaps even too brightly, she was showing off some massive fangs contained within her mouth.

    ¡°W-w-what in God¡¯s name is that thing?  W-what happened to her?¡±  Magdalene anxiously began to ask.  The woman now stood in the light given off by the torches and eyed the group before her.

    ¡°¡®Thing¡¯?  Oh, Vlad, what sort of rude company have you been keeping?¡±  the scarred woman chided with a devious laugh.  Vladimir remained silent behind the group with his head held low.  Aridean could not quite see his face but felt as if she could sense the despair radiating from the nobleman.  Just standing near Vladimir seemed to envelop the atmosphere in a powerful sense of dread and hopelessness.

    ¡°Oh, it really wasn¡¯t a dog¡­ I¡¯m kinda wishing it was though; she is creepy,¡± Vidor whispered aloud.  Magdalene turned to Vidor with vicious irritation in her expression.  Clearly the girl wanted Vidor to be taking the situation a little more seriously than he seemed to be.  Surprisingly, however, Rana continued to examine the woman in silence.

    ¡°I¡­ feel like I¡¯ve seen her somewhere before,¡± Rana finally announced to the group.  The woman before them began to laugh again before crossing her hands over her chest.

    ¡°Perhaps you have.  Go ahead, take your time.  I¡¯ve time to kill among other things,¡± the woman replied as she focused on Rana.

    Rana thinks she¡¯s seen her before?  Actually¡­ I kind of feel like I have too.  But from where?  I think I¡¯d recognize such painful looking scars in an instant, Aridean thought to herself.  Both Rana and Aridean intently focused on the peculiar woman before them.  Something about her dress and posture was eerily familiar.  Magdalene had started to inspect both Aridean and Rana, curious about their fixation on the strange woman.  Vidor stood silently watching the woman; his hand was slowly inching toward the crossbow strapped to his waist.  After a solid moment thinking, Aridean heard Rana gasp her surprise.  The two female minotaurs turned to one another.

    ¡°Spirits¡­ Aridean, doesn¡¯t she look similar to that portrait in the count¡¯s lounge?¡±  Rana asks incredulously.  Aridean¡¯s brows rose slightly as she took a moment to reexamine the unordinary woman before her.  Her eyes widened as she realized that Rana was correct, this woman did appear to resemble the woman in the painting from Vladimir¡¯s lounge albeit with various painful-looking wounds on her body.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Carla Impalivik?  H-how?  She¡¯d have to be over a hundred years old!  Humans don¡¯t live that long,¡± replies Aridean, confusion and astonishment in her voice.  The gruesome woman began to giggle loudly, her laugh quickly developed into a maniacal cackle.

    ¡°I suppose you could call me Carla, you¡¯re not technically wrong,¡± the woman taunted as she moved her hands to her hips.  Aridean watched as the red eyes quickly surveyed her and her friends, a particularly devilish grin upon the woman¡¯s face all the while.  Upon concluding her examination, the woman¡¯s grin widened to show off her inhuman fangs again.  Her eyes locked with Aridean¡¯s as one of her hands receded into the darkness that veiled the area behind her in total obscurity.  As the woman¡¯s hand returned into the dim torchlight, Aridean gasped in astonishment.

    ¡°What was your name again?  Something Gray?  Eh, doesn¡¯t matter,¡± mocked the woman as she flaunted what she had pulled from the shadows.  Her blood-red eyes ran up and down the prize she held in her hands, ¡°Do you think yourself worthy of something such as this?  Absurd.  A whelp like you isn¡¯t worthy to even clean my shoes.¡±

    F-father¡¯s axe!  H-how did she get it?!  What is she doing with it?!  Aridean internally panicked as Carla held the massive weapon.  The woman brought the large blade up and pointed it directly at Aridean, maintaining her cruel smile throughout.

    ¡°Forgive me¡­¡± muttered Vladimir from behind Aridean.  The minotaur turned to see the noble standing still as stone, just as he had before the appearance of scarred woman.  However, he had raised his head only just enough that Aridean could see the eye that was not covered by his hair.  Aridean could see nothing but emptiness in his eye; while he non-verbally begged for forgiveness, it was clear he did not expect it.  Just looking into the dispirited eye, Aridean¡¯s own filled with disbelief and horror.

    ¡°Vladimir?  I don¡¯t recall giving you permission to speak to our¡­ guests,¡± Carla spoke with aggression and authority in her voice.  Vladimir bit his lip with such force that Aridean felt a chill run down her spine at the appearance of blood running down the man¡¯s chin.  She took a single step back from the silent man as Carla began to laugh again.

    ¡°Forgive me¡­¡± Vladimir pleaded as he held his head low again.

    H-he¡¯s¡­ working with that thing?  What is their goal here?  What is happening?  Aridean began to internally panic as Carla¡¯s laughter began to quiet down again.

    ¡°Count Impalivik, what is the meaning of this?¡±  Rana inquires with a stern and forceful tone in her voice.  Vladimir drew in a deep breath but remained silent.  Carla leaned in with a smug look on her scarred face; it was clear she was contemplating something.  She crossed her arms over her chest as she stood up straight again.

    ¡°Go ahead, ¡®Count Impalivik¡¯.  Tell them exactly what is going on here,¡± Carla ordered with a condescending voice.  Aridean could see Vladimir¡¯s entire body shiver.  The defeated nobleman shook his head as he raised his hands, palms up, toward his face.  The man silently looked into his palms for a moment before gritting his teeth and clenching his hands into balled up fists.  His hands were returned to his sides as he took another deep breath.

    ¡°Ms. Gray¡­ you¡­ know how much it hurts, don¡¯t you?  How much it hurts to have caused someone you love such pain,¡± Vladimir quietly started.  His soft and somber tone did little to ease the tension in the room.

    ¡°W-what?  What are you getting--,¡± Aridean began to ask.  Her thought was immediately cut short as Vladimir looked her in the eyes.  She could see the desperation and hopelessness in his one dispirited eye.

    ¡°What would you do if you were given the chance to make amends?  What would you do if the pain you caused could be undone?  How much would you sacrifice if you could undo killing your own father?¡±  Vladimir almost interrogated with a renewed sort of purpose in his voice.  Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide and jaw dropped.

    ¡°H-how did you¡ªI never told you that,¡± stuttered Aridean, breathing becoming erratic and heartrate rising rapidly.  Seeing his friend so distraught, Vidor¡¯s face immediately filled with anger as he stepped between Aridean and Vladimir.

    ¡°Leave her alone; her dad wasn¡¯t in his right mind.  She did what she had to in order to save her village,¡± Vidor explained with aggression in his voice.  Rather than respond, Vladimir looked from Vidor to Aridean and, strangely, began to giggle.  His giggle quickly escalated into an unnerving cackle.  Aridean, a bit frightened, took another step back from the man while Vidor¡¯s anger expression began to mix with confusion over the peculiar response.

    ¡°Ahahaha¡­ I see¡­ so you too know just how hard it is.  We tell ourselves that we made the right choice, yes?  How the decision we made saved those around us.  But at what cost?  Not just those we loved, but we¡¯ve sacrificed a part of ourselves in the process.  Would you not agree with that, Ms. Gray?¡±  Vladimir exclaimed with a sort of manic lunacy to his voice.  Aridean watched as the clenched fists at his sides began to glow a dark, red color.  His hands were enveloped in a glow as the man began to channel some form of magic, ¡°But there is a difference between us¡­ I can correct my mistake.¡±

    All those tired smiles¡­ he was forcing them like I do?  W-we¡¯re¡­ alike?  Aridean wondered to herself as her heartbeat could be heard in her ears.  Vladimir locked eyes with Aridean, remorse and frustration mixed in his expression.  Frozen in place by the man¡¯s desperate speech and gaze, Aridean heard someone gasp nearby.  She watched, petrified, as one of Vladimir¡¯s glowing hands were brought up over his head.  Almost immediately, a rumbling beneath her could be felt in the ground.  The next thing Aridean knew, she had been forcefully shoved, toppling over onto the ground and in the place she had been standing was a large stone pillar.

    W-what?  D-did he just try to¡­ Aridean pondered as her heart raced faster and faster.  Her eyes focused on the stone pillar that had been magically erected in her previous position as she tried to process what was happening.  After a moment, Vladimir lowered his hand with an anguished sigh.  Aridean, still dumbstruck by the sudden act, looked up to see that Rana was standing over her.

    ¡°Spirits¡­ that magic is tainted,¡± Rana announced as she offered a hand to Aridean.  She focused her attention on Vladimir as she pulled Aridean up onto her hooves.  After briefly looking over Aridean for any injury, Rana returned her hateful gaze to Vladimir, ¡°You asked what magic we know but you never told us what you know.¡±

    ¡°Evil dwells in this hamlet and it is all because of my foolish actions¡­ I never intended for any of this but I was desperate to set things right,¡± Vladimir frantically replied.  Behind Aridean, the twisted Carla could be heard loudly clapping her hands together.  The look upon her mangled face, however, did not depict any sort of celebrating or congratulation.

    ¡°Vladimir, I think we¡¯ve said enough, don¡¯t you?¡±  the frightening woman called out, annoyed.  ¡°I told you that I will handle that one myself.  You¡¯re free to allow the rest of them quick deaths.¡±

    Vladimir, silent again, hung his head low.  The glow of magic around his hands had not subsided.  His entire body shook for a full minute.  With a raspy, deep inhale he quickly lifted both of his hands outstretched to his sides.  As he did so, the rumbling of the stone ground returned.  Inches from her hooves, the ground began to move as the stone itself began to rise up at an alarmingly fast pace.

    ¡°Aride--,¡± Vidor called out with his hand reaching for her.  His voice was cut off, however, as the sky bound stone separated Aridean and him.  With a loud crash, a wall of stone had been formed, perfectly splitting Aridean and Carla from the rest of the tomb delvers.

    ¡°Vidor¡­ Rana¡­ Maggie¡­¡± Aridean softly called out while facing the wall with eyes wide open.  As she slowly began to reach out to the unnatural wall, something struck her with an immense amount of force.  Swept off her hooves, Aridean was sent flying away from the wall that split her from her friends.

    ¡°Aguuughh!¡±  gasped Aridean as she collided with the stone wall opposite the one that Vladimir had magically created.  The force of the blow had taken all of the air out of her lungs.  She fell to the floor, desperately gasping for breath through pained coughs.  Carla¡¯s laughter boomed off the stone walls that surrounded the two.

    ¡°Ahahaha!  So, you are the last of your kind, hm?  Not at all what I had expected.  I had hoped that maybe you¡¯d make this at least somewhat interesting.  A pity that you¡¯ll join your ancestors, bringing with you such a shameful and dishonorable defeat,¡± the wicked woman taunts.  From the shadows behind her, Aridean can see large, fleshy tendrils.  They begin to flick back and forth, as though waiting for a command before acting.  She began to laugh maniacally, ¡°Ahahahahaha!  Just think how ashamed your father will be to see you in the afterlife after what you did to him!  Ahahahahaha!¡±

    It''s¡­ it¡¯s just like back then; back in Byrden.  She¡¯s¡­ just like Raltor?  S-she¡¯s a demon?!  Aridean quickly surmised as the abominable Carla continued to laugh.  The woman¡¯s laughter only ceased as the barrier or stone that Vladimir had erected exploded, sending bits of rock and dust all throughout the space that Aridean and Carla occupied.  Aridean shielded her eyes with on hand as the dust obscured her vision to the other side of the barrier while Carla looked on with impatience and annoyance.  A bright, green glow could be seen emanating from behind the dust cloud.

    R-Rana¡­  Aridean thought to herself upon registering the familiar glow of her friend¡¯s magic.

    ¡°Oh, Vlad, always so quick to give in.  But it is that vain hope that makes your despair all the more delicious,¡± spoke Carla with a sigh.  She looked toward the dust, or perhaps even through it with her ghastly eyes, as she addressed Aridean¡¯s friends, ¡°You mortals¡­ always so persistent; always so sure that you can win.  Sorry to break it to you, but life just isn¡¯t that simple.  A shame, Vlad likely would have at least given you head-start in an attempt to escape.  Not that it would have mattered, but it would have been more fun for me.¡±

    As the glowing green light behind the dust began to fade, the monster turned her attention back to Aridean.  Still struggling just to catch her breath, Aridean slowly attempts to just sit up straight.  Her arms give out underneath her and she falls face first back to the cold stone floor she had been dropped upon.  She could hear the tread of someone rapidly moving in her direction coming from the dust cloud.

    ¡°Regardless, you all will die here,¡± Carla declares as one of the tendrils behind her coils backward.  Like a snake preparing the strike, the tentacle-like appendage is then thrown directly in Aridean¡¯s direction, ¡°Starting with this whelp!¡±

    Eyes shut tight and her entire body petrified with fear, Aridean held her breath as she waited for the attack.  Aridean was sure she could feel her heart stop as the sickening sound of flesh being impaled echoed off the stone walls.

    Hesitantly, Aridean opened her frightened eyes nervously, afraid of what she might find.  They slowly shifted as they scanned what of her body she could see from her position on the ground as she searched for any wounds.  Confused, Aridean could not locate any injuries on her body; she did not feel anymore pain than she did having been thrown against the stone wall.  Even so, she noted that there were sprinkled droplets of wet blood scattered upon her snout and arms as well as the ground in front of her.

    What?  I¡­ wasn¡¯t hit?  But then¡­ that could only mean--, Aridean began to realize internally.  Having reached the conclusion that it was not her that was bleeding, Aridean quietly gasped.  With eyes wide and terrified of what she might discover, she reluctantly raised her head.

    Another gasp, eyes having grown wider, utterly mortified and in horrendous disbelief.  Aridean¡¯s heart sank in her chest and she felt her entire body seize up.  The very blood in her veins felt ice cold just looking at the sight before her.  After several seconds trying to process what she saw, her voice cracked, ¡°N-n-no¡­ n-no¡­ y-you¡ªw-why?!¡±

    Before her stood the one who had fallen victim to the attack from the monster.  Their arms held outstretched to their sides.  Aridean watched, petrified, as the arms fell slack at their sides.  She could see their head fall forward and knees buckle as their legs gave out beneath them.  They appeared to be held up solely by the abominable tendril that had impaled them.  Aridean could not take her eyes off of the monstrous appendage that had broken through the front of the body and now protruded out of the back.  All Aridean could do was watch, holding her breath, on the floor as the tentacle quickly retracted itself through the body.  The one who had saved Aridean quickly slumped to their knees and then fell face down onto the stone-cold ground.  Within seconds, a pool of their own blood began to form around their still body and a raucous laughter could be heard coming from the monstrous entity.

    Aridean, eyes wide and quickly filling with tears, shook her head back and forth in disbelief, ¡°N-n-no¡­ you can¡¯t¡­ n-n¡ª"

    ¡°NOOOO!!¡±  screamed a familiar voice, their anguished cry thick with despair.

 Chapter 28 - I Meant What I Said

    Time itself seemed to slow to a near halt as the monstrous entity cackled manically.  Aridean watched, utterly mortified, as her protector slowly slumped to their knees and ultimately to the ground.  Despite the loud and sinister laughter, all Aridean could hear was the sound of her heart beating in her ears.  Eyes, lined with wet tears, wide and focused in on what was unfolding in front of her.  Her mouth had fallen agape and she was not even sure if she were breathing.

    ¡°N-no¡­ you¡­ b-but why?¡±  Aridean softly called out.  Before her lay her savior, the one to have suffered a mortal wound at the hands of the abominable Carla.  A warm, red pool was slowly collecting around them.  Aridean, unable to think straight and still sore after the demon¡¯s first attack, finally drew a breath.  Slowly, she began to crawl her way up to the one to have saved her from certain death.

    That¡­ didn¡¯t just happen¡­ no, it couldn¡¯t.  Please, get up¡­ please, Aridean mentally pleaded her with her friend.  She reached her friend¡¯s legs and pulled herself over the stone floor that was pooling with blood.  Nothing about what was happening seemed real to her.

    ¡°N-n-no, you can¡¯t¡­ y-y-you said you¡¯d¡­¡± Aridean lamented as her vision blurred through the tears.  Just as Aridean reached her friend¡¯s side, she took their hand in her own.  Her desperate eyes looking into her friend¡¯s; their eyes were empty and lifeless.  Aridean, seeing there was nothing left, began choking on her own breath as she sobbed quietly.  As the dust continued to settle, an alarmed gasp could be heard from where the stone wall had been breached.

    ¡°Oh¡­ God help us,¡± Magdalene could be heard begging from beyond the near settled dust.  Her tone was full of shock by what she had discovered.  Aridean turned over only long enough to glance at her remaining comrades with tear-flooded eyes.  The girl covered her mouth with her hands and looked on in disbelief.  Beside her was a black furred minotaur whose dropped jaw and eyes showed even further refusal to believe the sight ahead.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, whelp,¡± Carla taunted as her laughter quieted down.  The vicious woman put her hands on her hips and leaned forward toward Aridean.  Looking up to the vile monster, Aridean could see her despicable tentacles reappearing from the dark beyond.  With a smug look on her face, she continued, ¡°You¡¯ll join h¡ª¡±

    ¡°NOOOO!!¡±  an anguished cry of remorse rang out.  Carla rolled her eyes with an annoyed expression on her face as she turned toward the dust cloud.  However, her crimson eyes immediately went wide as something was fast approaching.  The scarred woman stumbled backward; her head having been thrown back as a crossbow bolt now rested within her forehead.  In the process, she had dropped Aridean¡¯s axe to the ground.  Aridean¡¯s weapon hit the ground beside the woman with a loud crash.

    Carla stumbled backward just a few feet, her head held back and facing up toward the tomb ceiling.  Having regained her footing, the monster stood, still as a statue.  Aridean watched as the entity simply paused for the time being, its vile tendrils having vanished into the dark again.  She could hear the rush of hooves clopping on the stone as Vidor ran to her and Rana.  The male minotaur wasted no time in skirting around Aridean and kneeling down at his sister¡¯s side.

    ¡°Rana?!  Rana!  C¡¯mon, please!  Don¡¯t do this!  You¡ªyou promised me that--¡± Vidor shouted as he rolled Rana over onto her back, only pausing as he looked into her lightless eyes.  He had begun to lightly shake his unresponsive sister.  Aridean surveyed Vidor and his fruitless attempts to rouse Rana; the longer she watched the more sorrowful her heart grew.  He looked up to see that Magdalene was still standing at the blown-out hole in the magically erected stone wall.  With pure rage and urgency in his voice, Vidor shouted, ¡°Get over here!  Heal her!¡±

    Having been brought back to reality, Magdalene quickly raced her way over to her minotaur companions.  As she knelt down beside Aridean, her hands began to glow.  As the girl¡¯s hands passed over her body, Aridean felt almost immediately revitalized.  Injuries and aching from having been thrown against the stone wall had been entirely undone as Magdalene worked her healing magics.  As Aridean began to sit up again, Vidor impatiently took the half-elven girl by her still glowing hands and forced them over the gaping wound in Rana¡¯s chest.

    ¡°What are you--?  She¡­ she¡¯s already--,¡± Magdalene calmly and somberly stated as she tried pulling her hand back.  Vidor looked into her eyes with utter resentment.  The frightening gaze that Vidor was giving her was enough to cause Magdalene to freeze up again.  Once Vidor looked back to his sister, cradled in his arms, Magdalene too looked to Rana.  Lifeless eyes looked up to the ceiling and Magdalene shook her head gently.  As her hands slowly turned into loosely clenched fists, the magical glow surrounding them began to dim until they finally vanished.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!  Help her!¡±  Vidor violently snapped at the girl.  Magdalene remained silent, simply looking into Rana¡¯s face with a somewhat upset look on her face.  Aridean, tears sliding down her cheeks, watched as Vidor jerked on Magdalene¡¯s hand as he desperately tried to have her channel her magic again.  His cracking voice, growing more and more desperate, could be heard pleading, ¡°Help her¡­ help her¡­ pleeeease¡­ Ranaaaaa¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t even help that man back in Thellia¡­ I can¡¯t do anything here¡­ Rana¡¯s already¡­¡± Magdalene choked as she turned away.  Despite not fully accepting the reality, Vidor¡¯s grip on Magdalene¡¯s wrist was released as he moved his hand to Rana¡¯s face.  Tears flowed from his eyes and gently fell upon his sister¡¯s still face.

    As Vidor sorrowfully moaned, Aridean heard the clicking of shoes on the stone floor coming from Carla¡¯s direction.  She watched as a hand was lifted from the side of the body that had remained still for some time.  Her hand daintily wrapped fingers around the crossbow bolt that jutted out from her forehead and gently began to pull upward.  Aridean watched as the bolt was removed from the beast¡¯s skull with a sickening sound of flesh being torn apart.

    ¡°So very rude!  Vlad, you keep some of the worst company,¡± Carla mocked as she brought her head back up to look upon the group in front of her.  Aridean, despite having deduced that the entity before her was a demon, was still in awe by how the crossbow bolt left no damage to the body.  Carla held the bolt that Vidor had fired in between two fingers.  With a smug and devilish smile, the arrow was snapped into two pieces between the fingers that held them.  However, as the broken bolt hit the ground at her feet, another had been fired directly into her skull again.

    ¡°How is this bitch still alive?!  I¡¯ll kill you for what you¡¯ve done!¡±  Vidor snarled as he reloaded his crossbow.  With a bolt set, the minotaur rose from his place on the ground and holstered his weapon.  Aridean watched as her friend rushed the evil woman that had survived two crossbow bolts fired into her head.  Magdalene had turned back to watch the outraged minotaur charge forward, the young girl seemed to be in a bit of a daze just watching Vidor.  Vidor drew two of the daggers he kept and launched a flurry of swings and swipes while Carla simply accepted the onslaught.

    ¡°Vidor!¡±  Aridean called out.  Unfortunately, it was no use as Vidor was too enraged to listen to anything.  Sinister laughter could be heard coming from the woman he was striking with every blow that landed, almost as if she were being tickled rather than cut with blades.  Despite her apparent entertainment, with every swing of his two blades, Carla¡¯s body would shoot out another small fountain of dark red blood.  Turning to Magdalene, Aridean began to explain, ¡°Maggie, Vidor¡¯s not hurting that thing!  It¡¯s just like Raltor!  That¡¯s a demon!  You have to put an enchantment on his blades now!¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ªuh, r-right!¡±  Magdalene said after realizing that Aridean was talking to her.  Shaking her head, the half-elf¡¯s hands began to glow brightly again.  After only a second, she threw a bright globe of glowing light in Vidor and Carla¡¯s direction.  Aridean quickly rose from her spot beside the girl and raced after the magic orb.

    ¡°Hm?¡±  Carla mused aloud as she observed a bright glow overtake one of Vidor¡¯s two daggers.  Her eyes widened as the blade came down and sliced her arm.  The woman gasped in pain, ¡°Agh!  That stings!  Vlad, you incompetent oaf!  You didn¡¯t say anything about the wretch using holy magic!  Rgh!  You¡¯ll pay for that, you fool.¡±

    Backing away from Vidor and clutching her arm, Carla snarled loudly and furiously.  Vidor raised his blades in anticipation of some sort of counterattack.  Despite his rage, he seemed perfectly capable of registering when to defend himself.  Unfortunately, none of his training could prepare him for the large, fleshy tendrils that emerged from the darkness behind the vile woman in front of him.  His eyes widened at the sight and his hands were slowly lowered to his sides as he held his breath.

    ¡°Die, worm; join your pathetic kin,¡± Carla barked as one of large tentacle-like appendages surged forth in Vidor¡¯s direction.

    Raising his arms up in defense, Vidor closed his eyes and braced himself.  He opened his eyes again after hearing the nauseating sound of flesh being ripped in half and the loud thud of something hitting the ground in front of him.  Opening his eyes again, Vidor saw part of the tentacle meant to strike him writhing about on the stone floor.  Crimson blood gushed from where the appendage had been cut apart and pooled around Aridean¡¯s hooves.  Aridean lowered her axe and hopped backwards as Carla let out an enraged and pained scream.

    ¡°AGH!  You pitiful whelps!  How dare you!¡±  the monstrous form snapped as she reeled back in pain.  Panting and glaring at the two minotaurs, Carla watched as Magdalene moved to stand behind Aridean and Vidor.  The girl¡¯s hands were glowing brightly, as were the weapons held by the two minotaurs.  Carla grunted her frustration, ¡°Fine then¡­ Why should I have to work for my meal?  Vlad will deal with you.¡±

    Aridean, feeling somewhat uneasy, watched as the woman slowly stumbled backwards into the darkness.  A maniacal cackle resonated off the stone floor, walls, and ceiling.  Slowly, the crazed chuckle quieted down as torchlight began to flood the darkness to reveal a large sinkhole in the back of the tomb.  It was the voice that followed the giggling that sent a chill down Aridean¡¯s spine, however.

    ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­ Vladimir, please, help me,¡± a distressed woman¡¯s voice called out from beyond the veil of the darkness.  It was strange, however, as the voice did not belong to the demonic entity that has just retreated beyond the reach of the light.

    ¡°Ca¡­ Carla?¡±  Vladimir softly called out.  Turning to the blasted-out hole in the wall, Aridean saw Vladimir.  Aridean could see that the man had focused in on the voice and what it had asked of him.  His eyes wide and jaw dropping.  Aridean felt somewhat uneasy when she saw Vladimir hold his head low and grit his teeth.  She immediately felt afraid when she saw the dark red glow of his magic return to his hands.

    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re a part of this.  You¡¯re the reason my sister is--,¡± Vidor snapped as he raised his daggers in Vladimir¡¯s direction.  The intensity of the magical aura surrounding his clenched fists was rapidly growing yet the man did not look up to the minotaur that had addressed him.  Aridean could hear a low growl coming from the back of Vidor¡¯s throat until he finally gave in to his rage.  Vidor began to rush Vladimir, ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you for what you¡¯ve done!¡±

    ¡°Kill me?  We can only hope,¡± Vladimir replied with a sorrowful tone in his voice.  Unfazed by the minotaur rushing him with intent to kill, Vladimir continued to focus his attention into the empty space at his feet.  The nobleman let out a dispirited sigh as his left hand twitched.  As his hand moved, Aridean noticed some motion out of the corner of her eye.  Turning, she gasped at the sight.

    ¡°Dummy!  Behind you!¡±  Magdalene shouted to Vidor.  Vidor¡¯s expression had been entirely overcome with rage but he managed to pry his eyes from his target for a split second.  Luckily, it was that split second that may have saved his life as he immediately halted his advance.  A small trickling of blood flowed down his arm; Vidor pushed his opposite hand to the shallow wound.  His eyes went wide and face filled with fear as he took a frightened step backward from the one who had just sliced into his arm.

    ¡°W-what?  What the hell is--,¡± Aridean quietly panicked.  Her attention had been entirely focused on the body that just defended Vladimir and struck Vidor.  She could see the crimson blood on the razor-sharp knuckles held in black-furred hands.  Vidor¡¯s blood dripped from the blade down to the ground, landing in front of a pair of hooves.

    No¡­ it can¡¯t be¡­ Vlad is¡­ Aridean thought to herself as she processed the sight in front of her.

    Aridean¡¯s head shook back and forth in disbelief.  Vidor had initially been struggling to process what was happening, but upon registering who his aggressor was, had begun hyperventilating as he took another and then another frightened step backwards.  His heart was racing and all he could hear was the violent and rapid panting of his breath.  Magdalene was entirely awestruck yet managed to speak, ¡°S-she said his magic was tainted¡­ Vlad is a necromancer!¡±

    Much to the group¡¯s despair, before them stood Rana Stonehoof.  With fists held high, armed with her sharpened knuckles, the minotaur stood as a guard to Vladimir.  Despite the gaping, bloody wound in her chest, the only other especially worrying observation about her were her eyes.  Her bright green irises and dark pupils had faded away, leaving only white orbs in her eye sockets.

    ¡°It hurts, doesn¡¯t it, Ms. Gray?  It hurts so much to know that you caused someone you love so dearly any amount of pain,¡± Vladimir began to monologue.  Aridean pried her eyes from the reanimated Rana to see that Vladimir was now looking her in the eyes with an entirely apathetic expression.  His lips moved, ¡°It is such a relief that Ms. Stonehoof does not need to experience that pain; I am the one forcing her limbs to move.¡±

    Aridean gasped anxiously as Vladimir¡¯s hand twitched again.  As though controlling a puppet, the twitch of the man¡¯s hand had sent Rana into a frenzied assault against her brother.  It was all Vidor could do to just defend himself from his sister as his daggers either parried the sharpened edges of the knuckles Rana swung or he deftly moved out of the way entirely.  Every time the metal of the siblings¡¯ weapons clashed against one another, Aridean could feel herself flinching slightly.

    ¡°Viiiiiiiiii¡­ ahhhhhhhh¡­m-maaaaaa¡­¡± moaned the minotaur that continued to assault Vidor.  Hearing his sister¡¯s voice, Vidor relented for a second.  Unfortunately, it was in that second that Rana was forced to act yet again by the flick of Vladimir¡¯s wrist.  The female minotaur managed to slice into Vidor¡¯s leg.

    ¡°Ah!  Ahhh!¡±  Vidor gasped as he fell to the ground.  Looking up, his sister approached with her bladed knuckles held high.  Closing his eyes and raising his arm in defense, Vidor braced himself for the next blow.  However, Rana did not strike her brother and as Vidor opened his eyes again, he saw the familiar glow of Magdalene¡¯s magic at his side.

    Magdalene was kneeling down and running her healing magic-infused hands over Vidor¡¯s leg.  Looking back to his sister, Vidor saw that Aridean was desperately holding back the undead minotaur.  Rana was visibly struggling to free herself from Aridean¡¯s grasp and Aridean was trying just as hard to keep a firm grip.

    ¡°This¡­ this isn¡¯t happening.  Please, Rana!  Please stop this!¡±  Aridean shouted.

    ¡°Aahhhrrriiiiii¡­¡± Rana groaned.  As the older minotaur heard her name, she relaxed her struggling.  After a moment, Rana ceased fighting Aridean altogether.  Despite the moment to catch her breath, Aridean did not feel any comfort as she continued to restrain her friend.  She quietly gasped and turned her head toward Vladimir as the man let out a depressed sigh.

    ¡°Such a strong will¡­ such a strong heart¡­  She truly cares deeply for you all, even in her current state.  Damn me if you must, but I have a responsibility that I must see through,¡± monologued Vladimir.  The nobleman raised his head and locked eyes with Aridean.  As he raised his still glowing hand, he continued, ¡°Please¡­ I beg of you.  Make this easy for me.¡±

    Aridean watched as Vladimir¡¯s fingers curled into a balled-up fist.  The bright glow surrounding his fist intensified, which elicited a response from his thrall.  Aridean immediately lost her grip on Rana and stumbled as the minotaur she was restraining was set free.  Turning back to Rana, Aridean saw her friend spinning about on one hoof, the other raised and flying in her direction.

    ¡°Augh!¡±  Aridean squealed as Rana¡¯s hoof connected with her ribs.  Aridean was launched into the nearby wall and slumped to the ground.   Rana then turned her attention back toward Vidor and Magdalene just as the half-elf looked up to her.  Magdalene gasped in fright as a large, fuzzy hand quickly reached out for her.  Rana¡¯s fingers wrapped around Magdalene¡¯s neck in a tight embrace.

    ¡°Ah!  Ahh¡ª¡± Magdalene choked as Rana began to lift the girl from the ground beside Vidor.  Aridean watched as Magdalene¡¯s legs flailed in the air above the stone floor she was lifted from.  The girl¡¯s hands wrapped around Rana¡¯s fingers in a desperate attempt to pry them from her throat.

    No!  NO!  Rana, stop it!  Aridean screamed in her head yet no words could escape her throat as she was still trying to catch her breath from the last blow.  Unable to look any longer, Aridean averted her eyes and held her breath.  She could hear Magdalene still struggling and gritted her teeth.  However, her eyes opened the instant she heard the unpleasantly familiar sound of flesh being ripped apart.  Looking back at her friends, Vidor stood behind his sister, a glowing dagger firmly planted in Rana¡¯s back.

    ¡°V-Viii¡­ ssssooorr¡­yyy¡­¡± moaned the zombified Rana as her head turned in Vidor¡¯s direction.  As Vidor released the dagger now resting in his sister¡¯s back, Rana released Magdalene.  As the girl fell to the ground in a heap, coughing and gasping for air, the glow around Vidor¡¯s dagger faded away.  Vidor watched as his sister slumped to her knees and then fell to the ground.  Aridean also observed how Rana hit the ground and tears began to run down her face.

    It''s like¡­ she¡¯s dying twice now.  How?  How could Vladimir be so cruel?  Aridean internally laments.  Vidor begins panting as he looks into his palms.  With heart racing and breathing erratic, Vidor then gazes upon his lifeless sister at his hooves.  Covering his face in his trembling hands, the minotaur screamed in anguish.  The heartbroken cry from her friend is enough to shatter Aridean¡¯s own heart.

    Despite the sore throat, Vidor immediately turned to Vladimir with rage in his eyes.  The minotaur let loose a hateful roar as he charged the man again.  Aridean, tears still streaming down her face, watched as the glow surrounding Vladimir¡¯s hands slowly dissipated.  Confused, Aridean began to stand again as Vidor raised his remaining dagger.  Vladimir simply watched as the blade came down, only letting out a gasp of pain as the metal tore into his thigh.

    ¡°Agh!¡±  Vladimir cried in pain as he grabbed at his leg.  Vidor backed off for only a second.  As Vladimir looked up to his assailant, he spotted a hoof fast approaching.  Aridean watched as the man was sent tumbling backwards.  Vidor¡¯s powerful kick had left a red mark on the man¡¯s face.  Strangely, the nobleman was able to seemingly ignore the dagger stabbed into his leg and the pain in his face.  With his head held low and body supported on his knees and palms, Vladimir remained quiet and seemed to await the next blow.

    ¡°Hand me that,¡± Vidor demanded as he gestured toward Aridean¡¯s axe.  Aridean¡¯s eyes widened as she and Magdalene stood only a few feet behind Vidor now.  She looked over her weapon before glancing to Vladimir and then to Vidor.

    I¡¯ve¡­ never seen this side of Vidor¡­ I¡­ never thought he would be capable of this¡­ Aridean thought to herself.  As she looked back to her weapon, Vidor¡¯s hand reached out and grabbed the long haft.  With a slightly forceful yank, Vidor snatched away the axe from Aridean, much to the latter¡¯s surprise.

    ¡°D-dummy?  Y-you¡¯re not really gon--¡± Magdalene called out anxiously.  Vidor immediately turned to look upon the half-elven girl with a furious expression.  Aridean noticed his grip around her axe tighten with rage.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Shut up already, dammit!¡±  Vidor ordered, much to the surprise of both Aridean and Magdalene.  Turning back to Vladimir, Vidor continued, ¡°I hate you¡­ I hate humans¡­ I hate them and elves and half-elves and dwarves and all the other races!  They all think so little of us, all because of something we didn¡¯t have any part in!  We didn¡¯t do anything to start this war; we never wanted any of this!  But now¡­ my sister¡­ all she wanted was to live among the other races in peace.¡±

    ¡°Vidor¡­¡± Aridean quietly called out.  However, it seemed that Vidor either did not hear her or chose to ignore her as the massive weapon he held was raised over his head.

    Unable to look, Aridean turned her head with eyes tightly shut.  Her blood ran ice cold as she heard the axe meet its mark and then collide with the stone floor.  A mere split second later and a loud thudding sound could be heard hitting the ground near where Vidor stood.  Behind her and facing the opposite direction, Magdalene had the most horrified look upon her face.  The young girl looked as though she had simultaneously met with a ghost and needed to vomit.  Both girls remained quiet but could hear Vidor spit.

    ¡°She¡­ she told you¡­ just what your ¡®kindness¡¯ meant to her¡­ Now?  Now?!  Rot, damn you,¡± Vidor quietly cursed as he began to choke up.  Aridean, still unable to look upon her friend, could hear him begin to softly sob.  She heard Magdalene slump down to the stone floor behind her.

    After a moment of somber mourning, Vidor turned and dragged Aridean¡¯s axe behind him as he approached.  The scraping of the axe along the stone attacked the ears like nails on a chalkboard.  Even so, no one was in the mood for complaining over the agitating noise.  Hearing the clop of his hooves stop just in front of her, Aridean cautiously opened her eyes.  Looking Vidor in his face, she saw waterfalls of tears running down his cheeks.  Her axe blade looked to have been painted red; she could not bear looking behind Vidor to see just what had been done while her eyes were shut.

    ¡°V-Vidor¡­¡± Aridean called softly and hesitantly.  Still fighting his tears, Vidor shook his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just¡­ let¡¯s just get out of here¡­ to hell with place¡­¡± whimpered a dispirited Vidor with a raspy inhale of air.  Aridean could not find it in her to speak at this point.  She had not heard Magdalene move from her spot behind her, the girl sat on the floor still as the stone that surrounded the three.

    Unable to speak, Aridean looked to Vidor again.  He refused eye contact as his tear-filled eyes had fallen to the couple¡¯s hooves.  Aridean turned to gaze upon Rana, as did Vidor.  Without a need for words, Aridean nodded her head.  Vidor simply let out a depressed sigh as he started to slowly move toward his sister.  Before he could even get two steps in, everyone in the room froze again.

    ¡°So, not even your blessed blade is enough to unmake me?  To think I might have finally been set free¡­¡± a familiar and disappointed voice seemed to echo off of the stone walls of the tomb.  Startled, both Aridean and Magdalene shrieked loudly.  Vidor, however, simply shifted the expression on his face to show his astonishment.

    Looking beyond Vidor toward where the voice had originated from, Aridean and Magdalene gasped loudly.  With wide eyes and holding his breath, Vidor seemed to freeze as the voice spoke once more, ¡°¡®Rot, damn you¡¯?  I wish it were that simple, Mr. Stonehoof.¡±

    Aridean, both amazed and terrified, watched as Vladimir stood back up.  Rather, she was horrified to see his headless body rising from the ground.  Her jaw dropped as she witnessed the headless body stand and move toward its head.  Standing over the head, the body bent over and retrieved its missing piece.  Utterly speechless and breathless, Aridean observed as Vladimir simply stuck his head back onto his body.  Bones cracked loudly as he seemingly locked his head in place and let out a tired sigh.  The man then proceeded to forcibly yank the dagger in his leg free; his blood oozed from the wound for only a second before the hole in the flesh vanished.  Vladimir Impalivik, who had just been beheaded, stood before the group again and appeared entirely unharmed.

    W-what the hell?!  Aridean mentally screamed in her mind.  Magdalene had stood back up and was taking cover behind Aridean.  The girl screamed at the sight of the dead man walking as she peaked out from behind Aridean.

    ¡°AHH!! M-m-monster!!  H-how is he getting up?!¡±  Magdalene shouted in a panic.  Vidor slowly turned; his astonishment still clear as day upon his face.  Vladimir returned the shocked group¡¯s stares with a rather defeated and depressed expression of his own.  The nobleman simply sighed as his shoulders fell and his arms went slack at his sides.

    ¡°Monster?  Even that seems too kind--¡± Vladimir starts to reply with a somber tone of voice.  His voice is overtaken by Vidor¡¯s sudden and rage-fueled roaring.  Aridean watches as her friend hefts her battle axe over his head and rushes Vladimir.  She is worried by the fact that Vladimir does not move yet does not seem to defend himself either.  The recent corpse stands near motionless, almost as though he accepts Vidor¡¯s fury.

    Aridean flinches as Vidor brings the large blade down upon Vladimir.  The unusual individual¡¯s face immediately contorts to show that he is in tremendous pain.  A large amount of blood is violently hacked from his mouth as his regal clothing is torn by the axe and drenched in more of the dark red liquid.  With a face full of hatred, Vidor releases the haft of Aridean¡¯s axe and takes a single step backwards.  Vladimir grabs at the blade now lodged in his chest and stumbles backwards.

    Vladimir falls to the ground again, still grabbing at the axe that had struck him.  Aridean can see the man is in agony as he continues to hack up a sanguine mess and is constantly groaning and grunting in pain.  However, she is frightened to see that despite having an axe as large as hers forcefully rammed into his chest does not seem to kill him.  Her eyes widen as Vladimir, with considerable effort and shouting bloody murder, not only dislodges the weapon meant to kill him, but sees that his mortal wound rapidly heals afterwards.  Vladimir rests on the stone ground with Aridean¡¯s axe at his side, grabbing at his side that had been viciously assaulted as he gasps for air.

    ¡°Why?!  How can you still be alive?!  Why are you alive and she¡¯s dead?!¡±  Vidor shouted furiously.  Vladimir, coughing lightly, begins to stand again.  The man sways left and right slightly but does not look at all as though he had just suffered his head having been removed and his chest torn open.

    ¡°H-how--,¡± Aridean begins to stutter.  Vladimir raises one hand to quiet the minotaur.  With another deep breath, the man lifts up the hair that covers the left side of his face.  Shocked gasps escape the throats of the two minotaurs and the young half-elven girl.  Aridean could feel her legs grow weak at the sight of Vladimir¡¯s face, yet she just barely composed herself enough to ask, ¡°Y-you¡­ a-are you a demon, too?¡±

    Vladimir shakes his head as he drops the tuft of hair over his blood-red, left eye and horrific scar.  With the most upset and exhausted look in his only visible eye, the noble speaks, ¡°I told you all already, I was desperate.  However, I am no demon.  Even so, I lost the right to call myself human long ago.¡±

    ¡°Shut up and die already!¡±  Vidor shouted aggressively as he drew his longbow.  Aridean could only raise a hand in her friend¡¯s direction before he had already notched an arrow, pulled back the string, and let go.  The projectile soared right into Vladimir¡¯s stomach.  With a pained gasp, the man stumbled backward again as he grabbed at the shaft protruding from his gut.  Just as he had with the axe, screaming in agony, Vladimir removed the arrow with a small geyser of blood erupting from the wound.

    ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­ ugh!  That never gets any easier¡­¡± Vladimir groaned aloud as he held his bleeding stomach.  Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide and brows furrowed as Vladimir removed his hand from his abdomen.  Whatever damage Vidor¡¯s arrow had caused had immediately vanished, just like the blow from the axe.  Vladimir took a moment to catch his breath before wheezing, ¡°Ms. Gray¡­ I know¡­ I am in no position to ask¡­ but could you please restrain Mr. Stonehoof?  He''s just wasting his own energy.¡±

    ¡°Vidor¡­ I don¡¯t think we can do anything about him,¡± Aridean softly spoke to her infuriated and agitated friend.  Vidor did not seem to like hearing that his pursuit of vengeance was futile but lowered his bow regardless.  Nevertheless, the minotaur continued to glare angrily at Vladimir, who in return put on an understanding but dispirited expression.

    ¡°What do you mean?  You¡¯ve¡­ died before?¡±  Magdalene asked with a judging tone of voice.  The girl leaned out from behind Aridean, continuing to use the towering minotaur as cover.  She looked to Vladimir with a curious but serious look on her face.  Vidor proceeded to grunt angrily, still clutching his longbow tightly.  Aridean could see it in his face that Vidor was ready to unleash his entire quiver¡¯s worth of arrows upon Vladimir despite knowing it would do nothing.

    ¡°Standing before you is the Count Vladimir Impalivik of Cortonne.  The very same Vladimir Impalivik that managed to produce the cure for the Flare-heart Plague almost one hundred and eight years ago,¡± Vladimir announced much to the surprise of the two minotaurs and half-elf.

    He¡¯s THE Vladimir Impalivik?!  I thought he was just a descendant with the same name!  Wait a minute¡­ back in the lounge, didn¡¯t he say that it was¡ªAridean began to think to herself.  Her train of thought was drowned out by Vidor¡¯s violent roaring.

    ¡°Shut up with these damn jokes!  Humans don¡¯t live that long.  Cut it out with this crap and tell us what that thing is and how to kill it,¡± Vidor angrily snarled.  Vladimir, with the most defeated look upon his face, gently closed his visible eye and shook his head.

    ¡°That was a demon lord.  One that has fully possessed a mortal heart.  It will not die.  Children such as yourselves should count yourselves lucky you have yet to be made its next feast,¡± Vladimir explained with a serious tone.  As he spoke, his eyes drifted over to Rana.  Upon realizing what it was that Vladimir was examining, Vidor marched up to the man.  Grabbing the noble by his shirt, Vidor brought back a balled-up fist.  Vladimir was sent flying a few feet back from the blow.

    ¡°If that thing¡¯s a demon, why does it work with you?  What are you getting in exchange for helping it?¡±  Aridean asked as Vladimir slowly stood from his position on the cold ground.  The man was rubbing his now red cheek where Vidor had punched him as he turned to face the group again.  As his hand fell back to his side, Vladimir let out an upset sigh.

    ¡°It is¡­ a long story.  But it does not keep me around because I am useful.  I¡­ merely do as it asks for¡­ personal reasons,¡± answered the nobleman as his eyes listlessly fell to the floor.  Vidor¡¯s grip on his bow tightened and his frustration could be heard in the rising fury of his growl.

    ¡°Personal reasons?!  You¡¯re the reason my sister is dead!  What did she do that your ¡®personal reasons¡¯ had to take her life?!¡±  Vidor shouted in a fit of rage while pulling another arrow from his quiver.  He quickly notched the arrow in his bow and trained his sights on the relenting Vladimir.  With a short but forceful exhale, Vladimir¡¯s eyes simply fell to the ground again as he shook his head.

    ¡°It has to do with that woman the demon¡¯s possessed, right?  Something about Carla?  But why does the demon keep you around then?  What does it want from you?¡±  Aridean asked hesitantly.  Vidor continued to focus his sights on Vladimir with arrow at the ready.  Magdalene finally moved out from behind Aridean and stood at her side opposite Vidor.

    ¡°That monster is a demon lord of gluttony.  It is the true cause of the disappearances you came to investigate here in Cortonne¡­ and has been for over one hundred years now,¡± Vladimir replied solemnly.  The man was incapable of lifting his head to make eye contact with those he was speaking to.  He simply stood stiff, only stumbling backwards slightly as another arrow swiftly impaled his chest.  Aridean turned to see that Vidor was already notching a third arrow in his bow.  Turning back to Vladimir, Aridean noticed that the man did not make any effort to remove the projectile that rested in his chest now.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re just the lure to bring in victims.  You were going to feed us to that thing?!¡±  Magdalene snapped upon realizing what Vladimir was getting to.  The noble simply stood, a small rivulet of blood running down his shirt from where the arrow had hit him, with his head held low.  He deeply inhaled as his right hand gripped the arrow shaft.  With a pained grunt, the projectile was removed and the wound near instantly healed.

    ¡°Yes¡­ but the monster does not feed off mortal flesh.  It keeps me because I am its true feast,¡± replied Vladimir disappointedly.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±  snapped Vidor impatiently.

    ¡°Demons do not require any sustenance; feeding off mortal flesh is simply a¡­ luxury to them.  What demons truly feast upon to grow their strength and power are sins and negative emotions,¡± Vladimir answered with a grave seriousness to his solemn voice.  ¡°It relishes in my sins, but even that does not compare to the weight of the guilt, regret, and hopelessness it receives from me.¡±

    It eats sins and regret?  Vladimir regrets luring us down here¡­ but he does so for his own reasons.  What could drive him so that he would continue to aid a demon lord such as that thing?  Aridean thought to herself.  As she was thinking, her eyes drifted to her companions.  Vidor, still holding a most aggressive expression, kept his bow notched with an arrow and directed at Vladimir.  However, looking to her other side she saw Magdalene with wide eyes.  It was faint, but she could hear the girl starting to pant slightly.  Her ears flicked as she heard the half-elf speak softly.

    ¡°S-so¡­ that means Pastor only kept me because¡­ a-and if I had killed Ari¡­ Dear Lord, forgive me,¡± Magdalene seemed to whisper to herself.  Aridean watched as the young girl at her side shuddered at the thought she was contemplating.  Shaking her head, Aridean redirected her attention to Vladimir again.

    ¡°That explains why it keeps you around, but how has it kept you around for so long?  Like Vidor said, humans don¡¯t live over one hundred years,¡± Aridean asked.  Vladimir sighed before holding a hand over his covered, red eye.

    ¡°It cursed me with immortality¡­ I still feel the pain; I do, in a sense, die.  However, it is always undone and I live yet again no matter how fatal the wound.  So long as I live, it will always have a source of regret, misery, and despair,¡± Vladimir answered with a depressed tone in his voice.  His hand fell from his face as he continued, ¡°Hell is not large enough for a monster such as myself, so I shall continue to plague this world¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­ you¡¯ve been at this for over a hundred years?  Whatever your business is with that monster isn¡¯t worth my sister, damn you!  How can you keep going after everything you¡¯ve done?!¡±  shouted Vidor, his voice resounded with unyielding hostility and rage.  Vladimir looked the minotaur in the eyes with a stern expression on his face.  His hand fell from his face as his lips moved.

    ¡°Because if what I still work toward can come to fruition, then perhaps it all wouldn¡¯t have been in vain!  Do you honestly believe I want this?!  I¡¯ve no choice but to keep going.  If there is even the slightest shimmer of hope--if I could just¡­ my sins would be worth it,¡± Vladimir professed.  With his eyes closed, the man inhaled deeply.  As the breath left his lungs, he opened his eyes and looked toward the sinkhole that Carla had fled down.  Shaking his head, he speaks softly, ¡°I can¡¯t afford to fail again, not after everything I have done.  Not after¡­ everyone I¡¯ve subjected to such a fate.¡±

    He¡­ regrets all of it.  What is he trying to do that he keeps going?  He knows this anguish he feels only empowers the demon, so why?  Aridean wondered to herself.  However, before anyone could open their mouth again to speak, a maddening roar of fury and hate erupted from the hole in the tomb.  Aridean, Vidor, and Magdalene, each with eyes wide, had to catch themselves from toppling over as the ground itself began to violently rumble beneath them.

    ¡°AAAUUGH!!  RGGGHH!!  VLAAAD!!¡±  echoed the demonic Carla¡¯s voice from the darkness in the hole.  With surprise in his one visible eye, Vladimir focused his attention on the hole.

    ¡°Ms. Gray struck it with the Heaven¡¯s Edge¡­ did the latent magic have an effect?  Perhaps¡­¡± Vladimir mused aloud.  The magically erected stone wall that the sorcerer had constructed began to crumble as the ground continued to quake.  Bits of stone, dirt, and dust began to fall from the ceiling overhead.  Shaking his head, he turned to his three remaining guests, ¡°This is new:  whatever you did has hurt it.  The demon will likely return to its own hellish realm to recuperate.  Now is the time to flee.¡±

    ¡°Ari, Vidor, we need to get out of here before the tomb collapses on us!¡±  Magdalene shouted as the rumbling of the stone surrounding them intensified.

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving without Rana!¡±  snapped Vidor as he quickly made his way over to his sister.  Aridean, still processing what was unfolding, watched as Vidor began to gently lift Rana from the trembling ground.  Unfortunately, because of the loose ground beneath him, Vidor lost his grip and fell to the ground with Rana.  Shaking her head, the minotaur turned to Magdalene.

    ¡°Maggie, go ahead and get out of here.  Vidor and I will be right behind you,¡± Aridean ordered.  With a surprised look on her face, Magdalene stared into Aridean¡¯s eyes with a bit of uncertainty.  However, the girl nodded and began to run for the exit.  Aridean saw that Vladimir had also elected to escape the collapsing tomb behind Magdalene.

    I don¡¯t know what to expect from him anymore¡­ We¡¯d best not keep Maggie waiting long, Aridean thought as she turned back to Vidor.  Hastily, her hooves carried her to Vidor¡¯s side and she knelt down to help pull him to his own hooves.  As the duo stood up again, the chamber rattled once more and more chunks of the stone ceiling came loose and fell to the ground.  Entirely ignoring the collapsing tomb, Vidor grabbed onto one of his sister¡¯s arms.  Anxiously, Aridean grabbed Rana¡¯s other arm and slung it over her shoulder.

    Slowly and as steadily as they could manage given the quaking, Vidor and Aridean began to make for the exit.  Aridean, entirely frightened by the sight, turned to look at Rana.  The elder minotaur held her head low and her hooves were dragging along the stone floor.  Her entire body was limp and the arm over Aridean¡¯s shoulders was starting to feel cold.  Fighting the tears in her eyes, Aridean looked past her late friend to see Vidor.  Although he had a focused expression on his face, the minotaur had rivers of tears flowing from his eyes.  Just as the couple reached the stairs leading to the outside, another horrifying cry of hatred could be heard from behind them.

    ¡°YOU WON¡¯T LEAVE ALIVE, WHELP!¡±  screamed the monster from the dark sinkhole at the other end of the tomb.  Aridean and Vidor had stopped for only a second to turn and survey the hole.  More stone dropped from the ceiling, startling Aridean as it had just barely missed her.  However, what spooked her more was the gasp that came from Vidor.

    Aridean turned from the now broken stone that nearly hit her to look in Vidor¡¯s direction.  However, before her head could even turn, she felt a powerful force pushing her away.  Rana¡¯s arm slipped off of her shoulder as she fell to the ground.  Aridean hit the ground with a grunt and quickly turned over to see that Vidor and Rana were no longer by the stairs.  Panicked breathing and scrambling over the stone floor could be heard just to her side.  Aridean looked toward the sinkhole and gasped at the sight of Vidor and Rana being dragged toward the hole by the demon¡¯s fleshy tendrils.

    ¡°Vidor!¡±  Aridean screamed as she scrambled to her hooves.  Vidor held fast to his sister¡¯s arm as the duo were dragged closer and closer to the demon¡¯s pit.  The minotaur was desperately trying to crawl his way back toward Aridean yet the pull of the monster gripping his leg was far too strong.  He gasped in pain as the vice grip on his leg began to press his muscle to bone.  Tightening its grip on its prey, the tentacle coiled around the leg until Vidor felt such a sharp pain in his leg that he released his grip on Rana.

    ¡°Noo-augh!!¡±  Vidor cried out as Rana¡¯s body was quickly pulled over the edge and fell into the dark abyss below.  Tears in his eyes, Vidor reached out and frantically tried to pull himself away from the monster.  His hands failed to grip anything along the smoothed stone as his body was quickly being forced over the edge.  First his legs fell, then his waist, until finally Vidor was pulled over the edge with eyes shut tight.  However, Vidor did not fall into the darkness below.  He opened his eyes to see the lightless pit beneath him, as well as the tentacle that wished to pull him into the dark.  Looking up, Vidor saw Aridean holding his hand and desperately trying to pull him back out from the hole.  Despite her efforts, Vidor¡¯s face had filled with apathy as he drew in a breath to speak.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ you need to go, now,¡± Vidor ordered with a gravely severe tone of voice.  He looked up to Aridean with a serious look in his eyes.  Aridean returned with an astonished expression as her eyes widened and jaw fell open.  Shaking her head, she gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on Vidor¡¯s arm.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not leaving you here,¡± Aridean shouted as she tried to fight the force pulling on Vidor.  Vidor¡¯s head fell and he gazed down into the darkness below again.  The vice-like grip of the tendril pulling him was crushing the muscle and flesh in his leg.  A modest amount of blood began to ooze out from under the abhorrent tentacle and trickled down toward his hoof.  He could just make out the small droplets of his own life essence falling down into the abyss below.

    Vidor first sighed before covering his eyes with his free hand.  Rubbing his eyes, Aridean¡¯s already monumental concern for her friend was growing exponentially as Vidor began to giggle to himself.  His quiet laugh quickly evolved into an uproarious cackle, ¡°Hahahaha!  This isn¡¯t really how I thought we¡¯d say goodbye.  I was hoping it would be a bit more natural, like, old age or something.¡±

    ¡°S-stop talking like that!  I¡¯m not letting you go,¡± Aridean replied as she struggled to maintain a firm grip on Vidor¡¯s wrist.  She could feel the ground beneath her rumbling, stone cracked along the walls on either side.  Small bits of rock and dust dropped into the dark void as the tomb continued to collapse in on itself.  Vidor¡¯s laughter had ceased and he now held his head low as he looked into the darkness again.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, you could call this revenge¡­ Think about it like this:  you¡¯d be killing the guy that forced you into killing your dad,¡± Vidor suggested with indifference in his voice.  He refused to look up to Aridean who was entirely taken aback by the notion.

    ¡°W-what?!  I couldn¡¯t do that to you,¡± Aridean responded after processing the ludicrous idea Vidor had offered.  Vidor sighed again as he shook his head.

    ¡°Aridean¡­ you¡¯re probably the best friend I ever had.  Ever since the day we first met, I knew I wanted to get to know you.  I quickly fell for you and wanted a future with you at my side,¡± Vidor began to monologue as Aridean grunted while still trying to pull him up.  Aridean could not see it, but a wry smile formed on Vidor¡¯s lips, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d agree to everything I was planning for us.  I know kids make you uneasy, eheheheh.¡±

    ¡°W-will you stop talking like this is the end?!  Please!  Just¡­ give¡­ me¡ªrgh!¡±  Aridean retorted.  She felt a forceful yank from the tendril ensnaring Vidor.  Her chest, stomach, and legs were slowly dragging along the stone floor, inching ever closer to the edge.  Vidor¡¯s free hand began to move toward his belt.

    ¡°I don¡¯t always know what¡¯s going through your head.  After what happened in Thellia and how I¡¯m the reason for it¡­ Could you really look at me the same way after that?¡±  Vidor lamented aloud as he looked up to Aridean.  Aridean herself was gritting her teeth again as she desperately held on.  Sucking air through her teeth, she noticed what Vidor was holding in his free hand now.

    ¡°Vidor?¡±  Aridean called with surprise in her voice.

    ¡°I saved your life back in Konarch.  Then you save mine from that sasquatch and again in Thellia.  I can¡¯t really count back in Byrden when we found you outside the church, that was more Rana than me,¡± Vidor spoke with a peculiar tenderness in his voice.  It almost seemed as if he was ignoring the gravity of their situation entirely.  He slowly brought up his other hand, pointing what he held within it in Aridean¡¯s direction.

    ¡°V-Vidor?  What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±  Aridean shouted as a chunk of stone beneath her chest broke away and dropped past Vidor¡¯s face.  Vidor paused for only a second before putting on one of his signature goofy smiles.

    ¡°What does it look like?  I¡¯m getting even with you,¡± Vidor answered with friendly confidence.  Tears streamed down Aridean¡¯s face as she fought to pull her friend up from the hole he was being dragged down into.

    ¡°Vidor, d-don¡¯t you dare.  I can still--,¡± Aridean protested as her tears fell from her face upon Vidor¡¯s.

    Still smiling brightly, Vidor spoke, ¡°Goodbye, Aridean Gray.  I love you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this!!¡±  Aridean screamed desperately.

 Chapter 29 - Cortonne, Hamlet of Misery

    A bleak darkness still filled the sky above the cemetery.  However, the orange and pinkish hues of the sun rising could be seen slowly creeping into the black night from behind the top of the trees.  Magdalene stood outside the tomb she had delved into alongside the three minotaurs alongside their wicked host.  The girl had given the crypt a wide berth but her eyes continued to focus intently upon the entrance.  Vladimir had joined her in fleeing the scene before the stone had collapsed on top of them and stood a distance away from his guest.

    ¡°Ms. Yorre, if I may--,¡± Vladimir started to call out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, you monster!  Get away from me!¡±  Magdalene was quick to retort.  As she snapped at the man, Magdalene was quick to distance herself even further from Vladimir.  Vladimir himself sighed resignedly as his listless, uncovered eye fell to the cobble pathway beneath his nice shoes.

    ¡°Even still¡­ monster seems too kind a label for someone such as myself,¡± Vladimir muttered aloud.  While she had heard the odd statement, Magdalene elected to ignore the ramblings as the cracking of stone rang out from the direction of the tomb.  Her eyes widened as she witnessed the monument splitting; fragments of the chipped stone leapt from the once immaculate design as the cracks spread quickly.

    ¡°W-where are they?  What¡¯s taking them so long¡­¡± Magdalene quietly mused to herself.  The girl could feel her heart starting to thump a bit faster and louder in her chest.  However, the thumping seemed to skip a beat as the stone began crumbling apart and a large chunk of the top of the tomb fell upon the entrance.  Sounds of cracking and splitting gradually quieted down now that the tomb had been sealed by its own roof.  Magdalene shook her head slowly, ¡°B-but¡­ they¡¯re¡­¡±

    Before Magdalene could finish her thought, she could hear the stones barring the entrance to the tomb shifting.  Surprise filled her eyes as she observed a large piece of the monument fly from the piled-up rubble.  Her gaze followed the large and shattered rocks as they were ejected from the pile, one by one.  After about twelve chunks of the tomb had been cast aside, Magdalene gasped at the sight of a brown furred arm reaching out from within the tomb.

    ¡°Ari!¡±  Magdalene called out as the minotaur emerged from the tomb.  Aridean¡¯s eyes were focused on Vladimir and one hand firmly gripped her axe as the other passed over her chest and clutched her shoulder.  Magdalene quickly rushed toward Aridean but stopped short as the tomb finally collapsed.

    Dust jumped high into the air as the stone monument came down.  Crumbling of the delicately carved masonry could be heard as the tomb cracked and shattered to pieces.  Aridean ignored the destruction that she had just barely escaped as she advanced toward Vladimir.  A ferocious scowl was drawn across her face; Vladimir responded to the hostility with an apathetic expression.  Magdalene, however, looked beyond Aridean as the demolished stonework had settled into a heap of broken and chipped rocks.  The young girl surveyed the pile of rubble that Aridean left behind her.

    ¡°A-Ari?  Where¡¯s Vi--,¡± the girl began to hesitantly ask before gasping as she more closely inspected the minotaur.  ¡°W-what happened to you?!  W-why is there a-a¡­ A-Ari?¡±

    Aridean refused to respond to her remaining companion.  The tall minotaur simply passed by the half-elf girl.  Magdalene merely watched as Aridean made her way in the direction of their host.  A cool breeze blew past the three occupants of the cemetery as Aridean closed the distance between her and Vladimir.  Both Aridean¡¯s mane and Magdalene¡¯s hair were windswept as the air rushed past.  Vladimir¡¯s long ponytail and the generous tuft covering the left side of his face had also been picked up by the gale.

    Just seeing the blood-red orb in the man¡¯s eye socket and the long scar running down his cheek caused Aridean to snort in anger.  She could feel her blood boiling in her veins just looking at the man in that stood in front of her.  Vladimir continued to wear the guilty and apathetic expression he had put on as Aridean marched toward him; his apparent depression only served to infuriate Aridean further.  Her breathing became louder, more aggressive, and her lips curled back into a vicious scowl.  Aridean lowered the hand that had been clutching her shoulder and raised the one carrying her axe above her head.

    ¡°A-Ari?  Y-you¡¯re not--,¡± Magdalene anxiously called out.  There was perhaps the faintest hint of concern in the girl¡¯s voice as she watched with wide eyes.  Despite her remaining companion¡¯s call to her, Aridean did not respond.  She simply stared down into Vladimir¡¯s uncovered eye; her anger and hatred were met with the most empty and hollow expression she had ever witnessed.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t the right to try defending myself.  But even still¡­ I¡¯m afraid that it would be pointless.  Hell itself has banished me so that I might exist in this mortal plane for all eternity,¡± Vladimir finally spoke, his tone filled with gloom and remorse and his expression never changing.

    His fault¡­ all of this¡­ is this bastard¡¯s fault!  I could kill him!  I could kill him a hundred times and it still wouldn¡¯t be enough!  He¡¯d still get back up!  But even then¡­ Aridean internally considered while still holding her axe over her head.  The minotaur¡¯s chest heaved with every angered breath that escaped and another cool breeze flew past.  Despite her rage that burned in her eyes, Aridean refused to bring her blade down upon the man standing before her.  Vladimir made no movement; the count simply seemed to accept his punishment.

    ¡°Strike me down now if that is what you desire.  I will rise so that you might do it again and again and again.  I will accept whatever tortures you deem necessary,¡± Vladimir finally announced with his depressed voice.  The man sighed before muttering, ¡°My true hell, the sins of what I¡¯ve done here, shall haunt me forever.  Death or life, there will never be a reprieve from the evils I have wrought.¡±

    Aridean continued to focus her full attention upon Vladimir.  However, her fury had begun to falter as the man spoke.  Her expression slowly began to soften as she remembered what it was Vladimir had said down in the tomb: ¡®Do you honestly believe I want this?!  I¡¯ve no choice but to keep going.  If there is even the slightest shimmer of hope--if I could just¡­ my sins would be worth it.¡¯  Aridean could so vividly recall the emotional outburst from Vladimir; the frantic desperation in his voice and the overwhelming dread in his expression.

    He''s been doing this¡­ tricking people into walking to their deaths for a century.  But regrets every second of it¡­  Why¡­ why couldn¡¯t he just skip us?  Why did he have to bring us here?  If only we hadn¡¯t come to Cortonne, lamented Aridean in her mind.  Her thoughts quickly shifted from her disdain for the man responsible for her friends¡¯ unfortunate demises to the friends she had lost.  Vidor Stonehoof, the first minotaur she had ever spoken to and her first love, and Rana Stonehoof, her magic instructor and ¡®sister¡¯, were no longer with her.  Aridean¡¯s throat tightened as she thought about her cherished friends.  Her eyes remained glaring toward Vladimir, but after a few blinks, they had been lined with wet tears.

    ¡°Ari?¡±  Magdalene called out gently as she slowly approached the troubled minotaur.  Magdalene stopped just a few feet behind her tall companion as she waited anxiously for Aridean¡¯s next move.  Aridean felt her entire body grow cold and her arm was brought down to her side again.  As she began to quietly sob, streams of tears flowing from her eyes, she dropped the axe she had been threatening Vladimir with.  Vladimir¡¯s one visible eye followed the axe from its perch above Aridean¡¯s head all the way down to the ground where it now lay.

    Aridean slumped to her knees and covered her face with her hands.  Her head hung low as the minotaur began to cry out loud now.  Magdalene watched Aridean, a bit lost and unsure.  The girl slowly lifted a hand toward the mourning minotaur yet withdrew it before hanging her head low as well.

    ¡°Why?!  What was it you were trying to accomplish?!  Why did you have to take us down there?!  Why did they have to die?!¡±  Aridean sorrowfully pleaded through her heartbroken crying.  Vladimir paused for only a moment before looking to the crumbled tomb that the three had escaped.

    ¡°Anything I say would only be an excuse.  What I¡¯ve done¡­ cannot ever be undone.  These fresh, new sins shall follow me for eternity; just as the ones I¡¯ve kept since I started all this well over one hundred years ago¡­¡± Vladimir said solemnly.  He turned away as Aridean continued to weep.  ¡°You might never forgive what I have done¡­ but¡­ I am truly sorry for what has happened here today.¡±

    ¡°You¡ªyou¡¯re sorry?!  How could you¡ªagh!¡±  Aridean began to snap before gasping in pain.  Her left arm immediately flew to her right shoulder, fingers wrapping around the crossbow bolt planted in her flesh.  Aridean took a deep breath as crimson blood trickled down her right arm.  Without hesitation, her fingers that were wrapped around the crossbow bolt firmly gripped the projectile.  Another short gasp of pain escaped her throat as the bolt was pulled from its resting place.

    How could he do that?  He¡­ said we were friends¡­ I¡­ I thought that we were supposed to be more than just that.  He said he loved me¡­ he promised me that he would¡­ Aridean internally lamented.  The tip of the bolt was coated in Aridean¡¯s blood and had even pulled loose some skin and meat.  Excruciating pain had enveloped Aridean¡¯s shoulder as the trickling stream of blood had developed into more of a geyser of red.  Breathing deeply, Aridean looked over the bolt while gritting her teeth.

    ¡°Ari¡­?  T-that¡¯s kinda deep¡­ d-do you want me to¡ª,¡± Magdalene began to offer.  As she spoke, the girl was slowly shuffling her way toward the injured and depressed minotaur.  Magdalene stopped short, however, as Aridean¡¯s fingers touched the metal tip of the crossbow bolt she held.  The half-elf let out a gasp of shock as the bolt now glowed a brilliant orange and was thrust against Aridean¡¯s open wound.

    ¡°NGAHHHH!!¡±  Aridean screamed as she felt the open hole in her shoulder burn closed.  Magdalene watched with horror as Aridean sealed the wound closed as Vladimir looked on with his same apathetic face.

    Gasping for air after the ordeal, Aridean dropped to both her hands and knees.  Her singed fur produced a rather unpleasant aroma.  Her skin still burned as if the magically imbued bolt had not been removed from her shoulder.  Even so, Aridean slowly rose from her hands and sat upon her knees again.  Still breathing heavily, she looked at the crossbow bolt once more.  Its tip still had an orange glow about it.  Aridean inhaled deeply and closed her eyes before gripping the shaft to the bolt so firmly and pushing upwards with her thumb.  Without much effort, the projectile was broken into two pieces and dropped from her hand.

    Still a bit baffled by the minotaur¡¯s actions, Magdalene shook her head and proceeded toward Aridean.  As she approached, the girl¡¯s hands began to glow with their usual luminescent brilliance when she channeled magic.  Without a word, Magdalene ran her hand over Aridean¡¯s sealed wound.  Aridean turned to look at her companion, confusion on her face.  Magdalene only spoke after her hands stopped glowing, ¡°You only closed it, there could have been serious damage on the inside.¡±

    What the hell do you care?  Aridean thought about asking the girl.  She rubbed her now healed shoulder with her left hand as she slowly stood back up.  There was no pain left, not even a trace of her sudden cauterization of the wound.  Magdalene had treated her wound so thoroughly that it was as though she had never had the crossbow bolt fired into her shoulder in the first place.  Aridean could not bring herself to look upon Magdalene any longer and turned with her gaze focused on the ground in front of her.  Vladimir watched silently, his eyes shifting every few seconds to survey the collapsed tomb again.

    ¡°S-so¡­ what do we do now?  W-we should probably head back to Stonehaven, right, Ari?¡±  Magdalene asked anxiously.

    I don¡¯t care anymore¡­ why bother?  What¡¯s the point in any of it?  Aridean contemplated without any movement.  After a moment of silence, Aridean sighed dispiritedly before nodding her head.  She bent over and retrieved her large war axe from the ground before turning and marching toward the gates to the manor.  Vladimir gave his full attention to his surviving guests as they turned and began making their way out of the cemetery.  However, Aridean did not manage to walk much more than twenty feet before stopping in her tracks.  With his eyebrow raised, Vladimir watched as Aridean now inspected the destroyed tomb from afar.

    He promised me that he¡¯d¡­ even Rana said so¡­ But that was just another lie, wasn¡¯t it?  Why would they give a damn about me?  Aridean mentally considered while Magdalene continued toward the cemetery gates without her.  Standing still as the stone that had collapsed on top of her as she exited the tomb, Aridean gritted her teeth and clenched her fists at her sides.  Her breathing had become rather heavy again while tears continued to stream down her face.  A hand was lifted up toward her neck where it grasped at the necklace that Vidor had given her.

    Vidor¡­ and Simon¡­ Aridean thought to herself as she surveyed the trinkets attached to the chain.  She grunted before tightening her grasp on the necklace.  With a forceful yank of the ivory charm and locket, the chain around her neck was broken.  Aridean brought back the hand holding the broken necklace.  Tears flooded her face as she quickly tried to throw her arm forward.  However, before she could stretch her arm out in front of her and release the necklace, a firm grip was applied to her wrist.

    ¡°If there is anything you would be willing to listen to me say, then let it be this,¡± came the familiar voice.  Aridean turned with fury in her eyes to look upon Vladimir, holding back her wrist, ¡°Don¡¯t throw away such a treasure.  Don¡¯t throw away your life with them.  Don¡¯t throw away your love and let your time have been for nothing.¡±

    How dare you speak that way to me after what you¡¯ve done!  I-I--, Aridean considered shouting at the man keeping her from discarding her necklace.  However, she stopped despite the rage flowing through her.  Aridean turned away from Vladimir before forcibly taking her arm back from him.  Her tear-filled eyes moved from Vladimir to gaze upon her necklace once more; the burning ferocity in her expression vanished within the blink of an eye.  Without speaking, the minotaur slipped her necklace into one of her pockets and followed Magdalene out of the cemetery.  Vladimir continued to remain where he was as Aridean left him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t throw away those feelings, Ms. Gray.  Don¡¯t throw things away and make the exact same mistakes I made,¡± Vladimir spoke aloud to no one as he was left in the graveyard by his lonesome.  The man hung his head low and bit his lip.  A single tear rolled down his scarred left cheek.

    Aridean silently followed Magdalene across the courtyard and back into the Impalivik manor.  Vladimir¡¯s servants stood at attention yet did not make any movements as their master¡¯s guests approached.  Eyeing the mute attendants curiously, Magdalene pushed open the door to the main hall.  Both Aridean and Magdalene continued through the manor to the staircase leading to their guest rooms.  The duo climbed the stairs and proceeded along the walkway to the door leading to the guest rooms hallway.

    ¡°So¡­ we¡¯ll just get out things and get the wagon, huh?¡±  Magdalene asked as the two reached Aridean¡¯s room.  Aridean refused to respond, her fuzzy face was still damp with her tears.  Magdalene let out a quiet sigh, ¡°I-I¡¯ll only be a minute in my room¡­¡±

    With that, the half-elf walked further down the hall to the room next door.  Aridean watched as Magdalene opened her door and disappeared into her room.  Throat tightening and body feeling both heavy and cold, Aridean lethargically lifted a hand and reached for the doorknob to her own guest room.  She slowly entered the rather lavish bedroom and gently closed the door behind her.  However, instead of collecting her gear, Aridean slumped up against the door and slowly sank to the ground in front of it.  Her face fell into her knees as she tried to take a few deep breaths.

    ¡°What did I tell you?  You barely escaped with your life after that whole ordeal,¡± came the familiar and deep voice.  Aridean looked up from her knees to see ¡®him¡¯ sitting at the table again.  Furrowed brows over his eyeless sockets and his clawed hand held his skinless chin.  His elbow rested upon the table and his left leg, with pockets in the flesh revealing its bones, was crossed over his right knee.  One of his clawed fingers upon his right hand was impatiently tapping the wooden armrest upon which his right arm rested.

    ¡°Vici¡­?¡±  Aridean called out to the monstrous form that occupied her guest room.  Vici, the guardian spirit or whatever he was, shook his half-skinned head back and forth.  Aridean could not tell what the creature must be thinking as none of its present features gave anything away.  All Aridean could even think she was certain of was that the glow residing within the beast¡¯s empty eye sockets were focused intently on her.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I told you to steer clear of that accursed worm,¡± Vici growled, his deep voice sounding bitter and frustrated.  The strange hostility in Vici¡¯s voice left Aridean feeling a bit confused.

    ¡°W-what?  How did you know Vlad was cursed?¡±  Aridean asked, much to the apparent irritation of the spirit before her.  Vici, with brows furrowing even further, shook his head as he stood from his chair.

    ¡°What does that matter?  Why did you not just listen?  You were almost killed!¡±  Vici snarled as he approached Aridean.  With every step the spirit took, it left a dark footprint in the carpeting of the guest room.  It looked as though ink had spilled upon the floor in the shape of Vici¡¯s strange, clawed feet.  These patches of darkness began to bubble on the ground like boiling water and then began to slowly spread out.  As the monstrous form loomed over Aridean, Vici growled, ¡°Next time:  listen to what I tell you.¡±

    What?  What does this thing care about what happens to me?  I don¡¯t even know where he came from!  Aridean wondered from her place on the floor as she looked up uneasily at the beast standing over her.  Nervously, she got to her hooves yet still had to look up to Vici.

    ¡°You¡¯re a guardian spirit, aren¡¯t you?  Why couldn¡¯t you help at all?¡±  Aridean hesitantly asked after a nervous swallow of the lump in her throat.  Vici let out an annoyed grunt as he turned his boney back on Aridean.

    ¡°Since coming to you, my power has greatly diminished.  It pains me to inform you that I am afraid I cannot come to your aid until my power is restored,¡± Vici answered, his tone less aggressive now.  His head turned slightly and Aridean could see the glow from within his empty eye socket, ¡°Oh, but when it is restored, you needn¡¯t worry any longer¡­ I shall have everything under control.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not worried about me¡­ if you just had your power, could you have saved the--,¡± Aridean began to question further.  Vici turned his head away from Aridean again; she thought she could almost hear a low rumbling coming from the creature.

    ¡°I am only concerned with your wellbeing.  Should something happen to one of your companions, they are unfortunately beyond my aid,¡± Vici interrupted, his tone not in the least bit remorseful.  Aridean stared at the spirit puzzled until she noticed the boiling, dark footprints had spread across the back half of the guest room.  It looked as if someone had been throwing paint all throughout the room as the pitch-black color crept up the walls and onto the ceiling.  Vici began to march into the darkness ahead, ¡°Just do as you¡¯re told next time.¡±

    ¡°Wait!  Where are you¡ª,¡± stuttered Aridean as she reached out to the strange being.  However, she heard a knocking on her guest room door and turned with startled surprise.

    ¡°Ari?  You got everything yet?¡±  came Magdalene¡¯s voice from the other side of the door.  Before Aridean could act, the doorknob was turned and the door itself was pushed open to reveal the half-elven thief sporting her rugged backpack.  Strangely, she looked up to Aridean with what almost looked like worry in her expression, ¡°A-are you okay?  I thought I heard you talking to somebody in here.¡±

    Aridean immediately turned back around to find that Vici had once again vanished in the time it took for Magdalene to enter the room.  The minotaur shook her head once before letting her gaze fall listlessly to the ground in front of her.  With a depressed sigh, Aridean went to collect her own pack from where she had left it the previous day.  Unable to speak, she simply retrieved her belongings and returned to her spot by the door where Magdalene was waiting.  The young girl looked up to the somber minotaur, yet Aridean noticed that Magdalene could not seem to make eye contact with her for whatever reason.

    The two survivors of the demon attack, without having spoken a word to one another, proceeded to exit the guest room.  Aridean closed the door behind them gently and together, she and Magdalene made their way back up the corridor to the main hall.  Around the walkway, down the stairs, and across the main hall to the entrance door, the duo exited the manor into a bright sunlight that had the two covering their eyes.  Once her sight had adjusted, Aridean noticed that the team¡¯s wagon and horses were already pulled to the exit gate of the estate.

    ¡°I guess that means he wants us gone.  After what he put us through last night, we¡¯ll gladly get out of here,¡± Magdalene snidely commented upon also seeing their wagon waiting for them.  Without a word, Aridean began walking toward the old wooden wagon with Magdalene in tow.  Vladimir was waiting by the gate along with two of his servants.

    Vladimir turned to face both Aridean and Magdalene as the two approached.  He was unable to look either of them in the face, instead directing his gaze elsewhere as he let out an anxious sigh.  Magdalene glared at their host for only a second before climbing into the back of the wagon.  Without a word, Aridean climbed into the driver¡¯s seat and took hold of the reins.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, Ari,¡± said Magdalene with a somewhat condescending tone.  However, Aridean did not move nor did she speak nor did she whip the reins to get the horses walking.  Slightly confused, Magdalene turned to see that Vladimir¡¯s servants stood directly in front of the horses, the gate to the road shut behind them.  Magdalene glanced from the gate to Aridean to the attendants that blocked the way, ¡°Wait¡­ what¡¯s going on here?  Why aren¡¯t you opening the gate?¡±

    ¡°I cannot allow you two to simply leave Cortonne,¡± Vladimir announced.  The nobleman held his hands behind his erect back and carried with him an air of elegance.  Magdalene¡¯s eyes went wide with surprise at the sudden announcement.  Aridean, however, disinterestedly focused on the closed gates leading to the main road.  Somewhat worried by the minotaur¡¯s absent-mindedness, Magdalene leaned over the edge of the wagon and took a deep breath with intent to snap at Vladimir.  The girl stopped as the nobleman raised a hand, ¡°Not until you hear me out.¡±

    Magdalene eyed the man before her suspiciously before turning to Aridean again.  Upon seeing that the minotaur driving the wagon was stone still, Magdalene¡¯s eyes drifted listlessly to the ground at Vladimir¡¯s feet.  However, the girl forced upon her face what little determination she could muster as she locked eyes with Vladimir again.

    ¡°Hear you out?  What else do we have to say to you?¡±  replied Magdalene.  Vladimir paused only long enough for an anxious sigh.

    ¡°Over one hundred years ago¡­ I unleashed that monster upon the world.  It stole my mortality from me and used me to do its bidding.  For over one hundred years, my duty has been to lead wayward travelers to their demise.  While I have long since lost the right to even be called human, I have desperately sought any means of escaping its hold on my being,¡± Vladimir began to explain with a serious expression drawn across his face.  Magdalene¡¯s sneer seemed to harden as the man spoke.  Aridean merely blinked as a cool breeze passed them by.

    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to feel sorry for you after everything you¡¯ve done?  You¡¯re the reason that cemetery is so filled up, aren¡¯t you?!  All those gravestones are your victims, aren¡¯t they?!¡±  shouted Magdalene furiously.  ¡°You¡¯re a monster!  You¡¯re a killer!  You¡¯re a¡ªa¡ªa¡­¡±

    Magdalene¡¯s voice trailed off as her eyes slowly sunk back down to the ground again.  Having heard the headstrong thief seemingly waver in her reprimand of the noble, Aridean¡¯s ear twitched slightly.  Her only movement did not seem to be noticed by either Magdalene or Vladimir.

    ¡°Resent me as much as you want; your aggression is not misplaced.  However, while this is immeasurably presumptuous of me, I must ask something of you two before you go.  In all the time that I have served that demon, never had any of my victims managed to hurt it like you had.  That cursed beast is not gone but may have retreated to its hellish domain to recover from the damage that Ms. Gray inflicted upon it.  To that end, this is my only opportunity,¡± Vladimir continued once Magdalene had quieted down again.  Simply hearing the man speak was enough to draw fire in Magdalene¡¯s eyes again.

    ¡°You want something from us after what you did?!  What more do you want?!¡±  snapped the half-elf girl.  Vladimir looked toward Aridean, still focused on the gate exiting the manor grounds, before locking eyes with Magdalene.

    ¡°I would like to ask that you allow me to join you,¡± Vladimir stated sternly.  Magdalene was entirely taken aback; her eyes went wide as she slumped back in her seat in the back of the wagon.  ¡°There are a great many sins I must atone for.  I would like to join you in the hopes of beginning my long journey to atonement.¡±

    ¡°Why in God¡¯s name wou--,¡± Magdalene began to retort.

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about what you want and I don¡¯t give a damn about what you do,¡± Aridean spoke without having turned from the gate before her.  Her voice was entirely devoid of any emotion, ¡°If you¡¯re coming, get in.¡±

    ¡°Ari?!  He¡ªhe¡¯s the reason tha--,¡± Magdalene began to argue.

    ¡°I said:  I don¡¯t give a damn about what he wants or what he does,¡± Aridean sternly repeated.  The minotaur sat still as stone save for the subtle heaving of her chest as she breathed and her mane dancing in the breeze.  Magdalene looked to Aridean with fury in her eyes, clearly the girl was perplexed by the minotaur¡¯s sudden detachment from their fallen comrades.  Even so, her expression quickly softened as she stared at the spiritually broken Aridean.  The girl quietly shook her head as she turned back to Vladimir waiting by the side of the old wagon.  Her rage resurfaced just looking at the noble.

    Vladimir returned Magdalene¡¯s hatred with a look of somewhat apathetic understanding.  He closed his eyes as he breathed in the cold air deeply.  Opening his eyes again, the man turned his attention toward his mute servants.  Vladimir brought up his right hand and Magdalene¡¯s eyes widened as it started to glow a dark crimson color.  Having just waved his glowing hand, Vladimir¡¯s attendants removed themselves from in front of the gate and wagon.

    ¡°E-even your servants?  Y-you¡­ made your victims into your servants?  How cruel¡­ How could you do something like that and say you regret what you¡¯ve done?!¡±  Magdalene shouted as Vladimir¡¯s servants opened the gate to the road.  Vladimir failed to look the girl in her eyes as he spoke.

    ¡°This was a mercy compared to what that monster would have done with their souls.  Either I take control or that beast devours their very essence,¡± Vladimir began to explain.  Hearing his words, Aridean¡¯s grip on the reins she held tightened.  Vladimir turned to face Magdalene, ¡°They were not given the freedom to choose their destiny.  I tether their spirits to their mangled bodies to keep them from the demon.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ is your mercy?¡±  Aridean quietly spat.  All the minotaur could think of was how Vladimir brought Rana back from the dead solely to kill her and her friends.  She remembered so clearly how having called out to the older minotaur¡¯s spirit had allowed Rana to regain some control.  Despite the growing anger, Aridean remained silent as Vladimir approached the wagon.

    ¡°I understand that you might never forgive what I have done and that I may never earn your trust but know that I do sincerely wish to atone for what I¡¯ve done,¡± spoke Vladimir as he reached up the side of the wagon.  As the noble pulled himself over the wall of the wagon, Aridean whipped the reins and the horses began marching forward.  Vladimir had to collect himself a bit after the initial jolt brought on by the horses but eventually settled into a seat in the back of the wagon.  As Aridean drove the creaky wagon out onto the road, Vladimir looked back at his humble estate.  ¡°For over one hundred years, I¡¯ve been trapped here desperately trying to set right my failures.  You might not have done so out of the goodness of your heart, but just leaving this hell behind is both relieving and¡­ disappointing.¡±

    Aridean remained silent throughout Vladimir¡¯s short monologue.  She was not at all interested in what he had to say any longer.  Magdalene, however, eyed the cursed noble untrustingly as she scooted further away from where Vladimir sat and closer to Aridean.  Seeing their disinterest and wariness, Vladimir held his head low.

    ¡°It is understandable that you might not wish to speak with me.  But I assure you, I intend to serve your cause as I am able.  I swear by my title of Count and by my name that I shall obey any and all orders you might have for me,¡± said Vladimir before turning back toward his estate.

    What the hell does your title or name mean to me?!  It doesn¡¯t mean anything to you anymore, does it?!  Aridean considered shouting.  Her blood was absolutely boiling in her veins yet she focused intently on the road ahead as the wagon began to roll away from the gates to Vladimir¡¯s manor.

    The wagon was now passing by the large, flower-decorated cemetery.  Vladimir sighed once more before speaking softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I ask that you wait for me just a little longer.¡±

    Darkness was quickly spreading across the familiar countryside as the horses drew the wagon closer to the well-known tree line.  The horses dragged the wagon across a small rock in the road.  Magdalene jolted upright from the bump the rock had given the wagon having been disturbed from her nap.  She saw that Vladimir was reading a book just a few feet from where she had been sleeping.  His one visible eye glanced up to see that the half-elf was now awake but immediately returned to his reading.

    ¡°Mngh¡­¡± Magdalene quietly mused as she not so subtly scooted away from Vladimir and closer to Aridean.  Turning her head, Magdalene noticed the familiar looking forest just ahead.  Aridean pulled up on the reins she held and the horses stopped with a soft whinny.  The half-elf let out a relieved sight as Aridean jumped down from the driver¡¯s seat of the wagon, her hooves hitting the ground with a thud.

    ¡°Ah, so this is it then?¡±  Vladimir asked as he gently closed the book he had been reading from.

    ¡°Ari, are we sure about letting him in?¡±  Magdalene asked with a hostile tone.  Vladimir merely sighed while Aridean refused to answer.  He watched as the minotaur began walking for the trees ahead.

    ¡°Ms. Gray, I¡¯m going to assume since you cannot use earthen magic that you have some other means of opening the way,¡± Vladimir called out.

    Opening the way?  Does he know tha¡ªAridean began to wonder to herself.  She stopped dead in her tracks as she approached the ¡®back door¡¯ to Stonehaven¡¯s main entrance when she heard the familiar sound of stone splitting and grating against itself.  Aridean turned with eyes slightly widened with surprise as the entrance tunnel opened itself up.  Looking beyond the rising dirt and stone, Aridean could see that Vladimir¡¯s hand was glowing.

    ¡°W-what?  How did you know that was there?¡±  Magdalene asked in shock.  The dark glow around Vladimir¡¯s hand faded as the way was now open to the three.  He turned to Magdalene with a wry smile on his face.

    ¡°It is not exactly common to find a human capable of magic, even less so one capable of manipulating all four base elements of fire, water, earth, and air,¡± Vladimir began to explain.  ¡°However, I was gifted that trait and the ability to sense out magic in the surrounding environment.  I knew right away we had arrived when we entered the illusory field that hides this road.¡±

    Magdalene was still a bit awestruck by Vladimir¡¯s magical prowess.  Aridean, however, shook her head as her eyes filled with apathy once more.  The minotaur climbed back into her seat in the wagon and whipped the horses into motion again.  Both horses pulled the creaking wooden vehicle into the tunnel whereupon Vladimir closed it back again once they were at a safe enough distance.

    ¡°Ari, I know it¡¯s kinda late at this point, but are we really sure it¡¯s okay to bring him here?  After what he¡¯s done¡­ I-I don¡¯t even know how you could¡ª,¡± Magdalene asked whilst whispering into Aridean¡¯s left ear.

    ¡°I understand that you will have reservations regarding my presence here.  I assure you, I wish to join you in search of retribution for my sins.  There is much I must make right and I wish to start by making right how I have wronged you,¡± Vladimir spoke, seemingly having heard Magdalene¡¯s quiet question to Aridean.  ¡°I do recall Ms. Stonehoof having mentioned losing her mother and father.  Should the Stonehoof siblings have any remaining family¡­ I would wish to be in attendance when they are given the news.¡±

    You don¡¯t even have that right¡­ You don¡¯t even have the right to speak their names!  Aridean¡¯s mind screamed.  Despite her rage flaring up again, the minotaur gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the reins she held.  The wagon continued through the torch-lit tunnel and emerged into Stonehaven proper.  Aridean immediately made for the stables, yet her anger vanished entirely upon seeing him standing in front of the building alongside Joseph the stable manager.

    Joseph quickly took note of the approaching wagon and waved his greetings to Aridean.  Beside him, Mikali Stonehoof also turned to watch as the wagon neared the stables.  Aridean¡¯s blood ran ice cold and she could not move a muscle in her body.  The horses instinctively stopped pulling the wagon as they reached Joseph and Mikali, the two of them quickly finding themselves confused by the party that had returned to Stonehaven.

    Aridean wished she could just vanish from sight.  A tightness in her throat quickly began to form and she was holding back tears just looking at the old minotaur.  She desperately wanted to run away from Mikali as his voice echoed in her mind ¡®Thank you for saving my grandchildren.¡¯  His voice, after having brought Rana and Vidor back to Stonehaven after their sasquatch fiasco, continued to repeat on loop in the back of her mind.  Aridean was only brought to her senses when the gravelly voice rang out.

    ¡°Child¡­ where are Rana and Vidor?¡±  Mikali asked sternly.  Aridean failed to even open her mouth to answer.  Her head turned and she locked eyes with the General¡¯s only good eye.  Aridean swallowed the lump in the back of her throat and blinked.  A shimmering tear rolled down from her right eye and the brow over Mikali¡¯s slowly began to rise.

    ¡°Child¡­ Aridean, where are my grandchildren?  Why are they not with you?¡±  Mikali asked again, his serious tone mixed with a small hint of confusion.  Having heard the old minotaur ask his question again, Vladimir¡¯s brow raised slightly as his right eye shifted from Mikali to Aridean.  Aridean, still grasping the reins to the wagons¡¯ horses, could feel her grip tighten as she struggled to hold back from crying again.  She hung her head low as she began to lose what little self-control she had managed to hold onto thus far.  As Aridean began to shake in the driver¡¯s seat to the wagon, Mikali¡¯s mouth slowly fell open, ¡°Aridean¡­ speak:  where are they?¡±

    ¡°A-Ari?¡±  Magdalene called out to the distressed minotaur from her place in the back of the wagon.  Vladimir looked from Aridean to Mikali, his face entirely unreadable.

    Aridean lifted her head only so that Mikali could see the tears streaming from her eyes.  She could hardly contain herself as she struggled with her emotions.  She took short and fast gasps of air sucked into her lungs through her gritted teeth.  Joseph the stable manager had paused at Mikali¡¯s side; he sighed thoughtfully as a hand was brought up to cover his mouth.  Mikali opened his one good eye wide as he impatiently awaited Aridean¡¯s answer.

    ¡°General Stonehoof¡­ Vidor Stonehoof¡­ a-and Rana Stonehoof¡­ d-died while f-fighting valiantly against a d-demon that had been preying off travelers in the hamlet k-known as Cortonne.  T-they both fought the beast¡­ at the cost of¡­ at the cost of their own lives,¡± Aridean finally managed to squeak out through her cracking voice and barely controlled sobs.  It was now Mikali¡¯s turn to hang his head low.

    ¡°Ms. Gray¡­¡± Vladimir quietly called with a solemn tone.  He drew in a deep breath before redirecting his attention toward Mikali with a stone-faced expression.

    Mikali, the hardened General of the rebellion, was frozen and speechless.  Through her blurred vision, Aridean could only just make out the subtle movements of the old minotaur¡¯s head shaking back and forth slowly.  Mikali tightened his grip on his walking staff and recomposed himself.  As though nothing was wrong, he lifted his head and sternly addressed Aridean, ¡°Child, bring your companions and come with me.  I want to hear everything.¡±

 Chapter 30 - A Castle of Stone Crumbles

    Clopping of hooves and tapping of shoes on the stone floor echoed off the stone walls as everyone entered into the living space.  As the last one inside, one of the two minotaur guards closed the front door shut before filing in as well.  These two guards stood silent and at attention by the doorway leading to the foyer.  Accompanying them was Captain Bryn Smithson; a somewhat confused or perhaps frustrated expression drawn upon his face.

    General Mikali Stonehoof took his seat on one of the old-looking couches.  Magdalene and Vladimir sat opposite the old minotaur on the other rugged sofa.  However, upon noticing Vladimir seated so close to her, Magdalene not-so-subtly scooted further away from the man.  The noble¡¯s response was a simple, deep exhale before having returned his attention to the group¡¯s host.

    I hate this¡­ Aridean thought to herself as she reluctantly sat down in the same seat she had upon her first arrival in Stonehaven.  Everything about the living room looked exactly the same as it had during her only other visit to the Stonehoof residence.  The homely-looking furniture was arranged around the coffee table in a manner that made the room appear ready for a strategy meeting.  There was the strangely located futon in the corner of the room alongside the spiked war mace; Vidor had told her that Mikali slept in the house¡¯s living room as he reserved the two bedrooms for Rana and Vidor.  Among other things, there were many photos and banners lining the wall.  Aridean found herself oddly fixated on the picture of Mikali alongside his young grandchildren.

    Staring into the photo, Aridean¡¯s mind went blank for a moment.  She could not take her eyes off the image hung on the cold, smooth, stone wall.  Her heart began to ache in her chest as she continued to intently study the picture.  In the back of her mind, she could hear their laughter and friendly voices.  Still entranced, Aridean swallowed nervously before being snapped back into reality by Mikali clearing his throat.

    ¡°Tell me, child, I won¡¯t be satisfied until you¡¯ve told me everything,¡± Mikali ordered with his usual deep and gravelly voice.

    Aridean¡¯s lips moved, but not a sound escaped her.  She took one long, deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves.  However, with everyone in the room focused on her, the anxiety only intensified.  Looking Mikali in his eyes was entirely out of the question at this point.  Her face had grown cold and her shoulders were trembling.  Seeing the minotaur so distraught, Magdalene had a somewhat worried look on her face.

    ¡°Ari?¡±  the half-elf called out as she inched just a little closer to Aridean.  Unfortunately, the minotaur remained unresponsive.  Aridean held her head low as her breathing quickened.  Vladimir turned his attention to Mikali and cleared his throat.

    ¡°General Stonehoof, if I may¡ª¡± Vladimir began to speak.

    ¡°I only wish to hear it from her.  You will speak when spoken to, stranger,¡± Mikali abruptly interrupted, his tone considerably more hostile.  Again, Aridean was at a loss for words.  She inhaled deeply, but nothing changed.  She still felt so cold and as if there was a boulder weighing down her shoulders.  Trying to push herself to explain what had happened only seemed to cause the strong pain in her chest to grow more powerful.  Eventually, Aridean managed to breathe deep enough that she could once again speak through the force that constricted her throat.

    ¡°General Mikali¡­ Sir¡­ Count Vladimir wanted to be the one to tell you himself¡­¡± Aridean finally spoke with a timid tone whilst shaking her head.  She still held her head low and was unable to make eye contact with anyone in the room.

    I-I can¡¯t do it¡­ I can¡¯t say it because¡­ because I still don¡¯t want to believe it!  I¡­ I just got in their way¡­ If only Rana hadn¡¯t taken that blow for me¡­ If only Vidor had saved himself!  I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do, Aridean monologued to herself.  Just the mere thought of mentioning either Vidor or Rana to the General caused her throat to tighten as if somebody was choking her.  Mikali grunted his displeasure while maintaining his focus on Aridean.  Eventually, the old minotaur shook his head and turned to Vladimir, the abundant frustration and impatience readily apparent in his expression.

    ¡°Fine then, speak, stranger; what brought about my grandchildren¡¯s passing?¡±  Mikali growled while leaning forward in his seat.  Vladimir stood from his place on the couch opposite the General.  Holding his head high and folding his hands behind his back, the man maneuvered his way around the room so that he stood beside Aridean.  All eyes in the room were focused upon the noble; Magdalene¡¯s brows furrowed with anger as Vladimir stopped beside Aridean and cleared his throat.

    ¡°General Stonehoof, your grandchildren arrived in my hamlet of Cortonne almost a full week ago alongside Ms. Gray and Ms. Yorre.  After a most peculiar discovery of Ms. Gray fainting behind our inn, I confronted the group the next morning,¡± Vladimir began to explain.  Impatience was clear upon Mikali¡¯s face, yet he immediately turned to Aridean upon hearing how Vladimir had first found her.

    ¡°Fainting behind the inn?  Child, what was that about?¡±  the old minotaur called out.  His tone sounded fierce as he asked the question, as though he was not at all concerned with Aridean.  Unable to respond, Aridean¡¯s eyes fell to the floor.  Even she was not sure what exactly had caused her blackout that evening.  Seeing that Aridean was not about to answer him, Mikali grunted and looked back to Vladimir.

    ¡°After our introductions, I invited the group to stay with me at my estate as Ms. Yorre was posing as an elite.  Upon their arrival, I revealed I knew more than I had previously let on and proposed we work together to uncover the mysterious disappearances that Cortonne had become known for,¡± Vladimir continued to recount the events that had taken place on the previous assignment.  Fury only seemed to rise in Magdalene¡¯s expression and she could no longer hold it in.  The half-elven girl jumped up from her seat and pointed an accusing finger at Vladimir.

    ¡°But that was all a lie!  You were just luring us in!  You just wanted to feed us to your pet demon!¡±  snapped Magdalene furiously.  The girl was so enraged that small droplets of spittle flew from her mouth as she shouted.  Vladimir did not respond, merely took a deep breath and maintained his dignified composure.  Mikali on the other hand looked between the two speakers with a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

    ¡°Lure in?  Pet demon?  What is the meaning of this?!  What happened to my grandchildren?!¡±  Mikali angrily snarled.  Magdalene continued to glare at Vladimir, however Mikali¡¯s outburst seemed to quell her own impatience to an extent.

    ¡°If only I had the power to make that cursed creature into a mere pet¡­¡± Vladimir muttered seemingly to himself, yet Aridean heard every word.  Once more, the nobleman cleared his throat before focusing on the large, old minotaur that was growling at him, ¡°It was that very evening that your grandchildren were staying as my guests.  The demon that infests Cortonne attacked Ms. Gray and both of your grandchildren sacrificed themselves for her.¡±

    ¡°They¡­ what?  No¡­¡± Mikali lamented aloud.  Both of his guards turned to one another in disbelief over what they had just heard while Bryn simply raised one of his eyebrows.  The General had turned his attention to Aridean, still silently sulking in her chair at the head of the coffee table, and shook his head slowly back and forth while wearing a most distraught look upon his black-furred and graying face.  After a moment, the old minotaur began to growl before returning to Vladimir, ¡°How do we¡ª,¡±

    Vladimir merely raised his hand to pause Mikali¡¯s train of thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, General Stonehoof, but killing a demon that powerful is beyond mortal abilities.  To that end, I must take it upon myself to confess.  General Stonehoof, it is with a heavy heart that I must take responsibility for my actions.  I might not have been the killer, but I am to blame for having put your grandchildren in such a dire situation which should be just as damning,¡± Vladimir admitted.  Just like back in Cortonne when the noble had addressed the team outside of his manor, Vladimir stood with his back erect, hands behind his back, and chin held high.  He composed himself and stood with as much dignity in his posture as possible, ¡°I regret to inform you, that I am just as responsible for what befell your beloved grandchildren as the demon that took them from you.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ so you take responsibility for having led my grandchildren to their deaths?  I thank you for the honesty,¡± Mikali spoke as he continued to eye Vladimir suspiciously.  Aridean did not show it on her face, but she was surprised to hear Mikali sounding so calm despite the grim news he had just received.

    She watched as the guards and Bryn approached Vladimir.  It was clear upon their faces that they were not at all pleased by the news that the nobleman had just shared.  However, the three stopped as Mikali raised a single hand.  Aridean continued to hold her apathetic expression but was also curious.  She watched as Mikali turned and began walking toward the hallway leading to the back of the house.

    ¡°GRAAGGH!!¡±  Mikali roared as he firmly grasped the large war mace leaning up against the wall.  Within the span of a single breath, the old minotaur had turned and was swinging the mace in Vladimir¡¯s direction.  The nobleman did not act in defense; however, he was clearly shocked to see such an elderly minotaur move so quickly.

    Aridean did not make any movement as Mikali acted.  She did not even flinch when the General struck Vladimir; even hearing the crack of bone and splatter of blood did nothing to rouse Aridean.  Her eyes only fell to the floor in front of her feet when she heard the loud slam of Vladimir¡¯s body having been launched directly into Mikali¡¯s stone wall.

    ¡°W-whoa¡­¡± Magdalene quietly gawked as she focused intently on the old minotaur.  Mikali was left panting for air after his fierce battle cry and sudden movements.  Aridean sighed depressingly before looking to see what had happened.  Both her mind and expression were blank as she examined the scene.

    Vladimir had been forcefully batted by Mikali, straight into the nearby wall.  The noble¡¯s head hung low, some streams of blood oozing down his nice clothes.  His body had created a small crater in the wall upon impact; small bits of stone debris crumbled from the wall around Vladimir¡¯s point of entry.  No motions were made by the man now half-buried in Mikali¡¯s wall.

    ¡°Why?  Why does it always end like this?¡±  Mikali muttered as his breathing began to settle.  Aridean¡¯s eyes shifted to watch as the old minotaur dropped his weapon.  Mikali examined Vladimir for only a moment before turning his attention back to Aridean and Magdalene.  Clearly unnerved, Magdalene took a step back; it appeared as though she were cowering behind Aridean.  Mikali took a single step toward the two, his hand raising slowly in Aridean¡¯s direction.  However, he stopped as the coughing and gasping for breath rang out nearby.

    ¡°Ough¡­ I must say¡­ I certainly see the resemblance,¡± Vladimir said as he pulled himself up and out of the crater with a pained moan.  His hands cradled his head as they seemed to affix it back into place with a loud crack.  As he brushed dust and stone from his sleeves, he noticed Aridean glaring at him with a scowl on her face.  Immediately, an apologetic look appeared in his expression, ¡°Ah, do forgive me, Ms. Gray.  I can see how that was a most inappropriate joke now.¡±

    ¡°By the Spirits¡­¡± muttered Mikali.  Again, moving surprisingly fast for his old age, the black furred minotaur hastily grabbed his war mace and pointed it in the direction of Vladimir.  Upon realizing what was happening, Bryn and the two guards also drew their own weapons.  The General turned to Aridean and snapped, ¡°What is this¡ªthis¡­ thing?!¡±

    Aridean could not find it in herself to answer the question.  Instead, she solemnly looked from Mikali to Vladimir.  The nobleman returned her sullen look before nodding and facing Mikali.  He simply lifted up the large tuft of hair covering his blood red eye and presented it prominently to the old and shocked minotaur.

    ¡°I have lived with a curse for quite some time¡­ Many would claim immortality a gift,¡± Vladimir began to speak as he lowered his hair to cover his branded face once more.  He sighed, ¡°Oh, so very na?ve are those that yearn for such an agony.¡±

    ¡°Vidor went so far as to take his head off¡­ Ari and I watched as his headless body stood back up and put itself back together again,¡± Magdalene chimed in anxiously.  The half-elf stood opposite the room from Vladimir, glaring at him.  Both of the minotaur guards gave one another a quizzical look while Bryn grunted.

    ¡°Vidor took his head off and he got back up?  I find that a bit hard to believe,¡± Bryn said as he approached Vladimir from behind.  The cursed human made no effort to defend himself; both Aridean and Magdalene knew he did not need to.

    ¡°If you would like a demonstration, I simply ask that Ms. Gray and Ms. Yorre be allowed to exit the room if they desire.  Even though they have witnessed my dark resurrection firsthand, I do not wish to remind them of what happened,¡± Vladimir replied as he raised his hands in surrender.  The man continued to speak with indifference, ¡°Strike me down as many times as you like.  Leave me in pieces if you so desire; it won¡¯t matter.  The curse prevents me from ever reaching the gates of Hell as I should.¡±

    Brows furrowed; Mikali turned from Vladimir to Aridean once more.  The deadpan, female minotaur returned his look with a somber shake of her head.

    ¡°He¡¯ll just get back up,¡± Aridean explained, her tone bereft of any spirit.  Mikali¡¯s expression softened, if only for a second.  The instant his gaze laid upon the man pleading guilty to having killed his grandchildren, however, a deep growling came from the back of his throat.  Mikali¡¯s grip on his war mace tightened and his lips curled back to show he was gritting his teeth; seething with rage would be an understatement.

    Is that¡­ what I looked like when I escaped the tomb?  Aridean wondered to herself as she examined the General.  Surprising everyone in the room, Mikali simply lowered his weapon to his side.  The old minotaur continued to pant with angered, labored breaths that seemed to rattle his whole upper body.

    ¡°Why did you accompany these children back here?¡±  Mikali sternly asked Vladimir.  The man lowered his hands and crossed them behind his back as he returned to his natural, dignified posture.  He cleared his throat with a quiet cough.

    ¡°I¡¯ve come in search of my retribution.  I wish to find a means to break the curse so that I might finally be allowed my rightful end,¡± Vladimir answered confidently and somberly.  ¡°Atonement is simply beyond me¡­ You may do with me what you wish.  When I find what I seek, I would like to offer you your vengeance, Mr. Stonehoof.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ what?  But back in Cortonne, you said you wanted to aid us while you tried redeeming yourself!  Was that another lie?!¡±  Magdalene angrily shouted.  The young girl¡¯s fists were clenched tight at her sides.  Aridean¡¯s gaze lazily shifted from Magdalene back to Vladimir as the man closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.  He exhaled whilst shaking his head gently, ponytail swaying back and forth slowly.

    ¡°I beg forgiveness for the continual deceit, but that was the last lie that shall pass my lips.  I feared you might not allow me to join you if I had said I seek something so selfish.  You said it yourself, Ms. Yorre:  I¡¯m a killer.  There is no redemption from the sins I have wrought,¡± replied Vladimir with a deathly serious voice.  Much to Aridean¡¯s surprise, Magdalene¡¯s face softened hearing Vladimir¡¯s explanation.  If anything, the girl now appeared to be frightened by what the man had just said.  Mikali continued to growl at the man before finally grunting in anger.

    ¡°Throw that damn thing in a cell until we figure out what to do with it,¡± he snapped as he turned his back on his guests.  Without hesitation, Bryn and the guards moved to secure Vladimir.  The cursed man¡¯s hands were quickly tied together behind his back.  Despite the treatment he was receiving, Vladimir¡¯s face told everyone that this was precisely what he had expected.

    ¡°General Stonehoof, what should we--,¡± Bryn began to ask as he started shoving Vladimir in the direction of the door.  A loud thud rang out at Mikali¡¯s hooves as his war mace fell to the floor.

    ¡°Out!  All of you!  Get out of my home!¡±  shouted an enraged Mikali, his back turned to everyone else in the living room.  Without speaking, Bryn began leading Vladimir to the door with the intent to direct him to a holding cell.  Vladimir maintained his dignified posture despite the rope binding his hands.  The noble did not resist as Bryn pushed him through the front foyer and out the front door.

    Magdalene had been watching Vladimir and Bryn as they made their exit.  As the door shut behind the jailer and prisoner, the half-elf¡¯s eyes slowly made their way back to Aridean.  The tall minotaur stood facing away from the girl, her entire body trembling slightly.  Unable to speak up, Magdalene found that her right hand was slowly reaching toward the brown-furred minotaur.  Inches from Aridean¡¯s hand, Magdalene pulled her own back.  With a somewhat disappointed look on her face, Magdalene turned and began to leave the house.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Aridean¡¯s ears flicked as she heard the sound of the front door closing.  Magdalene had left the building and now only she and Mikali remained in the house together.  Her mind was still crying and mourning and screaming, but she managed to lift her eyes to look upon the elderly minotaur in front of her.  Mikali¡¯s back was still turned to her, his fists tightly clenched at his sides.

    I was¡­ so selfish.  I thought I was hurt by all this¡­ What could he possibly be thinking right now?  Aridean contemplated.  The younger minotaur¡¯s mind was racing, questioning what the older one might be thinking.  Hesitantly and reluctantly, Aridean took a deep breath and lifted her hoof to take a single step closer to Mikali.

    ¡°General Stonehoof, I¡ª,¡± Aridean started to speak.

    ¡°Get.  Out,¡± Mikali abruptly and sternly interrupted.  Aridean flinched just hearing the deep and intimidating bellow.  Her hooves immediately began to backpedal just a few feet, stopping as she hit the wall beside the doorway to the foyer.  Her head fell again as Mikali let out a tired, depressed sigh, ¡°I wish to be alone right now¡­¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, sir,¡± Aridean quietly and meekly responded.  With that, the younger minotaur turned and made her way out of the Stonehoof residence.  Mikali remained within the living room for just a moment longer before walking down the hallway leading to Rana and Vidor¡¯s bedrooms.  If anyone else had been there, they may have heard the near silent sobs bouncing off the stone walls.

    Aridean could hear the sizzling of sausage and smell the crispy bacon on the grill only a few meters away.  Cooks were talking with one another about their shifts, the ingredients to use in the dishes they were preparing, and about some off-time activities they had planned.  It was early the following morning that she, Magdalene, and Vladimir had arrived in Stonehaven; the morning rush at the mess hall was only just passing through the front doors.

    ¡°Ari, c¡¯mon, we got dishes to wash,¡± Magdalene called out as she carried a tub of dirty dishes and utensils to a nearby sink.  Aridean remained motionless, eyes staring straight ahead but focused on nothing.  Magdalene turned to call out to the minotaur again but stopped just as she drew in a breath.  The girl shook her head as she began to unload the dish tub into the sink.

    As the warm water began to fill the basin, Magdalene glanced back at Aridean to see that no motion whatsoever had been made.  Aridean simply stood stone still while staring into empty space.  She had been rather despondent all the previous day; Magdalene had to pull her out of her bunk just to get her to the mess hall.  With a grunt, the half-elf returned to cleaning her dishes.  With every spotless dish that Magdalene set out to dry, she would turn to check on Aridean.

    ¡°Hey Mag, is everything okay?  A¡¯s looking a bit out of it,¡± came the polite and friendly voice of Sven.  Magdalene paused her dishwashing as she turned to address the man.  She folded her arms over her chest and heaved an annoyed sigh.  Her face, however, seemed to exhibit a more telling quality that sent Sven¡¯s brows up on his forehead.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard yet, have you?  That last mission I went out with them on¡­ Rana and Vidor didn¡¯t make it,¡± Magdalene answered somewhat hesitantly.  Sven¡¯s mouth fell open at the news; after a moment of processing, he examined Aridean.  The minotaur, draped in her kitchen staff apron, stood still as a statue.  Her disheveled mane made it clear she had come straight to the mess hall from her bed.  Empty eyes told the man that she was in no mood to speak for herself.

    ¡°No way¡­ R ¡®n¡¯ V are¡­ gone?¡±  Sven asked in disbelief.  ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡­ It always hits hard to hear we¡¯ve lost someone¡­ but seeing that hollow look in her eyes?  I just can¡¯t imagine how hard it is for her and the General.¡±

    Magdalene¡¯s already somber look softened a bit as she shifted her focus from Sven to Aridean.  The minotaur had not moved from her current position since the two had arrived at the mess hall kitchen.  Aridean looked all the world like a statue; her unassuming expression made it appear that her face had simply been painted on.  Simply examining her sole companion in Stonehaven left Magdalene with a strange aching in her chest; yet not one the half-elf was unacquainted with.

    Sven set aside a dish towel he had been using to wipe his hands and apron with as Magdalene heaved another, more worrying sigh.  He watched as the girl hesitantly took a step in the direction of the minotaur.  Magdalene slowly approached Aridean with an unlikely concerned expression.  Standing only a few feet from the towering minotaur that did not seem to register her presence, Magdalene timidly began to reach out her hand.

    ¡°A-Ari?  C-can we--,¡± Magdalene near silently began.  Before she could even finish the question that she was not even sure Aridean had heard, the doors to the dining hall flung open.  Into the kitchen walked Mikali Stonehoof with his walking cane clapping loudly as it pounded the stone flooring.  Most of the staff immediately halted their tasks to salute the old minotaur who took only a moment to survey the kitchen.  His gaze landed upon Aridean and Magdalene; the old, black-furred male began to march toward the younger, brown-furred female.

    ¡°Child, I would like a word with you,¡± Mikali announced with his usual grimly serious tone.  Aridean¡¯s eyes slowly shifted to focus upon the minotaur speaking to her.

    Magdalene quietly backed away from Aridean with a red hue to her cheeks.  Even so, she maintained the uncharacteristic look of concern as she watched Mikali and Aridean from a short distance.  Mikali simply awaited any form of response from Aridean.  However, the morose minotaur simply stared at him with vast emptiness.  The elder let out a rough grunt.

    ¡°Come with me, child.  I wish to discuss some things with you privately,¡± ordered Mikali with a deep and demanding voice.  Aridean¡¯s eyes fell listlessly to the floor at their hooves as she quietly sighed her resignation.  Having managed some form of communication, Mikali turned and made for the door to the dining hall.  Aridean reluctantly followed behind at a slight distance.  Throughout the short exchange, Magdalene watched while contemplating before returning to her dirty dishes.

    Aridean followed Mikali through the dining hall and toward the exit.  As the two made their way through the mess hall, many patrons and staff members stopped enjoying their meals or performing their duties to give some sign of respect to the elderly minotaur leading Aridean out of the building.  Neither of the two minotaurs exiting the mess hall seemed to register the acknowledgement they had received.  Mikali was fixated on the entrance door that the two approached while Aridean simply focused on following the hooves in front of her.

    Mikali practically threw the door open with one hand as he pushed out into Stonehaven with Aridean in tow.  She lazily continued to follow the gravely serious minotaur as they began walking along the stone road.  They only briefly stopped as some soldiers approached Mikali about some important affairs.  Clearly lacking patience, the old bull told his pesky subordinates what to do about some upcoming strategy meetings before abruptly dismissing them.

    ¡°Can I not have just a moment to myself?¡±  Mikali muttered only just loud enough that Aridean could pick up on it.  Nevertheless, the duo continued toward their destination which the latter quickly realized was not what she had expected when the General had appeared to her.  Aridean followed Mikali down the familiar, stone roads to the familiar, stone home with two familiar, minotaur-ritualistic fire pits.  Surprisingly, Mikali opened the door and gestured Aridean inside in an unexpected display of politeness that Aridean did not think the old bull capable of.

    What¡­ are we doing here?  Aridean wondered to herself as she passed through the doorway.  Together, the minotaurs entered into the foyer of the Stonehoof residence.  Aridean¡¯s initial thought was that they were going to wait for Bryn and some guards to arrive in the living room so that Mikali could finally interrogate her on what exactly took place in Cortonne.  However, her eyes widened slightly and confusion took hold as the old minotaur led her into the quaint dining room.

    ¡°Please, sit.  Have some tea,¡± Mikali instructed as he made his way around the dining room table.  Aridean sat down in the first seat she came upon while her host positioned himself directly opposite her and passed her a lukewarm cup of tea.  Somewhat hesitant, Aridean accepted the beverage and stared into the brown liquid.

    Raltor drugged the tea back in Byrden¡­ If he¡¯s going to do something to me, is this how Mikali plans to do it too?  A paranoid Aridean pondered as she examined her reflection in the drink.  Mikali let out a quiet sigh as he poured himself a cup.  Aridean watched as the General drank his own cup of tea and formed a somewhat repulsed expression.

    ¡°I might not be the best tea brewer, but it is still somewhat refreshing, child,¡± claimed Mikali with a surprisingly softer voice than he normally used.  Aridean¡¯s eyes widened again as the old minotaur looked longingly into his cup, ¡°Rana always knew just the right amount of sugar.¡±

    ¡°S-sir?¡±  Aridean called out hesitantly.  Mikali continued to stare into the cup in his hands for another moment before looking across the table to his guest.

    ¡°Forgive me, child.  Just an old man being sentimental,¡± replied the somber Mikali.

    W-what?  What is going on?  Did¡­ he bring me here to talk about them?  Aridean wondered while eyeing Mikali with a degree of suspicion.  Despite her reservations, Aridean took a single sip of the tea she had been offered.  It was starting to grow cold and tasted a bit bitter, but it was not a bad cup.

    ¡°You are likely wondering why I¡¯ve brought you to my home once more.  There are some things I wish to speak with you about regarding the recent news you brought back with you,¡± Mikali began to explain.  Aridean¡¯s ears flicked curiously as she sipped her beverage once more.  The two minotaurs sat in an awkward silence for a moment before Aridean set down her cup.  Before Cortonne, just being in the room with Mikali had put some sort of invisible weight on Aridean¡¯s shoulders.  Now she felt as if she could scarcely lift her own fingers in his bleak and uncertain company.  Nevertheless, Aridean barely managed to draw a breath and open her mouth.

    ¡°Was there something on your mind, sir?¡±  Aridean asked both uncertainly and reluctantly.  Mikali sighed disappointedly as he poured himself some more bitter tea.

    ¡°I understand that we have not always been of the same mindset, child.  But one thing we do share is a connection to my grandchildren,¡± her host answered before downing his second cup.  Aridean had her suspicions confirmed, now the question remained was why Mikali wished to talk to her about Vidor and Rana.  Still feeling apprehensive, Aridean quietly sipped some more of her own tea.  ¡°I wish to first thank you for what you did for them.  It was all Vidor ever knew, but Rana had always hated having to live underground.  Your companionship on these last few missions gave them a certain hope I could not¡­¡±

    What?  My companionship?  What does that mean to them?  They both promised me that they wouldn¡¯t leave me alone and then they¡­  mused Aridean internally.  The malcontent thoughts left her gritting her teeth in frustration.  She managed to hide her agitation from Mikali by quickly putting the near-empty cup to her lips.  However, once the drink ran out, Aridean heaved a sigh.

    ¡°You say that¡­ but what did my companionship mean to either of them?  How can you be so sure Rana or Vidor cared anything about me?¡±  Aridean challenged with weak-willed strength behind her voice.  Although Mikali initially appeared confused, his features quickly shifted to a more sobering look as Aridean continued, ¡°Vidor said¡­ he loved me¡­ but how could I really know he was telling me the truth?¡±

    ¡°My grandson was hopelessly obsessed with you, child.  However, I hadn¡¯t fully realized just how driven he was until I saw you wearing my son¡¯s engagement gift to his wife,¡± Mikali continued with a wry smile upon his otherwise grizzled face.  Aridean¡¯s eyes lit up; she looked to the old minotaur with confusion on her face.

    ¡°E-engagement gift?  W-what do you¡ªOh!  T-this necklace?!  I-I had no idea that it was that valuable to you, sir.  Vidor just told me that it belonged to his and Rana¡¯s mother,¡± Aridean anxiously said as she fumbled with the latch around the back of her neck.  Mikali now looked at her with a puzzled look.  However, as Aridean removed the necklace from around her neck and offered it to Mikali, the old minotaur began to quietly laugh.  This was the first time Aridean had ever heard Mikali laugh or sound even mildly amused by anything.

    It''s¡­ almost frightening.  Yet¡­ comforting to see even he can be gentle, Aridean thought to herself.

    ¡°Oh ho, child.  I should have known my grandson would forget,¡± Mikali spoke as he accepted the necklace from Aridean.  His fingers ran over the ruby set into the ivory charm and smiled again.  His eyes reflected the bright ruby stone and his face could be seen in every smooth surface.  ¡°This necklace has been in our family for generations¡­ our sons would give it to the females they wished to marry and our daughters would wear it to show they¡¯ve found their males.  My wife passed it down to our son so that he might present it to his wife.¡±

    And Vidor¡­ gave it to me?  D-did he¡­ really want to take me as his bride?  So¡­ is that why Vlad was confused when he asked Vidor if we were already married?  Aridean pondered silently.  Her eyes had drifted away from Mikali as she zoned out thinking about Vidor¡¯s intentions having given her the necklace.  She only returned her focus to the older minotaur as he let out a quiet, dry cough.  However, Aridean was surprised to see Mikali sliding the necklace across the table to her.

    ¡°S-sir?  Don¡¯t you want to keep it?  Y-you did just say that Vidor may have forgotten its purpose and it is still important to your family,¡± Aridean asked, somewhat hesitant to retrieve the necklace.  With a wry smile upon his face, Mikali gently shook his head from side to side.

    ¡°Child, whether he forgot its meaning or not, my grandson chose you.  My granddaughter was quite fond of you as well,¡± the old minotaur replied.  Although she was still a bit reluctant, Aridean picked up her necklace and fastened the latch around the back of her neck.  ¡°I believe it holds significance to you as well, child.  I know not what you may feel looking at that locket wrapped around the necklace, but I do understand the importance of family.¡±

    Aridean¡¯s fingers flew right up to Simon¡¯s locket resting beside the ruby on her neck.  Just hearing Mikali¡¯s words caused her throat to tighten slightly and her eyelids became damp after a few quick blinks.  The female minotaur lowered her head to look upon the trinket that rested around her neck.  Not just a memento of her adopted father, her necklace has now become a memento of her cherished friends¡­ her family.

    ¡°I¡­ I chose him too, sir¡­  They were both¡­ the closest things I had to family since coming here,¡± Aridean weakly replied.  She lifted her head to see a small hint of surprise on Mikali¡¯s face.  However, the apparent shock in his expression faded quickly as a kind smile made its way across the old, fuzzy muzzle.  Aridean quietly gasped seeing Mikali¡¯s genuine and inviting smile.

    It¡¯s¡­ just so much like Vidor¡¯s smile, Aridean thought to herself as she analyzed the content minotaur in front of her.

    ¡°Child¡­ I know you believe I harbor some ill will toward you.  Your attachment to your human father did have me worried, I will admit.  But¡­ my grandchildren loved you like one of our own,¡± Mikali continued with certain, familiar softness to his otherwise rough voice.  ¡°Allow me to apologize for everything.  I know joining our cause was not your true desire¡­ should you wish it; you will no longer be considered one of our soldiers.¡±

    ¡°W-what?  S-sir, I-I don¡¯t understa¡ª,¡± Aridean began to ask.  Mikali simply raised one hand to stop her from continuing.

    ¡°How long ago was it now?  Over two years, if I recall correctly.  Child, I did not wish to put you in such a position that day that my grandchildren brought you to our home.  Though, I do not regret having forced the decision upon you; I had to take my grandchildren¡¯s safety into account,¡± Mikali continued.  Aridean could not help but think his usual gravelly and grim voice sounded somewhat lighter than normal.  It was by no means the same kind voice Rana would always speak with, but she could see how the minotaur before her was putting forth an effort.

    ¡°General, I¡­ I understand why you acted that day a-and I don¡¯t think less of you for it,¡± Aridean anxiously blurted out.

    I get it was for his people, Rana and Vidor included.  Everyone even told me he was thinking of me when we had that discussion¡­ Rgh!  Why couldn¡¯t I just accept it?  I¡­ I just lied to him, didn¡¯t I?  Aridean mentally lamented.  Her ears had fallen flat against her head while eyes fell listlessly to the tablespace between her and Mikali.

    ¡°Child, there is no need to hide your true feelings.  I understand that you resent me for my actions that day,¡± replied Mikali with a solemn voice.  Aridean noticed that the smile he wore had faded away, ¡°It is that resentment that frightens me to ask something of you now.¡±

    ¡°A-ask something of me, sir?¡± Aridean curiously and nervously inquired.  A brow raised on her head as she surveyed the minotaur before her.  He appeared uncertain and uneasy, entirely unlike the General she knew.  Mikali simply rubbed his hands together as he took a deep breath.

    ¡°My grandchildren loved you like one of our own¡­ I might never have demonstrated compassion to you previously, but I wouldn¡¯t feel whole not doing so now that we both¡­¡± Mikali started to explain but his voice trailed off.  Aridean grew even more curious as to what the old minotaur was getting at.  She leaned slightly closer to Mikali, ears flicking in anticipation.

    ¡°S-sir?  Now that we both what?¡±  she asked.

    ¡°I wish to ask if you would stay with me, here, in this stone home,¡± Mikali finally announced, much to Aridean¡¯s astonishment.  Her eyes only widened further as the General continued, ¡°I cannot live behind these quiet, stone walls alone and would ask no one other than you to stay with me.  You and my grandchildren had grown so close so quickly¡­ I beg you give me the chance to redeem myself for what I forced upon you two years ago.¡±

    Aridean was left entirely stunned by Mikali¡¯s unusual request.  Eyes bulged as her mind attempted to process what it was she had just heard.  Her mouth had fallen open slightly but nothing more than a few quiet pants passed escaped her throat.  The awkward silence between the two seemed to last more than the few seconds that it truly had.  Mikali finally cleared his throat and began to stand from the table.

    ¡°Err¡­ forgive me, child.  I realize that may have been--,¡± he started to speak.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±  Aridean asked, only just loud enough that Mikali could hear her voice from across the table.  The old minotaur turned away with a quiet grunt trying to hide his flustered face.  He snorted before scratching the back of his head.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ nevermind that, child.  I apologize for being so presumptuous,¡± replied the old minotaur.  He turned his back to Aridean; she watched as his shoulders heaved while he sighed disappointedly.

    Alone¡­ Even he feels alone?  Aridean pondered in her mind.  While Mikali continued to sulk on the other side of the table, Aridean picked up her necklace again from around her neck.  Her reflection shone brilliantly in the ruby and the portraits in the locket filled her heart with a sense of aching, a sense of longing.

    I was¡­ so very angry at him¡­ and at her¡­ and even...  He promised, she promised¡­ they both promised they¡¯d always be there for me.  Father never said it, but I never thought he had to.  How could I have been so selfish?  I¡¯m sorry Vidor, I¡¯m sorry Rana, I¡¯m sorry father¡­ Aridean mentally prayed as she held firm to the ornaments around her neck.  A tightness was beginning to form in her throat.  Although she managed to fight off the tears welling in her eyes, Aridean took a few raspy breaths as she tried to calm herself.

    ¡°Please, enjoy the tea¡­ the door is always ope--,¡± the older minotaur began to say as he made to leave the room.

    ¡°I¡¯d be honored, sir,¡± Aridean called out to Mikali.  The black furred male stopped dead in his tracks in front of the doorway.  He turned slowly to see the female minotaur staring back at him with determination in her damp eyes.  It was now Mikali who was at a loss for words; nothing escaped his agape mouth.  After another moment of silence between the two, Mikali composed himself enough to put on a genuine smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m grateful, Aridean.  I am unsure if I could ever truly describe what it means to me to hear you say that,¡± the old minotaur calmly told Aridean.  The determined focus on Aridean¡¯s face softened as a smile formed on her lips.  This was the first time she thought the General¡¯s deep and intimidating voice sounded so sincerely kind.

 Chapter 31 - The Winds of Change are Blowing

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 Chapter 32 - Welcome to the Swamplands

    Horse hooves could be heard squishing the mud as the duo of powerful and loyal equines dragged the wagon through the cool, wet terrain.  Little sunlight could be seen filtering through the overhead canopy of verdant green.  Tall, thick, and darkly colored trees grew from the marshy soil and even out from the murky water that surrounded the trail forward.  Throughout the area, the air was immensely humid and still.  Faintly, the rustle of tree limbs and leaves could be heard above and splashing of the swamp water could be heard from the somewhere out of sight.

    Aridean sat in the driver seat of the old wagon, holding a gentle grip on the reins to the horses.  Her right hand only left the leather strap long enough to bring up a canteen of water to her lips.  Refreshing, cold water funneled down her parched throat and the sensation left her hoping the team¡¯s excursion into the muggy swamplands was brief.  As she quietly panted, her eyes shifted toward the sound of someone behind her groaning their dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s hot¡­ I¡¯m sweating and we¡¯ve just been sitting in the wagon,¡± came Magdalene, sitting just behind Aridean in the back of the wagon.  The young girl had her arms outstretched across the railing of the wagon she leaned against and legs extended out into the open space of the large wooden vehicle.  The girl had been the first to voice her upset with having entered into the Great Wiir Swamplands.  It had almost become a regular thing that the young half-elf would make another complaint after every ten minutes.  Although Aridean had managed to restrain herself, she was quickly starting to lose patience with the constant griping.

    Maggie, you didn¡¯t have to come here, y¡¯know¡­ Besides, you¡¯re not the one covered in warm fur either, Aridean contemplated replying to the girl behind her.  Rather than speak her own thoughts, the minotaur quietly returned her attention to the muddy road and drained the remaining contents of her canteen.  As the last drop was siphoned from the flask and it was lowered from her lips, Aridean heard a book closing with an audible thump.

    ¡°Ms. Yorre, if I may, perhaps we might converse with one another as we continue on our journey.  If nothing else, talking might at least take your mind off the uncomfortable atmosphere here,¡± Vladimir suggested.  Both girls turned to see the nobleman sitting near the back of the wagon.  The man was setting aside the sizable tome he had been studying and turned his own focus back to his companions.  Aridean saw the man offer one of his usual kind smiles, accompanied by his exhausted features.  Despite his best efforts, it was visible that the man must have been suffering just as much from the accursed heat.

    ¡°Do you even feel this with your curse?  It¡¯s miserable¡­¡± Magdalene moaned as she fanned her hand toward her face in the hopes of relieving herself of some of the abominable warmth surrounding the three.  Vladimir offered a quiet chuckle before nodding to the half-elf.  Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the sound of one of the horses letting loose a loud huff; even their loyal wagon pullers seemed to be growing weary of the humid climate.

    ¡°The curse has prolonged my life and keeps me from death, but I do feel every little sensation just the same as you two might.  Whether it be pain or the abhorrent heat, I will suffer alongside you all the same,¡± Vladimir answered gently as he shifted in his seat.  Magdalene slouched in her own seat while glaring frustratedly at the man.

    ¡°You had mentioned that before but once you recover from whatever wounds, you always act like nothing even happened,¡± Aridean stated with a hint of curiosity in her voice.  Magdalene¡¯s head turned, her expression softening somewhat, but her current disdain of the team¡¯s situation was still visible on her face.  Vladimir had paused for a few seconds, the gentle smile on his face slowly fading from his lips.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a bit peculiar, I must say¡­  I cannot count the number of times I have suffered fatal attacks.  But every time, the wounds are sealed closed and any agony I might have been in disperses near instantaneously,¡± explained Vladimir with a somewhat more somber tone to his voice.  The man shook his head gently, the hair covering his left eye swaying with each motion.  With a tired sigh, Vladimir continued, ¡°I realize I may have been the one to suggest we engage in conversation, but might I request we refrain from such¡­ grim details?¡±

    ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± Aridean apologized before turning her attention back to the horses that led the wagon forward.  Small chunks of mud and dirt jumped from where their hooves landed and lifted upon the moist ground.  Magdalene grunted, whether due to her insistent grumbling over the humidity or Vladimir¡¯s dismissiveness over the subject, Aridean could not tell.

    ¡°You have my gratitude for your understanding, Ms. Gray,¡± Vladimir replied with another weak smile forming upon his face.

    ¡°A-Aridean¡¯s fine, Vlad,¡± Aridean stated with a mild hint of unease.  She did not turn back around but did hear the man behind her expel the breath in his lungs.  He had shaken his head as a more serious expression appeared upon his features.

    ¡°No, no!  That will not do at all, Ms. Gray.  While I am far from the ideal gentleman, I must at least request you allow me to treat both you and Ms. Yorre with as much respect as a I am able,¡± insisted the nobleman with absolute resolve and earnestness to his tone.  Although his words were well-intentioned, Aridean could not help but feel her face warm with a bit of embarrassment.  Magdalene, however, simply rolled her eyes as she wiped her head of some beads of sweat.  The minotaur let out a quiet sigh before turning back to her two companions.

    ¡°Well¡­ uhm, Vlad, you mentioned you haven¡¯t been to the swamplands in a while.  As the Count of Cortonne, it¡¯s hard to imagine someone with your status ever venturing into a swamp.  What did you need to go to the swamplands for?¡±  Aridean asked after having taken a moment to recollect herself.

    ¡°Ah, yes, my excursion to the Wiir Swamplands was an interesting experience indeed.  It was over one hundred years ago--,¡± Vladimir began with his usual enthusiasm when discussing something that piqued his interest.  His voice was cut off abruptly and Aridean¡¯s ears flicked at the annoyed moan coming from Magdalene.

    ¡°Oh, here we go again¡­¡± an agitated Magdalene snidely commented.  The young girl leaned her head over the railing her back rested against.  Her lengthy, golden locks, somewhat matted together with sweat or frizzed from the humid air, falling toward the muddied ground.  She snorted, annoyed, by a pair of mosquitos that had begun buzzing around her freckled face.  Magdalene sat back up in her seat as she swatted at the insects invading her space.

    ¡°Erm¡­ as I was saying:  my expedition took place during the early days of the onset of the Flareheart Plague.  It was a horrid disease that at the time had no known cure,¡± Vladimir started to explain.  Magdalene, upon hearing Vladimir¡¯s purpose in the swamplands, rose a brow upon her head curiously.

    ¡°You found the cure in the swamplands?¡±  asked Magdalene, her voice lacking in her previous frustrations.  Aridean had also turned to face the nobleman as he shifted in his seat again.  With crossed legs and hands clasped together at his chin in a contemplative pose, Vladimir heaved a mildly disappointed sigh.  The man seemed to focus in on the wagon flooring in front of him; he blinked once and then shook his head before returning his gaze to the two girls that accompanied him.

    ¡°Unfortunately, no.  I sought the aid and counsel of lizarian shamans on my quest to remedy the plague.  It isn¡¯t often mentioned, but the Flareheart Plague did not affect the lizarian people.  Naturally, at the time, rumors stirred up that the lizard-folk of the swamplands had already discovered a cure,¡± Vladimir answered with a mixture of grief and frustration in his voice.  Both Aridean and Magdalene glanced to one another before returning to Vladimir as the man briefly paused for a breath.  His one visible eye shifted between both Aridean and Magdalene before he continued, ¡°Much to my disappointment, that had not been the case.  The plague simply did not affect the Lizarian race.  Perhaps it was their cold blood or the venom their bodies may produce; I never delved too deeply into what kept them immune.¡±

    ¡°Cold blood, venom, and they live in this bug-infested swamp¡­ what kind of race are lizarians anyway?¡±  Magdalene inquired.  Vladimir appeared all too content to switch the subject as his upset demeanor faded almost immediately.  The noble¡¯s usual enthusiasm had resurfaced as a gentle smile played upon his lips and his right eye replaced the defeated look with a more agreeable expression.

    ¡°They are quite the fickle species, to be blunt.  Generally, the lizarian race have received a rather stigmatized reputation for their forceful, and at times vulgar and brutish, natures.  However, their outward hostilities are easily remedied by fairly mundane means,¡± Vladimir explained as he surveyed the marshy surroundings.  As the man finished his statement, Aridean¡¯s ear flicked and head tilted in interest upon hearing the word ¡®mundane¡¯.  Having observed the minotaur¡¯s intrigue, Vladimir¡¯s smile only seemed to widen.

    ¡°Mundane means?  Just based off what I¡¯ve heard of the lizarian race, it might be useful to know what they find mundane.  What do you mean when you say that?¡±  asked Aridean.  As she finished her question, the minotaur could feel a slight tugging on the reins held in her hands.

    ¡°Well, their culture is qui--,¡± Vladimir began again.  His voice, however, had been overtaken by the sudden frenzied whinnying coming from the horses.  All three of the wagon riders turned their gazed upon the reliable equines as they reared and began to move erratically.  Aridean, noticeably concerned, managed to tighten her grip on the reins and pulled back on the leather straps.  Her two wagon pulling horses slowly calmed themselves but had halted their advance and continued to whine loudly.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±  Magdalene asked while leaning over the rail of the wagon again.  Aridean shook her head as she slowly stood from her seat.  The minotaur carefully jumped down from the wagon and approached the horses.  Her hands gently reached out to the frightened animals, both of whom seemed to return to a more docile state upon feeling the kind touch from their furred master.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­ s-something¡¯s just spooking them,¡± Aridean nervously replied as she caressed each of the two horse¡¯s faces.  Although both of the steeds had quieted down, Aridean could see their strong muscles tensed.  Hot air was rapidly funneled out of their nostrils as they shook their heads with one more whinny.

    Aridean looked between both of the two horses, unsure on what was riling them up in such a manner.  Her furred fingers carefully ran up and down the large cheeks of her horses as they once again reared with a loud whine.  Mud was kicked up from their strong hooves, large clumps of the wet dirt had landed upon Aridean¡¯s legs, staining her pants and getting stuck in her fur.  The minotaur took only a second to wipe away some of the mud that covered her.  As she lifted her gaze, she noticed both Vladimir and Magdalene looking in her direction with confusion and curiosity in their expressions.  However, Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide and fur stood on ends as she observed the motion of something behind her two traveling companions.

    ¡°W-what the hell is that?!¡±  Aridean shouted as she lifted a finger to point beyond the human and half-elf sitting in the wooden wagon.  The minotaur¡¯s entire body had tensed in an instant with sheer shock at what loomed just over the wagon.  Astonishment immediately painted both of her comrade¡¯s faces as they turned to see what it was the minotaur had been startled by.  Before anything could be done, the entity behind the wagon had made its move and surged forward.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±  Magdalene screamed in fright as a long, green tendril wrapped its way around her.  Plant leaves and flower buds dotted the strange, verdant tentacle that had bound the half-elf¡¯s arms to her sides.  Aridean gasped as she watched her young friend rise out of the wagon with her legs flailing wildly in the air.

    ¡°Maggie!¡±  Aridean shouted in a panic.  Vladimir quickly shifted onto his feet and jumped out to grab the girl¡¯s legs.  However, the man missed his mark by a mere inch and fell back onto his knees in the back of the wagon.

    ¡°Ms. Yorre!¡±  called Vladimir with concern apparent in his voice.  The man regained his footing before putting a hand on the railing to the wagon.  As Vladimir vaulted over the back wall to the wooden carriage, Aridean was rushing over the cool mud and drawing her battle axe from the holster on her back.  Both minotaur and human stood side by side behind the wagon as their young, half-elven companion was held aloft in the humid air by a monstrous plant vine.

    ¡°W-wah!  W-why is everything always wrapping me up?!  Can¡¯t it take somebody else for once!¡±  Magdalene complained as the vine holding her waved her entire being through the space above the darkened water just off of the muddy trail.  Both Vladimir and Aridean watched as the girl was cast from side to side as though she were just a simple doll in the hands of a child.  As though the vines had heard the girl¡¯s comment, two more vines emerged from the murky swamp water and loomed high over where both Aridean and Vladimir stood.

    As the two new plant tendrils surged toward the pair on the ground, Aridean rushed forward with her blade readied.  With haste, the minotaur ducked one vine and managed to cleave the second.  Behind her, Vladimir¡¯s hands had begun to glow with the darkened aura that indicated his cursed magic was welling up.  Aridean watched as the man lifted a hand from his side and pointed it in the direction of the vine that had ensnared Magdalene.  Vladimir drew in a deep breath as he focused on his target, a small orb of fire slowly manifesting just within the palm of his hand.  However, before his magical attack could be released, the small flame flickered out as Vladimir¡¯s arm had been constricted by another vine.  Surprise filled his face and Aridean gasped her own fright as the man was similarly tied with his arms at his sides as the half-elf had been.

    Quick on her hooves, Aridean shifted her stance and brought her axe up over her horned head.  As the blade began its descent, yet another malicious, plant vine had performed its own ambush on the minotaur.  With a loud grunt, Aridean found herself swept off her hooves and launched by a particularly sturdy floral tendril into a nearby tree.  The attack had left her coughing for air, but she luckily managed to maintain her grip on her weapon.  Looking back to Vladimir, Aridean¡¯s eyes went wide as the man was lifted from the ground just the same as Magdalene had been.  Both of her companions now were carried through the air over the filthy, muddied water.  Magdalene and Vladimir were transported by their respective vines toward a particularly large plant bud growing off a bright green stem that was a thick as a tree.  This strange, unbloomed flower appeared to grow off of a tree that its roots twisted around and disappeared into the unclear water.

    ¡°Well, this is an entirely new experience!¡±  Vladimir exclaimed as his body was whipped through the air.  Under other circumstances, Aridean likely would have questioned the particularly nonchalant tone the man had used despite be swung through the air by the vines of a massive plant.  A wave of panic and dread washed over her as she watched her companion rise above the particularly large bud.

    Much to her and Magdalene¡¯s shock, the bud bloomed open as Vladimir dangled above it.  While the man did not appear too concerned, his brows had risen on his face at the sight beneath him.  Beautiful and gigantic petals of white, pink, and red had bloomed forth from the bud.  However, the flower¡¯s petals surrounded a darkened, hollowed out core within the plant.  Aridean let out a terrified gasp to see that at the opening of this orifice were large and sharp-looking teeth.

    ¡°Aha!  It¡¯s a dragolia in full bloom!  Oh, I never thought I¡¯d have the opp--,¡± Vladimir had excitedly begun to rant before being flung directly into the center of the blooming flower.  Aridean and Magdalene could hear a loud, pained cry, from the man as the teeth within the unusual frond crunched down on its meal.  Vladimir¡¯s flailing legs remained visible as his upper body had been forced into the plant.  Blood coated the petals, only noticeable on the white coloration.

    Aridean¡¯s eyes grew wide and jaw dropped as she watched Vladimir¡¯s entire body slowly slide inside of the massive flower stem.  She could see that the stem itself had contracted around its prey, Vladimir¡¯s body contained within was outlined by the plant-made walls that held him.  It looked just the same as an engorged snake after eating a deer, except the prey had been one of the three adventurers.  Aridean could feel her arms grow slack and her grip loosen slightly on her axe.

    ¡°Oh¡­ oh, no,¡± Aridean muttered in shock.  Her legs felt weak beneath her after what she had just witnessed.  Her breathing quickened as the sizable weapon in her grip slipped in her trembling hands.  She swallowed nervously as she managed to recollect herself enough to adjust her grip on her axe.

    We¡­ we barely made it to the swamps and¡­ are we really going to die here?  Aridean hardly managed to ponder through her shock over having what she had just witnessed.  Fortunately, she was brought back to her senses as she heard Magdalene¡¯s frightened call.

    ¡°A-Ari¡­ t-this isn¡¯t funny!  H-help!¡±  Magdalene shouted anxiously as she continued to struggle against the vines that restrained her.  With gritted teeth and unease in her eyes, Aridean focused in on her remaining companion as she was held aloft over the swamp.  With another anxious swallow of the lump forming in her throat, the minotaur lifted a hand from the grip of her axe.  In only a matter of seconds, the small orange and yellow orb formed in her palm; a scorching heat threatened to singe the fur on her hand.  Aridean pulled back and then threw forward the miniature sun.

    Aridean¡¯s eyes reflected the palm-sized orb that soared through the air toward the monstrous plant that held Magdalene captive.  A frightened gasp escaped the minotaur¡¯s throat as the orb missed the vine that restrained the young girl and fell toward the water below.  In an instant, the orb exploded into a furious blooming of flame and cinder as it touched down upon the surface of the bog.  Embers flew from the point of impact and waves of water surged outward from where the magic had erupted.  Many of the smaller flames had landed back down in the swamp, but several had landed upon the massive flower and burned the plant pitch black before quickly hissing out into dark smoke.

    In retaliation, the enormous frond whipped vines wildly about as a frightening screech echoed out.  Swamp water had splashed up into the air as the plant¡¯s large tentacles continually slapped about.  Magdalene could only barely be heard screaming as the vine wrapped around her had cast her madly through the air, all the while holding firm to its prey.  Aridean held her hands to her ears as the ear-splitting cry threatened to rupture her eardrums.  As she refocused on her target, the minotaur gasped in shock as another vine quickly descended upon her.  Once more, Aridean found herself slammed into a tree, coughing and gasping for air.  She only managed to collect herself enough to look up to the young girl as Magdalene cried out for her once more.

    ¡°A-Ari!  H-help!!¡±  Magdalene cried out in a panic.  The girl continued to fruitlessly struggle under the vines that wrapped around her and bound her arms to her sides.  Aridean watched as the plant lifted her remaining comrade upwards in the same fashion it had Vladimir.  Once more, the massive flower seemed to bloom open, revealing large teeth coated in some slimy substance.  Magdalene was visibly panicked and desperately fighting to free herself as the vine carrying her began to carry her toward the large, sharpened teeth.

    ¡°No!¡±  Aridean shouted from her place on the ground.  Mustering as much strength as she could despite the pain, the minotaur threw her hand forward and snapped her fingers.  As the audible snap rang out, a bright orange bolt of magical energy shot forth from the minotaur¡¯s hand.  The bolt quickly raced and zig-zagged through the air toward the stem of the vine that held firm to Magdalene.  Just as soon as the magic touched the vine, the organic matter had burst into flames and quickly melted away.

    Magdalene fell from where the monstrous plant had held her in the air and landed into the swamp water below with a loud splash.  The enormous flower reeled backwards and let loose a pained screeching noise.  While her captor was distracted, Magdalene slowly squirmed her way out of the vines that had still been wrapped tightly around her torso and arms.  Upon freeing herself, the half-elven girl began spitting out the muddied water that had made its way into her mouth.  She only focused back on the large plant that had nearly eaten her again as another vine violently slapped at the swamp water near her.

    Magdalene covered her head as mud, small rocks, and filthy water was cast in her direction.  Whatever had not struck the half-elven girl fell to the water with a plop and the intimidating flower slowly calmed down again.  Both of the girls could see the vines slowly repositioning themselves yet again in preparation for the next strike.  Magdalene, stricken with fear, watched as the vines loomed over her once again before another finger snap echoed out.  Again, the plant reeled and let loose an ear-splitting screech as flames once again enveloped the tendrils that threatened Magdalene.  With her ears still ringing, the girl turned back to see Aridean stumbling to her hooves.  She quickly got to her own feet and waded through the swamp water that was up to the short girl¡¯s stomach back to land where her furred companion struggled to simply stand up.

    Once Magdalene had reached the edge of the swamp, Aridean extended a hand.  Taking the furred limb in her own hand, Magdalene quickly climbed back onto the marshy soil only to hear a loud gasp coming from the minotaur that towered over her.  Still holding fast to Aridean¡¯s hand, Magdalene turned to see yet another leaf and flower speckled tentacle surging toward them.  The girl then felt the ground beneath her seemingly fall away as the hand that held hers lifted her into the air before casting her aside.

    ¡°Ow!¡±  Magdalene complained as she landed upon the wet ground with a thud.  The girl allowed herself a few seconds to rub her sore arm before turning back to see Aridean had now been entangled by the vines that had meant to seize her.  The minotaur struggled in vain to set herself free.  Magdalene let loose a shocked gasp as she quickly got to her feet.

    ¡°Maggie¡­ just run.  Get out of here,¡± Aridean ordered as her hooves were lifted from the ground.  She continued to fruitlessly wrestle with the tendrils that restrained her.  Magdalene watched, eyes wide and breath held in her throat.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Ngh!¡±  the girl stuttered before turning and starting to bolt toward the wagon that was still seated on the muddy trail.  Quickly and deftly, the half-elf climbed into the back of the wagon and searched for something that might help.  Fortunately, Magdalene happened upon an already loaded crossbow and hastily snatched up the weapon.  With a shaky grip on the hefty armament, the half-elf took aim and squeeze the trigger only to despair when the bolt she fired had missed her mark entirely and disappeared somewhere into the swamp.

    Aridean was slowly being carried through the air over toward the incredible bloom of white and red that had swallowed Vladimir whole.  With a shake of her head, Magdalene threw down the weapon in her hands and jumped back down to the marshy ground.  She ran for the edge of the water that pooled just off the side of the trail, her hands starting to glow brightly with an absolutely incandescent aura.  The half-elf lifted both of her hands and beams of light were launched from her open palms in the direction of the vines that ensnared Aridean.  Again and again, the bright bolts failed to connect with the green tentacle and Aridean had shut her eyes tight at the sight of the approaching teeth within the center of the abominable bloom.

    ¡°W-wahh!¡±  Aridean could be heard screaming as she felt her entire body cast from side to side in the air.  After a moment, the minotaur was released from the vines that constricted her and her body was launched over the water where she landed upon the ground just a few feet from Magdalene.  Another screech erupted from the bizarre flora and its vines once more flailed wildly through the air and dark waters.  Aridean, after a moment to catch her breath looked from the massive plant that had nearly made a meal out of her to the young half-elf that seemed to be lost in examining her brightly glowing palms.

    ¡°Maggie¡­ you¡­ you saved me,¡± Aridean said with both surprise and disbelief in her voice.  Magdalene, however, appeared to be just as confused by the minotaur¡¯s sudden freedom from the monstrous flower.  The girl simply looked into her glowing hands, entirely dumbfounded.  After a moment, she lifted her gaze to meet Aridean¡¯s eyes and slightly shook her head while maintaining an anxious and baffled expression.

    ¡°T-that¡­ that wasn¡¯t me,¡± announced Magdalene.  Both the girls pressed each of their hands to their ears as the abominable plant let loose a fierce and deafening cry.  As the ringing that threatened to shatter their eardrums slowly subsided, the two turned to see the dragolia¡¯s remaining vine-like appendages flailing about and slamming against the swamp water that surrounded it.  Aridean¡¯s ears perked up as she managed to just make out the sound of fire being extinguished.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    What the--?  But I didn¡¯t set it on fire again¡­ Wait a second, is that¡ªAridean thought to herself before focusing in on the vine that had previously been constricting her.  The minotaur¡¯s eyes went wide as the massive, plant-based tentacle had been burned away and melted in a similar fashion to how she had done to the vine that wrapped up Magdalene.  She swallowed through the anxiety and slowly started to rise to her hooves.

    ¡°Kgh!  Ugh!¡±  moaned Aridean as she flopped back to the ground in pain.  It burned and ached, the sensation in her leg was nearly unbearable.  Aridean looked back to her damaged limb to see it had already swelled and found that blood mixed with muddy water was trickling down her pants.  She gritted her teeth before repositioning herself on the ground but stopped as too much motion caused the agony to flare up in her calf and thigh.

    ¡°A-Ari!¡±  Magdalene called out as she ran to the minotaur¡¯s side.  Her palms were glowing their bright, magical incandescent light as the half-elf knelt down beside her furred companion.  She went to work immediately treating Aridean¡¯s leg with her holy powered spell.  Just as the discomfort Aridean was feeling started to fade, another one of the plant¡¯s massive vines slammed down into the ground next to the two girls.  Magdalene and Aridean covered their faces from the dust and dirt that jumped up at them, the brilliant glow dissipating from the formers¡¯ hands quickly as she lost focus.

    As the minotaur and half-elf lowered their arms, they refocused on the man-eating flora that threatened them.  Each let out a startled gasp at the sight of another large, green, leaf-dotted vine hurtling directly toward them.  Without hesitation, Aridean pushed herself up from the ground despite the lingering pain and shoved Magdalene out of the way.  Although she landed with a discomfortable grunt, the half-elf watched with fear as Aridean flopped down upon the ground again with the monstrous plant-tentacle fast approaching.

    ¡°Ari!¡±  Magdalene called out once more with noticeable more concern and fright in her tone.  Aridean turned her head and merely shut her eyes tight while she held her breath.  Her body had tensed up so much she felt as stiff as stone; the cold swamp water and mud had cut through both her clothes and fur and chilled the minotaur to her core.  There she waited for the killing blow.

    W-what¡¯s taking so long?  Aridean thought to herself as a few seconds passed and she exhaled the bated breath she carried.  Her eyes shot open upon hearing the sound of something like the chopping of vegetables and the flower reeling back in another audible screech of pain.  The minotaur blinked once and then twice before observing the shocked look on Magdalene¡¯s face a few meters away.  She turned her attention toward whatever it was that her companion seemed so alarmed by to find what the source of the plant¡¯s suffering was.

    Standing over Aridean was a tall and imposing figure.  It was hunched forward on bent, stifled knees and facing away from the minotaur behind it.  The entity before Aridean was draped in a fur poncho lined with animal fangs and covered its legs with both tattered, muddied jeans and an equally tattered, muddied loincloth.  Two belts wrapped their way around the newcomer¡¯s waist, a sword sheath on each hip.  Both of the strangers¡¯ hands each carried a well-used short sword.  What really caught Aridean¡¯s attention, however, were the dark-green scales that covered this peculiar individual¡¯s hands, arms, visible torso, head, legs, and large tail.  Aridean¡¯s eyes widened again upon registering that she had just been rescued by a lizarian.

    ¡°W-what?¡±  Aridean stuttered as the stranger shifted his stance and held his blades at the ready, pointed toward the monstrous plant.

    ¡°It coming,¡± announced the lizardman with a deep and rumbling voice.  As he spoke, he shifted his stance slightly, balancing on his clawed toes that rested upon the cold mud.  Aridean simply watched her savior with astonishment before being snapped back to reality as another one of the horrid, flesh-eating plant¡¯s vines slapped up the muddied terrain next to her.  With an agitated grunt, the lizardman charged the massive floral beast while shouting, ¡°Kallak riin tyu!¡±

    ¡°W-wait!  T-that thing¡¯s dangerous!¡±  Aridean shouted after the lizarian.  Her words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as the reptilian man continued to rush through the swamp water on his warpath.  She saw the strange character slow only slightly as bubbles broke the surface of the water he waded through.  Within the blink of an eye, the plant¡¯s roots shot through the water and underlying, rich and loose soil in an effort to impale the lizardman.

    Fortunately, the lizarian arched his back backwards at just the right time that the oddly sharpened roots shot just above his puffed out chest.  Within the span of a breath, both arms, each carrying their own blade, were swung to the opposite side of his body.  The horrific flower¡¯s roots fell back to the cold water with a loud plop as the body itself once more flailed its vines wildly in agony as more of its being was severed with a single attack.

    Muddied liquid splashed the stranger and he tightened his stance as the flailing continued.  However, Aridean let out a frightened gasp at the sight of the lizarian being struck by a thick, verdant tendril in the same fashion she had earlier.  The reptilian could be heard gasping as the air was funneled out of his lungs by the forceful blow.  His body sailed over the swamp for a moment before Aridean caught the bright green glow contained in her savior¡¯s hands.

    As the lizarian sailed through the air above the murky, cool water, Aridean watched as he tucked his legs in toward his chest and kept his head held low.  His entire body seemed to rotate as his scaled feet quickly rose over his head and the lizard man¡¯s head had actually fallen to just a few inches above the water.  His body began to roll backward through the air and a glowing hand was extended toward the waist-deep waters as the scaled head started to come up.  Aridean¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the lizardman¡¯s magic instantaneously transforming the water beneath him into a small, roughly circular platform of thick ice.

    ¡°Hassh tu¡¯beyign!¡±  the lizarian growled audibly as his clawed toes clicked against his makeshift island.  Aridean watched as the bright green aura that surrounded the scaled one¡¯s hand grow even more brilliant.  The lizarian arched his back, tail flailing behind him as he released an uproarious war cry.  His body became visibly tensed and rigid as his grip on the magical and icy terrain tightened.  In an instant, the water between the stranger and the massive flower froze over.  Aridean watched, entirely enchanted by the magic trail of frost quickly climbing up the floral body.  All of the movement from the gargantuan bloom slowed as it had become fully encased in a shell of ice.

    ¡°A-amazing¡­¡± Aridean stammered as the frozen flower began to slump over.  The lizarian had managed to halt the monstrous plant¡¯s rampage by freezing it solid.  Without another word, the lizardman rose to his feet and stomped down upon the ice he had magically formed.  The snapping and cracking of ice uproariously pounded against Aridean¡¯s eardrums as visible crevices formed in the frozen casing that wrapped the massive, man-eating flower.  Large chunks of the ice erupted from the body, some peeling apart considerable parts of the plant, and splashed into the swamp where the ice slowly melted and rejoined the mire.  As the icy shell finally fell away, the colossal frond wilted down.

    ¡°Ari, are you okay?¡±  Magdalene¡¯s voice called out to the shocked Aridean.  The minotaur was snapped out of her enchanted trance hearing the girl¡¯s voice and the squish of mud nearing her.  Magdalene knelt down beside Aridean and immediately drew upon her magics, hands glowing brilliantly as they hovered over the minotaur¡¯s furred and battered leg.  An audible snort could be heard coming from out over the swampy waters.

    Aridean and Magdalene turned to see the lizarian, standing straight up atop his frigid island in the middle of the bog.  His eyes were focused upon the two as he sheathed his blades.  Aridean, feeling the pain in her body fade away, shifted upon the moist ground and rose to her hooves as the lizarian jumped from his platform and into the water.  Magdalene¡¯s face filled with visible skepticism while Aridean¡¯s revealed her unease as the scaled individual waded through the water toward them.  Brown-tinged water flowed down his waist and tattered clothing as he climbed back onto land.  The lizarian¡¯s eyes shifted between the half-elf and the minotaur that waited silently in front of him.

    Just as their new acquaintance examined them, Aridean performed a mental scan of the lizarian as well.  The clothes that draped his lower body were soaked with muddied water and stained brown with the wet dirt.  His arms and legs were thick with muscle and the green scales that covered his skin were disrupted numerous scars; a bite from an animal on one arm and large scratches on his other.  Even the lizarian¡¯s torso had noticeable, aged wounds and even a scar made its way over his right eye.  It appeared nothing less than a miracle had kept the stranger from losing any limbs.  Aridean was a bit frightened to find that she and the lizardman before her were approximately the same height.

    ¡°Gav¡¯tuu and¡­¡± the reptilian called out while looking toward Aridean.  As his voice trailed off, his eyes focused intently upon Magdalene.  Noticing who had now captured his attention, the young girl¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion.

    ¡°W-what are you looking at me like that for?¡±  Magdalene asked with as much authority as she could muster.  Aridean was somewhat surprised to hear the girl stutter; she had so easily snapped at her and her friends the first day they met.  To think that Magdalene was on edge by a single lizarian left Aridean a bit astonished.  Nevertheless, the half-elf leaned toward Aridean and began to whisper, ¡°A-Ari¡­ lizarians d-don¡¯t eat half-elves, r-right?¡±

    ¡°Hana¡­?¡±  the lizardman spoke with uncertainty as he approached Magdalene.  The girl, clearly offput by the imposing, scaled form drawing near her, backed her way behind Aridean.  Although his cold, sharp eyes did not give away anything, the reptilian cocked his head to the side.  With a frustrated sounding grunt, he continued his march forward.  Both of the girls took a nervous step back as the lizarian leaned in toward them, his slitted pupils narrowing in on Magdalene as his forked tongue flicked in and out of his mouth.

    ¡°T-thanks for the help, b-but¡­ what are you doing?¡±  Aridean asked hesitantly.  The scaled individual stood straight up once more and glanced toward the minotaur.  He shook his head before looking back to the half-elf hiding behind Aridean.

    ¡°Not hana; part kervish,¡± the lizardman said before folding his muscled arms over his partially covered chest.  His slitted pupils shifted back and forth between Aridean and Magdalene in a fashion that could only be described as impatient.  Although the minotaur was left somewhat baffled by the stranger¡¯s mannerisms, the half-elf eased her way out from behind her towering companion.

    ¡°Part ¡®kervish¡¯?  Ari, what does anything he¡¯s saying mean?¡±  Magdalene asked while looking up to Aridean.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, I never learned lizarian speech,¡± replied Aridean after a brief shake of her head.  With wide eyes, she immediately returned her attention to the group¡¯s guest as he had begun to emanate a low growl.  Although the lizarian seemed to be growing more and more restless, Magdalene had chosen to ignore the worrying sound.

    ¡°Great¡­ the first lizarian we run across and we don¡¯t even know how to talk to him,¡± Magdalene seemed to complain aloud.  Both her and Aridean, however, remembered that Vladimir had been saying he had sought the aid of the lizarian people long ago.  Each of the girls glanced toward the massive flower that had swallowed up their comrade.  With clear hesitancy, Magdalene heaved a grunt before continuing, ¡°As much as I don¡¯t like it, should we get Vlad?  Maybe he could translate for us.¡±

    ¡°Right, he did mention he¡¯s spoken with lizarians before.  I¡¯ll go cut him out now,¡± Aridean answered before kneeling down to rearm herself with her battle axe.  However, just as she lifted a hoof in the direction of the massive flower that had devoured Vladimir, the lizardman moved to stop her.  He cocked his head as he locked eyes with the alarmed minotaur.

    ¡°What gav¡¯tuu doing?  Hana dead.  Eaten by dragon-bloom.  Not good death: very painful,¡± the reptilian individual explained.  His deep voice and broken English made it hard to tell if he were speaking with anger in his words or morbid curiosity.  Either way, Aridean initially failed to collect herself and provide an adequate answer.

    ¡°You have¡­ quite the way with words,¡± Magdalene commented with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.  Aridean glanced back to the girl in mud-stained church clothes before looking back to the strange lizardman that impeded her path forward.  She took a deep breath as she thought about how to explain that Vladimir was most likely not truly dead as the lizarian claimed.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ W-well¡­ w-we¡¯d still like to retrieve his body, j-just to make certain,¡± Aridean claimed with obvious anxiousness in her voice.  The lizarian¡¯s only response was to furrow his scaled brows and flick his tongue out toward the minotaur again.

    ¡°Hana dead,¡± he announced once more whilst shaking his head.  Despite his insistence that cutting open the flower would be a fruitless endeavor, the lizardman took a step to his side and allowed Aridean past.  Given access to the dragolia bloom that had swallowed Vladimir and attempted to kill her and Magdalene, Aridean proceeded forward.  However, as she passed the strange lizard man, her eyes ran up and down his body as she scanned the peculiar individual with uncertainty.

    Her attention returned to the flower she was walking toward as her hooves splashed down into the muddied swamp water once more.  The cold water soaked into both her pants and fur and even drenched her tail somewhat as the swamp was much deeper than she had anticipated.  Aridean wadded over to where the massive bloom lay in the swamp and examined the bulge in the stem that must have been Vladimir.  With a nervous gulp, the minotaur hefted her battle axe upward and first chopped at the thick plant, cutting off the beautiful, if lethal, flower.

    The bloom splashed slightly in the water before slowly starting to float elsewhere.  Aridean carefully sliced into the stem, cutting her way down to just above where the plant grew engorged with its final meal.  The minotaur returned her axe to the holster on her back before grabbing at the two cut folds with each hand.  Aridean peeled the flower stem open, slowly revealing Vladimir as the plant flesh was torn apart.

    Eventually, the plant stem seemed to relax as Aridean ripped into it and Vladimir finally dropped out of his floral prison.  His body splashed down into the water of the swamp in front of Aridean.  The nobleman remained motionless for a while; much to the apparent frustration of the lizardman standing on the bank with Magdalene.  The group¡¯s guest had begun to hiss loudly while keeping his arms folded.  However, the agitated hissing noises were silenced immediately as Vladimir¡¯s floating body shifted.

    ¡°Vlad?  You alright?¡±  Aridean asked as the man stood up in the swamp water alongside her.  Vladimir took a moment to collect himself and wipe away at some sticky substance that had coated him while the plant attempted to digest him.

    ¡°Ough¡­ gracious, that was most unpleasant.  I certainly would not recommend it to anyone, least of all anyone mortal,¡± Vladimir replied with an air of nonchalance in his voice.  Any concern Aridean might have held had immediately vanished.  Both minotaur and human made their way through the murky water back to where Magdalene waited alongside a shocked lizarian.  Vladimir wrung swamp water out of his long ponytail before turning to Aridean with a smile on his face, ¡°My thanks for releasing me from that foul-smelling prison, Ms. Gray.  Oh dear, all this mud¡­ I do hope that I am able to find a good change of clothes soon; this is quite undignified¡­¡±

    You have such weird priorities for someone who can survive being impaled and swallowed by a man-eating flower¡­ Aridean thought herself.  Although her unease with the man¡¯s strange comment made itself known, she refrained from speaking.  However, Magdalene huffed annoyedly at the muddied nobleman standing beside of the equally mud-stained minotaur.

    ¡°Hana¡­ not dead?¡±  the large, scaled individual confusedly said aloud.  Vladimir turned to face the newcomer as the latter leaned in toward him.  Both Aridean and Magdalene were left entirely baffled by the lizarian¡¯s peculiar need to smell the immortal human.  The stranger continued to sniff at Vladimir while circling around him; his forked tongued slipped in and out of his mouth between inhales.  After a moment of analysis, the lizarian shook his head and a mild irritation was made visible in his expression, ¡°Smells dead.  Tastes dead.¡±

    ¡°Well, technically speaking, I suppose I am.  Ah, do forgive me, you must have provided assistance to Ms. Gray and Ms. Yorre while I was indisposed.  You have my gratitude, Mr.¡­?¡±  Vladimir replied with his usual courtesy and dignified tone despite having just been cut out of a flower that had meant to make a meal of him.  As the man attempted to wring muddied water from his sleeves, the lizardman in front of him cocked his head to one side with a confused look about him.  For a moment, the stranger¡¯s mouth moved and the words escaping his throat were near inaudible.

    ¡°What grah-ti-tood mean?¡±  the lizarian eventually asked Vladimir after apparently having taken a moment to silently practice the word.

    ¡°Vlad did say that lizarians were a weird bunch¡­¡± Magdalene whispered to Aridean.  Although the minotaur did agree with the half-elf, she refrained from commenting further so as not to elicit any reprisal from the group¡¯s guest.  With a quick but deep breath, Magdalene turned toward Vladimir as the nobleman brushed mud from his trousers, ¡°Vlad, you spent time in the swamp before, do you know how to speak to lizarians?¡±

    ¡°But of course!  I¡¯m glad to see that I am not going to be a useless addition for the course of this mission.  While I am a bit rusty, I do know the lizarian tongue.  Was there something that confused you two prior to Ms. Gray releasing me?¡±  answered Vladimir with his usual enthusiasm.

    ¡°He keeps saying ¡®hana¡¯,¡± Aridean chimed in.  Both Aridean and Magdalene turned to face the lizarian as he began to growl.  A clawed finger was lifted from his side and pointed in the direction of Vladimir.

    ¡°Corpse is hana,¡± announced the stranger with a deep and impatient tone.  Vladimir gave a light chuckle, clearly entertained by the newcomer¡¯s strange complacency with how he continued to be alive.  As the man¡¯s amusement settled down, Vladimir gave a gentle smile and crossed his hands behind his back with his chest out and head held high.

    ¡°¡®Corpse,¡¯ hmm?  I suppose that is one way of looking at me.  In any event, I would imagine he would be using that word quite a bit if he saw our group.  ¡®Hana¡¯ is simply the word for human in the lizarian tongue.  I¡¯m going to guess that he¡¯s already brought up the term ¡®gav¡¯tuu¡¯ as well, yes?¡±  Vladimir began to explain.  As he brought up the second foreign term, Vladimir turned to face Aridean.  The minotaur glanced from the human smiling at her to the reptilian glaring in her direction.  Her nerves were a bit off put by the unsettling stare he was giving her but she still managed to nervously swallow before nodding to Vladimir.  ¡°Gav¡¯tuu is just their word for minotaur.¡±

    ¡°And he said I¡¯m part ¡®kervish,¡¯ whatever that one means,¡± Magdalene announced while also eying the team¡¯s guest uneasily.  A mixture of astonished intrigue made itself known upon Vladimir¡¯s expression as he glanced between Magdalene and the lizarian.  Another amused laugh escaped his lips, albeit a bit more brief than before.

    ¡°Oh, he could tell, could he?  It would seem our friend here could sense your elven blood, Ms. Yorre.  ¡®Kervish¡¯ is elf when translated in the lizarian tongue,¡± answered Vladimir after a few seconds of surveying the large lizardman standing alongside him and the two ladies.  The group¡¯s guest seemed to be growing ever more impatient as he huffed annoyedly and crossed his arms over his poncho-covered chest.

    ¡°Hana, kani, gav¡¯tuu¡­ nallahk zhi tashni.  Hmm,¡± the peculiar, scaled man seemed to tell himself.  His deep voice rumbled in his throat as he began to think to himself.  All the while, the lizarian continued to flick his tongue out toward the unlikely group mashed together in front of him.  He almost seemed to let loose a hiss of disappointment after he concluded his mental survey of the squad that had come to the swamplands.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ Vlad, what¡¯s he doing with his tongue?¡±  Aridean asked anxiously.

    ¡°Ah, that, a fascinating ability the lizarians have developed.  Their tongues are able to transmit tastes to a specialized organ that helps--,¡± Vladimir again began to explain with his usual enthusiasm.  His voice was quickly drowned out by the impatient growling coming from the team¡¯s guest.  With all eyes on the lizarian, he ceased his guttural snarling but maintained a rather hostile expression upon his face.

    ¡°What warm bloods doing in swamp?¡±  the lizarian demanded to know with aggression in his voice.

    ¡°We are here acting as ambassadors for the rebellion that is fighting for the freedom of the minotaur people throughout the empire,¡± Aridean answered promptly and with as much confidence as the usually timid minotaur could manage.  However, not even halfway through her statement did the lizarian¡¯s anger fade entirely.  His mouth moved, but no audible sounds escaped the scaled individual¡¯s throat.

    ¡°What am-bass-uh-doors mean?¡±  asked the lizarian with several degrees of fury less than he had previously demonstrated.

    ¡°Dear Lord, give me patience¡­¡± Magdalene muttered aloud whilst rolling her eyes.  Her comment, however, did not go unnoticed by the tall lizardman.  His intimidating gaze shifted focus onto the young half-elf.  Having observed that she had caught his attention again, Magdalene slowly began to hide away behind Aridean again.

    ¡°Lord?  Hana God¡­ priestess?  Kani use God magic¡­¡± the lizarian seemed to say to himself with his head tilted to the side.  After a second of thought, the stranger stood up straight while facing his entire body toward Magdalene.  Both Aridean and Magdalene raised a brow in curiosity as the reptilian gave a deep bow while announcing, ¡°Paltu shirrha, Priestess.¡±

    ¡°Vlad?¡±  Magdalene called out.  With a smile on his face, Vladimir nodded before taking in a breath.

    ¡°Oh, yes, one of those ¡®mundane¡¯ methods of remedying a lizarian¡¯s temper is to engage in conversation regarding faith or deities,¡± explained the mud-soaked noble.  Both Aridean and Magdalene glanced toward one another before looking back to the lizarian.  Fortunately, the team¡¯s guest had entirely halted any aggressive behavior as he stood up straight once more.  Magdalene hesitantly moved out from behind Aridean and stood at the minotaur¡¯s side while still watching the lizardman intently.

    ¡°Okay¡­ why?¡±  Magdalene further probed.

    ¡°Although they have their own faith, lizarians--,¡± Vladimir, again, attempted to explain.

    ¡°Gods powerful, strong.  Priestess fight with God.  Worth respect,¡± interjected their new acquaintance.  As he concluded his answer, the reptilian folded his muscled arms over his chest again before heaving an impatient sigh.  His eyes shifted over to Aridean where they scanned the minotaur from horn to hoof, almost as if he were sizing her up in preparation for a fight.  Fortunately, although his gaze lingered, the lizarian merely grunted.

    Power¡­ I know that¡¯s a big deal to them and Vlad was saying they are open with their hostilities¡­ but is that all they care about?  Aridean pondered to herself.  The minotaur took in a quick breath.

    ¡°Could you help us?  We need to speak with a lizarian of high status,¡± Aridean asked the lizarian.

    And preferably knows English, the minotaur mentally considered adding to her request.  Her brow once again rose on her furred and horned dome as the lizarian flicked his forked tongue out at her several times over a minute.

    ¡°High shaman in Miahnn¡¯uli,¡± answered the reptile after a moment of silence apart from the veritable noises of the swamp.  Hearing his response, both Aridean and Magdalene witnessed the expression on Vladimir¡¯s face seemingly light up like the sun.

    ¡°Miahnn¡¯uli?  Ah, yes, that was my first stop during my previous venture into the swamplands,¡± Vladimir chimed in with a restrained excitement in his tone.

    ¡°So, you know where it is?¡±  Magdalene asked with a wry smirk on her face.  Whatever contentment the half-elf seemed to be experiences, however, dissipated instantly as Vladimir shook his head back and forth.

    ¡°Oh, heavens no, I just did the talking.  The company I kept at the time were much better suited for remembering directions and driving the wagon,¡± replied the nobleman, all the while maintaining his delighted expression.  Magdalene heaved and annoyed grunt at the answer and seemed to sink forward as she arched her back and let her hands hang loosely in the air.

    ¡°Can you help in any way that isn¡¯t just talking?  Lord, help us¡­¡± the half-elf remarked with a frustrated sigh.  Vladimir, however, seemed to find the frustration Magdalene was suffering particularly enjoyable.  The human man let out a quiet chuckle as the half-elven girl merely sighed once more.  One of her hands reached up to wipe sweat off her forehead and move some of her golden, blonde hair out of her face.  Aridean shook her head before turning her attention back to the lizarian while the young girl seemed to melt a bit from the hot, moist air that filled the area.

    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have any maps of the Wiir Swamplands.  Could we ask you to lead us to Miahnn¡¯uli?¡±  Aridean asked as confidently as she could manage.

    ¡°No,¡± answered the lizardman, both bluntly and with a shake of his head.  Aridean¡¯s ears fell flat against her horned dome and whatever confidence she had previously mustered had vanished in an instant.

    ¡°Wait, what?!  You step in to save us from a giant weed but you won¡¯t just give us some simple directions?¡±  Magdalene interjected with abundant frustration.  The group¡¯s guest folded his arms again and, despite the half-elf having called out to him, remained fixated on the minotaur.  Aridean was quickly growing anxious being the object of this stranger¡¯s focus.

    ¡°Dragon bloom flower, not weed,¡± the lizarian replied, his deep voice making the supposed nonchalance come across more stern or annoyed.  Vladimir quietly laughed to himself once more, to which Magdalene seemed to take offense.  The girl glared at the mud-coated gentleman while groaning her agitation with him.

    ¡°W-well, uhm, could you at least point us toward Miahnn¡¯uli?¡±  Aridean barely managed to inquire as she ignored her companions squabbling at her side.

    ¡°No,¡± answered the lizarian, both bluntly and with a shake of his head.  The single word left Aridean with a feeling as if she had just been punched in the stomach.  She swallowed anxiously before taking a deep breath.

    ¡°I, uhm¡­ I¡¯m sorry?  W-why can¡¯t you at least tell us where this Miahnn¡¯uli is?¡±  stammered the flustered Aridean as her hands clasped together.  Her furred digits rubbed up and down one another apprehensively.  Her eyes lit up with a bit of fright as the lizardman began to growl whilst his piercing gaze locked with the minotaur¡¯s own.

    ¡°Turn around, leave swamp.  Live longer,¡± barked the warrior.  Slowly, as understanding dawned on her, Aridean¡¯s uneasy expression melted away as her eyes lit up with interest.  Vladimir had joined in her sudden curiosity; the human having lifted the brow over his right eye as he inspected the scaled individual curiously.

    ¡°Live longer?  O-oh, y-you must think we might run into more trouble like with that dragolia,¡± replied Aridean despite her flustered nerves still troubling her.  She paused for a moment as she thought how she might convince the stranger to aid them.  She thought of what this mission meant for the rebellion, for Mikali, and also for her cherished friends.  With a deep breath in and out, a certain spark filled Aridean¡¯s eyes as she addressed the lizarian, ¡°We¡¯ve been on the road for too long to just turn around now.  We¡¯ve people depending on us.  Please, we are not about to just leave now.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± the reptilian hummed to himself.  His slitted pupils fell and rose in his eyes as he surveyed Aridean once more.  The minotaur had managed to put some more sureness in her stance that the lizarian was silently judging.  Eventually, after a moment of otherwise silence, the lizardman grunted before one hand was lifted and pointed further into the swamp.  Having granted the team what they were looking for, the stranger locked eyes with Aridean and his deep voice rumbled, ¡°Die strong, gav¡¯tuu.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ uhhh¡­ y-you too?¡±  Aridean fumbled her response as she had not anticipated such an extraordinary send off.  With a nod of his head, the lizardman began to depart from the group, walking in the opposite direction of where he had directed the strange trio.  As the scaled feet squished through mud and moved further away, only disappearing behind some brush and thick trees some distance from where the three stood.  Each of the remaining travelers wore curious or befuddled expressions upon their faces.

    ¡°Well¡­ that was interesting,¡± commented Magdalene as she swatted away some mosquitos that had been drawn in by the sweat on her brow.

    ¡°He was a bit unusual even for a lizarian¡­ I never would have imagined one would aid us in such a predicament.  They are a very ¡®survival of the fittest¡¯ type of people,¡± Vladimir chimed in with a hand to his chin.  The cursed noble hummed his own curiosity before allowing his hand to fall back to his side.

    I had never met a lizarian, not even back in Thellia.  I had heard about them, but never thought I¡¯d meet one.  He definitely wasn¡¯t what I had expected and¡­ I¡¯m not entirely sure that¡¯s a good thing, Aridean mentally considered as the watched the thick, scaled tail follow the body behind the less life-threatening foliage of the swamp.  After a moment to collect her thoughts, the minotaur turned to her companions and let out a relieved sigh after having survived two stressful ordeals in quick succession.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back in the wagon¡­ maybe we¡¯ll see him at that Miahnn¡¯uli place,¡± Aridean gently suggested.  Each of the minotaur¡¯s companions nodded their agreement and made for the wooden wagon; the horses having calmed since the commotion had quieted down.  Magdalene and Vladimir both climbed into the back as Aridean walked around to the front to climb up to the driver¡¯s seat.  The minotaur paused, standing in the cool mud beside of her transport, and stared out in the direction that the stranger had left in.  She shook her head before climbing back into her seat and taking the reins.  With a gentle whip of the straps that connected to her loyal equines, the wagon began to slowly trudge across the muddied trail once again.

 Chapter 33 - Cold Blooded Hospitality

    Thin rays of sunlight poked through the few, sparse punctures in the ceiling of dark green overhead as the old wagon was pulled across the muddied trail.  Horse hooves tread over the soggy terrain with audible squishes and plops as they pulled the wagon along.  Fortunately, the mud was not so deep as to get the old wooden wheels stuck, but the horses had certainly slowed their pace since having set out through the muggy swamp.  Since having started on the road again, the trio that rode in the wagon had been mostly silent, save for the occasional overly exaggerated gulping of cold water from canteens or frustrated panting.

    Warm and humid air hung all throughout the swamp, no breeze able to blow through the many trees that were either partially submerged or resting atop the marshy soil.  Small flying insects buzzed across water lilies that floated on the surface of the murky waters and a small snake quickly slithered across the damp road as the horses drew near.  Occasional croaks of the swamp-dwelling frogs and toads broke the otherwise silence as did a rare splash somewhere out of view.  The water¡¯s surface was only disturbed by the small, rippling waves caused by whatever had just jumped in and was otherwise still and reflected the image of the wagon and the group traveling in it.

    Just the same as before, both Magdalene and Vladimir had taken their seats in the back of the wagon.  Magdalene still sat with her back leaning against the wagon wall right behind Aridean and was busy trying to rub dirt out of her blue skirt.  Beads of sweat trickled down the girl¡¯s temples and forehead, yet she had managed to stay her tongue concerning her discomfort with the surrounding climate for the time being.  Vladimir sat near the opposite end of the wagon again, although he had engaged himself in trying to clean his own uniform rather than return to his reading.

    As her companions continued their efforts to scrub their clothes clean of the wet dirt that stained them, Aridean sat in the driver¡¯s seat to the old wagon.  Her tired eyes focused on the muddied road ahead of the group, beyond the occasionally flicking ears of the two horses that pulled them through the marshy area.  Aridean¡¯s own ear flicked at a familiar sound echoing from beyond some trees just ahead; it was the unmistakable sound of metal clashing with metal.  Vladimir had mentioned it:  the lizarian people were quite brutish and openly hostile toward others.  Aridean¡¯s body grew uncomfortably warmer as she pondered whether a battle had broken out or not, and if so then between who?

    ¡°Uhm¡­ V-Vlad, d-do you hear that?¡±  Aridean asked anxiously as she turned her head back to the human behind her.  Vladimir lifted his gaze from where he was focused on cleaning one of his boots, his one free eye meeting with Aridean¡¯s two before he looked beyond the minotaur.  Curious, Magdalene first glanced to Vladimir before shifting in her seat just behind Aridean and looking out into the swamp ahead of the group.  The young half-elven girl¡¯s brows rose slightly at the sight of a massive bonfire and smokestack coming into view.

    ¡°Oh, yes, now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I do hear that.  Does the sound of battle alarm you, Ms. Gray?  Although I cannot say for certain, I would not worry about it until we reach Miahnn¡¯uli.  It may just be a simple spar between lizarians; they can be quite temperamental with even their own kin,¡± explained Vladimir while slipping his foot back into the boot he had been trying to clean.  Aridean watched the human for only a moment as he seemed to grumble over the muddied state of his coat before returning her attention back toward the road.  She could feel her own heart beating against her chest as her ears pounded by the sound of the weapons clashing against one another somewhere in the distance.

    Despite the appearance of the bonfire ahead indicating that the group was approaching their destination, Aridean¡¯s entire body began to heat up uncomfortably.  Her legs felt weak and her hands now tightly gripped the reins to the horses.  Her fingers were curled into her palms so tightly that she could hear the creak of the leather strap that her furred digits wrapped around.  Her breathing had picked up in pace and throat had gone dry.  Her eyes slowly shifted over to the near emptied canteen sitting next to her.  With no haste and in an almost meticulous fashion, the minotaur released her grip on the reins with one hand and reached over for her canteen.

    I¡­ I¡¯m not sure about this anymore¡­ I wanted to do this for Mikali, b-but now that I¡¯m here I¡¯m not sure I can do this.  I-it¡¯s just me now; Rana and Vidor aren¡¯t here anymore¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can do this, Aridean¡¯s mind buzzed like a nest of hornets.  She could feel her fingers brushing against the neck to her canteen before she slipped her palm around the small leather-encased flask.  What little water remained in the container sloshed against the walls as she brought the drink to her dry lips.  Frightened eyes remained fixed upon the muddied road that fed into a sort of tribal ground of some kind to which the centerpiece was the massive and burning bonfire.

    As the horses dragged the wagon through the shallow mud, Aridean began to take in the scene.  In all honesty, it was not what Aridean had expected from the lizarian people.  As the group began to enter the lizarian town of Miahnn¡¯uli, both the minotaur and half-elf found themselves entirely astonished with the accommodations that the lizard people had prepared in such a strange location.  Mud walls reached from the wet ground up to the roof of the peculiar structure and wooden doors hung on old hinges.  What made these strange structures unique was that the mud wall was supported by the irregular, thick roots of the massive trees that stretched high above the overhead, lush canopy.  There were even small holes cut into larger sections of dried mud which must have represented the window.

    Aside from mud buildings that were built under the roots of trees, the unusual town had some other note-worthy scenes.  First, just off the mud trail that the wagon continued to lazily roll down was a small fishing hut, multiple canoes and nets strewn out across the space next to the hut.  The scent of both fresh and not-so-fresh catches hung in the warm and moist air, much to the mild despair of the trio that rode in their wagon past it.  Only a single signpost had been installed along the road.  However, the script upon the posted signboard was in the lizarian tongue and even somewhat faded from the wear of the weather and years.  Finally, only a handful of the local inhabitants wandered through the village; each and every single one not without battle-scars, large weapons on their person, nothing more than loincloths to cover themselves, and cold, piercing eyes fixated upon the wagon that had just made its way into Miahnn¡¯uli.

    All the while that the group had been riding through the small village, the clashing of metal against metal continued to ring out.  Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the uncomfortable sound of someone crying out in pain and frighteningly familiar slicing of flesh.  With unease in her eyes, the minotaur hesitantly turned to see a small collection of the locals huddled around two others.  A chill ran down Aridean¡¯s spine at the sight of one of the scaled individuals collapsing on the ground with large gashes running across an arm and leg, both leaking a copious amount of red down his dark green scales.  Beside the now incapacitated lizarian lay a large great sword; it was readily apparent that this one must have been the losing party in a duel of some sort.

    Aridean¡¯s eyes shifted over to the other lizarian that still stood in the center of the small crowd.  This one seemed exceptionally pleased with himself as he hoisted both of his hand axes over his head in triumph.  All around the victor, his fellow lizardmen either roared their applause or simply nodded their acknowledgement of his accomplishment.  As the uproar slowly began to die down, the crowd had started to disperse with haste.  Although the onlookers and the victor began to leave the scene, just the same as the previous lizarians Aridean had observed, they too glared coldly at the three travelers as their wagon continued to roll across the muddy trail.

    They¡¯re just leaving him like that?  H-he can¡¯t even get up like that¡­  How could they be so cruel to their own kind?  Aridean pondered to herself after she managed to compose herself enough to refocus on the lizarian lying upon the ground.  She could see that a small pool of crimson was slowly starting to form upon the ground around him, slowly flowing down the incline and into the cool, swampy water that rested just a few feet from the defeated lizardman.

    ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯s a literal mud-hut village,¡± Magdalene commented aloud as she began inspecting the scene that the group had found themselves in; seemingly oblivious to what Aridean had just observed.  The young girl had turned over and supported herself with both hands on the wall of wagon, her knees resting on the wooden floor.  While Aridean¡¯s eyes did shift with curiosity from side to side as she inspected the unfamiliar surroundings, Magdalene shifted in the back of wagon to get a better view of everything.  It seemed as if the half-elf was entirely unaware of the attention that the group had managed to collect from the locals.  Every burrowing and hostile gaze was enough to set Aridean¡¯s nerves into a panic.

    Despite her discomfort and both of her companions seeming obliviousness to the air of aggression that the lizarians exuded, Aridean found a suitable spot along the muddied road to stop the wagon.  As the minotaur pulled back on their reins, both horses came to an abrupt stop.  Each of the noble and reliable steeds let loose an audible huff as they shook their heads, sending their manes whipping back and forth.  As the two equines that had steadily dragged the wagon all the way through their journey came to a stop, Aridean hesitantly and reluctantly jumped down from her seat.

    Mud squished loudly under her hooves and the cool sensation felt nice given the unfortunately abysmal climate that Aridean found herself in.  She could feel her hands trembling slightly by the inhospitable stares and muffled snarling in a tongue she did not understand.  Although the minotaur¡¯s fur stood on ends from the top of her back down to her tail, Aridean picked up her hooves and started to move around the wagon.  Every squish of mud under her tread and deep breath helped to calm her nerves as the minotaur started to make for the unconscious lizardman laying next to the swamp.  Vladimir and Magdalene both shifted in the back of the wagon to watch as she stepped off the road and into the wet grass.

    ¡°Ari?  Where are you go¡ªw-whoa!  W-what happened there?¡±  Magdalene asked, the young girl visibly tensing up at the sight of the reptilian soaking in his own blood.  Aridean had paused her advance for only a moment to look back at her companions; the minotaur took a deep breath and clenched her fists.  Aridean began to move her lips, yet nothing escaped her throat.  Although the only visible brow on Vladimir¡¯s face rose in curiosity, Magdalene gasped her surprise.  The young girl grit her teeth before vaulting over the wall of the wagon and dropping to the muddied ground beneath her.  Wet dirt jumped up and splashed the half-elf¡¯s shoes whereupon she immediately moved to catch up to Aridean.  A wry smile spread across the minotaurs lips as the half-elf zoomed past her, an incandescent glow surrounding her palms as she neared the lizarian.

    ¡°O-oh!  Ms. Gray, Ms. Yorre!  Y-you needn¡¯t--,¡± Vladimir called out to the two young ladies from the wagon.  Nevertheless, both Magdalene and Aridean reached the collapsed lizarian.  Having disregarded Vladimir¡¯s comment, both the half-elf and minotaur knelt down on both sides of the reptilian.

    ¡°Hey, are you okay?  Can you hear me?¡±  Aridean called out softly as she gently rolled the lizardman over onto his back.  Rivers of crimson oozed from the deep wounds on his body, some collecting on the minotaur¡¯s fingers as she repositioned the unresponsive lizarian.  Aridean glanced up toward Magdalene, who gave a nod of her head before extending her brilliantly glowing hands over the bleeding injuries on their patient.  While the young half-elf channeled her magic and resealed the lizarian¡¯s scaled flesh, Aridean had produced a rag from her bag and begun wiping clean the blood that stained him.

    ¡°Outsider!¡±  came a loud and deep snarl from somewhere nearby.  Magdalene had chosen to ignore the distraction, but Aridean turned her head in surprise that a lizarian now seemed to care about their fallen kin.  However, the minotaur gasped at the sight before her and immediately dropped her now red-stained rag to the moist ground beside her.

    ¡°Maggie!¡±  Aridean cried as she frantically repositioned herself on her hooves and leapt over the unconscious lizarian between her and her companion.  Aridean heard Magdalene gasp in fright as she grabbed hold of the half-elf.  Now with Magdalene secured, Aridean nimbly rolled through the air and managed to bring her legs up as her upper back brushed the cold grass beneath her.  She grit her teeth as her body came into contact with the ground once more and finished out her dive over the lizarian with a somersault that ended with her hooves splashing down in the swamp water.  Although the minotaur felt a bit of discomfort from where she had rolled over the haft of her battle axe strapped to her back, she quickly released her hold on Magdalene and reached for her weapon.

    ¡°Ms. Gray!  Ms. Yorre!¡±  Vladimir called once more with a sense of urgency in his voice.  The man leapt from the back of the wagon and had begun to make his way over to the scene.  Magdalene, still surprised by Aridean¡¯s sudden actions looked up to the minotaur that now rose from the ground and moved in front of her.  As she slowly began to recompose herself, Magdalene¡¯s gaze slowly shifted back over to the fallen reptilian whereupon she gasped in fright once more.  Precisely where the young girl had been sitting as she attempted to tend to the wounded now rested a long broadsword, the hilt of which was held firmly by tensed, scaled hands.

    ¡°W-what are you doing?!  W-we were just trying to help!¡±  Aridean anxiously pleaded with the new lizardman that had appeared.  Her eyes slowly scanned the immediate area to find that this one was not the only one to have taken a keen interest in her and her companions.  Fortunately, none of the others had drawn blades quite yet, but their intense glares and audible hissing told the minotaur that it would not take much to set them off.  The one lizarian to have attempted to strike at Magdalene lifted his blade from the wet soil, mud caking the edge of his weapon.  Rather than answer Aridean, the new reptile shifted his stance and held his sword out in Aridean¡¯s direction.  Just as Vladimir had come within three meters of the ongoing dispute, the lizarian had begun to rush Aridean.

    ¡°Ms. Gray!¡±  Vladimir called with his own astonishment prevalent in his tone.  Snarling, the lizarian almost seemed to fly toward the minotaur.  His blade was held at his side and prepared for a simple horizontal slash.  Still utterly baffled by the sudden encounter, Aridean kept her eyes intently focused on her assailant¡¯s blade as it started to arc forward.  Muscles in her arms, legs, and back had all stiffened in preparation as she repositioned her own weapon.  Magdalene, still somewhat dazed with shock behind Aridean, shut her eyes tight and covered her ears.  The lizarian¡¯s sword had clashed with Aridean¡¯s axe and rang out in a loud crash of steel against steel.  Without much effort, Aridean managed to push back on the blade that she had managed to parry, stumbling the lizarian backward a few steps in the process.

    ¡°Tch!  Kallak riin tyu, gav¡¯tuu!¡±  the reptilian foe snarled as he regained his footing upon the loose, cool mud.

    Huh?  Isn¡¯t that something that other one said when he saved us from that giant, man-eating flower?  What does that mea--, Aridean had begun to ponder.  Her thoughts had been abruptly interrupted as the lizarian roared and again shot forth in her direction.  He had already repositioned his sword on his opposite side and was prepared to attempt another strike.  Just the same as the first time, Aridean had managed to level her axe with the incoming blade meant to strike at her.  The clang of metal against metal rang out once more, but it seemed that the lizarian was prepared for the clash and the minotaur¡¯s attempt to throw him loose again.

    ¡°Ms. Gray!  Be careful!  Whatever happens, you mustn¡¯t relent!¡±  Vladimir called from a safe distance.  Hearing his strange instructions seemed to snap Magdalene out of her shocked stupor.  As Aridean continued to hold the lizarian that had drawn his weapon out upon the two, Magdalene quietly and quickly climbed to her feet and skirted around the skirmishing individuals.

    ¡°W-why can¡¯t she just surrender?  W-what is even happening right now?¡±  Magdalene asked Vladimir as she made her way around the scene to stand with the human as a collection of the reptilian locals began to crowd around as well.  Magdalene scanned the onlookers both confusedly and curiously; they all watched with either malicious smirks or focused intensity.  Although some seemed to snicker as if watching a play unfold, others kept silent and observed the minotaur and their kin duel.  Magdalene had only returned her attention to Vladimir as the man grunted and shook his head after his own survey of the group¡¯s unusual company.

    Y-yeah, w-what the hell is he doing?!  W-we were just trying to help the injured one!  Aridean screamed in her head as the lizarian kept his broadsword firmly pressed against her battle axe.  Her opponent snarled aggressively, his muscled frame tense and posture clearly practiced.  What little Aridean knew about the lizarians was that they were no strangers to conflict and the one before her was clearly experienced with his weapon.

    After another second of snarling, Aridean¡¯s opponent forcefully shoved his shoulder into her.  Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the minotaur stumbled back on her hooves, splashing back into the swamp again.  Although she had managed to regain her footing, Aridean had lost focus for the mere second that the lizarian had used to act.  With a combative war cry, the lizardman had brought his blade over his head with both hands wrapped firmly around the hilt and leapt into the air.  As the reptilian came down, so too did his weapon.  Panicked and anxious, Aridean simply tried to back away from the attack only to find that her hooves were caught in the mud she had backpedaled into.

    ¡°Ari!¡±  Magdalene cried out in shock as the sword and falling lizarian came back down to the ground.  The young girl had covered her eyes but could hear a loud splash of the swamp water.  All around her were the amused snorts and unclear, rumbling hums from the lizarians that also spectated the sudden battle.  The young girl had kept her eyes shut and averted from the scene until she heard Vladimir heave a relived sigh.  Initially confused by the man¡¯s sudden relief, the young half-elf glanced up to the silver-haired human before returning her gaze to the duel.  Magdalene¡¯s eyes had gone wide to see rather and a blood-stained minotaur floating in the swamp that Aridean had avoided the attack simply by falling backward into the cold water.

    ¡°W-what is going on?!  W-why are you doing this?!¡±  Aridean pleaded with the hostile reptile.  Rather than answer her, the lizarian retrieved his weapon from the mud beneath the surface of the water where it had landed, Aridean scrambled to her hooves and jumped for shore, fortunately never having lost her grip on her weapon.  Still snarling in hate, the lizardman shook his head, a mask of intolerance making up his scaled features, before lunging once more toward the minotaur.

    Again and again, the two duelists met with their blades.  Clanging of steel against steel rang out all throughout the area as Aridean adeptly managed to parry the swings made by her lizarian opponent.  After ten minutes of simply doing her best to deflect any strike, a crowd of the reptilian locals had amassed around the two.  Chanting in a foreign language or the interested, deeply rumbling hums are what met Aridean¡¯s ears as she continued to block each blow or sidestep out of the way.  Magdalene and Vladimir continued to watch, each with varying degrees of concern in their expressions as they could only spectate the event.  Eventually, after what felt like the thousandth time she had managed to successfully guard herself from her aggressor, Aridean and the lizarian paused to catch their breaths.

    ¡°Rgh!  Bannu ghotta, gav¡¯tuu,¡± the lizardman shouted in frustration after having taken a moment to breathe.  With a firm grip on the handle to his blade and tense muscles in his arms and legs, the lizarian launched himself at Aridean again.  This strike, although Aridean had managed to block it with her own blade, was deceptively powerful and the lizarian was forcing as much weight as he could down onto Aridean.

    He''s still going!  I-I don¡¯t understand why we¡¯re even doing this!  Much longer and I¡¯m going to be too worn out to keep going myself but this guy just won¡¯t let up!  Aridean thought to herself while attempting to shove her attacker back.  Unfortunately, it was all Aridean could manage to just keep the lizarian at bay; the force behind the blade that pressed down on her axe was unlike anything she had thought capable.  Grunting her own frustration with the peculiar situation, Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the sound of a deep, rumbling, yet all too familiar, laughter.

    ¡°You seem to be in a bit of a bind¡­  Might you need some help?¡±

    ¡°Wha--?  That voice¡­ Vici?¡±  Aridean whispered, her eyes having gone wide at the sound of her strange companion calling out to her.  Despite the confrontation that she had found herself stuck in, Aridean¡¯s wide eyes shifted over toward where she thought she had heard the voice of the monstrous creature having originated from.  A quiet gasp escaped her throat as Aridean saw both Magdalene and Vladimir observing her duel with the hostile lizarian.  Neither of her companions nor even the entire crowd of stoic or strangely hyped locals seemed to register the presence of the white furred beast that was without flesh and fur on its face and in places running down one arm and leg standing behind the human and half-elf.

    ¡°These little skinks only acknowledge one thing:  brute strength.  I will lend you but a fraction of my power to teach them that you are not to be trifled with,¡± Vici¡¯s voice called as the creature bent down and rested its clawed hands upon the shoulders of Aridean¡¯s other companions, neither of which seemed to notice the monstrous entity¡¯s presence.  Although the spirit¡¯s lipless mouth moved, its words sounded as if they had been whispered right into Aridean¡¯s ears despite the distance between the two.  Aridean could hear Vici laughing mischievously and she gasped quietly once more as small, pitch-black specks began to radiate off of the abominable form.

    For a moment, Aridean almost thought that cinders and ash swirled around Vici¡¯s body.  Although she still struggled with her hissing and cursing in a foreign language opponent, Aridean watched as Vici¡¯s clawed fingers and toes began to disperse into a dark, smoke-like fog.  The sooty looking cloud quickly worked its way up the spirit¡¯s body, swallowing his arms and legs and eventually his body and head as well.  Entirely bewildered by what had just happened to her extraordinary acquaintance, Aridean made one more effort to push back on the lizarian that continued to press his blade down against her axe.  Fortunately, her efforts were rewarded as the lizarian stumbled back and began panting but with his weapon still readied for combat at a second¡¯s notice.

    Returning her attention to where her fellow travelers stood, the cloud that had engulfed Vici began to compact in on itself.  Both Magdalene and Vladimir watched their minotaur companion with obvious confusion drawn upon their faces; not only was Aridean looking toward them with a blatant look of befuddlement of her own, but she seemed almost entirely ignorant that she was still in the middle of an impromptu battle with an aggressive lizardman.  However, what the half-elf and human did not seem to notice was that the compacted fog cloud had coalesced into a small, dark sphere that was only about an inch in diameter.  Before anything else could be said or done, the small orb was practically fired from a catapult directly toward Aridean.

    ¡°Ah!  Aghh¡­ rgh¡­¡± Aridean gasped in slight pain as the orb had launched itself straight into her right eye.  Whatever Vici had done, it left the minotaur in great discomfort and prompted her to reach up with an open palm to cover her eye that now burned in its socket.  She stumbled backwards; the loud squish of mud joined in with the cacophony of the amused crowd that surrounded her, yet she could only hear the pounding of her own heart and her own quiet gasping for breath.  The minotaur¡¯s distress, however, seemed to be just the opening that her lizarian foe had been looking for.  Hissing loudly, the reptilian assailant lunged forth again as Aridean continued to cover her distressed eye.

    ¡°Miss Gray!¡±  Vladimir called with concern in his voice.

    ¡°Ari!¡±  Magdalene shouted in fright before averting her eyes again.  The young girl let out a quiet gasp at the sound of metal clashing with metal.  Lifting her face from her cupped hands, Magdalene looked back up to the minotaur.  Aridean, with only one hand on the haft of her massive battle axe, had deflected the lizarian with such speed, precision, and force that her attacker stumbled to the ground.  What was most peculiar about the last defensive action, however, was that Aridean continued to press her open palm to her right eye.  A few gasps could be heard escaping from some of the other spectators as their kin rolled along the marshy soil and wet grass.  The impressive might and constitution of the minotaur race was well known throughout the country, yet to deflect a blow from a clearly well practiced lizarian warrior with but a single hand and minimal attention was otherworldly.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°Rgh!  Outsider!  Gav¡¯tuu!  Kiu da¡¯mal!¡±  Aridean¡¯s opponent shouted as he regained his footing.  The lizarian quickly rose to his feet and readied his blade once more.  With another war cry, the reptilian charged the distressed minotaur once more.  However, as the lizardman initiated his next attack, the hand covering Aridean¡¯s left eye was lowered to her side.  The minotaur slowly turned to scan the one rushing her, furrowed brows over an open right eye and tightly shut left.

    Still roaring madly, the lizarian began to swing his sword in a single horizontal sweep aimed at Aridean¡¯s stomach.  Before he had even managed to sweep his blade past his own side, Aridean swung her own weapon with such tremendous force that the lizarian could feel the air that the swing had pushed blow past his scaled face.  Although, Aridean had missed the reptilian¡¯s body, her opponent continued to drag his blade through the air in front of him with a fearsome scowl drawn across his face.

    Only as the lizarian finished his strike and his feet once more rested upon the loose ground did he notice something strange.  Something about the weapon he carried had changed as it felt strangely lighter than normal.  Looking down toward his sword with confusion, the lizarian¡¯s rage was quickly metamorphosized into astonishment.  All around him were alarmed gasps at the sight.  Aridean had not swung her axe with intent to strike the lizarian, she met her mark and struck the broadsword her foe sported with such precision that it had broken off at the hilt.  The lizarian merely continued to survey his broken weapon as Aridean planted her battle axe into the muddy terrain before uncharacteristically cracking her knuckles.

    ¡°W-what is she¡­ is she trying to be intimidating?  She¡­ needs to work on that,¡± a befuddled Magdalene commented as she watched Aridean.  Still baffled by the events leading up to the current situation, Magdalene found it strange that the minotaur she had traveled with for some time now was only now beginning to show any sort of physical strength in a display of intimidation.  Although Aridean had accomplished several feats demanding certain physical prowess, the half-elf could not think of a time that the minotaur had ever acted so upfront and confident in her ability as she was doing currently.

    ¡°That did seem a touch out of character for her, didn¡¯t it, Ms. Yorre?¡±  agreed Vladimir as he continued to closely observe the minotaur.  Still acting as if she were some sort of thug, Aridean proceeded to tilt her head to one side until a pop of her joints rang out.  Having concluded her intimidation tactics, Aridean lifted her fists up and shifted on her hooves into a combative stance with eyes intently focused upon her opponent.  Her display only seemed to anger her aggressor and even a few of the more serious onlookers.

    Hissing his agitation with the minotaur, the hostile lizarian cast aside his broken weapon and raised both palms up in a fighting stance of his own.  Unlike Aridean, who kept her fists balled-up tightly and close to her center of gravity, the lizardman kept his palms open with clawed fingers only slightly curled inward.  Each of the combatants focused on nothing but the other as their audience began to snarl and whisper among themselves in a language foreign to the minotaur.  After a short period of time passed, Aridean¡¯s right ear flicked.

    With a roar and the audible squish of mud beneath his uncovered, scaled feet, the lizarian lunged forward.  His clawed hands were brought down from where he had held them while swiping his sharpened claws at Aridean¡¯s torso.  In response, the minotaur simply made a few swift steps backward, successfully dodging the initial swipes made by her opponent.  Having failed his first attack, the reptilian turned his hands over and surged forward once again while attempting an upward slash of his claws.  Once more, Aridean managed to evade the attack, though this time by simply leaning her head back and away from the claws meant to cut open her skin and flesh.

    Aridean managed to lock eyes with the lizarian once again.  He seemed somewhat exhausted after their prolonged battle, yet the reptilian proceeded to launch himself at the stoically silent minotaur once again.  With loud roars of frustration and anger, the lizarian began to swipe his claws in every direction attempting to simply land a blow upon Aridean¡¯s body.  A slash of claws cut through the humid air, narrowly missing the locks of the minotaur¡¯s mane as she sidestepped her way around her assailant.  Staying entirely mute, Aridean lowered right fist down toward her waist before bracing every muscle in her arm.

    ¡°Guh!  Gah!¡±  the lizarian fighter hacked and coughed after a swift and powerful jab from Aridean.  She had managed to easily land the attack just below the reptilian¡¯s sternum.  Although the lizarian required a moment to collect himself, the minotaur recentered her stance in preparation for another attack of her own.  While spittle leaked from the lizarian¡¯s mouth, a low growl began to rumble from the back of his throat as he refocused on Aridean.  With another mighty roar, the lizardman surged forth and resumed his rush of slashing and scraping claws.

    Magdalene and Vladimir, joined by the collective local population that had crowded around, continued to spectate the unusual duel in awe.  Although her eyes were primarily glued to the event unfolding in front of her, some whispers caught the attention of the young girl.  Curiously, Magdalene had managed to pry her eyes from Aridean and the lizarian long enough to inspect her fellow spectators.  Many were quietly conversing with another but all eyes remained fixated upon the battle that raged just feet away.  However, their stone-cold gazes did shift over toward the half-elven girl when they took notice that she was watching them.  With cheeks flushed red from a mixture of fear and embarrassment, Magdalene returned her attention to the skirmish as she slowly backed behind Vladimir, who did not even seem to notice the girl as he remained intently focused on the minotaur¡¯s fight.

    ¡°Grah!  Gav¡¯tuu, noli vru!¡±  the lizarian shouted with a vehement tone of rage.  Another swipe at Aridean¡¯s face, followed by two more aimed at her torso, yet the lizarian could not manage to strike the minotaur.  It was not until Aridean stepped back into a deceptively deep mud puddle that she slipped somewhat on her hoof that had taken her into the loose and wet soil.  Her eyes had widened as she stumbled slightly, yet it was just the opening that the lizarian needed.  As the minotaur only barely managed to catch her footing, her opponent lunged forth, bringing his clawed fingers up in a slashing motion directed at Aridean¡¯s face.

    Holding tight to her now hot and stinging right cheek, Aridean backpedaled once more on her hooves and out of the loose mud.  Boisterous laughter erupted from the crowd and a triumphant cry bellowed from the lizarian warrior that had inflicted the minor cuts to Aridean¡¯s face.  Although the pain faded quickly, the minotaur paused as a low grunt escaped her nostrils.  Curious, the already gloating lizarian turned his attention to Aridean again.

    ¡°You see?  This is what you get when you play nice,¡± Aridean seemed to reprimand herself quietly.  With a deep breath, the minotaur lowered her right hand from her face and simply looked scornfully at the lizarian that had scratched her.  Entirely unfazed by her silent and furious gaze, the lizardman took up his own battle stance once more yet quietly gasped his surprise as the minotaur launched her own attack first.

    Growling, the lizarian brought his right hand over his head, clawed fingered pointed downward, and quickly began to slash the miniature daggers downward as Aridean closed the distance.  Nimbly twisting her body at her waist, the minotaur successfully evaded the lizarian¡¯s retaliation and managed to bring an open palm upwards as she pushed off the marshy ground with her hooves.  She could feel the scaled chin slam the gawking lizarian¡¯s mouth shut as the blow managed to knock the lizardman off of his feet and to the mud.

    ¡°Most impressive¡­ Ms. Yorre, I must ask:  do you know the extent of Ms. Gray¡¯s training in close quarters combat?  I had assumed that hand-to-hand had been Ms. Stonehoof¡¯s area of expertise,¡± Vladimir commented softly as he, alongside the crowd surrounding Aridean and her opponent, stared on with intrigue.  Several murmurs could be heard from the large lizardfolk that had formed an audience to the spectacle.  Though their low, deep and guttural tones kept Magdalene guessing, she had assumed that the scaled spectators were impressed with the minotaur¡¯s technique.  For a moment, even the young half-elf had found herself somewhat entranced by the display.  After a brief pause, she shook her head and watched as the lizarian quickly climbed back to his feet and lunged toward Aridean again in a flurry of swipes.

    ¡°Rana mentioned that she had trained for years¡­ why hand-to-hand, I don¡¯t really know.  But it was while we were taking a break traveling on the road that I did spy on Ari and Rana as they were training.  Ari was on the ground in seconds; she definitely wasn¡¯t this good back then,¡± Magdalene answered, her eyes focused as the two combatants continued their skirmish.  Aridean successfully dodged each and every strike that the lizardman had sent her way, if only by hair for some of the attacks.

    For three full minutes, the lizarian swung his clawed fingers and tensed fists in Aridean¡¯s direction.  One punch aimed at the minotaur¡¯s chest had been blocked by crossed forearms.  Panting, the lizardman kept his fist pushed against Aridean¡¯s arm as he tried to catch his breath.  His short reprieve from the physical exertion was short lived, however, as Aridean pushed back on the scaled limb with tremendous force.  The lizarian stumbled backwards just a step but failed to prepare himself for Aridean¡¯s offense.

    Having been given an opening, Aridean moved in toward her target.  She pivoted on one hoof, the loose mud aiding in her movement as she spun a full circle before extending her leg.  With a grunt, the near-exhausted lizardman was struck by the hoofed leg; having built up some momentum with her spin resulted in a powerful blow to the lizarian¡¯s side.  Before her opponent could collect himself, Aridean continued her attack by rushing to the reptilian¡¯s side.  She placed an open palm on the scaled snout and firmly gripped the sides of the lizarian¡¯s face with her furred fingers.

    Although her mark had begun growling, Aridean shifted her weight onto a single hoof as the opposite snaked its way around the back of the lizardman¡¯s closest leg.  With a surprised gasp, the reptile had his footing pulled out from beneath him as his head and upper body were thrown to the ground where mud splashed against his scaled back and Aridean¡¯s legs.  At the minotaur¡¯s hooves, the lizarian combatant lay groaning and exhausted.  He had only opened his eyes once more and looked up to his rival as something seized his tail.

    Alarm quickly filled the scaled features of the reptilian¡¯s face as he felt his entire body shift without command atop the muddied ground.  However, what likely concerned the lizarian more was that the ground beneath him seemed to leave his back as air began to rush past his face.  Aridean, careful about her footing on the slippery terrain, had grasped the lizardman¡¯s tail and begun to spin him in circles around her.  Turning and turning, the minotaur had built up an impressive speed and brought her foe at least four feet off of the ground.

    ¡°Grahhh!¡±  the lizarian screamed as Aridean released her grip on his tail.  His body sailed through the air, arms and legs flailing as gravity took hold.  With a loud splash into the swamp, the lizarian had seemingly been bested.  Shortly after his crash down into the murky depths, the lizarian resurfaced and floated in the swamp water, belly up and groaning through a daze after his defeat.  Standing on the slippery shore of the marsh, Aridean surveyed the reptilian that had previously attacked her.  With a deep breath and certain that the threat had been incapacitated, Aridean turned to face the audience she and her opponent had garnered.  Her eyes, strangely sharp and cold, slowly inspected each of the tall, scaled spectators; the scowl on her face practically inviting a new warrior to step up.

    ¡°S-she is¡­ a little intimidating when she does something like that,¡± Magdalene whispered nervously as she watched the intense-looking minotaur silently challenge the other reptilian locals.

    ¡°Oh dear, she doesn¡¯t intend to continue, does she?  She¡¯s very likely to be met with challenger after challenger with such a demeanor,¡± Vladimir commented as low growls started to resound from the crowd.  Both Magdalene and Vladimir turned as an aggressive roar rang out from nearby; one of the many lizarians had stepped forward from the half-ring that surrounded Aridean as she simply stood patiently on the shore of the swamp.  Her new challenger drew a massive great sword and took a battle-ready stance, knees bent and scaled, muscled arms tensed.

    As the new duelist began to rush forward, however, Aridean paused.  Again, a burning pain had started to sting the back of her right eye.  The minotaur gasped in intense discomfort as she grasped at her distressed eye and stumbled to one knee.  Her audience had ceased the hostile growls and startling hissing as their kin stepped up to challenge the minotaur, yet some whispers in their foreign language could be heard as their entertainment seemed to be coming to a close very soon.  Both Magdalene and Vladimir stood in stunned silence at the sight.

    ¡°Ari!¡±  Magdalene called out to Aridean.  With another surprised gasp, the minotaur dropped her hand from the right side of her face and looked up to find the new lizarian warrior standing over her.  Her new opponent roared as he began to bring down his massive blade.  Aridean, unarmed and still suffering an intense pain in her burning, red-tinged right eye, could do nothing more than close her eyes and stiffen the muscles in her body in anticipation.  Strangely, despite the immediate danger, all she could feel was confusion as her mind ran blank.

    W-what happened?  I¡­  Aridean thought to herself as her ears fell back on her head at the war cry emanating from her foe¡¯s throat.  Only as her new foe¡¯s roar ended in an abrupt grunt at the sound of metal clashing against metal did Aridean¡¯s eyes open wide once more.  Although her vision in her right eye had been blurred by leaking tears, the minotaur lifted her head to find a new lizarian standing over her.  This one, however, was a female lizard folk and wore a mask of animal bone over her face.  Beautiful and vibrantly colored feathered plumes rose from the back of her mask and her wrists were wrapped with thin, gold armbands.  Apart from the unusual get up, the female wore the local loincloth and a top made of stitched leathers to cover her chest and laces tied with animal bone and teeth wrapped their way around her scaled legs.  In one hand, the female sported a blade of her own which must have been what had stopped the latest challenger¡¯s attack and her other hand carried a small, leather satchel.  As Aridean¡¯s eyes scanned this stranger, she paused at the sight of the female¡¯s lower backside; her tail had been cut off and scabbed over.

    ¡°Nii¡¯ra, si¡¯putath,¡± the female vehemently spat at Aridean¡¯s opponent as he regained his footing from where he stumbled at having his attack deflected.  The male lizardman¡¯s scaled features were filled with anger and impatience, yet he returned his great sword to the scabbard on his back.  With the duel having come to an unexpected close, the audience that surrounded Aridean and the two lizarians began to disperse while mumbling amongst themselves; the male that had stepped up to Aridean¡¯s non-verbal challenge hissed his frustration before departing the scene as well.  Slowly processing the sudden turn of events, Aridean blinked a few times, she wiped her right eye clear as she stood back up on her two hooves.  Both Magdalene and Vladimir held their positions among the slowly dissolving audience.  Each surveyed their fellow spectators as they moved to go about their day as though nothing had even happened.  Once it had become clear that there would be no more impromptu battles, the half-elf made her way over to Aridean with the human in tow.

    ¡°Ari, are you okay?¡±  Magdalene asked, looking up to the towering minotaur.  Somewhat shocked out of her daze, Aridean¡¯s ear flicked as she turned to look upon her companion.  As she did so, Vladimir also joined the two.

    ¡°That was quite the display, Ms. Gray.  I had not realized you were so capable in com¡ª,¡± Vladimir began.

    ¡°Outsiders¡­ warm bloods¡­¡± the female lizarian interrupted, drawing the attention of the three travelers to herself.  She sheathed the blade that she carried into a sword sheath strapped to her hip before turning.  Just the same as the other locals, this lizarian¡¯s eyes were sharp and looked to try to bore a hole directly into the three before her as she stared each of the group down.  With a grunt and a shake of her head, the female turned away and moved over toward the injured lizarian that Aridean and Magdalene had stopped for, ¡°You come all this way for talks of gav¡¯tuu help, yes?¡±

    She already knows why we¡¯re here?  Does that mean this one was in contact with Mikali before they decided to call off any sort of arrangement?  Aridean pondered to herself as the female lizarian turned her head and looked out across the swamp.  Still floating on the surface of the waters was the first lizardman to attack both Aridean and Magdalene.  The group watched as the female extended a hand in the direction of the floating lizarian, a bright green aura slowly surrounding the open, scaled palm.  With a single motion of her hand, pulling it back toward her body, the lizarian female had summoned a current in the otherwise still swamp waters that started to lazily drift the incapacitated one back toward the shore.

    ¡°Nallahk zhi tashni, gav¡¯tuu¡­¡± the stranger grumbled quietly and clearly annoyed.  Aridean could almost swear she saw the lizard lady rolling her eyes before opening her satchel.  The minotaur watched as the reptilian character procured a small vial from her bag and proceeded to pour the contents down the throat of the first injured lizardman.  She stood from her place next to the wounded and moved toward the swamp as the other slowly sailed across the surface to her.  As she awaited the slow-moving body to reach her, the lizarian female hissed before turning and snapping, ¡°Answer!  What is your purpose here, outsiders?!¡±

    ¡°O-oh!  W-we¡¯ve come as a-ambassadors for the revolutionaries; we¡¯re desperately seeking aid from the g-great warriors of the Wiir Swamplands,¡± Aridean hesitantly and anxiously replied after taking a moment to collect herself.  For a moment, the female lizarian simply ran her cold, calculating eyes up and down Aridean¡¯s entire person as she evaluated some things mentally.  As the floating lizarian finally reached the shoreline of the swamp, the female snorted as she knelt down and took the incapacitated male by the arm.

    ¡°Ms. Gray¡­ Given her intervention in your battle and her aid of the injured, I believe she may very well be the high shaman.  She holds nearly as much power as the warchief for the lizarian people.  This is a fortuitous meeting, indeed,¡± Vladimir exclaimed with a hint of excitement in his tone.  At this revelation, Aridean and Magdalene both quietly gasped their surprise as they watched with wide eyes as the female lizarian hefted both of the males over her shoulders.

    ¡°You fight well, gav¡¯tuu.  While you reek of the Deimn¡¯la, your skill speaks to your ability as a warrior,¡± the high shaman stated curtly.  She turned once more to face Aridean and her companions, her slitted eyes scanning the minotaur from head to hoof.  Just the same as the last lizarian to offer the group aid, this one was audibly sniffing at the air and flicking her tongue out toward the team.  The female reptilian simply snorted upon completing her sensory analysis of both Aridean and Magdalene, yet her brow rose on her head as she examined Vladimir.  With a modestly interested hum rumbling in the back of her throat, the shaman shifted her charges that clung to her shoulders before turning away, ¡°We speak again later, outsiders.  Come to spiritual hut in center of Miahnn¡¯uli tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Vlad, what¡¯s a day-em¡­ whatever she said?¡± Magdalene asked the nobleman curiously.  Vladimir merely shook his head with a somewhat quizzical expression upon his partly covered face.

    ¡°Well, she could be referring to a number of things really¡­ hmm¡­¡± mused Vladimir aloud; it had almost seemed as if he had asked himself the question and was simply contemplating its meaning out loud.  Upon realizing that the man was lost in his own thought, Magdalene¡¯s face shifted to portray her impatience and mild irritation with the eccentric and oblivious elite.  As her companions shared their own exchange, Aridean shook her head and began to approach the female lizarian as she stopped to drink something from a flask strapped to her right thigh.

    ¡°Here, please, let me help you and we can talk¡ª,¡± Aridean began while reaching out to take one of the two burdens the shaman carried.  Her hand recoiled in fright by the cold glare and sudden hiss that rang out from the female reptilian.

    ¡°Begone, warm blood!  That¡­ whatever it is you outsiders call it where you must aid the fallen sickens me!  These fools fell in battle because they were not strong enough and it is responsibility of the shaman to tend wounds, no one else!¡± the shaman snapped, one of her hands reaching for the hilt of her sheathed sword.  Aridean¡¯s eyes grew wide again as the peculiar female in front of her simply growled her frustration with having been offered some help.  With her ears flat against her horned head again, Aridean merely backed away from the shaman slowly.  Although the female lizarian continued to growl and glare at the minotaur, her hand released its grip on her blade as it again lifted up to the shift the weight of the unconscious males that she carried.  Having denied Aridean the opportunity to simply speak with her, the female began to carry the two males away from the scene, ¡°I said:  we speak tomorrow.¡±

    W-what was that all about?  I¡­ I just wanted to help a-and talk, Aridean thought to herself, a tightness making itself known in the back of her throat.  She watched as the high shaman slipped away into a small crowd of her fellow lizard folk and ultimately into a mud hut.  With a long-winded sigh, Aridean started to breathe normally once more, only now having realized that she had been holding onto a breath during the lizarian¡¯s lashing out at her.

    ¡°Well, that could have gone better,¡± Magdalene commented as she stepped through the mud to stand by Aridean.  She too watched as the lizarian shaman left the group where they stood, but with arms folded over her chest and an annoyed look of her own spread across her lightly freckled face.  Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the sound of mud still squishing beneath someone¡¯s feet.

    ¡°Given the rather impatient and rash nature of the locals, it also could have gone much, much worse,¡± added Vladimir as he joined the two young ladies.  He held a finger to his chin, clearly deep in his own thoughts regarding the events that had just unfolded before his eyes.  Having heard her companions¡¯ thoughts on the matter, Aridean again heaved an exasperated sigh before going to collect her massive war axe.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they were all going on about and I don¡¯t think we¡¯re really welcome here anymore¡­ I don¡¯t like it, but I think we might just want to call it a day here,¡± Aridean suggested to her companions as she hefted her weapon up.  With a mildly frustrated grunt, she shook the large blade, knocking loose several large clumps of caked on mud.  Somewhat agitated by the events of the day and the overbearing climate, the minotaur groaned as she wiped the blade clean with her furred forearm.  While her reflection in the shining metal was slightly tinged with smeared mud, Aridean was satisfied enough with her weapon maintenance that she returned the Heaven¡¯s Edge to the holster on her back before turning back to her comrades.

    ¡°Although there could be other matters the high shaman would like to discuss, it is possible that your duel may have been what earned us an audience with the high shaman, Ms. Gray.  Regardless, it would likely be the wisest decision for the time being that we simply retire for the day.  Even through undeath, the humidity here is quite oppressive,¡± Vladimir replied as he lowered his finger from his chin.  Both of the noble¡¯s hands were moved behind his back as he stood seemingly at attention, almost like a soldier but with one of his gentle, if tired, smiles spread across his lips.

    ¡°Ugh, did you have to remind me about how hot it is around here?  Yuck, I¡¯m sweating again.  Do you think the lizarians have an inn around here?¡± Magdalene moaned, to the apparent amusement of Vladimir.  As the girl complained, she also began to fan herself with one hand as she slumped forward, arching her back and letting her long, golden hair fall below her waist.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so, I¡¯d like a place to cool off and wash my clothes as well,¡± added Aridean as she attempted to brush some of the dirt that stained her pants and shirt away.  Unfortunately, the dark smears had already set into her clothing, much to the minotaur¡¯s modest dismay.  Giving up on trying to clean herself in the moment, Aridean shook her head before looking to her companions once more.

    ¡°If I had heard some of that snarling coming from Ms. Gray¡¯s audience correctly, I believe I heard mention of something about an inn just down the mud trail a little way,¡± Vladimir said while gesturing toward the road that presumably led the group¡¯s next destination.  Aridean nodded to the man before motioning both Vladimir and Magdalene back to the wagon that awaited the group¡¯s return.  Their trusty horses patiently waited, though they had also been snacking on some of the grasses that grew just on the side of the road.  Each of the equines shifted on their hooves as the group returned and began to pile into the wagon; Aridean again sat in the driver¡¯s seat but now with Magdalene at her side and Vladimir immediately behind them in the back of the old wagon.

    ¡°Finally, some good news.  We get to the inn, cool off with some cold water, and Vlad can explain what in God¡¯s name just happened, because I¡¯m still lost,¡± Magdalene almost seemed to rejoice as she sat down next to her minotaur companion.  As Aridean whipped the horses into motion, the wagon shook slightly.  Mud squished beneath hooves and the wooden frame creaked quietly.  Although they were now on their way, Aridean looked back at the scene curiously.

    ¡°Vici¡­?  What¡­ did you do?¡±  the minotaur muttered under her breath as she turned back to the road ahead.  A sudden surprise made its way to her furred features as the deep tones practically echoed in her ears.

    ¡°I shall answer any questions you might have another time.  For now, I¡¯ve grown weary.  Make your way to this inn and we might discuss our partnership there,¡± Vici¡¯s voice answered, again as if his skinless mouth were right by Aridean¡¯s ear.  Aridean could not tell what surprised her more:  that Vici had not only heard her muttering or that the abominable creature was capable of feeling fatigue.  Nevertheless, the minotaur swallowed anxiously as she directed the wagon along the muddied road.

    ¡°Oh, Ari,¡± Magdalene¡¯s voice came from just behind Aridean, right ear flicking at her companion¡¯s call.  The minotaur driving the old wooden wagon turned her head back to face the young half-elf as she shifted in her seat.  Leaning against the back of Aridean¡¯s seat, Magdalene¡¯s hands began to glow with their incandescent aura when the girl channeled her magic, ¡°That one scratched your face, didn¡¯t he?  Do you want me to take care of that?¡±

    ¡°I got scratched?¡±  Aridean muttered to herself with one brow raised on her head in confusion.  Vladimir and Magdalene were both eyeing the befuddled minotaur, the latter narrowing her eyes as she seemed to scan Aridean¡¯s fuzzy muzzle.  With an awkward smile and a gentle shake of her head, the minotaur replied, ¡°O-oh, uhm, i-it doesn¡¯t hurt.  B-but thank you, Maggie.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ it¡¯s not bleeding¡­ I thought I saw some blood on his claw after that swipe but maybe it was just mud,¡± commented Magdalene as the aura around her hands faded away.  With a dejected snort, the young girl turned around again and reseated herself in the wagon.  Still somewhat baffled by the girl¡¯s statement, Aridean turned back as well to look out at the road that the wagon was being pulled across.  Curious, the minotaur ran her fingers along her fuzzy face in search of any evidence that she might have been scratched.  After a moment of scanning her own face with her fingers, the minotaur had discovered nothing out of the ordinary about her furred features.

 Chapter 34 - The Scales Without a Name

    What little light had managed to peak through the verdant canopy overhead was quickly beginning to fade away as night was fast approaching.  The powerful pair of stallions pulling the old wooden wagon continued their trek forward along the muddied trail as directed.  Hardened dirt and clay now clung to the creaking wheels that rotated along the ground, only stopping for a moment as the horses pulled the wagon over a dip in the road with a particularly deep puddle of mud.  Nevertheless, the wagon had been guided through the small village of mud huts built into the roots of the massive trees of the Great Wiir Swamplands.

    Magdalene sat beside of Aridean in the front of the wagon, swatting at mosquitos and quietly grumbling to herself.  As the young girl softly moaned her own frustrations with the group¡¯s mission, Aridean¡¯s eyes shifted back to Vladimir, who sat comfortably against one railing of the wagon and was busy reading through one of his many books.  The nobleman had not given any indication that he was aware of Aridean¡¯s observation of him, so Aridean turned her head forward once more to watch the road.  She let out a short, quick breath of surprise as she spied the group¡¯s newest destination.

    Sitting off the long, wet road was a sizable structure made of wooden supports and stones held by a plaster material.  The building was situated on the edge of the swamp and a small boat dock was located behind it.  Nearby was a stable that Aridean had already directed the horses toward.  There were no other horses nor any other animal resting within the stable, likely indicating that this inn did not see much business given its remote location.  Not too far from the front door to the inn stood a small, huddled group of three of the local lizarians, their malcontent eyes fixed squarely upon Aridean.

    Okay¡­ you can do this¡­ just¡­ gotta pretend I¡¯m tough¡­ Oh no, no, no!  This is already a bad idea¡­ Aridean thought to herself as a chill ran the length of both her spine and tail.  Anxiousness had mentally overwhelmed the minotaur as the wagon came to a halt just beneath the shelter of the stable.  As Aridean proceeded to disembark the team¡¯s wagon, her horses had already begun to partake of the abundant hay spread throughout the small space.

    Aridean¡¯s ears flicked back at the sound of a low growl coming from the direction of the group of lizarians she had seen on her way to the stable.  Both Magdalene and Vladimir glanced between their minotaur companion and the three strange lizard folk that had begun to make their approach.  Aridean took a moment to focus her mind and simply breath as her nerves were very close to being set off and trigger another manic panic.  Despite her racing heart and overwhelming uncertainty, the minotaur managed to put on a serious expression as she turned toward the inn¡¯s less-than-hospitable welcoming party.

    Presenting herself with a particularly ornery expression upon her furred face, Aridean managed a glare toward the group of lizardmen.  Having become the focus of the seemingly intense minotaur, the trio of lizarians halted their advance.  Low growls and sharp hissing could be heard from the reptilian natives, though one muttered something in the local tongue that Aridean failed to understand.  As soon as whatever was discussed between the group, the largest of the three fixated on Aridean, his eyes narrowing and brows furrowing with another growl.  Aridean had returned the hostile gesture in kind to which the large lizardman snorted.  With a shake of his head, the presumed leader of the group turned and started to walk away from the inn with his comrades in tow.  After the three lizarians had reached a safe enough distance, Aridean let her tensed shoulders droop forward as she inhaled deeply.

    I can still feel my heart pounding!  That was far more daunting than I thought it was going to be and we didn¡¯t even have to start a fight!  I really hope we can get our business settled here soon¡­ Aridean thought to herself as she took a few deep breaths to calm her flustered nerves.  She had felt her body warm with embarrassment and concern over the prospect that the trio of lizarians might be looking for trouble given the minotaur¡¯s duel upon entering the village.  As Aridean slowly managed to recompose herself, she heard the squishing of mud from just around the wagon as both Vladimir and Magdalene disembarked from their transport.

    ¡°They actually fell for that¡­ wow¡­¡± Magdalene commented sarcastically as she moved around the wagon to stand beside the minotaur.  Her surprise over Aridean¡¯s means to present herself in any sort of menacing manner was clearly evident in her tone.  After the scene in the center of the village, Vladimir had warned Aridean that any spectators to the battle may look for a chance of their own to take up arms against her.  It was by the nobleman¡¯s suggestion that Aridean put forth the effort to express dominance through aggression and displays of strength.  Although it was meant to help her prevent causing any further scene in Miahnn¡¯uli, Aridean still found it both a strange means of avoiding conflict and a difficult strategy given her typical timid personality and shy demeanor.

    ¡°Nevertheless, you did a fine job demonstrating that you are a force not to be taken lightly in battle, Ms. Gray.  Best to keep practicing your aggressive expressions, though.  Should you be caught up in another duel, the whole of Miahnn¡¯uli may seek combat against you,¡± Vladimir cautioned as he also moved around the wagon to stand in a huddle with the half-elf and minotaur.  Aridean gave the man a quick nod of her head in understanding before looking back up the muddied road that the lizardmen had left on.

    ¡°Hopefully it doesn¡¯t come to that¡­ but do you think that last battle might at least give us some respect that we can leverage for our negotiations?¡±  Aridean asked curiously as she turned back to the human at her side.  Vladimir cupped his chin between finger and thumb as he hummed to himself.  Quickly growing annoyed by the man¡¯s non-silent and prolonged contemplation, Magdalene went to speak but flinched as a mosquito began buzzing about her face.

    ¡°I cannot say for certain, Ms. Gray.  Although the high shaman had acknowledged your skill in combat, your opponent had been trying to uphold local traditions.  Even then, it is quite likely that it would take far more than a single duel to earn any sort of reputation with the lizarians,¡± Vladimir eventually answered after having ruminated on Aridean¡¯s question.  Aridean let out a quiet groan at her companion¡¯s response; she knew any sort of advantage she could utilize on this mission could potentially mean swift success.

    ¡°It must have counted for something; that high shaman lady invited us to speak with her tomorrow after all,¡± Magdalene chimed in as she swatted at a small swarm of mosquitos flying around her head.  Having witnessed her companion in a mild amount of distress, Aridean gestured both Vladimir and Magdalene toward the front door to the inn building.

    ¡°I still have my doubts, Ms. Gray¡¯s display may have made for some mixed first impressions.  Ordinarily, the lizarians would welcome such activity, but given the circumstances leading up to the battle, things may not work in our favor as much as we might hope,¡± Vladimir continued to explain as the group walked across the moist ground.  During the brief pause as the trio moved from stable to inn, Aridean¡¯s ears flicked and eyes darted from side to side as she heard unseen birds cawing in the verdant canopy and splashes in the surrounding marshy waters.  Upon reaching the door, the minotaur quietly sighed and shook her head in an effort to alleviate her flustered nerves over the whole operation that had brought the three out to the Wiir Swamplands.

    ¡°Whatever the case may be, the high shaman is expecting us tomorrow.  For the time being, let¡¯s just rest here for the day; we¡¯ve been on the road for just over a week and I am looking forward to an actu¡ª,¡± Aridean began to suggest.  Her fingers had wrapped their way around the door handle to the inn, ready to pull open the way to restful evening.  However, both Vladimir and Magdalene were left somewhat confused by the minotaur¡¯s sudden silence and the concerned expression drawn across her face.

    ¡°Ari?  You okay?¡±  Maggie called out after a moment while crossing her arms over her chest.  Aridean¡¯s eyes immediately shifted over to the young girl from the wooden door she had been focused on.  The young half-elf tilted her head to the side and her face portrayed a mildly annoyed but curious expression.  With a deep breath, Aridean¡¯s fingers fell from the door handle as the towering minotaur turned to Vladimir.

    ¡°I, uh, V-Vlad?  C-could I ask you to g-get us rooms here?  I-I¡­ I d-don¡¯t know if I should be the one to speak s-since word may have spread already of m-my fight,¡± Aridean anxiously inquired, her face heating up with a hot flood of embarrassment.  Magdalene had merely rolled her eyes at the minotaur¡¯s request though Vladimir had let loose a quiet chuckle before a smile appeared upon his face.

    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry, Ms. Gray.  While I don¡¯t mean to offend, I take it that you are not exactly accustomed to speaking with the service staff at such establishments?¡±  Vladimir replied with a gentle tone, which only seemed to exacerbate Aridean¡¯s anxiety over the matter.  Swallowing the nervousness forming in the back of her throat, the minotaur gave the human noble a simple nod of her head.  The gesture was met with another low chuckle and Aridean¡¯s hand was lifted from her side once more to grasp the door handle.

    With a quiet creaking, the minotaur pulled the front door to the building open and allowed her compatriots to enter inside before her.  Aridean¡¯s hooves fell upon sturdy wooden flooring as she joined Magdalene and Vladimir inside the inn.  Her eyes quickly darted around the room as she took in the eerily recognizable sights.  The front room to the inn itself was quaint with wood flooring and panel walls upon which both paintings and photographs were hung near an extinguished fireplace.  Comfortable looking chairs sat around small tables that were scattered throughout the space in around the hearth.  There were only five doors leading to other rooms of the inn, one of which was labeled ¡®Kitchen¡¯ and another ¡®Baths¡¯.  Despite the harsh location, the establishment seemed surprisingly well maintained and clean.

    I¡¯m guessing the last three doors lead to the guest rooms¡­ It isn¡¯t a very big inn, but it seems cozy enough for a night or two.  Still though, I can¡¯t imagine many coming to stay here given the location and the locals¡­ Aridean contemplated as her eyes continued to survey the room.  As she shifted her focus over to the service desk, the minotaur could not help her brows rising high upon her forehead in surprise.  Although the desk itself was nothing special, atop it was a marbled statuette and stone cutting tools.  There was a loud thud of other tools being dropped from the clerk behind the desk as they took note of their guests.  With a kind and gentle smile upon his face, Vladimir began to approach the group¡¯s host for the evening.

    ¡°Well, now, what have we ¡®ere?  Welcome, welcome!  Been a time since I seen the likes of me fellow scaleless!  What brings ye out this way?¡±  greeted a jovial dwarven man as he set aside his statuette and crafting supplies.  Wrinkles lined his face and his long beard was graying but well kept.  Atop his head was a small green cap and he wore tan pants, a white shirt, and suspenders.  Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the sound of boots stamping the wooden floor just behind the desk as the dwarf rose from his seat where he had been carving his blocks of marble.

    A dwarf?  Here in the swamplands?  How strange¡­ I thought for sure it would be another lizarian, but maybe the building being made of stone instead of hardened mud built into tree roots should have told me otherwise, Aridean pondered to herself as Vladimir reached the front desk and cleared his throat.  Both the minotaur and half-elf moved to join the human at the desk as he began to arrange for their rooms.

    ¡°Good evening, sir.  My associates and I have come to Miahnn¡¯uli on business with the high shaman.  She has already requested that we meet with her tomorrow though we would like to purchase the use of some of your rooms to rest for the evening as we have been on the road for some time,¡± Vladimir explained with his usual dignified and disciplined voice.  Having heard the group¡¯s purpose for their visit to the swamplands, the dwarf paused briefly.  One calloused hand was brought up to stroke his well-kept beard, but his eyes shifted between his trio of guests.  Upon spying Aridean, the dwarf had begun to survey the minotaur that stood in his front lobby.  Aridean herself quickly began to feel her shoulders tense and her body heat up with frightened anxiousness.

    ¡°Business with the high shaman, eh?  Ye wouldn¡¯t happen ta be part o¡¯ that rebellion goin¡¯ on in the Empire, would ye?  I know she been in talks with them rebels¡­¡± the dwarf began to ask.  Combined with his curious stare, the words that the dwarf spoke only further exacerbated Aridean¡¯s anxiety.  It was at this point that the minotaur could feel her heart pounding in her ears.  Time had seemed to slow to a near crawl, though Aridean was able to breath a sigh of relief as the dwarf waved his hand dismissively and continued, ¡°Bah, none me business.  Livin¡¯ out ¡®ere in the swamp with the lizardfolk, ain¡¯t got nary no worry bout no rebellion nor Empire.  So then, what¡¯ll it be?  A room fer the ladies and one for the man or one fer each of ya?¡±

    ¡°Two rooms will be fine, thanks,¡± Magdalene chimed in suddenly.  Both Aridean and Vladimir turned to look at the young half-elf standing beside of the towering minotaur with surprise.  Neither of the older members of the group elected to challenge Magdalene¡¯s decision nor press the girl for why she had decided such a thing.  After a mere few seconds of quiet contemplation, Vladimir returned his attention to the dwarf behind the desk.  With a nod of his head and a wide smile across his face, the dwarf leaned over to a small pegboard hung on the wall his desk was affixed to.  Two sets of room keys were pulled from the board and delivered to Vladimir.

    ¡°¡®Ere ya go.  Baths are in the back ¡®n¡¯ I¡¯ll fix us up some supper in just a little bit then.  Hopin¡¯ ye like fish ¡®n¡¯ greens, is bout all I can get outta them reptiles.  Name¡¯s Nurik Goreskii, by the by, and tis a splendid meetin¡¯ ya,¡± the dwarven clerk concluded as the room keys fell from his palm and into Vladimir¡¯s.  Aridean caught a glimpse of Nurik¡¯s face as his hand returned to his side behind the counter; the dwarf wore a gentle and inviting smile upon his wrinkled features while giving off an upbeat and uplifting aura.  As the dwarven man¡¯s eyes shifted over to Aridean again, the friendly atmosphere he seemed to exude gradually faded along with his smile.

    W-why is he looking at me like that?  It¡¯s like he expects me to say something or¡­ I-I don¡¯t know, but I-I don¡¯t like it one bit, Aridean thought to herself as the muscles in her shoulders tensed up under Nurik¡¯s gaze.  Despite the dwarf standing at half her height, his expression filled the minotaur with a growing sense of unease that Aridean failed to comprehend herself.  With a hand gently stroking his beard once more and a quirked brow upon his forehead, nothing about the look the dwarf gave Aridean seemed hostile or critical in any way.  Even so, something about her host¡¯s curious interest in her was starting to make the minotaur go weak in the knees.

    ¡°Very good.  Thank you, my good sir.  Now then, Ms. Gray, if you would be so kind as to pay the gentleman,¡± Vladimir concluded the transaction with a curt nod of his head and a gregarious smile of his own to Nurik.  Having heard the human calling out to her, Aridean snapped out of her unsettled state and looked to Vladimir somewhat confused.

    ¡°W-what?  O-oh, right.  Sorry, Vlad, I forgot Mikali took your wallet,¡± replied Aridean, having only just realized why it was that Vladimir was unable to pay for the group¡¯s lodgings.  Still somewhat nervous by Nurik¡¯s silent survey of her person, Aridean stepped up to the counter and stood next to Vladimir.  As the minotaur began to count coins from her coin purse, her ear flicked at the sound of a low, inquisitive hum coming from just across the desk.

    ¡°Gray, eh?  Wee bit o¡¯ an odd name for a hooven,¡± Nurik commented aloud as Aridean lifted her eyes from the coin pile stacked on the tablespace.  She felt her blood run cold from the otherwise mundane observation; this dwarf might have thought her name odd but had no reason to suspect her of anything.  The minotaur only exhaled the breath that she had been holding in as Nurik waved one hand dismissing the thought he had and the other collected Aridean¡¯s payment, ¡°Eh, none me business.  Don¡¯t mind me none, just thinkin¡¯ aloud to meself is all.  Make yourselves at home, won¡¯t ya?¡±

    ¡°Oh, t-thank you,¡± Aridean replied, still a bit nervous.  With a satisfied smile upon his face, Nurik the dwarven innkeeper collected the coins Aridean had set aside for him.  With a nod of his head, the dwarf turned from his guests.  As their host went deposited the payment into a coin purse of his own, the copper pieces producing loud tinkling taps as they cascaded down upon other coins.  Having stored the currency, Nurik returned to his stool and went back to his statuette work.  Heaving a relieve sigh, Aridean turned on her hooves to face her companions.

    ¡°I am so glad they have something civilized out here in the swamp¡­ I am so sick of mosquitos and the humidity out there,¡± Magdalene complained as she moved throughout the front room of the strangely located inn.  Aridean and Vladimir, the latter snorting his amusement, watched as the young half-elf found herself a cushioned seat by a short table in the lobby and slumped down in it.  Both of the older travelers moved to join the girl, the wooden floorboards creaking quietly beneath Vladimir¡¯s boots and Aridean¡¯s hooves clopping with each step.

    Both Aridean and Vladimir took up seats around the table that Magdalene had claimed.  Although the furniture gave quiet groans as the group settled in, the room was otherwise silent save for Nurik chipping away at his statuettes.  From outside the walls of the inn, there were the calls of birds and croaks of frogs and toads hidden somewhere in the dark green of the swamp.  While it was quiet, Aridean¡¯s ear perked at the unmistakable sound of metal striking metal.  Once again there must have been a sparring match taking place somewhere in Miahnn¡¯uli.  The brief respite the group had sought within the inn lasted only a matter of seconds before Magdalene began to grumble loudly.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve had my fill of this quiet.  I¡¯m going to go take a bath.  You coming, Ari?¡±  Magdalene asked as she stood from her seat and stretched her arms.  Aridean was somewhat astonished by the young girl¡¯s invitation and she must not have hidden it very well upon her furred visage as Magdalene rolled her eyes.  As the half-elf, a light blush to her freckled cheeks, began to walk around the table and toward the baths, she called to the companions she was leaving behind, ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll just warm you a tub when I get out.¡±

    Vladimir let loose a soft chuckle as Magdalene disappeared behind the door to the baths.  Although Aridean did not get the impression that Magdalene had meant anything by her sudden dismissal of her proposal, the minotaur heaved tired sigh.  Aridean slouched back into her seat, the frame again groaning as her muscled back fell against it and stretched her legs out.  Her eyes were set staring at nothing in particular though aimed down toward her hooves.  Only did her gaze lift from the ground beneath her as Vladimir shifted in his own seat and cleared his throat.

    ¡°Ms. Gray, are you alright?¡±  Vladimir asked gently as he sat with his back erect and palms on his knees.  Aridean deeply sighed before repositioning herself in her own chair.

    ¡°Just tired is all¡­¡± replied the minotaur.  The response had been meant to reassure, though as the words left her mouth Aridean found that she was feeling physically exhausted.  Vladimir¡¯s head tilted slightly to one side and his brow rose over his one visible eye.  Aridean could hear the human man hum something quietly to himself as his gaze seemed ever fixated upon her.

    ¡°Ms. Gray, might I ask where you learned such close quarters combat?  Given your prowess wielding a battle axe, I found it strange you would set aside the Heaven¡¯s Edge during your duel,¡± Vladimir pressed curiously.  He had removed his palms from his knees and rested his elbows in their place, clasping his hands together loosely in front of his chin.  Aridean did not feel that there was anything inherently suspicious about the question, if anything it had drawn out the minotaur¡¯s own curiosity.  Even if Vladimir were to understand that she had not been in control at the time, then why had Vici elected to discard her axe and fight with just fists against a lizarian with claws?

    What am I supposed to say?  ¡®My guardian spirit took over and beat the hell out of that guy?¡¯  Not even Vlad would believe something like that, right?  Aridean mused quietly to herself as a growing uncertainty gnawed at her nerves.  The minotaur let out a quiet groan before giving a meek shake of her head.  Lifting her gaze to meet with Vladimir¡¯s once again, Aridean offered a weak smile.

    ¡°I-it just¡­ seemed the fair thing to do, I guess?  A-after I broke his weapon and all, y-you know?¡±  Aridean stuttered through her suggestion while remaining hopeful that Vladimir might believe such a weak ruse.  Aridean managed to watch the human with anxiety welling up in her chest, though Vladimir merely shrugged and sighed.  A brief wave of relief washed over Aridean as her companion averted his gaze from the minotaur and seemed to contemplate on other topics.

    ¡°Ms. Gray, might I ask a question?¡±  Vladimir began whilst still directing his attention elsewhere in the room.  Aridean leaned forward in her seat with elbows resting upon her knees as she focused on Vladimir.  The human¡¯s eye shifted toward the minotaur for but a second to receive the unspoken answer.  Having taken a moment to compose himself, Vladimir drew in a deep breath before posing his question, ¡°Might I ask if you had ever considered what you would have done had you never left your hometown, living alongside the Crusade Captain?¡±

    W-what?  Where¡¯s this coming from?  Aridean thought to herself, somewhat bewildered by the human¡¯s question.  As a stillness fell over the room, the anxious sensation in Aridean¡¯s chest seemed to resurface.  The minotaur could hear her own heartbeat thumping rhythmically in her chest, pumping warm blood that only seemed to grow hotter as the near total quiet lingered.  Aridean¡¯s ear flicked only as some toads croaked outside the walls of the inn and Nurik continued to chip away at his work.  Between the two travelers, the silence had started to grow uncomfortable as Aridean found she could not muster the nerve to answer Vladimir¡¯s unexpected question.  Having finally picked up on the minotaur¡¯s unease, the human man lowered his gaze toward the floor and gently shook his head.

    ¡°Forgive me; curiosity got the better of me.  I suppose¡­ I would just like to hear what you would have done differently, given the opportunity,¡± Vladimir apologized with a sobering tone in his voice.  Still confused by the nobleman¡¯s strange interest, Aridean quirked a brow as her ear flicked once more.  Something about the man¡¯s words sounded troubled and he clearly had not meant any offense in posing his inquiry.  Calming her nerves through the following pause, Aridean drew in a deep breath before giving Vladimir her full attention.  She paused for only a second to swallow the last of her flustered nerves before her lips began to move once more.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­  The reason I left was¡­ because I was to be arrested for a crime I hadn¡¯t committed,¡± answered Aridean, her confession seeming to catch Vladimir by surprise.  It was only at this moment that Aridean realized that the nobleman had not been told her reason for leaving Thellia and joining the rebellion in the first place.  The minotaur caught Vladimir lifting clasped hands to his chin in contemplation the way he does; the look in his one visible eye showed keen interest in Aridean¡¯s words.  Before the discussion could be directed to her old regrets and wounds, Aridean took initiative, ¡°Is¡­ is there something on your mind, Vlad?  About¡­ the loved one you hurt?¡±

    ¡°Everyday, Ms. Gray¡­¡± Vladimir admitted, lowering his head so that his forehead rested upon his clasped together hands.  A pang of guilt coursed through Aridean¡¯s core; she had not intended to reverse the tables in the way she appeared to have with her question.  Vladimir shook his head, gaze still averted from the minotaur, and continued to speak, ¡°I had asked because I was curious what would have become of you and the Crusade Captain.  Minotaurs are longer lived than humans, as you are aware.¡±

    I know¡­ and I¡­ never really thought about what I¡¯d do after Simon¡­  Aridean thought to herself as a tightness formed in her throat.  Simply thinking her adopted father¡¯s name was enough to send a shiver down her spine.  Simply repeating the name brought back the memory of the evening in Thellia, the roaring fires, the panicked shouting, and the dark red blood coating her battle axe.  She found herself nearly hyperventilating as her own mind tricked her into thinking the building that she and her companions took refuge in was set ablaze with the pitch-black, imp-like gremlins crawling along the glass windows leading into a darkness blanketed swamp.  Shaking her fears from her mind, the minotaur took several deep breaths to calm herself down again as Vladimir sat back up with a more serious look about himself.

    ¡°I asked because I was hoping to hear from someone who might have been prepared for¡­ such an eventuality.  I¡¯ve been cursed; branded a mere plaything of that¡­ dreaded abomination dwelling under the Cortonne cemetery.  I truly fear that I might never die,¡± Vladimir solemnly confessed, hanging his head low with the long bangs covering his cursed eye draping the air in front of his face.  Before anything else, the minotaur turned her head over her shoulder to spy Nurik; the dwarven innkeeper continued to chip away at his statuettes while humming a dwarven hymn that she had heard before as a waitress back in Thellia.  Aridean¡¯s eyes watched as one of Vladimir¡¯s hands slowly reached upward and wrapped its way around his right arm, just below the purple ribbon the man kept tied around his coat sleeve.  The minotaur had wondered why the man chose to wear the ribbon the way he had but could see that now was not the time as the silver-haired man seemed to mourn his own undeath.

    I don¡¯t know what it is that he did and¡­ I will never forgive what he¡¯s done¡­ but¡­ would I have been any different if I thought I could undo what I¡¯ve done too?  I¡­ I still can¡¯t bear to think that I¡¯m the reason Simon¡¯s¡­ Aridean mused internally as she watched Vladimir run his fingers over the velvety ribbon tied around him.  Her eyes had started to feel damp as she blinked several times in quick succession.  The man sitting across from the minotaur heaved a deep, weary sigh before clearing his throat.  From where Vladimir hung his head, Aridean could see the human¡¯s jaw moving, but failed to pick up on anything that might have passed from his lips.  Simultaneous sensations of sympathy, empathy, and even guilt surged through the minotaur¡¯s core.  Aridean swallowed the tightness forming in the back of her throat and bit her lip.

    ¡°Even after what you did¡­ I-I¡¯ll help you find a way,¡± Aridean suddenly announced after a brief pause.  She could still feel the tears forming in her eyes despite trying her utmost to put on a strong face as Vladimir lifted his stunned gaze to meet with the minotaur.  Despite the unease in her fuzzy expression, Aridean nodded her head to confirm her offer for assistance which was met with Vladimir¡¯s jaw dropping in astonishment.

    ¡°Ms. Gray?  Your kindness¡­ forgive me, but it is a dagger in my forever beating heart,¡± replied the nobleman with a shake of his head.  Aridean took a deep breath of her own as Vladimir simply began to shake his head.  The minotaur felt a chill swirl throughout the room itself as the human hung his head low once more, ¡°I have witnessed families grow and live and wither and die as though they were mere flowers.  How could I ever hope to face them should I ever manage to gain passage into the afterlife?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± Aridean answered uncertainly.  Despite what the man before her had done to her precious friends, even still something in her pushed to want to help him.  Even so, she had not anticipated the hopeless view of the situation she wished to help resolve.  Her eyes fell from Vladimir to her hooves on the wooden floor as the man sighed again.

    ¡°Even still, I cannot fathom how I could hope to finally enter hell as I so rightly should just yet.  Those I¡¯ve wronged over the last one hundred years, and you as well¡­ is there any means for me to make amends?¡±  Vladimir further pressed his grim predicament.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Aridean hesitantly replied with a gentle shake of her head.  Silence had fallen over the two as they sat there in the front room to the inn; again, the only sounds that could be heard in the otherwise still room were the croaking of toads and Nurik busy at work behind the desk.  After a lengthy silence, Aridean¡¯s gaze lifted from the floor as she noticed Vladimir sitting up straight with a more relaxed expression upon his face.  The nobleman had forced a tired smile upon his partly covered face and smoothed out some wrinkles in his pants before taking a deep breath.

    ¡°I apologize for such a grim atmosphere when you are trying to rest¡­ my mind has been a bit of a whirlwind since we departed Cortonne.  You¡¯ve every right to simply scorn and shun me, yet you stay your aggression and lend me your ear¡­ You have my gratitude, Ms. Gray,¡± Vladimir said as he directed his full attention to the somewhat surprised minotaur.  The man merely offered his usual gentle and tired smile as Aridean¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.

    Despite how gentle and kind he is on the outside¡­ he¡¯s holding all of that back and maybe even more.  It¡¯s so hard to imagine someone like him could be the cause of so much pain¡­ I can¡¯t forgive what he did, but even still he seems so genuinely full of regret¡­ Aridean contemplated as her gaze again fell from the nobleman joining her in the front room of the inn.  Simply speaking with the man concerning his existential nightmare had been enough to trigger her regrets and guilt to wash over her again.  Once more, Aridean blinked to open her eyes to a burning inn, as though back in Thellia.  The next blink had morphed the walls around her into smooth stone, lit solely by torches on the walls.  With her heart pounding and breath caught in her throat, Aridean blinked again to return to the inn with Vladimir sitting just across from her at the small table.  She meekly swallowed the anxiety that had been choking her.

    ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ we¡¯ll figure something out, Vlad,¡± Aridean slowly, but with the most genuine voice she could manage, claimed.  She could feel a single tear roll down her left cheek but managed a more determined expression.  Vladimir¡¯s smile slowly faded as he processed what the minotaur had declared.  Although he failed to restore his smile, the stoic look upon the man¡¯s scarred and partly covered face exuded both seriousness and genuine gratitude.

    ¡°You¡­ you are truly sincere, Ms. Gray?  You¡­ you have my sincerest gratitude for such undeserved kindness,¡± Vladimir replied with a gentle bow of his head.  Aridean felt some strange mixture of relief and anxiousness invade her mind; while she felt she had done the right thing, was she truly capable of helping this man with such a supernatural phenomenon?  However, her thoughts were disrupted by the creak of a door from somewhere behind her.  Aridean turned in her chair and Vladimir also directed his attention to the source of the noise.  Magdalene appeared from the washroom, still drying her long, golden blonde hair and already dressed in the small flower shirt that Aridean had picked out for her.  As the young half-elf returned to her fellow traveling companions, Vladimir¡¯s gentle smile resurfaced, ¡°Ah, Ms. Yorre, feeling better now?¡±

    ¡°I needed a warm bath to relieve the itch from some of these bug bites.  Thank the lord that there was some civilization out here,¡± Magdalene answered, clearly grateful for having the luxury of a warm bath in the region.  As she moved around the table and sat down in her chair, the young girl looked up to Aridean, ¡°I drew a warm bath for you, Ari.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Oh, thank you, Maggie, I would like to wash out some of the mud caked into my fur,¡± Aridean replied as she looked down to her mud-stained hooves.  With one final look toward Vladimir, Aridean slowly pushed herself up and out of her chair.  As the minotaur moved through the front room of the inn, hooves clopping loudly against the creaking, old wooden floor, she stopped at the sound of a fist slamming against a smooth surface.  Aridean, a bit startled, turned toward the source of the sound:  Nurik at his desk.  The dwarf offered the stunned minotaur a toothy grin.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take too long now, lass!  I¡¯m gonna start cookin¡¯ up some supper right now,¡± the dwarven innkeeper announced before turning from his customer and starting to walk around his desk.  As Aridean¡¯s racing heart settled again, she returned a meek smile to the dwarf as she nodded her head.  Nurik walked through the front room and made his way to the kitchen as Aridean proceeded to the washroom for a bath.  Her hand gripped the doorknob on the washroom door and gave it a gentle twist.  As Aridean pushed the door open, the wood in the door creaked loudly.

    Beyond the door, the inn¡¯s washroom was nothing spectacular but Aridean still thought to herself how glad she was simply to have the opportunity to clean the mud from the day off.  To her left was a countertop lined with sink basins just beneath several small, round mirrors hung upon the wall.  Towel racks draped with linens stood at the far wall and multiple blinding screens had been set up between the washtubs.  Steam from Magdalene¡¯s bath still fogged over the glass of the mirrors and Aridean could see the warm steam radiating off the bath that the half-elven girl had prepared for the minotaur as it ascended toward the ceiling.

    Heaving a relieved sigh, Aridean began to make her way over to the washtub.  Simply standing in the steam-filled room allowed the minotaur to relax somewhat as she undid the harness carrying her battle axe on her back.  The metal links clicked against the metal shaft to the Heaven¡¯s Edge as Aridean set the massive weapon against the wall behind her tub.  Next to come off was the minotaur¡¯s pants, followed by her shirt, both of which were hung over the screen that stood before her washtub.  Finally, Aridean began to shed her undergarments before dipping a finger into the steaming water.

    With a thoughtful hum, the minotaur stuck her entire hand into the bath and closed her eyes.  She then inhaled deeply and held her breath while concentrating.  Within seconds, her furred hand was enveloped by a strong heat as the water began to warm from a quick and focused burst of fire magic.  Steam rose up from the surface as Aridean retrieved her hand, wicking the water from the furred appendage with a smile drawn across her face.  More than prepared to set her hoof in the warm water, Aridean stopped with a quiet, startled gasp at the sound of clicking coming from just behind her at the sink counter.

    ¡°Well, now, that was quite the showing we put on, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± came the familiar, deep rumbling voice.  Aridean felt her entire body seize up with fright at both the appearance of the beast and her current state of undress.  Quick to cover her modesty and hide herself behind one of the blinds, the minotaur peaked around her cover to spy Vici.  The monstrous form was seemingly admiring himself in one of the mirrors; without skin upon his muzzle to curl lips into a smile or frown, it was difficult to tell whether he seemed pleased or not with his inspection.  Had Aridean not been so flustered by Vici¡¯s sudden intrusion upon her privacy, the minotaur may have thought it odd that Vici was pretending to admire a reflection that did not appear in the mirror.

    ¡°V-Vici?!  W-what are you¡ª,¡± Aridean hastily stammered with embarrassment.  She could feel her fuzzy cheeks flare up with her growing unease.  Much to the minotaur¡¯s great fear, the spirit rose from leaning over the counter and turned to her.  There was nothing in his appearance that might have given Aridean any insight into what Vici may have been thinking.  Aridean¡¯s heart sank, however, as the clawed toes rose from the floor and began walking in her direction.

    ¡°Oh, calm down, my dear:  I¡¯ve lived with you and my master for your entire life.  This isn¡¯t the first I¡¯ve seen of you undressed,¡± the spirit seemed to tease with his deep, rumbling voice.  Vici steadily walked through the washroom over to the screen behind which Aridean hid her modesty.  The minotaur¡¯s heart sank even further in her chest and blood burned hot with embarrassment as one of Vici¡¯s clawed hands grabbed the folding screen and the large monstrous form stepped around the obstacle.  The glow within his empty eye sockets shifted up and down as he inspected the naked minotaur with a pleased hum, ¡°My, my¡­ look who¡¯s all grown up!  I can see why that other one took a liking to you!¡±

    ¡°W-what?!¡±  Aridean stuttered in astonishment whilst hugging her chest tighter and pressing her furred thighs as close together as she could manage.  Both minotaur and spirit turned their attention to the door of the washroom as a soft knocking began to ring out throughout the space.

    ¡°Ari?  Are you okay in there?¡±  Magdalene¡¯s voice could be heard calling from beyond the door.  Aridean, still flustered, could hear her heart pounding at the sound of her companion¡¯s voice.  She turned, eye¡¯s wide with surprise, back to the spirit that shared the washroom with her as it snorted amusedly.

    ¡°You might want to respond, lest you start to appear mad.  She cannot hear nor see me,¡± Vici explained to Aridean, his lipless teeth chattering as he spoke.  Aridean, still trying to process why Vici would invade her privacy in the bath, held her breath and bit her lip.  She was only stirred from her buzzing thoughts as the monstrous form standing before her made a noise similar to clearing one¡¯s throat.  As Aridean lifted her gaze up to meet with Vici¡¯s, the spirit nodded his head toward the door just as the doorknob began to twist.

    ¡°O-oh!  Y-yes!  S-sorry, j-just¡­ angry with myself¡­ f-for¡­ l-leaving my shampoo in the wagon,¡± Aridean quickly called back to the curious half-elf.  She swallowed anxiously as the wooden door creaked open only slightly.  Once again, Aridean held her breath to the point that her lungs burned for air, still worried by all that was going on.

    ¡°Okay¡­ I guess?¡±  Magdalene¡¯s voice replied after a brief pause, her confusion clear in her tone.  Without another word, the young girl gently shut the door to the washroom closed.  With the door shut again, Aridean breathed a sigh of relief before Vici chuckled to himself.  Swallowing her anxiety and still holding tight to her bare body, Aridean looked up to the towering spirit sharing the washroom with her with a mixture of nervousness and mild indignation.  Vici, upon noticing the still distressed minotaur¡¯s expression, merely nodded his head toward the washtub Aridean had been preparing to set hoof in.

    Despite the spirit¡¯s insistence, Aridean continued to stare at Vici for another moment while quietly moaning her unease.  Once more, the spirit let out another short laugh before turning his back and moving around the blinding screen once more.  Although Aridean could tell the intimidating form had not vanished as it normally did when walking away, she turned and began to climb into the warm bath.  Hot, steaming water soaked her furred legs as she slid into the washtub, all the while keeping an eye toward the screen that was meant to hide her from anyone else in the room.  The delight in a hot bath had been somewhat diminished by the intrusion of her unexpected, ethereal visitor.  Vici, however, appeared to finally demonstrate some restraint as he remained out of sight as Aridean dipped her shoulders beneath the surface of the water and heaved a sigh.

    ¡°Vici¡­ what happened back there?¡±  Aridean asked softly so as not to draw more attention from her companions outside the washroom.  The minotaur¡¯s ears flicked at the sound of Vici¡¯s claws clicking against the counter once more, joined by the calm shifting and quiet splashing of the water as she moved in the tub.  Vici hummed to himself for a moment as Aridean began to scrub some soap into her fur.

    ¡°Simply put, I provided you the power to show those lizarians that you are not to be taken lightly,¡± answered the spirit¡¯s voice from behind the folding screen.

    ¡°But¡­ you¡ª,¡± Aridean began to speak, dropping her arms back into the warm water that she was enveloped in.

    ¡°Took control of your limbs?  Yes, I had,¡± Vici finished abruptly, almost sounding disinterested in the conversation.  Aridean, however, was somewhat taken aback by the nonchalance in the hulking form¡¯s response.

    ¡°H-how though?¡±  Aridean probed, slipping deeper into her washtub.  The warm water had surrounded her neck the steam rising from the surface kissed her fuzzy chin.  She could finally feel her tensed muscles relax beneath the pleasant water though her eyes remained trained on the screen between her and Vici.

    ¡°Ever since my master fell, I have come to reside within your heart.  Aiding you in battle is a simple matter¡­ so long as you are willing,¡± Vici answered, his clawed fingers still clicking rhythmically against the countertop of the washroom.  Confusion washed over Aridean as the minotaur slowly rinsed the suds from her mane.

    ¡®Reside within my heart¡¯?  What does he mean by that?  If he¡¯s living within me¡­ does that mean he can hear my thoughts?  Aridean wondered to herself as the water rippled and splashed against the sides of the tub as she sat upright again.  During the brief pause, Aridean had slowly started to fear that if Vici could actually hear her own thoughts that he might be privy to more private matters and that his intrusion upon her in the bath would now be the least of her worries.  Anxiety had quickly replaced the confusion upon Aridean¡¯s face and the heat of embarrassment, hotter than her bath water, began to course through her entire being.

    ¡°And before you ask:  no, I cannot hear your thoughts.  I may see your heart¡¯s desires, but your mind is your own,¡± Vici offhandedly commented.  His impeccable timing, however, simply left Aridean questioning the validity of his statement.  Regardless, the minotaur took a moment to compose herself as she mentally reasoned there is nothing to be done about the spirit.

    ¡°W-well¡­ back to what happened today:  y-you taking over¡­ it kind of¡­ hurt and¡­ it was kind of scary to watch my arms move without my command,¡± Aridean told the being behind the folding screen.  She felt her ear flick in surprise as she heard a simple grunt coming from beyond her stall.

    ¡°You will grow accustomed to it,¡± replied Vici, sounding somewhat blunt about the matter.  Aridean lifted her hands from the water and watched as her fingers curled into her palms and then stretched outwards several times.  The minotaur heaved a worried sigh as she thought back to what it was she had been witness to earlier that day:  her own limbs were set into motion by the will of another, leaving her but a mere spectator to her own actions.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s something I¡¯m willing to do again.  A-and you said it left you exhausted, too.  M-maybe we won¡¯t do that again,¡± Aridean started to say as her hands slipped back into the soapy water.  She could hear Vici let out a low and thoughtful hum from where he stood in the washroom.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±  came the spirit¡¯s voice.  Both minotaur and guardian spirit had fallen silent, the only sounds echoing off the walls of the washroom being Vici¡¯s clicking claws and Aridean¡¯s rippling bath water splashing as the minotaur shifted in the tub.  As Aridean scrubbed the last of the mud from her furred legs, Vici began to speak once more, ¡°The mark on your back¡­ I recall you mentioned the Ithlaum when that cursed human asked you about your minotaur tribe back in Cortonne.  I don¡¯t recall my master ever telling you about that minotaur tribe.¡±

    ¡°I learned about my tribe from Mikali,¡± Aridean answered honestly.  She was somewhat curious by Vici¡¯s sudden interest in white claw-mark fur pattern upon her back.  Had Vici served Simon as he claimed, then surely he would know a little more about the Ithlaum since his master had led the eradication of the tribe.  Perhaps Vici even knew what it was that brought Simon and Aridean together.  The thought of having such a question answered made Aridean¡¯s heart skip a beat, though the minotaur failed to form any words in order to prepare the question.  She was only brought back to reality as Vici¡¯s voice rang out once more.

    ¡°Ah¡­ and what did this Mikali tell you about your heritage?¡±  asked the spirit, his tone sounding somewhat more focused than it previously had.

    ¡°He¡­ couldn¡¯t tell me much,¡± Aridean again answered as truthfully as she could.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Vici¡¯s deep voice rumbled.  Aridean felt a chill run down the length of her spine and through to the tip of her tail as the spirit went quiet, even the clicking of claws had ceased.  After a moment to gather her thoughts, Aridean drew in a quick breath.

    ¡°W-what is¡ª,¡± the minotaur began to ask.  Her voice trailed off instantly, however, as a kocking could be heard resounding throughout the room.  Aridean turned her head in the direction of the washroom door as the creak of the wood rang out again.

    ¡°Ari!  Hurry up in there!  Dinner¡¯s ready,¡± came Magdalene¡¯s voice from the direction of the door.  Just as soon as the half-elven girl had made her announcement, she had left as well while closing the door behind her with a clapping sound.  Aridean¡¯s ear flicked and her attention was drawn back to the folding screen between her and Vici as the rhythmic click of claws on the countertop could be heard once more.  A slight uneasiness settled in the back of Aridean¡¯s mind as Vici began to let loose a low, frightening laughter.

    ¡°Another time, perhaps.  It has been some time since I had some proper exercise like what we did earlier today; I still require time to restore myself,¡± Vici explained.  Once the spirit had stopped talking, the sound of his clicking claws had stopped as well.

    ¡°Vici, w-wait!  H-how is that¡ª,¡± Aridean started to call out.  However, the minotaur could almost sense that she was now alone in the washroom again.  Without much thought on the matter, Aridean lifted herself from the washtub and pushed herself against the folding screen blocking her view of the rest of the washroom.  Water dripped from the drenched fur that was now plastered to the minotaur¡¯s body and pooled around her hooves.  Peaking out from behind her cover, the minotaur found that the space had been fogged up somewhat by her bath and there was now a large backpack seated next to the door.  However, what had vanished again was none other than Vici.

    Already left, hasn¡¯t he?  Damn, I didn¡¯t even think to ask what he meant by he¡¯s living within my heart now¡­ Vici¡­ what are you?  Aridean wondered to herself as she scanned the room again simultaneously hoping that the spirit was still around to answer her questions and not around to ogle her up again.  Aridean felt a mixture of relief that she at least had some privacy now and also mild bewilderment with her guardian spirit¡¯s odd nature.  With a short sigh, the minotaur moved around the screen she had been pressed against and over to the towel rack near the back of the washroom.

    Aridean collected a large, clean towel from the rack at the back of the washroom and went to work trying to dry her fur of the water that still clung to her.  Linen rags were used to soak up as much moisture as they could hold before the minotaur reached for another.  Aridean had limited herself to only three of the towels just in case someone else might need one, despite the unlikelihood that any other guests might arrive for the evening.  Although her fur was still damp and a draft from somewhere in the room caused the minotaur to shudder as wind cut through her otherwise insulating fur, Aridean deposited her towels in a hamper near the towel rack.  She then made her way back through the washroom over to the door where a large pack now sat propped up against the wall.

    Was this¡­ Maggie?  Or maybe Vlad?  Either way, I appreciate it; I can¡¯t believe I forgot to bring an extra change of clothes with me¡­  Aridean mentally noted as she opened the backpack.  From the depths of the bag, the minotaur had retrieved a new set of mud-free clothes:  a white shirt with purple around the wrists of the sleeves and a checkered purple pattern running diagonally up one side of the chest and back along with some clean jeans.  For a moment, the minotaur stared at the unusual pattern on the shirt with mild confusion.  She had never been one for fashion yet the design simply seemed odd to her.  Nevertheless, Aridean shrugged and began to dress herself.  Once clothed again, she collected both the pack her fresh set of clothes had arrived in and the harness carrying her battle axe before making for the door.

    As the wooden door creaked open, a tantalizing smell wafted through the air and into the minotaur¡¯s nostrils.  Aridean could not help but lick her lips as she deeply inhaled the delectable scent.  After a few seconds to simply enjoy the aroma, the minotaur began to walk through the room back to where her companions and even their host were seated.  Taking a seat at the small table, Aridean found that both Vladimir and Magdalene had been served dinner by Nurik some sort of seafood dish with cooked herbs and vegetables.

    ¡°Ey, there ya be, lass.  Ye took yer sweet time in there, ya did.  Enjoy the baths that much, eh?¡±  Nurik teased with a smile drawn across his face.  The dwarf offered Aridean a plate with the same meal that both the human and half-elf had been served.  Aridean was shocked by the sight of what rested upon her plate:  despite the incredible scent it gave off, the food simply looked dry and unappetizing, there was plenty of black around the edges to the filleted fish and several pieces of the chopped vegetables appeared uncooked entirely.

    ¡°Y-yes, t-thank you,¡± Aridean replied while still accepting the dinner that her host offered her.  She mentally considered that Nurik must not care much for presentation when it comes to his cooking.  With luck, the food tasted as well as it smelled and not a poorly as it looked.  Somewhat hesitant, Aridean collected the fork she had been supplied with her dinner and cut a small piece of fish.  Slowly, the minotaur brought the first bite up to her lips and bit down upon it.

    Nurik¡­ you are a strange chef¡­  Aridean thought to herself as she processed the flavor, or lack thereof, of her meal.  Fortunately, the fish did not taste as bad as it looked yet did not have any particular appeal in regard to taste either.  In the end, Aridean considered it fortunate that the group managed to find somewhere with edible food in the swamplands.  She continued to dine on her dinner as Vladimir set his plate down upon the table the group had congregated around and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking, Mr. Goreskii, how did you come to live out here in the Wiir Swamplands?¡±  Vladimir asked as he set down his napkin.  Nurik looked up from his own plate with an expression that seemed to non-verbally convey to the team ¡®I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t ask sooner¡¯.  The dwarven innkeeper took a moment to chew his food and swallow before leaning back in his chair.

    ¡°Oh, that?  It ain¡¯t that interestin¡¯ a tale.  Had been travelin¡¯ with some companions a while ago.  Well, they said ¡®that way¡¯ ¡®n¡¯ I said ¡®this way¡¯.  Maybe I overreacted a wee bit, but I wound up wandering deeper in this ¡®ere swamp by meself.  Came upon the lizard folk ¡®n¡¯ never really thought ta leave.  Mighta expected more from me, but that¡¯s really all there is to it,¡± explained Nurik with a disinterested shrug of his shoulders.  Modest astonishment had befallen the dwarf¡¯s trio of guests; both minotaur and human shared a quizzical glance to one another whereas Magdalene¡¯s gaze lingered on Nurik.

    ¡°You mean to say that you got lost in this swamp, with flowers that will try to eat minotaurs whole, and decided to stay in a village of barbarian lizarians?¡±  the half-elf asked, clearly at least somewhat unbelieving in Nurik¡¯s tale.

    ¡°Aye.  Life be fickle like that, little lass, so I say ta just let it be what it be,¡± replied Nurik with a wave of his fork and nod of his head before returning to his dinner.  The dwarf¡¯s overly abundant nonchalance concerning his tale prompted both Aridean and Vladimir to stare on with looks of concern.  Although neither spoke a word, their host¡¯s tale had neglected to detail how he had come to run an inn in the middle of the lizarian village of Miahnn¡¯uli.  Aridean, after a moment to process Nurik¡¯s story, simply returned to her dinner whilst still curious about what had transpired after the dwarven innkeeper arrived in the village.

    ¡°Merciful Lord¡­ I thought that Vidor was easy going¡­¡± Magdalene whispered with a shake of her head and a worried look of her own toward Nurik.  Both Vladimir and the group¡¯s host had not appeared to hear the girl¡¯s hushed comment, though Aridean felt an ache in her chest at the mere mention of her fallen friend.

    Vidor¡­ I¡­ really wish he and Rana were here right now, Aridean mentally grieved with a dispirited sigh.  Breathing deeply, the minotaur had managed to compose herself enough that her companions had not noticed the slouching in her chair.  Even so, she still felt as if the weight of a boulder was crushing down upon her shoulders as she slowly and carefully lifted her fork to cut another bite of the fish.

    For a while, the group had gone silent as they ate their meals.  The only noises that reached anyone¡¯s ears were that of forks hitting plates, the muffled croaks of toads outside the inn, and the clang of metal against metal somewhere even further beyond the walls of the building out in the darkness of the swamp.  As time passed the almost rhythmic clang of utensil hitting plate slowed, to which Nurik leaned back in his seat with a near cleaned dish in his lap.  The dwarf seemed relaxed as he stretched his short but muscled legs and cradled the back of his head in calloused hands.

    ¡°Well, I been needin¡¯ a story; what say you tell me how a little half-elf, an average human, and a tall minotaur all banded together then?¡±  asked Nurik, much to apparent surprise of his guests.  Everyone had stopped their chewing of the last bite they had taken and simply turned toward their host who laughed to himself seeing the bewilderment upon his guests¡¯ faces.  With an audible gulp of her dinner, Magdalene took a deep breath as she set her plate down upon the table the group was huddled around.

    ¡°I¡¯m just paying back a debt since Ari saved my life,¡± the half-elven girl answered while also leaning back in her chair similarly to Nurik sitting across from her.  However, Magdalene did not demonstrate quite the same air of care-free as she crossed her arms over her chest.  Nurik, seemingly intrigued by her answer, let loose a quiet hum as one hand was brought down to stroke his beard.  Aridean¡¯s ear flicked and she turned to see a somewhat solemn Magdalene looking toward the floor as she muttered under her breath, ¡°Technically¡­ three times now.¡±

    ¡°I, too, owe much to Ms. Gray for some undeserved kindness,¡± Vladimir chimed in only after having wiped his mouth clean with a napkin.  Similarly, to Magdalene, Aridean caught the human man lower his gaze toward the floor as he forlornly uttered, ¡°I owe her and so many others as well¡­¡±

    Just the same as with Magdalene¡¯s response, the only sound that came from Nurik was an interested, low hum.  The dwarf¡¯s eyes shifted between both the half-elf and human that sat in his inn¡¯s front room, each appearing somewhat defeated by something.  Apart from the swamp¡¯s muffled noises outside, the only sound coming from within the room was a single huff from Magdalene.  After a moment of silent contemplation, Nurik turned toward Aridean while still stroking his beard in thought, ¡°An¡¯ how bout you, lass?¡±

    ¡°O-oh¡­ I¡¯m here because¡­ b-because¡­¡±  Aridean stuttered, somewhat caught off guard despite having already been warned that her dwarven host was looking to hear how she had come to stay at the inn.  However, the more the minotaur attempted to move her lips to form words, the more she froze up.  The overbearing weight on her shoulders only seemed to grow heavier as she searched her mind for a reasonable answer to Nurik¡¯s question.

    W-what?  I wanted to make them proud, right?  Why can¡¯t I just say that?  Aridean quietly considered to herself.  It was only as she had been asked why she was even here in the swamp that she had begun to ponder the question herself.  Just the same as before, when Aridean suggested to Mikali that she be the one to meet with the lizarians in the Wiir Swamplands, it was as though something had taken over her.  With an anxious swallow, the minotaur looked to her dwarven host.  Nurik sat in his chair just to her side with brows raised and eyes focused in anticipation of her response.

    ¡°I¡­ L-like you guessed:  I¡¯ve come to speak with the high shaman about¡­ erm, well¡­ but I¡­¡± Aridean started to speak, however, she faltered at the mention of carrying out tasks for the rebellion.  Upon observing the minotaur¡¯s unease, Nurik waved the hand that had been stroking his beard dismissively whilst shaking his head.

    ¡°Gone an¡¯ gotten ya a bit muddled, eh?  Pah, if it were what I think it were, it was none me business anyhoo,¡± Nurik interrupted before once more leaning back in his seat with hands locked behind his head.  Aridean¡¯s eye fell toward the ground around her hooves as she continued to quietly contemplate her purpose in the swamplands when the ones she sought to make proud would no longer be there for her return.  Unable to settle on a suitable response, Aridean let out a quiet and uncertain moan before lifting her gaze up again.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.  I¡¯m here because¡­ I¡­ I think I want to do what I think is right to¡­ help people like me,¡± answered the minotaur somewhat uncertainly again.  Aridean at least felt confident her response had not been a lie though she did get a sense that it was a desperate answer.  Nevertheless, the minotaur caught Vladimir staring at her with his signature tired but sincere smile.  However, she turned to Magdalene in surprise as the young girl let loose an amused snort.

    ¡°That¡¯s all?  You were almost plant food today because you thought it was right?  Heh, thank the lord for sending us that one lizarian to help us out on our journey to help others,¡± Magdalene teased with a smirk on her face.  The half-elf¡¯s teasing seemed to garner attention from Nurik as the dwarven man let loose a gentle, low laugh as he sat up in his seat again.

    ¡°Oh, ho, you lot met the Deimn¡¯la on your way into town, eh?¡±  Nurik asked while leaning in toward the group of guests.  Aridean, Magdalene, and Vladimir all shared a confused glance to one another as that same term had appeared for the second time today.  It was the same thing that the high shaman had mentioned after she had stepped in to put a stop to Aridean¡¯s duel earlier.  Seeing that neither the minotaur nor the human seemed intent on asking Nurik for more information, Magdalene simply shook her head and huffed her mild annoyance at her companions¡¯ silence.

    ¡°We met the what now?¡±  Magdalene curiously asked Nurik.

    ¡°The Deimn¡¯la; it mean ¡®weakling¡¯ in lizardspeak,¡± the dwarf answered with one hand on his knee and the other back to work stroking his long beard.  Once again, Aridean and Magdalene exchanged a confused glance toward the other concerning their host¡¯s rather unhelpful explanation.  Before either the minotaur or half-elf could say anything else, Vladimir¡¯s one eye lit up as he hummed aloud and shifted in his seat to lean in closer to the other three at the table.

    ¡°Ah, I believe I understand now,¡± Vladimir exclaimed with a small smile upon his partially covered face.  Both Aridean and Magdalene turned toward the human while Nurik¡¯s gaze simply shifted over to the noble.

    ¡°What is it, Vlad?  Do you know what this¡­ ¡®daym-la¡¯ is?¡±  Aridean had started to ask, finding it difficult to simply pronounce the unfamiliar tongue she had been hearing over the day.  Vladimir gave a short and courteous nod of his head, the hair covering his face bouncing but never revealing the crimson orb and scar beneath.

    ¡°I do indeed, Ms. Gray.  When the high shaman mentioned that you carry the scent of the Deimn¡¯la, she was referring to the lizarian warrior that assisted us with that Dragolia bloom back in the swamp,¡± Vladimir explained, much to apparent surprise of both Aridean and Magdalene.  Before the minotaur to open her mouth, Magdalene had set her dinner down, the dish clinking loudly against the table.

    ¡°That guy?  He froze that giant weed solid and shattered it with a single stomp!  Why is he being called weak by the other lizarians?¡±  Magdalene inquired with a quirked brow.  Rather than respond, Vladimir put a hand to his chin and sat silently for a moment.  Both Aridean and Magdalene sat waiting for the human to consider whatever it might be that gave him pause.  Both the muffled croaks and clinking of Nurik¡¯s fork on his plate were all that could be heard within the room.  After an extended period of otherwise silence from Vladimir, Aridean noticed Magdalene slump forward in her seat with an impatient expression upon her lightly freckled face.  The young girl loudly cleared her throat, stirring the nobleman from his thoughts.

    ¡°I do apologize, but I am afraid I would not know the answer to that question, Ms. Yorre.  Given lizarian culture, it honestly could be any number of things that earned him such a label,¡± replied Vladimir after a gentle shake of his head.  The nobleman heaved a sigh before returning to his thoughts with his attention turned elsewhere in the room.  Magdalene grumbled, clearly annoyed that the man failed to provide anything more.  Similarly, Aridean found herself somewhat disappointed Vladimir could not answer the inquiry given the individual in question that saved her and her companions earlier had been labeled as a weakling and outcast.  With a low hum and ears drooping, Aridean¡¯s gaze shifted over to the dwarf as he finished the last of his dinner.

    ¡°Mr. Goreskii,¡± called Aridean softly, her ears perking up slightly with hope.  Although the dwarf¡¯s eyes had met with her own, the group¡¯s host had already lifted his mug of ale up to his lips and was in the middle of drinking.  As the mug fell back down to the table the group was gathered at, the innkeeper let out a satisfied breath.

    ¡°Aye?¡±  Nurik responded after catching his breath.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lived in the swamplands for some time now; do you maybe know anything about the ¡®weak¡¯ lizarian?¡±  Aridean asked curiously while shifting in her seat.  Nurik blew hot air past his lips as he leaned back in his seat and clasped his hands over his slightly rounded stomach.  Both Aridean and Magdalene found themselves leaning forward in anticipation of what it was their dwarven host was considering now.  After a few seconds, Nurik simply shrugged and began to stroke his beard once more.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know much meself, just that the scaled one is shunned from his own kind fer somethin¡¯ o¡¯ another.  Like yer friend there said:  it be one of them reptile beliefs, but I ain¡¯t to familiar with the specifics meself.  What I do know is this:  he lives out in the swamp by his lonesome, rescuin¡¯ travelers that get themselves stuck in it bad¡­ such as that Dragolia bloom ye mentioned,¡± explained Nurik to the two girls that had given the dwarf their full attention.  Vladimir, however, was only brought back from his own thoughts about halfway through Nurik¡¯s explanation.  Turning back toward the rest gathered at the table, Aridean¡¯s curiosity grew ever deeper upon observing the astonished expression upon Vladimir¡¯s face.

    ¡°I beg your pardon, Mr. Goreskii, but did I hear you right?  This one goes out of his way to aid strangers?¡±  Vladimir probed with a hint of disbelief in his voice.  The surprise in his face had evolved into sheer shock as Nurik nodded his head before sitting up in his seat.  Aridean and Magdalene were somewhat confused by the bewildered expression that painted their human companion¡¯s visage now.

    ¡°Aye, he does.  If I¡¯m ta be honest with ya, he¡¯s probably the only way I see any business in this ¡®ere swamp,¡± Nurik started with a short laugh.  The dwarf laughed at his own joke and slapped his knee with an audible clap.  Vladimir¡¯s hand finally fell from his chin as he repositioned himself in his chair.  As the noble straightened his back, both Aridean and Magdalene turned to him, confused concerning the man¡¯s odd question.

    ¡°Well, that would only further exacerbate this outcast¡¯s estrangement from his kind,¡± Vladimir commented with an uneasy sigh.  Aridean and Magdalene glanced to one another by the strange observation that the man had just made.

    ¡°Why do you say that?  What¡¯s wrong with him helping people?¡±  asked Magdalene with furrowed brows upon her head.  Vladimir let out a short sigh as he shook his head once more.

    ¡°Simply put, the lizarians are a very survival-of-the-fittest type of people.  To demonstrate any sort of generosity or kindness the way this one seems to do would give him a reputation for appearing weak to his own kin,¡± Vladimir replied before taking a deep breath.  With a serious look in his one visible eye, he stared directly toward Aridean, ¡°And weakness of any kind is not tolerated among the lizarian people.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so cruel¡­¡± Aridean said softly.  She surmised that Vladimir must also be referring to the lizarian she and Magdalene had tried to help before the duel she had earlier.  With a flick of her ear, the minotaur turned toward the dwarf seated to her side, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know his name, would you, Mr. Goreskii?¡±

    ¡°He ain¡¯t got one,¡± Nurik replied bluntly with a shake of his head.  Aridean¡¯s ears again flicked in curiosity.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?  What do you mean by that?¡±  asked Aridean, her brow quirked as she continued trying to process the simple response the dwarf had provided.

    ¡°Yer friend could probably explain it better, but the thing be that he¡¯s weak.  The weak don¡¯t earn their names,¡± explained Nurik while pointing a finger toward Vladimir.  With all eyes on him again, Vladimir put a hand to his chin once more.  His gaze was shifted downward as he took a moment to carefully consider his explanation.

    ¡°So, he has already been cast out then?  I see, that means he¡¯s been branded as the Deimn¡¯la, or a weakling, because he failed a most specific rite of passage to the lizarian people.  While the exact details are a closely guarded secret to our scaled neighbors, the short version is that the rite tests young lizarians in a multitude of different aspects, the majority of which involve strength and physical ability.  Once complete, the high shaman would bestow a fitting title upon the participants of the rite dependent upon their unique talents and traits,¡± Vladimir explained.  As the nobleman concluded his explanation, he sighed deeply and shook his head before collecting another bite of his dinner from the plate in his lap and lifting it to his mouth.

    ¡°Knowing this place, the high shaman would only bestow these titles upon the survivors¡­¡± Magdalene snidely chimed in as she set down her cup of water.

    ¡°Oh, good, you didn¡¯t need me to tell you that part,¡± Vladimir commented with a gentle laugh, much to both Aridean and Magdalene¡¯s surprise.  The two girls shared a quick glance to one another, their astonishment evident in their expressions.  Both minotaur and half-elf returned their attention to the nobleman as he nonchalantly picked up another bite of his dinner on his fork and proceeded to bite down.

    ¡°Vlad?  Was¡­ was that a joke?¡±  Magdalene asked with genuine curiosity.  Vladimir, his mouth full now, merely covered his lips with a cloth napkin as he chewed.  A muffled snort of amusement escaped the human, though what caught Magdalene¡¯s attention was the short sigh that came from the group¡¯s host.

    ¡°Knowin¡¯ the reptiles?  It weren¡¯t, little lass,¡± Nurik answered bluntly in place of Vladimir.  The dwarven innkeeper quickly finished the last bites of his fish before rising from his seat.  His three guests watched as the short man collected his plate and started for the kitchen.  Nurik stopped by the kitchen door and turned back to the three he had just shared his dinner with, ¡°It be getting¡¯ late and I be bettin¡¯ ye¡¯ all want to turn in soon.  I be mannin¡¯ the desk for just a wee bit longer before I hit the sack meself.  Ye need anythin¡¯, just gimme a holler!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Goreskii,¡± Aridean replied courteously.  She saw pleased smile spread across the dwarf¡¯s face before he turned and entered the kitchen.  Having been left to their own devices once more, the group paused briefly to continue dining upon the food that their host had prepared.  After a moment of silence between the three, Aridean lifted her head up from her plate and looked to Vladimir.

    ¡°Oh, Vlad, another phrase I¡¯ve heard from the lizarians:  what does ¡®nal-lock zee toss-knee¡¯ mean?¡±  Aridean asked curiously.  Vladimir, however, turned to face the minotaur with a perplexed expression upon his partially covered face.  Aridean watched, her ear flicking with surprise, as Vladimir¡¯s lips moved yet nothing could be heard.  The nobleman continued to silently word what it was he was thinking before realization dawned which shone in his one visible eye.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you must be referring to the phrase ¡®nallahk zhi tashni.¡¯  Do forgive me, but your pronunciation had me a tad bit confused.  That phrase is simply their equivalent to something along the lines of ¡®what an inconvenience¡¯,¡± Vladimir began to explain.  It had been a phrase both the high shaman and the Deimn¡¯la had spoken to the group and had left Aridean somewhat curious to its meaning.  Having learned the phrase¡¯s translation, Aridean felt a slight frustration welling up within her over having been deemed a nuisance by the strangers that had spoken the phrase to her.  The minotaur¡¯s mild agitation only seemed to grow slightly more exacerbated by Vladimir¡¯s next comment, ¡°Though its actual translation is, erm¡­ I¡¯m afraid I do not have the heart to speak in polite company; it directly translates to something using far more profanities.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it does¡­¡±  Magdalene replied, her own irritation with the phrase readily apparent.  Both minotaur and half-elf heaved a frustrated sigh in unison, much to each of their own astonishment and Vladimir¡¯s amusement as a small smirk worked its way across his lips.  Together, the three travelers finished their meals before making for their respective guest rooms to rest for the evening.

 Chapter 35 - End this Shame

    Hardly any light at all had managed to break through the lush green canopy outside and even less illumination had seeped through the lightly dirt-caked window. In order to remedy the lack of light, Magdalene had conjured a small glowing orb that floated throughout the guest room the two young ladies shared. Aridean was busy at work sharpening bladed edge to her massive battle axe while Magdalene sat upon a bed reading from her old bible.

    It was already the following morning of the group¡¯s arrival in the lizarian town of Miahnn¡¯uli. Despite the comforts of familiar civilization in the form of the modest inn that Aridean and her companions had found, the minotaur observed the young half-elf yawning and stretching upon the bed. It was as she was waking up that Aridean discovered Magdalene already awake; apparently the sounds of the swamp just beyond their guest room walls had been too much for her to sleep comfortably. Unable to help, Aridean had simply kept quiet while thinking to herself that the croak of toads and splashing of water was preferable to the snoring and movement she had grown accustomed to back in the barracks of Stonehaven.

    Though I suppose I don¡¯t really have to worry about that either since Mikali allows me to stay with him now¡­ Well, before meeting us, I guess Maggie did have a room all to herself to sleep in. I guess she¡¯s just not use to it yet, Aridean silently considered as she lifted her axe up to inspect her handiwork. The polished, metal surface of the axe head, engraved with what appeared to be a blazing sun scorching the earth below, reflected her fuzzy visage back at her whereupon a small, satisfied smile formed upon her lips. With a relieved sigh, the minotaur returned the large weapon to its holster before standing from her seat. Magdalene¡¯s head was slowly bobbing up and down with eyelids that struggled to keep open.

    ¡°Maggie, do you want to lie down for a while? Vlad and I can come back for you after you¡¯ve had some time to rest. I¡¯m not sure what we might discuss with the high shaman today, but I doubt we¡¯ll be gone long,¡± Aridean began to ask softly. Magdalene, quick as a fox, jumped from her place upon the bed and onto the floor where her shoes clapped upon the wooden surface.

    Magdalene, dressed in her usual attire of a light blue skirt and white button-down shirt, took a moment to breathe deeply. The young girl rubbed sleep from her slightly red eyes as she attempted to hide another tired yawn. Aridean watched, feeling a bit awkward and uncertain, as her half-elven companion stretched her arms and back before carefully returning her bible to her pack resting upon the bed. With a sort of determination, or perhaps crankiness, in her eyes, Magdalene turned back to the minotaur towering over her and crossed her arms over her chest, ¡°I¡¯m not some little kid, Ari! I¡¯m good, I was just waiting for you to say, ¡®let¡¯s go¡¯.¡±

    At the young girl¡¯s insistence, Aridean merely let loose a short sigh as she shook her head. Magdalene rolled her eyes before moving over to the small table in the two¡¯s guest room and collecting the bowls and utensils that had been used for their breakfast provided by the innkeeper. As the half-elf collected the used dishes and her own backpack, Aridean strapped the harness carrying the Heaven¡¯s Edge to her body and then retrieved her own pack. Together, the two girls exited the guest room, Magdalene¡¯s shoes clicking against the wood and Aridean¡¯s hooves clopping audibly with each step.

    As the door to the main room creaked open, Aridean scanned the scene again. Several small tables with chairs surrounding each of them sat in front of a common area that included a nice and clean rug in front of a stone fireplace. Aridean had to pause and question why the inn in the swamp would have a fireplace at all given just how unbearably humid and warm it was outside. To the opposite side of the main room sat the reception desk, and behind that, Nurik Goreskii, the dwarven innkeeper. Aridean also observed Vladimir sitting at a table whilst reading a book, though upon hearing the groan of the door, the man promptly closed his tome and stood from his seat.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just go wash these up real quick¡­ maybe splash some water in my face while I¡¯m at it,¡± Magdalene announced with another short yawn while carrying the dishes from breakfast into the door along the same wall as their guest room that was labeled ¡®kitchen¡¯. Nurik had already told the inn¡¯s guests not to worry about the cleaning up, though Aridean likely would have taken care of things had Magdalene not already non-verbally volunteered to do so. As the half-elf disappeared into the kitchen of the inn, Vladimir approached Aridean.

    ¡°Good morning, Ms. Gray. I take it you and Ms. Yorre slept well?¡± Vladimir greeted as he stopped in front of the minotaur. He wore a now mud-free, blue coat and white pants and blue boots; along his right arm was a purple ribbon tied above his elbow. The man managed to offer one of his signature tired, but genuine, smiles to Aridean.

    ¡°Good morning, Vlad. I didn¡¯t have too much trouble, though I¡¯m a little worried about Maggie¡­ I don¡¯t know if she slept at all last night. Said there were so many toads and splashes outside,¡± replied Aridean with a nervous smile of her own. As she spoke, the curve of her lips slowly faded and her attention had been redirected from the man greeting her toward the kitchen door. Something about her concern for Magdalene must have amused Vladimir in some manner as the man let loose a quiet chuckle.

    ¡°I see. I will be sure to keep an eye on her as well, just to be sure she does not overexert herself, Ms. Gray,¡± Vladimir told Aridean after a second to compose himself from his quiet laughter. Upon hearing the man¡¯s announcement, Aridean turned her head back toward Vladimir and her anxious smile slowly resurfaced. The minotaur towering over the human nodded her head in acceptance of the noble¡¯s offer of watching out for Magdalene alongside her.

    For only a moment, the front room of the swamplands inn was silent save for the muffled marsh sounds coming from beyond the walls. Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the sound of stone being hammered and she quickly turned her attention toward the front desk. Behind the desk and seated at a low stool was the dwarven innkeeper; despite her own height, Aridean could only just see her host¡¯s forehead and gray-streaked hair. Nurik sat behind the reception desk upon a low seated stool and had busied himself with chipping away at his marble statuettes again. Having concluded her inspection of the cozy front room, Aridean took a deep breath and made to move toward one of the numerous chairs scattered throughout the space. She immediately halted all motion as she discovered a dramatic change in Vladimir¡¯s expression. Before speaking, Aridean could hear the man in front of her quietly moaning frustratedly.

    ¡°Ms. Gray, a moment of your time?¡± Vladimir finally managed to ask, clearly making an effort to be upfront and direct with Aridean. His smile had faded away and a serious, if anxious, glimmer could be seen in his one visible eye.

    ¡°Oh, uhm, sure, Vlad. Was there something on your mind?¡± Aridean returned, somewhat curious by the nobleman¡¯s sudden need for her attention. Vladimir paused briefly, almost as though Aridean¡¯s mundane response had been far too much for him to handle. Nevertheless, the human took another moment to compose himself and breath deeply. This was the first time Aridean had seen Vladimir flustered in any capacity. Even so, the minotaur provided the reluctantly immortal human with her full attention.

    ¡°Indeed¡­ I¡¯ve been considering our discussion yesterday evening. I feel the need to ask¡­ I¡­ I must confess that this is¡­ difficult for me,¡± Vladimir started with a gentle nod of his head. Aridean observed how the nobleman would pause intermittently as he clearly attempted to gather his thoughts concerning what he needed to say to the minotaur. However, the brief breaks in his speech became more and more drawn out until Vladimir had stopped speaking altogether with his gaze unable to meet Aridean¡¯s.

    ¡°V-Vlad?¡± Aridean called out gently. Something about Vladimir¡¯s unusual hesitancy had started to build a growing feeling of uncertainty in Aridean as well. Before he lifted his head up to lock eyes with the minotaur standing over him, Vladimir anxiously swallowed whatever unease had been choking him previously.

    ¡°I must confirm with you, Ms. Gray¡­ what you said yesterday evening¡­ that¡­¡± Vladimir again started to speak, his voice trailing off once more as his visible eye fell to the floor at his boots. Aridean watched as the man both bit his lip and his left hand was brought up to hold tight to the purple ribbon tied around his right arm. Although she was uncertain as to what it was Vladimir was trying to ask of her, Aridean felt a pang of sorrow bouncing all throughout her chest simply seeing the unnerved expression upon Vladimir¡¯s partially covered face. With a shake of his head, the man lifted his gaze and offered a tired smile, ¡°I-I apologize. Perhaps I¡¯m being too presumptuous here.¡±

    What I said yesterday? What is he talking about¡­ was it¡­ Oh! He must be referring to when we were discussing his immortality while Maggie was in the bath, Aridean slowly began to mentally review. After the slight awe of realization had subsided, her eyes quickly scanned over the human standing before her. Even Aridean was shocked with herself as she silently looked Vladimir over.

    This human, if one could even refer to him as such any longer, had been the cause of so much pain and so much suffering. The number of families that the man must have torn apart must have been innumerable given he had been assisting a demon for a full century. Gifted with the curse of immortality, Vladimir had taken away the closest thing that Aridean had to family. Even so, the minotaur found herself clenching her fists and biting her lip. Although a burning rage had reignited in her heart at the memory of the fury she felt stumbling out of the tomb back in Cortonne, she failed to bring herself to fully hate or despise Vladimir in this moment as the human had confessed to and displayed an alarming amount of guilt and regret over his past. The question he had asked back then echoed in the back of her mind: ¡®What would you do if the pain you caused could be undone?¡¯ Just thinking about the question sent her back to that night in Thellia where the entire village burned in a brilliant inferno and her own father, clad in his armor, lay in crimson pool at her hooves. As Aridean struggled to collect herself, she inhaled deeply before swallowing through the tightening choked feeling in her throat.

    ¡°Vlad, I think I know what you¡¯re trying to ask,¡± Aridean began to announce after taking a moment to calm her nerves. As she breathed deeply again, Vladimir¡¯s attention focused in on her as his left hand still wrapped its fingers around the purple ribbon the man kept tied around his right arm. There was a brief pause as Aridean attempted to push the memories aside. First was the disgusting crunch of bone and ripping of flesh from where Rana defended her, then her own weak and distressed pleas, and finally Vidor¡¯s sorrowful and heartbroken howl slowly faded from her mind. After another few seconds to ensure she was in control again, Aridean continued, ¡°I¡­ I still hate you for what happened back in Cortonne¡­ but¡­ I-I don¡¯t know how, b-but¡­ I said I¡¯ll help you. I-I meant what I said.¡±

    Once again, otherwise silence had fallen over the two as Aridean concluded her affirmation to assistance. Vladimir stared, entirely dumbstruck by the minotaur who only barely managed to keep from letting the overwhelming anxiety and uncertainty from showing upon her fuzzy visage. Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the sound of the inn¡¯s dwarven host, Nurik, chipping away at one of his small statuettes with a chisel and reciting the lyrics to some dwarven song only loud enough that his voice could just barely be picked up. Beyond that, Vladimir simply looked up to the minotaur towering over him with his one visible eye having gone wide in sheer stunned surprise and his jaw having dropped in a manner unbecoming of his usually dignified countenance. Seconds had begun to feel like hours as Aridean awaited any form of response, the awkward pause left her own heartbeat rattling her entire being with nervous anticipation.

    ¡°Ms. Gray? I¡­ I am in your debt, truly I am,¡± Vladimir finally spoke, voice trembling as the man continued trying to fully process what he was being told. Before he continued to speak, the noble withdrew his left hand from his right arm and bowed deeply to Aridean. As the man¡¯s long, silver ponytail fell over his left shoulder, he spoke again with far more confidence in his tone, ¡°I know not whether redemption is even possible for a cursed being such as myself. But, through your kindness and generosity, I feel that a small flicker of hope has been ignited in my undying heart.¡±

    ¡°V-Vlad, I-I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± returned Aridean, feeling somewhat disturbed that not just a human, but a noble was offering her such a gesture. Vladimir held his bow for several seconds longer before rising up once more. The man repositioned himself upon his own feet before his gentle smile spread across his partially covered face once more.

    ¡°I understand that you have your own matters that must be attended to and that my needs are secondary to our current assignment, but I swear upon my name and title that I will strive for forgiveness and atonement. It will be nothing more than my utmost pleasure to assist you in any way you see fit, Ms. Gray,¡± Vladimir vowed. Something about the exchanged seemed so unreal or impossible to Aridean. She, nothing more than an adopted daughter to a shepherd turned rebel soldier, was being offered such a powerful pledge from Vladimir, a nobleman turned demon plaything. Perhaps it was not the first time that the human had offered her such an oath, but this one seemed to carry significantly more weight with Vladimir¡¯s mannerisms. As the wave of hot embarrassment across her fuzzy face faded away, both the man and minotaur turned toward at the sound of the kitchen door creaking open.

    ¡°Well, we ready to get going?¡± Magdalene asked as she approached whilst wiping her hands upon her light blue skirt. Both Aridean and Vladimir nodded in agreement that they were prepared to continue their assignment in Miahnn¡¯uli. As the trio tread across the wooden flooring, shoes clapping quietly and hooves clopping loudly, Nurik rose from his seat behind the front desk. While the strange band of guests deposited the two room keys they had been given during their stay, the dwarven man offered a beaming smile as he stroked his beard.

    ¡°Ey, now, don¡¯t you lot go bein¡¯ strangers, ya hear? You lot ever back in Miahnn¡¯uli again, swing by, won¡¯t ya?¡± Nurik said with a jovial playfulness in his voice. Magdalene and Vladimir nodded their acknowledgement of the dwarf¡¯s offer before heading for the door. Nurik collected the room keys that the group had returned while looking up to Aridean, ¡°It be none me business, but don¡¯t go gettin¡¯ yerself into any trouble, lass.¡±

    ¡°Oh, o-of course. Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Goreskii,¡± Aridean replied with a small, somewhat nervous smile of her own. The dwarven innkeeper surveyed the minotaur that turned and made for the door. As the door closed behind his tall, horned and furred customer, Nurik returned the keys to his rack before lowering himself down upon his work stool again.

    ¡°The craftsmanship of that blade that lass carries¡­ Somethin¡¯ glorious it were,¡± the dwarf muttered to himself as he retrieved his tools and statuette. Alone again, Nurik inspected the carved artwork he held before getting back to work. The dwarf began to hum quietly to himself as the rhythmic striking of his chisel on the carved figurine rang all throughout his inn.

    Outside of the peculiarly located inn, the team gathered by their wagon. The unfamiliar squawk of birds in the trees overhead echoed throughout the scene while Aridean was quick to collect for the duo of horses some hay that had been stored under a small shelter connected to the inn. Magdalene had already climbed into the back of the wagon, the old wood creaking quietly under the young girl¡¯s feet, and was rifling through the supplies that the group had brought on their journey into the swamp while Vladimir leaned against the side of the wooden vehicle. The nobleman held a small book in his hand and his one visible eye was hastily moving along the pages as he processed the text at an alarming speed. As Aridean finished providing both food and water for the team¡¯s trusty steeds, she stood up straight and breathed deeply. Both her human and half-elven companion, having noticed she was finished with her duties, dropped what it was they were doing and looked to the minotaur.

    ¡°So, that shaman lady said to meet her where again?¡± Magdalene asked, leaning over the rail to the wagon. Aridean took a few steps closer to her companions whilst wiping her hands clean upon her jeans. With one of his usual smiles spread across his lips, Vladimir closed his book with a satisfying thump before depositing it into the wagon where Magdalene sat.

    ¡°The spirit hut at the center of the town; it is where many of the lizarian traditions are observed and is also the residence of the town shaman,¡± answered the nobleman with a gentle and knowing tone. Aridean and Magdalene each turned to survey the unfamiliar surroundings. The same as the day prior, most of the homes and local structures had been built of hardened mud walls that fit between large roots to trees that almost seem to be trying to uproot themselves and relocate to another area. From the group¡¯s position in front of the inn, the only structure in all of Miahnn¡¯uli that appeared built in a manner familiar to the team, nothing at all seemed to differentiate the local buildings in any meaningful way. Curtained drapes hung in the doorways that fed into a darkened chamber beneath the tree of which each hut had been built into and there were no windows to any of the structures that Aridean and Magdalene could see. The two girls glanced to one another in silent, joint confusion.

    ¡°Do you happen to know which hut that might be, Vlad?¡± Aridean asked, somewhat anxious with her ears drooping slightly. The human man, his signature kind but tired smile still playing upon his lips, turned to inspect the odd town that sat half-submerged in dark, muddy waters. Aridean and Magdalene both took note of the extended length of time that Vladimir had remained silent. After an awkwardly long pause, Magdalene drew in a breath to speak her mind but stopped as Vladimir turned back to both her and the minotaur. The nobleman¡¯s usual smile had faded as he non-verbally indicated to the two girls he accompanied that his scan of the area was complete and likely fruitless. With a disappointed sigh, the human shook his head where the long bangs over his left eye and the long, silver ponytail behind him were gently whipped back and forth.

    ¡°It has been over one hundred years since I last visited Miahnn¡¯uli. Things are not quite the same as they were a century prior, I¡¯m afraid. Perhaps I¡¯ll recognize it when we get a bit closer,¡± announced Vladimir. It was abundantly clear by the tinge of regret and expression upon the man¡¯s face that he was sincerely upset to not be able to assist any further.

    ¡°That¡¯s something at least¡­ I don¡¯t know if I like the idea of asking for directions from these hulking reptiles¡­¡± Magdalene commented with impatience before planting her hands on the wooden wall to the wagon. In one swift motion, the young girl ejected her legs from the back of the wagon, sending them soaring over the rail. She deftly landed upon the muddied ground far below from where she had been sitting; the mud beneath her shoes squished loudly as the half-elf landed on the ground.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just keep an eye out¡­ maybe the high shaman will be outside her hut expecting us,¡± Aridean suggested. Vladimir merely nodded his agreement with the plan to simply stroll through the lizarian town of Miahnn¡¯uli where Magdalene grunted frustratedly as she rolled her eyes. Having come to an unspoken agreement, the trio began to move away from the stables where the horses had been left to rest. The group¡¯s trusted steeds had not even registered that their charges had departed as they continued to munch on the provided dried hay.

    Minotaur hooves and human shoes marched along the muddied trail that still bore their wagon¡¯s tire tracks from the previous evening. Cold, marshy soil squished loudly with every step along the pathway, prompting some of the absorbed moisture that had seeped into the ground to jump up onto the travelers¡¯ covered feet and ankles. Many buzzing insects had already swarmed around the trio as they continued into the village; Magdalene had begun to groan and swat her hands at the flying nuisances as they circled her head. Out in the distance, the sounds of something splashing into the swamp waters prompted Aridean¡¯s ears to flick anxiously as her nerves were already starting to bother her concerning the discussion she was about to have with the high shaman.

    From the uncomfortably humid air and the ground that seemed to try to pull her back into it every time she went to lift a hoof, Aridean had begun to pant quietly as she and her companions reached Miahnn¡¯uli proper. The mud trail had broken off into smaller pathways that led into shallow pools of murky water; the darkened liquid that had flooded the path was in constant motion from countless ripples moving along the surface. Looking up from the path, the minotaur and her companions found that the lizarian natives trudged through the shallower portions of the marsh as though it were normal to walk along ground that had been flooded in ankle-high water.

    ¡°Seriously? Ugh, let¡¯s just get this over with¡­¡± Magdalene grumbled as she started to make for the flooded road. The young girl seemed to shiver as she stepped into the water, grumbling annoyedly to herself as she desperately sought to keep the hem of her skirt from becoming soaked in the muddied pool. Aridean and Vladimir shared a quick glance before the latter moved to join their half-elven companion. Aridean followed closely and noted that the instant his boot had sunk beneath the surface of the water, Vladimir had also let out his own expression of dissatisfaction with the lizarian infrastructure, or rather the lack thereof, by groaning quietly. All Aridean could think to do was sigh at her group¡¯s struggle yet did have to mentally remark that she was going to have a difficult time getting the mud out of her pants legs.

    Continuing on into the lizardfolk village, Aridean¡¯s eyes had begun to wander as the trio waded through the shallow and cool water. Ripples and waves licked at her ankles, just above her hooves, soaking both fur and pants with. The sounds of the water splashing all around was loud and difficult to ignore, though any other noise one might pick up on would simply be the buzz of the insects circling their head. Having blocked out the pesky flies surrounding her, Aridean began to scan the swamp town that she now found herself trudging through.

    Each and every single lizarian structure had been built into the roots of the massive trees scattered throughout the swamp. Hardened mud had been used to link massive tree roots that held the tree itself up like stilts above the shallower portion of the swamp. There were several circular openings into the hardened mud walls that were all around Aridean¡¯s eye level; she supposed these to be the closest thing that the lizarians had to windows. Entryways into the mud-caked residences had been covered with a curtain of fur hide that each hung low enough in the entrance that it barred to hover just above the rippling waters. Aridean had not picked upon it, but her ear twitched in Magdalene¡¯s direction as the young half-elven girl seemed to begrudgingly grumble something about the mud walls reminding her of the stone walls back in Stonehaven.

    As the group continued through the town, Aridean observed that many of the locals moving about had begun to turn and silently observe as the trio of scaleless travelers wandered through the marsh. Aridean swallowed anxiously as she noted tongues flicking from mouths that lay beneath narrowed eyes. Many of the locals appeared to be in the middle of some form of work, making their pause to stare down the minotaur, human, and half-elf all the more nerve-wracking. Scaled hands, some gloved and other not, had halted collecting wood or gutting fish or sharpening well-worn bladed weapons simply to watch in otherwise silence as the new arrivals passed them by. It was only as one of the lizardmen hissed in the team¡¯s direction that Magdalene moved to walk nearer to Aridean, the murky water around her ankles splashing up onto her light blue dress as she nearly slipped into a small dip beneath the water in the path.

    Trying their utmost to simply ignore the open disdain for their mere presence in Miahnn¡¯uli, the waded through the shallow mire for several minutes. All the while, Aridean¡¯s anxious eyes had been darting from left to right as she desperately pleaded internally that Vladimir recall the way to the shaman¡¯s hut. The number of locals watching her and her companions seemed to grow in number, as did the low growling and aggravated hissing sounds that they emitted when the travelers got too near. Just as Aridean was catching herself from having slipped on some loose mud, Vladimir hummed aloud.

    ¡°This is¡­ starting to appear somewhat familiar to me¡­ hmm,¡± the human stated. With a dignified, yet serious, expression upon his features, Vladimir surveyed the group¡¯s surroundings meticulously. As the man hummed quietly to himself, Magdalene had begun to wring the filthy water from her skirt. Excess swamp water dropped from the light blue fabric like a gentle shower into the pool at the group¡¯s feet. Once the young girl had finished squeezing the abundant moisture that had collected in her skirt, Vladimir let loose an excited- sounding gasp, ¡°Ah-ha! I remember now! The shaman¡¯s hut is a larger hut that is not built out of the roots of the trees here. It shouldn¡¯t be much further, if memory serves correctly; do keep your eyes peeled for a skull totem pole, however.¡±

    With a¡­ rather grim landmark to be on the lookout for, that will make things much easier. Also, the shaman¡¯s hut won¡¯t be built into tree roots? Seems a bit odd given the rest of this place, Aridean thought to herself as the trio began moving through the pooled swamp water once more. Even still, the audible sounds of the local¡¯s grievances with their presence had made its way to Aridean¡¯s ears. The closer they seemed to get to their goal, the more the minotaur felt her nerves being eaten away. Not only had the lizarians all around her already exacerbated her debilitating social anxiety, but more even stressful was the thought of having to act an ambassador to the high shaman. Even should the shaman be in a more hospitable mood, this would still be the first time Aridean had ever acted a diplomat.

    As the minotaur groaned quietly at the uncomfortable thought of having come all this way simply to embarrass herself and screw up her assignment, she and her companions passed by another one of the mud-tree root huts. Having entered into what must be the center of Miahnn¡¯uli, the trio of travelers paused at the sight that stood in the middle of a small clearing within the swamp. Surrounded by multiple totems comprised of various game skulls was a chiseled stone, circular temple-like structure that had been erected upon a small isle within the shallow waters. Columns and engravings had been cut and smoothed out with the utmost care; figures that depicted the lizarian natives worshiping their deities lined the walls outside the building. Clean and clear water was being shot up through a fountain-like spout that had been affixed to the center of the roof, droplets glistening brilliantly in the sunlight that managed to break through the lush canopy ceiling. Even more curtains of water flowed down the walls and into the swamp that surrounded the temple.

    ¡°They call that a hut? And you mean to tell us that you couldn¡¯t remember this¡­ Seriously?¡± Magdalene commented as she gawked at the impressive architecture that left the group somewhat awe-struck. After a moment to collect himself, Vladimir merely cleared his throat. Both half-elf and minotaur looked to the man only to be met with a polite smile and a shrug of his shoulders. Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the sound of her young half-elven companion grunting her frustration, though her attention had been refocused on the temple ahead. Standing just outside the temple entrance was a single male lizarian; he carried a large broadsword and had visibly locked his sights upon Aridean. Uncertain as to whether or not she were breaking some sort of lizarian tradition again, the minotaur simply stared back awkwardly while waiting for the lizardman to guide her and her fellow travelers to the high shaman. She felt a wave of unease settle over her, however, at the sight of the reptilian male approaching with his blade at the ready.

    ¡°Nii¡¯ra, si¡¯putath!¡± shouted a familiar-sounding voice from somewhere nearby. At the sound of the foreign command, the lizarian that had been approaching the group halted his advance and turned back to the temple whilst growling aggressively. Having followed the scaled warrior¡¯s gaze, Aridean found that the high shaman now stood within the doorway to the lizarian temple. Despite the distance, it was clear that the high shaman was already visually inspecting her guests in otherwise silence. The waiting for the female lizard folk had by itself quickly became a stressful and uncomfortable trial for the minotaur. Just as the high shaman concluded her silent inspection, she let loose a quiet growl, ¡°So you come, warm bloods¡­ Nallahk zhi tashni¡­ Enter.¡±

    Aridean glanced between her two companions, Magdalene having returned a look of unease about the situation. Vladimir, however, had cupped his chin between a thumb and finger while looking at the lizarian male that merely growled in frustration before wandering away from the temple. As the warrior that had been approaching the group departed and entered into a different hut, the high shaman turned and returned to the inside of the temple. With an anxious sigh, Aridean lifted one of her hooves, water droplets falling from her soaked pants and fur, and began to make her way to the entrance of the magnificent architecture with both Magdalene and Vladimir following closely behind her.

    ¡°I believe that Nii¡¯ra was the very same warrior to have assaulted you yesterday, Ms. Gray,¡± Vladimir stated as the group reached the temple entrance. There was a stone platform rising from beneath the swamp waters that pooled around the structure, though it had still been visibly drenched as the group¡¯s approach had sent waves rippling through the water over the rough surface.

    ¡°What? You think he was looking for a rematch?¡± Magdalene proposed while climbing up the stone platform. Seeing the young girl struggle, if even just slightly, when trying to lift herself from the water, Aridean had offered a hand for support without thinking. For but a brief moment, the minotaur worried that the gesture may insult the usually headstrong and independent half-elven girl, though her worry had transformed into surprise by the light squeeze of Magdalene¡¯s fingers wrapping around her furred palm. Having pulled the girl up, Aridean turned to Vladimir and offered the same aid which was promptly accepted and repaid with a smile and a nod of acknowledgement.

    ¡°That would most likely be the reason that he may have been here waiting for us to appear,¡± Vladimir answered as the trio entered the temple.

    ¡°I could smell the arrogance radiating off of that skink. No doubt our little clash yesterday damaged his fragile ego,¡± Vici¡¯s voice seemed to echo from somewhere nearby. Somewhat startled by the spirit¡¯s input on the subject, Aridean involuntarily let out a quiet and alarmed gasp. Both of her companions had stopped in their tracks as the minotaur glanced around the darkened hallway that the group found themselves in. No matter where her eyes may have been cast, Aridean could not find the familiar, if intimidating, form that now ¡®dwelled within her heart¡¯. Swallowing her anxiety as Vici¡¯s amused laugh rang in her ears, Aridean shook her head before continuing forward as though nothing had happened.

    Hooves clopping and shoes clicking upon stone had echoed all throughout the single hallway as the group progressed. Light shone in from the entrance and the light of fire could be seen at the other end as the hallway opened into a chamber of some sort. As Aridean and her companions reached the end of the near pitch-black corridor of wet stone, they came upon a peculiar room within the temple. At the center of the room was a large bonfire pit; massive flames and black smoke billowed up toward the ceiling where the fumes were funneled out of the chamber via a duct of sorts. Behind the bonfire was a massive, carved altar which had been topped with thin, curved stone pylons that stretched over the altar. These two pylons ended over the middle of the altar while supporting a massive animal¡¯s skull, one far larger than anything Aridean had ever seen.

    Just before the altar, with hands raised as though praying to the spirit of whatever animal the skull once belonged to, was the high shaman. She was dressed similarly to the other locals in that she wore a leather hide loincloth around her waist and thin straps around her chest. Unlike her fellow residents of the swamp, however, small animal bones and fragments had been sewn into the tribal clothing. After a moment to conclude her supposed prayer, the high shaman turned to face the group of travelers. Aridean could feel her brows rising with surprise to find that the high shaman had covered her scaled features with another, albeit smaller, animal skull. Her sharp eyes scanned her guests before she approached the bonfire that separated her from the group.

    ¡°Warm bloods, sit before ancestral firepit,¡± the high shaman began to command. As she took a seat of her one, the female lizard folk got down upon her knees with the front of her toes firmly on the rough stone floor for support. As she rested her hands in her lap, her guests had followed their hostess¡¯s instructions and sat opposite the shaman. Having observed the group display obedience, the high shaman began to speak further, ¡°I am Sha¡¯loa ekrah Detrok, high shaman and speaker for warriors of swamp in place of warchief. Speak business in swamp, outsiders.¡±

    ¡°Strange¡­ the high shaman holds considerable authority among their people, but to be speaking for the warchief is unexpected¡­¡± Vladimir whispered. The human¡¯s observation had not gone unnoticed, however, as the Sha¡¯loa¡¯s eyes fixated upon the nobleman while a deep, rumbling growl resounded throughout the chamber, even overpowering the roar of the bonfire flames.

    ¡°Hana, stench of death follows you. Gav¡¯tuu, know you come for your people, speak,¡± Sha¡¯loa both commented and ordered. Having understood that his voice had no place during the ensuing negotiations, Vladimir chose to keep his mouth shut while also nodding to the high shaman. Aridean, on the other hand, required a moment to simply compose herself before getting down to business with the high shaman. With a deep breath, the minotaur lifted her gaze which had fallen to the mesmerizing bonfire flames and anxiously began to move her lips.

    ¡°High shaman, we¡¯ve come to enlist the aid of the lizarian people in the minotaur battle for freedom from unjust persecution and discrimination against the human Empire,¡± Aridean informed. Throughout her explanation, the high shaman¡¯s piercing gaze, from just beneath the animal skull mask, had remained transfixed upon Aridean. Even as the minotaur concluded her statement, Sha¡¯loa¡¯s eyes had done little more than blink. Again, an annoyed snarling sound began to echo off the stone walls that surrounded the team. The high shaman took a moment to compose herself somewhat, grunting loudly as she shook her head.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Only know you say battle against hana Empire; all else mean nothing. You come seeking aid of warriors of swamplands? Ka deimn na pallo,¡± Sha¡¯loa announced with a hiss. Her tone had been belittling and given what little Aridean knew about the lizarian tongue, she had assumed that the high shaman¡¯s final comment on the matter had not been well-meaning. Narrow and focused eyes shifted between the temple guests as the high shaman silently contemplated on Aridean¡¯s message. Although she had not once taken her gaze off of her guests, the high shaman removed a pouch from the belt wrapped around her waist and from the small bag, pulled a single bone fragment. The remains she had procured were immediately cast into the fire in front of the lizarian female, prompting the flames to dance about the bone as it fell into place among the other fuel. It was only at the sound of the bone cast into the fire cracking that her gaze shifted down to the fire. Curious, all three of the travelers sitting opposite the shaman leaned in to see that the small, white piece of bone had broken in two pieces. Each of their attentions had been immediately returned to Sha¡¯loa due to the low rumbling hum that came from the female¡¯s throat, ¡°But¡­ gav¡¯tuu impress with warrior skill and spirits of swamp grow restless¡­ Fine. Gav¡¯tuu must prove worthy of blades first.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Uhm¡­ of course,¡± a somewhat flustered Aridean began to reply, not entirely prepared for how smooth the negotiations appeared to be going. Keeping her head directed toward Sha¡¯loa, Aridean shifted her focus over to Magdalene, who looked up to the minotaur with relief shining in her own eyes. Her vision quickly moved over toward Vladimir; a contented smile having crept across his partially veiled face. With a deep breath, Aridean continued, ¡°We would not ask for your warriors¡¯ service without some form of payment. W-what is it you had in mind then?¡±

    ¡°No ¡®pay¡¯! Gav¡¯tuu must prove worthy of fighting beside warriors of swamplands. Prove worth; gav¡¯tuu will hunt deimn¡¯la,¡± snapped Sha¡¯loa. Her initial outburst had prompted all three members of the team to straighten their backs and give the lizard woman their full attention; Aridean¡¯s ears had even perked up straight upon her horned head. However, what had truly given the group pause was the method for securing lizarian cooperation. Time had seemed to come to a near halt as Aridean attempted to process the task laid before her by the high shaman.

    Did¡­ did she just say to hunt the deimn¡¯la? She wants¡­ him dead? W-why? Aridean had tried to ask for clarity, though her mouth had initially failed her. During the time that the shaman allowed the group to compose themselves, all that could be heard throughout the room was the crackling of the firepit. Eventually, Aridean managed to swallow the unease that had formed a lump in the back of her throat.

    ¡°W-wha¡ª?¡± the minotaur had started to ask. Instead of waiting for her to finish her question, the high shaman rose from her seat at the firepit. The bones that lined her tribal wear clicked together as she moved over to the altar behind her.

    ¡°Bring proof. Once deimn¡¯la is no more, gav¡¯tuu will have warriors,¡± Sha¡¯loa explained, both clearly and bluntly. Standing before the altar, the female spread her scaled arms out to her sides with palms laid flat upon the rough stone. After only a few seconds, the female seemed to slouch her shoulders. Having her assignment reiterated to her with the condition that she must provide proof of the deed had only given Aridean¡¯s mind further pause to process.

    ¡°Y-you just want me to go and kill one of your own?! T-that¡¯s¡ª,¡± Aridean began to protest after having realized what it was that the high shaman had just ordered of her. Her response to the absurd demand had been immediately cut off by a furious growl. Turning back to her guests, Sha¡¯loa had let loose an aggressive roar of disgust.

    ¡°The deimn¡¯la is not one of mine!¡± the high shaman asserted, her voice carried the same malice and rage as her previous outburst. Even from a distance, the tensed muscles in her body were visible. Just by how quick the high shaman was to turn on her guests, Aridean felt a chill run the length of her spine to the end of her tail despite the hot fire that burned in front of her. Seemingly calming herself, Sha¡¯loa quietly added while hanging her head low, ¡°Gav¡¯tuu will find deimn¡¯la¡­ and put end to my shame.¡±

    ¡°Your--?¡± Aridean had begun to press further. Her thought had been immediately silenced by another agitated roar.

    ¡°Begone, warm bloods! Return in victory or not at all!¡± ordered Sha¡¯loa while turning her back on her guests. This time, however, the high shaman left the scene and began to travel through a different passage in the temple, leaving the minotaur, human, and half-elf unsupervised in the large, stone chamber. Beyond the crackle and snap of the roaring fire before the group of travelers and the click of the high shaman¡¯s claws upon stone gradually growing quieter, silence had fallen over the room. For a brief period, Aridean merely sat in her position upon her knees while looking to the doorway through which Sha¡¯loa had departed.

    Her shame? What is that supposed to mean? the confused minotaur had silently asked herself. She blinked her eyes and could feel her ear flick in the direction of someone climbing to their feet beside her. Turning her head, Magdalene was already up and brushing dust and dirt from off her skirt.

    ¡°That¡­ could have gone a lot better¡­¡± the young half-elf commented, having broken the awkward silence among the three still within the temple chamber. Vladimir hummed thoughtfully and quietly to himself at the girl¡¯s thought on the negotiations that had just taken place while also rising to his feet as well. Still just trying to process what the group¡¯s assignment was, Aridean had barely managed to move her lips despite her mouth having fallen slightly ajar in sheer astonishment.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Aridean murmured in agreement with Magdalene¡¯s statement. Once the minotaur stood upon her hooves again, the three turned and made for the doorway leading into the corridor that would ultimately see them to the exit of the lizarian temple. Again, an awkward silence had fallen over the trio. Aridean had begun to internally question just what her companions made of the ordeal ahead of them. As the team exited the stone hallway, each had lifted a hand to shield their eyes from what little bright, natural sunlight had managed to filter through the dark green leaves overhead.

    ¡°Well then¡­ I suppose we should begin our search for the deimn¡¯la. Unfortunately, I find it unlikely that anyone with information might be willing to direct us toward him,¡± Vladimir announced as he hopped down from the stone platform that stood before the lizarian temple. His boots crashed down into the cool swamp water with an audible splash. Both Aridean and Magdalene stared at the man as he casually strode away before glancing to one another. After a few paces ahead, Vladimir turned with a curious look upon his face after finding that his companions had not joined him in their quest to find the deimn¡¯la.

    ¡°What?! He helped us yesterday and you want to kill him just because that shaman lady told us to?¡± Magdalene had almost shouted in disbelief by Vladimir¡¯s nonchalance over the matter. Simply listening to the half-elf¡¯s words seemed to put Aridean¡¯s heart in a tight grip; the minotaur felt like she was struggling to breathe, if only slightly, and her heartbeat could be heard in her ears. However, the tension she had experienced at that moment paled in comparison to the wave of dread that crashed over her mind as Vladimir merely sighed and shook his head.

    ¡°The lizarian people are a difficult crowd to please, Ms. Yorre. A display of strength is the only means of negotiating with them. I understand that it might not be the most¡­ ethical approach. If it pleases you, Ms. Gray, I will bear the sin when the time comes,¡± explained Vladimir as he replaced what modest surprise he had previously displayed with grave seriousness painted across his expression. The man had made it clear, with nothing more than the firm look in his one visible eye, that his words spoke truth. As much as they may have disagreed with the methods of the lizarian high shaman, there would be no deterring her from this task.

    ¡°Vlad¡­¡± Aridean had started to call gently. However, seeing truth in Vladimir¡¯s eye was enough for her to relent on what may indeed prove a fruitless endeavor. With a solemn shake of her head, Aridean dropped down into the swamp waters as well, ¡°I¡­ I guess we don¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    ¡°Ari? You too?¡± came Magdalene, clearly caught off guard by Aridean¡¯s sudden change in stance. Nevertheless, the half-elven girl dropped into the water that pooled around her shins as well. For a time, Aridean¡¯s mouth moved, yet she could not form any words, at least no coherent words. As the group began to trek their way through Miahnn¡¯uli back to the trail that led into the swamplands, Aridean swallowed the anxious lump that had been choking her.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t like it either, Maggie¡­ but given what we¡¯ve seen since we got here, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to change the high shaman¡¯s mind,¡± returned Aridean after having taken the time to compose herself. She could hear an uneasy groan coming from Magdalene who walked somewhat distant from Aridean, more so than she had as the trio had approached the temple. Paying little mind to the half-elf¡¯s unspoken disapproval, Aridean turned to her human companion, ¡°Do you really think that no one will be willing to help us find him, Vlad?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is unlikely. If you were to simply look around, many of the locals are already glaring at us. I do not recommend approaching them unless we¡¯ve accomplished the high shaman¡¯s task,¡± answered Vladimir just as the group passed through a livelier section of Miahnn¡¯uli. Many scaled forms walked past or glared from a distance, just as Vladimir had mentioned. Few of the lizard folk that could see the group of travelers had continued about their business as though there was nothing out of the ordinary; the majority of the locals expressed some level of dissatisfaction with their guests. Aridean could not help but throw glances at some of the lizarians surrounding her and her companions, though she desperately hoped that none that may have noticed the gesture might consider it a challenge.

    Eventually, the trio had managed to return to the muddied trail that would lead toward the entrance of the Wiir Swamplands if walking westward while eastward would return them to the inn. Allowing the group a brief pause to collect themselves, Aridean watched as Magdalene wrung murky water from her skirt while Vladimir stared out into the swamp. With one final look upon Miahnn¡¯uli, Aridean sighed before gesturing for her companions to follow. Both Vladimir and Magdalene moved to keep pace with the minotaur, mud squishing audibly beneath each of their treads. Humidity in the air had already made the walk unpleasant and Aridean found herself panting quietly. Perhaps the uncomfortable atmosphere may have been a factor in the lizarians living in a town that was partially submerged in their swamp.

    ¡°To be honest, I was trying to avoid locking eyes with any of them anyway. Well, we don¡¯t have much to go on, but maybe just walking the road out of the swamp might prove helpful to us in meeting with him again. Mr. Goreskii did say that he jumps in to help travelers in need out in the swamp,¡± Aridean replied between light panting breaths. She took a moment to wiped a hand across her face; the cold water that her fur had collected while leaving Miahnn¡¯uli had been a wonderful boon.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, let¡¯s just go jump headfirst into another one of those dragolia weeds¡­¡± Magdalene chimed in with a snide tone. As the three walked, Magdalene¡¯s face scrunched up in annoyance at one or more insects that had already begun to buzz around her face.

    ¡°I would recommend that even less than attempting discussion with the lizarians here. It was a most unpleasant experience yesterday,¡± cautioned Vladimir as Magdalene began swatting at the small bugs that buzzed in circles around the space in front of her face. Aridean glanced at the man while Magdalene stared blankly and unamused.

    ¡°I, uh, I think she was just joking, Vlad. But don¡¯t worry, Maggie; we know what to expect this time so we shouldn¡¯t be caught off guard again,¡± Aridean both clarified and explained after a brief pause. Together, the group wandered down the muddy road for a time; Miahnn¡¯uli had long since been lost to the swamp trees and dense canopy.

    Along the seemingly endless trail of mud and wet grass, Aridean saw more and more of the same sight: trees surrounding and even growing in the swamp water. On occasion she might have observed some ripples in otherwise calm and still water, though the source of the disturbance was lost beneath the murky surface. From the unpleasant humidity, the minotaur¡¯s panting grew progressively louder whereas her half-even and full blooded human companions each expressed their own dissatisfaction with the heat. Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the quiet murmurings of Magdalene having said something about not being able to wait until she could return to civilization. Unable to alleviate any tension she or her companions may have been experiencing, Aridean merely recomposed herself as a hand was lifted from her side to scratch at her throat.

    ¡°Ah, so a bounty hunting job, then? This should prove¡­ amusing. Would you not agree?¡± came the familiar and deep voice from somewhere nearby. Startled by the sudden announcement, Aridean had involuntarily punched her chin which had elicited a rumbling laughter from the voice and stares from her companions. Although the blood in her face burned with embarrassment over the unfortunate reaction, Aridean took a deep breath as her eyes scanned the scene around her as she and her fellow travelers continued their march along the moist ground.

    Vici? This is amusing to you? the minotaur had inquired internally, confused by the spirit¡¯s apparent interest in her task. All around the muddied trail were tall and thick trees that grew from both the wet, marshy soil and from beneath the pooled swamp waters as well. Little wind had managed to blow through area, leaving the overhead canopy near motionless and silent. Many insects could be heard buzzing as they zipped past and frogs sat upon uprooted logs and rocks scattered around the scene croaking loudly. Thin beams of light had just barely managed to break through the lush ceiling and appearing as rays of golden light shining down from the heavens. However, no matter where her gaze had moved toward during her investigation, Aridean failed to spot the monstrous and hulking form Vici took on.

    ¡°You needn¡¯t speak, you¡¯d just appear delirious to your friends. Fret n1ot, I cannot read your mind, but I see that resolve in your heart. I find it¡­ intriguing, to say the least. At least you might keep your hands clean by having that cursed human perform the deed,¡± the rumbling voice continued after a moment of otherwise silence from Aridean.

    My hands¡­ clean¡­ Aridean again spoke within the confines of her own mind. As she thought silently to herself, free of any breach of privacy from eve Vici, the minotaur gradually grew anxious. The rising anxiety had quickly paved the way for a sinking feeling of regret. Her mind had drifted back to her home and what had become of it.

    The roar of fires raged in her ears alongside the screams of terrified villagers. She began to experience heat building, different from the humidity of the swamp she had just been passing through, to the point that she thought her own fur was aflame. At the sound of clashing metal joining in the chaotic symphony of flames around her, Aridean felt her heart sink deep into her chest; the air in her lungs seemed to catch and hold for an unpleasant length of time. Slowly turning her head, the minotaur gasped quietly at the sight before her: it was herself looming over a human form dressed in a familiar set of steel armor. She could already feel the onset of cascading tears flowing down her face, the minotaur blinked and the haunting memory had disintegrated. However, something new was already awaiting the minotaur to conclude her prior engagement.

    ¡°Ari!¡± Magdalene cried out, though too late for the minotaur to act. Aridean gasped as she watched a massive and brown-furred paw with sharpened claws fall upon her. Bracing herself as best she could, Aridean had taken the full force of the blow where her feet were dragged off the ground. Air whistled past her ears as she flew back and found herself crashing down into the cold swamp. Through the daze and confusion, the minotaur could just barely make out the frightened scream that came from Magdalene.

    Shaking the stars from her vision, Aridean looked up from her spot in the water to see a massive, furred form stood over both Vladimir and Magdalene. Her eyes had gone wide as she processed the sheer size of a monstrously large bear. It stood well over eight feet tall just on its four paws alone. The beast likely towered over the human and half-elf standing before it at an impressively intimidating sixteen feet. With an aggressive roar, the ursine came down upon both Vladimir and Magdalene.

    ¡°Maggie! Vlad!¡± Aridean cried as she stumbled to her feet and reached for the axe holstered upon her back. Having taken matters into his own hands, Vladimir quickly shoved Magdalene out of the way. As the girl stumbled away from the enormous bear, an audible pained grunt could be heard from just behind her. Aridean watched in horror as Vladimir was lifted from the ground in the bear¡¯s jaws and shaken vigorously as though he were nothing more than a toy in the hands of an excited toddler. However, unlike a clingy child, the bear cast its toy away with a flick of its head and releasing its grip with its vice-like jaws.

    As Vladimir lay upon the ground, his entire right side having been drenched with his own blood, Aridean refocused on the bear in front of her. Magdalene had been quick to make her way behind a nearby tree for cover but had tried her best to retrieve Vladimir and drag the man to her hiding spot as the abominable ursine roared in Aridean¡¯s direction. The beast leapt over the muddied trail and stood before the still stunned with shock minotaur. Aridean lifted her weapon and assumed a defensive stance as the bear¡¯s paw came up again in preparation for another strike.

    ¡°Sheera! Si¡¯putath!¡± called a deep, guttural voice followed by the loud splashing of something falling into the murky water that covered the area. Much to Aridean¡¯s surprise, the massive bear that had ambushed her and her companions relented its assault. It turned its head in the direction of the voice calling out before crashing down in the water upon its rear. As cold waves brushed past, Aridean followed the enormous bear¡¯s gaze to see that a lizarian male was wading through the water toward the group.

    ¡°W-what?¡± asked Aridean, confused by the appearance of one of the swamp¡¯s natural inhabitants and the sudden cessation to the aggressive bear¡¯s onslaught. She hesitantly lowered her weapon down to her side as the lizarian male trudged through the water and came to a stop beside of the bear. The ursine leaned downward as the lizardman reached out to it where he began cradling its massive head in muscled arms and whispering something in the lizarian tongue to it. Whatever the stranger had said seemed to soothe whatever rage had come over the now docile, almost dog-like bear that licked at his scaled hands and arms affectionately. Aridean could not bring herself to avert her eyes from the impossibly confusing sight, yet her ear flicked at the sound of mud squishing close by.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what the high shaman shouted at that guy in front of their temple? Was¡­ was she treating him like a pet telling him to ¡®sit¡¯ or something?¡± Magdalene asked, almost sounding somewhat disturbed by the peculiar connotation that the unfamiliar language might imply. At the sound of her companion¡¯s voice, Aridean turned her head to see the young half-elf standing just outside the waters and Vladimir, holding a hand to his side, not far behind. Glancing between her companions and the lizarian stroking the bear¡¯s head, Aridean was at a loss for words on what had just happened. As her senses slowly returned, she inhaled deeply and returned her battle axe to its holster.

    ¡°It was--ngh! S-something like that, y-yes,¡± Vladimir commented through pained grunts, confirming Magdalene¡¯s suspicions regarding the command that the lizarian ordered. The young girl¡¯s face was immediately painted with skeptic confusion, but she simply shook her head without another word. Cradling his side, Vladimir heaved a heavy sigh, ¡°Ms. Yorre¡­ C-could I ask that you help me? The curse does¡ªmgh¡­ the curse does not undo wounds that are, ugh, non-fatal.¡±

    ¡°Only if Ari thinks it¡¯s okay,¡± Magdalene replied as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her nose up at Vladimir. As the nobleman panted and grunted in clear discomfort, his clothes having been stained heavily with his own essence, Aridean looked from her half-elven companion to her human companion and back. She let loose a sigh before nodding her head, mentally remarking how she really should not need to tell Magdalene to help in such a situation. Given the affirmation she was waiting for, Magdalene quietly grunted herself in mild irritation before taking a step closer to Vladimir.

    Within seconds, the young girl¡¯s hands had begun to emit the familiar, brilliant incandescence as the half-elf channeled her magic. Aridean watched while periodically allowing nervous glances in the lizarian warrior¡¯s direction as Magdalene ran her hands over Vladimir¡¯s bleeding side. The nobleman¡¯s ragged panting began to settle into a more normal breathing pattern until he was able to stand up straight again. Having finished her duty, Magdalene¡¯s hands had quickly lost their glow, where she and Vladimir locked eyes for a moment, ¡°I am most grateful for your assistance, Ms. Yorre. Thank you.¡±

    Magdalene merely rolled her eyes at Vladimir¡¯s appreciation. Having restored themselves, the group turned to focus upon the lizarian that continued to embrace the excruciatingly large ursine. After a moment of nuzzling his pet¡¯s neck, the lizarian man turned. Aridean¡¯s eyes quickly scanned the stranger before her, noting the tattered jeans adorning his legs that led into a loincloth that was equally as tattered and mud stained as the jeans. There was a sheathed short sword on each hip and numerous scars had painted his arms, torso, tail, legs, and even his head. A quiet gasp had escaped Aridean¡¯s throat as the realization dawned upon her.

    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± Aridean noted, her voice a near whisper. Without doubt, this was the same lizarian warrior that had come to the group¡¯s aid when they had been attacked by a massive, man-eating flower just yesterday. Having confirmed Aridean¡¯s near silent observation with a simple nod of his head and a flick of his tongue, the minotaur felt a chill run down her spine and along the length of her tail that hung behind her. She swallowed the lump of anxiety forming in her throat as she began to process that her search for the deimn¡¯la had come to an end, but a much greater struggle was only just beginning.

    ¡°Gav¡¯tuu, kani-priestess, hana-corpse¡­ smell of Miahnn¡¯uli¡­ Done in swamp? Go home. Path out there,¡± the lizarian warrior instructed as he lifted a clawed finger and pointed it in the direction of the nearest route out of the Wiir Swamplands. The non-swamplands natives took a step backward, however, as the massive bear behind the lizardman opened its mouth wide; fangs as large as Magdalene dripped with large globules of saliva. Before Aridean could warn their repeat savior, the large ursine¡¯s tongue had been pushed against his scaled back. Eyes wide with surprise, Aridean simply watched as the lizarian before her was licked by a tongue almost as large as himself. The strength behind the affectionate display had lifted the reptilian individual from the ground for a moment. Oddly enough, a smirk appeared upon the warrior¡¯s face as he turned to give his presumed pet another hug. Stupefied by the bizarre interaction, Aridean took nearly a full minute to simply collect her thoughts and shake whatever unease had been weighing upon her shoulders.

    ¡°Oh, w-we aren¡¯t quite done with our business here in the Wiir Swamplands,¡± an anxious Aridean started to explain. She felt the muscles in her shoulders tense as reptilian male before her eyed her from horned head to hoof with sharp and focused eyes. His tongue flicked in and out of his lipless mouth as he took in every aspect he could utilizing his specialized senses. The minotaur could not help but swallow hard as the scaled man leaned in toward her.

    ¡°What doing?¡± the warrior asked bluntly. It was difficult to tell whether or not his inquiry had been meant to intimidate or if it were solely a product of the inflection his gutturally deep voice carried as he spoke. Whatever the case, the tension that crept down Aridean¡¯s spine had taken a firm grip upon her being as she began to feel her body heat up with a mixture of embarrassment and unease.

    ¡°We, uhm, well¡­¡± stammered the flustered minotaur as she tried to focus on breathing in and out. Having observed their furred companion shutting down, Magdalene had simply rolled her eyes while crossing her arms over her chest. Vladimir, on the other hand, took a step forward and ushered the socially overwhelmed minotaur back a few paces.

    ¡°Ms. Gray? If I may?¡± Vladimir began to speak gently. As Aridean seemed to snap back to reality, she looked to her human companion. Although her distress was still readily visible upon her own fuzzy visage, she could see what appeared to be something frightening upon Vladimir¡¯s countenance. Before she could speak up, the human had turned back to the group¡¯s reptilian guest, ¡°My friend, we¡¯ve come in search of you.¡±

    ¡°What warm bloods want?¡± the lizarian male demanded with his arms crossed over his broad and only mostly covered chest. At this proposed question, Vladimir had directed his full attention to the lizard folk with his chest puffed out and hands folded behind his back. After a moment to clear his throat, Aridean could not help but think that even when stained with mud that Vladimir always maintained a special level of dignity and respect.

    ¡°My friend¡­ this brings me no joy, but we have been tasked by the high shaman with the elimination of the deimn¡¯la,¡± Vladimir began to explain with a rather blunt tone to his words. At the conclusion of his statement, the man brought his hands to fold behind his back while a long pause had settled over the group. Insects could be heard chirping and singing form all around. Something large splashed into the water somewhere in the distance, almost sounding just as loud as if an entire boulder had been cast into the swamp water. Throughout this period of otherwise silence, Aridean watched as the lizarian that had joined her and her companions once again had started to mouth something silently to himself.

    Having elected to ignore the travelers wandering around his swamp, the male turned as he continued to mouth something wordlessly. Behind him, his enormous bear had leaned its head down and began to nuzzle one of his scaled arms. Without even looking, the hand to the nuzzled limb was lifted to rub the bridge of the bear¡¯s snout, eliciting a pleased murmur of sorts from the giant ursine. Throughout this, the lizarian male had continued to ignore Aridean and her companions while moving his mouth without a sound and tending to his apparent, if unexpected, pet¡¯s desire for attention. After a long while, the lizarian warrior returned his attention to his guests, though not without demonstrating an air of confusion about his scaled features.

    ¡°What e-lim-uh-nay-shun mean?¡± the lizardman asked after his long time of having practiced the word quietly to himself. Each of the members of the group had found themselves somewhat confused by the stranger before them. After a moment to let the surprise process, Vladimir cleared his throat. As the human man went to speak, he found himself unable to gather his thoughts and explain to the group¡¯s mark what elimination meant.

    ¡°I-uh¡­ uhm¡­¡± Vladimir started to stutter in his flustered state. Both Aridean and Magdalene had widely different impressions on having to watch Vladimir of all people to stumble over their words. The human was clearly unable to deliver the news that the travelers had been assigned the task of murdering their newest acquaintance. Aridean¡¯s eyes shifted between the two men that were simply staring back at one another without a word. She observed the rather inquisitive look in the lizarian warrior¡¯s eyes and could not help but find the manner in which the scaled head tilted in confusion somewhat endearing despite the reptilian standing at about her height. Magdalene, on the other hand, huffed her agitation with Vladimir. The young girl first snorted before smacking Vladimir on his right arm.

    ¡°Lord have mercy! Do you really want to go through with this? He doesn¡¯t even know what you just said!¡± scolded the impatient half-elven girl. Vladimir¡¯s sight shifted between the group¡¯s objective and Magdalene, never stopping upon one focus for more than a few seconds. An awkward silence had fallen across the area and the group where the only thing to be heard were the songs of the insects and birds from above and all around joined by the gentle splash of the murky water serenaded the swamp. The swamp symphony, however, had been tuned out after only a short period of listening to the somewhat uproarious ambiance. Although it had taken the man a moment, Vladimir had managed to compose himself once again as he cleared his throat and gently shook his head.

    ¡°Ms. Yorre, I understand that it may not be the most wholesome approach, but it is what our mission calls for, yes? It is what must be done,¡± asserted a more resolute Vladimir, clearly having resolved himself to carry out the task assigned by the high shaman. Magdalene failed to retort but instead had simply stared at the nobleman with a scrunched-up expression of bewilderment at his statement. Similarly, the group¡¯s acquaintance was growing impatient, signaled by the low rumbling growl that began to emanate from the back of his throat. Despite the clear warning, Aridean glanced from Vladimir to the lizarian and then back to Vladimir before sighing her own reservation.

    ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t feel right about this at all,¡± announced Aridean, shoulders drooping somewhat in a defeated fashion. Internally, the minotaur¡¯s mind had become conflicted: she had set out in order to accomplish a task for Mikali and the rebellion, though she had not come to slay an innocent. Even should the natural order within the swamp dictate that carrying out such a loathsome act merit celebration amongst the local population, the mere thought of such a burden was enough to weigh heavily upon Aridean¡¯s heart.

    I was the one to strike down my own father¡­ Even if it had been the only way to save Thellia¡­ I don¡¯t ever want to kill someone again, Aridean thought quietly to herself. As the minotaur released another long and weary sigh, the growling from the group¡¯s guest had grown even more vocal. As the lizarian warrior let loose a harsh snarl, Aridean took a step back only to bump into Magdalene who had taken shelter from the imposing lizardman by hiding behind the towering minotaur. Behind the lizarian, the massive bear that had previously made a chew-toy out of Vladimir had begun wiping its face with its two front paws as water splashed all around it.

    ¡°What warm bloods saying?! Rgh! Why come to swamp?! Why no leave?!¡± the reptilian male vehemently spat. His growing anger and impatience with the non-locals was made evident in his glaring eyes beneath a furrowed brow, nostrils flaring with every heavy breath, and his tensed muscles that looked ready to engage the group in combat at any second. Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the sound of the bear snorting from behind its owner. At the noise from his pet, the lizarian had turned to look upon the bear that stared down at him with its head cocked to one side. When he turned back, the furrowed brow still adorned his scaled features, though the rest of his body seemed more relaxed. Aridean¡¯s eyes had gone wide at the sudden epiphany as her gaze darted back and forth between pet ursine and master lizard folk.

    ¡°Ms. Gray, Ms. Yorre¡­ I have already volunteered to shoulder the burden of this deed. I do not feel comfortable subjecting you two to witnessing any coming bloodshed. I would like to reque¡ª,¡± Vladimir began to propose, having entirely disregarded the lizarian¡¯s demand for their being in the swamp still.

    ¡°Bloodshed?¡± interrupted the reptilian warrior. It may have been a curious or a confused, or even a mixture of the two, expression that now painted the scaled features across his face. Although nothing else seemed to register with the lizarian, he had clearly taken an interest in Vladimir¡¯s use of the term.

    ¡°Vlad let¡¯s just rethink this. There must be another way to convince the high shaman,¡± Aridean suggested with a gentle shake of her head, still trying to talk Vladimir down from engaging in battle with the lizarian. Her words, unfortunately, seemed to only fall upon deaf ears as Vladimir continued to closely watch the lizardman with his one visible eye. Peaking out from behind Aridean, Magdalene had observed that the group¡¯s peculiar guest had begun mumbling something quietly to himself while staring down toward the ground. The young girl prodded Aridean¡¯s arm in a bid to get her attention before gesturing to the reptile.

    ¡°High shaman, bloodshed¡­ Sheera bite hard¡­ Corpse not die to dragon bloom, not die to Sheera¡­¡± the lizarian male had quietly started to ponder. Every few words spoken in his broken English had been split by a deliberate hum that sounded more like the onset to another growl. After a moment to contemplate aloud, if near silently, the lizarian looked to Vladimir, ¡°Corpse feel pain?¡±

    ¡°I-I beg your pardon? Well, yes, I feel pain, though it matters little as you observed yesterday that I am incapable of dying,¡± Vladimir replied with a quirked brow upon his head, clearly caught off guard by the question. His one good eye quickly scanned the reptile before him. Aridean heard the nobleman let out a thoughtful hum before he continued, ¡°Taking into consideration another¡¯s pain? You are a most peculiar case for your people.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Not good feeling¡­¡± the lizarian warrior muttered while focused intently upon Vladimir. It had appeared that the lizardman had entirely disregarded Vladimir¡¯s comment about himself. Nevertheless, Vladimir turned to both Aridean and Magdalene as the group¡¯s acquaintance had begun quietly mumbling to himself again.

    ¡°Ms. Gray, Ms. Yorre, I understand that you two would like to investigate other avenues of securing the high shaman¡¯s cooperation, but the lizarian people are very difficult to please. I would like to request that you two return to Miahnn¡¯uli and allow me to challenge our companion here,¡± Vladimir announced to the girls. Although their means of expressing their uncertainty differed, both Aridean and Magdalene stared back at the man with disbelief and annoyance upon their faces, respectively. Having grown annoyed to the point of starting a much less intimidating than the lizardman¡¯s growl of her own, Magdalene had moved her way around Aridean and glared up at the nobleman.

    ¡°Why are you not listening to us?!¡± snapped Magdalene with clear frustration and contempt in her voice concerning Vladimir¡¯s decision to carry out the task given to the group by the high shaman. Despite the young girl¡¯s agitated tone, Vladimir faced the lizardman with determined focus in his expression. Even Aridean was beginning to grow somewhat perplexed by the man¡¯s insistence on the matter.

    ¡°Challenge? Hmph¡­¡± the lizarian warrior quietly hummed aloud. Although it was still unclear whether or not he understood the gravity of Vladimir¡¯s proposal, Aridean noted that the reptilian male had fixed his piercing gaze upon her human companion. A slight wave of dread had crawled its way down her spine, leaving the fur on her back standing on end, at the intense expression upon the lizarian¡¯s scaled features.

    ¡°Vlad, please listen!¡± Aridean had nearly started to plead with the stubborn man. Unfortunately, she found that Vladimir had already decided to act upon his initial trial.

    ¡°Sir, I do apologize, but we haven¡¯t any other options. For the sake of our cause, I must challenge you. As is customary of your people, I invoke a duel: kallak riin tyu,¡± Vladimir exclaimed, his tone having grown much more forceful and serious. As the man spoke, he lifted one of his hands from his sides to which the appendage began to glow with an aura of the same darkened reddish color that they had back in Cortonne. Much to both Aridean and Magdalene¡¯s confusion and shock, the normally calm and collected Vladimir seemed fully intent on initiating a magical attack against the lizardman standing before the team. Rather than show any sort of concern or willingness to defend himself, the lizarian warrior merely flicked his tongue in and out of his mouth in Vladimir¡¯s direction. Although the thrum of magic could be felt emanating from Vladimir¡¯s fingertips in anticipation of his command, the nobleman withheld instigating a duel. The man simply stood prepared for combat with eyes focused upon the lizarian warrior as he uncrossed his arms from over his chest. Aside from the occasional splash of swamp water and a snort from the bear called Sheera, an awkward silence had befallen the strange group of acquaintances. Eventually, Vladimir managed to open his mouth to speak further, ¡°Now then, take up your arms! I¡¯ve a great many sins weighing heavily upon my heart, but I must allow you a fighting cha¡ª¡±

    Vladimir¡¯s voice was immediately cut off, replaced by an audibly pained grunt that slipped out between clenched teeth. Aridean¡¯s eyes had gone wide and legs felt weak while Magdalene let loose a frightened shriek that nearly drowned out the sound of the thud of something landing upon the ground at Vladimir¡¯s feet. The nobleman himself fell to his knees, clutching his right arm, now a fountain of squirting streams of dark red, and groaning loudly in obvious agony. Just in front of the man who was writhing in pain was his own hand having dropped from his extended arm with a single clean cut.

    ¡°Vlad!¡± Aridean cried out in shock at the sight. Looming over Vladimir was the lizarian warrior, one of his twin blades held at his side and dripping with the same crimson color that now coated Vladimir¡¯s once fine clothes. It had been a single swing and a motion that had only spanned a breath as the reptilian had moved so fast it had been near imperceptible. The lizarian lifted his blade up toward his face where his forked tongue lapped up what streams of crimson still slid down the metal surface. A growing bead of the dark liquid quickly piled atop his thin tongue before it retreated into his mouth where the reptilian swallowed audibly.

    ¡°Warm bloods go to high shaman. High shaman send warm bloods here. Must mean¡­¡± the lizarian had started to speak aloud, seemingly to himself. He kept his blade held just in front of his face, staring thoughtfully into the unpolished metal. After a short pause, the bizarre warrior¡¯s eyes shifted over to Aridean and Magdalene. One scaled foot rose from the ground and forcibly kicked the human panting and gasping upon the marshy soil. As Vladimir tumbled back a short distance, the lizarian slowly turned toward to Aridean and Magdalene, ¡°Yol¡¯tu nioh, gia?¡±

    ¡°A-Ari, h-he¡¯s looking angry,¡± Magdalene stuttered as she cowered behind the minotaur towering over her. Still somewhat stunned by the sudden assault on her traveling companion, Aridean had managed to collect herself enough to anxiously swallow the unease building in her throat. Coming to her senses, if only a little, she lifted her hands in surrender as the strange reptile took a single step in her direction.

    ¡°W-wait! Please! W-we don¡¯t want to hurt you!¡± Aridean frantically tried to call out to the lizarian. Her words, unfortunately, seemed on only fall upon deaf ears as the scaled individual took another step closer.

    ¡°No choice left¡­ This last chance,¡± the warrior seemed to assert with his guttural and deep voice. Aridean felt every muscle in her body tensing at the approach of the lizardman. Her eyes glanced over toward Vladimir to see that the human had seemingly passed out, likely due to a mixture of shock and blood loss. She hesitantly took a step back, pushing Magdalene further back in the process.

    ¡°Please listen! We want to find another way! There¡¯s no reason for us to fight here!¡± Aridean tried to reason with the approaching lizarian. Her heart sank into the deepest pit of her chest as the scaled head merely shook back and forth. Slitted pupils within his eyes were focused intently upon the panicked and confused minotaur.

    ¡°Kallak riin tyu, gav¡¯tuu,¡± the lizarian warrior slowly declared while just as slowly drawing the second of his twin blades. Having uttered the reptilian equivalent of a challenge to a duel, the lizardman assumed a battle stance with his weapons pointed toward a startled and confused Aridean. Before the minotaur could even open her mouth to protest, the scaled challenger had already launched himself in her direction with blades ready to strike.

 Chapter 36 - The Strength I Seek

    Driven by sheer instinct, Aridean turned and wrapped her arms around the small half-elven girl at her side. As the war cry wailed loudly in her ears, signaling the lizarian¡¯s charge, the minotaur attempted to bend her knees and leap backwards to avoid the oncoming attack. Rather than push herself off the marshy soil and fly through the air immediately over the ground for any length of time, Aridean found herself stumbling to the ground with Magdalene in tow, one of her hooves having sunk too deeply into some of the slick mud that made up the terrain. While the two fell, the whistle of their assailant¡¯s blade sang right beside of Aridean¡¯s ear as it flew just over her head.

    With a frightened gasp and a startled shriek, the two girls plopped down into a cold puddle. Dirt and murky water had been flung up from their point of impact upon the slippery ground; specks of mud having splattered across their faces and coated their sides. Not waiting for Magdalene to catch her breath, the young girl coughing up some of the mud that had splashed upon her lips and into her mouth, Aridean shoved the half-elf across the slick ground. Turning to look upwards at her opponent, the lizarian had already brought his twin blades over his head in preparation for another attack.

    Eyes wide with shock as air was sucked in between gritted teeth, the minotaur rolled in the opposite direction from which she had thrown Magdalene. Just barely over the beating of her heart within her eardrums, Aridean could hear the slap of the weapons having sunk into the mud she had fallen upon. Trying to gain a bit of distance, the minotaur continued to roll on her side for two more cycles while keeping her arms close to her chest. During her third roll when she had rotated onto her stomach and while the lizardman was busy pulling free his swords from the grip of the mud, Aridean pushed against the cold, wet dirt and sprung up just a foot in the air over the ground. As though with practiced ease, the minotaur quickly had reclaimed her footing upon her hooves before reaching for the battle axe she kept hanging upon her back.

    What are we doing?! Why is this happening?! Dammit! We never really wanted to fight you! the minotaur had practically begun to scream in her mind. Although her legs felt weak beneath, anxiety and dread siphoning whatever warmth her blood had meant to carry to her extremities, the minotaur assumed a somewhat shaky defensive stance.

    ¡°Do you require help with this scaly whelpling, my dear?¡± came the familiar and gravely deep voice. It sounded as though the spirit that the voice belonged to had been sitting upon her now muddied shoulder, directing the inquiry right into her ear. It was only as the scaled warrior managed to pry free the two blades he grasped from the cold ground that Vici appeared from behind a tree just a few paces from where Aridean¡¯s assailant stood. The abominable entity¡¯s deep and rumbling chuckle could be heard as if it stood right beside of the confused minotaur as its clawed feet slowly marched it over to the lizarian warrior. Vici¡¯s apparent amusement, however, dissipated quickly as a bolt of incandescent light flew past his face, missing both the spirit and the reptile the former had been creeping up on.

    All eyes turned in the direction from which the beam of magical energy had originated to find Magdalene standing a distance away. Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the annoyed, low growl that seemed to almost come from within the back of her own head. It took the minotaur a few seconds to simply register that the agitated rumbling was not originating from the lizardman that had been the obvious target for the blast of magic power. Aridean had shifted her gaze over toward where Vici stood just a foot or two from the gladiator. She could see that white-furred brows had been furrowed over the creature¡¯s empty eye sockets and thought that a low growl resonated within her ears. Nevertheless, Vici turned and began to walk into the nearby, murky swamp water. Each step in Vici¡¯s tread seemed to drop further and further downward into the pooling brown water around the bizarre shape in such a fashion that it seemed the spirit had simply descended down a flight of stairs, his hulking form having been entirely swallowed by the cold marsh.

    With the spirit having vanished beneath the rippling pool, Aridean refocused upon the reptilian warrior. Large and sharp teeth were on full display as he snarled in the direction from which the magic attacks had come from. Following her opponent¡¯s gaze, Aridean was somewhat alarmed to see Magdalene. The young half-elven girl held both of her hands out, palms facing the direction of the lizarian while the brilliant, incandescent glow lingered about her fingers. It was as the scaled threat lifted his foot, whether to prepare for a rush on the girl or to simply adjust his weight, the bright glow around Magdalene¡¯s hands began to glow brighter and brighter. After a brief second to focus, Magdalene adjusted her aim and fired off two more blasts of magical energy directly at the lizarian.

    Both brilliantly glowing bolts of light whistled through the air like arrows from a bow. The lizarian warrior kept his eyes focused on the projectiles being flung his way while his snarling grew ever louder. With a simple sidestep, mud squishing loudly beneath his uncovered toes, the scaled brute dodged out of the way of Magdalene¡¯s attack. Aridean¡¯s ears perked and mouth fell slightly agape at the sight of one of the reptile¡¯s blades being lifted in Magdalene¡¯s direction. Having been made the focus of the hostile lizardman had silently startled Magdalene somewhat as the concentration painted across her face had wavered and the glow surrounding her hands began to dim and fade away entirely.

    ¡°Sheerah! U¡¯kresh!¡± the lizarian warrior snarled while pointing the blade in his right hand toward Magdalene. The young girl, stunned by the already intimidating character having directed his weapon at her, felt chills crawl down her spine as the massive bear turned in her direction and roared aggressively.

    ¡°Y-you crush?!¡± Magdalene called out confusedly trying to make sense of the reptilian man¡¯s command. Aridean watched, petrified, as the inexplicably large ursine rose from where it sat. One colossal paw with claws bigger than her entire torso had been lifted from the soaked and slippery ground before being moved closer to the half-elf that stood just meters away. The monstrously large beast began to slowly tread nearer and nearer to Magdalene whilst growling with a deep, frightening hostility. The young girl, horror having overwhelmed her, had merely taken several anxious steps back before she found herself pressed up against the trunk of a thick tree.

    ¡°W-wha¡ª?! W-what are you doing?!¡± cried Aridean, trying to muster up enough self-control to simply speak. Appalled was the minotaur that stood in stunned disbelief; the warrior¡¯s pet bear slowly advanced upon the young girl that had already lost the will to flee. Magdalene¡¯s eyes, opened wide with horror, fixed upon the muzzle that had wrinkled in rage as the bear growled audibly while approaching.

    With her heart pounding within her chest, Aridean¡¯s ear flicked only at the sound of a loud splashing sound in the swampy waters nearby. She had turned just in time to adjust her weapon, bringing it to a slight angle in front of her neck, to parry one of the reptilian outcast¡¯s two blades. Her own eyes had gone wide to see the bizarre expression upon her assailant¡¯s scaled features; his brows had furrowed and his lipless mouth had been drawn back into an intimidating scowl. Yet his dark green eyes shone with something that had entirely contrasted the apparent fury he had masked his expression with.

    Despite the unexpected glimmer within the lizarian¡¯s gaze, Aridean found herself choking on a sharp gasp. Though her axe still held one of the warrior¡¯s blades at bay, a muscled, scaled hand had lifted the second up to eye level with the tip pointed directly toward the frightened minotaur. As the arm carrying the well-worn weapon began to thrust forward, Aridean gasped again before throwing herself backwards entirely.

    ¡°We fight, gav¡¯tuu! We fight!¡± the lizarian¡¯s deep voice bellowed as Aridean fell half into the swamp, her landing punctuated by the splash of the murky water and slap of mud beneath her. She could feel a sharp stinging sensation in her right ear and a deep red color had begun to flow down the right side of her neck and into her shirt. Looking up from her place on the wet ground, the minotaur watched in slight confusion as the reptile re-steadied himself in preparation for another bout. As quick as she could, Aridean climbed to her hooves, cold water and mud sliding down her shirt and pants as her attacker exclaimed, ¡°Sheerah make sure WE fight!¡±

    With his declaration of war, the lizarian leapt into action once more with his blades brought up and prepared for an attack. Just as soon as his clawed toes splashed into the water, only feet away from where Aridean¡¯s hooves soaked, the clang of metal against metal echoed throughout the area. Both of the short swords that the lizardman had equipped himself with were held at bay again by a successful parry from Aridean. Being forced into such a situation, similar to the time in which she had unwittingly battled her own adopted father, had prompted memories of the event to replay in her mind.

    Why¡­ why now of all times? Aridean mourned internally. The humid but fresh air that lingered throughout the swamp had started to smell of burning wood and the thick smokestacks. Even taking her eyes off of the lizarian for a mere second had seemingly transported her back to that wretched time where the massive flames had swallowed up her childhood home. Screams had filled her ears as a deep ache took root within her chest. The minotaur was brought back to reality, however, as one more familiar scream seemed to drown out the rest.

    Aridean¡¯s opponent continued to press down upon her axe with his pair of blades; the metal edges scraping against one another in an ear-bleeding cacophony. Blinking her nightmarish memory away along with the blur of small, fresh tears, she shifted on her hooves. With one forceful shove, Aridean had successfully repelled the lizardman who stumbled back only slightly, the water around his feet splashing loudly with every motion. Disregarding her assailant, the minotaur turned in the direction from which she had heard the more pronounced scream to find Magdalene with her back pressed against a tree and a bear far larger than any she had ever seen slowly approaching.

    ¡°A-Ari, I¡ª,¡± the half-elven girl had begun to call out in a panic. Her voice was immediately turned to another frightened shriek as the massive ursine roared loudly. Spittle flew from long and sharpened teeth that could have easily torn the girl into two while the creature was large enough to simply swallow her whole. Dread washed over Aridean, but she was immediately disrupted from moving to assist her companion as the lizarian resumed his attack with an audible and hostile snarl.

    One visibly worn sword came down in a diagonal slash that Aridean ducked to the side of. Her foe¡¯s second blade came at her in a horizontal pattern, prompting the minotaur jumped backward in the shallow swamp water to evade the blow. Growling loudly and spewing various things in his unfamiliar tongue, the lizardman continued his assault. Even though she was unable to comprehend her enemy, Aridean could tell that the reptilian man was growing more and more agitated and enraged by her continuous blocking or dodging. Once she had successfully managed to capture the lizardman in another clash of blade against blade, the minotaur observed with wide and uncertain eyes as a clawed hand emerged from behind her opponent.

    ¡°It would seem your companion is in grave danger. What will you do?¡± Vici¡¯s voice called as the creature stepped out from behind the lizarian. The two glowing lights within the monstrous form¡¯s eye sockets seemed to be sizing the reptile up, as if judging him. While the beastly entity spoke directly to Aridean, it lifted a clawed finger and pointed in the direction of Magdalene. Following the beast¡¯s instruction, the minotaur gasped at the sight of Magdalene having now slunk down to the base of the tree she had shoved herself against. Pushing back on the lizarian¡¯s twin short swords again, Aridean turned back to Vici as he spoke, ¡°Will you just abandon her, just the same as you¡¯ve done to everyone else?¡±

    A-abandon? I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ Aridean began to refute in her head. Even her thoughts denying the claim sounded weak in her mind as guilt weighed heavily upon her heart. Barely focusing on the lizardman lunging at her once again, the minotaur had had only ducked a swipe from the reptilian¡¯s blade directed toward her head in the nick of time. As she scrambled back to her hooves, Aridean felt a mild stinging in her right ear as something warm and wet began to clump her brown fur and slide down the side of her head. Instantly realizing that the lizarian had just clipped her ear, a wave of shock and dread had washed over the minotaur: her assailant was serious about this battle.

    The lizardman¡¯s intense glare persisted even as he slowly repositioned himself and waited for any sort of retaliation. His thin, forked tongue flicked in and out of his mouth a number of times before his gaze shifted down to the weathered blade, lined with a thin stream of crimson, firmly grasped in his hand. Aridean¡¯s still bleeding ear flicked at the disgruntled groan her opponent emitted before he returned his focus to the minotaur with a low growl. With a sudden flick of his wrist, the droplet of blood oozing down his weapon had been thrown from the metal surface and splashed into the dark, murky water the combatants stood in.

    Why is everyone hellbent on making me remember all my failures? Aridean internally lamented while fighting back tears that echoed her past feelings and choking through the tightness gripping her throat. Despite her best efforts, enough moisture had accumulated upon her eyelids to blur her vision just as the lizarian warrior lunged forward again. One of the scaled fighter¡¯s blades came in as a horizontal swipe aimed at Aridean¡¯s waist whereas the second blade fell in a vertical slash from overhead. A frightened breath hung in the minotaur¡¯s lugs as she watched the metal weapons slice through the air before her during a backwards leap. Once her hooves had settled upon the cold and slick surface of the soil lying beneath the swamp water, Aridean once again brought up her battle axe in a prepared position. While her outward appearance displayed confidence, the minotaur was internally struggling with Vici¡¯s proposition; she simply could not decide whether or not to relinquish control.

    One shrill gasp, brought about by another mortified scream, had knocked her from her concentration. Looking past the reptilian man that held his blades high in front of her and growled quietly, Aridean observed that her young companion remained stuck between a metaphorical rock and hard place. Magdalene had pushed herself as tightly against the tree she had backed into as she could and even still the enormous ursine loomed over her and would occasionally let loose another uproarious roar directly into the half-elf girl¡¯s face. Her shirt and dress were stained with bear spittle, sweat, and mud that would leave stains or a lingering odor. Grunting her sudden annoyance with the world around her, Aridean shifted on her hooves and caught another one of the lizarian¡¯s attacks at just the last minute.

    ¡°Vici¡­ can you stop him?¡± Aridean whispered aloud. The minotaur¡¯s words were almost entirely drowned out by the displeasing sound of metal scraping against metal and the splash of something nearby within the bog. Her gaze focused intently on the bear that loomed over Magdalene as Vici¡¯s laughter filled her ears.

    ¡°I can do so much more than simply stop a foolish skink such as this oaf,¡± replied the spirit just as Aridean managed to force the lizard to our tumble backwards with another forceful shove on the weapons he bore down upon her with. Unsurprisingly, the lizarian had quickly managed to regain his footing despite the slippery mud beneath the waters that they both stood in.

    ¡°I just want him to stop. I don¡¯t want to hurt him,¡± Aridean continued to whisper her desire to Vici. Her ear flicked again, sending a small droplet of blood falling toward the dark brown water. The unseen spirit now let loose an audibly frustrated groan within her ears. Turning her head, Aridean caught Vici now standing over Vladimir who stirred slightly with a pained moan but otherwise remained unconscious upon the muddied ground.

    ¡°Fine then, my dear, he will stop and he will be left unharmed,¡± Vici assured. As the monstrous form spoke, it had begun to descend from the damp land and into the filthy water. Aridean watched, her eyes wide, as a dark fog-like substance formed around the spirit¡¯s clawed fingers. The mist quickly began to spread up Vici¡¯s hands and arms before spreading across his body until the hulking, beastly form had been fully swallowed by the dense cloud of pitch black.

    Pitch black vapors, dark as a moonless night sky, swirled around the position in which Vici had once been standing. Nothing remained of the spirit¡¯s horrific body save for the glowing yellow iris-like features that sat in the back of his empty eye sockets. The creature¡¯s entire being had become one with the fog-like mist that now slowly floated toward Aridean. The minotaur gasped her surprise as the dark cloud coalesced in on itself before firing directly at her like an arrow shot from a bow.

    Just the same as the previous day¡¯s duel, the black vapors that Vici had dissolved into were launched directly into Aridean¡¯s right eye. Her right hand had lost its grip upon the massive axe she carried as the minotaur¡¯s hand flew up toward her face. Heaven¡¯s Edge splashed into the shallow, murky water around Aridean¡¯s hooves; the blade itself having been lodged into in the underlying soil beneath the surface of the swamp. The minotaur let loose a few quiet whimpers and more vocal grunts of pain as the impact of the black cloud against her eye left the entire right side of her face throbbing. A burning sensation that had initially started with the throbbing had quickly cascaded across her face and over her head to the point that even her horns tingled. Sucking in the humid air through gritted teeth, the minotaur stood in the shallows of the bog whilst clutching to their head that was wracked with inexplicable pain.

    During the time that Aridean had begun clutching her now throbbing head in tensed hands, the lizardman took note of the opening that he had been allowed. Growling low once again, the scaled individual felt every muscle in his arms and legs tense with anticipation. His limbs waited impatiently for his command to charge the minotaur that suffered some unseen ailment. Yet, the command to spring forth from his battle-ready position never came. Instead, the lizarian warrior¡¯s growl had ceased abruptly by an audible grunt of dissatisfaction before both of his blades had been lowered slightly from their readied position. Behind him, the colossal bear roared once more; its deafening cry followed immediately by Magdalene¡¯s frightened screaming.

    ¡°Will you just shut up already?¡± muttered the minotaur that now stood stone still with her face in her hands. Upon hearing her voice, the blades carried by scaled hands were lifted once more and focused intent shone in the reptilian¡¯s eyes. He watched as a furred hand slowly fell away from the minotaur¡¯s face, revealing to him the furious scowl that now painted Aridean¡¯s face. Watching as the other hand fell away from the furious, furred features, the lizarian lunged forward at the sight of Aridean¡¯s right hand reaching for the haft of her massive battle axe. Roaring his own war cry, the lizardman brought down both blades in a cross-diagonal slashing maneuver.

    Cold water splashed against his digitigrade legs as he stopped abruptly in his charge. The warrior let out a quiet and surprised gasp to see that his attack had not even followed through. Each of his wrists had been restrained just above his head by furred hands. Wide eyes focused upon the minotaur that had seemingly effortlessly halted his attack instead of dodging or even collecting her own weapon for defense. Rather than struggle or attempt another act of aggression, the lizarian held his breath as Aridean craned her neck back before launching her own cranium forward with an impressive amount of force. Both of their skulls collided, the reptilian warrior letting loose an audible grunt through gritted teeth before stumbling back just a few steps.

    Hissing, the lizarian cradled his head in one hand as the arm to the other was visibly tensed and rigid at his side. Somewhat stunned by the force of the blow, the loud splashing quickly approaching had not registered with him. Eyes had gone wide as something pried his hand from his head. Before the reptile was Aridean, scowling ferociously and pulling his hand away.

    First a gasp and then a pained snarl worked its way out of the lizarian¡¯s throat as a tremendous amount of pressure was applied to his wrist. Holding firm to the scaled appendage, Aridean was now bearing down on a pressure point near her opponent¡¯s thumb. Despite the pain, the warrior still held firm to his weapon and managed enough focus to set his sights upon the minotaur attacking him. He brought up his unclaimed hand and went to swipe at Aridean who immediately released her grip to jump back and out of the way.

    ¡°Damn tenacious little skink¡­¡± the minotaur muttered as cool, murky water licked at her legs. Rather than respond, the lizarian reset his stance and looked fully prepared to keep the fight going. Just as Aridean brought up her fists once more, another loud roar followed by a frightened shriek rang out. Whipping around to face the source of the noise, Aridean extended one hand, ¡°Oh, to hell with this.¡±

    With just a snap of her fingers, the minotaur could feel the magic in her body flare up. Initially, just a few brightly glowing, orange sparks appeared before her hand, similar t the sparks coming off of tinder as it is struck. After just a couple of seconds, a brilliant string of orange began to fly from the minotaur¡¯s hand. The beam zipped through the air in zig-zag motions at incredible speed; the colossal ursine had no time to react as the magic energy struck it in the side of its face. Upon making contact with the overgrown bear, a miniature bomb had practically been set off right where the attack had landed. The immediate area was filled with the scent of burning fur as the bear wailed uproariously and reeled back. Having seized the opportunity, Magdalene immediately retreated behind the tree she had been forced into.

    ¡°Sheera!¡± the lizarian shouted in clear shock at what he had just witnessed. Snarling, his scaled legs lifted from the water as he began to rush toward the massive bear that continued to cry out in pain. He stopped, however, as a furred hand grasped his wrist once more. Before he could even react, the reptilian warrior let out an uncomfortable gasp as his limb was twisted painfully. Lifting his unbound wrist, still carrying one of his two blades, the scaled man did not even have the chance to swing at his aggressor again as Aridean lifted the hand she held in a vice-like grip over her head. Shifting her hooves in the shallow water, the minotaur had slung the scaled limb over her shoulder and with it followed the lizarian warrior. His scaled body flew through the air just over Aridean before falling back down to the cool swamp waters below, where he crashed back down with an audible splash. Through his blurred vision, the reptile groaned as a fuzzy outline hovered over him. Blinking away the stars in his eyes, the scaled individual found that Aridean stood over him and held one of his own blades toward him. An agitated growl rumbled from the back of his throat as the lizardman snarled, ¡°Naegh tu¡¯rokta, gav¡¯tuu!¡±

    As the lizarian shouted, the minotaur noticed the bright green glow that had enveloped the warrior¡¯s scaled hand. Still lying face up in the shallows of the swamp, the lizardman lifted his hand, muscles visibly tense with fury, slightly out of the water before immediately slamming it back down against the cool liquid surface with a splash. The crack of ice rang out as the water just in front of the reptile¡¯s claw-tipped fingers froze solid in an instant. A small lump of ice had formed near instantaneously and from that lump, the ice had sprung forth like a bolt from a crossbow and began to rush the minotaur standing over the lizarian.

    Aridean let loose an audible grunt, followed by the splashing of water around her soaked legs which joined in the cacophonous symphony that were the bugs buzzing and chirping unseen throughout the swamp. Trudging through the soaked, slippery mud beneath the gently rippling waves at her ankles, the minotaur stumbled backwards while holding to the side of her head where the magical attack had struck. Upon steadying herself Aridean could be heard breathing loudly, as she tried blinking the stars in her vision away.

    ¡°Ough¡­ my head¡­¡± Aridean complained, still pressing her palm to the base of her right horn atop her furred head. She could feel a mild throbbing in her skull, yet no direct pain nor the warmth of inflammation or blood. Finally clearing her vision, the minotaur opened her eyes enough to gaze down at the water just in front of her where the lizardman had been lying. In his place, the water flowed in short waves back toward Aridean and away from the bank where she had left her companions. Searching for the origin of the ripples, the lizarian had, much to Aridean¡¯s astonishment, fled the battle and was now climbing up drenched soil, ¡°Vici¡­ what did you do?¡±

    ¡°I stopped that fool that sought to bring you harm, my dear,¡± Vici¡¯s voice whispered in the minotaur¡¯s ear. The disembodied voice sent a shiver down Aridean¡¯s spine; the spirit¡¯s unseen presence remained an oddity that the minotaur had yet to grow accustomed to. Swallowing the anxious lump in her throat, her free hand moved up to her now slightly ajar mouth. Her eyes remained fixated upon the lizarian warrior as he worked to calm his impossibly large bear that thrashed about after the blast of magic Aridean had hit it with. Speechless, the only indication that she had heard anything at all was the flick of her ear as Vici continued, ¡°I did as you asked: he is unharmed. Though you never said anything about leaving that that pitiful cub unscathed.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    How can you be so nonchalant about all this, Vici? Despite all that time it loomed over Maggie¡­ was it really going to attack her? Was it¡­ just trying to keep Maggie out of the fight? Aridean wondered to herself as she remained rooted to her place in the shallow water of the swamp. Cool, if dark and dirty, water continued to lap at her lower legs as the reptilian man that had just been attacking her tended to his oversized pet bear. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied movement not far from where the lizardman now stood. Turning her attention to what it was that shuffled in her peripherals, Aridean found Vladimir rising to his now mud-stained boots. Blood drenched the nobleman¡¯s coat and pants but his severed hand had now been reattached to his arm.

    ¡°Sheera, vass, vass¡­ mola¡¯te vieo,¡± came the deep, rumbling voice of the lizardman. Returning her focus to her former enemy, the minotaur could see a bright green glow emanating from his scaled hands as he channeled some form of healing magics over the scorched skin around the behemoth ursine¡¯s left eye. The beast¡¯s pained wails slowly began to quiet as the reptile worked and spoke as soft and hushed tones as his grave voice would allow. Shaking her head, the minotaur finally dropped her hand from her horn and moved to collect her battle axe. With her weapon in hand, Aridean waded through the waters back to the soaked shoreline where Magdalene and Vladimir waited.

    ¡°T-thanks for the save, Ari,¡± Magdalene stuttered, still somewhat frightened by the whole ordeal that had just transpired. The young girl was visibly shaking and moved to keep Aridean between her and the oversized bear that lie in a heap nearby. Vladimir had let out a quiet sigh as he flexed his recently reattached hand a few times.

    ¡°I apologize for my rash behavior, Ms. Gray. I should have at least heard you and Ms. Yorre out first before challenging a lizarian,¡± a dejected Vladimir commented. The man, a solemn look upon his visage, refused to lift his gaze to meet with Aridean¡¯s own. Having supplied an apology for having dragged the two girls into a battle they wanted no part in, Vladimir heaved another depressed sigh as he lowered his hands to his sides.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t worry about it, Vlad, and I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, Maggie, but now I¡­ kind of feel bad for him,¡± Aridean replied as she returned her focus to the lizarian. His scaled palms hovered over the blistered skin and burnt fur upon the bear¡¯s head, slowly remedying the afflicted skin.

    Aridean felt a pang of guilt wrack her heart; she had never liked hurting animals, even the wolves or coyotes that threatened the sheep on Simon¡¯s farm. Vici¡¯s attack, which came from her own hand and magic, would have been life threatening had the lizarian not acted as quick as he had. Despite the distance between them, the group of travelers could visibly see the skin being grown back into place over exposed bone yet none of the fur seemed to grow back in. Once the reptile had finally finished his work, the bear was left with a pale scar over its eye. The large animal could be heard letting out a deep rumble as the glow around the lizarian¡¯s hands faded away. Stroking the beast¡¯s fur softly, a large tongue escaped the ursine¡¯s lips and licked up the length of the lizardman¡¯s arm affectionately.

    It reminds me a lot of Mott and me¡­ Even though his bear is so large and intimidating, I¡¯m still feeling a bit jealous, Aridean mentally commented as she observed the two enjoying one another¡¯s company despite the circumstances. Slightly startled, the minotaur¡¯s eyes had gone wide as something nudged her from behind. Turning around, she found that it had simply been Magdalene, leaning out from behind her and looking to the lizarian warrior and bear.

    ¡°Should we¡­ go talk to him?¡± the half-elven girl asked hesitantly, her eyes only shifting up toward Aridean before immediately returning to the odd pair a short distance away.

    ¡°I¡­ would like the opportunity to at least apologize for having instigated all this,¡± Vladimir confessed. Both Aridean and Magdalene turned to human to see that he had finally lifted his gaze from the ground at his feet. A more serious expression now painted his partially covered face and both hands had been crossed behind his back. His normal air of refinement now seemed to mix with an uncharacteristic sternness. Allowing herself a moment to collect her thoughts and ponder what they might say after the altercation, Aridean took a deep breath before nodding her head. Together the three made a slow approach toward the lizardman and his enormous bear. Once the odd group had come within several meters of the bear, a low growl began to resound throughout the area and its fur began to stand on end in anticipation.

    Without hesitation, Magdalene once again moved to hide behind Aridean as the beast let out an aggressive roar. Although the bear moved to stand, scaled arms wrapped as far around the oversized muzzle and dragged the animal back to the ground. Although it fought slightly against the unspoken commands of its owner, the bear lay back on the muddied ground and glared at the three travelers that stood behind the lizarian while growling louder. With the bear confined to the damp marshy soil, a scaled hand continued to slowly stroke through the fur just over the fresh scar as a defeated sigh escaped the reptilian¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Gav¡¯tuu not kill Sheera if give up?¡± asked the lizarian, not even turning to face the group. His inquiry had caught all three of the strange band off guard as eyes had gone wide on head face and curious glances were exchanged. After a brief pause to process, Aridean shook her head and took another hesitant step forward to the large bear¡¯s vocal upset.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Aridean returned, halting her advance as the ursine jolted forward only slightly. One open scaled palm was placed on the center of the bear¡¯s head before gently pushing the huge body back toward the ground. Something about the gesture from its owner had entirely changed the beast¡¯s attitude as the growling was near instantly replaced with soft whimpering. Finally turning back to face the group, the lizarian kept both of his hands out at his sides to block his supposed enemies from his pet.

    ¡°Gav¡¯tuu hunt deimn¡¯la,¡± the lizardman said as he took a single step forward. Even just the meter of separation between the two prompted a pitiful wail from the enormous bear behind him. Aridean and Magdalene both were taken aback as the reptilian slowly lowered himself toward the ground. With a solemn grunt, the lizarian warrior bowed his head with hands and knees upon the moist earth, ¡°kill deimn¡¯la; leave Sheera.¡±

    Both the minotaur and half-elf each stood in stunned silence at the gesture presented to the team by their unusual acquaintance. Jaws had fallen agape as restless eyes ran up and down the scaled figure that presented his head as though ready for the chopping block. Out of the corner of her eye, Aridean glanced over to see that even Vladimir was biting his lip. Not even the man who had full intentions of battling the defeated warrior could quietly stand to see such a display. None of the travelers made a move as the eerie ambiance of the swamp took over again. For a time, it seemed as though the entire group had frozen in time; even Sheera the bear had fallen silent save for a dreary huff that blew hot air towards all the humanoids. Catching her breath again after the shock, Aridean shook her head gently.

    ¡°Look, c-can we start over? We¡¯ve come to the swamp because we need more soldiers for the rebellion but we didn¡¯t come with the intention of killing you,¡± the minotaur managed to anxiously suggest. Aridean¡¯s gentle, if nervous tone, was met with a low growl from the warrior that sat slumped over at her hooves. Baring a row of sharp, even teeth, the lizarian lifted his head to snarl aggressively at the group. Despite the vocal hostility, the scaled individual remained rooted in place; his limbs visibly tensed in anticipation though they refrained from making any movement.

    ¡°High shaman want deimn¡¯la head. Why gav¡¯tuu wait?!¡± the lizarian angrily demanded. Although her intention was not to upset, the forceful response had left Aridean speechless for a moment. Before the spontaneous confusion regarding the lizardman¡¯s insistence on his own execution could pass, Magdalene skirted around the minotaur and the reptile. The half-elf, a red blush to her cheeks, stood before the bear with her hands on her hips. With another puff of hot breath, the ursine must had unsettled the young girl enough to put some distance between the two.

    ¡°Yeesh, he¡¯s as bad as you when it comes to listening to what we¡¯re saying,¡± Magdalene announced while looking to Vladimir and taking several steps away from the massive bear.

    ¡°I apologize for my rash behavior earlier, Ms. Yorre,¡± Vladimir apologized with a courteous bow of his head. Lifting his head again, the nobleman turned his attention to Aridean, ¡°Ms. Gray, I do feel I must remind you that our current objective is rather inflexible given the less-than-hospitable nature of the lizarians. I will confess to a¡­ hesitancy on my part now that our acquaintance is in a more cooperative state of mind.¡±

    ¡°Vlad, please, there must be some way to appease the shaman without having to fight,¡± replied Aridean, her voice near begging the man to offer another solution to the current situation. Despite knowing exactly what the high shaman expected of her, Aridean had felt the discomfort within her chest growing steadily as she and her companions ventured into the swamp from Miahnn¡¯uli. Now, after having reluctantly fought with her target, that discomfort had welled up to a near suffocating ache within her chest. Although the minotaur was fully prepared to beg, that choking feeling she had been suffering seemed to press tighter as the human simply shook his head dejectedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I would not know of any method we might try: the lizarian people simply do not tolerate those they perceive as weak. It is just their way of life: the weak exist solely to feed the strong,¡± explained Vladimir, his tone sullen and heavy. A tightness began to form in the back Aridean¡¯s throat as she felt her entire body sulk in defeat. Ears had fallen flat against her head as her shoulders drooped and the grip upon her axe loosened. Although she had allowed her mind to go blank, the minotaur¡¯s eyes fell upon the lizarian at her hooves.

    ¡°Well? You can just take his head and be done with it all now,¡± whispered Vici¡¯s disembodied voice from somewhere very close to Aridean¡¯s right ear. The minotaur had not even flinched at this phantom voice having called out to her; Vici¡¯s bizarre tricks slowly becoming a norm for her. Swallowing hard the anxiety building her throat, the lump tightening to the point of choking her, Aridean¡¯s fingers wrapped more and more snug around the haft of her weapon.

    What kind of guardian spirit are you, Vici? You want me to¡­ kill someone who¡¯s done nothing to me? I¡­ I¡¯ve never¡­ not to someone that wasn¡¯t a threat¡­ Aridean internally debated. In her own heart, the turmoil of the current situation had turned to discomfort that teetered on the brink of actual physical sickness. The urge to simply vomit at the thought had begun to build in the pit of her stomach. Yet, even so, her grasp had only tightened as in her mind, she knew Vici was right. One fell swoop of her axe and the mission would be a success. With one raspy inhale, Aridean felt every muscle in her body tense with anticipation.

    ¡°Weak¡­ Warmbloods no kill weak¡­ but want get rid of weak¡­ get¡­ rid of¡­¡± came the familiar, deep and gravelly voice of the scaled warrior. Aridean¡¯s eyes shot open wide as the words reached her ears; both of her companions also seemed surprised to hear their bizarre acquaintance speaking aloud again and in a much gentler tone than he had been carrying. Glancing down to her hand carrying the massive war axe, Aridean shook her head before returning her attention back to the lizarian. Her supposed victim did not lift his head to meet her gaze, merely sighed wearily and continued, ¡°Gav¡¯tuu want deimn¡¯la gone but gav¡¯tuu no kill?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, i-if there¡¯s something we can do so we don¡¯t have to fight one another, I would much prefer that option,¡± Aridean stuttered, still somewhat flustered by the encouragement Vici had provided. Quickly, and somewhat clumsily, the minotaur returned her axe to the holster upon her back, all the while she had been biting her lip. With a loud and forceful grunt, the bulging muscles in the reptilian¡¯s shoulders and arms grew visibly tense. With one forceful push off the ground, the lizarian jumped up and steadied himself with ease; his sudden movement had seemingly startled Magdalene to move back over toward where Aridean and Vladimir stood. Even the massive bear had perked up as its owner rose from the ground. Crossing his arms over his chest, the lizardman stared directly into Aridean¡¯s somewhat nervous and curious eyes.

    ¡°Nikira ko¡¯luttieh,¡± announced the lizarian. The blunt and brief statement was followed by otherwise silence; only the buzz of insects and splashing of something in the nearby waters echoed throughout the swamp. Aridean, Magdalene, and Vladimir all merely stood staring back at their unusual acquaintance. Flicking her hear out of curiosity, the minotaur, joined by the half-elf at her side, turned toward the human man. Their silence asked the question for them though even the scholarly nobleman had pushed a finger to his chin as he internally pondered the meaning behind the lizardman¡¯s words.

    ¡°I do apologize, but this one is a bit difficult. I believe the best translation would be ¡®The Warrior¡¯s Path¡¯, though I am unfortunately unfamiliar with what that might entail,¡± Vladimir commented with a slight shake of his head. His attempted translation was met with another audible grunt and quiet rumbling growl from the lizarian warrior.

    ¡°Not know what Corpse say. Nikira ko¡¯luttieh ritual to prove warrior of swamp,¡± the reptilian clarified. Once again, the lizardman kept quiet, as though his definition of the term from his own people¡¯s tongue should have made sense regardless of any language barriers. Annoyed, Magdalene huffed quietly before lifting a hand to join in her aggravated rant. However, the girl was stopped as Vladimir let out an astonished gasp.

    ¡°A ritual to prove a warrior of the swamp? Ah, Nikira ko¡¯luttieh must be one of their most sacred of rites! Oh, this is simply exciting, wouldn¡¯t you agree, Ms. Gray? Ms. Yorre?¡± the nobleman exclaimed; his voice filled with enthusiasm on the subject. His one visible eye shone with his excitement that only seemed to further deepen the confusion both Aridean and Magdalene felt. After the two girls shared a quick glance to one another, non-verbally confirming that neither were able to keep up with the conversation, the young half-elf sighed annoyedly.

    ¡°Anything to get us out of this swamp sooner¡­¡± Magdalene stated in a low and irritated voice. Aridean watched as the girl slumped forward slightly, clearly exhausted both mentally and physically with the humid climate and lack of more traditional civilization. With a grunt, the girl swatted a fly buzzing about her right ear before grumbling to herself. Although she agreed with her young companion that the comfort of Stonehaven would be preferable to the Wiir Swamplands, Aridean pushed the thought from her mind as she turned back to the lizarian warrior.

    ¡°This rite¡­ Knee-kira koh-loo-tee-yea? Uhm¡­ it will clear you of the title ¡®deimn¡¯la¡¯? A-and we won¡¯t have to fight one another, right?¡± Aridean asked the lizardman standing before her and her companions. Much to her surprise, the confirmation she was looking for did not come immediately. In fact, a hint of worry seemed to appear in the rough, scaled features of her new acquaintance. Aridean felt her jaw fall slightly agape, unsure on whether or not to speak, as the reptilian¡¯s gaze drifted elsewhere. Allowing himself a deep breath after a brief silence, the lizarian turned back to Aridean and nodded his head once. Although the gesture seemed strange, the minotaur managed to offer a gentle smile, ¡°Okay, y-yeah, let¡¯s do this.¡±

    ¡°Gav¡¯tuu¡­ mean it? Gav¡¯tuu know deimn¡¯la fail Nikira ko¡¯luttieh first time,¡± the reptilian pressed further. Aridean could not tell from his deep but honest tone whether the lizardman meant to give her a way out of this or if he were asking in sheer disbelief that she would agree to such a trial. His constant need for confirmation had brought some hesitation and reluctance to the forefront of Aridean¡¯s mind. The minotaur had no concept of this ritual she would be participating in and given the nature of the lizarians, nothing about it would be a simple matter. Biting her lip again, Aridean breathed deeply before nodding her head, securely locking in her decision to accompany the strange lizardman on this journey.

    A quiet groan echoed in the minotaur¡¯s ear, whereupon the furred appendage flicked with curiosity. The deep rumble from the vocal frustration had not come from either Vladimir or the lizarian. Neither of her fellow traveling companions had voiced any negative opinion on the matter; if anything, both Magdalene and Vladimir appeared at least somewhat approving of the decision. The groaning she had heard must have been Vici as the spirit allowed his dissatisfaction to reach her ear. Even so, the spirit had not voiced any further complaint or objection. Turning back to face her fellow warrior, the minotaur drew upon as much confidence as she could muster.

    ¡°Well¡­ If we¡¯re going to be undergoing this¡­ trial together, it would make things easier if I had something I could call you,¡± Aridean finally said. The otherwise mundane observation was met with an almost repulsed expression upon the lizarian¡¯s face.

    ¡°What mean?¡± asked the lizarian. A mixture of confusion and skepticism had formed along his scaled features as he tilted his head to one side.

    ¡°Oh, Lord have mercy, she means you need a name!¡± Magdalene chimed in, clearly annoyed by the lizardman¡¯s obliviousness to something so simple.

    ¡°No,¡± answered the lizarian, both bluntly and with a shake of his head.

    ¡°W-wha¡ª? I-it¡¯s just so I have something to¡ª,¡± Aridean began to reason. She found herself trailing off as her newest companion began to utter a deep growl. Behind him, the massive ursine that had been patiently waiting for the group to settle on things let out a deep yawn, flashing massive, white teeth.

    ¡°No name. Not earned,¡± snarled the group¡¯s odd addition. The spontaneous return of his hostility seemed entirely remedied when the bear shifted slightly to nudge him with its large nose. Turning his back to the travelers, the lizardman had a wry smile stretched across his face as he stroked along the bridge of his pet¡¯s muzzle. With their guest¡¯s attention elsewhere, Vladimir quietly cleared his throat.

    ¡°Ms. Gray, you must understand that the lizarians are very strict with these things. Having been excommunicated from his peers, he likely isn¡¯t accustomed to any long-term company apart from his pet there,¡± the nobleman explained. As the man spoke, Aridean watched as the lizarian seemed to gently play with the clearly pleased, massive bear. A slight hint of concern had worked its way to her mind as the ursine rolled onto its side and its long tongue had nearly wrapped around her new acquaintance. Instead of any sort of concern, the reptilian snorted amusedly as the long, wet tongue rolled off of him in what Aridean could only assume was an affectionate manner.

    ¡°F-fine¡­ Just¡­ strange is all. Uhm¡­ never mind on the names, I suppose. Let¡¯s just be off then,¡± replied Aridean with a nervous swallow. Upon hearing that the minotaur was prepared to journey forth, the lizarian turned back to her. His features had returned to a more strict and serious countenance. As though he had been discussing important trade business with the group, it was obvious he did not regard Aridean and her companions with the same level of friendship as his colossal bear. Nevertheless, the scaled head nodded in agreement before the lizarian turned to begin walking.

    Seeing its master leave the scene, a low rumble and quiet call escaped the massive ursine¡¯s throat. Without turning back around, the lizarian waved his right hand signaling for his pet to follow. The trio of non-swamp natives watched as the large bear shifted and climbed to its feet to march after their new companion. Aridean allowed herself to share a quick glance with both Vladimir and Magdalene, each non-verbally conveyed their enthusiasm and unease with the arrangement, respectively.

    As the loud plops of the bear¡¯s paws pounding the muddy ground joined in the other sounds of the swamp, Aridean took a deep breath to settle her lingering nerves. As she lifted her hooves to begin following after her new companion and his pet, both Magdalene and Vladimir moved to follow the minotaur¡¯s lead. Hearing multiple footfalls joining his own, the lizarian turned his head back to inspect the group with what appeared to be confusion upon his scaled features. His quizzical stare prompted all three to immediately halt their advance. With a low growl in his throat, the lizardman turned back to face the trio head on with his arms crossed over his chest once more.

    ¡°No Priestess. No Corpse,¡± ordered the lizarian as his bear continued to walk onward without stopping. Both Aridean and Vladimir¡¯s eyes had shot open wide at the strange command while Magdalene simply slumped forward as the young girl let out an overly annoyed groan.

    ¡°What? What could it possibly be now?!¡± the half-elf barked, her agitation slowly evolving into anger. Clearly unfazed by Magdalene¡¯s outburst, the lizarian pointed a clawed finger directly to Aridean.

    ¡°Just gav¡¯tuu,¡± stated the lizardman. A ferociously agitated scowl spread across Magdalene¡¯s lightly freckled face yet the girl kept whatever enraged thoughts swam within her mind to herself. Aridean, curious to what might be the reason for the group¡¯s new companion¡¯s odd demand, turned toward Vladimir to see if the nobleman could explain what the issue was. Unfortunately, the human seemed just as stumped as she was as he cupped his chin between a finger and his thumb, apparently lost in thought. Eventually, the man lifted his gaze and simply shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not certain what this might be about, Ms. Gray. I do humbly apologize,¡± Vladimir announced. The man¡¯s inability to explain the meaning behind the lizarian¡¯s directions only seemed to exacerbate Magdalene¡¯s rising frustration. Aridean assumed that the girl¡¯s normal impatience had been absolutely pushed its limits from the humid climate and that these compounding factors left her in a near-inconsolable state of mind. Trying to avoid upsetting the half-elf further, Aridean swallowed nervously before addressing the lizarian warrior.

    ¡°Why must it just be the two of us? Why can Maggie and Vlad not join us?¡± Aridean asked. Her question was immediately met with a frustrated shake of the scaled head. Flicking her ear, the minotaur was certain she had heard something being muttered under the lizarian¡¯s breath in the lizardfolk¡¯s tongue. She immediately assumed it had been something about how much of an inconvenience she and her companions were being; the quiet slight had flushed her cheeks with a wave of warm embarrassment.

    ¡°Rite for warriors only. Priestess and Corpse no follow,¡± clarified the lizarian. While Magdalene¡¯s demeanor seemed unchanged by the explanation, Vladimir allowed a defeated sigh to pass his lips.

    ¡°I believe he means to say that only those participating in the rite might be allowed upon the lizarian¡¯s trial grounds. In all honesty, I must admit to being somewhat upset to hear I won¡¯t be allowed to spectate. You will share what you learn of the experience, yes, Ms. Gray?¡± Vladimir further interpreted, allowing his own personal interest that goes beyond the team¡¯s objective to show. Unable to hold herself back any longer, Magdalene had barely managed to muffle a roar of frustration. The half-elf clenched both fists at her side and stomped angrily in the mud before sneering toward Vladimir.

    ¡°Well, what are we supposed to do then? I¡¯m not sitting in this swamp just for another, untrained bear the size of a house to come by and actually eat me!¡± snapped Magdalene. Vladimir, despite being the target of the half-elf¡¯s aggression, simply allowed a gentle smile to cross his lips. His silent amusement with her outburst had further enraged Magdalene as the girl let loose another frustrated groan. All the while, Aridean had been contemplating a solution that might keep her remaining companions preoccupied in the meantime.

    ¡°Vlad, why don¡¯t you and Maggie head back to Miahnn¡¯uli for the time being. Once we complete this trial, theoretically the deimn¡¯la will be no more and we¡¯ll need to report our success to the high shaman,¡± suggested eventually suggested. Both of her warmblood companions turned to face her, each with understanding in their expressions, even if Magdalene¡¯s still seemed upset with the current assignment. Once she had received non-verbal approval of her plan from both the half-elf and human, Aridean¡¯s ear flicked at the quiet musings of the lizarian standing a few feet away.

    ¡°What ¡®thee-oh-reh-tick-all-ee¡¯ mean?¡± asked the lizardman curiously with his head tilted to one side. Magdalene merely rolled her eyes as Vladimir allowed himself a quiet laugh.

    ¡°Perhaps another time, sir,¡± the nobleman replied gently. The group¡¯s scaled addition seemed somewhat annoyed by Vladimir brushing him off as he let out a forceful grunt, yet the reptilian had otherwise kept quiet. Turning back to the minotaur at his side, Vladimir continued, ¡°Ms. Gray, are you certain of this decision? Even should you succeed, the lizarians in Miahnn¡¯uli may not accept this solution to ¡®eliminating¡¯ the deimn¡¯la.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t know if we don¡¯t try, right? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the right decision or not, but I want to avoid any bloodshed between us if we can help it,¡± answered Aridean. She felt a pang of guilt wracking her heart for ever having considered the alternative to her current task. While her response did not carry much conviction or confidence, Vladimir nodded his head understandingly after a brief moment of thought.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get why we can¡¯t come along but you better be careful, okay?¡± Magdalene called out from behind Aridean. Somewhat startled by the girl¡¯s sudden input, the minotaur turned to look upon the young half-elf with surprise in her eyes. Magdalene¡¯s cheeks had become flushed red and the girl immediately averted her own gaze, ¡°W-what are you looking at me like that for?! J-just come back quick so we can finally get out of this hot, bug-infested swamp!¡±

    Even with that last statement, I can¡¯t help but feel she might have been a little sincere wishing me well¡­ I¡¯m¡­ a bit surprised to hear it¡­ and glad too, Aridean thought to herself as the astonishment faded. Again, Vladimir expressed amusement with the young girl¡¯s stubbornness while a slight smile formed upon the minotaur¡¯s lips.

    Turning her head back to both of her older companions, Magdalene growled in frustration. Swatting at some flies buzzing about her long, golden hair over her ear, the half-elf began to storm off down the muddied road in the direction of Miahnn¡¯uli. Both Aridean and Vladimir exchanged one final glance before the human nodded in silent understanding. The minotaur stood in place and watched silently as both Magdalene and Vladimir departed.

    ¡°Are you certain about this? This oaf did try to kill you just moments ago and now you are sending off your companions. He could turn on you in an instant,¡± Vici¡¯s voice whispered in her ear. Aridean turned back to her newest companion that stood mostly stoic but did allow a low rumbling growl to emanate from his throat, marking his impatience with the minotaur he waited on. Believing that they were finally prepared to move on, the lizarian turned in a direction different from Miahnn¡¯uli to follow after the massive bear that now appeared a large brown blob in the distance.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to worry about. Even when he had the chance, that blast of ice was directed to the side of my head; he could have punched a hole through my skull if he wanted to, you know,¡± Aridean whispered back to the invisible spirit. She thought back to their impromptu duel; Vici had not made any move to dodge the blow directed at Aridean¡¯s head as he commanded her body and limbs. The warrior, despite his insistence on a potential fight to the death, had not seized the opportunity to secure permanent victory. As she spoke, the minotaur lifted her hooves to begin marching after the lizardman on their quest to clear his nameless existence from the stigma set by his people.

    ¡°You are far too trusting, my dear. I advise you keep a close eye on that skink and his cub. Something about them is off even for those that dwell in this miserable swamp,¡± Vici cautioned, his voice slowly fading away as though the spirit were moving further and further away. Aridean assumed the disappearance of her most peculiar ally must have indicated that he decided to take another rest.

    I guess being Simon¡¯s servant made him a bit overprotective¡­ Thanks for watching out for me, Vici, Aridean thought to herself as she increased her pace to catch up to the scaled individual leading her further into the swamp. With only a few feet between the two, however, the lizarian came to an abrupt halt. Aridean¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as the scaled hands flexed at the warrior¡¯s sides. Both ears fell flat upon the minotaur¡¯s head as the lizardman turned back with a deathly serious expression upon his features.

    ¡°Gav¡¯tuu, before go further¡­ think warmblood word is¡­ t-tay¡­ tank-e-ew?¡± the lizarian seemed to struggle to say. Both of Aridean¡¯s ears had perked up as she managed to catch her breath again. A nervous smile crossed the minotaur¡¯s lips before she nodded her head understandingly. Having expressed his gratitude, even if it did seem he did not fully grasp the concept, the lizarian turned and continued through the swamp with Aridean following closely.

 Chapter 37 - What Ive to Prove

    For what had felt like hours passed as Aridean followed her new companion through the uneven, moist terrain. Panting loudly, the minotaur was quickly reaching her limit from over-exertion as it had been entirely exacerbated by the humid and hot climate. Even still, her hooves continued onward, following the footprints that the lizarian warrior leading her deeper into the swamps had pressed into the marshy ground. Her guide, however, seemed entirely unbothered by the relative heat and travel conditions as he seemed almost lost in a trance on their trek through the swamplands. Both reptile and minotaur followed the trail left behind the enormous bear marching across the trail, splashing both feet and hoof into the murky water that pooled in the center of each massive paw print.

    Dried mud had caked her pants and clung to her fur; not all of the journey had been made along the dirty road. More than once had the reptilian guided Aridean through both shallow and deep pools. Insects swarmed the space by the minotaur¡¯s ears and buzzed in circles about her eyes. Beneath the cover of her fur, leeches had found their way under her clothes during the many dips into the swamp and had latched onto her skin. Both nuisances had demanded all of Aridean¡¯s willpower to simply ignore the pests as she waved her hand through the mass of small, black and buzzing specks in front of her face.

    Allowing herself a loud groan of discomfort, Aridean observed that her companion had not even slowed his seemingly autonomous advance through the swamplands. Had the lizarian even heard her dissatisfaction with their current state, he had not given any indication that he had heard her. If anything, the lack of communication between the two was disconcerting to a degree that Aridean had not thought possible. Normally, she would find herself in the company of more talkative individuals and would only speak when directly spoken to. Her latest companion, however, had only turned back once every ten or so minutes to ensure that the minotaur was still following him on this seemingly endless road of mud.

    Unease had settled into her stomach as she continued to follow in line with the uniformed lizardman. Aridean continuously would glance up from the slick mud her hooves tread across to her scaled companion. Although he had invited Aridean to perform this lizarian ritual, he had not spoken a word in all the time the two had been mucking about through the swamp. Walking behind her guide, the minotaur could not even catch a glimpse of the scaled features upon his face as a means of determining what might be running through his head. The only thing that spurred Aridean along the muddy trail was the thought that perhaps this method of satisfying the high shaman¡¯s request might still lead to her success as a supposed ambassador to the swamplands.

    Merely the thought of Mikali¡¯s task and of Stonehaven had caused the minotaur¡¯s mind to wander elsewhere. Trying to avoid thinking more on the humid climate that pressed down upon her, Aridean had taken to daydreaming what she might do when she returned to the underground city. In her head, she had already finished with a shower and was reading a book on magic theory on the rooftop of the mess hall. It was only as her physical self nearly collided with the scaled form she followed through the swamp that the minotaur snapped back to reality.

    Taking a nervous step back to allow her companion some space, Aridean observed that the lizarian warrior was staring up toward the thick canopy overhead. Following his gaze, the minotaur noted that the few streams of sunlight poking through the verdant roof of the swamp we beginning to change hue; now somewhat of a darker orange color instead of the natural light gold of mid-day.

    It''s getting late¡­ how far away is this place we¡¯re going? How far have we come already? Aridean pondered to herself. Shifting on her hooves, the minotaur¡¯s eyes refocused on the lizardman in front of her as he shook his head. Both ears fell flat into her mane as slight hiss escaped the lizarian¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Sheera, rahp¡¯ta,¡± bellowed the lizarian¡¯s deep and guttural voice. Both of Aridean¡¯s ears perked up at the sudden command. Looking beyond her guide, the minotaur observed as the bear leading the both of them through the swamp had turned its head back toward the two bipedal members of the group. It let out a soft cry before turning and charging through some nearby brush. Some branches and limbs within the foliage it had just barreled through snapped clean off and fell to the ground while others simply rustled just the same as if a strong breeze had blown through.

    ¡°Night soon, still long way left¡­ rest here,¡± the reptilian man had finally announced, much to Aridean¡¯s unspoken relief. He then turned to face Aridean with an unreadable expression upon his scaled face. The minotaur could not help but feel somewhat anxious by the blank stare her companion was now giving her. It almost seemed like he was holding himself back from something, though Aridean could not tell what that might be. Both of the furred ears atop her horned head perked up as the lizardman spoke in a calm, if deep, voice, ¡°Sheera collect wood. Gav¡¯tuu make fire.¡±

    We¡¯re setting up camp out here? Will it be safe in this swamp? Even during the day, the very flowers here have been a challenge! Aridean thought to herself as her gaze began to wander. It had only just occurred to her that the two had walked many miles away from the lizarian town of Miahnn¡¯uli; there would be no shelter from any monsters of the swamplands or the rough humidity. Thinking back to her visit of the town, Aridean had also noted that none of the trees in the immediate area grew with an irregular framework of roots over the marshy soil or murky waters. Not that such a thing would have been useful for the two unless the lizarian warrior traveling alongside Aridean could move the muddied earth into place within the space between the tree roots using his magic.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be out in the open all night then¡­ Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll be sure to keep watch over you, my dear,¡± the familiar and deep voice whispered in the minotaur¡¯s ear. Startled somewhat by her guardian spirit¡¯s sudden appearance, Aridean could not help but let loose a quiet gasp. She thought that she had been growing accustomed to the spirit¡¯s random and spontaneous input as a disembodied voice that only she could hear but perhaps the long trek had left her more mentally and physically drained than she had previously believed. Allowing herself a moment to recover from her sudden fright, the minotaur had not even noticed that her tangible companion was staring at her with furrowed brows.

    ¡°Oh, t-thanks, Vici,¡± Aridean said aloud with a relieved sigh. While her body yearned for a night¡¯s rest, preferably in a comfortable bed, the muscles in her furred shoulders visibly tensed as her eyes met those of her reptilian acquaintance. His expression, though Aridean had not known lizarians prior to having traveled to the Wiir Swamplands, told her everything despite still being mostly unfamiliar with the exact meaning behind how his scaled features moved. His piercing and intense gaze sent shivers down the minotaur¡¯s spine, the fur on her tail standing on ends as the appendage itself had stiffened from the anxiety.

    ¡°Gav¡¯tuu speak something?¡± the lizarian warrior finally asked. His otherwise simple question had driven Aridean¡¯s heart into a panic as the muscle thumped the inside of her ribcage both rapidly and forcefully. Somewhere beyond the minotaur¡¯s sight, she could hear the amused laughter of that spirit teasing her for the display of unease in front of her temporary ally. Although the deep chuckle reverberated against her eardrums, Aridean¡¯s mind had gone blank.

    Vici was a strange being that had just appeared before her one day, claiming to have once served her late father. Aridean had already attempted to reveal the cause of her seemingly random fits of shock and discomfort to the companions that she had known only for the beastly spirit to vanish. Even then, it was here in the swamp that Vici had revealed himself to Aridean while others were around and yet none seemed to recognize the spirit¡¯s presence.

    ¡°N-no, sorry,¡± Aridean finally managed to hastily squeak out. The ghostly laughter that echoed throughout the swamp slowly faded as the entertainment finally died out. Although the statement was a bold, paper-thin lie straight to the lizardman¡¯s face, Aridean silently watched, her face burning with embarrassment, as her companion¡¯s eyes scanned her from horn to hoof. Although the reptile did not speak a word, he turned his back to the minotaur with an audible grunt of annoyance.

    ¡°Warmbloods¡­ nallahk zhi tashni,¡± the lizarian muttered aloud to himself. Even with the slight being in an entirely foreign tongue, Aridean could not help but feel her ears fall flat against her horned head in a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. As the minotaur attempted to mentally recompose herself, the penetrating glare from her reptilian acquaintance only served to exacerbate her unsettled nerves. The intense stare bore into her very being and only enflamed the discomfort she felt.

    Whatever agitation Aridean had been experiencing quickly receded behind the growing unease and anxiety. Her tense shoulder muscles slumped downward as she huffed quietly. Unable to maintain eye contact with her companion any longer, the scaled man shook his head with a grunt before turning toward the nearest body of water. Without hesitating, the lizardman bent his knees, entering into a near crouching position, before leaping forward and angling his upper body down toward the water. With his hands together in front of his face, the scaled digits broken the surface of the murky swamp and were quickly followed by his body which entered with a more audible splash.

    Aridean watched, somewhat stunned by the rather daring action given just how shallow the waters seemed to be in the swamplands. Instead of plopping down into the mud that lay just beneath the surface, the lizarian warrior began to swim through the muddied pool with ease and speed. Quick but rhythmic wave-like motions traveled the length of his body as he swam across the marshy water. Still standing on shore, Aridean had begun to silently contemplate what her associate was doing prior to witnessing the scaled figure dip below the surface.

    Bubbles rose to the surface from where the lizarian had dove into the depths. Eyes wide with modest concern, Aridean observed as waves and ripples began to cascade from her acquaintance¡¯s dive point. After a moment, all was still and the only noise that met Aridean¡¯s ears were those of swamp¡¯s ambient distant splashing and croak of frogs. It was only as the scale-covered hand emerged from beneath the murky waters that the minotaur exhaled the breath she had not even been aware she was holding in.

    With his fingers wrapped around a rather small fish, the lizardman¡¯s task for setting up camp for the evening had become apparent. However, one single fish would not have been nearly enough for that behemoth of a bear the lizarian was so fond of. Aridean could only watch as her acquaintance changed course and proceeded to slip through the muddy swamp with ease in search of other prey. Eventually, the figure that practically slithered through the water disappeared again as he continued to seek out prey.

    Standing alone on the embankment that dipped into the water, Aridean¡¯s tail swung lazily behind her. Left to her own devices in the middle of a painfully humid swamp, the minotaur simply found herself with nothing to do but await the return of her unusual companion. All around were the cries of both birds and insects, yet locating the singing creatures was somewhat of a challenge given the dense canopy overhead and slowly darkening surroundings. Aridean unconsciously let loose an anxious groan as her right hand reached across her body to nervously rub up and down her left arm.

    I haven¡¯t even been left alone for five minutes and I¡¯m already questioning if I made the right decision coming out here¡­ Not just to help him, but to the swamp in general. I wanted to help Mikali, but¡­ is it really okay for me to be doing this? the minotaur internally began to ponder. A gnawing sense of dread and concern had begun to take hold of her mind. Barring the animal cries and occasional splash of water, the otherwise silence had left Aridean in a bit of a confused and worried state of mind. Even though he had spoken little, the mere presence of the lizardman had served to hinder the rising anxiety in the minotaur¡¯s heart.

    ¡°It is not too late to turn back, my dear. Something about that skink is giving me a bad feeling¡­ I just can¡¯t place it yet,¡± called Vici¡¯s voice from somewhere nearby. Startled back to reality by the spirit¡¯s sudden suggestion, Aridean turned her head both left and right in search of the bizarre behemoth that claimed to reside within her heart. The minotaur let out a quiet but shrill gasp at the sight of long, sharpened claws reaching out from behind one of the many trees.

    From behind the tree emerged the same spirit that Aridean had been forced to associate herself with. Its skinned muzzle, free of any skin or tissue or even streaks of blood, made it difficult to even guess what might be going through the monster¡¯s mind. The beastly shape¡¯s muscled body slowly came into view as Vici slipped out from behind the tree he had appeared behind. Although her heart continued to race at the sight of the behemoth, Aridean had managed to compose herself enough that the half-skinned creature looming over her appeared to have little effect on her.

    ¡°He¡¯s agreed to help us. I think we should at least go along with what he says for now. Especially given that he¡¯s survived the swamp by himself for as long as he has,¡± Aridean stated, her reasoning for working alongside the exiled lizarian directed toward herself just as much as it was her especially unusual companion. Although she had managed to hide any uncertainty or surprise behind a somewhat insistent fa?ade, the minotaur felt her shoulders tense slightly at the low rumbling growl Vici emitted while turning in the direction that the reptilian man had departed.

    ¡°Hmph. I still don¡¯t like this. I¡¯ll be keeping close watch on¡ª,¡± Vici¡¯s deep voice had begun to rumble through his somewhat vicious-sounding growls. The spirit had only paused his thought at the sudden, far louder and even deeper rolling growls coming from directly behind where Aridean stood. The animalistic threat by itself had prompted the minotaur to seize up in fright, but the puff of hot air blowing down her back and whipping her mane into a slight dance had turned her legs weak with fear.

    Both Aridean and Vici turned to find that the lizarian¡¯s bear had returned, several thick logs pilfered within its mouth. Having caught the minotaur¡¯s attention, the impossibly large ursine snorted forcefully, blowing a wave of hot air into Aridean¡¯s face, before taking one step forward. The beast snarled ferociously; lips had curled back to reveal enormous, pointed teeth held within a jaw that oozed saliva and carried whole tree logs that had clearly been splintered within the animal¡¯s mouth. A single gasp escaped Aridean as the humongous bear bit down on its seeming toothpicks before her breathing began to grow more and more rapid.

    Backpedaling on shaky hooves, the minotaur stared wide-eyed into the large orbs that reflected her frightened visage. Although Vici stood next to her, his presence could not be seen reflected in the bear¡¯s feral gaze. Even if the spirit had appeared in the ursine¡¯s eyes, however, Aridean could not focus on anything other than the frantic pounding of her own heart within her chest and how she felt as though she were unable to simply catch her breath.

    ¡°S-stay back¡­¡± Aridean whispered meekly to the bear as it took another step forward. Standing by her side, Vici turned to the minotaur with his half-skinned head cocked to one side in confusion. The spirit glanced between Aridean and the bear before heaving an annoyed grunt.

    ¡°My dear, it¡¯s just an animal. Would that I could, it would be scorched to cinders already,¡± stated Vici, his tone sounding overly frustrated with Aridean¡¯s apparent horror. However, as if she had not even heard him, the minotaur continued to backpedal away from the imposing creature that loomed over her. Every hoof step backward was met with one enormous paw being brought forward as the beast of an ursine let loose its threatening, rumbling growl.

    Within the minotaur¡¯s chest, her heart pounded rapidly and forcefully to the point that the inside of her ribcage felt as though it were being battered. Breathing had become entirely erratic as Aridean struggled to fill her lungs with much needed oxygen through her dry, tightened throat. Wide eyes maintained firmly fixated upon the imposing animal though, with a single blink, the whole world seemed to shift. With her terrified, beating heart drumming her eardrums painfully, the minotaur had not even recognized that she no longer stood inside of a humid swamp but instead she appeared to be traveling a forest trail.

    Her ears twitched in the directions of the multiple different snarls that slowly approached her. No less than four wolves, each frothing at the mouth as they glared up at the tall minotaur, took slow and methodical steps forward as they skulked closer to their prey. Standing on weak legs, Aridean could not even bring herself to turn and flee as she merely watched the starved predators drew nearer to her. Eventually, she felt her back pressed against the thick trunk of a tree she had stumbled into. Too panicked to think or move, the minotaur slowly slumped down the bark at her back until she was curled up into a fetal position.

    Still advancing upon their supposed supper, the wolves continued to growl as drool dipped to the forest floor and bark with spittle flying from their muzzles. Strangely, however, the mortified minotaur watched as the four wolves in front of her began to seemingly melt where they stood into a black colored fluid. Fur and flesh had liquified before Aridean¡¯s very eyes and the amorphous blobs that remained undulated in place for a brief moment. After several billowing motions of the strange substance that had been her assailants, the minotaur watched as the four individual masses of glossy, black fluid coalesced into one singular entity.

    This new collected mass of darkly colored fluid slowly began to take shape. From the massive globule, a cylindrical protrusion began to form to the right side of the entity. As the newly sprouted addition rippled and swelled, it continued to enlarge itself while extending further from the primary glob. Mere seconds had passed and the peculiar component had ceased its growth whereupon a jointed bend formed about halfway between the tip and the primary body. Two more odd growths began to emerge from the mass of melted wolf in a similar fashion to the first structure.

    Just the same as the first now bendable length growing from the central body of the peculiar fluid, another elongated cylindrical growth took shape on the opposite side from the first. In similar fashion, the growth elongated to the approximate same length as the first where it then earned its own bendable joint-like component. Finally, as the second growth had formed itself, the third came from the center of the strange globule. Unlike the previous two appendages to have sprouted from the entity, this one seemed to flow and swirl into a smaller body of sorts. Watching closely, the speechless minotaur observed as the rippling waves that flowed down the monstrous entity rode the length of its arms and body as a familiar head took shape.

    Aridean¡¯s panicked gaze watched as the strange blob of fluid that was once her attacking wolves began to refine the shapes that had grown from it. Left utterly speechless, the minotaur had begun to realize as she remained rooted in place that the amorphous globule of strange fluid was a titanic-sized bear, looking down and growling loudly at her.

    ¡°My dear, what is the matter with you?! This beast has gone feral! Wake up already!¡± a deep and commanding voice, Vici¡¯s voice yet lost to the confused and scared minotaur, seemed to echo in the back of Aridean¡¯s mind. With a gasp and blink of her eyes, the minotaur was returned back to the present in the Wiir Swamplands. Although it had just been a memory, or rather, her own memory¡¯s interpretation of events, Aridean found herself pinned to a thick tree where the alarmingly tall ursine snorted both heavily and loudly down upon her. Every puff of hot air was suffocating though there was nothing to be done as the ursine growled and leaked massive globs of threatening drool upon the unfortunate minotaur¡¯s head. Trying to catch her breath through erratic panting, Aridean had once again found herself frozen in place.

    ¡°Sheera! Kolya ravvask!¡± a different, yet still somewhat familiar, deep voice called out. Turning her attention in the direction of the individual who had just called out through the swamp, the incomprehensibly large ursine followed suit. As its gaze followed Aridean¡¯s own, the abnormally large bear¡¯s incessant growling had suddenly abated.

    Water splashed around muscled, scaled legs and thin streams drained from the furred poncho that the lizardman wore. Droplets plopped back into the murky depths that the lizarian had been swimming in. In one hand was his catch of several weakly flailing fish, each one bleeding profusely from wounds on their bellies. The red liquid had formed a faint stain in the dark water that the fish had lived, and then ultimately died, in that slowly faded away as ripples and waves rolled along the surface.

    With a grunt of exertion, the lizarian climbed out of the swamp as he reached the bank. Despite the overgrowth of tall reeds and brush, he seemed to have little difficulty actually scaling the slick, muddy terrain hidden beneath the dark green carpet of foliage. Having returned from collecting what would eventually become dinner, the massive bear that loomed over Aridean whined toward the reptile that commanded it. Although the large ursine seemed reluctant, a piercing gaze and low growl rumbling from the back of the lizarian¡¯s throat seemed to compel it to back off from Aridean. Turning from the confused minotaur, the bear slowly walked over toward an open space just off the trail the group had been traveling. It took a moment to flatten some of the grasses and weeds before dropping to its rump and depositing the tree logs it had brought back.

    ¡°W-wha--¡­ What was that about?¡± Aridean stammered quietly, heartbeat still assaulting her eardrums. She choked on another raspy inhale as the bear let out a gentle cry in the direction of its master. With a glance to the minotaur, the lizarian grunted annoyedly before moving over to where his beast sat waiting. Still processing the sudden encounter with the enormous ursine and trying to calm her nerves, Aridean caught Vici staring down at her. His eye sockets, filled only by that yellow glow within the otherwise empty voids, and half-skinned face gave no indication of what he might be thinking. Nevertheless, the spirit shook its head before squatting down next to Aridean so that the two were eye-level.

    ¡°I would like to know just what that was about myself, my dear! Just what happened to you?!¡± Vici seemed to scold forcefully. Alarmed by the spirit¡¯s authoritative and demanding tone, Aridean was taken aback. Although she was still unclear on how the spirit had come to ¡®reside within her heart¡¯ as he had put it, Vici had demonstrated a relaxed and care-free personality in their short time together. His apparent anger at Aridean¡¯s inability to defend herself from the large bear had caught the minotaur entirely off guard. Finally managing to recompose herself enough to silence the hyperventilating pants, the young minotaur¡¯s gaze fell listlessly to the wet ground.

    ¡°I-I¡­ I t-thought it was going to kill me¡­¡± answered Aridean, stuttering as she mentally revisited the Konarch Forest and its welcoming committee. Although the memory was now over two years old, she failed to shake the overwhelming terror she had experienced at that time and it had simply made itself known when the lizarian¡¯s pet had approached her as it had. Once she had finished reflecting on her past trauma, both ears fell back as they finally registered the audible rumbling growl coming from the spirit at her side.

    ¡°And you¡¯d just let it like that?! My dear, I cannot protect you without you willingly giving control over to me,¡± snapped Vici as his outraged growl persisted. The ghastly-looking entity¡¯s furious scolding had caught Aridean off guard. Being reprimanded by the disfigured, beastly form had sent a chill down the young minotaur¡¯s spine. Her throat had tightened slightly as she tried to process what was happening.

    Where¡­ where is this coming from? Vici, I don¡¯t even know where you came from, how can I understand anything about you? Why are you so interested in my wellbeing? Think¡­ has anything about his behavior stood out recently? He hasn¡¯t been ¡®dwelling within my heart¡¯ for that long¡­ but I have noticed he seems entirely uninterested in anyone I associate with, especially this lizarian, Aridean had only managed to think to herself after a moment of recomposing herself. Seeing that the minotaur had at least calmed down, Vici snorted annoyedly. Both of their heads then turned, however, at the light squish of mud signaling someone approaching. Standing next to Aridean and apparently oblivious to the white-furred and mutilated spirit was the lizardman that she traveled with.

    ¡°Sheera angry with gav¡¯tuu,¡± the lizarian outcast stated, his voice blunt and forward. Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Aridean leaned forward to look beyond her companion to the large bear that now rolled in tall, wet grasses trying to either scratch an itch or get comfortable. The minotaur could not help but find the sight, not unlike her beloved cat basking in the sunlight back on the farm, wholesomely adorable despite the ursine¡¯s intimidating size. Snapping her back to reality was the deep voice speaking, ¡°Gav¡¯tuu need prove strong to Sheera.¡±

    ¡°W-what? What do you¡ª,¡± stuttered Aridean, now a bit fearful of what her acquaintance might be implying given what little she knew of lizarian customs and culture. Vici had returned to growling angrily at the minotaur¡¯s side yet the spirit refrained from voicing any opinions or objects as a green scaled hand snatched Aridean¡¯s furred wrist. Dragging her along over to where the bear continued to roll and play, she had turned her horned head back to find that Vici had disappeared once more.

    Although the sight of the strange spirit was not ordinary nor was Aridean entirely sure where Vici had come from, the idea of being alone with the lizarian and bear had started to sink in. She had not even realized that her hooves were dragging through the mud as the lizarian warrior continued to lead her over to where the group would camp for the night. At their approach, the extremely large bear initially let loose a playful cry. Having spotted Aridean next to its master, however, had sent the ursine into a fit of feral growling once more. The sudden hostility coming from the bear had only furthered Aridean¡¯s desperate bid for freedom from the lizardman¡¯s tight grasp.

    Standing just mere feet from where his pet sat growling, the lizardman turned back to the minotaur that he dragged along behind himself. Feeling the resistance against his pull to bring Aridean up to Sheera and witnessing the panic painting the furred face that stared slack jawed at the massive ursine had brought forth intense irritation. Growling low alongside his pet, the lizarian gave one forceful pull on the minotaur¡¯s hand; he watched with arms crossed impatiently as his acquaintance stumbled on her hooves slightly before regaining her footing upon the slick terrain. Having drawn too close for Sheera¡¯s comfort, the bear snapped its jaws at the minotaur with a ferocious growl.

    Her mind blank and heart once again trying to desperately punch its way out from within her ribcage, Aridean flinched before uneasily looking up to Sheera. For a brief moment, she fretted over whether or not she might relive her experience in the Konarch Forest once more. Staring in shocked awe of the behemoth that once again loomed over her, Aridean could recall that same spine chilling and mind-numbing sensation she had only recovered from mere moments ago; distress she had not even known had been lying dormant in her for two years. However, rather than have her own mind subject her to previous trauma, a green scaled hand appeared in her peripherals.

    ¡°Hold out hand; speak ¡®si¡¯putath¡¯,¡± came the low, gravely voice of her reptilian companion. Snapped to attention despite still visibly concerned by the imposing ursine that bared its massive fangs at her with lips pulled back and snout wrinkled in pure rage, Aridean managed to direct her attention to the lizarian warrior at her side. The lizardman stared back at her, silent and appeared unexpectedly patient with his more relaxed, though still more stern than the minotaur was comfortable with, expression offering non-verbal instruction. His right arm had been lifted up, fingers spread and palm out, directing his scaled hand toward Sheera.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Weak legs only barely managed to hold the minotaur up, her hooves sinking slightly into the cold, wet mud. Aridean felt her throat running dry, her quiet panting had brought on a slight ache in her lungs. Swallowing the anxiety that welled up within her was a struggle that left her somewhat breathless despite how rapid her lungs worked to pull air in. Trepidatious eyes glanced between her calm, scaled companion and his behemoth, intimidating and unusual pet. Although Sheera kept about a meter of distance, the incessant snarling and growling did no favors for alleviating Aridean¡¯s worries. With her mind having run blank from the stress, the minotaur desperately wished for some sort of assistance.

    Seeing Aridean falter in the face of trying to tame the overgrown ursine, the lizarian warrior merely narrowed his eyes as a slight hiss now began to work its way out of his throat. Growing increasingly frustrated with the minotaur¡¯s hesitation, the lizardman used the hand he was not holding up as demonstration to snatch Aridean¡¯s own. Lifting the furred arm by its wrist, much to its owner¡¯s surprise, the reptilian directed the appendage toward Sheera and only released his grip to open the anxiously balled up fist. Forcing the unwilling warmblood to do as he instructed, the lizarian snapped, ¡°Speak, gav¡¯tuu!¡±

    Aridean had merely watched as her new acquaintance manipulated her arm in such a manner as to get her prepared to order the monstrous bear to stand down. Even as her wrist was set free and now open palm was trembling slightly, her mind failed to process what was the purpose of this. Only as her companion snarled at her in a fit of frustration and annoyance did the minotaur snap back to reality long enough to focus on simply practicing what the lizarian had told her to do.

    ¡°S-Sheera¡­ s-see p-poo ta-ah?¡± Aridean meekly stuttered. The ferocious bear¡¯s snarling only grew louder at the command. Aridean¡¯s already wide eyes had only further bulged from their sockets as she thought she counted another wrinkle of anger crossing the hostile ursine¡¯s muzzle. Fur stood on ends for both her and Sheera as the latter opened her massive jaws wide and lunged forward. Aridean recoiled with a quiet shriek, drawing her hand back toward her body and closing her eyes shut tight. Hot, and frankly putrid, air from the enormous bear¡¯s growling throat blasted her face even after the jaws snapped shut.

    ¡°Sheera!¡± shouted the lizarian warrior, sounding just as annoyed with his pet as he seemed to be having to teach Aridean. The minotaur reluctantly opened her eyes to the sight of a green scaled hand pressed flat against the titanic nose. Muscles in the arm had become visibly tensed as the reptilian pushed back on the bear. Snorting his own festering rage with the situation and quietly cursing in his own tounge, the lizardman turned back to Aridean, ¡°Si¡¯putath, gav¡¯tuu. No back down. Sheera need know gav¡¯tuu strong. Sheera listen.¡±

    Swallowing hard on the anxiety building in the back of her throat, the somewhat frightened minotaur wordlessly nodded to her scaled companion. Although her heart continued to pound the inside of her chest with force, Aridean took a deep breath and slowly began to lift her arm from her side. Presenting her hand to the impossibly large bear in the same manner as the lizarian had shown her previously, she focused all of her willpower into simply uttering the phrase.

    ¡°Sheera, s-si¡¯putath,¡± Aridean spoke out loud despite the slight hesitation to her voice. The response from Sheera was near instant and left the minotaur speechless. That rumbling growl echoing in her ears dissipated into single whine before the massive animal turned and lumbered off to find a place to lie down for a rest. Standing next to Aridean and silently watching his unusual pet with an unreadable expression upon his face, the lizardman nodded to the minotaur before moving to join Sheera. All the while, Aridean was simply left in awe at how simple it was to quell the beast¡¯s inexplicable rage, ¡°W-wow¡­¡±

    ¡°Not how I would have handled the situation but I suppose it proved effective enough,¡± came Vici¡¯s disembodied voice, resonating within the back of Aridean¡¯s head. Ignoring the comment, the minotaur recollected herself after the encounter just in time to catch the lizarian warrior¡¯s hands begin to glow a brilliant green. Her ear flicked as the familiar glow of channeling magic surrounded the lizardman¡¯s scaled hands.

    Spreading his feet out shoulder-width, the lizarian brought both hands together and directed them toward the muddied terrain only about two meters in front of himself. Opening both palms, his chest began to grow and shrink with every cycle of breath going deeper and deeper. Aridean approached cautiously only to stop upon noticing the ground seemingly shift in undulating wavelike motions; the magic acting on the damp soil would rise as the lizarian inhaled and sink with every exhale. Finally, with one forceful expelling of the air he had collected in his lungs, the lizardman watched as his magic forced a circular depression in the ground, about one foot deep and one meter in radius, to form at the command of his very breath.

    Initially confused by the display, Aridean quietly examined her associate¡¯s work. Upon further inspection, she noted that any grass around the dip in the ground had been moved away from the edge or uprooted and collected in the center. It was only as the lizarian turned to pull mostly dry tree limbs and leaves from Sheera¡¯s fur coat that Aridean understood the purpose of the hole. After a moment of yanking a number of wooded limbs from his bear¡¯s fur and breaking any too large into smaller pieces, he deposited the organic fuel into the pit he had created. Looking toward Aridean, the minotaur nodded her understanding and bent down to collect a single stick with just a couple leaves lying upon the soaked ground by her hooves. Closing her eyes and concentrating for a mere second, the twig had spontaneously caught fire in her hand. Stepping closer to their fire pit, Aridean dropped the burning mass into the piled-up sticks.

    An orange glow quickly began to build within the bottom of the pit as the flickering flames rapidly spread along the rest of the wood and grasses. While the fire quickly began to consume its available fuel, a thin stream of black smoke began to billow up toward the now darkened canopy overhead. The black vapors had grown observably in size by the time the rest of the pit had been caught in the controlled inferno. Though unseen through the thick ceiling of leaves overhead, the sun produced limited light left in the day but the campfire would give the two sufficient illumination and warmth for an evening.

    Standing opposite her scaled associate, Aridean lifted her gaze from the dancing flames. Initially, she felt as though had just broken a spell or freed her mind of a trance. Despite her spell casting prowess that gave her control over these flickering embers, the minotaur could not help herself but remain hypnotically transfixed when her gaze lingered for slightly too long. Whatever force had overtaken her mind had vanished as quickly as it came upon her as the lizarian began to remove some smaller sticks that had become tangled in Sheera¡¯s fur. Aridean now watched as her companion moved over to a bundle of fishing net packed with several large, out of breath fish from the swamp. Although her ears initially flicked in curiosity at the find, the minotaur reasoned that the net of fish must have been dropped by the lizarian as he intervened to put an end to Sheera¡¯s spontaneous fit of rage.

    ¡°Do you need any help with that?¡± Aridean called out, her hooves already carrying her around the fire. Some meters away now, the lizardman knelt down and collected the net with his catch. As he rose up again, he swung the filled fish net upward and across to the opposite side of his body. It looked as though her companion was attempting to swing a massive weapon at an invisible foe before him. Having secured dinner for the evening, the lizarian turned back and began advancing toward the fire pit the two had prepared. He had paused briefly to wave a hand in a dismissive gesture toward Aridean¡¯s direction.

    Somewhat deflated by the rejection to her offer of help, Aridean turned and retook her place on the other side of the fire pit. No sooner had she sat down had her associate made his way over to the fire. Kneeling down before the flames, the lizarian retrieved the largest fish he could find still weakly squirming with the fishing net. Grasping the gasping marine life in one hand, one of his twin blades was drawn from the sheath around his hip using his remaining hand. Careful and precise, the slightly dulled blade was used to fay the fish of its scales and the unfortunate creature¡¯s crimson essence poured forth like a waterfall onto the muddy ground at the lizardman¡¯s bare feet.

    Aridean did not even bother asking if she could be of help in her companion¡¯s current chore. Although she already assumed the lizarian warrior did not hold much respect for her, the minotaur refused to besmirch whatever goodwill the cold-blooded reptile might be willing to spare. For a while, Aridean simply watched as the lizardman slowly and meticulously prepared the fish for cooking. The flames in the small pit that had been magically carved out crackled and snapped as, aside from the perpetual ambiance of the swamp, otherwise silence had fallen over the lizarian, minotaur, and enormous ursine.

    Watching closely to how the lizardman worked, Aridean¡¯s eyes became fixated upon the motions of those dark green, scaled hands. He moved with haste yet never missed a step; despite his large cutting tools and the miniscule size of the catch, the lizarian worked deftly with skill and precision to slice off the tender flesh. The minotaur was utterly amazed at just how many aquatic creatures the reptilian had managed to seize with just his bare hands in such a short span of time; the small mound held within the netting had not seemed to shrink despite how many were removed and prepared. Every third fish the lizarian had pulled from his net was tossed over to the colossal bear to which Aridean pondered if a few measly fish would be enough to sate such a beast.

    Whatever sunlight managed to break its way through the ceiling of lush green leaves had finally been snuffed out. The sun itself had descended and only the campfire remained to provide any adequate illumination. Aridean caught out of her peripherals some groups of fireflies dancing over the swamp waters. Even in the darkness, the splashing of something either entering or exiting the murky pools surrounding the group continued to echo out at odd intervals. Something about each individual splash sent a chill of worry down Aridean¡¯s spine, her tail restless on the wet ground behind her as she attempted to stare through the abyss of night to find whatever it was making the sounds.

    Beyond the reach of the campfire¡¯s light, however, was nothing but pitch-black void dotted by the blinking of fireflies. Only as the lizardman across the firepit stirred was her attention pulled back into the light. Having shifted from his sitting position to a squat before the flames, the warrior had skewered some of his catches on his own blades. His hands began to glow with that same emerald colored brilliance as he focused his thoughts and energy. Aridean¡¯s ears flicked at the sound of stone grating against stone and watched curiously as two short pillars began to grow vertically from the soggy earth on either side of the fire. After reaching only a few inches over where the flames danced, the lizarian exhaled deeply and the tips of the pillars suddenly began to grow sideways over the fire.

    Her eyes remained transfixed upon the strange structure her companion was preparing but the reason dawned upon Aridean as the opposing towers finally connected. The glow surrounding the lizarian¡¯s scaled hand faded away with another breath before he collected the blades he had use to make fish skewers. Laying the fish-carrying weapons across the two stands and over the open fire, the lizarian turned. As he moved to reclaim his seat next to his pet bear, his scaled hands undid the clasp on his belts that held his two blades¡¯ sheaths to his sides. Carefully resting his equipment upright against Sheera¡¯s flank, the lizarian sat down upon the muddy ground and leaned back into the bear¡¯s side with a deep breath. Aridean could not stop her tail from from flicking with curiosity; she could not even begin to imagine just how soft and comfortable it must be to be able to rest against something like Sheera. The rather childish notion instantly left her mind as her eyes shifted over to the two sword sheaths her reptilian companion had discarded for the evening.

    A brow quirked, Aridean scanned the lizarian¡¯s gear and was somewhat surprised by how ragged it appeared. Both sheaths had been stained with mud and scratched heavily. There was obvious cracking in the leather, a sign of overuse and age. The minotaur was somewhat surprised that the lizardman had not retired these pieces some time ago and replaced them. Although she knew she was not one for conversation, the nighttime swamp noises calling from the dark and otherwise silence from her companion were slowly driving her mad.

    ¡°It¡¯s only now that I notice all the dirt and scratches on your sword sheaths. How long have you had them? Have you thought about getting new ones?¡± Aridean asked as she adjusted her posture. She scooted slightly closer to the fireplace where the warmth of the flames licked at her furred limbs and face. The lizarian, initially quiet and perhaps caught off guard that he was being addressed at all, merely glanced upwards to the minotaur.

    ¡°No.¡± replied the lizardman with a shake of his head. He folded his arms over his bare chest and stared, seemingly mesmerized, into the dancing fire. Aridean felt somewhat deflated by the blunt response and closed off gesture coming from her associate. Ears fell flat atop her horned head as her eyes listlessly drifted back toward the fire.

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to upset you,¡± Aridean apologized, her voice meek and eyes unable to meet with the lizardman¡¯s across the campfire. Ears flicked at attention once more though her gaze had not lifted as the lizarian began to move. She could hear the tread of his scaled feet squishing the muddied ground as he drew near the fire.

    ¡°Can¡¯t get new. No place in Mihann¡¯uli, no place in lizarian people,¡± the lizarian said, his tone surprisingly calm. Aridean blinked at the explanation and lifted her head to find that her associate was inspecting the fish he was cooking. Although she felt somewhat rude for finding relief in that she had simply failed to understand the reptile¡¯s lacking speech, whatever comfort she had felt immediately turned into a cold wave of regret.

    ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± the minotaur again apologized to the lizarian. Having brought up his excommunication from his own people had thrust a special discomfort upon her, she felt as though someone had just punched her in the chest and her throat felt dry and tight. Squatting in front of the dancing flames, the swamp warrior¡¯s focus shifted over to Aridean. He had cocked his head to one side with a quirked brow, apparently confused by the apology.

    ¡°Why gav¡¯tuu¡­ ¡®sah-r-reh¡¯? What mean?¡± the lizarian asked, clearly struggling to simply pronounce the word ¡®sorry¡¯. Ears perked skyward with a curious flick at the question. While somewhat perplexed by the question, Aridean had collect herself enough to catch the sword that the lizardman had tossed in her direction. Almost dropping it, she had managed to grasp the hilt and brought the weapon to her lap. The fish fillets skewered upon the blade were still warm, a very slight black having crawled across the surface of the meat.

    ¡°Are you asking me to tell you what the word ¡®sorry¡¯ means?¡± Aridean asked slightly confused as she carefully pulled the first fillet off the pointed edge of the weapon she was currently using as an eating utensil. Her companion had claimed his own dinner and only just turned while standing before his loyal ursine. He then lowered himself onto the wet ground beside of the bear¡¯s side and sat with legs crossed and tail wrapped around in front of him. Aridean waited for some sort of response but all she had received was a silent nod of the head in her direction as the lizarian bit his own fish straight off the sword-skewer.

    ¡°Careful, my dear, the skink is thinking. It might wear itself out or go on another rampage,¡± Vici¡¯s voice resonated from somewhere within the darkness. Aridean¡¯s eyes had drifted over to where she believed the ghastly spirit was currently hiding. Unfortunately, she could not discern Vici¡¯s location through all the black of a moonless night. Instead, all the minotaur had managed to catch outside the reach of the bright fire were the blinking of bioluminescent insects.

    ¡°Well, the word ¡®sorry¡¯ just means you feel bad for someone else, generally when you want to try making up for something you did to them,¡± Aridean hesitantly explained with nervously driven haste. The scaled warrior and swamp native still stared with silent confusion as he bit into one of the fish skewered upon the blade he kept for himself. Aridean was somewhat surprised to see that her companion had even bitten down on and broken the bones within the fish; he so casually munched on that bite as though the crunch of bone was nothing unusual.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ why gav¡¯tuu ¡®sah-r-reh¡¯ though? Not understand,¡± asked the lizardman after a moment of contemplation. Even as he spoke, small flecks of spittle and chewed fish flew from his maw. His persistence to understand Aridean¡¯s apology left the minotaur feeling in an awkward panic. Instead, she quickly sunk her own teeth into one of the cut fillets upon the sword she held. Unlike the lizarian, however, she merely pulled the meat from the bony skeleton and chewed on the slightly crisp meal.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m just¡­ I-I don¡¯t know. Uh, a-anyways, I was wondering: how did you meet and tame Sheerah?¡± Aridean eventually managed to stutter after swallowing her first bite of dinner. The fish was surprisingly good but that could also be that she had not eaten anything all day and only now realized just how hungry she was. Bringing her sword-skewer back up to her lips, the minotaur took another bite and carefully pulled the meat off the now exposed bones. As she savored the food, the lizarian had grown somewhat quiet across the campfire. Looking to her companion, Aridean had paused herself at the sight behind dancing flames.

    With his sword resting on the muddied ground despite there still being one more fish left, the lizardman brushed his scaled fingers through the long fur coat of the massive ursine he leaned into. He had not moved a muscle even as the enormous bear lifted its head, stretching the muscles in its shoulders as it yawned loudly. Aridean watched curiously, her unique associate gazing toward the bear¡¯s head as it lowered back to rest within its paws upon the wet swamp floor. She could be certain how to discern what it was the swamp native was thinking from the unfamiliar features upon his face but she felt the look of longing in his eyes was somewhat familiar. After a lengthy moment of silence, the hand gliding through the large ursine¡¯s fur returned to the fur poncho draped over his shoulders.

    ¡°Gia rahn Sheera,¡± the lizarian warrior finally said as though that answered the question. At the mention of her name, the bear¡¯s eyes shifted over toward her owner before an audible snort escaped her nostrils. Curiosity only deepened in Aridean¡¯s mind as the minotaur¡¯s ear flicked with interest.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know what that means,¡± Aridean replied before taking another bite of her swamp-themed dinner. With a slight groan, the lizardman returned his gaze to the minotaur as his arms folded over his chest once more. His expression had changed by her one comment, Aridean was almost certain that he appeared confused for some reason.

    ¡°Gia¡­ hmm¡­ what warmblood word for gia, uh, hmm¡­?¡± the reptilian survivalist mused aloud.

    ¡®Gia¡¯? Why does that word sound familiar? Aridean pondered internally as her companion continued to contemplate the translation for her. Her focus shifted toward movement she caught in her peripherals as the reptilian man continued to think to himself. A large, white furred form entered the light of the campfire from the black void of night and stomped over to where the minotaur sat.

    Initially startled by the sudden appearance of another, Aridean had jerked back slightly as Vici sat upon the ground next to her. Her sudden movement had caught the attention of the lizarian warrior, an inquisitive look of his own now painted his scaled features. It was clear that Vici was not visible to the lizardman and his stare was almost anxiety inducing by itself. Aridean merely offered an awkward smile and slight laugh as she waved dismissively in the direction of a sudden splash in the unseen swamp water. She could hear the rumbling hum in the lizarian¡¯s throat even over the crackle of the fire and nightly sounds but her companion returned to his own thoughts. What neither reptile nor minotaur had noticed was that Sheerah was glaring in Aridean¡¯s direction with fur atop her massive back standing on end.

    ¡°My skink-speech is a little rusty but I believe he said that his poncho is all that remains of that beast¡¯s mother,¡± Vici explained after a brief chuckle of his own at Aridean¡¯s attempt to play off her, to others, sudden and inexplicable fright. The explanation behind the lizarian¡¯s response to having tamed Sheerah had caught Aridean wholly off guard.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re wearing your bear¡¯s mother?¡± the minotaur blurted out suddenly, her voice filled with shock. Her sudden exclamation had caught the lizarian warrior¡¯s attention as he refocused upon the flustered minotaur.

    ¡°Muh¡­ thur?¡± the reptilian man carefully and slowly sounded aloud while locking eyes with Aridean. Leaning forward, his muscled, scaled arms unfolded and hands were set atop his knees. With a rumbling hum and flick of his long, forked tongue, the lizardman asked, ¡°What gav¡¯tuu mean?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ ¡®Mother¡¯ is the, uh, warmblood word for a female parent,¡± replied Aridean, feeling somewhat nervous at having to explain something so common to herself. It was not uncommon for her to have to take a moment to help the children back in Stonehaven with understanding something but even then she still struggled to confidently describe or detail topics in a manner the kids would comprehend. Here in the swamp and with an entirely new audience, her already shaky confidence might as well have jumped into the murky swamp and disappeared into its depths. Her anxious nerves only flushed her whole body with warm embarrassment as the scaled head of her companion shook back and forth.

    ¡°Not what ask. Ask gav¡¯tuu know ¡®gia¡¯? Why ask if know?¡± the lizarian clarified. Aridean let out a slight gasp; her mind had entirely blanked on how was she meant to explain that Vici, a guardian spirit the lizardman could not even see, was the one who translated the meaning for her. Seeing the minotaur in such a state of shock prompted a more boisterous laugh from the spirit seated next to her. As Vici¡¯s deep laughter met Aridean¡¯s ears, so too did the audible growl coming from Sheerah. Both minotaur and lizarian turned to the bear that had shifted its massive head only slightly in Aridean¡¯s direction. Barking some command in his native tongue, the reptilian beast trainer had immediately silenced Sheerah¡¯s sudden aggression.

    ¡°O-oh¡­ s-sorry. I-I just remembered someone had helped teach me some lizarian speech before coming to the Wiir Swamplands,¡± Aridean had finally answered uneasily. She rationalized her statement as not technically being a lie given Vladimir had been sharing his knowledge of the lizarian people on the wagon ride to the swamplands. With Vici at her side to translate, it would be the same as picking up where the absent nobleman left off. Her answer was met with an uncomfortable silence from her scaled companion, only his tongue flicking in and out of his mouth a few times before he leaned back into Sheerah¡¯s furred side.

    ¡°Gav¡¯tuu sleep; Sheera keep watch. Go when light come back. Proving grounds not far,¡± instructed the lizarian warrior. As he spoke his arms folded over his poncho-covered chest again and eyelids fell shut. His massive ursine pet gave another, less aggressive snort as though confirming that she would remain the night watch while the two slept. Aridean simply watched as her associate settled in for the evening before setting aside the blade she had been loaned with nothing but the bones of her dinner still clinging to the metal.

    ¡°This brute allows a mangy beast to act his guardian as he sleeps? Bah! Fool makes a mockery of my current position watching over you!¡± Vici commented, clearly annoyed that his job was being delegated to an overgrown bear. Turning his half-skinned head to face Aridean, the minotaur stared into the empty sockets to spy those yellow glowing orbs in the back of the skull that made up his eyes. She offered a slight smile at the imposing entity that followed her wherever she went before shifting over onto her side. Facing the warm campfire, Aridean¡¯s eyes slowly closed as Vici¡¯s voice echoed in the back of her head, ¡°Sleep well, my dear. I shall wake you should something happen.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Vici,¡± Aridean whispered just before the grasp of sleep took the last vestiges of consciousness from her.

    It had felt like mere seconds had passed before Aridean opened her eyes to a smoldering campfire. Ash and wisps of black smoke ascending into the green, leafy ceiling overhead filled the pit that the lizarian had prepared. Across the firepit, her companion was re-equipping himself with his twin blades and Sheerah was no where to be seen. Rubbing her aching neck, the minotaur sat upright whereupon Vici informed her that the bear had been sent off to hunt for its own food.

    After noticing she had finally awoken, the lizarian silently offered a leftover fish from dinner as breakfast. Grateful for something to eat, Aridean accepted the meal. Her companion, though stoic and mostly quiet had insisted they move out the instant she had finished her food. Although the minotaur would have relished a shower or more comfortable resting place, those were not luxuries that the swamplands provided and she followed behind the lizarian with only internal bemoaning of the current situation.

    The two had marched through the swamplands, mostly keeping to the muddy and wet terrain but occasionally having to drop into the cold waters themselves. Fortunately, they did not happen to cross paths with any dangerous wildlife such as another dragolia bloom. Over the course of their trek, the most intimidating creatures that they happened to stumble upon were the uncommon Wiir spiders, arachnids that stood two feet tall. Although she insisted on keeping her distance, the lizarian seemed entirely uninterested in the abominably large spiders. Aridean was both shocked and somewhat embarrassed to hear from Vici that these particular spiders were without venom and entirely harmless to humanoid creatures despite their imposing appearance.

    ¡°We here,¡± the lizarian warrior finally stated as he pushed through some thick brush. Past the dense foliage blocking the way forward, the two had muscled their way into a large clearing within the swamplands. It had taken about three hours from the time they had left camp to arrive but they had finally arrived at the lizarian proving grounds for the rite the unnamed lizardman had brought Aridean for.

    The minotaur took a moment to scan the scene, somewhat surprised to find such an open space within the swamp given how the surroundings had been the entire hike over. Grasses were still damp with dew but the mud had dried and there was a clear view of the lightly clouded, blue sky through the canopy overhead. Thin streams of swamp water flowed in a moat-like formation around what appeared to be some sort of arena in the center of the clearing. There were dried blood stains painted across the grounds and irregular rock formations indicative of someone having used magic here. What caught Aridean¡¯s attention the most, however, was the lone lizarian standing in the center of the supposed arena.

    ¡°I can sense something¡­ strange. There¡¯s something off here. Keep your guard up, my dear,¡± Vici¡¯s voice suddenly instructed from within Aridean¡¯s own head. Alarmed by the spirit¡¯s spontaneous warning, the minotaur could not help but jolt with surprise. She felt fortunate that her scaled companion must not have noticed as he merely stared toward the other lizarian waiting within the proving grounds.

    Apart from the obvious signs of battle, this looks weirdly serene compared to the rest of the swamplands. Perhaps that¡¯s why they have their rites here? Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know; that shaman was anything but serene when we last spoke, Aridean thought as she followed the unnamed lizarian¡¯s gaze out toward the grounds again. She waited for her companion to speak or move but the lizardman seemed almost rooted to the ground he stood upon. Hesitantly, the minotaur lifted a hand where her anxious fingers hovered over the scaled shoulder just in front of her. Swallowing her anxiety, Aridean allowed her hand to fall upon the reptilian man¡¯s shoulder which seemed to stir him from whatever thoughts he had been ruminating on.

    Aridean was somewhat astonished by the look her associate gave her. He did not glare back at her with anger or dismiss her with indifference. The minotaur¡¯s jaw fell slightly agape at the look of worry in her companion¡¯s gaze. Steeling her own resolve, Aridean gave a gentle squeeze to the lizarian¡¯s shoulder before nodding in the direction of the proving grounds. Seemingly reluctant, the unnamed warrior turned his attention forward once more where he heaved a weary sigh.

    Although she felt the scaled shoulder¡¯s droop slightly in despair, the lizarian Aridean had come so far into the swamplands with began to slowly trudge forward. He barely seemed to be picking up his own bare feet as he led the minotaur to where this other lizarian waited. Upon reaching the moat that surrounded the proving grounds, Aridean¡¯s ear flicked as her associate stopped again. He glanced back at her once again with that same look of uncertainty before something else caught his attention. Both reptile and minotaur turned to face the lizarian in the center of the proving grounds as he shouted at them in his native tongue.

    Curious, Aridean¡¯s ear flicked with intrigue though a feeling of worry began to settle in her mind as the reptilian at her side groaned uneasily. Without a word shared between the two, the unnamed survivalist leapt across the moat with Aridean following suit. The instant her hooves touched down upon the dry terrain of the proving grounds, she was directed to follow along and sit upon her knees before this strange lizarian. Her companion lowered his head in a deep bow with hands upon his knees. Before mimicking the unnamed lizarian¡¯s gesture, Aridean glanced up to the stranger; dressed in some sort of tribal robe of feathers and leather straps, this lizarian¡¯s scales seemed to shine like perfectly cut emeralds in the sunlight.

    Silence fell over the group for but a brief moment as this presumably high-status lizardman inspected the duo before him. Speaking the language of the lizarians, he addressed Aridean¡¯s companion who answered in kind. Unable to comprehend the conversation, Aridean felt more and more self-conscious about the situation.

    ¡°Vici? D-do you know what they¡¯re saying?¡± the minotaur whispered under her breath to the unseen spirit. No sooner had her near-silent question been posed had the familiar clawed toe appeared on the ground next to her.

    ¡°Strange¡­ That one is angered that your companion brought you here? Normally they would just insult him for bringing an outsider for this,¡± Vici spoke as the two outsiders listened to the lizarian¡¯s conversation. The high-status reptile was clearly angered by his tone, something Aridean could tell even without understanding his language, but the faster he spoke the more of a headache it became to even try making sense of.

    ¡°W-what? I-I know I¡¯m an outsider b-but isn¡¯t it okay for me to be here?¡± Aridean again whispered to the guardian spirit looming over her. After a few seconds of back and forth between the two scaled males, there was a brief silence. The otherwise stillness of the proving grounds was suddenly broken by a boisterous and authoritative declaration from the strange lizarian.

    ¡°¡®You wish to prove you¡¯ve grown strong? Kill it. Kill the weakling and claim your name.¡¯ Wait, what the hell is going on here? This isn¡¯t how these asinine rituals are meant to go,¡± Vici translated, clearly perplexed by the instruction that Aridean¡¯s companion had just received.

    ¡°What?!¡± Aridean quietly snapped, her voice a little more than just a mere whisper now.

    ¡°My dear, this is bad! Your skink¡ª,¡± Vici had started to warn.

    The spirit¡¯s voice sounded as though it were hundreds of miles away as something strong and powerful slammed into Aridean¡¯s side. The minotaur was immediately taken off the ground and sent hurtling over the ground several meters. With a pained groan, she felt herself skip off the terrain before dropping back down and sliding along the dirt for a few inches. Somewhat aching after the sudden blow, Aridean slowly began to pick herself up to find that her associate¡¯s hand was glowing that bright green color and where she had just been was now a mass of stone pulled from the ground. Having realized that the lizarian she had come here to assist had attacked her, the minotaur felt paralyzed, only able to let out a shocked gasp.

    ¡°Gav¡¯tuu¡­ s-sah-r-reh,¡± the lizarian warrior quietly muttered without looking up to Aridean. Beside of him, the stranger flashed a most sinister and wicked grin.