Chapter 2

A woman in flowing white clothes strode angrily through the streets of Naraiia, her silk shirt, also white, just visible underneath the gold trimmed overcoat. The open skirts of the coat hung around her waist below a thick white leather belt.

Her aggressive steps caused her to kick her loose trousers out in front of her into the hanging material. It was catching just enough for her to feel it, the small hindrance of her movements only serving to fuel her irritation.

A gold pendant hung around her neck, an elaborate sun emblem surrounded by sacred inscriptions. It swung chaotically as she walked, colliding with her upper arm one too many times before she grabbed it and violently stuffed it down the front of her shirt.

She continued to stomp to the edge of town, to a large but humble-looking cottage, separated from the fairly uniform stone buildings behind her. She charged up the garden path which ran through colourful flowerbeds up to the oaken door, decorated with a wreath of flowers. She rapped her knuckles on the door and tapped her foot impatiently.

The pleasant scent of flowers and the gentle sounds of nature all around her felt like an argument against her current demeanour and annoyed her further.

Eventually, an elvish woman came to the door. Her solemn expression turned to alarm as she saw the cleric.

"Mikoto?!" she yelped as she was shoved aside.

"Where is she?!" Miko barked at the nervous elf.

Without waiting for a response, Miko stormed through the house and out into the back garden, where her righteous anger was doused by the scene in front of her.

A small group of humans had gathered in the centre of the lawn; they didn't notice Miko's arrival. They were focused on the orcish woman in front of them who stood on a raised platform next to a stone altar. She was wearing a headdress of branches and flowers. The distinct shape of a coffin was visible just over the heads of the group and the woman was chanting softly and tracing deliberate shapes in the air over it.

Miko, the wind thoroughly out of her sails, quietly threw herself into a chair by the door and waited.

The orcish woman lead a chant for the departed soul, asking for him to be safely carried to the wheel, during which she set light to a shield shaped wooden plaque behind the coffin. Inscribed on it was the name Kaylen Einling.

As it burned away, the mourners thanked the woman and began to move away and through the house. Greeting Miko as they passed.

"Sephyneii guide him," Miko said respectfully.

After the last mourner had left she rounded on the orcish woman, who was carefully removing her headdress and setting it on a wooden stand.

"Tierra!" Miko started, "is this another one?!"

"Did you apologise to Lailia?" Tierra asked calmly, gesturing into the house.

"No," hissed Miko.

"Are you going to?" Tierra said in the same measured tone, "She didn't-"

"No!" Miko started before reconsidering, "Yes, fine. In a minute." For a second it looked like she was pausing to calm down, instead she just barrelled on. "Is, this, another one?" she repeated forcefully.

"Yes," said Tierra, the cold tone softening slightly, "He was in the hills, just a day or so from the outskirts."

Miko turned, looking to the sky dramatically, "Mara's light, give me strength," she groaned. "I told you to keep your people in the town."

"I don't rule them, Miko," Tierra said patiently.

"You're the leader," insisted Miko.

"Currently, yes. I lead them," Tierra said.

"Right, and I currently need you to—" Miko started, incredulously.

"It's not the sa—" Tierra began to interrupt.

"It's the same and you know what I'm saying!" Miko shouted over her.

"Mikoto," Tierra said, "breathe."

"I'm going to break something," Miko said, stomping off down the lawn.

Tierra waited a moment before following Miko down to the stream at the bottom of the garden. She walked up beside her friend and watched the flowing water.

"How many people this time?" Miko said curtly.

"Only Kaylen, the rest of the group made it back." Tierra replied.

"You checked them for—"

"They didn't bring anything back," she confirmed, "they were clean."

Miko sighed, "They got lucky. Why were they out there?"

Tierra paused, almost bracing herself, "They were looking for it."

"Looking, for, it!?" Miko almost screamed, rounding on Tierra.

"They were trying to—"

"They're farmers, Tierra!" she ranted, "farmers and weavers and bloody gardeners. Two groups of trained trackers went out days ago to investigate this. Ours and that group from Elboreal after they were attacked. None of them returned!" She grasped her forehead in exasperation. "Did they have a plan? What happened?"

"An infected animal, a deer," Tierra said, slightly meekly, "It attacked them. Kaylen was mauled and the others—" "No-one else was touched by it," she said quickly as Miko opened her mouth to ask.

"Well did you—"

"Yes, but your people are a lot easier to keep inside the town than mine, Miko," she said, her confident tone returning, "Where are they supposed to farm and weave and bloody garden, Miko?"

Miko pointed at Tierra aggressively, clearly trying to think of a retort. After a moment, "You think someone needs to find it?" she asked, still pointing.

"If we're ever going to—"

"Fine then!" Miko said, throwing her hands in the air, "I'm getting the guards and I'm going to find it!" She stormed off up the garden with renewed fury.

"Miko!" shouted Tierra, tearing off after her, "What do you mean you're going?"

Miko sped up, still shouting, "Shouldn't I go, Tierra?! Can't stay in the town forever, Tierra!"

She barged through the house, "Get out of my— Sorry, Lailia," she growled, slamming open the front door.

Tierra chased after her friend as she sprinted back up the hill towards the temple. Breathlessly trying to reason with her, "Miko! You're not a—"

"Not a farmer? Not a weaver? Not a gods damn gardener!!?" Miko called back, refusing to slow down.

"Ugh!" Tierra groaned as she sprinted after her friend, almost colliding with a man in a blue cloak walking the other way. She rounded the corner just in time to see Miko, having marched all the way across the wide courtyard, slamming open the door to the guardhouse and charging inside.

By the time Miko was marching out of the guardhouse with twenty uniformed men and women in tow, Tierra was calmly walking into the courtyard, adjusting the set of pouches around her waist and throwing her travel cloak over her shoulders.

"What are you doing." asked Miko suspiciously.

"Leading by example," Tierra said calmly.

Miko was silent for a moment trying to think of a rebuttal, but nothing came to her and she instead made a sound somewhere between a snort and hiss.

"I know what I'm doing in these woods and can help you track it down, whatever it is," Tierra said, offering up a less argumentative explanation.

"Fine," sighed Miko, softening slightly. "If you get yourself or both of us killed, I will be furious," she muttered as she turned to the guards.

Tierra smiled, walking up beside Miko and asking, "What's the plan?"

Miko took a breath and gestured at the group, "I asked for anyone with wilderness experience. This lot volunteered. It's a bigger group than the trackers. Better armed." She sounded distinctly as though she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else present.

A middle aged man stepped forward from the group. His uniform was the same as the others aside from the extra chevrons on his arm. He stood to attention and saluted the women before him.

"Mahm, mahm, we know what we're volunteering for here," he said confidently.

"This is commander Larinus," said Miko. "He's been asking to take his section out after this thing for a while."

"Rather face the problem head on if you catch me, mahm," he nodded, "Cap'n doesn't want to lose anyone though, that is commendable. Uh... wouldn' advise you come along personally. Civvies, capable as ya both may be, haven't got the training. Your call not mine though, mahm."

"With all due respect, commander," Tierra started, "this threat may not be of this world, we may be of help."

"Understood, mahm. Be glad of your assistance then," he said, saluting and turning to walk back to his guards.

"Does the captain know what you're doing?" asked Tierra.

"No," replied Miko

"Does anyone else from the council?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"...no," said Miko, "I'm not technically doing anything I'm not allowed to."

"Well... let's hope they agree when we get back," sighed Tierra. "That'll be a fun session."