Caspiera stared hard at the oak double doors. Her breath hung in the night while her leathers struggled to stave off the chill. She should've been in her bed, but duty called. Desna summoning her this time of night could mean only one thing; emergency orders. Like she didn't have enough on her plate already.

She rapped her knuckles against the frame.

"Enter." A haughty voice beckoned.

Caspiera opened the door, ducking her head under the top of the frame. Desna sat behind a stately mahogany desk. Peering over steepled hands at an array of documents. Her office was lit by a series of hanging orbs emitting soft amber hues. Arc-lights, the office was the only building in the village equipped with them. Caspiera had requested some for the barracks once. She was told it wasn't in the budget.

Without looking up, Desna gestured to a frail-looking wooden chair opposite to her.

Caspiera eyed the chair. "I don't mind standing."

Desna pulled her eyes from the documents without lifting her chin. "I insist."

Caspiera fought off a scowl and very carefully sat her weight down in the chair. Its arms squeezed at her hips, and the legs creaked in protest. Stupid chair, she wasn't that heavy.

"You wanted to talk?" Caspiera tried in her most cordial tone.

"Yes." The dwarf said, pushing the documents aside. "I wanted to inform you that orders have come in to move up our shipment schedule. I will be ordering overtime for the workers. Naturally, this means I'll need guard details late into the night.

Caspiera blinked. "You can't be serious?"

"Captain, in the time that you've known me, have I ever not been serious?" Desna said arching a brow.

"But— we've just lost a part of our workforce, and my guard. Why would they move up our shipment schedule."

Desna lifted her chin. "It is not my job to ask why. My job is to fulfill the expectations of my superiors. Your job is to provide security to Oaktri's employees for the duration of the operation. You are still capable of that, aren't you? Especially after your last showing."

Caspiera felt her eye twitch. "I only have half the men—" She started.

"Then they will have to do double the work." Desna interrupted. "I was led to believe you and your troop were more capable than this when we entered into our contract."

Caspiera squeezed the arm of the chair in an attempt to school herself. "I assure you that my men and I remain capable of defending the people of this village."

"I hope you can prove that statement to be more than idle bravado."

A snap split the air and Caspiera found herself gripping the tip of the chair arm. Desna eyed the piece of broken wood in the captain's hand.

"uh... my apologies." Caspiera grimaced, and after looking and failing to find a waste bin, placed it atop Desna's desk.

"I'll deduct it from the barrack's budget." Desna shrugged and turned her attention back to the papers on her desk. It took several stretches of silence for Caspiera to realize she'd been dismissed.

...

"Fucking Desna." Caspiera spit, stalking down the village's thoroughfare. "Fucking chair, fucking goblins with their fucking firebombs. Honestly, she can afford Arc-lights but can't buy a chair that isn't made of kindling. I should've told Don to check up Desna's ass for his magic sword. I'm sure all manner of wonders are locked up tight in—"

"Hey!" Someone yelled from a nearby cabin. "We're trying to sleep!"

"Shit." Caspiera blushed. "Sorry!" She yelled, "I mean—fuck, sorry." She whispered. Gods, what was she doing?

Her shoulders slumped and she stared up at the night sky. The days since the attack had seen her spending most of her time accounting for their losses.

Eleven.

Eleven of her soldiers had died in the goblins' assault.

This job was supposed to have been her chance to make a name for herself. An Oaktri contract was proof she was a professional. That all the training and fighting she did in her years with the militia were worth something.

Instead, it seemed she'd been shoved head-first into a shit show. Goblins didn't organize against whole settlements. Nor did they have weapons like firebombs. That was common knowledge. Then again, strange naked men throwing pebbles like ballistae didn't randomly appear either. The image of Don standing backlit by smoke-choked sunlight flashed in her memories. The way his gray eyes seemed to pierce right through her.

Were her cheeks getting warm? She folded her arms and scowled. There were other things she needed to focus on. Don was an anomaly but hardly the most immediate point of concern. She needed to get back to the barracks.

Before she did though, she looked off to the mountain tops looming to the east. To the direction, Wynn and the others had gone on their rescue.

She frowned. Was that smoke she smelled on the wind? If so it was faint. A forest fire would be strange this time of year. Hopefully, it wouldn't waylay their journey. Caspiera offered a prayer to Jeiya for them just in case.

She made the rest of the trip back to the barracks in silence. Like most of the village, it was constructed with wooden logs on stone foundations. Next to the head office and the temple, it was one of the biggest buildings in Priapine. It boasted a large courtyard set with training dummies stuffed with straw. Several rounded stones laid strewn about for strength training. She never could understand why her men always complained about conditioning drills. Most days it was the only thing she had to look forward to.

As she approached the main doors, she noticed one of her men standing outside.

"Captain!" The man called out, jogging over to her. "I was just about to come find you."

"Wick." Caspiera nodded. "Is there a problem?"

"Uh no. You have a visitor. Headmistress Vivienne came by saying she wanted to speak with you."

Caspiera arched a brow. It was one thing for Desna to be up late working, but she knew Viv didn't take her sleep lightly. "Take me to her."

"Of course Captain," Wick said, but didn't move.

"Is there a problem Wick?"

"You and the High Priestess are close, right? Like you go way back?" The man said, suddenly unwilling to look her in the eye.

"Is that relevant?"

"Well see, I was just wondering if the head priestess was uh, you know... available, and if so, maybe you could put in a good word with her for me?"

Caspiera rolled her eyes. "Open the fucking door, Wick."

Caspiera found Vivienne sitting at one of the tables in their mess hall. It seemed all of her soldiers had found a reason to ignore curfew. They sat on all sides of the gorgeous woman. Telling stories, yelling over each other, and otherwise competing for her attention.

Caspiera cleared her throat. No one reacted. She frowned and slammed her fist into her hand. The room went quiet as faces turned towards her. "Seeing as how no one is in bed. It looks like everyone has got enough energy for a ruck tomorrow."

Her men cringed and quickly dispersed from the room.

Vivienne smiled at Caspiera as the door to the mess hall closed.

"I should come here more often." She said. "Your men are so nice to me."

"Uh-huh," Caspiera said, staring at the abundant cleavage she had on display. "I wonder why..."

Vivienne frowned, looked down at her chest, then back up. "Last time I checked, yours were still bigger. If you didn't bind them down all the time you'd have all sorts drooling over you."

"I don't want or need someone drooling over me." Once again, Don flashed into her head. She scowled and looked away. "Besides, My armor doesn't fit properly unless I do."

Vivienne eyed Caspiera and a mischievous smile pulled its way to her lips. "You only do that when I tease you. Did you just think of something naughty?"

"I swear to Jeiya you're insufferable. What did you want to talk about."

Vivienne's smile seemed to fade slightly. Her Jade eyes glanced down as she smoothed out the dress of her habit. "I wanted to check up on you. See how you were doing, make sure you were eating properly."

Caspiera scoffed. "You didn't come to visit me in the middle of the night to seriously ask if I was eating properly did you?"

"I can't check up on a friend?"

"Not without an ulterior motive."

Vivienne pouted. "Is that what you think of me?"

"Yes."

Vivienne huffed and folded her arms. Caspiera arched an impatient brow. With a long sigh, Vivienne seemed to deflate. Her posture slumped and Caspiera swore she could see the start of worry lines creasing her normally flawless skin.

"How much longer do you plan on staying out here?" Vivienne asked, the playfulness from her tone gone.

"I don't know what you mean?"

"The frontier, Priapine. Don't you think it may be time to move on?"

Caspiera's eyes narrowed. "I signed a contract to protect Priapine village until the end of the year. That is exactly what I plan on doing."

"But surely you're talents are being wasted here. You said it yourself; up until a few days ago, all you did was run drills day in and day out. Didn't you want more than this?"

"This is how I build my reputation," Caspiera said, steel entering her tone "Not all of us can be beautiful magic priestesses"

Vivienne flinched. Caspiera regretted it the moment it came out of her mouth.

"I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. It's been a long day"

Vivienne smiled reassuringly and shook her head. "No, no you're right. I shouldn't have talked down on all you've been working towards. I just..."

"What's going on Viv. Tell me the truth."

"I can't... I shouldn't, it's official church business."

Caspiera put her hands on her hips. "Then it sounds like our conversation is over."

Vivienne shot a pleading look at Caspiera but then dropped her head.

"The man that saved you from the goblins. Do you remember the sword he mentioned?"

Caspiera frowned. "The one you said you knew nothing about?"

Vivienne adopted a guilty half-smile. "It's called the Ashira, or at least it's what our records call it. It is supposed to be an artifact of extreme arcane and theological importance. What makes it so important, I don't know. I was just told if any information on it was uncovered out in the frontier, to report it immediately."

"And so you did." Caspiera guessed, taking a seat next to Vivienne on the bench.

She nodded. "I thought they would just tell me to keep an eye on things, or maybe try to find out more about this mystery man. Instead, I got word that they're sending Inquisitors."

Caspiera gave Viv an inquisitive look.

"They're a special task force," Vivienne explained. "Each sect of the church has a team of Inquisitors chosen from their strongest members. I've never met one, but I've heard stories. The inquisitors of Jeiya are said to combat plagues, and oversee the birth of kings."

Caspiera nodded, following. "So whose inquisitors are they sending?"

Vivienne's jade eyes shimmered with worry. "Naodir"

Caspiera blinked, then frowned. "If they're sending inquisitors of the god of war then—"

"Then they must be expecting a fight." Vivienne finished.

"I see why you're worried, but I'm a soldier. I'm no stranger to conflict. Besides, If they're after Don, then it's the inquisitors you should be worried about."

Vivienne shook her head. "I know you said Don was strong, but the inquisitors are monsters. They can shatter stone with their bare hands and have access to strange abilities." A note of disgust entered Vivienne's tone. "And the disciples of Naodir are particularly vicious, but Don isn't the issue. It's the sword." The headmistress leveled a serious look at Caspiera. "—and who might be carrying it."

Dots started connecting. Don had only brought up the sword because it might help him identify someone. Someone he had found.

"Wynn," Caspiera said. "...Who is an Oaktri employee. Which I am contractually obligated to protect."

Vivienne reached over and clasped Caspiera's hand in her own. "Perhaps I'm worrying too much, but if Wynn comes back with Ashira—"

"Then I'm going to do my job," Caspiera said firmly.

Vivienne shifted on the bench to face Caspiera. "You can't fight them Angelise. They'll kill you without a second thought."

Caspiera sneered. "I'm getting real sick of people insinuating I can't do my job."

"No I didn't mean to— You're amazing. You know I think the world of you. But the inquisitors are forces of nature. You can't expect to be able to go against the Ziaxium's elite."

Caspiera stood, shaking the priestess's grasp "I'm not a fool Vivienne. I know I have limits. But there's always a bigger fish. I'm never going to make anything of myself if I run whenever one shows up. If I know they're coming, then I can prepare."

"Angelise, please. You have to listen to me."

"I am listening," Caspiera said folding her arms. "When the inquisitors show up, I will do all I can to avoid bloodshed. But I gave my word that I'd protect the people of this village. If my word is worth nothing, then so am I."

Tears started to brim at the edge of Vivienne's eyes. Yet despite that, a smile pulled its way to her lips. "Gods you haven't changed. I knew this was going to be like arguing with a stone."

Caspiera scratched at the back of her head. "Please don't cry, you know I hate it when you cry."

Vivienne stood from the bench and looked up at the captain. Caspiera tentatively met the woman's gaze only to be tackled with a fierce hug. Granted Vivienne only barely came up to Caspiera's chest. After a moment, she heard muffled sobbing.

"Oh for fucks sake," Caspiera said. "Calm down, nothing's happened yet." Despite her admonishment, Caspiera returned the hug in full.

"Promise me that you'll do everything possible to keep yourself safe. You got lucky with the goblins" Vivienne said, squeezing Caspiera with all her might.

"It's not like I'm gonna jump on a sword the first chance I get. Of course I'll be careful. And worst case scenario, I have a beautiful magic priestess who can save me."

Vivienne giggled. The two stayed there for a moment longer in each other's arms. Right up until she felt Vivienne's hands slide down and squeeze her ass.

"And you're done," Caspiera said, lightly pushing the woman away.

Vivienne wiped tears from her cheek. but her trademark suggestive smile found its way to her lips. "C'mon. It might be my last chance. I can't let you die a virgin."

"I'm not gonna die."

"But you are a virgin."

"Get out."

"You called me beautiful. So I thought that maybe we were finally gonna—."

"Out."

Vivienne laughed a sound like chiming bells and turned towards the door. Despite herself, Caspiera found herself smiling.

Just before Vivienne grabbed the handle, she collapsed to her knees.

"Viv!" Caspiera yelled, running to her side. Vivienne knelt, blonde locks fallen in her face, eyes wide with disbelief. The color had drained from her skin.

"Viv, Viv, are you ok? what happened!"

"All of it..." She whispered. "Someone just took all of it."

"All of what? Viv, what's going on?"

"The primae... Every last bit... ripped from the entirety of the Uthgarde."

"Primae? Do you mean essence? like what you use for magic."

Vivienne nodded.

"Is that even possible?"

Vivienne managed to catch her breath and stand but the horror remained on her face. "No," she said. "It shouldn't be."