We made our way over to the lake. This time hugging the ground close as we paced forward. Kairui led the charge upfront, manning the rears. Signaling us when to advance and duck accordingly. With Aya and Quine following sharp behind. Yannu and Ussu stayed together usual, carefully.

Ussu stopped at the bush, signaling Kairui at her position.

Shassii slugged behind all of us in the back.

She began looking out for enemies. Keeping Her head on a swivel, scouting for Yannu who caught up to the trio ahead.

"Were good! Keep going" he mentioned as he pat the two's backs.

We made our way through the lake, as the calm waves swept past. Making our way through the narrow shallow edge, the duo emerged from the lake. Water gushed as they made their way to the shore.

Boots soaked; they took a few moments to drain the soles of the water.

"What, you three doing!? We don't have time for all that. Hurry up!" Kairui waved frantically urging them to hurry up.

Trudging along the desert sand. Her armor dampened and wet, she stormed off.

Kairui hopped into the wagon. Frolicking around, as she made her way into the chests. Looking for her gadget.

Quine stepped in.

"What we looking for? You never explained to us…" she asked.

"The rope, the fuckin rope!"

"And a long, arrow thingy"

"An Arrow??"

"Yeah"

"But we have plenty still, in the quivers"

"Not that type"

"This one is long, like a spear with four spiked star tips at the end!"

"WE NEED IT, IF WE ARE TO ESCAPE!!" Kairui responded vexed.

"Okay… then" Quine passively answered. Stepping back. Not wanting to be on the receiving end of Kairui's frustration.

Aya crept up near the carriage leaning in.

"Guys keep calm. Let's move and search properly. I'm going to check this box outside okay" she replied. Slapping the wooden floorboards, making her way to the destroyed box.

The group searched and searched, it seemed the rope had evaded them as well as time was passing.

Yannu caught up after emptying his boots of water. He jogged to the trio at the carriage.

"Hey guys… what are we looking for…"

"ROPE! And a long spear thingy" Quine rudely replied to him as she turned the wagon upside down.

"You mean this rope!" he exclaimed holding up a cut-up rope. A smile flowering his face.

Quine and Kai stared back at him.

Quine rushed over thanking and leaping out of the carriage to hug him.

They had searched nearly every angle of the carriage for the rope and it just wasn't there. Especially at night, making it hard to discern the items already.

"Finally!! Thanks, Yannu. This rope's been evading us I swear" she uttered.

Shassii came over thanking him too. Holding onto the rope checking its length and sturdiness.

Yannu was astonished and flustered. He rubbed his cheek with his fingers smiling, rubbing his hair nervously.

The first time Quine had acknowledged him.

She was a hard girl to impress, let alone receive a compliment from.

It left him feeling shy.

Ussu noticed and slowly whispered out.

"Heyyyy, cut that out!"

Quine chortled as she stretched her voice back over being careful not to cause an echo.

The lake was an open area sat in the middle of a great long outstretched gorge, hidden by endless Canyons. Leading to the desert.

On the corresponding side of the lake lay a mountain and the only source of Greenland in the whole area. Ussu stood underneath, watching her boyfriend keenly.

"Don't worry, I don't want him" she replied in a whisper tone over the water.

Aya laughed at the whole play that was happening.

Looking over his shoulder Aya pointed out.

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"Heyy look!"

"What is it?" Shassii asked.

Aya spotted a long black rod, hidden behind the carriage tire.

She walked over trying to pry it free. She fought back and forth with it in a struggle.

"Hey, Quine help with this please?".

Waving her to come.

"Sure…"

Kairui popped out the carriage to see what all the commotion was about.

"That's it!!" she shouted.

Aya and Quine pulled and tugged. Freeing the spear rod Kairui had spoken about.

It was around forty inches long. With four sharp spikes on the edge. They seemed retractable once bent in, all folding into one sharp spear. On the other end of the rod was a hoop.

"Interesting design… wonder what it does" Quine spoke out. Examining it.

"Well done, guys. Now we just need to suit up and we can head out!" Kairui congratulated them.

Removing from her back her weapon.

"This rope is too short isn't it" Shassii noticed. Pulling out an extension she had found in Aya's chest.

Kairui came to the group.

"You're right Shassii, good thinking tying the other end of the rope to it. Make sure it's really tight and secure. Double knot it. No! Triple knot it!"

Shassii Saluted her.

"You all ready… we have rope now. Plus, my Sa'qast is ready".

"Sa'qast….? You mean your crossbow? It's been a while since I've seen those" Quine cross-examined.

"Yep" she replied.

"I named it that, this thing's a beast…. Don't think you people have ever seen one outside of your books or story's probably.."

"What does it do?" Yannu questioned.

"Just wait and see honey. Just wait and see".

Shassii was still in the wagon. Searching around, inside she armed herself a sword and a bow and quip filled with arrows.

She emerged chucking a bow and quip to Yannu and Quine.

"Ready!" she urged the rest.

"Well, look who's taking the lead.." Kairui said showcasing her. She was truly taken back by Shassii forward-thinking.

While the group stood, planning and joking at the wagon.

A soft whistle rang out from across the lake.

Ussu waved at them, summoning them to come back quickly.

"The soldiers they're coming back…!" Ussu softly yelled straining her voice.

Her attempt to mask the sound failed as a soldier spotted her from outside the tight chasm.

He spoke out calling his men.

From the chasms, a choir of voices, fought over each other as they each raced over to pry enter the narrow long chasm. It was around a fifty-meter tight pass. Around a ten to twenty-inch pass they had to squeeze past in.

With armor, they had to first disarm and let the light infantry through first.

Their breastplates scraped as they pushed through in a hurry. Swords armed in their grip.

The foreign tongue hit the collective by the carriage.

Worry swelled them, they had been discovered.

We raced past catching glimpses of them while dashing into the lake.

All of us, were on. It was a race against time.

Yannu and Kairui stayed behind slightly with Shassii to collect the last of the gear.

Shassii grabbed the gear and tossing it to them.

Each armed up.

This proved effective than everyone brushing next to each other.

Yannu shoved each piece in his sack. They had two sacks, one half-way full.

"GET THE ARMOUR, QUICK QUICK!"

"There's only light-heavy armor here…." She replied in a panic.

"NO, check the chest there's a bunch of light armor in them" Kairui instructed as she hopped in.

"HURRY… UP!!" Ussu yelled out worried.

Aya was halfway into the lake. Still, in the shallow region, she turned glancing at Shassii, and the rest still looting in the wagon.

Checking back at the chasm she saw the soldiers struggling to make it through. She lost herself for a moment.

Stuck in between the lake.

A voice cried out to her.

It was an eery voice.

Pulling her body deeper into the lake.

Looking down her reflection morphed under the light of the moon.

Her face tensed as she felt an energy grasp her face tightly.

The voices pitched higher, deafening her.

The same ones she felt when she came to fetch water for her father. The Śeingtt was reaching out to her again.

This time their grip felt like back at the fountain, it was stronger and stronger. Her stomach turned as she felt something connecting her to them.

Her sight turned blurry and she suddenly grew cold, seeing her breathe appear from her. The lake was slowly freezing around her.

"AYA!! Get over here now!!" Ussu yelled out. Losing her shit.

The phenomenon had freaked her out.

Aya couldn't hear her, it was all like a fading dream.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a strong gust of wind brushed past, throwing her in the air. She crashed back down into the lake, sinking deep into the lake.

"AYA!"

A loud screech rang out from deep within the valley. Racing on the wind splitting the river-stream waves as it drew closer. The soldiers paused for a moment. The rocks in the chasm glowed a pure white, emitting a vibrating pulse.

The loud screech reached them, punching the soldier's eardrums deaf.

Yells of pain emanated from the chasm. With the loud pulse screech masking their screams of pain.

Deep in the open gorge.

Aya rose to the top of the lake, gasping for the air. Turning to her side. She grasped the metal rod. Hearing dampened callings at her from Ussu across the lake. Her image dissipated in front of her. In her mind, she was in a dark place. Everything was black, pure black.

The voices of the Śeikl, it must be.

They flushed past her, surrounding her in the form of a hellish hell glade. Every step she took forward the wind would cut and thrust her back. Outside she couldn't see anything.

Faces formed in the wind, with pure empty hollow white eyes.

The dead souls of the lake or the Śeingtt, she couldn't determine the difference.

The wind glades then moved away, leaving Aya Before forming at the chasm entrance.

The siren of the lake had materialized. Everyone was baffled by this event. An ethereal dress formed in the chaotic wind, as a form of a woman appeared. With sulfur fire red eyes.

The Śeikl was enraged.

It roared with its large gaping mouth. Growing bigger and bigger as it faced construed. The sound sent a shockwave to the soldiers. Disabling them as they dropped their swords, stumbling over themselves. They fell on top of each other as they backed up trying to escape, the tight chasm.

They sang out chants and prayers in the language trying to repel the vengeful spirit.

Kairui hearing them, cry and weep laughed.

Shassii, Yannu, and Kairui froze in the steps. Seeing this. Kairui looked up in the sky the moon had disappeared leaving a soft mist.

Surrounding the lake.

The Śeikl of the lake morphed into a white albino tiger. With long hair bruh hair. Its eyes crystalized. Its teeth and nails pulsated and glistened radiating a holy glow from them.

The soldiers wept, shaking in fear, hyperventilating as they saw the tiger roam around.

It turned around leaping onto the lake. Skipping along the lake surface, ripples formed under her soles. It walked on water as the Śeikl circled Aya.

With each step her paw made, the mist grew.

Soon it was just Aya and her alone.

Prancing at her. Testing her reaction speed.

Aya leaned back in shock. Tracking its sky-blue pupils that span violently as the two's eyes met.

The mist stretched to the chasm entrance sealing it. The loud screech of the Śeikl echoed turbulently bouncing off the walls.

Slowly the mist emanated from the markings of the wall, scaring them as it began seeping in. They screamed out in fear.

The grand guard outside was confused, all he heard was screams and shuffling. His men were disorientated.

The misinformation annoyed him.

The mist bathed Aya. She reached out as it formed cloudy arms that touched her one by one. Rubbing her forehead.

At first, the experience was scary but felt amazing after as each touch left a soft sting and tingly feeling in her. In her head she heard voices in the form of messages speak to her, unable to decipher the meaning. She felt like she was roaming through the clouds. Then the mist formed into arms stretched out around her, grabbing her in place at once. Her body fell numb to their grasp.

The Śeikl looked at her.

Peering into her soul like the vision of the dragon at the fountain.

Fear and distraught enclosed her thoughts.

She saw unclear visions, that turned into war, blood, and death. Slaughter and slavery were shown the desolation. All of the memories flushed her mind.

Tears fell from her eyes, she could see it all.

"Ussu!!, Shassii help…. Me!" she cried out, her face growing stiff under the immense pressure the mist was now seeping out.

To them, the mist span intensely around Aya like a tornado. The air cut Ussu's finger and clothes when she tried to approach. The lake was no longer sitting still either. The water boiled and jolted up in response.

Ussu screamed at Aya. She reached forward trying to enter the lake. Quine drew her short sword instantly racing to the lake.

From both sides, a giant ethereal wall made of thick mist stretched out from the lakeshore. Shoving them back and blocking the two, isolating them from both sides. Sky scrapping above them.

It isolated and stretched from one end of the gorge to the other. Wrapping around the corresponding cut off river streams.

Circling around the known Province of Eein.

This phenomenon was seen all around the towns by all who were now stunned awake!

The sky had a thick mist.