"I don't want to come off as rude, but I've answered plenty of your questions, Miwah. I think it's time that you do the same for me." Tamma continued to hold the soft brown blob with one hand. "You know what this thing is?"

"Only somewhat," Miwah replied. "There was a crate of those on the boat that I escaped from. During my fight with one of the Ghenkans, the box containing them was smashed open and they all fell into the sea."

Tamma eyed the motionless maggot closer. "Hopefully it's dead."

"I think it is. I killed one on the boat. It did not take much."

"Got any idea of what exactly it is?"

Miwah shook her head. "No. All I remember is that the Ghenka seemed to be terrified of them."

"It dug itself into the back of this grizlewulf. If I had to make a guess, I'd say it had something to do with why it was acting so peculiarly."

Miwah stared at the dead creature. Her eyes grew as her mind raced through the possibilities. "Then it is possible that they all made their way over to this island!" she said with shock.

"That can't be good," Tamma said. "I'm going to keep this. Maybe someone back in Farrowport knows exactly what these things are." The hunter moved over to her wagon and rummaged through her supplies. She came out with a large jar and swiftly crammed the specimen inside of it. "I have an idea of who would be able to help identify this. But for now, it's going into the wagon for safe keeping." She carefully placed the filled jar back inside the wagon before looking at Miwah again. She placed her arms on her hips and looked at the Purifier from the top down. "Now let's get to the main topic."

"Oh!" Miwah said nervously. "You are talking about..." She lowered hands in front of her body while still holding onto Liberator. "All of this?"

"Yeah."

Miwah let out faint giggle escape. "I am going to be honest with you. Even I am not entirely sure how this works. This is only the second time I have transformed, so I am still learning how to master... this..." As Miwah finished her sentence, she became engulfed in another blinding light. Her Purifier clothing vanished, and its place was her traditional Xiwao attire. Tamma raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, giving Miwah an expression of utter confusion.

"I see. I would appreciate any info at all though."

"All I know is that I am a Purifier. Or at least... when I have that outfit and weapon."

"And what exactly is a Purifier?"

Miwah shrugged her shoulders. "I am not fully sure. There was this little ghost person. He helped me a lot." She took the necklace out from underneath her top and stepped closer towards Tamma. "He is asleep right now. In this little diamond. Unfortunately, he will be resting for a while."

Tamma slowly nodded her head. "Hmm... I think I get it... Does this little ghost man have a name?"

"Yes! He goes by Yalch."

"Right,” Tamma replied, making her sarcasm more than obcious.

"I am not crazy. You saw me transform. Both to and from a Purifier."

Tamma laughed. "Normally I'd say you would be. I know long trips on the sea can have that kind of effect on people. But you are right. I did see you transform, so I guess there being a little ghost hiding in your necklace wouldn't be too farfetched."

Miwah stepped closer, presenting the diamond close to the hunter's face. Tamma leaned forward and squinted at the jewel. "Just get a closer look at the diamond. Do you see the smoke?"

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Yes. It looks like it's moving."

"Is that normal for a jewel?"

"I've never seen that before."

"That is because it’s Yalch in there. Resting."

"If you say so."

"You still do not believe me, do you?" Miwah said with a stomp of her foot.

Tamma returned Miwah's statement with a calm silence. "I want to. But I just need to see him for myself. If he's real and he's resting, then I should be able to see him once he wakes up, right?"

"Yes. Well, maybe. He told me that only certain people can see him."

"What a coincidence."

"You know what? Forget I said anything. Maybe I have one of those maggot things in my back and it is affecting my mind." Miwah twirled her finger next to her temple. "Perhaps I really did dream everything that happened onboard the Ghenkan ship!"

Tamma placed a hand on Miwah's back. "You've been through a lot these past few days. Let's just get out of the forest and back into the main part of town. We can discuss this... Purifier stuff... when you're ready. If you want to at all, that is."

Miwah took in a deep breath, closed her eyes and gathered her nerves. "I apologize if I came off as aggressive. You are right. I think I am still shaken by everything that has happened."

"Don't sweat it Miwah. Once you get some real food in you, I'm sure you'll start feeling better." Tamma turned to the fallen grizlewulf behind her. "Just give me a bit to take care of the remains."

"Are you going to take the meat off it?"

"No, no. Normally I would, but that overgrown maggot was stuck inside of it. The meat is probably tainted now. Besides, grizlewulves aren't known for their flavor. I'm going to try to dispose of it properly. I don't want to risk some of the wildlife eating it and getting sick." As her eyes panned the length of the fallen beast, Tamma let out a long sigh. "It might take a while. You alright with putting our trip back on a short break?"

"I can help."

"It won't be pretty."

"That is fine. I am the one that killed it. I can at least help in dealing with its disposal."

Tamma got up and headed to her wagon. "I can handle the really dirty stuff on my own." She emerged holding a shovel in her hand. "But you can dig a grave. Doesn't have to be too deep, but it'll probably need to be wide. I'll bury the parts once I obscure the scent. That way, it’ll at least be able to return to the earth."

Miwah took the shovel. "Sounds like a plan to me."

----------------------------------------

While Miwah dug the shallow, Tamma continued to skin the grizlewulf. She placed the fur to the side, leaving the flayed animal on the ground in front of her. The smell of blood became pungent, making Miwah's face pucker as she tried to prevent the scent from getting into her nostrils. She plunged the tip of the shovel into the dirt once more, tossing it to the side onto the small mound she had made. "Is this big enough?" Miwah asked. Tamma got up from carving away the fallen animal to examine the grave. The hunter placed her hands on her hips. She looked at the hole in the ground and then at the animal.

"I can fit most of the grizlewulf in there. I'll burn whatever remains. It's getting late anyway. I'd like to bury the entire body together, but we can't stay in the forest all day."

"Would you mind if I took a bit of rest?" Miwah asked.

"Go for it."

Miwah sat down next to a lounging Lug. She ran her fingers along the length of the brillick's neck. "I respect your concern for nature," she said.

Tamma remained focused on cutting through the flesh and bones of the dead animal. "It's something that every hunter needs to understand. Killing for the sake of killing is wrong, no matter what it is."

"I must say that I would have expected someone that loves life so much to be a skilled hunter."

"That's part of the reason why I chose this profession." There was a snap as the bone of the grizlewulf's arm separated from the shoulder. "I would rather me be hunting than those who don't know what they're doing. I provide just enough resources to Farrowport to deter anyone else from doing the same."

"Sounds like an effective way to conduct business." Miwah winced and turned her head away when she saw Tamma separate the other arm from the rest of the body.

"That's just a bonus. You'd be surprised at how many people come to the forest to try and exploit it. They kill in abundance and leave what they don't need to rot and go to waste. Once I became a full-time hunter, I've been able to provide much of the town with furs and meats. But just enough. Never more." Tamma looked past Miwah and towards her wagon. "As you can see, it's not much. Everything you see here is what I have."

"So, you do not hunt for the money?"

"I do. It's just not what drives me. I like to make sure no one resorts to more destructive methods of hunting." Tamma lifted the parts that she had cut away from the grizlewulf and carried them in her arms, the fresh flesh still reeking of blood. She stepped inside the wagon and made shuffling sounds as she put away the remains. Once she stepped back out, she shook her hands free of remains stared at the now mutilated body. "Here comes the hard part."

Tamma dragged what was left and chucked it into the grave. It made a thump as it hit the dirt. The hunter then picked up the shovel and began to move the hill of soil on top of the body. "We should be good to leave in a couple of minutes. And Farrowport is just a short walk away from here."