Lianne, Amra, and Faolin entered the small lodge where the prisoner was. The stagnant air hit their faces immediately at the door, like a curtain of the stench was draped over them. The air was heavy and smelled slightly of death, even though the man had only died last night. The stench shouldn't have been that bad yet.

The prisoner was slumped on the ground, his back against the wall. His position looked crooked and his legs were sprawled in a strange angle, almost like all the bones in his body had been broken.

The prisoner's face was turned upwards, his jaw slightly agape. His eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling. The irises of his eyes were almost transparent like a sheer curtain was covering them.

Lianne stared at the man, her mind going blank. He didn't resemble the man she had seen yesterday. His features were the same but his hair, which had been black, was now void of any colour. The hair was almost transparent, like his eyes and his pale skin. It was as if everything had been drained from him.

Amra gasped. She had realised the same thing. "What is going on here?"

"His hair was definitely black yesterday, right?" Lianne asked, wanting reassurance.

"Yes, it definitely was," Amra said and then turned to Faolin. "Do you have any idea what happened here?"

Faolin looked at the man. "This..." he first started but immediately stopped himself. Then he cleared his throat. "This is not something the elves would have done."

"Who could even do something like that?" Amra asked disgustedly.

"The man who was here last night came from one of the lodges. I didn't remember which one, but it has to be this." Lianne said while frowning and turning to Faolin. "Do you think he's responsible for this?"

"He has to be," Amra said confidently. "If it's not the elves, then it has to be him. Right, Faolin?"

Both Lianne and Amra looked at Faolin as if he would have answers to everything that they saw. Faolin stood still for a moment but didn't reply. He kept staring at the man's body, deep in thought.

"It has to be," he then said and knelt next to the man.

Faolin started inspecting the man, searching through his body, feeling his way along the man's stomach, legs and arms. There were no visible signs on his body. No wounds, cuts, or anything that could implicate the reason for his death.

Faolin searched the man's pockets and clothes but found nothing. He touched his face and turned it down so he could see into his eyes better, looking at them carefully. Then Faolin saw something in the man's mouth.

Faolin stuffed his fingers inside the man's mouth and slowly pulled something out of it. "No..." he gasped, looking at a small item in his hand, his eyes wide.

"What is it?" Lianne asked hesitantly.

Faolin turned around and lifted his hand to show what he had picked up from the man's mouth. It was a small red beetle that resembled Amra's brooch and Faolin's mark on his ribcage.

For a moment all three of them stared at the small dead beetle on Faolin's hand silently. Nobody knew what to say. The stench of death in the air seemed to thicken.

"What did you say the man looked like?" Faolin asked, turning to look at Lianne, his eyes wary.

Lianne thought for a moment. Then she swallowed hard. "Now that you ask, I'm not exactly sure," she said, frowning. She remembered the man and what he had said, but she had no recollection of what he had looked like. "I can't remember."

"Try," Faolin said firmly, but Lianne shook her head.

"I really can't. I know I saw him, but I can't remember what he looked like."

"You remember nothing?"

"No, I'm sorry."

"Now, let me get this straight," Amra then spoke, her voice slightly shivering while pointing at the beetle. "That is the same as Faolin's mark and my brooch. Is that also the mark of Yugtrass?"

Faolin nodded.

"Why was it there in the man's mouth?" Amra still asked.

"It is common to find his mark among the people who have died by his hand," Faolin explained hesitantly.

Amra gasped involuntarily. "Are you saying that the man was Yugtrass?"

Everyone went silent again. Lianne didn't know how to react to anything she heard. Had the man really been Yugtrass? But how? And why?

Lianne let out a deep sigh as she just slumped down on the ground. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, frustration in her voice.

Amra took a couple of steps and then leaned against the wall, clearly horrified. "Yugtrass? Really? No way!" she babbled to herself.

"I was so close," Faolin said as he got up and crushed the beetle in his hand. He took a couple of steps around the lodge, his breath quickening. "I was so close," he repeated to himself, squeezing his fists so tight that they almost trembled.

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"I really want to leave this place," Lianne said silently, staring at the man whose mouth was now agape and empty as if he was waiting for someone to feed him. It made her nauseous.

"We should leave," Amra said determinedly.

That's when Faolin stopped abruptly as if he had just realised something. He turned to Lianne, his eyes looking at her unceasingly. "You are the key," he said with a deep exhale.

Lianne frowned, finally tearing her eyes away from the dead man. "What?"

"You are my key to get to Yugtrass," Faolin knelt in front of Lianne.

"What are you talking about. I don't want to get to Yugtrass," she said firmly, a bit appalled.

"I have a direction now," Faolin said with a wistful tone in his voice, looking at Lianne like he was in awe of her. "He has shown himself to you. That is a good omen."

Lianne just stared at Faolin, not really knowing how to reply to him. She didn't want to be a key to anything. She never wanted to encounter Yugtrass. She didn't even know if she yet believed that the man had been Yugtrass. To her, he used to be a tale people told, not reality.

"This is a wonder. Never would have I thought that a human would bring me this gift," Faolin still said and looked at Lianne, his eyes unwavering.

"I don't like what you're saying," Lianne said back while squinting her eyes.

"I can get to him, if you let me be with you," Faolin still said a bit vaguely, his voice amazed. Then he lifted his hand and put it on Lianne's cheek gently. He stroked it once and then slowly moved his hand under her chin, almost like he was appraising a price he had just gotten.

For a moment Lianne looked at Faolin, inspecting his eyes, feeling his warm skin against her chin. She felt perplexed, her heart thumping an extra beat, making her feel out of place. Then she slightly moved her head so that Faolin's couldn't touch her anymore.

"We should leave," Lianne said silently as she slowly got up from the ground, wincing a bit. She had forgotten about her body for a moment, but now that she moved again, it ached.

"Yes, you're right," Amra immediately said, ready to leave too.

Faolin nodded. "We should head onward," he said as he went to the man and closed his dead eyes with a swift movement of his hand. "It is your time to rest."

"Could I impose you with a favor?" Faolin asked from Raeran as they came out of the lodge, getting ready to leave the village.

"Of course. You helped us, we help you."

"Could you bury the dead man?" Faolin asked, and then leaned closer to Raeran. "Please bury him face down so that he cannot see the way back to his master," he still instructed.

"I will do so," Raeran said with a small bow.

"Thank you very much. You are a true friend," Faolin said and bowed deeply to Raeran, who smiled back in kind.

Lianne got on her horse, ready to leave. Getting up was a chore, but she was more than ready to leave, ignoring the pain she felt. Amra still kissed Sionia farewell, and some of the elves brought them food supplies for the travel ahead. Then they were ready to leave. The elves waved goodbye as their horses disappeared into the woods, leaving the village behind.

Lianne felt better when they were out of the woods and heading further away from the dead prisoner, and the memory of Yugtrass's pain. If some defined Yugtrass as a god, and others as a man, Lianne would define him as a demon. She would never forget the pain, even if she didn't remember much about the man itself.

As they arrived at a vast plain, Lianne filled her lungs full of fresh air, wanting to forget about everything for a moment. Then she adjusted her position on the saddle as they were calmly trotting on ahead. She was glad that they had left, but her body was still sore, making riding uncomfortable. Lianne winced slightly with every step Luna took.

Clouds started gathering in the sky, blocking the sun every once in a while. A nice breeze blew through Lianne's hair, bringing the earthy smells she loved. It would have been a great day to travel if it weren't for her aching body. Lianne tried adjusting her position on the saddle again, but nothing felt good.

That's when Faolin suddenly spoke. "Why do you not let me help you?" he asked, genuinely baffled.

Lianne turned to look at Faolin, a slight frown on her face. She knew immediately what Faolin meant. He was skilled with healing abilities, and it was obvious that Lianne's body hadn't fully recovered yet.

"You're already doing enough. I'm alright," Lianne said while slowly riding on ahead, trying not to mind the uncomfortable feeling. Faolin had really helped her so much already. She shouldn't ask for more.

Lianne adjusted her position on the saddle again, trying to do it as unnoticeable as she could so that Faolin couldn't see. But as Luna stepped on uneven ground, making them waver, she winced.

"People usually ask for my help," Faolin said, his voice wondering.

"As I said, I'm fine," Lianne repeated and tried to concentrate on the sky ahead, not minding the rough ride. But when she again involuntarily winced, Faolin let out a deep sigh.

Faolin stopped his horse and jumped off it quickly. Lianne didn't have any time to react before Faolin had taken the reins of Luna and stopped their ride too.

"What are you doing?!" Lianne instantly protested.

"I cannot understand you. Why do you rather suffer than take help from me?" Faolin asked as he reached out over the horse and put his hands on Lianne's thighs. His hands immediately started to emit his energy, glowing with a faint light as he tend to her muscles. Faolin closed his eyes and for that moment, he concentrated only on the energy he used.

Lianne looked at Faolin silently, almost paralyzed, not wanting to move. She felt embarrassed as his warm energy spread through her, revitalizing her tired and sore body. She had been rude and stubborn. She had not accepted his help, but he still wanted her to feel better. Why did she have that much trouble accepting his kindness?

Lianne felt how her muscles relaxed under Faolin's hands. His energy healed her, spreading as wide as it could, trying to reach all the way to her heart. It felt invigorating and almost burning. She felt her heartbeat quickening.

Faolin moved his hands and his fingertips slightly sank into Lianne's thighs. They hurt a bit, as if he was trying to dig deep, to grab all the aches in her body, the last remnants of soreness fading away. Lianne was feeling better already.

Then Faolin stopped and opened his eyes, the energy fading away and his warmth leaving Lianne's body again. He pulled his hands back and walked away from Lianne, back to his horse.

"That is the best I can do for you now. You should have let me help you earlier," Faolin said without even looking at Lianne like he was really offended that she didn't want his help.

Lianne felt herself blushing, ashamed of her own stubbornness. But she was also grateful. "Faolin, thank you," she said, her voice sincere. "I'm sorry."

"You are welcome," Faolin answered, not even looking at Lianne, a small trace of a smile appearing and then immediately disappearing from his lips. "I think we are ready to continue now."

Amra smiled at Lianne. "See, even he thinks you're stubborn."

Lianne glared at Amra, disregarding her remark as she urged Luna forward, heading north again. Amra and Faolin quickly followed behind, their journey continuing again after the detour.

Lianne felt more at ease as riding didn't hurt anymore. All she felt in her body was the rapid beating of her heart and the strange sensation of warmth that wasn't familiar to her.