The moment Alicia's eyes fluttered open, she saw the skies a murky grey, congealed like a refuse heap in the sewers of Eidyn, beset by the frenetic dance of lightning. She lowered her head. Her boots felt as if they stood within a quagmire, brittle and bobbing. Nothing was between the vacant heavens and insipid footholds but solitude. Confinement within narrow bounds was never favoured by many, including Alicia, and yet she did not necessarily feel better alone in this endless void.

However, her prayers found a swift answer. As she travelled, the sky was split into a gargantuan, beady eye of mauve. A rush of breath emanated from the fissure; a scorching, parched zephyr that lashed at the lass’ flesh with no clemency. Alicia quickly pedalled her feet but faltered as she sank into another strange morass. Another eye materialised beneath her ankle, stark white with nearly translucent streaks. The alabaster gel pulled in Alicia's legs like sludge, creeping up her spine. Alicia hastily summoned Orb from her bag, but how the Divine had cursed her, she wandered into the vastness of nowhere with an empty bag!

The sky drew near suddenly, accompanied by a resounding mockery. "Chaos maker!" the heavens screamed. "I rue the day I brought you into being!"

Panic began to creep up Alicia’s spine. She pulled her legs forward with clenched teeth, but her body sank further still. The sky drew seemed a mere breath from her hair. The violet iris was split into two, and from it, serrations protruded, whirling like a cogwheel. An ear-shattering shriek escaped it, compelling Alicia to shut her eyes while screaming. She could no longer move. Her feet were fused the morass. The ravenous serrations descended and gnashed at her flesh!

***

Alicia's body was thrown. She felt the grainy soil on her neck, and her hunch was true: she was lying on a bed of white sand. The tanginess of saltwater stung her olfactory nerves. Not only did Alicia wince at the sun's fierce radiance, but also from the throbbing ache behind her cheek.

Her eyes locked onto Wisesa's figure with his right hand already outstretched and clenched.

"What's wrong with you? " Alicia rebuked the lad.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? " Wisesa scolded back. "You literally want to kill us!"

An absurd intent in Alicia's notion! The crimson-haired lass glanced at her surroundings. The sky was fair. The breeze gentle. Trees and shrubs swayed in the distance, some wafting burnt plumes. The swishing waves eroded the sand and debris. The taste of home, Trinketshore. Orb rested near the lass’ thigh, its chirping sporadic. Behind Wisesa, she spotted three others standing close together—the captain with his rifle drawn and two of his men—and a disgusting clump of blood and tresses beside them. Barong's lifeless carcass.

"I dinnae understand. How could I want to kill you?" Alicia responded, perplexed. "What did I do?"

"You slaughtered a bunch of blue-winged creatures in the sea by yourself, then dragged us to the mainland only to wage a massacre round two!"

"I killed people? "

"You took no lives!" Barong's energy erupted from Wisesa's being, just as furious. "But you 'took' mine, and those shrubs up there!"

She won't kill anyone! Orb raised a defence. Her strength was about to weaken back then, but you challenged her instead. You should have climbed up to the plateau immediately! Wait until her adrenaline subsides!

"Won't kill anyone? " Wisesa's tone rose even more after Barong translated Orb's meaning. "She threw the wreckage at us! It was precisely because she was weakened that I punched her, rather than her actually killing someone!"

Alicia's head was reeling from these statements. Losing control yet still wielding Arcane? That's the complete opposite of what I've experienced so far! Why didn't Orb stop me? But she relinquished the attempt to further torment her mind. The resonant ringing persisted at the recesses of her skull, while the coastal breeze still gnashed at her fever-ridden skin. "Alright, alright, Wisesa. I... I am sorry...," she pleaded. She then addressed the other members of the crew. "I offer my apologies, good sirs. I really don't know what happened to me. But I promise, it was never my intention to hurt all of you, that much is sincere!"

The captain squinted, yet his posture remained stiffened. "Can you truly believe her, Lord Wisesa?"

"What? Her? Now? Yes, of course. She's now back to her dumbass Western dork mode, you can calm down," Wisesa retorted.

Alicia's face became even more sullen. "What in Hades, Wisesa? Is the nickname really that necessary?"

The captain's rifle was lowered. "I understand," he said with a nod. He and the others ventured closer. "You saved us, after all. Nevertheless, I shall keep a vigilant watch, and my rifle won't spare you a second time."

Alicia swallowed. "Very well. That's fair enough. And I'm also sorry for what happened earlier. Again it’s because of me..." Her hands clench into fists again, upraised in confusion. But then, she noticed the warning in Orb's eyes and promptly embraced her ball mate with a sigh.

They proceeded ahead of Alicia. When she turned, her gaze fell upon a housing complex and a petite dock in the distance.

"Well, it can't be helped. Kagatsean waters are notorious for pirate attacks. The ocean and small, isolated islands are a breeding ground for the nation's turncoats and terrorists. Coming here carries its risks,” elucidated the crew chief. "But those bird attacks, that's new. I think we should go to the capital and petition for damage compensation of maritime commerce. For now, we'll find shelter in that fishing village."

Alicia, yet to move in the rear, whispered to Orb, "We'll talk about that thing later, aye?" She then caught up with the others. Her legs were dragging, the throbbing in her cheeks exacerbated by her frail body. The touch of the fingers was another stupid mistake that caused the lass to grimace in pain, a symphony to the ears of the lad in the blangkon cap. She glanced at Wisesa, who gazed ahead with the twitching semblance of a smile, and irritation blazed through her. "You are responsible for remedying the bruise on my cheek."

Wisesa's countenance contorted. "Like I would heed to your command!" he sneered. "It's your fault for trying to kill us! Suck it up!"

"I told ye I had no such intention!"

"Okay then. Let that be your reminder not to do anything stupid again. It'll heal itself, don't be such a crybaby!"

Alicia failed to pout—again due to the sting behind her cheek. She decided to bother the ship's captain instead. "So, have we arrived in Kagatse yet?”

"Indeed, we have," the crew chief affirmed. "Our intended berth was at that fishing village, Amimotocho."

"Amimotocho...," Alicia mimicked the captain's words, her face sagging with relief. "Oh, finally, thank you, Silent Divine. Did you hear, Orb? Another new land we've travelled to. We have reached Kagatse!"

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Orb squeaked in harmony with Alicia's elation. Wisesa nearby was concerned about these two beings, massaging the bridge of his nose as he shook his head. However, Alicia paid him no heed. She need not fathom the sentiments of others, even. The journey had been too tiring, and the only entertainment likely to soothe her in the ensuing days would be to experience firsthand the hospitality of the Kagatseans, to peek at the way they socialised, to envision the delicacies of the local seafood, and to inhale the fragrance of the abodes—their floors and walls. If the Divine willed it, perhaps there would be an evening performance featuring the practice of the Art of Ninshu!

Of course, the Divine seemed to fancy cursing more than blessing them. The closer they got to the village crossing, their leisurely aspirations ebbed away one by one. Every eye could bore witness to the desolation that widowed the village. Structures lay in ruins, amorphous remnants strewn about. Sampans were haphazardly placed: on streets, within stalls, affixed to roofs. The sole vestige of vitality there was Alicia's group. Amimotocho Village was practically a forsaken battleground.

"Maybe those damn pirates plundered the seaside hamlets as well," Barong growled.

"Or worse. Those monsters," Alicia interjected. The wind was now a scourge to her present state, made worse by her damp garments, rendering her skin tender. As much as Orb provided warmth, she still required dry clothes.

"I'll find a place to change," Alicia remarked after turning to her entourage. Her footsteps led her into the village. Wisesa unconsciously followed before realising the crew members were lingering in place.

"Are you guys okay with spending all day in sticky clothes like that?" asked Wisesa.

Two of the crew members had already begun edging back. Their faces bore doubt, lips quivering. "If the culprits of this village's destruction are the same monsters that destroyed our ship, I, for one, would rather depart!" proclaimed one of the crew.

"Captain, it would be wiser to bypass this village and head straight to the capital!" another crew member added.

The captain dismissed the idea out of hand. "Are you daft or what, Lenong? The journey to the capital is not brief. We still need supplies!"

"Can we just forage for fruits or plants in the forest? Like the training, Captain?"

The captain sighed. "You keep watch here." He grabbed his rifle and entered the village.

Wisesa cast a disdainful glance at the two crew members. "Sissies," he scoffed with satisfaction.

Alicia claimed a derelict house and proceeded to inspect the contents of her waist bag. The pocket dimension remained functional, and water had merely seeped through the bag's surface. A relief that earned a profound sigh from her lips. She quickly changed her clothes into another set of white shirt paired with a lengthy skirt and suspenders. Her dark brown coat that matched the skirt was again wrapped around her for extra warmth, as well as her mother's knitted tartan cloak. It held magic no more, but it would give her body the warmth of a mother's cradle just as well.

Emerging from the building, Alicia's curiosity drove her to briefly survey the village grounds. Her head swivelled left and right, hoping that there was someone capable of explaining what curse that had befallen the fishing hamlet as it was. The buildings indeed gave signs that they had been ravaged not too long ago. Still, even the crows were reluctant to perch on their rooftops, choosing instead to spy from the tree branches, punctuating the eerie silence with their caws.

The girl's eyes were pained when she accidentally caught a peculiar sight in a narrow alleyway.

Bones littered the ground, most of them in shards. Alicia could tell there were human skeletons, attested by the two pairs of round skulls.

"Oh, Orb," Alicia whispered. Woe would haunt her all night, and into the days that followed. "Those poor souls. I cannae believe that a man's deeds could create skeletons this swiftly."

Orb's chant was calm, yet laden with an unfriendly tone. Whoever did this will receive their reward.

"You still believe people did this?" Alicia ventured into the alley, scrutinising the skulls more intently. "I'm starting to suspect yon queer flying creature.”

Barong claimed ignorance regarding the creature, Orb replied. They are present, blessed by, if not humans, then by other irresponsible entities.

The mention of other entities compelled Alicia to watch the plain wall wide-eyed. "Hey, actually, I remember something. Arenae Kagatse and the other eastern countries currently grappling with—"

The clamour of hurrying footsteps alerted Alicia. She thought it must be Wisesa or the crew, but as she turned around, a child's shriek reached her ears. A young boy was indeed in front of her. His hand was brandishing a pointed bamboo blade, drawing nearer and nearer to the bespectacled lass’ abdomen!

With a swift stroke, Alicia formed a sphere of Arcane shield, causing the boy to bounce as the spear's thrust collided with it. Rushing towards the child, Alicia saw that Wisesa and the crew chief were converging upon them as well. The crew chief kicked the bamboo spear aside, while Barong immediately pulled the wee lad's shirt collar.

"Hanashite, hanashite yo!" rebelled the boy, his legs flailing to kick one of the three people. As he was lifted off the ground and turned to see the culprit behind his collar’s grasping, his lips trembled, tears streaming down his face.

"Watashi, tabenaide kudasai!" he sobbed.

"Yo, Barong, he's crying at your ugly face!" mocked Wisesa.

"Shut up, Wisesa!" snapped Barong, then it switched tongue. "Hey, kid, calm down, I'm not going to eat you! Not if you’re not pissing me off!"

"Barong, put that poor child down! Put him down now!" Alicia was frantic.

The Patron of Lands complied. When Barong lowered the boy, Alicia immediately grabbed both of his arms as he continued to struggle and weep. "P-please...! Forgive me! F-forgive me! I still want to see my parents, don't take me to 'them'!" It appeared the lad understood the common tongue.

"What? Hey, hey, hey!" Alicia gently shook the boy's body until he came to his senses. "Dear wee bairn. It's okay, it's okay. Hey. We meant no harm to ye. We don't even know what ye mean."

The boy's sobbing began to subside, although occasional hiccups remained. Alicia eased her grip. "Yes, take it slow. Take a deep breath. I'm also sorry for throwing you off with my magic. We just arrived in this village and don't know what happened. Can you tell us what happened in this village? Where are yer mum and dad?"

"I-I... I don't know... Please. I'm telling the truth. Don't take me to 'them'!"

"Them? Who are them—"

The crew chief's hands rested on the lass’ shoulders, his chin beckoning. "Ahead of you."

All eyes followed the direction pointed by the crew chief's chin. A creature that appeared like a hairless dog lingered there, not growling, not barking, just dead silent. Alicia slowly rose the scrutinising stare. The peculiar dog had a round, shiny head—no eyes, no nose, no earlobes. Not only was it bereft of fur, but patches of its skin were also missing, exposing lung cavities covered in pink muscle. Veins and flesh were exposed on its legs. From its back protruded two pairs of tentacles with tongues, tasting the air as if assessing the wind. Indeed, not a mere coatless hound.

The boy's breath hitched, and he abruptly dropped his knees at Alicia’s feet. "Please, don't let them take me. I swear to be your servant, to pray, and make offerings to you all, as long as I live. Please, please.

A pledge that struck Alicia as strange. She was fairly certain this boy and the children in the village had encountered a foreign national or two pacing the docks, or seen their forms. Strange creatures, strange behaviour, strange promises. A day of strange encounters.

Wisesa had already assumed a defensive stance, and the crew chief's firearm was ready. When Alicia's gaze met that of the Patron of Lands, all it could reply was, “I am certain Sang Hyang Sukra did not create this creature either.”

Alicia guided the boy's head to meet her gaze. With a genuine smile, she said, "You don't have to do anything for me, or for Wisesa, or for anyone else. We're here to help you, so can you be a sweetheart and not bring that up again?"

The sniffing boy nodded. A stroke on his hair was his reward.

"This good sir will escort you out of the village to the beach. Wait for us there."

"Wait, are you sure?" cautioned the crew chief.

"Please just make sure the boy is safe. We will deal with the creature.”

"N-Neesan...," the boy began, "there's not just one creature."

"We're more than capable!" exclaimed Alicia, giving the boy a little peek at the Divine Orb. "Orb is the ever-optimistic Arcane orb. Those millions of animals won't win when Orb says so. Isn't that right, Orb?"

Orb sang a melodious tune. The boy was stunned.

"A-Arcane?" The boy's expression grew even more horrified. His rapid, panting breaths became audible. He attempted to speak, but his lips seemed to be glued together.

Alicia noticed the change in his face, but she pushed the boy to the captain. "Don't waste time. Go now, child." She then turned her back on them.

"You're quite adept at caring for children," Wisesa remarked. It was either a compliment or a sneer.

"You know I can teach you how, Wisesa."

"Maybe next time. If I suddenly feel like it."

Sure enough, it was not long before more peculiar dogs emerged from the rubble, treading lightly on their feet. As they sniffed, their skin trembled, producing a sound akin to a growl. The hound in the centre shook its head repeatedly, as if mimicking Orb’s orbit around the Crimsonmane lass despite the absence of eyeballs. The creature's scream came of a sudden. It was the cacophony of absurdity. At first, it resembled the sound of a freshly started engine, but as time progressed, the tone grew shriller, more and more resembling the screams of a tortured man. []