Deep within the Ashen Canyon, where the stone walls gave way to singing crystals, there rested a monster of horrendous proportions. It was a lizard larger than any dragon, with scales that burned white with hatred. Every breath it took was long and laborious, but not painful. It was as if the creature was constantly trying to steady itself.

Crunching footsteps cut through the huffs and puffs as the blue-robed bridge guardian approached the creature. She lowered her hood to reveal tired, sunken eyes. Her matted, stringy brown hair did nothing to accent her sickly pale face.

"Why are you here, Hiri? Do you need something?" The lizard's voice was gravelly and booming. It rattled the woman's bones with every vowel and scraped her ears with every consonant. Despite this, there was a recognizable femininity somewhere within all that distortion.

The robed fem fetal, Hiri, gazed upon the creature with soft eyes. "No, I don't. I'm just here to warn you, Azylith. Women from Opal City tried to gain entry today. I believe they seek your deposits." She motioned to the ocean of crystals that lined the floor and walls. The droning sounds of the minerals made it hard for sounds to travel properly. The only reason the conversation hadn't devolved into yelling was due to a certain degree of Laziness in both parties.

The lizard, Azylith, perked up at the mention of intruders. "Opal City? Did they say who they were?"

"One of them claimed to be Opazyr. So I assume they came on behalf of the nobility."

"What happened? Did they get inside?" Prodded Azylith. A hasty footstep betrayed her nonchalant voice, her large clawed paw crushing the mana stones underneath her. The gems had grown around her body, as she hadn't truly moved in years.

"No, I destroyed the bridge," explained Hiri, "cutting off their troops and sending four of them to die in the fall." She was apprehensive about what she had to say next. "I.. actually there was one lone woman who made it in before them. But I chased her away."

"What about those women who fell into the water? Did you receive their bodies?"

Hiri recoiled from the question, "I... I don't think you heard me quite right. Those women fell into the river below the bridge. That is a thousand-foot drop. That water is going at least 15 miles per hour. That river goes for miles. Those bodies are probably in an entirely different territory by now."

"That water is also incredibly deep. If they were of any real concern they would have survived such a fall."

"So what would you have us do."

"Order your women to start searching the canyon. I'll get my descended to do the same."

***

Wet, cold, and cut off from the world. That was Maria's current situation and she couldn't have been more irritated. In her clutches was a dainty little wannabe knight; Lucy. She barely managed to save her from being washed away in the unforgiving waters of the river they had been violently plunged into.

Veronica and Anise attempted to catch their breath just a few feet ahead. They had washed up on what could only be described as a funneled beach. High Canyon walls surrounded the river bank and tapered off into a narrow passageway. Ash took the place of sand, forming a gray, soft ground that clung to Maria's wet clothing like glue. It was a miserable environment, but it only had one exit, which to her frazzled mind meant they were somewhat protected.

She dragged Lucy over to the leftmost wall and propped her up against the smooth stone. She was quickly joined by Anise and Veronica, who nearly pushed her aside trying to check on the well-being of the Noble night.

"Is she ok?!" Asked Anise in a panic.

"She's fine," huffed Maria. "She's just unconscious." She stepped back, allowing the two to do all the checkups they wanted.

Maria turned towards the raging river that flowed along without a care in the world. She felt the sting of cold air touch her soaked clothes and face. It was cold, very cold. The water had been nearly icy, and she remembered that the temperature was somewhere in the low fifties for today. If they didn't find a way to warm up and dry off they would be in serious trouble.

"It's fuckin' freezing out here. That river run was the last thing we needed," groaned the mercenary.

Veronica looked up towards the sky. She paced around the small area to try and get a good angle on the sun's position. "It took us all day to get here... It's got to be around two or three o'clock."

Anise took off her glove and pressed her bare hand against Lucy's face in an attempt to get a read on her body temperature. She turned to the two casually discussing their situation and snapped at them with a trembling, Irritated tongue. "Then quit standing around! You, soldier, go find us some material to make a fire! And Maria, try to get us something to eat. We won't last long without food."

Maria's head snapped from the river and locked into Anise with a look of pure disgust. "and what will you be doing?"

"Tending to Lady Lucy, of course! She's terribly cold, and needs someone to keep her warm." Anise hissed. She began removing the wet metal from the both of them, trying to get them down to their cloth clothes to better share body heat between them.

Maria conceded to her reasoning, although for some reason Anise's tone still managed to grate her nerves. "all right, we'll start trying to set up camp. Come on Veronica, let's go." She motioned the soldier to follow her through the narrow canyon path.

The two made their way through the tight corridor. It was just enough for one person to pass by comfortably, but no more than that. The high walls made the passage feel almost tunnel-like. Maria just prayed that the entire Canyon would not be this tight in space.

It wasn't long before they made it to a clearing, however. They were brought to a wider Canyon lowland. Water had pooled at the bottom to form a shallow pond. Black tree-like structures reached out from the water towards the sky, grasping for some unknown objective. To Maria, they seemed like palms reaching out in agony, although her parents always told her she had a vivid imagination. "What the hell are those things?" She pondered quietly.

Maria looked down at the water. It was completely still, but thankfully no higher than the soul of her shoes. "Be careful," she warned, "it's not very high, but still water is no joke."

"Right, I'll try not to fall." Veronica stepped out into the open. She headed directly for the strange tree-like structure as Maria began to scrub the walls for potential animal dens hidden within.

Veronica placed a hand on the strange object, feeling some amount of warmth through her glove. She took off the mitten and felt the extremely pleasant warmth against her fingers. She hugged the structure, pressing herself against the warming structure. "...Warm" she cooed.

The soldier's enjoyment of the warmth was cut short when she squeezed the black obelisk just a bit too hard. It let out a ghostly whale that caused her to nearly jump out of her chainmail. She wobbled backwards, almost slipping into the stagnated water. Veronica's head swiveled from place to place, trying desperately to find Maria. Much to her despair the mercenary was staring right at her. She saw everything, and to Veronica, that was the height of embarrassment.

Maria was more concerned with the screaming structure. She motioned for Veronica to back up as she approached the strange object. She cautiously examined its form and shape, gently probing it with no response. She then gave it a hard kick, and almost lost her soul to fear when it delivered the loudest, most blood-curdling screech she had ever heard. "Fucking hell!? What is this thing?!"

"I don't know, but it feels wooden, and it's warm," Veronica stated. She closed back in on the screaming tree. "Even if we can't light a fire with it. It could be the difference between hypothermia and being able to wake up tomorrow."

Maria sighed, she knew the soldier was right. "Alright then. Let's see if we can't get it out of the ground."

Both women positioned themselves on opposite sides of the ghostly structure. In order to tear something so large out of the ground they would have to enhance their bodies with Mana. Mana was something every woman had and could learn to control with practice. Mages would let mana flow through their minds to weave complex spells, but for these two simple warriors, it was all about channeling that energy through the muscles and skin to improve their strength. As Maria began to tear the tree from its roots with Veronica's aid she couldn't help but think back to the mysterious woman in robes who collapsed the bridge. Just how much mana was in that crystal? How would it feel to have that amount of sheer power flowing through a person? She was eager to find out.

The tree came out with some great effort. The sounds it made would have convinced any passerby that the most unimaginable horrors were taking place, but after its connection to the ground was severed it began to quiet down. "Alright, let's get it back to Lucy," directed the mercenary. "We'll carry it over our heads through the pass."

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The small walk felt like a delicate trek with the large warning rod carried above their heads. The tight canyon pass felt downright claustrophobic with the extra cargo. But not one complaint was uttered by either woman. They placed the abyssal structure down in the middle of the beach.

Anise raised an eyebrow. "What is that?"

"Don't know," replied Maria.

"But it's warm," added Veronica. "Place Lady Lucy on it. It should help her."

Anise was skeptical, but her body shuddering against the cold was more than enough to convince her to hear the two out. She carried Lucy's unconscious body over to the log and placed her on it belly down. The herald leaned on it herself and nearly melted over its warmth. There was an audible moan of relief as she tried to get as much of her body into contact with it.

"Careful," warned Maria, "It will make horrendous screams if you squeeze it too hard. We don't actually know what it is, but it's our only hope to keep warm."

Anise practically caressed the new source of heat. "It could sound like a boar in a butcher shop for all I care. I'll consider it payment."

Maria pat Veronica on her arm. "Let's go, we gotta get one for ourselves. I'm not in the mood to be huddled up like a group of winter pups."

The workhorse duo ended up bringing several logs back from the clearing, placing them together to form a makeshift bed. It was uneven, bumpy, and the branch-like tendons made lining them up a pain, but with a little effort, they managed to get something they could actually lay on.

They both collapsed onto the makeshift flatbed. Maria instantly felt relief wash over her as warmth seeped into her bones. She took off her metal chest plate, and after a bit of rolling around like a rotisserie chicken her cloak had become warm enough to use as a nice blanket, dampness be damned.

It was a quiet resting period as everyone tried to recover their strength and stave off the cold. Lucy was still unconscious, Anise had fallen soundly asleep, and Maria and Veronica were seemingly lost in their vice of stoic thought.

It was around this way for about an hour until Veronica broke the silence, her voice cutting through the sounds of rushing water and whistling winds. "Lady Maria-"

"Just. Maria," corrected the mercenary, her sharp speech came off more as a warning than a request.

"Sorry, Maria... What are we going to do for food?"

Troubled laughter filled the air. "Ah, that's the question ain't it? To be honest I didn't see a single edible thing in that clearing. I didn't even see any insects," Maria confessed. "Praying that there might be some fish in that river. The fact that we didn't all die means that it's gotta be pretty deep. Gotta be something in there."

There was a long, awkward pause as Veronica worked up her courage to make a request. "Can we... try and catch something?"

Maria sighed and rolled over to her side. "damn, I was just starting to get all warm and dry," she grumbled. "But I'll admit I'm getting hungry too. I'm sure those two had plenty of snacks in that carriage of theirs."

Staring into the gray sky, Veronica covered her face with her hands. "I hope my girls are alright. They should have retreated after we fell, but soldiers are a rash breed."

A third voice cut through the conversation. "That would only be a problem if those girls lack discipline," Anise Scoffed. She had been woken up by her light nap by Maria's coping laughter.

Maria rolled over to face Anise, angry veins barely contained the rage she felt. "That's rich, considering Lucy was the one who couldn't shut the hell up on that bridge back there!"

Anise lifted herself from her relaxed huddle. "That's Lady Lucy to you! And she was well within her right to assert her family's claim over this land!"

"My god would you please pop her dick out of your mouth for five seconds!?" Maria Mocked. She was all too ready to argue with the herald. The mercenary's black eyes seem to light up at the first signs of confrontation.

"E-Excuse me!?" Anise covered her heart. She had never been so offended.

"You heard me! The Opazyr haven't done shit with this land for as long as anyone can remember. It's possible that people have been living in these canyons for generations! And here you guys come talking about 'my land this and Opazyr that! Neither of you have any clue how to navigate a disadvantageous situation!"

"Preposterous! This barren land has been covered in ash for centuries. That woman was no native. She was clearly just here for the crystals."

"And how do you know that? We found a way to make it work in that stone shit hole we call Opal City, didn't we? Oh wait, you guys didn't do that huh? The peasantry found a way while you guys live off imported goods."

"Are you calling us lazy?!" Anise gripped the abyssal log underneath her. Her nails raked against its smooth surface, causing it to screech in agony. She jumped like a cat, letting out a pathetic yelp.

Maria smirked as Veronica tried her best to stifle a snicker. "If the shoe fits."

"Why you..." Anise dug her fingers into the sand to avoid triggering her screeching log. A gentle hand reached out and grasped her shoulder. The herald snapped her head towards Lucy who had a foggy look about her.

"What's with all the yelling?" The words barely managed to fumble out of her mouth with her face still planted on the log.

All that anger that was bubbling up just melted away. Anise nearly broke her neck to dote over the noble like a worried mother. "lady Lucy! You're awake?"

"Yes, but my head hurts. So I would appreciate it if you all could just keep your voices down."

"Yes ma'am, of course." Anise scowled at the two grunts, making sure to convey that their argument was far from over.

Maria simply scoffed and turned her back on the herald. Picking up her armor and cloak and putting them on again. "I'm gonna go scrounge for food. I want to see if we can find anything deeper into the canyon before I have to take another dip into that river. You game?" She asked, standing over Veronica.

The soldier shrugged and picked up her spear. "Better than just sitting around." The pair took off beyond the funnel leaving Anise to care for the laxed Lucy once again. Little did any of them know the eyes that watched them from the high Canyon walls.

Maria and Veronica traveled deeper into the Canyons. Past the screaming trees and through another narrow path was an empty clearing, free of water and lined with the bone-white Mana Crystals that were so vital to this operation.

The girls shuffled over to the nearest wall, distracted from their goal of food by the root of their troublesome predicament. "These gotta be the crystals Lady Fia was talkin' about," said Maria, looking more agitated than curious.

"Yeah... it's magical energy... pulsing like crazy." Veronica was transfixed on the Crystal. She reached out and placed a firm grasp on it. Her eyes widened and her grip tightened until the crystal exploded under her grip. Unlike the robed woman, she failed to absorb any power from the Crystal. She looked at her hand in horror.

"What was all that?" Maria asked.

Veronica backed away from the wall, clutching her spear tightly. "Something is wrong with those things... The hatred... It's evil."

"Huh, hatred?" Maria couldn't make a lick of sense out of what she was saying. But she was no fool, hatred and evil were all she needed to hear to motivate her to put at least a couple of feet between her and the gems.

She slung her arm around Veronica's shoulder as a stoic attempt at comforting her. "Well shit, if there's something wrong with these crystals then that could be a problem," explained the Mercenary.

"Not ours, though. We're just here to clear the place out. Let the Nobles figure it out." Veronica had a look of steel and grit. It was clear she didn't want to be there, and that was bringing out the soldier girl in her.

"Right, let's just do our jobs and go home."

"You should just skip to the part where you go home," howled the voice of an angry stranger.

The duo whipped around, coming face to face with another blue-robed woman standing on the ledge of the Canyon walls. On her right and left flank were strange creatures, wolves with scales in place of fur. Jagged teeth replaced what should have been the creatures' lips and drool dripped from their twisted maws. These creatures were descended; beasts who had been corrupted by negative energy caused by despair and human destruction.

Maria's eyes were locked in on the robed woman. In one hand was a short sword, in the other a crossbow. She seemed to have control over the horrendous monsters. her hood was down, letting the absolute disdain in her icy blue eyes shine under the cold sun.

"It seems she was right. You're still alive," she spat, jumping from her high ground, with her demented hounds following diligently.

Maria was quick to place her hands on the hilt of her blades. "So your allies with the bitch who blew out the bridge, right? I'm guessing there's no way to talk this out?"

"Perhaps," she responded. "If you agree to leave these canyons and never return, that could persuade me to let you go."

"Ahh, see, my hands are tied. Some very powerful people want the crystals in this canyon. They likely won't stop until they get it, sending body after body long after you've killed me and my friend here."

"So you are here for the deposits. Does the greed of the Opazyr know no limits?"

Maria scratched her cheek awkwardly, embarrassed on behalf of her employers. "Nah, nobles will gobble up anything worth a hot damn. The real question is why you gals are willing to scrap with people like that. Are you natives?"

The blue-robed woman held out her sword, pointing it towards the duo with pride. "I am Linette, and these azure robes represent the Crypt Keepers. It's our job to tend to the lands and civilizations of the past. This canyon is under our care." She dragged her foot across the rocky ground, tearing a gruesome gash into the stone. Screeching, crying souls escaped from the earth and fled towards the uncaring skies in a violent whirlwind.

"The spirits here are in agony," continued Linette, "and they tell us that the Opazyr are responsible for their pain."

Veronica raised her spear and pointed it at the Keeper. "Why would the spirits be angry with the Opazyr?"

Linette's crossbow whined underneath the force of her grip. She grit her teeth, unable to contain her rage. "To commit a sin is one thing... but to forget the crime was even committed is unforgivable! The punishment for such ignorance will be death! You can learn why the spirits hate you once you join them!" Her power flared up, the power of her mana on full display.

Maria drew her curved swords, a fiery, crimson aura wafting off her body. "Oh well, guess we're doing this."

Veronica widened her stance, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. "I'll handle those Descended, you take the woman."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," chirped the mercenary.

They had no more time for planning. The pearl-scaled hounds launched towards them, kicking up dust and debris as their initial leap carried them across the entire clearing while remaining just inches off the ground. Maria and Veronica split off from each other, with the soldier dashing in and taking the attention of both hounds.

Maria took the opening to dash in on her human prey. Linette was quick to respond with a shot from her crossbow aimed right at the mercenary's face. Maria swatted the bolt with one of her blades with a loud ping! She took a swipe at the Crypt Keeper with a horizontal slash, forcing her to backpedal to avoid it.

Linette held her crossbow up to the heavens, and as if receiving aid from a god, had her crossbow instantly reloaded. She swung her aim downward and shot at Maria's legs, forcing her to stop her advance of risk getting it.

Maria glared at Linette with hungry eyes. She lurched over, her curved blades gleaming like the fangs of a saber-tooth tiger, and her crimson aura resonated off her body like blood washing down a stream.

"Look at you," scoffed Linette, "your bloodlust is disgusting!"

"Shut up and fight!" barked Maria. "You wanted this. So we're doing this. It's that simple."

The two eyed each other up, looking for any means to paint the stone with the other's blood. Violence had been chosen and for Maria violence was a way of life, but would that life end up buried six feet in ash?