“Sergeant! Here, we can almost see you!” A deep voice came from further ahead. Larisa and Farre were walking as fast as they possibly could without breaking into a full sprint towards the person that called to them.

Larisa’s heart beat strongly and loudly, she could feel as the thuds reverberated in her chest and as the vibration travelled through her upper body. She has never been this nervous. This was all so strange to Larisa. Just a couple of days ago she was hunting and gathering in the jungle she called home, and now she was about to venture into a new world. A world full of people like her. Mostly, that is.

As they broke through the last wall of the verdant trees Larisa was elated as well as a little disappointed at what she saw. True, that before her stretched an expanse of land she could never imagine would exist. How the grass would be so tall and so few trees and bushes would grace the verdant land. Larisa felt as if she stepped on a moon. In her dreams she often imagined what that would be like. This image before her, anchored in the real feelings like the wind brushing softly against Larisa’s skin and a smell so clean grazing her nose, felt as alien to her as those dreams. Larisa could feel how lighter she has become, that if she took another step forward she’d be able to step on air. A weight lifted from the expectations she created for this moment.

The disappointment came to Larisa in the form of a person. A figure similar to Farre but so different still. Dressed in crinkly old leathers, that were still somehow in a better state than Farre’s, and taller than her by half a head. The figure — a man Larisa speculated — was still smaller than Larisa. By a head at least. Were those people especially tiny or was Larisa that massive? A question that needed to be answered, definitely, said Larisa to herself.

The man, for that was what she must’ve been looking at, had skin even darker than Farre’s. Of a warm and shadow-like hue. His eyes, looked like Farre’s — although the distance and the bright sunlight, could’ve mistaken Larisa’s eyes — were the same colour of midnight green.

He looked disgruntled as his hair stood in tiny spikes on the top of his head and the lower part of his face was covered, in what Larisa first thought was that was some gnarly substance. At closer inspection though his face was covered in hair. A beard it must've been. How… unsettling.

“Lieutenant! It's so nice to see you!” Said Farre, as she came closer to the unknown man. She still used the walking stick as her leg wound was still tender, though over the last few days Larisa noticed it quickly improve. She’d be able to run in two weeks, Larisa thought.

“You too, sergeant! Everybody’s at camp thought you wouldn’t come back, it’s been almost two weeks! Oh! Where are sergeants Saar and Tevron? I thought they went out with you?” Izaaj asked Farre. She looked down, and then her eyes went to where Larisa stood. She didn’t move from the edge of the jungle and was just looking at the interaction between Farre and Izaaj.

“I’m afraid I’m not coming back with good news, but something much stranger.”

“What do you-” Izaaj started to say as he followed where Farre was looking. Larisa could feel the weight of his eyes settle upon her and tensed in preparation. For what, Larisa wasn’t quite sure. She actually hadn’t thought much about how the people would react to her presence. Farre pulled a knife on her the first time they met, and that thought didn’t fill Larisa’s imagination with positive scenarios. Though, Farre’s situation was a bit different. She laid injured then. This man was fully capable of violence, Larisa suspected.

“Sergeant, who is that?” The man said as he put his hand on his hip. It was then when Larisa realized he had a weapon. A knife. Similar to Farre’s by the shape of it. A long dagger that was slightly curved on the tip. The sheath was dark brown and was shining in the bright sunlight. He didn’t take it out. Larisa slightly relaxed, though her hand was itching to reach for her own dagger.

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“This is Larisa. Would you come closer? Izaaj’s alright. Aren’t you?” Said Farre as she looked into Larisa’s direction, then her eyes briefly looked at Izaaj.

Larisa started to move slowly to where the two stood. Both, Farre and Izaaj were looking at her as she moved closer. Then Larisa’s ears heard a whisper.

“You trust her? A Nachtak?” Izaaj whispered to Farre. The last word made his lips curl downward. It felt like a bad thing.

Farre told Larisa before that she looked like this nachtak. Maybe it had something to do with how all three of them looked different.

It reminded Larisa a bit about the creatures that lived deep in the lakes. In the jungle there were very few of them, and Larisa always steered clear of their edges. She’s never seen any of them, but the books described creatures both innocent and dangerous that lived in those pits of cold water. The upper body looked almost like that of a human, with arms too long and necks too thin. With fins and scales covering their skin. The body where the legs should be was that of a fish. A tail with long fins that in the drawing looked like sharp palm leaves. Apparently there were different types of those creatures. One was named aquarius and was an innocent beast, that was skittish and swift. There was also a description of a creature that looked similar but had skin as dark as oil and eyes as bright as the moon. They were called vila and were the most dangerous creature in any lake. Their gaze could paralyse and their skin, upon touch, could compel anyone to follow the vila. Then in the depths of the lake, as the prey was dragged down, they would feast upon their flesh.

Similar but different. Larisa wondered which one of the three of them was the vila, and who was an innocent aquarius.

“Do I trust her? She’s the reason I’m not dead. She’s going to be a reason why anyone who goes into the jungle’s not dead. So, with due respect, lieutenant, please take us both to the captain. I have a report to make.” Farre knew Larisa could hear the whispers. The wind was always kind to her and carried all sorts of sounds, so Farre didn’t even bother whispering back to Izaaj.

“I see. Very well, sergeant. Captain will decide, but for the sake of all of our safety I’d need her weapons.” Izaaj said as Larisa came right behind Farre.

They would take Larisa’s weapons? What a thought. They were as silly as Farre was sometimes.

“No.” Said Larisa. As her voice graced the surrounding air both Izaaj and Farre slightly jumped. Larisa almost jumped too as her voice carried on the wind uninterrupted by vegetation and was able to echo through the space around. It felt strong and sure. Larisa liked how she sounded. In the jungle being too loud could get you killed, but this was not the jungle any longer. Different rules had to apply. Larisa had to learn them or make her own. Not giving this man her weapons was one such thing.

“I’m afraid that was not a question. I require them if you want to go into the camp grounds.” Izaaj said, this time around instead of an unsure whisper his voice carried command.

Larisa did not listen to silly men.

“I said no.” She noticed Izaaj’s hand tensed on the handle of his blade. Larisa’s hand went to her own.

“This is stupid.” Said Farre. “Lieutenant, I understand the rules, but this is a special situation. She needs to see the captain. You can stand guard, right? If she tries something —” Farre looked at Larisa with squinted eyes. “— then you’ll be there to intervene, right?”

Izaaj didn’t respond and stood quiet for a few seconds. Larisa carefully watched him for any signs of action but instead of escalating he slightly relaxed. Larisa did not.

“We’ll do as you say, sergeant. You move first, and I’ll be behind.” Izaaj gestured for us to move. “Go on.”

Larisa did not feel very comfortable with Izaaj at her back, but the wind was kind and would tell her if Izaaj tried something. His Essence was low, but not as low as Farre’s, so Larisa would have to take that into consideration as well, if something were to happen.

The closer they moved to the camp, the more Larisa saw on the horizon. Spiked buildings of cloth could be seen from the distance and dark and light shapes of people were walking around them.

As they came closer and closer Larisa could tell there was a presence there. More powerful than cienja. Sharper and more refined. Their Essence sang loudly and clear and Larisa was suddenly attracted to it and wary of it.

They moved faster, as Larisa got more and more excited.