They were moving quickly through the open plain. At one point Farre moved closer to Larisa and whispered something into her ear.

“We’re almost here, so you better listen carefully, kura.” Whispered Farre aggressively. “This is a big deal, you understand? Once we’re in the premises you do not go wandering around. You stick to me and me only, yeah? It’s for your own sake and because you’ll have to, I guess. You see, everyone at the camp is going to be there for some reason or other. Soldiers, officers, workers, monks and kurnet academics. Every single one of them will want a piece of you. Your stuff, weapons, and your knowledge. Things like that. Captain will deal with them all if you’ll show him that you’re useful. So try to be useful and don’t pull a stunt like the one you did with Izaaj, you get me? Have I made myself clear?” Finished Farre.

It was wondrous to Larisa how much one could say in one breath. Not that Farre said it all in one breath but it was close enough to make Larisa wonder. And yes, she understood. She thought. Some things that Farre mention were a bit unclear to Larisa, but she believed she got the gist of the most important message. To be useful to this captain. Apparently, this person was a big deal. The apex predator of this group of humans. Larisa had to be careful with them, then.

“I understand.” Answered Larisa. Her response was met with silence and intense staring coming from Farre. Her brows were scrunched on her forehead and a layer of sweat could be seen forming on her temples. She opened her mouth as if to say something but then she closed it and sighed.

“We’ll see if you do. I sure hope so.” She said with closed eyes. “Can you at least promise me that you will not draw any of your weapons? If you do so it is going to end badly. Real bad.” Farre said with an emphasis on the word “bad”.

“Promise?” Asked Larisa.

“Yes, promise. Wait. Do you even know what that means?” Farre asked with a high-pitched voice.

“I think so. I believe I-” A memory. A flash. Something unveiled.

Hey, dear girl. Will you promise me you’ll stay here? For dad?

“Hey, Larisa! You alright?”

A hand sneaked its way to Larisa’s shoulder. She jerked back.

“Hal! I lost you here for a second. What happened?” Asked Farre.

“It’s nothing.” Larisa answered quickly. She wouldn’t even know how to begin to describe what that was. Some sort of memory, from before she was alone. Why did she remember now?

She was so confused by this. There was a flash of something in her mind, an image of a face almost Larisa had an impression it was a face like hers. Pale with light hair and cold green eyes. She remembered there was a terrible tremble and a warm hand on her head. It was her dad. She was sure of that. Why couldn’t she remember something like that? What happened to her to forget?

“We’re here.” Izaaj said from behind them. This revelation had to wait. She couldn’t think about it right now.

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

“Stay back for a second.” Izaaj pointed to both Larisa and Farre as they stood outside some sort of fence. It was made of wood stick with two lines of rope attached to each of them. It didn’t look to Larisa like it could ward anything off, but the Izaaj pulled a metal box out of his pocket. It looked like the same one Farre had. The box with the blue powder. Farre called it halcite, Larisa remembered.

Izaaj opened the box and almost did the same thing Farre did when they heard Izaaj voice. He put some of that powder on his hands, hid the box and grabbed the rope. A flame went out of the rope and enveloped Izaaj’s hands but he did not make a sound. He then pulled the rope that was hung higher than the other and made space.

“Go on. Move. It’s gonna burn out quickly.” Farre moved after throwing her pack and walking stick behind the fence.

“Make sure to not touch the rope.” Said Farre as she crossed. Larisa then did the same thing. Izaaj followed after them.

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Then, just like that, they were inside the camp.

Larisa looked around and noticed a lot of people walking around. When they were standing behind the fence she actually didn’t see as much movement as she did now. Was something obscuring the inside of the camp? How? Larisa’s mind could not grasp such a thing.

The people inside this camp looked similar to both Farre and Izaaj. Some had red hair, some dark hair. Some had tawny skin, some very dark skin. None looked like Larisa. None had light hair and white skin.

Some people stood and looked at her. They whispered things to one another that Larisa could not understand. What she did catch was one word. Nachtak. Why would this people feel this strongly about her simply based on how she looked like? Larisa didn’t like it. Those humans were also very silly, it seemed.

“Alright. Sergeant, please wait here with your guest. I’ll go and see if the captain is available to see you. It’s still early, so there might be a lot of things happening. Please do not move from here.”

“Understood, lieutenant.” Said Farre and Izaaj were gone. They were left here by themselves.

Farre sat on the ground and relaxed. That Larisa could see. She also sensed calmness in the air coming from her. There was a sense of contentment. That made Larisa happy, but it also made her realize another thing. She didn’t sense anything in the Essence from Izaaj before. Shouldn't she felt something? These people too. There was Essence in the air, but emotion was scarce. Were those people simply unfeeling? Even if not intense there should have been something wafting through the air.

“Farre.” Larisa said.

“Hmm? What is it? Why are you standing? Sit down. The grass is soft.” Farre clapped the space near her. Larisa sat down.

“I can’t sense their emotion.”

“I see. It’s probably the halcite. Some people wear some on them. It’s said it could block some things.”

“Don’t you have halcite in your toy box?” Asked Larisa.

“Toy box?! That is not a toy box. That is an army issued metal container with crushed halcite rations. That doesn’t do anything like a rock of the stuff.” Said Farre.

That didn’t tell Larisa much, but at least the fault did not lay with her.

Larisa’s contemplation was interrupted by something in the air. More specifically, there was a shift in the Essence. It was the same thing Larisa felt when they were nearing camp. A song of power rang through the air as it came closer and closer to Larisa and Farre.

Larisa wasn’t the only person who noticed. Farre shifted where she was sitting and moving people stopped and moved away from the space between two of the tents. Someone or something was coming to them,

Larisa got up.

“Hey, what are you doing? Sit back down.” Said Farre with a slight tremble in her voice.

Then there was someone entering Larisa’s vision. She was the source of the song in the Essence. The beautiful staccato of power that rang loudly and clearly. Her presence felt like a cold, fresh brush of a wind and a warm, intense ray of sunlight on flesh.

She looked slightly different from others in camp. Her skin tone was the most similar to Larisa. Cold beige with red hue coloured her flesh. Her hair was as dark as Izaaj’s but possessed a golden sheen to it.

She walked slowly with what appeared to be guards on her sides. On her face Larisa could see a bright smile stretched wide with blood-red lips. Her eyes had a cold tone of frozen water on a starry night. A wondrous colour of blue that shined brightly against her dark lashes.

She was the most striking person Larisa’s ever seen. Not that she’s seen many but still. She was sure that this woman was magnificent.

She wore a dark grey robe with red stripes on the sleeves. Around her neck hung a bright blue rock that Larisa could tell was halcite.

As she came closer to them, Larisa became aware of her body and how it responded to the presence of this woman. Her heart was beating fast, but it was not from fear and a place under her navel screamed hotly at Larisa with hunger she has never felt before. Such a strange feeling, Larisa thought. She did not hate it.

“Hello there. I hope I’m not interrupting anything. Are you sergeant Farre Lerto and a woman by the name of Larisa?” The beautiful woman’s voice asked and it had a gentle, light quality to it. Though, Larisa could tell there was something more to it. The woman’s hands were clenched in fists and her body was angled towards Larisa and Farre. Were it not for the lack of sweat on the woman’s forehead and a big smile on her face, Larisa would’ve thought she was about to attack them. This was something else. Was it excitement?

“Yes, ma’am. And with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?” Asked Farre as she got up from her place on the grass.

“Oh! Wonderful that I was right.” She clasped her hands together. “Nice to meet you both. My name is Ha’na Raan-Tan and I’ve been waiting for someone like you.” She stretched her hand out to Larisa.

What was she supposed to give her? Maybe her weapons? If this woman asked that of Larisa she might be inclined to comply.

“What are you doing?! Shake her hand!” An aggressive whisper came from Farre. That made a lot more sense.

Larisa shook the woman’s hand and had a feeling they will see each other a lot in the coming days.