Lia couldn't trust Hector. She made her way through the remains of her small village, picking through for supplies. A band of knights had eliminated everything - a group that had come supposedly due to the workings of that strange person in the cave. It felt all too convenient. A bolt in the stomach, she was on the brink of death. In fact, she would have been dead if that boy hadn't showed up. His methods were unfathomable. His motives are questionable. His goal is unknown. A strange man - one that didn't warrant any trust even though her life was saved by him.

A dagger here, a bag there, she gathered supplies one by one. Hector had saved her and was immediately sending her out, not that she had a problem with it. There was a dangerous aura about him. She would have to rally for help outside of his bounds. The two dogs in her shadow made worry. She could feel them stirring and watching. Something would always be watching her.

Everything she needed was assembled: a bag full of food, a dirty dagger, a shoddy bow and some arrows. Hector said the shadow dogs would protect her, but she wasn't going to rely on them nor completely trust his words. Without delay, she headed west. The faster she could get away, the more time she would have to think about what to do.

Her village was burned so she didn't have much of a home to return to. There was a hole in her heart, but she would have been able to live regardless. The last several years she spent travelling anyways. Her being at the village was just a quick visit for family and friends. Inside her was a knot, a knot that pulsated and dragged behind her. There was only one complication: Hector had told her that she appeared to him as a member of the dungeon, a confirmation to something she already determined. Having her life saved by some dungeon entity had consequences. Consequences she was aware of the moment she came to.

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A pool of raw energy sat in her. An indescribable connecting sensation to the boy named Hector. The ability to understand those monsters behind him, something unheard of. What life is there for me if that thing turned me into a monster? If Hector's words were honest and his intentions true, staying under him might not be a bad situation. She chuckled to herself, living in a dungeon with a human as its core was an interesting idea.

She suppressed her amusement. Hector could not be trusted. There was no reason for her to - yet anyways. Until she could determine what stance to take on Hector, the best bet would be to assume the worse for there is nothing scarier than a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Jourd was a little ways away. It was a town situated close to the tall mountain rage. A quaint and quiet place so she had heard. Supplies would be an issue considering the journey would take many days, but there were plenty of small towns and villages along the way. All sorts of things would be available there, she knew from her travels.

In her hand was the letters Hector had given her. Besides the ones he asked to mail, there was one he added on addressed to that friend of his. She was curious, wanted to pry it open and read it, but restrained herself from looking. Hector could be watching. She trekked her way through the brush. Her village wasn’t out in the middle of nowhere; there were paths and routes made for travelling, but nothing paved or formal. Soon she would be able to reach a main road and hasten her pace away from here.

Lia's best course of action was to do as she was told. Only when she was out of sight could she find a way to maneuver out of this situation. Learning who Hector really was would be the first step. Monster or man, who, or what, was he?