Limerick’s Grand Sentinels, an incredible team of Knights within the Coven of the Fianna who reigned absolute only a short 15 years ago. Amongst the group stood a man unrivaled by his peers, a man heralded as the “Reincarnation of Llewellyn the Unifier.” Yet despite their overwhelming might, they met their end as quickly as their rise had occurred. However, in the shadow of their legacy a new generation had risen: a generation of unfathomable potential. And chief amongst them stands a lone light from an unremarkable village, a boy who would one day fell a calamity.

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With an eruption of steam the red and black locomotive came to a slow and screeching stop. After a few seconds of mechanical clicking and venting the doors pulled away and the passengers began to exit. Amongst the sea of people a single hooded man emerged from the cab. His sun damaged red fur cloak hung just above his ankles, concealing his entire figure within. Outside of the pale grayish-tan fur that covered his shoulder, only a pair of dark metal tipped boots accentuated the cloak. He took a step and began to move across the light brick tapestry that made up the station floor with soft silent footwork. Killian’s cloaked eyes darted across the crowd and station proper as he weaved through. He didn’t like this city, in fact, he never had. The air always felt dirty. Not dirty in the sense of pollution, but something much more sinister. Plenty of assignments had forced him here, usually to meet one person in particular, but each time he had felt that sinking dread grow ever so slightly larger. And this time was no different. Making his way down the steps that acted as the entrance to the station platform his eyes momentarily lingered on the welcome sign, earning a small sigh of annoyance from the man. “Get in. Get out.” He told himself calmly while locking eyes with a patrolling guard. He was clad in all black with traces of blue, and a distinctly large brimmed hat. Killian offered a nod while the guard uttered the same message inscribed on the sign: “Welcome to Connacht.”

In the wake of the turbulent storm, the Scar had been blanketed by a cool and crisp few days. The basin region was the most damaged with large trenches, burnt forest patches, and changes to the river network from the beast's display of power. After the beast had retreated various members of the Scars guard had descended to tame the damage before making a quick retreat before sunrise. The evening's accompanying wind was gentle and allowed for a slightly chilled yet gentle graze across the skin. Trees and bushes rustled and the faint sound of fabric flapping hit the ears in time with the soft whistle of the air. Everything was calm, everything was serene.

Kieren’s eyes shot open and his body violently jerked forward. Before he even realized, his body was quickly and forcefully yanked back down. His breathing, despite just waking, was already incredibly stiff and sporadic. The boy's eyes shot down to see what had held him. Around his wrists were makeshift ropes that were rather thoroughly knotted, securing him to wooden posts driven into the ground. With a quick and rather uncomfortable lift of his head to confirm his ankles were in the same situation, he lowered it with a sigh. “Wonderful…”

He was alive, which he was undeniably happy over, yet the situation was hardly ideal. The final thing he remembered was a sharp pain in the back of his neck. She had every possible chance to end him there, or after, but it appeared she didn’t. Instead she chose to restrain him, a choice he found oddly perplexing.

Looking around was all he could really do, so that’s what he did. The tent was small, only large enough to shield his strapped body from the elements and allow someone else enough room to enter. No table or anything to potentially use nearby. “Cramped…” There wasn’t anything he could use, so the option left to him was brute force. Using a firm tug he gauged the strength of the wood and immediately gave up. There was absolutely no way he would break it, better yet pull it out without destroying his arm. “How do you even get it this tight?” He laid his head back down defeated and began to think of what to do. What would he say? Should he greet her, thank her, or plead? None of those sounded great to him, especially after the destruction his pride had already taken.

The curtain parted and a faint ray light filled the small tent. Kieren winced and blinked while his eyes fully adjusted to the silent silhouette. He blinked again and let out a smile. “Mind lending a hand?”

Grian let out a chuckle and then fell into a full fit of laughter. “There’s so much I wanna say to that.” He managed to speak through the laughter and tears.

“How about we start with ‘sure’.” The redhead retorted with a chuckle.

Grian smirked and turned out of the tent. “He’s up. Want me to let him out, or do you still wanna talk to him first?” Kieren raised a brow. Grian nodded and looked back with a single hand prayer. “Best of luck!”

“Wait what?” Kieren quickly barked as Grian left and the light dissipated. So many thoughts raced through his mind, but the most important one was that Grian was okay. She had gone out of her way to save him during the storm, so it wasn’t too surprising, but a massive relief nonetheless. Almost as important was the notion of him working with her- if it was her outside.

A small hand pulled the fabric door back and his heart rate began to escalate. Once again his eyes struggled to adapt to the rapid shifting light levels, and the silhouette brief harkened back the crimson haired demoness he briefly encountered. Before he could fully adapt she spoke. “Feeling well?” Her words were peaceful, void of any and all echoes of anger or malice. Instead they were laced in a genuine curiosity and caring edge. The racing of his heart quelled as she came into focus.

“Yeah, I think so…” He paused. ‘It’s not Medb, calm down.’ He told himself before quickly trying and lift both of his wrists. “Aside from the ties I guess.”

Her red eyes blinked and moved from each of them and then dismissed the comment. “You friend confirmed you weren’t his enemy, so I-”

“I told you.” Kieren cut her off. The tent fell into a brief silent spell.

“You came into the clearing with two weapons, during a night that already reeked of death.” She defended herself, despite being the one in full control. “And I couldn’t get a good read on your scent.”

“I smelled bad?”

“No. It was just far too conflicting.” Her hand released the tent door flap and she moved in, untying the wraps around his wrists and ankles.

He didn’t quite understand what she was saying, but decided to not dig much more to avoid ruining his soon to be freedom. While watching her work, he noticed the bandages around her hand and wrist. “Sorry about that.”

With a tug the first wrist tie came undone. “You were simply defending yourself, you have nothing to apologize for.”

“Not all of it was self-defense.” Guilt radiated off his words.

“You mean your final gambit?” Another wrap came undone.

“Yeah.”

“Desperation.” Her answer was as cold as it was truthful. “You had no way of knowing how I would treat you if you lost, going for the kill was the correct choice.” She paused to look at him. “Just as I needed to take precaution to ensure you wouldn’t attack the moment you woke up.”

Kieren stewed in her response for a few seconds. “Fair point.” She was clearly far from angry at the damage he dealt to her, but that only made the recoil of the event all the harder on him. “Why did you save him?”

“Your friend I presume?”

“Both of us.”

The second to last wrap came off. “He smelt like a good person. And you- you turned out to be one. At least that’s what I hoped.”

“Do you judge people through smell?” She gave a half nod in response. “And what about me?” He gave a teasing grin as she looked up as the final strap came off. “You said I smelled bad, right?”

“Your coin.” He blinked at her response in confusion. She scratched the tip of her nose. “The one you had, at least, reeked. I couldn’t separate the scents until afterwards. Thankfully it seems to have just been your coin. Your scent isn’t anything close to it.”

Kieren’s fist met his palm in a eureka moment. “Medb’s coin!” He exclaimed into a light chuckle and a smile. “Everything makes sense now. So it really was just one giant misunderstanding. Good, that’s a relief.” With an exhale Kieren pushed out his hand to her. “Then, if you aren’t mad about the cuts, mind if we have a proper introduction?” The boy blinked a moment at the brief silence she gave him. He quickly pulled his hand back and put them together. “And if you are, I’m sure I can try and make it up to you.”

For the first time she offered a gentle laugh and held out her hand. “Rhiannon.” Kieren’s eyes widened a bit. Her tone was soft, and the name that left her lips was oddly calming to him. He couldn’t quite peg the emotion, but he couldn’t help but don a wide smile as he shook her hand. When their hands finally met, an odd feeling washed over him. Her touch was far too cold. Yet, despite wanting to ask, he chose to give her the same trust she was clearly showing him by offering the handshake. And so he simply responded to her greeting with one of his own.

“Kieren. Nice to finally metcha, Rhiannon.”

The two emerged from the tent to the calming breezing of the evening. Kieren squinted from the sun's direct light. Both of these together acted as a perfect reminder and final confirmation that he had, in fact, survived. He gave a very small smile before looking around. Situated on the lakeside, the camp was incredibly simple and small. Clear signs of it being a temporary and quickly assembled were everywhere. The only part that seemed rather thought out was the tent he came from. Aside from the tent, a few fur pelts on the ground served as beds around a rock ringed fire pit. Everything seemed to have likely been tossed together shortly after the storm subsided.

The redhead turned to thank his host again, but froze. It was the first time he had a good look at her under proper light. The storm offered flashes of glimpse, but it was hazy and brief. This time he was finally able to get a look, and what he saw was not at all what he imagined. She was pale but not sickly. Standing roughly the same height as he was, she showed obvious signs of physical training. Her hair- a beautiful whitish blue, hung just below her shoulders and hid her ears while her bangs parted from the left and hung just low enough to shroud the top of her right eye. Beneath her left were two small horizontal beauty marks. All of this was framed around the deep red eyes that he had become very familiar with during the storm. She looked otherworldly, an appearance that matched the display of strength the other night.

Grian shot off from a pelt and lifted his arm. Ecstatic to see him finally awake and out of the tent, the smile he had was radiant. Kieren raised his own, and the two’s forearms collided. “I didn’t get a chance earlier, but thanks.”

Kieren raised a brow while his eyes shot immediately to the burn scars on his friend's wrist. “For?”

Grian pulled his arm back and gestured at Rhiannon who was in the process of making her way to the lake. “She told me about the other night when I woke up. Thanks for trying so hard to save me. I thought I was a goner, guess I almost was more than once.”

“Makes two of us.” The redhead immediately added to a joint laugh between the two. “You would have done the same for me though-“ He paused to shrug. “Least’ that’s the impression I got.”

“I don’t know, you were a stick in the mud for a while.” Grian teased. “You’ve gotten better though, I’d say you’re almost fun to be around. There’s hope for you yet.”

Kieren rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks.” His eyes returned to the wrists. “How’d that happen?”

Grian tilted his head a moment in confusion. Kieren in turn pointed and the boy let out a slightly embarrassed chuckle. “Forget I had them. Got them when our group was attacked-” his words momentarily trailed off before his jovial tone kicked back in. “But hey! They look cool, right?”

“They do, I’ll give you that.” He then followed his first question by barely tilting his head to look over to the girl who was now kneeling at the water’s edge. “Honest thoughts?”

He looked in the direction and then gave a smile. “She’s a good one. Woke up with bandages all over and it looked like she tried to dress any cuts I had.” Turning back to Kieren, Grian gave a small curt shrug. “She saved us both, after giving you an ass whooping of course.”

“Was that last part necessary?”

“Take it up with her.” He snickered. “But, yeah, she strikes me as a good one.”

“Good.”

“Now it’s my turn for a question.” Kieren raised a brow as Grian’s words. “Sorry for the shift, but I don’t know a better way to bring this up.” Grian took a deep breath and proceeded to ask. ”Before I went after… Tarbh… I sent my group in your direction. Three girls. Did you see them at all?” Grian’s words were oddly calm, yet Kieren could feel a sad hesitation to the question. He wanted an answer, but the prospect of what it could be wasn’t something he was likely ready for.

Kieren lowered his head. “Let’s sit down. I’ll fill you in on everything that happened.” The two moved to the furs on the ground and sat down. Once they were situated, Kieren took a deep breath and began to go over all the events that had transpired that night from his perspective. His chance wake up, the accidental run in with Mona, and everything through the encounter with Medb that resulted in his arrival to the lakeside. Throughout the entire story Grian sat in silence, processing the events with not a single question nor a comment. Shortly after he had begun to tell the story, Rhiannon returned from the lakefront and joined the two. She, like Grian, did not interrupt the story and simply listened. Once Kieren had gotten to the part of the lake, he glanced over to Rhiannon. “And what’s when I ran into her.” Before letting out a small breath at the conclusion of his tale.

“So Brea didn’t make it.” Grian’s words came out cold.

“No, she didn’t. I’m sorry.”

“But last time you saw them, Mona and Cerra were still fine, right?”

“Yeah. I sent them to the lake we all came in around.”

Grian drummed his fingers against his thigh as he thought. Before he could speak, a new voice entered the conversation. “Excuse my interruption, but if I’m thinking of the same lake you are, it’s not too far away.” Rhiannon chimed in to the surprise of the boys. “I would not recommend departing tonight, but a trip at sunrise would be simple.”

“Why not tonight?” Grian asked.

“The damage caused by that creature likely damaged many of the landmarks we would have used to navigate. A single wrong discussion brought on by a hint of confusion could lead to any number of issues.”

Kieren blinked a bit. “That’s… a really good point.”

“Yeah...”

Rhiannon looked at each of the boys and then down. “My apologies, I shouldn’t have eavesdropped.”

Kieren and Grian shot each other a small smile. Besides her advice, she helped lift their spirits and lightened the mood tremendously. “No need to apologize. If anything, I’m more shocked yah want to help us.” Kieren smiled.

“At least until you’ve reunited with the others.” She quickly answered. “Had you and I not fought, you all would have been reunited much sooner.”

“I won’t say no to the help!” Grian added. “I’m sure the Mona’d love to meet you. Plus you and Cerra could do some sparring, she’s always trying to get a bit stronger.”

Rhiannon looked at Kieren and took a mental note of the boys pained expression. She didn’t quite understand it, but then again, interactions as a whole were still a bit foreign to her. “If our goal is to find them tomorrow, we should rest.”

The group quickly agreed and parted to their individual areas. Kieren was given the tent despite insisting Rhiannon should have it. She was a creature of habit, and breaking that for a single night would have been far more annoying than helpful. She also wanted some time alone with her thoughts- time to try and figure out that look on Kieren’s face. Laying on the fur she pressed her head against her arm and looked on at the shimmering waters. Another night under the moon, the same as it had been since she arrived in the Scar. Yet now she was in the company of two others, a feeling she was still unsure of. The soft waves, crickets, and wind did little to calm Grian, who looked restlessly deep into the forest beyond.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The group of three emerged from the treeline and onto the riverbank. Rhiannon looked around until her eyes landed on the water. She turned to her right and gestured to her companions. “This way.”

While running Grian looked around to the various fallen trees and remnants of shattered rocks. He bit down on his lip. “Be safe you two.” He whispered to himself before turning to Kieren. “Do you think we’re past the camp?”

“Yeah.” Kieren shot back an answer.

“We should have exited close to the lake.” Rhiannon added. “I used this route for fishing.”

“Really?” Kieren questioned.

“The rivers calm, especially at night.”

As he listened to Rhiannon's answer, a rather large boulder on the shoreline came into view. “Wait…” He muttered as his eyes scanned it in passing. His vision then immediately shot to the treeline in time with his realization to where they were. “My camp…” He told himself before shaking his head and refocused. He’d have to check it later, first they had to get to the girls.

The group ran for another good while before they finally entered the area they were searching. Grian and Kieren were panting, but despite this, all three began to call out the names of the two the ladder had given and the former confirmed.

“Cerra!”

“Mona!”

Their shouts echoed through the opening, across the rugged valley walls, and into the trees. The three continued to fan out over the grounds in search. Kieren took to the far line, Rhiannon looked through the water and the beach, and Grian immediately made his way to a very specific part of the tree line.

His footsteps were as heavy as his breathing. The first day he met each of them were days he would always remember, but Mona’s was easily the one that stuck out to him the most. Like the fateful night it was raining, and she was huddled under some blankets from her pack. All she had was the protection of the tree cover above, the valley wall she leaned against, and the warmth of the wet blankets. She was near hypothermic when he found her, and he had to work quickly just to set up a fire to ensure she would survive. The pained and terrified look on her face was something he’d always remember. “Fire’s your friend.” He told the quiet stranger. “When you're alone and cold, it gives you some warmth and some light. Come here, I’ll teach yah how to make one.” The memory faded as his heavy steps slowly came to a stop.

Leaning motionless against the wall was Mona. Her body was thin and frail, far from the healthy young woman he had been with only a few days ago. Before he could speak her eyes moved to him. She was alive. “Mona!” He shouted into a dive, wrapping his arms tightly around the straw doll of a girl.

The sudden echoed shout caught the other two’s attention and they immediately moved towards him. The sight of the girl made Rhiannon’s stomach sick. “What ha-” Kieren’s arm moved in front to stop her. She shot a look at him, and he shook his head at the question she was about to ask. “We need to get her back to camp.” She told Grian while looking at Kieren, to which he lowered his arm and nodded.

The boy pulled away and gave a nod. “Yeah. But first, Mona, do you know where Cerra is?” The name alone sent her into a frenzy of tears. Grian was shocked and immediately turned back to the other two. Then, almost as quickly as he turned to look at them, he steeled himself and looked back to her. With both arms he hoisted her off the ground. She was light, far too light for someone who was alone only as long as she was. His eyes narrowed. She must have been panicked and crying the whole time and ran herself ragged. “Let’s go.” He spoke with a soft pivot back. “I can’t run, so don’t go far.”

“Actually-” Kieren chimed in immediately. “My old camp is closer. We can break there.”

Grian gave a smile. “Sounds like a plan, lead the way.”

The rather brief trip by way of sprinting was elongated to hours. Occasionally they would need to stop to check on their charge, allowing her to rest a moment before continuing. None of the group wanted to speed up out of fear of harming Mona, so they quietly and slowly made their way down the riverbank and to the familiar boulder. Kieren turned back to the group and pointed into the forest. “I’ll do a quick check to make sure it’s safe.” He waited for Grian’s usual quip for a moment, which never came, and then left in silence. After only a few minutes the boy emerged and waved the others in. “It’s a mess, but it’ll work.”

After a brief venture through the foliage and down a barely trodden path, the group emerged into the small clearing Kieren had been using as a camp for months. To call it a mess was far from the truth. The guests looked around in a mixture of shock and confusion at the destroyed campsite. Each piece he had set up or touched had been thoroughly searched and, in most cases, destroyed.

“What the hell happened here…?” Grian asked with a step.

“Someone was looking for something…” Rhiannon instinctively added.

“Yup.” Kieren answered as he knelt to begin repairing the firepit. “When I woke up I heard footsteps, or at least that’s what I think I heard, so I booked it.” He turned back. “Looks like I made it out just in time.”

Grian lowered Mona onto the ground near the pit and joined the restoration. “I’ll say.” After a quick check, Rhiannon left to gather some kindling and wood while the two put the finishing touches on the pit. The minimal restoration only took around half an hour, and shortly after returning with the firewood Rhiannon had a fire going. Letting out a proud huff she turned her attention skyward.

“It’s already setting…”

“Seriously?” Kieren shot a look up with a few blinks. He had wanted to ask Grian’s plans once they were settled, but after looking at the boy, Kieren gave up. “Hey, Rhiannon.” The redhead asked. “Mind helping me gather some firewood?”

“Do we need more?”

“I just want to make sure we have enough for the night.” His answer perplexed her, but she chose not to question it much and agreed to go with him. Kieren then immediately turned to Grian. “Mind looking after the place for a bit?”

“Leave it to us.” Grian answered with a silent ‘thank you’ mouthed after. Pushing and adjusting the kindling, Grian watched the two disappear in the treeline. He chose to wait a little longer before gathering himself together. “I know I said it on the way here, but I’m happy you’re here.”

“I don’t know where she is…” Mona finally broke her silence, earning a quick and jerky turn of Grian’s head. Her eyes were dim and heavily focused on the dancing flames.

“Cerra?”

“...Yeah.”

“But she was alive when you saw her last, right?”

“Mhm…”

He gave a smile and tossed a stick into the fire. “Then I’m sure she’s fine. She’s smarter than most of us.” His words were answered by silence, and he chose to continue. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you all…”

The statement seemed to immediately yank Mona from her isolation and she turned to him. Her mouth was open, but no words came out. Her mind was struggling to formulate a sentence. All she could do was a simple: “Don’t say that.” The awkward silence lingered over the fire. Neither knew what to say, and both wanted to say so much. Her eyes met his wrists and immediately broke the silence. “Do they hurt?” Her question was met with a gentle point.

“Yeah.” His honest answer was a tad shocking to her, expecting his usual invincible mystique. “Whenever the wind hits them it’s pretty bad. Don’t let them know though-” A smile accompanied a gesture to where the two had left. “I don’t want them finding out. What about you, are you okay?”

“I guess.” How could he still make a joke? She had known him for what felt like forever at this point, and yet his ability to always pull a smile from her, especially now, was borderline superhuman. “Tell me about them, please.”

“Them?” Grian tilted his head.

“Those two.”

Grian smiled and tossed and adjusted himself. “Where do I even start…”

Kieren emerged from the tree line with Rhiannon just slightly behind him. She resisted the urge to question him the entire silent walk over, but buckled immediately once they arrived at the river. “Didn’t we go to get firewood?”

The boy looked back with a raised bow. “Oh that? Nah, that was a lie.” Without missing a beat he leaped over the large rock and took a seat.

“Then why did we come here?” She continued to question.

“C’mere.” He waved from behind the rock. She let out a sigh and rather reluctantly made her way over. “You’re new to this whole thing, aren’tcha?” He asked once she neared the water.

“What thing?”

Kieren chuckled and tossed a pebble, skipping it three times before it plummeted into the flowing water. “Being around people.” His answer was oddly soft compared to his usual tone. Before she could answer he added: “Don’t worry, so am I. Well, kinda I guess.”

The addition completely blindsided her, earning a single “Huh?” out of her as she quickly turned down to him.

“Those two have a lot to talk about, and we’d only be in their way. Best to give ‘em space, ‘least that’s what I think.” Another rock was slung across the water, this one only skipping twice.

She stood in silence for a moment and watched the fish jump from the water in reaction to the skipping rocks. He was right about her not having much experience around people, She never had many chances to interact with anyone, better yet people her age. Her eyes lingered on the water moment before she took a seat. “That was nice of you.”

“Nah.” Kieren answered immediately and slung another rock. “Just what I felt they needed. No clue if it was the right thing to do or not. Like I said, I’m kinda new to this whole thing. No one really my age back home, so I probably suck at it.”

“That makes two of us.” Her voice was on the quieter side as if to hide an inkling of embarrassment. Kieren turned to look at her with a slight smirk, which she met with nervous “What?”

“Nothin’, just nice knowing I’m not alone.” With a snicker he picked a rock from the ground and held it out of her. It took a few moments of confusion but Rhiannon eventually took it from him. “Grian’s the exact opposite, so I feel like I have to match the energy. But I might be overthinking things- usually do.” He took another rock and sent it sailing across the water. “So as long as you're here, let’s try and figure this thing out together.”

Rhiannon eyed the rock in her hand for a moment before raising a brow. “You expected me to stick around?”

“Hoped.” He corrected her with a sly smile. “I hoped you would.”

“Why?”

“I wanna learn some stuff from yah. Y’know, get better, and you were really good in our fight.” His innocent smile and praise caught her by surprise. “So I hoped you’d stick around and teach me some stuff at least and maybe make a pal in the process.” The genuine desire he had to learn from her came across crystal clear. That final exchange flashed through her mind again. His eyes, his movements, his strategy, all of it perplexed her in the moment and still did even now. She couldn’t figure out how to describe it, but it was an intrigue she wanted to make sense of. The girl's eyes never deceived her, and yet it felt like they blatantly lied to her in that moment. The rock left her hand and skipped across the river with a quick throw.

“For now.” She answered, still unsure of what she wanted to do. Originally she had planned to leave after making sure the group was reunited, and yet now she had an interest in staying. “That’s all I can promise.”

Her slight smile earned an excited smirk from the boy. “All I can ask for! Of, if I do somethin’ dumb, don’t go laughing at me, alright?” The two sat by the river and exchanged a few questions about their fight. Why she took certain movements, or why he responded the way he did. The awkwardness between them, for the most part, seemed to evaporate once they were honest with each other. Neither were exactly great around people, but they both had a deep respect for the art of combat. That mutual love allowed them to connect. Their discussion lasted for a while longer before Kieren broke it off by standing up. “We should get back.” He let Rhiannon take the lead, and narrowed his eyes as she did so. He had caught a glimpse of it in the morning, but had become keenly aware of it since their arrival at the river. It was too soon to question though. He could have easily been wrong, but he was certain now. No matter how many times he ran the fight through his head he knew without a shadow a doubt that her hair was partially black that night.

Rhiannon emerged into the campsite first. The first thing she noticed was the atmosphere had lightened tremendously since they left. Mona had even looked up from the fire at her. “I guess he did make the right call.” She thought to herself as Kieren emerged from the dark brush. His return earned an immediate lunge from Mona, who almost tackled him with a hug. The two returners blinked in unison as a chuckle rang out from Grian.

She struggled to push the words out. Her body was shaking and fighting its desire to give into the tears. Kieren shot a look at Rhiannon who was absolutely lost, and then to Grian who held out his arms with a wink. He took a small breath and embraced her. Her shaking began to calm down and after a few moments longer she was finally able to get her words out. “Thank you…”

He blinked and then his face lowered into a confused frown, earning a small reaction from Rhiannon. “You don’t need to thank me.” His eyes narrowed into thin wedges of regret. “I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough.”

What followed was a song of tears from the girl whose head buried itself into him. All he could do was hold onto her and let her unload every ounce of agony she had. After a long while she pulled away with deep red bags under her eyes. Wiping the tears away she gave a fractured smile and the three returned to the fire. Their night was a somber one. They sat around the fire and bathed in an atmosphere everyone realized wouldn’t dissipate until the morning. They would have plenty more nights to talk, plenty more chances to learn about each other, and ample time to grow close. For now, however, somber silence was the tone each of them went to sleep with.

Kieren remained awake longer than the others. Equal parts due to the memories of his final moments here prior and being on the lookout for his mysterious angel. He was convinced it had saved him at least once, perhaps even twice that night, and yet was choosing to be absent now. For a creature he once felt a genuine fear of, he found its absence now rather saddening. “Hope it’s okay…” He muttered to himself while finally drifting off.

The next morning none of them needed to confirm where they were going- they knew. Rhiannon was the only one who lacked the knowledge or attachment to see the reason, so she chose to follow from the rear. Kieren, however, took to the front of the group and Mona rode on Grian’s back just behind. They not only knew where they were going, but each sought to find some closure for what happened that night. The river was calm, as was the overall weather around them. The sun's rays bathed down uninterrupted by clouds. After a while, Kieren came to a stop and looked around. It was nearly exactly as he recalled it- at least what he could recall through the flashes of lightning. Following the events of the beasts' descent, small trenches seemed to have been burned into the region, along with the occasional evidence of now extinguished trees. Grian took a step forward to admire the area. “This the spot?”

“Yeah…” Kieren glanced around. This was where he fought the group of Medb’s thugs before parting with the girls. The glaring lack of blood or bodies finally registered, earning a confused: “But where are their-…” His words trailed off again as he knelt and pushed some of the debris away. He knew he had left the men, so there had to be something here. Medb didn’t seem bothered by the thought of her men dying, but perhaps she had returned for their bodies. The redhead dug a small whole before he found what looked like a small remnant of dried blood and not a hint of a body. “What the-“

“Singers.” Rhiannon answered quickly.

Mona and Grian gave each other a quick look as if expecting the other to know. “Singers?” They questioned in unison.

“Medb mentioned those. What are they?”

“The black winged insect creatures.” The girl added. The three looked at her with genuine confusion, sparking a gentle raise of her brow. “Did you not read the notebook?”

“Mine had plant types in it and some important creatures I could hunt later on.” Kieren answered. The notebooks information on plants had done a lot to save him. Despite his fathers best efforts at training the boy, plant and mushrooms and the ability to identify and distinguish them was something he sorely lacked.

“Mine got wet.” The two looked at Grian. “Woah don’t give me that look, I fell into a lake. You can’t blame me for it getting wet.”

“Mine um-“ Mona twitched. “Mine also fell into the lake.”

“How’d you survive the-… you know what, I’m not going to ask.” Kieren let out a sigh before turning back to Rhiannon. “So what do these Singers have to do with the missing bodies?”

“I’m not sure on the specifics, the notebook didn’t go into detail, but they appear to eat corpses. Specifically human. They aren’t ever seen around the common wildlife.”

“They eat the dead?” Grian's voice was equal part confused and disgusted.

She lifted her arm to the scene. “And it appears to be true.”

“That’s revolting…” Kieren added.

“So then Brea-“

Grian turned to her the best he could. His first instinct was to confirm it as there was little to no evidence to suggest anything else. And yet he found himself caught on a single detail in the stories both she and Kieren had told him. “Both of you said Cerra was fine when you left. Knowing her, I bet she saw to a burial of some kind. Anything more dignified than whatever those things would do to her.”

In one fell swoop Grian had prevented both Mona’s return to sorrow and yet another night of painful silence. His optimism earned a smile from his teammates. The group went to work preparing an empty grave for the fallen. Using a tree as a headstone, Grian carved her name into it while the other piled rocks in the shape of a mound. Once done they paid their respects with a long moment of silence and gave a few words. Each of her teammates spoke of their time together, their meeting, and their fondest memories and then closed with some of the knowledge she had passed onto them. While they spoke Kieren and Rhiannon stood in silence, strangers to the funeral before them. And yet they didn’t once think of complaining. For all the lack of experience they had, they understood how important this was. After the two had made peace, the group of four thanked her one last time and then left to return to Rhiannon’s camp one last time. They would rest for one final night and then leave the safety of the basin region.

“You’re gonna want to see this.” Grian said enthusiastically. The hike from the camp was by no means hard, but the terrain was on the more jagged side. A clear path had been carved that winded up the hill and inner wall. At times it could be slightly precarious, but mostly it was just rocks and potholes carved by flowing water. The entire trek was further slowed by Grian carrying Mona. Emotionally she was doing better, but physically she would need another few weeks to make a full recovery. Ahead of Kieren was a small opening in the trees that Grian and the others stood in. Once he got there he was greeted by a beautiful view of the basin. The rivers that wind down the hills and walls and pooled into the lake they all entered to the slightly damaged forests from the beast's attack.

Before he could say anything, Rhiannon turned around and gave a smile. “Take a look.” The three turned and their jaws dropped.

“That’s where we’re going?” Kieren broke the silence.

“The view up top didn’t do this justice at all…” Grian added.

“It’s… beautiful.” Mona finished them off.

The tree clearing was indistinguishable from a portal. The basin, for all its natural beauty, was oddly tame compared to the stories. Through this lone clearing, a portion of the rest of the Devil’s Scar, and every story made sense. Waterfalls cascading down the oppressive cliffaces acted like natural curtains that fed into a deeply breathtaking river network complete with marsh, almost swamp like, regions. In addition massive columns of rock jet ascend from the dense multi-colored forests and juggles. And yet what struck Kieren most was the massive skyscraper of a tree that seemed in the center of all of it. From below he couldn’t figure out if it extended over the Scar’s walls, but the linger rainbows around its branches from the waterfalls off its robust bark were enough to convey a genuine feeling of gigantism. Behind them was a beautiful but manicured region safe for someone’s arrival. Before them, however, was nature at its apex. As gorgeous as it was powerful and breathtaking as it was dangerous.

Grian took the first step forward and almost broke into a sprint with Mona in his arms who gave a yelp at the sudden movement. Rhiannon turned back to Kieren who was still frozen in awe at the view. “Ready?”

With a deep breath the redhead turned to her and gave a wide grin with an answer: “Yeah.” The two charged after the other, running into the cauldron of nature’s chaos in search of their dreams- and the countdown to their misery fully underway.