Arcadius glanced at Alison as she cast a cloak of darkness around them: eyes shut tight, breath slow and steady, hands clasped together. He made sure to pull carefully on the oars so as to not bother her. The boat eased forward, their presence a slight shadow moving through the water. His eyes peered behind him, at the brilliant place they would have to pass through. Buildings that acted as warehouses and common shops lined the river bank, a few open to make merry. From there, a wooden pier extended outwards into the river where multiple ships were docked. He could hear singing and the occasional shouting but mostly the joyous cries of celebration. He imagined no one would pay attention to the comings and goings of the river. Not on this day.

But even so, Alison had decided to accompany him back to the town. He turned to look at her, at the calm face and poise she maintained while faint shimmers of darkness emitted and spiraled around her to settle as a clock over them. She did not seem to be phased by the day’s happenings: the ghoul, fairy grove or the smugglers.

Arcadius shuddered. It’s not like he had taken a liking to the smugglers. Boss never gave his name and tended to grunt rather than speak. Dan liked to braid and comb his long hair and would sometimes force Arcadius to help him. Moursh liked to talk and talk: about the battlefield, his tales of heroism and sometimes the improvised dishes he made with the simplest of ingredients. Actually, today he was supposed to tell him the dish that got him so big and strong. Big at least.

But now he was gone. All of them were and she had done them so without the simplest explanation or concern. Ever the calm face.

Would he be gone like that as well? There was a ghoul she was protecting, and she lied about being a light priestess. A ghoul! There was no way she would let him live. Is this why she came? He turned to look back at the pier’s lights as he rowed. He could feel his heart flutter and his lungs contract as they struggled to breath. If she was going to do it, he didn’t want to see.

"I'm done."

He turned to look at Alison, her sparkling blue eyes gazing right into him. He gulped. He could never tell what went on behind those jewels. He averted his eyes. She had no such problem.

"Are you wondering why I came with you?” she said, leaning back into a comfortable position. “The Dead Lands are a hostile place to be traveling at night. You’ve come many times a day but during the daylight you hear nothing but the animals that roam with the sun. It is at night when foul beasts come out to hunt.”

“It is obvious Ark. You need not ask the question. You would not have made it home.”

His hand slipped on the oar and the boat swayed and Arcadius adjusted himself to keep the boat afloat. Composing himself, he took it closer to the opposite bank, pushing and pulling the oars more robustly than before. There where the ships were, he made for the deepest shadows. But as they crossed the ships, his hands stopped and the boat shifted in place. Hands clammy at the sight, he now noticed the lone figures that wandered about.

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“I could have left you the boat. But not everyone has the joy of celebrating this day.”

There were those that ambled, flask in hand as they grunted against the guard duty they had been stuck with. Another leaned against the railing of his ship, yawning, his droopy eyes looking at the children that ran by, a smile crossing his face. But what made Arcadius' heart shake cold was the figure on the grandest of ships. On the quarterdeck of the gallant vessel stood his very fright: a dark green coat fluttering gently, a black iron mask reflecting faint moonlight, and yellow cloth obscuring any hair as it draped to the shoulders. He knew who it was, the employer that had asked for a smuggled barrel of Rejune.

He knew not if it was a man or a woman. But that person looked out into the river, eyes restlessly sweeping back and forth as if expecting something from the nothingness.

"It takes only one person to start asking unanswerable questions. Although, I imagine that person would have done more than asked questions." Alison remarked. “Do they know you worked with the three smugglers?”

He frantically shook his head from side to side, shivering at the thought of his most definite fate without Alison. He looked toward where he thought the fairy grove lay, still bodies in his memory.

"Good, then no one will know you were there. You did well to come warn me quietly." Alison craned her head forward at the children running amok. "We won't be able to land here without being seen. Take us around and get us to the river."

Arcadius' eyes almost bulged out at her words. As of now, their boat was close to the ship farthest from the bustle of noise. Alison asked him to travel around the ships, under the gaze of the restless figure, and go into the river that cut through the middle of the town. The river they were on was lined with its own shops and taverns but that river! That river would be bustling with life the farther they went in, they would surely be seen.

"Doubting my power? I think you know by now I'm much more than a Light Priestess. As long as you don't touch anyone and I stay on, no one will be able to notice our presence. But those kids, I have a feeling that, as soon as I get off, one of them will come jumbling out. And I'm not in the mood for anymore premature death today."

Arcadius lowered his head. He had forgotten that Alison was not who he thought she was. Not who the whole town thought she was.

The Light Priestess, ordered to stay to oversee the transportation of Rejune a year ago. The Light Priestess who never left her home except to visit the church. The Light Priestess who looked upon the deceased's family with cold indifference as they begged and cried for help. The Light Priestess who went out of her way to hunt down smugglers who dared steal Rejune from her stock. The Light Priestess who handed you a knife when you asked to buy Rejune, an arm and a leg she said. The Light Priestess who was not a woman but a monster cloaked in white.

The Light Priestess who was adored as a goddess by the most zealous believers who prayed and wailed outside her home. And the Light Priestess who had taken his life when he was so close to death. But a Light Priestess none the less.

He tightened his grip around the oars and pulled one arm to turn the boat. Head turned back, he made sure to avoid the ships as he caressed the river. The boat moved forward, merging with each and every shadow behind the ships. It was when they reached the largest shadow that he felt a tug at his pants. He faced forward to see Alison pointing upward.

A jarring creaking groan came from above as heavy footsteps walked toward them. He watched as a squat mound of flesh appeared next to the stoic green watchtower who continued to overlook the river.