"See." The mayor sneered, his lips curving into a malicious grin. "If she had nothing to hide, why run?"

"Eckhart's return to the town, your presence is not warranted anymore. And if I find out you caused harm to my people, I will find you. Remember that."

Jensen and Jared lowered their heads; there was little they could do to contend with the mayor's doubts. They turned and walked away. Jared whispered to Jensen, "Why'd she run, bro?"

"She has a troubled past, Jare. It was likely the chains..." Jensen muttered with striking believability.

"Dammit, even so. This isn't a good look for either of us now."

"I know, Jare. Priscilla can protect herself; she'll be fine. We just have to stay safe on our side and let her figure it out." Jensen sighed helplessly. He did not want to let the girl fight on her own, but he could not afford to put his family at risk by disobeying the mayor's orders.

"The rest of you fan out—find the woman and capture her. Only you, Calvin; take the girls back to my office in the town hall."

"Yes, sir! Should I bring a medic to check on them as well?" Calvin asked.

"No need. I'll bring one once I return."

They all dispersed; Jensen and Jared returned to town, as did Calvin with the girls. Only the mayor remained sitting atop his steed with arms crossed in front of him. His eyes flickered imperceptibly as a buzzing droned near his ear. His lips curled into a grin as he rode back into town.

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Priscilla found herself wandering the woods, her mind distracted at the thought of the townspeople turning on her; occasional birds chirped and cawed as they flew overhead, but for the most part, besides her feet crunching branches and leaves underneath— there was only silence. It was rather lonely as she walked. Priscilla sighed and muttered to herself, "Priscilla... oh Priscilla, what are you doing?"

Priscilla found herself sitting on the edge of a small riverbed with her feet dangling in the water. She embraced her knees as her eyes reflected in the clear water. The glimmers of tears carefully caressed the corners of them as she watched the flowing water.

'Why do people turn on me so easily?' Priscilla wondered. 'Is it just my destiny in this life? Or what?'

'But it can't be... it was too sudden.' She splashed the water with her foot, lifting it into an arc that spread to the other side. 'Is there something wrong with the mayor?'

'There's also those men and the Skriythe.' Priscilla's head hurt as the countless implications swirled within it. "I wish Rin was here..." A soft sigh echoed, weightless against the streaming water.

Priscilla kicked her feet, lost in thought. 'No, I can't go on like this...'

'There's too many strange things happening all at once. Something malicious must be afoot. And if so, Hallie, Jensen, and everyone else is terribly in danger.'

She stood up, her head lowered, reflecting against the clear blue water. The resoluteness mirrored back at her. Priscilla saw the strands of blue jutting off her torn gown and smiled. Despite not knowing why, the gown had stuck with her for a long time, but it was time for a change.

Priscilla leaped into the air, her body shuffling silently through the crowns of trees. She headed toward the town once more, diverting her path just slightly to come in from a different side than where she left from. With her speed, it was not long until Priscilla came upon an open-spaced resting area typically used by merchant groups. There, she laid her eyes upon several carriages and pitched tents.

Several men and women gathered around a stoked bonfire with its crackles and huffs. They roasted meat and drank with great fanfare while they talked among each other. Despite being near the town, they preferred to indulge in the freedom of the wilderness. Priscilla slithered into the area, halting atop a tree and having a clear vision over their resting ground.

"Can't wait until this job is over with; I'm so tired of these impoverished towns." One man muttered before belching loudly as grease coated his lips. "Count Blackthorn better pay generously."

"Oh, would you give it a rest, Mason; you're always complaining." A woman replied with a shrewish and gaudy laugh. "We have enough goods to appease his little mistresses for as long as he needs them. I'm sure he'll pay sufficient."

"He better! The empire's damn annoying as of late. Everyone's so restless and irksome. I just want to return and spend the weeks in a nice brothel." Mason huffed, stoking the flames with his sword.

"Why not spend it with me instead?" The shrewish woman laughed, her legs spreading at an angle. She lowered her torso forward, emphasizing her misshapen breasts.

Mason snickered condescendingly, but he stood up anyway, picking the woman up and taking her to one of the tents.

The others merely laughed and indulged as if it were but a normal occurrence.

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Priscilla watched and listened with unconcealed disgust on her face. When she was younger, she had seen numerous kinds of merchants, the power, wealth, and fame hungering vermin of noble society. But these people were the lowest of the low that she had ever witnessed.

She acted in a moment of distraction for the merchants and approached their carriages silently. Priscilla shifted downward through the tree, soft rustles blowing in the wind as she grabbed two mid-sized sacks from the back of the carriage and vanished into the woods.

"WHO'S THERE?" One of the men hollered as he jumped to his feet. He grabbed his sword and walked around with careful steps.

Mason grunted as he spread the tent folds slightly with his trousers rolled around his ankles. "What's the hubbub, Aiden?" He questioned with a snark.

"Thought I heard something... guess it's nothing." Aiden retorted before returning to his seat. "You can go back to your exercise." He laughed.

'Must be the wind...' He thought as he bit into the skewered meat. His eyes darted across the open rest area, but there was nothing but the chatter of his companions and the trembling tent folds nearby.

Priscilla found a small alcove where she sat, going through the sacks she seized from the merchants. There, she dug up several gowns and skirts, chemises of various sizes, and several other garments one would expect. After searching through the items, Priscilla found a few that looked fitting for her.

She removed her cerulean gown, revealing her unblemished skin glistening beneath. Unmarred by the flames and torment that once plagued her, only the grooves of power lined her frame, etched imperceptibly. They were invisible to the naked eye but ever-present. With a hemp chemise in hand, she wore it tightly, feeling the restrictive binding far rougher than the one she removed. It was tough, but she knew that for the sake of movement and the battles to come— it was far better.

The new gown she chose was a mix of commoner and noble styles; it featured a simple undyed brown linen skirt that wrapped tight around her waist and a loosely fitted cotton top that was a pristinely clean white; it puffed slightly around her shoulders. While the back of it was open in a modestly seductive v-shape that revealed her soft skin. The white top fit great under her raven dark hair that sat at her shoulders.

Priscilla threw all the garments, including her old gown, into the sacks and set them ablaze. She smiled as the ashes blew in the wind and leaped into the air, her skirt twirling around as she propelled herself through the trees. 'Running be damned. If they want to fight— so be it!'

She headed for the town with a purposeful mind; she would find the mayor and reason with him. If he did not care for reasoning, then he would need to learn. And if something were wrong with him, she would solve that far easier. Her lips curved into a beaming grin as a spark flashed through her eyes. 'Freedom— is beautiful! Strength— is a necessity!'

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Within a dining chamber in the town hall, the mayor sat, joined by the girls that the Church of Zenith and the count's men had abducted. Plates lined the table in front of the girls filled with steamy meat and vegetables. Their once pale faces had regained much of the color they should have had as they eyed the food hungrily.

"Eat, girls. Eat! It's my treat for you being so brave when faced with those bad men."

The girls loosened up immediately and dug into their plates. Savoring every bite. Their cheeks puffed up and turned rosy from the warmth of the meal.

The mayor merely smiled silently as an incessant droning buzz stirred in his ear— he eyed the girls with his elbows on the table and hands clasped in front of his face. "Is it good?"

"Mhmm! It's amazing!" A muffled reply came almost in unison from the girls.

The man's eyes flickered— the buzzing intensifying as he craned his neck from side to side. "That's wonderful. Eat up, and make sure not to leave anything leftover." He laughed.

The girls continued until their plates were empty. A wave of drowsiness hit them as their eyes flickered. One of the girls tried to stand up, but weakness struck like lightning, and she toppled onto the ground. The others were startled when she fell, but the same weakness overcame them.

'Consume them— embrace the Zenith and purge thyself of the desolation of the new world.'

'Receive thy blessing— the power sits within reach— will you grasp it?'

The mayor slammed his hand against the table with a loud, dull thud. His head craned at a sharp angle as he eyed the girls. Nagging. Incessant and shrill— it droned against his mental state. Pounding vigorously— forcing him toward a breaking point.

He walked over to one of the girls kneeling beside her with a blade in hand. Taking it to her hand and slicing her fingers off. He dripped her blood into his mouth, feeling indulgent greed from it. The man's pupils dilated and narrowed, flickering in response as he sucked the blood from the source.

'More— consume it until nothing remains.'

'Think about the power— the vitality you so desperately crave.'

He continued slicing into the girl. Piece by piece.

His face wriggled freely— veins bulging and rippling like a swarm of worms. Sickening squelches and groans dripping from his lips with every suckling taste. The man vomited, blood and puke dribbling down his face as he panicked, bent down and lapped the floor up, unwilling to risk a drop of the holy nectar.

His back muscles were taut against his lace shirt. Slamming against the fabric as surges of otherworldly force rippled through his body. 'I need more... no— there's not enough.' He thought as his eyes flickered toward the remaining girls. 'More, there must be more in town.'

The mayor stood up, cracking his neck and readjusting it before his face returned to a stilling calm. He wiped his face off and walked out of the dining hall and locked it behind him. After a few turns, he found Calvin, "Calvin— give the order that everyone's dismissed today and tomorrow. Times are tough these days. They should spend some time with their families."

"Also, prepare a group of loyal men; we have some work to do. I'm afraid we have rebels hiding within the town."

"Sir?" Calvin questioned, "Are you certain? We haven't had rebels in years."

The mayor glared at the man before slapping his hand against Carson's shoulder. "If I said so, that means I'm certain. Do as you're commanded, Calvin."

"As you wish, sir. I'll get on that then..." Calvin nodded.

The mayor stood with his arms crossed, watching as Calvin left. The staff began to leave as ordered, and the building became a ghost town where only the man and several loyalists remained. "This is how it should be." He laughed. His eyes flickered rapidly as an uncomfortable hunger set in. He dug his fingers into his arm, bracing himself tightly as he fought against the scathing urges that boiled within.