The setting starlight chilled the group's hearts as the nighttime wind blew past their ears. They trudged through stone as they dug through each crevice and bend of the mountainous valley. Their bodies heaved with the weight of the journey, no matter how resilient the group was, the trek was arduous and the pressure of the things they had seen weighed even heavier on their minds.
''Gild really is a disaster for man.'' Jensen joked as he thought of all the money they planned on making; only for it to turn into an explicit nightmare. His leg slipped on the uneven stone, causing him to flail, desperately grabbing with his other leg, holding on to the path beneath him.
''Focus on the damn path, bonehead.'' Jared chided from beneath as he ducked his dead, dodging a stone that was buckling down aiming for his head, dislodged by Jensen's antics.
''Sorry, sorry!'' he muttered apologetically as he pushed himself up higher.
It was a sorry sight to behold as they climbed the mountainside in an attempt to bridge the path beyond it, the valley shriveled into a tightened pit that one couldn't dig through if they tried, they had to go up and find another way, but the steep cliffs threw them for a loop. The one having the easiest time had been Priscilla, being lighter and more agile she found herself easily navigating the stony cliffside with haste. Behind her Hallie had a similarly better time than Jensen and Jared, even Ferro hung on behind the two women without too much issue; sadly the two meatheads struggled to have such an easy time as the other three did.
''We're almost there, don't stop now.'' Ferro muttered as he forced himself to keep on par with the ladies.
Finally they reached the top of their cliff, finding a flattened overhang that they could climb on towards a walkable path. They rejoiced as they flattened onto the ground one after the other, resting their weary bodies for a moment. Sometimes life was a vicious mistress that caused you endless pain, and this was one of those moments.
Priscilla lay prone like a starfish feeling the earth's thrumming song beneath her back as she sighed. ''So what should we even do now? We have to do something to stop those things— warn someone...''
''It's difficult, Pris.'' Jared spoke up. ''It's not a problem to go back, or to divert our path to another town, but those things were wearing the mask of Imperial guards; without knowing the truth of the matter, we don't know if the Empire itself is damned or just those few that attacked the town.''
''He's right— for once.'' Jensen added. ''Our best bet is just heading into sandlands and trying to get some help there... as unlikely as it may be.''
''Damned if we do, damned if we don't! This fucking Empire, we never should've come into town.'' Hallie muttered angrily.
''What's done is done, honey. At least the kids are away from there.'' Jensen said, embracing the woman from behind.
The atmosphere stilled into a silence. There was little anyone could do or say to brighten up the situation, their options limited, and their moods dampened. They could only trek on. Moving through the barely stable path was a chore, they navigated it in a line with Priscilla and Ferro at the forefront followed by Jensen and Hallie and lastly Jared. A feeble attempt at balancing themselves out by size, a method to support one another. The darkened sky made it difficult— increasingly so, to get anywhere, but they couldn't afford to rest. They didn't know if the creatures would follow, if they'd find them. They had to make space and get away as soon as possible no matter how difficult it was.
Soon they found a rain-formed path that seemed wide enough to traverse as they made their way through the steep mountainside. They saw the sandy biome bloom in their sight as they crossed deep enough into the path, all they had to do was find a way down and they'd be all set, but before they could the skies opened up sending an unholy downpour upon them. Dreadful— no place to escape, no cover to be found. They could only hurry their steps to try and avoid it as much as possible, to get themselves down and find another path to the valley or even a cavern if the Star allowed it.
It was wishful thinking however as the heavy rain softened the topsoil, the closer they got to where they wanted to be the steeper the slope also became and the thinner the path grew, Priscilla took a awkward step feeling the softened soil collapse around her foot. A chain reaction formed almost immediately as the earth slid underneath her, the entire mountain roiled as stones tumbled with increasing velocity— her body pulled, she found herself sliding along with it. Ferro reacted quickly grabbing her wrist, but the change was so sudden he was pulled along with her. The others reacted, as quickly as one could expect them to, but they were a few steps behind, and it cost them.
''NO!'' Jensen roared, wanting to dive down and grab them, but Hallie held him back shaking her head.
''We have to hurry down, it's impossible to follow them down the slope, we'll all die!'' she said unwillingly. They still had kids to feed, They couldn't throw their lives down a hill for the sake of an uncertain fate.
''Dammit, have the heavens forsaken us?'' Jared scowled, clicking his tongue in frustration. ''Why's everything happening to us?''
''Hell if I know!'' Jens added angrily. ''Let's hurry down, they should be okay— they have to be!''
The three were put under an immediate burden as they had to carefully traverse the cliffside, yet move as quickly as possible, the darkness hid the mountain under its shadowy embrace, they couldn't see Priscilla or Ferro, they heard the rolling rubble and the crashing impact, but they could only hope for their friends to figure something out.
Meanwhile Priscilla felt the tightness in her body as she rolled down the slippery slope, wounds scattered across her face and limbs, Ferro held onto her wrist, but he was hardly in a better position as a stone belted him into the head, his forehead bleeding badly as he struggled to hold on. She felt the desperate thud in her heart as it accelerated, the tension rising inside of her. She focused herself, trying to harness the strength inside of her, but it wasn't budging; as her thoughts focused on the inside she broke out of it when she heard a loud scream. Ferro was bleeding profusely as a stone slammed itself into his head, his body numbed as he let go of her wrist, his body accelerating past her from the force of the impact slamming into him.
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Priscilla panicked, she reached out to grab him but just barely missed, the lunge caused her to tumble harder, her body caught in the landslide without mercy. The two of them were swept up and buried in its path. The woman's body reacted as her breaths stalled and eyes shut, her beating heart plunged into an icy abyss, yet it stirred with unshakable frenzy. Her forehead glowed with radiant intensity as it illuminated the night. It shielded her, protected her from the inevitable that was to come. She was beat down badly, broken bones, fractured limbs, but she was alive. For that was the only thing that truly mattered.
''Hala, Imperial woman.'' a man's voice broke through, his tan figure illuminated by the rising starlight.
''Lah, she's not dead.'' another added, kneeling down to look at the woman.
There Priscilla lay covered in sand and rubble, her eyes shut deeply in her unconscious state. Blood drenched her once pristine white top, the hem of her skirt was torn to shreds. Her leather light armor scuffed terribly, but it served its purpose; somewhat at least.
''Haah, what to do?'' the first man asked while scratching his head in confusion. Imperial's were the enemy, should they just leave her to die? He didn't know.
''Lanamata, bring her to Mother.'' the second said still kneeling beside her. The man turned around and waved to his companion to put her on his back.
They moved through the sand with light steps as they made their way into its depths, the dunes shifted along the morning wind carrying sand in its wake, but the men were skilled and native to the place, the beasts writhing through the sand ignored them, and the sand couldn't stop them. They soon made their way to a sprawling village that spread as far as the eye could see. Calling it a village felt offensive as it seemed it could be a booming city instead. The men went through countless people as they passed the simple adobe abodes, attracting countless stares towards the white-skinned Imperial woman.
''Hoon, who is this?'' one man spoke up from the side of the roadway.
''Lah, landslide brought woman down, found her in the sand.'' the man replied.
''Hooh, leave her to die!'' the man said dismissively.
''Lahn, Mother will decide her fate.'' the man reassured, continuing towards the Matriarch's palace.
As they went deep into the village they reached a large adobe palace, guarded by dozens of men at every entrance. The men bypassed them with the woman and walked in through the corridors and towards a deeply entrenched throne room. Brightly illuminated from a wide circular opening in the ceiling and well adorned with relics of their long-present culture. On the throne a woman sat, her tanned skin glistening under the starlight, her gown draped around her adorned with gold, enhancing every shred of her enchanting form, on her forehead a large white gemstone embedded into the center of it. The woman was warm, she had the bearing fitting of someone called 'mother', but within that warmth was also a seriousness and dignity truly befitting a ruler. She had the poise and power none would dare underestimate, for if they did they would learn to regret it.
''Mother Ora, we found Imperial woman buried.'' one of the men said, as the other knelt down to place the woman on the room's floor.
The woman's eyes widened slightly as she took in the girl's form, she was badly battered and bloodied, it was miraculous enough that she was alive, but what struck her more was the faint outline on her forehead. The woman jolted out of her throne, stepping on the warm palace flooring with her bare feet that jingled with every step she took as the golden anklets clashed against one another. ''This girl...''
''Take her to my chamber and head to the elder shaman and bring her here.'' she said, her gaze softening as she looked at the girl. She knelt down beside Priscilla, caressing her face gently. ''Truly...'' she muttered gently, before standing up to let the men move her.
The men quickly brought her to the Matriarch's chamber where they laid her down on soft cotton bedding that enveloped her battered body. The room was a pristine white that seemed almost foreign in this nation of sand, but it showed a charm that far surpassed the sayings the Empire had about these people.
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In Priscilla's unconscious mind she found herself swirling through a storm of her own making, her mind and heart felt a stabbing detachment from reality as she wept in a corner afraid and alone. She saw herself as a child running after a butterfly while her mother watched cheerfully, she was such an active child that loved the world, and her mother loved her for it. Mother wanted her to be the brightest star in the night's sky, no matter the cost. She tormented herself for that dream, damned herself into a life most would find unworthy of living, all for the sake of her daughter. A lone woman in the darkest reaches of the Empire, her past and her story hidden buried in her heart. The world thought her a fool, naive and blinded by blood; yet the woman lived more clever and wise than any would ever know.
Priscilla shivered uncontrollably, her mother's smiling face etched into her sight, yet disfigured beyond belief. The flesh rotted from her turning the smile into a terrifying grimace. It was the day she passed away, Priscilla was there... wasn't she? No but mother is retching and heaving on the floor, something is wrong. So very wrong, the pain unbearable as it writhed under her skin. Her nails bled as she dragged them along the floor of their slumhouse. Insanity encroached upon her mind, her eyes swelled with a bloodied glint of cruelty.
''My child...'' the woman's hoarse voice echoed. Priscilla shivered, her back glued to the corner head sunken into her bent knees.
''You must leave the Empire. As far as you can...'' she cut herself off, blood gurgling into her mouth as it overflowed down her lips and face.
The girl hid into herself, her eyes closed and her ears covered with her hands. She rocked herself into a peaceful lull, 'everything is okay' repeating endlessly into her mind, setting her off into a psychosis.
''My child... you must live...''
Stilled was the day, eternal and cold. What the eyes ignore, the soul remembers.