The group of people trudged on battered ground and wet dirt. They huddled together in a line as they slowly made their way into a farmhouse scarred by the traces of war. The battered shelter was surrounded by charred rubble and supported by weathered walls, as if a single raised voice from the crowd would topple the entire building. However, they were even more downtrodden than the feeble building they were entering. They were downcast and beaten, the path they journeyed from to reach here was no doubt filled with anguish.

Whatever respite they found here, it was not enough.

Rana followed the crowd and lined up with them. They were pushing and bumping into one another, but it was not because they were rushing. Their eyes were empty as if nothing in their vision registered. They simply moved by instinct, slowly inching towards the warm aroma of bland soup and stale bread. The amount was pitiful, barely enough to survive half a day, but even then their hands of only bone and skin were barely able to hold them

It was a sorry sight, but not one that she was unfamiliar with. The war with monsters left many without homes and families. The only difference was that this time, it was a war that pitted humans against fellow humans. The village she was in was one of the more fortunate ones if fortunate simply meant being less ravaged than neighboring settlements. Now, it became a gathering for those displaced by war.

Surprisingly, it was Aodh that emerged victorious a few days ago. For all the scheming and plotting that Rana did to undermine the defender’s capability to defend themselves, by killing their commanders and cheating their army’s deployment with false information, the people of Aodh persisted and prevailed. That was what the Aodh council wanted their people to know. The truth was that since the Tree of Ashen Falls had fallen, the invaders had no reason to be there.

Someone called to Rana and she snapped her head up, breaking her train of thought. It was a soldier, sent by their commander to protect and supply aid to the people, to be the face of the lie that the governing body cared for them. He extended a bowl of salted water with barely a piece of bread dunked in at her front. She took it, paying attention to herself as to not act suspicious. The soldier didn’t care. He already began to shoo her away and prompt the person behind her to step up. It seemed like her lost in thought was mistaken for being hopeless. She had no reason to be here, but sometimes she had to keep up the act of still being human.

That was not to say her heart was without regret. Rana knew full well that what she did was necessary, that the resulting sacrifices made were to prevent an even greater tragedy. There was also no reason to believe her actions during the invasion worsened the situation for the people. In fact, when she and Alpheia brought down the dungeon, the war effectively ended. If the Dungeon still stood, the armies of Aodh would be stomped to the ground.

Still, her heart arched and it irritated her. Rana and Mara shared a soul, and in a sense, their hearts were linked. She knew it wasn’t her but her sister who regretted her actions. It was laughable. It was not something Mara had the right to say when she plunged the world into the chaos it was today. The sight before them was her fault.

There was scuffling in the distance. Rana turned the corner and saw several ruffians sprinting away. Their trails lead to an alley from a tiny figure lying in a pool of mud. The pitiful cloth that could barely be called clothing was riddled with holes and soaked in filth. She hurried to the child and held him in her arms. He was so light, so frail. The child pushed her away and wiped away the mud covering his eyes. He then began to walk away.

“Hey,” Rana said. The boy turned around. His eyes were lifeless, but it could not hide the pain and fear. It was as if he has already given up, as if it was something he expected to experience daily. Without a word, Rana handed him the warm bowl of food. He was hesitant, but his hunger eventually overpowered his wariness. The boy snatched the bowl and began gobbling down the food.

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Rana stayed and waited as the boy ate. She did not want his meal interrupted. After the boy finished, he ran away without a word of thanks. Wherever he was going, she hoped he was safe. However, Rana knew her kindness was wasted. The boy was very weak, and the food she gave him did not guarantee that he would survive another day. Even if the boy did survive, just how long did she delay the inevitable? The world was still cruel and the weak would still be consumed. That was why his food was taken. There was no end to their suffering. To save them, she had to bring truth to the world and dispose of all those who threatened it.

Still, there was something she could do, something to help the settlement.

Rana followed the footsteps left by those ruffians. It was easy to track them. They made no attempt at masking their trail, and her nose was sharper than ever when it came to detecting humans. It was as if she could distinguish them individually. The smell was no longer just that of blood and flesh, she somehow also knew their age, their sex, their constitution, and if they had mana or not. It was as if she was able to tell the quality of their life-essence. This unsettled her and she hoped she would not have to test her resolve.

“You three,” Rana said when she found them. She did not raise her voice, but she made sure they heard her. The three men were huddled around some burning woods, warming themselves and eating the food they took from the weak. When they saw her, they eyed her with suspicion. “You do know that Aodh declared, with Church creed, that every refugee gets one bowl and a piece of bread as aid daily, and no one shall obstruct this, right?”

“Who cares?” one of them said after all three finished laughing. “What are you going to do about it? Go on, run to one of the soldiers and tell them what we did. They don’t care what we do and why should they do anything about it? Common folk stealing food of other common folks? Run to the Church, but unless you have pellets, I doubt you would even be allowed onto their doorsteps.”

“So you concede to breaking the law? The punishment according to the creed is death,” Rana said, ignoring their taunts. She knew that there was bitterness in their voices, that they too had their reasons for doing what they did. However, it was no excuse to break the declared creed and inflict pain on the innocent. “Do the people of Aodh not keep faith with the teachings of the One Deity anymore?”

“The strong survive and the weak perish, that is the teaching of the world,” one of the three said. They all spatted on the floor and gave her foul gestures before sauntering off to their dwellings.

There was a small part of her that wanted to let it go. Their words had some truth to it. The weak were subjected to the whims of the strong. If there was anything to blame, it was their own weakness. However, that thought quickly dissipated. There was a reason why the Church existed, why their teachings were worth fighting for. The Church was there to protect humanity, so that no matter how weak, the innocent should not suffer.

Rana made her decision.

It was nightfall. She could smell the three men prowling, looking for prey to vent their anger with the world. Then, she smelled another, a lone woman, and the three men were walking towards their next victim. That was when they saw her, a hooded figure standing before them.

“You again? I guess you'll do,” one of them said while the other two snickered.

“You three tire me,” Rana said. She unwrapped the cloth bundling her staff and raised the crescent blade. The three’s sneer turned into horror as they realized what sort of individual stood before them. She did not wait for them to respond. The judgment would be swift. She brought down her staff and ashes formed into blades. Then, she commanded them. “Fly.”

The blades of ash soared and slit their throat. It was over in an instant. Those without a mark could never hope to match one with a mark. The three slumped to the floor, their lifeblood pouring out and soaked the dirt below. The darkness was blinding, but the dark crimson liquid was shining, inviting, enticing.

Rana quickly turned away, not wanting to be tempted any further. The deed was done. The three lives she claimed today did not matter in the grand scheme of things. Wickedness could never be fully eradicated. That was why people should always stay vigilant so that their hearts would not be corrupted. However, at least for this village, they had three fewer outlaws to worry about. Tonight, there was one innocent life saved for the price of three guilty ones.