Pain.

A pounding headache and agony writhing through his body greeted his senses when Niren regained consciousness. His eyes jerked open, revealing the wet, pale green hidden behind. He brought his hand to his forehead. Or rather, he tried to. Forcing his eyes to focus, he peered down to take in his condition. Vines had wrapped around his body and limbs. Not uncomfortably tight, which he was grateful for. The offensive pain claiming his body as a playground was enough already. His eyes lost focus momentarily as a new source of anguish made its presence known. His stomach constricted, pushing its heavy contents up and out.

Niren's body doubled over as he retched, expelling a thick, vile fluid all over the floor at his feet. His stomach worked tirelessly, relaxing and constricting. Several minutes passed before the steady flow of syrup ceased gushing from his orifice. His mouth burned. He cleared his throat, gathering up the corroding bile, and spat the lingering remnant on the floor with the rest of it. Only then did he inhale sharply, getting a breath of air after that ordeal. Hardened as he was, his tolerable threshold stopped at external pain, not something so all-encompassing. His face remained deadpan as tears formed unbidden and ran down his face, silently suffering and enduring.

"That was too much." Molli looked at the ground of her laboratory and crinkled her nose in disgust as the pungent stench from the solution instantly spread and saturated the building.

"You didn't say it was going to smell this bad," Jaden pinched his nose, walking to the doorway.

"I didn't know," Molli replied before heading into the depths of her workshop.

Niren observed in silence. He tugged his arms experimentally against the vines; the slight slack instantly vanished, preventing any movement at all, and aggravated the barely tolerable pain, eliciting groans of discomfort from the young warrior.

"You can relax, Anya. He's not going anywhere." Jaden chuckled lightly as he opened the door. The cool morning air swept into the workshop and diluted the putrid odor.

"Now, where did I put that?" Molli had rummaged through several crates already, tossing bits and bobs around. The items collided with the floor, some of the more fragile items broke upon contact.

Jaden watched her while shaking his head. After propping the door open, he turned his attention back to the captive. "Have you ever dared to peer into the abyss?"

"No." came the curt and solid reply. A reply exuding confidence and devoid of fear.

"A wise decision." Jaden cracked a slight smile. "Your god is a presence of unrivaled fear to you?"

Niren snorted in response. Jaden had gained some respect for the race over the past days.

"To think I'm in the same position as I was a day ago. I was bored while waiting for you to wake up. I interrogated your kin, and I learned nothing from them. Fear is a powerful motivator, even in the face of the deepest, darkest abyss," Jaden grimaced. "You are all that remains of your expedition."

Niren's eyes locked on Jaden, his voice caught in his throat. His body convulsed and shook in rejection of the idea that he was the only survivor of three hundred warriors.

"You might be wondering why you were spared till last, hmm?" Jaden's eyes flashed dangerously as he approached, the calm depths of the universe within stirring with malice. "You're different from them, aren't you, Niren? You have a choice to make, will you follow them into complete oblivion or choose another fate?"

"Ah, here it is, finally!" Molli's cheerful interruption destroyed the somber environment Jaden had carefully weaved. She victoriously held aloft a vial with an orangish hue emanating from the red fluid stored within.

"Well. Anyways, what's it going to be, champ?" Jaden asked after shaking his head and clearing his throat.

This is the child of prophecy? That makes my life easier. Niren eyed Jaden warily. His mind jumped into overdrive, calculating how to dispose of the obstacle he presented.

Molli lobbed the vial into the air. It arced carelessly before falling into the toxic syrup on the floor. The glass shattered.

Fauxfire(Minor): An existence lost to time, forgotten even in myth and legend. This weakened remnant of the 'liquid fire' found its way to Molli's hands. She promptly stored it amongst bits and bobs of much lesser worth. And she wasted it to clean up an insignificant poison. Does she even know what this is?

Released from its prison, the red fluid sprouted into a hearty, heatless flame that spread and consumed the noxious fluid, the source polluting the air in the room.

Niren flinched on reflex, trying to distance himself from the sudden addition. The abrupt movement flared the pain within his core and limbs. Beads of sweat quickly formed on his brow as he fought the feeling back.

"Fauxfire?" Jaden inquisitively raised an eyebrow. "How did you get that?"

"Lots of sweat, hard work, and tears." Molli dodged the topic, reflected in her eyes the fire greedily devoured the puddle. "A long and boring story."

Niren jerked away from the mystery fire when it licked at his feet. An involuntary action he regretted from the bottom of his heart. He let loose a deathly wail as a new wave of torment washed over his body. Molli licked her lips before a crooked smile crept into her features. The puddle wholly consumed, the fire danced beautifully in protest just before it flickered out of existence.

"Jaden, go and check on your mother. When you come back, he'll be ready to talk," Molli casually stated. Then she turned to a table whose surface was littered with various tools.

"I'll come back later in that case," Jaden turned his back to her and left without another word.

"As for you, how about we become reacquainted?" Molli asked as she looked over her instruments. The table held various implements designed for inflicting pain. "You had no name the first time we met, feels like a millennia ago. I haven't forgotten your face."

"There are worse things than death," Molli echoed Vivian's words while looking over her choices. "You're already learning that aren't you? Let's help that process along shall we?"

Niren paled. Molli brandished a long thin rod that tapered to a thinner tip, about the length of a sword. "The day we met-"

Molli's voice stopped cold, she raised and swung the rod, the end caught Niren hard across his face. Blood-curdling wails erupted from the heart of her building and enveloped the entire city.

"My happy and peaceful existence as I knew it ended many lifetimes ago," Molli continued. "I poisoned my people. I suffered years as a 'slave'. But it was you-"

Three sharp impacts. A bitter smile appeared on Molli's face. "You're the one who rounded up my family, killed my husband, and delivered me to the auction block."

"But that's not all you did to me, is it?" Molli's body quaked with visible anger and disgust. "There are worse things than death. This is our Matriarch's mantra. And I've learned this all too well. To the point that I alienated myself from my people, my husband, my daughter. I became afraid to keep on living."

"I've just recently seen the light of hope once more, and then you appear now." Molli raised her hand and struck again. "You probably have no memory of it, do you?"

"My suffering-" Molli's voice quivered into silence until she found strength once more. "Those wretched years have been etched into the blood of my people. I'm returning this debt to you. This moment, yes this was the only reason I agreed to assist Jaden with the interrogation."

Daryl and Bayne were in the midst of sparring when the first scream erupted. Their faces turned grim. Bayne backed away from his opponent, signaling for a break. Daryl nodded agreement and began a quick chant as he gratefully sat down, promptly resting his weary limbs. He completed the incantation and he experienced the familiar feel of his life ebbing away. The peaceful sounds of nature reigned once more over the village,

"Thank you, Daryl. Emily doesn't need to hear that." Bayne huffed through gasps of air.

"Evan either," Daryl's reply was strained between his own wheezing gasps.

"I keep forgetting you're not as old as you look," Bayne commented as he took a seat next to Daryl.

"My body is dying," Daryl shook his head. "I may as well be as old as I appear."

"You don't act like it though," Bayne noted, tapping the back of his fist against Daryl's shoulder. "You've got some serious strength in your strikes when we spar."

"I'd prefer you didn't lie about it," Daryl replied with a sigh. "We are both well aware I'm no match for you."

"It's no lie," Bayne dropped the topic and continued. "I'm glad Jaden is on our side."

Daryl simply nodded in agreement and shuddered when he considered the alternative.

"You're sho pretty!" Emily circled around Araya, her eyes shining like stars in the night sky. "What'sh your name?"

"Araya, Queen of the Xelia." the reply danced like birdsong when her voice broke the silence.

"Queen?" Emily stopped and tilted her head. "But-"

"This is our rightful Queen," Brawn interrupted while applying a soothing balm, prepared from raspberries and rowan berries he received from Molli, to Vivian's deeper cuts.

"Really, this isn't necessary," Vivian flinched from time to time under his care.

"I insist," Araya stated, "I would do it myself if I had proper use of my eyes."

"Then allow me," Lulu arrived carrying a tray with assorted drinks and a large loaf of fresh bread. "It appears his hands are a bit too large and rough for this task."

"Please," Brawn relinquished the balm gratefully. He eyed the loaf of bread as the aroma tickled his nose. Moving closer to the tray, he felt the disapproving gaze of his Queen's crystal eyes. With a sigh, he picked up two glasses and presented one to Araya, the other to Emily.

"Thank you, Brawn!" Emily accepted the drink with a quick twirl, her dress billowing from the sudden action. She promptly took a seat at the table, tearing off bits of bread and munching happily.

Sasha, what's happening outside?

Jaden is interrogating the prisoners, though they aren't being cooperative.

Their markers are disappearing! Don't tell me- Vivian brushed Lulu away, swung her legs off the bed, and started rising to her feet.

"I really must insist you stay here for treatment," Araya swept through the room and appeared before Vivian before she could react. She found herself effortlessly forced into lying down once more. "Jaden is doing what must be done."

"Like hell he is!" Vivian watched helplessly as the remaining Authen markers vanished in an instant. She jumped to her feet, ready to fight her way out of the room if necessary.

"Brawn, subdue her," Araya issued an abrupt order. "Mother-in-law or not, she isn't allowed to leave until her wounds are tended to."

Brawn grabbed the whole loaf of bread and ate a third of it in a bite. He chewed noisily as he rubbed a forming headache. Upon swallowing, he took a glass smelling heavily of alcohol and drained half of it. "Apologies, my Queen, I'm unfit for duty."

"I'll remember this Brawn, your punishment is delayed." Araya lunged toward Vivian, the two met each other in the middle and began grappling in the room, each seeking to gain the upper hand.

"What'sh going on? I thought we were friendsh?" Emily was swinging her feet as she sat drinking her raspberry juice.

"Sometimes friends don't see eye to eye, and words fail," Lulu explained watching the two racial leaders in disapproval. "Honestly, you are both setting a bad example for the future."