“The Korathi Allied States are an interesting case of geopolitics. They are one of the few human settlements unaffected by the Adornari Elves because they pose a small but dangerous threat to Imperial Traxian supply lines. Yet, despite being on the Empire’s doorstep, their survival also hinges on the fact that the Lucarian Sultanate also has a vested interest in keeping the Korathi alive as a buffer state between themselves and the Empire. The final reason? The Star Hollow Mountains contain a lot of nasty creatures and the Korathi are the first barrier in their way.” - Former Abenstadt Rough Riders Major Issac Ehrlich, Arterian Academy of War: Lecture on The Traxian Dilema

A blood-red sky cloaked the world as the tower watched over the land like a shepherd protecting the last of their flock. Its white stone brick exterior projected a sense of calm amidst the encroaching hellscape around it, intricate sigils engraved onto each and every stone, radiating an eerie blue glow. Around it, dark crooked talons jutted out of the ground jittering incessantly, hungry for the souls of the tormented that dangled from them, trapped in eternal agony. Screams of the suffering echoed throughout the valley path leading to the tower, the cacophony of sounds growing louder the closer one got.

The tower itself stood on a hill, yet to be despoiled by the machinations of the chaos around it, remaining radiant and tranquil. It was the top of the tower that drew Sophie’s gaze; a large symmetrical crystal cast a beautiful blue glow around itself. A beacon to draw in the dark and fill the world with light once more.

Around it was a town, yet unlike the one she had previously seen, it wasn’t fully destroyed and ruined. Surrounding the hill was what used to be a vibrant town, now in the midst of a siege by the Chaosbreed and other misbegotten monstrosities. They ripped through the town proper, tearing flesh from bone and slaughtering the townspeople. Armoured knights stood steadfast against the oncoming tide, but they too found themselves overwhelmed, their armours sundered and their spirits broken. Like a tide of darkness, the creatures then scampered into the larger buildings that dotted the town such as the church or manor houses, painting their once pristine ground red.

What next drew her gaze however was a single figure standing behind the crystal, monstrous limbs protruding, writhing, and shaking from inhuman angles. Shapes that warped and distorted the very air it passed through. But the more she gazed at the crystal and the creature, the more clarity she felt, that the inhuman appendages were trying to spell a single word.

Remember

Sophie’s eyes shot open, a wet dampness caressing her cheeks as a small stinging sensation shot through her leg. Fuck, another weird nightmare. She sniffed the air around her, a scent of sickly iron and sulfur filled her nostrils as she gagged at the scent, wiping her nose with her hand only to feel something gritting on her face. Saints above the room feels weird…today… Wiping her face she stared at the dirt she wiped off and took almost a minute before she remembered what had occurred. Glancing up to the sky she could see a yellowish blue hue shining past the fog, beams of blessed sunlight cleansing the ground of the horrors below.

“Ah! What the hells?!” Sophie screamed.

Her eyes finally processed the plethora of corpses and bodies around her, widening at the horrific sight as all the bloodied bodies were now fully illuminated in the light. Missing limbs, heads and grevious wounds still moist from the scuffle last night, unable to dry from the damp fog.

Sophie scrambled backwards and realized that to her dismay she still had no idea where she was. Grumbling to herself she propped herself up and found that a small trail led off into the distance, likely where the undead convoy dragged the prisoners from. But is that the right way? She looked around for some form of comfort, any sign of a potentially safe place to hide in but found that not only had the fire burned out, but extra trails between the trees indicated that perhaps scavenging animals had already begun picking away at the bodies around her. Shuddering slightly she found the axe that smacked the last undead relatively undamaged and held it tightly next to her.

A chill wind picked up as the morning dew dripped onto the crimson earth below, the sounds of the misty forest echoing as the denizens began awakening after a long life ruled by the dead. Seeing nothing good would come from staying around here and aware that some predators might eventually be attracted by the scent of blood, Sophie tried her best to clean herself from last night’s wounds before she followed the trail. Not that I know where I’m going.

As she pushed past the underbrush she gradually relaxed as she realized that for now, she had some time to herself. Her mind wandered to imagine how Eva would be right now and felt a knot tighten in her chest. Would she be crying I wonder? Huh, I don’t want to see Eva cry. Eva was a caring soul, that much she knew, but after spending so much time with her she also knew that Eva was on some levels lonely. The Duke and Duchess had always had a more hands off approach when it came to Eva, but also saw her as a sort of disconnected family member, never really giving her the chance to meet people.

“Hah.” Sophie sighed, at the very least she could take solace in the fact that Evaline had been allowed to go to the Arterian Academies. Unlike those located at the capital, Arteria was a more of a neutral trading hub that linked Cyndralia economically and thus housed a large contingent of the continent’s most important guilds and institutions. Yeah, she nodded to herself, Eva will have fun there, and found a smile forming on her face at the thought. Sorry I can’t be there with you. Sophie stopped as she considered the thought of not being by Eva’s side seemed so strange, so alien. It was a feeling that unsettled her, she wanted to go back, or to find and hug Eva again but then what? It was the ducal guard that threw her out, she didn’t have any way of being accepted into the academy and she knew that many talked about her being a stain on Eva’s name. Was it…was it better this way?

Doubts aside she found herself confused, the trail had ended in what appeared to be a small glade with no visible exit in sight besides going back. By now the sun was out in full force, its rays offering small slivers of warmth that cut through the tree tops and fog, illuminating the glade ahead and providing a small respite from the cold. A small pond sat off to the side as a quick rustle of bushes indicated that she had scared off whatever was there before her.

Sophie cautiously inched ahead, keeping a watchful eye over the area as she reached the center of the glade, basking in the sunlight as the noises of the woodland surprisingly soothed her soul.

It had taken her the better part of a day to recover from yesterday. Thankfully nature proved to be a generous and bountiful host. She managed to wash away most of the dirt and blood whilst also being able to genuinely relax for a moment. At the very least she was certain that the young catkin was able to reach this glade; at the edge of the glade were small tufts of auburn fur, shed during a rapid escape and the chaotic pursuit of the undead. Still, as much as it was temporarily relaxing, she needed to keep moving, if not to find civilization then at least for Eva.

Taking a gamble Sophie decided to follow the auburn fur, hoping that wherever the cat went that at least she would find a companion. It didn’t take long for her to understand why the cat fled this way. Only what she assumed to be a little ways away from the glade lay a few slain undead, followed by the body of the other cloaked escapee, only cut down and not having his limbs eaten like his compatriot. Muttering a small prayer to herself, she knelt over the body and unclasped his cloak, assuring him that it would only be used to help keep her warm. Adjusting the straps around her own shoulders her eyes caught onto the boots the man wore and with a guilty conscience took them for herself. She would need it more than him, at least that's what she told herself.

He was an elf not too dissimilar to her, but she could already see the difference, the pointer ears and sleeker jaws. His eyes too were more defined though their liveliness had long since left him. Closing his eyes she turned to continue down where she thought the cat would’ve gone when a sudden rattle caught her attention. Sophie gripped her axe tightly only to find that there was nothing around her besides the already deceased. She scanned the landscape one more time to no avail and begrudgingly expedited her journey, hoping that she was only imagining the noises.

On some levels she was glad that she had grabbed the undead’s axe instead of the spear, though she had to partially limp everywhere, she could more effectively cut through the foliage that stood in her way. Though certainly she would’ve preferred a makeshift crutch whilst wandering through the fog. But try as she might, she was starting to believe that she had lost the cat’s trail and was not just lost, but also alone.

With every strike and cut she could feel what limited energy she had left her. The night of tension had sapped her of most of her energy already and the bizarre dreams did not help either. Though in her estimation sleeping next to a tree and some corpses was not anyone’s idea of a good night’s rest. Yet she continued pushing forward, to either end up in another glade or perhaps to find a good tree to shelter in. Have to get somewhere before nightfall. Sophie sighed dejectedly and pushed on, tearing through more of the foggy forest before ending up in a clearing surrounding a decrepit looking ruin.

Mossy stones, damp from the air lay scattered about. Ancient pillars once majestic now a hell of their former self, some toppled and others only partially standing stood in an intricate pattern around the area. Crumbled structure like things remained a testament to time that once, something resided here, that once, something once flourished here, but no longer. Not one to refuse gifts from Stellesia, Goddess of travelers and luck, Sophie murmured another silent prayer and began trying to settle in for the night.