To the west of the road is a small woodland area that rests at the foot of a mountain range. We use this area to have our clandestine meeting. Julissa had no objection to us going there as long as four of her own could accompany her while the rest returned to their camp. It turns out that the assassins and bandits are just that, a clan of mercenaries hired by Julissa and her real clan. I don't get to hear the specifics since Dawn assigns me to guard duty along with Sonny and Kona. Before being sent out, Dawn allows us a moment to go through our notifications.

They must have sent every single assassin they could muster, including low level ones since most of them didn't put up too hard of a fight. But still, with the sixteen of us, each killing around twenty or so, plus Dawn's bonus…

[You received 8925XP!]

[Level up! You reached level 24!]

[You have 7 points, 1 level to allocate!]

We allowed them to gather their comrades's Life Crystals and loot sacks as a gesture of good will to them. With all this NPC killing, our levels have been skyrocketing so we weren't in dire need of the bonus XP from the crystals. When I inquire about this to Sonny, she simply shrugs.

"I did plan for it to get tougher, but there have been moments like this one that can't be foreseen. From what I can remember, it should continue getting more challenging as we approach our goal." She searches the sky for a thought, whincing as it slips her grasp.

"Well, I'm sticking to one class and I think Seren will do the same," Kona says proudly. "You know, she already has three VigeStat Spells? With this next bump she should be getting her fourth!" Her eyes shimmer as she thinks about it.

"Shouldn't you be getting one, too?" I ask, dropping my points into Arcane and my level into Blue Mage, bringing them to 96 and 15 respectively.

Her ears flatten, "No, I put some points into Dexterity early on so I have to wait until next level."

I absent mindedly scratch behind her ear, "Don't worry, kitty cat. We'll have plenty of XP as soon as we hit the road again." She purrs and a throat clearing sound snaps her away from me. Serenity shoots us an accusatory glare before speaking.

"So… I don't- I don't do that enough for- for you? Gotta get it… elsewhere?"

I raise my eyebrow at Kona and she's standing there, too shocked to react or mumble anything but vowels in response to the voice behind me. Turning, there's Serenity, but her crossed arms and sour expression shifts quickly as she laughs, "Just kidding. Come on, kitty." She gives me a wink and leads the still dumbstruck Kona away, their tails intertwining. Sonny and I shake our heads smiling as we each go to our assigned posts.

With Blue keeping me company, I patrol the side nearest the area that starts to incline. The familiar scent of pine trees and the calls of birds relaxes me a bit and I rest an elbow on Blue's leg. I almost reach for the feather still in my hat, but I remember that I'm supposed to be on the look out for hostiles and I mentally berate myself. Really, I should just stow it with the rest in the vardo or burn it and be done with it.

Several blips on my radar indicate movement, so I find some concealment for us to maintain the element of suprise. Imagine my own suprise, seeing a herd of Forest Nightmares come grazing in. One of them is spry enough to catch a pair of bunny creatures with owl wings on their backs as they try to hop-glide to safety. I forget how predatory these creature really are and the sight of a horse with sharp teeth tearing into the flesh of another creature is quite unsettling. I glance over at Blue and she shrugs her mantis shoulders.

Did I mentally order her to do that or are we just so in sync with each other?

A quick Scan shows three young colts, one stallion, and nine mares. I force myself to look away, making sure to perform my patrol duties first. I furrow my brow, a red dot is coming in fast and I make a call to the others.

"Incoming solo. Requesting ranged back up."

Moments later, Elsbeth sneaks up by my side and our enemy arrives. A single wolf attacking a whole herd of Nightmares would be tantamount to suicide, but this was no normal wolf.

[Dire Wolf, Level 20

[370/370HP, 9/9MP, 100/100SP

[An overabundance of mana often mutates monsters into gargantuan forms. Formerly a Grey Wolf, this creature's whole body increased in size and mass and started protruding sharp, dense bone growths all over its body.

[Critical Stab I, Echo Strike, Bite, Rend, Slash]

Slightly shorter, but much longer than the Nightmares, the Dire Wolf has mottled fur in shades of grey and boney spikes along its spine, extending from its knees, and bursting from its face. Angry, dark blue eyes and yellow teeth flash as it snarls at the creatures, sending spittle flying with each gnash of its jaws.

The stallion positions itself between the wolf and his herd, slashing and biting back as menacingly as it can. One of the colts tries to assist, but a resounding bark sends him scurrying back to its mother. By now, I'm ready to jump in, but Elsbeth holds me by the shoulder and gives me the gesture to use my eyes. Using the brush as cover, she brings up a description screen for me. She keeps watch as I read it.

[Mistress of the Hunt (10SP per target) 50feet/ Mark up to 3 targets with an aura only those in the same party as the user may see. The auras are constantly visible, even through obstacles, at a max distance of 2miles. The auras last up to 3hours/dismissed.]

She notices when I finish reading it and closes it right away. I remember her using it on another herd of Nightmares some time ago, but can't imagine what she plans on using on in this situation. My vision and radar are suddenly beset with red dots and streaks. From our location, we become mere spectators to a scene of nature in action.

Two seperate groups of Dire Wolves led by two alphas, I guess more than one is normal, attack the herd from behind and on one of the sides. The scene takes only moments as they tear into the Nightmares like a tsunami of fur, fangs, and claws. The Nightmares use their powerful legs and their own sharp claws to defend against the wolves, but there's little they can do. Their attacks are no more than empty threats against the faster, stronger creatures. The wolves's fur and sharp bone growths are unimaginably difficult to bypass and deal damage. I think, if the three of us got caught in that, we wouldn't have been much help. The Dire Wolf Alphas manage to take down two mares each and the others follow suit, leaving two colts and the stallion.

There was nothing else we could have done. Sure, I could have interrupted the meeting to save a few monsters from a few more, but what would that do for anyone down the road? Elsbeth marks the remaining Nightmares with silver auras as they take off from the scene without chase. Only the Alphas eat their kills on the spot, the others carry the spoils away in their bloody maws, most likely back to a den for their pups.

El tilts her head back and forth while observing the Alphas, then points at one of them. "He'll stay. Wait, and you can attack. I'll track the Nightmares. Thank you." Her gratitude is evident in her sad smile and her gentle hand on my shoulder. I watch her leave, thinking about her words. From her background as a hunter, probably a naturalist, she most likely means "Thank you for letting nature take it's course."

Or maybe, "Thanks for not doing anything stupid."

I'd like to thing it was the first one. She stalks away before I can clarify, but I don't really need to. The first Alpha to finish nudges and paws the other, but a low growl sends him away. I wait a few minutes before Blue and I get to work.

[Dire Wolf Alpha. Level 23. Boss Tier 1.

[1190/1217HP, 9/9MP, 85/290SP]

I don't bother with the description, only getting the necessary information. I want to do El proud and kill it as quickly as I can. That, and I don't want the big boy calling for help. I ready my claws, sign for Shadow Toxin, and charge a Blink Step. The Alpha is crunching through meat and bone with a minimal amount of effort and I actually reconsider for a second.

This is crazy, isn't it? I'm going to attack this behemoth? For what? Because… what? It followed its nature and hunted animals lower on the food chain? Because it's feeding its pack? Crap. What am I doing? It's the Nightmares and Gorshix incidents all over again. Was this world literally created for us to destroy over and over again like some sadist's playground?

A large, red dot appears over the center of my radar and I have to do a double take. Was something wrong with it? The one in front of me is the wolf, but what's this new one? I look around. Nothing. The fur on the wolf is standing on end and the world quickly grows dark. With sudden realization, I look up.

Oh great.

A Wyvern.

***********************************

With Father Chameleos restrained nearby and plenty of food and drink on the table. Dawn and Victoria mediate between Julissa and the two holy men. However, it took the better part of an hour for them to simply get past the subject of the food as neither party had ever eaten anything as decadent. When Dawn explained that this was simply how they ate everyday, it was like nothing else mattered.

Flabbergasted, the Archbishop spoke first, "This food… these accommodations… even royals trying to curry favor pale in comparison." He takes the final bite of his meal, seared Seamount Crab and a mixed greens salad with a red wine vinegrette made from the some of the phantom fruits.

"I'm sure Gorm would be willing to share recipes as soon as we get this discussion out of the way." Dawn waves a hand dismissively while looking to Victoria for reassurance.

"Share… recipes?" Julissa asks incredulously, "For something like that, we would be willing to pay any price."

Victoria sets her fork down and laces her fingers together on the table, "Then let us start at the beginning. Why target the Order of Light?"

Julissa watches as another serving tray of food is set in front of them. This round is a sampling of experimental desserts, some of which were recipes "borrowed" from the Kes Solomas festival. With her hat stowed, her eyes can be seen ready to burst from her furry face. She clears her throat, trying to regain composure, "Yes, well, if you did not notice, Fallen Oaks did not attack you outright. Their goal was simply intended to question the located clergy in a secure location. Tell me, are any of you aware of the growing Order of War?"

Everyone except for the Archbishop shakes their heads and he heaves a heavy sigh, "They started off as normal Clerics of the Forge. From what I've heard, many of them have been influenced by the newly arrived Travelers. No offense to those present. And now they are trying to create a new faction that focuses on enhancing the spectacle of war in Couleus's name."

"But he's a minor deity. The spirit of competition?" Victoria argues, knitting her eyebrows in frustration. "Are they trying to elevate his status in the Pantheon?"

"There is precedence with Carneus. He was the minor deity of the hearth until more people started doing more cooking there and praying to him." He takes a bite of a dish, a custard dessert topped with a deefor puree and his eyes roll back in his head. Next to him, Cardinal Sendo is having the same reaction with a tart made from the same pyramid fruit.

"Okay," Dawn says, trying to keep everyone on track, "So to be clear… Julissa, you are not actively trying to kill the Archbishop or the Cardinal, correct?" She solomely shakes her head. "And there will be no retaliation from the Order of Light against them?" Once more, shaking heads are her answer.

"Good. Now," Dawn folds her hands in front of her, "Why bring up this new Order of War?"

Julissa wipes the corners of her mouth and sighs, "They practiced their beliefs on our settlement to the west of the Livitch Mountain range. As an neutral village, we could not request rapid support from nearby nobels nor did we have time to try. When I retired from the guild, I only wanted to increase my Farmer class and raise a family. My family…"

Her paw tightens into a fist and slowly, painfully comes to a rest on the table as she grits her teeth and screws her eyes shut, "Two… daughters… and husband. Taken." With her eyes still closed, she tilts her head away from the table, "There was nothing of great importance to gain from our town. Nothing. No valuable resources, no dungeons... It isn't even a strategic location. It is just a place far enough away where we could all live our lives peacfully."

A silence passes through the table, interrupted by the sound of Linqs citizens going on about their day in the background. The sound of children playing and laughing breaks Julissa's stoic mood.

"How could you afford to hire the Fallen Oaks Guild, then?" Cardinal Sendo asks, leaning closer to her in interest.

She chuckles, looks over at the masked assassins waiting by the table, "I was once… a prominent member. I cashed in all of my favors and my retirement bonus to find out as much information about the Order of War. We weren't expecting to run into so many Travelers or top tier clergy along the way." She gestures to those around her. After a pause, she taps on the empty plate with the tip of her claw.

"Needless to say, I will not have the guild's support after today and I will be taking my fellow surviving villagers to another settlement where we have kin." She stares wistfully at the plate and pushes it away. "Before you ask, we did not kill any members of any order, only Travelers who similarly attacked us preemptively, and I will make sure there are is no retaliation against you or your people from the Fallen Oaks Guild."

"We will make accommodations for you, as reperation--" Archbishop Remy is cut off with a gesture from Julissa and he deflates under the sad gaze of the Faunus.

"My people won't be… receptive… to any more involvement from outsiders. I thank you, however, for I know the sincerity of your words and the conviction of the Order of Light to be morally upstanding." Julissa bows her head him.

"All I ask is that an attempt be made to bring justice to the Order of War so that their list of atrocities be kept as short as possible."

With a scowl and a hand to her ear, Dawn interrupts the closing moments of the meeting, "I'm sorry, everyone, but we seem to have a problem outside. Vic, we gotta go. The others are reporting two bosses fighting nearby…"

***********************************

What do you get when you mix a level 22, Boss Tier 1 Ridge Wyvern with a level 23, Boss Tier 1 Dire Wolf Alpha?

The hell out of their way!

Elsbeth, Kona, Serenity, Sonny, and I watch the battle, ready to jump in and pour on the hurt as hard and fast as we can when the time comes to keep them from rolling over the vardo. Richter sits at the driver's seat, waiting for the signal to book it just in case.

The crash of splintering and falling wood, the scrapes of something hard and sharp against stone, and the taunts of two angry monsters are only the first things that hit everyone that burst out of the vardo. Aside from the wingspan and tail, the wyvern is only slightly larger than the wolf. The tail, tipped with bulbous, bone growths that look like a double sided club, makes this species unique among its more poisonous relatives. If the wyvern missed its sweeping bites or claw tipped wing slashes, it with make multiple passes with its tail. The last kind of attack, however, is a blind one since the creature faces the opposite direction and seems more of a deterrent. The heavily bleeding wolf isn't too keen on taking further damage, but refuses to attempt an escape.

With a nod from his superior, Cardinal Sendo extends his hands, chants a few words, and casts a Spell. A pillar of light shoots down from the heavens, consuming both creatures. They screech and writhe in pain, though nothing else within the pillar is disturbed in the slightest. The weakened wolf gives up it's spirit to the barrage of radiant energy and the wyvern slumps to the ground. When the golden ray of light ascends back to the sky, Julissa appears beside the scaley boss with dimly glowing blades drawn.

I lost track of the amount of slashes she made, but the corpse was ready to dissapate before she was done. Remembering all the times I missed out on scanning other NPC's, I give the three a cursory Scan and nearly choke on the information.

[Remy Wissinger. Level 60 Archbishop. Human/Half Celestial]

[Sendo Germaine. Level 45 Cardinal. Human]

[Julissa Korsigono. Level 38 Samurai. Tigris Faunus.]

There is a lot to unpack there, and all of it is probably why Dawn chose to be diplomatic and to placate them with food, the universal adhesive. In terms of diplomacy, Gorm and Malica may be our most important assets.

I'm a little disappointed when Sendo and Julissa pick up their respective loot bags but, aside from watching on the sidelines, we did very little to help. We finalize the terms of our meeting unanimously. The Archbishop and Cardinal, ironically driven by two Fallen Oaks members, will take Father Chameleos to Coronus to a local branch of the Order of the Skyline where his actions in Ifrix will be investigated. Julissa will lead the surviving members of her village to Kes Solomas, where they will find safe passage to the east coast of Regalus. We would have benefited greatly from her higher level, but her people's interests and goals take priority. Of course we sympathized, seeing as we are going through the same process of finding our new home. After loading both parties with some hot food, we prepare to go our seperate ways.

Julissa approaches Dawn, places something in both of her hands, murmurs something to her, and bids us all farewell. I scoot closer to Dawn as the others start preparing to hit the road once more.

"She give you her number?" I ask, glancing back and forth from her hand to her unamused face.

She opens her hands and reveals a boxed shaped object patterned like a Rubix's cube, except in earthy tones like clay, tan, and dark green. She brings up the item's description and we both coo in wonder.

[Cornerstone Anchor. Master Wonderous Object.

[Requirement: up to 4000 square foot building area

[Placing this object on the ground allows the owner to create a Town Hall using 1 out of 10 available design options. This establishes the location as a settlement, grants access to the City Planner Menu, and updates all appropriate maps. The Town Hall allows the creation of a connection to a willing noble of Title: Baron or higher.]

[Quest Complete! Holy Vengeance

[Protect Archbishop Remy Wissinger and Cardinal Sendo Germaine from Julissa Korsigono and the Fallen Oaks Guild 2/2. Recapture the escaped Father Chameleos 1/1.

[Reward: 500XP/ 150(Liked) reputation level with Archbishop Remy Wissinger/ 150(Liked) reputation level with Julissa Korsigono to each party member, 1*Jester's Box, 1*Rook Chest, 1*Cornerstone Anchor]