Kiera sits against a thick, oaken tree in the darkness. Alone and weak. Dried mud and blood cover her face, and she stares in front of her. Emotionless, eyes glazed but still breathing. Her face is pale, and purple veins spread out from her eyes. A single tear rolls down her cheek, witnessing what happens in the distance. Burning forests, spreading millions of embers and ashes far up in the sky, and flashes of indigo-hued lightning colouring the skies, mixing with the fiery orange glow of the trees below. The entire realm seems to be falling apart, with a thick layer of dark clouds forming a circle around the only tree that isn't burning yet. The giant Growth Tree.

"I'm sorry..." Kiera mutters, and as the fire's light in the far distance reflects into her eyes, she hears a pair of footsteps approaching from behind. She turns her head slightly, grabs her knife from her boot and holds it on her chest. As the crunch of the dry grass sounds closer and closer, her breathing intensifies. Another tear rolls down her face as she grasps the knife with both hands and points the blade's tip to her heart. With closed eyes, she plunges it into herself.

4 years earlier...

It is the year 496. The Second Era is nearing its end, and the united Bladesong Empire has ruled the Lands of Trinity for generations. It is an era of peace and tranquillity. The end of this period also marks the elves' beginning, as they evolved from tribal communities to full-blown kingdoms. They are now more prominent than ever.

Tensions between humans and elves climb. Many among the common folk fear for the worst. Hatred for each other festers, but little do they know, a racial war is the least of their worries...

Snow gently flutters down into the cold, snowy forest, tipping and tapping on the pines and leaves of the few trees that aren't bare. A thick bed of white covers the ground, and a pair of deer roam through it. One doe and a buck with massive antlers. Kiera had been following their tracks for hours, which was near impossible, with all that snow quickly erasing their hoofprints. But she finally closes in, stalking from tree to tree in smooth and slow movements. Snow covers her fur clothing, camouflaging her. Her cheeks and nose flush red beneath her fur hood, and strands of auburn hair stick out. Her amber eyes stand out the most, contrasting the pale environment. When she reaches the next tree, she is only about twenty feet away from the deer. She carefully takes her bow from her back, takes an arrow from her hip quiver, and nocks it. She uses the bush next to the tree to her advantage and crouches behind it, drawing the string of her bow and taking a deep breath. Before she can fire, both deer perk their heads away from her and suddenly bolt.

"What?" Kiera mutters to herself until she notices the drum of beating hooves approaching.

"Fuck!" she whispers, ducking down flat behind the bush, peering through the branches. A group of horse riders appears with clanging metal and muttering incomprehensible words. She sees the sigil on someone's shield. Blackbears? What are they doing all the way out here? The stream of riders just keeps coming, following each other's path. With this many people out there, it is risky being out poaching illegally. No one says a word with the occasional whinny and snorts of the horses. Then, finally, it seems like the last of the group rides by. Before getting up, Kiera peers around, but no one can be seen anymore.

"Guess no fresh meat tonight." Kiera sighs, wrapping the bow around her chest again and walking away back towards the city. She passes by a small creek, with water gently trickling down. Here, she is in her element. Kiera loves the forest, especially during the winter, despite the freezing temperature. She is still careful, looking out for any stragglers or patrols. When she reaches a pine tree, she looks to her right and left before crawling under, grabbing a brown leather backpack.

"There we go." she groans, getting back up and rubbing snow off her tight trousers. When Kiera returns to the city, a small detachment of guards rides past in a hurry towards the forest. She doesn't make much of it, though. She then approaches the gates, and thick stone walls greet her, with banners of thorny white roses hanging off them. The naval metropolis is built on a cape, surrounded by rocky mountains, providing only a need for walls around the seaside cliffs and the entrance. Even the royal castle is built on a small tidal rocky island, separated from the city by only a bridge. Every time Kiera walks through these gates, they remind her how formidable these defences are.

This is High Harbour, the capital of Etheon.

She walks through the main street, bustling with activity. Horses are pulling carriages around; people shovelling snow; guards patrolling around. Even though it is winter, most labours don't stop here. The cold is part of life. Part of the people of Etheon. As Kiera trots ahead, a pair of little boys in thick fur clothing run towards her, laughing and giggling.

"Kiera! Kiera! You returned! Look what we made!"

They run into her, pulling her hand and taking her off the street. "Woah, good evening boys!" Kiera chuckles, letting them lead her into an alley. What she sees next is a sight to behold. A beautiful snowman with sticks as arms and a carrot nose. Kiera crouches to their level. "Wow, did you two make this all by yourself?" she smiles.

"Yeah." one of the boys says, "Could you shoot it with your bow?"

Kiera maintains her smile, "I'm sorry, I can't. It's too dangerous. And I have to go."

"Aww, pleaaase, Kiera?" they beg in unison, grabbing both her hands.

She sighs, "Fine, but you two stay behind me, okay?"

"Yess!" they cheer, enthusiastically running behind her as she removed her bow from her torso and an arrow from her quiver. She nocks it and draws the string tight. "Ready?"

"Fire!" one of the boys exclaims. And thus, with focused peering eyes, she shoots her arrow straight through the snowman's head and obliterates it entirely, sending the two children into a loud cheer. "That was awesome!"

"You're such an amazing archer!"

"Sure." Kiera smiles, "Now, whoever finds my arrow first gets to hold my bow next time."

She doesn't even have to finish her sentence as they both run off ahead, digging frantically through the snow. Kiera laughs again, shaking her head slightly. As she watches them search, her ears begin ringing, removing her smile. All the sounds around her are fading, and she looks around as her heart starts beating faster. She feels...watched.

"Kiera." someone whispers in her ear, forcing a yelp out of her as she snaps out of whatever that was. But there is no one around her other than the boys ahead. She blinks rapidly and rubs her eyes, thinking she needs more sleep. Suddenly, one of the children exclaims, holding an arrow in the air while the other tries to steal it playfully.

"I got it!"

Kiera holds her hands on her hips and chuckles. "There you go!"

They both run towards her and hand over the arrow, which she puts back into her hip quiver. "Thank you. Now I have to go. Stay safe, okay?"

"Yes, Kiera." the boys say, then run off. Kiera takes a deep breath and returns to the main street to continue home. In a few minutes, she reaches the city centre, which bustles with more guards, preachers, bands playing music, and markets trying to lure in customers. A particular preacher catches her attention as a crowd surrounds him, bigger than usual. He wears grey robes with silver finishes. She squeezes between everyone and makes her way toward him. "Excuse me," she apologizes, "Sorry!"

The preacher's face is mostly hidden by his hood, except for his long braided black beard. "One day, they will be back! Hear me, hear me! The men of scales, they will wreak havoc upon our realm, as they have done aeons ago!"

Some respond with anger, dismissiveness, rolling eyes or shaking heads. "They're a myth, you fool!" someone shouts from the spectators, but the preacher continues.

"We are all doomed, I tell you! Doomed! They hold powers we will never understand! Not even the Windlight Academy can save us! Our own mages won't stop them! They will come back and ruin us all!"

Tension increases within the crowd as people begin slinging insults toward the man. Suddenly, four guards step up to the podium and violently drag the man away. As the guards remove him, for some reason, he and Kiera meet gazes, and he looks at her as if he saw a ghost. His terrified glare creeps her out, but then again, he might be crazy. She feels uncomfortable and decides she has enough, walking further home as the crowd disperses. All the districts are separated by tall archways and walls, and her house is in the lower slums. The atmosphere here is a lot different. Darker, melancholy. People smile way less here, and most guards avoid this place. The houses are built of shoddy stone and wood, and there are only dirt roads instead of cobblestone. If you can even call it a house, hers looks like it is part of all the others. Bland and crude. She makes it, however, and opens the wooden door, greeted by the smell of vegetable stew. Her mother, auburn-haired like her daughter, except it is shorter, hanging just below her neck, just placed the pot on the table in the middle of the room.

"Oh, hello, Kiera. Just in time for supper." she smiles. She removes her stained apron and sighs. "Aidan, if you don't come now, there will be no supper for you!"

She turns to her daughter. "Didn't manage to catch anything?"

Kiera shakes her head, taking off her fur jacket. "No, the hunt was cut short by Blackbear riders disturbing the woods."

"That's okay." her mother presses her lips together, placing four wooden bowls and spoons on the table. Then finally, a small boy comes out of his room, lighting up as soon as he sees Kiera and runs up to her for a hug. "Kiera! You're back!"

"I am." Kiera smiles softly, "All is good?"

"Yes! Father started teaching me sword-fighting!" Aidan says.

Kiera laughs softly through her nose, forcing a smile. "That's really good. You like it so far?"

"I do," Aidan answers before getting on his chair. Kiera does as well, sitting next to him. When her mother sits down, Kiera and Aidan's father walks in from his room, rubbing some wood chippings off his rough hands. His hair is black, and he has brown eyes. He bears a thick beard, and he is built like an ox.

"Come sit, Bryce." his wife says, "I made stew."

He sits beside her without saying a word and then looks at Kiera. "I thought you went out hunting."

"I was. Too much activity in the woods." Kiera answers, avoiding eye contact.

"I don't even understand why you're out hunting. You should be helping your mother, not hiding in the woods letting her do all the work around here."

"Bryce." her mother sighs, "Not now. Please."

Kiera ignores him and takes the ladle to pour her bowl full of stew. "On another note, there was some commotion at the city square when I passed by."

"What happened?" her mother asks.

"There was this preacher squawking about scaled men returning and dooming us all. He got dragged away by the city guard. People were getting mad." Kiera says, taking a spoon full and eating it.

"They're all lunatics if you ask me." Kiera's mother says, filling her bowl as well.

"And you." Bryce smiles at his son, "You enjoyed your first sword-fighting lesson today?"

Aidan nods as his father pours his bowl full of stew. "Yes, father."

"You're going to be doing that a lot when you grow tall." Bryce continues, "Now eat up. Tomorrow is a big day. I could teach you how to handle a bow, perhaps?"

Aidan beams at that, glancing at Kiera. "Like Kiera?"

Bryce's smile slightly fades, whereas Aidan's sister takes the opportunity. "I could teach him a bit as well. You know, I'm not a bad shot," she says while looking down at her bowl, sipping her spoon clean.

"Yes, please, father!" Aidan bounces up from his chair.

"We'll see." Bryce puts up a fake smile. "Alara, pass me the ladle please." Kiera feels her father's glare, and when she finally meets eyes with him, she looks back at her plate.

"So, Blackbear soldiers in the woods? What does that mean?" Alara asks. Bryce looks at her and then at Kiera. "What? You saw riders from House Blackbear?"

Kiera nods, taking another spoon full into her mouth.

"You were certain?" Bryce asks again.

Kiera swallows, "Yes. About twenty. Armoured, and carrying the bear sigil on their shields."

"Red and black colours?" Bryce continues to ask, seeming tense.

"Yes." Kiera says, "I was tracking this pair of deer for hours, but they-" Kiera's sentence is cut short when her father suddenly stands up. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner? Fuck sake. I have to go."

"Wait, where are you going?" Alara asks.

"To warn the king, of course. The Blackbears have no military access. I will return soon." Bryce says as he takes his brown jacket, leaving the house in a rush. Kiera, Aidan and Alara are left confused. But Kiera breaks the silence, "Alright then." and continues eating.

"Will the city be attacked?" Aidan asks.

"What? No." Kiera says, swallowing more stew. "Eat. You barely ate anything."

The rest of the evening is pretty uneventful, and it is quickly bedtime for Aidan. As usual, Kiera is mostly the one to put him to bed. While Aidan has already crawled into bed, Kiera enters the small chamber with a candle, its light reflecting into her eyes. "Ready to go to sleep?"

"Bedtime story first." Aidan smiles, pulling up the fur closer to his face.

Kiera places the candle on his bedside table and sits down on the wooden floor next to him. She gently caresses his head, "Which one would you like me to tell?"

"A new one." Aidan says, his green eyes gleaming with candlelight.

"Alright." Kiera says, looking up and thinking, "Did I ever tell you the tale of the Hawk Knight?"

Aidan shakes his head, but he is dying to hear it.

"Alright. A long time ago, even before Seryn came to be the First Emperor, the Lands of Trinity were divided and almost constantly at war. In the middle of a dispute between House Bladesong and House Blackbear, there was a knight called Henrick. He served as a royal guard for the Bladesong king for a long time, but the king wanted him on the battlefield instead. He was put in charge of a thousand soldiers and was tasked to sail to Etheon and retake High Harbour."

"That's here." Aidan says with wide eyes.

"Yes, and so he did. He sailed across the Silk Sea and raided many towns before he wanted to march on the big capital. But the Blackbear king sitting on the Ivory Throne knew what the knight was trying to do. Henrick wanted to seize all the surrounding towns, so the capital eventually has no food left and is forced to surrender. But he didn't want it to come that far. The Blackbear king, King Thommond, raised his royal army and marched out the gates, intending to meet Henrick in open battle. Henrick's scouts reported this to him, and at that point he realized, he had the upper hand."

"How?" Aidan asks, engrossed in the story.

"He could choose his own battlefield." Kiera answers, "If you remember that one walk we did with mother beside the waterfall at the foot of the Silver Mountains, by the river and the fields? Well, that is where Henrick decided to await Thommond's army."

"Why a river?" Aidan asks.

"Well, I don't know much about war tactics, but a river seems defendable. It makes sense." Kiera smiles, running her fingers through his hair, "In any case, Thommond fell right for his trap, and Henrick clashed with the king, defending the riverbed. But according to many witnesses and veterans who were once part of that battle, Henrick didn't know the king has reinforcements coming long before he even set foot on Etheon ground. Turns out the king spotted his armada way before. So right when everything seemed to be in Henrick's favour, his army suffered a devasting ambush from behind. Thundering hooves of a massive cavalry detachment, cutting through Henrick's men. He was about to lose the battle until he saw the king among his own army, fighting alongside them. In full desperation, on the brink of defeat, Henrick charged forward on his white mighty steed right towards the king, seizing the opportunity. People saw his horse get shot by two arrows right in the chest, but it shrugged it off like it was nothing. It was as if the horse felt the same determination his rider felt. Like...intertwined souls. The horse was shot again and again until Henrick reached the king. His horse finally caved, and the king was surrounded by his personal guard. But right before he fell, Henrick jumped off his horse and soared through the air, over the king's guard, and struck Thommond down with one blow. Henrick was killed quickly after, and his entire army was defeated, but with the death of the king, the whole region declined into chaos. Even after death, Henrick was still victorious and gained the title of the Hawk Knight, who struck down the Blackbear king like a bird descending from the skies."

"Woah.." Aidan gleams, "I want to have wings, too."

Kiera chuckles, "I'm sure you do. Now sleep." and kisses his forehead, "Tomorrow is a big day for you. You're finally going to start learning archery. Just like your big sister."

Aidan nods, and Kiera tucks him in a little more. "Goodnight, little mouse."

"Goodnight, Kiera," Aidan says with closed eyes. His sister stands up and walks out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her. When she turns around, her mother is still sitting behind the cleaned-up table, smiling softly. "Thank you, darling. He seems to be sleeping a lot better when you're the one putting him to bed."

Kiera smiles back, sitting down behind the table as well. "Can't imagine why. I'm starting to run out of stories to tell."

"He loves you." Alara says, "A relationship with your own kin like that, it's rare these days. It's always brothers against brothers or sons against fathers. Even brothers against sisters sometimes. It's like you can't escape it."

"He loves you too. We will always stick together." Kiera says. She notices her mother fiddling with her fingers and her hands shaking slightly. "Everything alright?"

Her mother feels caught, hiding her hands underneath the table. "Of course. Just tired, is all."

"Maybe you should get some sleep." Kiera says softly.

"Soon," Alara says. "First, I'm going to enjoy my time alone without your father for a while."

Kiera smiles and stands up. "Alright. I will go join Aidan. Hopefully, the god of the hunt will be more generous with me tomorrow." she walks around the table and kisses her mother's head. "Goodnight."

"Sleep well, dear," Alara says, rubbing her daughter's shoulder. Kiera walks into her room, trying to be as quiet as possible. Aidan is already fast asleep. She sits on her bed and unties her boots, taking them off. The hunt today feels rough on her feet. Her ankles are red, and the bottom of her feet feel sore. She massages them gently before turning into bed and pulling the fur covers over herself. With a relieving sigh, she blows out the candle and tries to sleep.

An hour goes by. Alara still sits alone behind the table, fiddling with her fingers and biting the inside of her cheeks. Suddenly she gets up, gets her fur jacket and gloves, and puts them on. Before she walks to the door, she gets a knife from the counter and hides it between her pants. Her hands are shaking, and as she approaches the door, she puts on her fur hood and leaves the house into the cold, dark night. The snow-covered streets are empty, and the chilly wind stings her face. She starts walking, passing house after house while keeping the stone arch of the district passage in her sight. She darts her head around, looking around every direction, even the roofs until she passes through the archway into the city square. It's more crowded here, which makes her lower her guard slightly. Guards are patrolling around, people are hanging around lit braziers, and some market stands still persist. Alara has her eye on a bunch of carriages with horses and approaches them with crossed arms.

"Hello?"

The man tending to his two horses turns around, showing his scarred face. His voice is hoarse. "Can I help you lady?"

"I need a ride to Glaivetown." Alara says. "It's an emergency."

"I'm sorry lady, that's the opposite direction I'm plotting to go. Now if you can excuse me, I have some packing to do."

"Three-hundred rials." Alara persists. That amount of gold gathers the man's interest.

"Four-hundred," he says.

Alara sighs. "Three-hundred is all I have. We both know that is as good as three rides."

The man glances at the pouch of coins, then back at Alara. "Fine. Let me finish preparing my horses. Hop on."

"Thank you," Alara says, climbing on top of the carriage and blowing her hot breath into her cupped hands to feel the warmth on her face. While the man is tying up the ropes and preparing the reins, Alara can't help but feel watched. From the crowd, the alleys, and even from inside the houses. She keeps her arms crossed and shiftily looks around. Finally, the man climbed on as well.

"Took your bloody time." Alara grumbles.

"Lady, why the rush? It's the middle of the night?"

"Just go," Alara commands, so the two start riding through the main street. What are only a few minutes feel like an hour. Especially when she sees a hooded silhouette of a person looming on a rooftop, looking at her. With a shaky breath, she subtly reaches into the back of her trousers and grabs her knife, hiding it in her sleeve on her lap. She looks back at the rooftop, but the person is gone. They finally reach the city gates, protected by a few guards with torches and lingering around firepits, and ride through, leaving the capital behind. Alara looks back and feels relieved to see no one following or looking at her. As far as she knows.

"Are you in trouble lady?" the man suddenly asks, breaking the long silence. "You keep looking around as if someone is going to kill you."

"I'm fine." Alara says, "It's...an emergency. My son, I received word he got gravely ill. And he's in Glaivetown. Why can't we ride faster?"

"It's the snow." the rider says, "Especially here. It's fine for the horses, but the wheels are holding them back."

"It's so cold." Alara whines, rubbing her arms and shivering, despite all her fur clothes. They now ride into the forest, which is even darker, with the canopies blocking the moonlight. The only source of light is the lantern hanging off the carriage. There is no sound but the hooting of owls and the taps of snowflakes hitting the leaves.

"Try not to think about it too much." the man says, "I had a son too. I lost him when he was three."

Alara glances at him for a few seconds before answering. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"It was many years ago. He never got ill. Not even as a babe." he smiles, "He was the healthiest boy I'd ever seen. Until one day I wanted to go out fishing with him. See, my father had a fishery by the docks in the capital. He taught me everything there was about fishing. I loved it as much as he did. And, naturally, I wanted to teach my son, too. Brought him to the Treebark River not far from here. The next thing we knew, we heard a rumble in the mountains."

"You were there when the flood happened last year." Alara says with wide eyes.

"They said it was ice that broke off the summit. It was in the middle of summer. Unless you experience it yourself, you won't realize how quickly ice can come crashing down." he then points at his scarred face. "I survived. Barely, but I did. My boy did not. We found him carried all the way at sea, washed on the shores."

Alara remains silent for a while. "I can't imagine how that must have felt."

"Aye, well, to this day, I'm still trying to figure out what lesson the gods wanted to teach me."

"Stop!" Alara suddenly exclaims, looking ahead. The man pulled the reins. "Woah. What?"

As the man looks forward, he sees another person on a horse on the path ahead, carrying a lit torch. Alara looks back and sees a soft glimmer of orange between the trees. Her heart starts pounding in her throat, and adrenaline rushes through her veins as her breathing intensifies. "Cut the carriage." Alara commands, taking her knife and cutting at the ropes linking the horses and the carriage together.

"Wait, what are you doing?" the man asks, grabbing her arm.

"Just do it! Get a horse and run into the woods, now!" Alara growls, frantically darting her head around while cutting. When the horse in front of her is finally free, she jumps forward onto the horse and holds onto the long reins, whipping with a loud "Hya!" and dusts off into the forest. It is dark. The wind whistles past Alara's ears, and the horse struggles to dodge the trees. Alara looks around and sees nothing but shadows dashing in her peripherals. She doesn't notice a tree in this darkness fast enough, and the horse bashes into it, throwing her off into the snow. She rolls a bit further, her whole body covered in snow.

"Arg.." she grunts, clasping on her side and stumbling further. She hears cracks and rustling all around her. "I'm not going to die here." she thinks. Until she has an idea. She takes a few deep breaths and dives into the thick layer of snow, covering herself with it as much as possible. Seconds go by. Her body starts to shake uncontrollably. A minute goes by, and she knows she made the right call. Fast-paced footsteps approached.

"She here?"

"We found the horse, but not her. She must be here somewhere."

"What about the other man?"

"I don't know. Talion and Ishyn stayed on the road. Let's spread out, and look up. She might be hiding in the trees."

One of them steps dangerously close to where she is. But he passes her by, placing his steps carefully with a sword in his hands. What he doesn't know, though, is that Alara slowly rises from underneath the snow and sneaks up behind him. She locks her hand around his mouth and stabs his neck through his hood. And again, and again, as he descends into the now red snow. Alara drops him and takes out the bloodied knife from his flesh. She takes this opportunity to create more distance, stalking through the forest like a leopard. But everywhere she looks, there is the flicker of torchlight. She hears voices again and ducks behind a tree, swiping snow on top of her, pulling her hood over her face and hand over her mouth, masking the clouds of her breath. Another voice comes from where she just killed the person.

"Hal is dead!"

Then one of the people right next to her starts speaking. "Fuck. Alright she's definitely here. Everyone, scour every inch of this forest, and stay in pairs!"

They walk forward into Alara's field of view, and she can't believe her eyes. Some people wear brigandine armour and shields with the Blackbear sigil on them.

"Alright I'm sick of this." it sounds behind her. Suddenly, the forest lights up in cyan light, exposing Alara entirely. Her heart skips a beat, and they nearly see her instantly. She pounces upwards and runs away.

"There she is! Get her! Keep up the light, Talion!"

As she dashes through the woods, she pants and keeps glancing behind her. They are closing in. Horses too. She vaults over a fallen tree and wants to look back, but someone comes crashing into her from the side. She falls down with the man on top of her. Grunting and groaning, she thrusts her knife at his neck, but he grabs the arm and keeps it away. She kicks his groin with her knee. He yells out in pain. She rolls on top of him, grits her teeth, and stabs his eye. Someone pulls her off by the neck, but she thrusts her knife into his arm, forcing him to release her. She runs away again, but then she hears the whistle of an arrow flying by.

"Fucking get her!"

Alara is so tired that her panting turns to loud heaves of breath. Suddenly, sharp pain in her right leg. She yelps out and hides behind a tree, noticing the arrow stuck through her leg. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." she growls to herself.

"Come out, Alara! You got nowhere to go!"

She wipes her face, doing nothing but spreading the blood stains.

"If you come out and yield, we won't kill you! You're a smart woman!"

She closes her eyes and raises her head, sobbing softly. "I'm sorry, Kiera. I'm sorry Aidan." she whispers to herself. She then throws her crimson knife away into the view of her chasers and slowly limps around the tree with her hands up slightly. She is greeted by a group of six people. Four of them have their bows aimed at her.

"You're quite a way from home, aren't you, Alara?" one of them asks, sheathing his sword and holding his hands on his hips.

"Just get it over with and kill me," Alara growls.

"That was our original plan. But now that you killed two of our people, the boss will want you alive. If only you listened."

Suddenly, the bright cyan light dims, restoring the forest to its former darkness. Alara doesn't even question why or how. She instantly limps away as fast as she can.

"Light the fucking torches you imbeciles! Go get her!"

Moaning in pain, Alara stumbles through the snow.

"Follow her tracks!" it sounds behind her. How is she ever going to outrun them like this? They light the torches again, creating an orange glimmer on the surrounding trees as Alara hides behind another. She can't run, not with the arrow stuck in her leg. She needs to make a decision, and so she does. She grabs the end of the arrow and snaps it before pulling it out with a groan. As she feels the heat of her blood spreading, she makes another run for it. Suddenly she sees more torch light ahead.

"They're fucking everywhere," she grunts, staying low and looking around. Finally, nature lends a hand. This part of the forest is covered with tall ferns, perfect for her to crawl under and be much harder to detect. She gets on her belly as the people ahead approach.

"Alara is not alone. Keep watch for the girl, too. She got Talion."

"Beginning to think this was a bad idea. Who knows who else is here."

Alara stays as still as possible. They're only inches away from her. But all she can think about is what they meant with the girl. Who else is here? When the seekers pass her by, she crawls underneath the ferns, creating as much distance as possible. When she sees no light ahead, she gets up and hides behind another tree, grabbing at her painful leg. Her face is pale, and her legs start to feel weak. She peers around the tree, and the glow of the torches is far behind. She hears a twig snap behind her, but she doesn't even have time to turn around as someone wraps his arm around her neck, forcing her to the ground. She growls, desperately clawing at his face.

"I got her! Over here!" but suddenly, his attack is cut short by an arrow piercing his skull. His lifeless body fell on top of Alara. She throws him off and looks around, and there she is.

Kiera. Looking at the dead body with wide eyes and shaking hands. "Is he-is he dead?"

"Kiera?" Alara can't believe her eyes. She crawls up to her while looking back. They are coming, and Kiera doesn't even look at her. She keeps looking at the body.

"Baby, look at me, look at me," Alara says, caressing her daughter's cheeks and forcing her to look in her eyes.

"These are very bad men, okay?" she peers back at the body, "You did what you had to do. I'm sorry for everything. I will explain it all later. But right now, we have to go."

"Y-you're bleeding." Kiera stutters, looking at her mother's leg.

"I'll be fine. But we have to move now." Alara says as she hears faint voices. She grabs her daughter's hand and leads her further away from the pursuers. Kiera stays close, holding onto her bow and looking back a lot. "Where are we going?"

"Glaivetown, it shouldn't be far away." Alara pants, pushing aside all the ferns.

"I think we lost them." Kiera says, out of breath as well. "I don't see any lights."

"Yes, it's really dark now. Just keep following my voice." Alara says, unable to see an inch in front of her. "How did you find me? Where is Aidan?"

"Aidan was really tired. He won't wake up. I locked the door." Kiera responds, shivering, "I knew something was wrong, and then I heard you walk out of the house, so I followed you. I thought I lost your tracks, but then I saw the beacon of light in the forest."

Alara halts and turns to her daughter, hugging her. "I'm so sorry you had to witness all of this. I will make it right, I promise."

Kiera hugs back. "It's okay. But can we please move on? I'm freezing, and you are bleeding."

"Of course." Alara smiles weakly. The two move on until they finally reach the town.

"There, lights!" Kiera says. But her mother suddenly trips and moans in pain.

"Oh shit." Kiera mutters, placing a hand on Alara's back. "Are you okay? What do I do?" her voice shakes a little.

"We just need to get to the tavern." Alara slurs her words.

"Okay." Kiera says, wrapping her mother's arm around her shoulder, supporting her. "Come on, we can do this."

Stumbling together, Kiera and Alara finally leave the tree line into the town. Most houses are made of wood and thatch roofs, and it is all dirt road, formed naturally by repetitive walking. Some of the windows of the houses emit light, and some are dark. But no one is outside. Kiera looks at Alara's leg and notices the red patch covering most of her front leg.

"Oh man." she pants, walking towards the tavern standing uphill. It's a cosy house, and light also shines from its windows. A wooden sign hangs above the door that says "The Slumbering Owl."

Kiera is approaching the door when Alara's knees give in, sagging to the mud. "No, no, no, no, hold on! Please, mother!" Kiera panics, trying to keep her up, but she is too heavy for her.

"Just get the door..." Alara grunts weakly. Kiera leaves her be for now and walks up to the door, banging her fist on it.

"Please, someone? I need help, we need help. It's my mother!"

There is no response, and Kiera starts getting worked up. "Please, someone, open up! I know you're there." Suddenly, the door opens, and a brown bearded man peers through the crack. "We're closed."

He wants to close the door, but Kiera places her foot between and opens it entirely, revealing her mother to the man. His eyes open wide, and he immediately jumps into action. "Alara! Come, help me get her inside."

He locks his arms under Alara's armpits and drags her inside while Kiera holds her legs. The warmth inside feels good as Kiera and the man carry Alara into the private rooms behind the bar counter. It is a small room with a bed, dresser, table, chair, and nightstand. They place her on the bed, and the man turns to Kiera. "I need cloth from underneath the bar. You won't miss it. And get a bottle of liquor. Any bottle is fine. Just not wine, it'll just infect."

Kiera nods before running into the tavern chamber, grabbing clean pieces of cloth and a bottle of liquor. She runs back into the room, seeing her mother groan in pain as he raises her leg with a pillow.

"Here." Kiera pants. The man takes the rags and the liquor, taking off the cork. "Girl, you might want to wait in the tavern. Get yourself something to drink."

But Kiera just stands there, running her hands through her hair and looking at her mother. He tries again. "Look, I know your mother. She and I go way back. I will take care of her, I promise."

Kiera nods and can't stop a few tears rolling down her cheek. "Okay." and leaves the room, closing the door behind her. What follows are the muffled grunts of pain coming from Alara's room. Kiera slumps towards one of the many tables and sits down, staring blankly in front of her. Then she notices her bloody hands and some stains on her own leg. Her breath quickens, and she starts frantically rubbing her hands on her clothes. She then quickly gets up, heads to the bar, grabs a water bottle and pours it over her hands.

Half an hour goes by, and Kiera sits alone, staring in front of her and fiddling with her fingers. So many questions run through her mind. But the worst of all, the image of the person she killed repeats in her mind. Then, finally, the door to the bedroom opened. It was the bearded man, beckoning Kiera to come. "She's ready to see you. She will be okay."

Kiera immediately gets up and walks to the room where her mother sits. Her leg is bandaged up, and she's smiling, sitting upright in bed.

"I'll give you two your space." the man says as he closes the door behind Kiera, who then instantly goes to hug her mother.

"I'm glad you're fine." she says.

"Me too, sweetheart," Alara says, returning the hug. "We have a lot to talk about, don't we?"

Kiera stops the hug and looks at her mother with teary eyes. "Whatever it is, it won't change what I think about you. I will always love you."

Alara scrunched up her face a little, holding back her tears. "I know. I don't even know where to start."

"Anywhere." Kiera smiles, sitting down on the bed beside her.

"Let's start with the men who attacked me. All of these people, they are all part of one group. An organization with influence all across the realm. They are the hands of a much more secretive group who never show their face. They are a company or an aggressive cult, I guess you could say. They bring in gold for this higher secretive group through many illegal activities. They are a cult of assassins, thieves, and smugglers."

"But why do they want you?" Kiera asks, gently holding Alara's hand.

"They want me because before I met your father, I was born into that group. I was raised to be one of them. I was only nine when they made me kill someone. By the time I was sixteen, I knew I wanted to leave. But both my mother and father were so keen on keeping me there. One of the rules of this group is once you're in, you never leave. One year later, I met your father. And everything changed."

Kiera is uneasy about all this, raising her leg on the bed and bending forward slightly. "I bet father wasn't always like this."

"He wasn't." Alara shakes her head and presses her lips together, "Back then, he was the sweetest man I ever met. How he sat there on that fence outside the inn. Those brown, bright eyes. His tight leather jacket. His warm smile, the summer breeze swaying his curly hair." Kiera notices her mother staring in front of her as if she's experiencing it all over again. Her smile is wide, and her eyes are gleaming. "His soft hands, everything I wanted in a man, stood right there. Right there in front of me. He had no idea of the life I was living, and I didn't want to expose him to it either. So I did what no one else ever could. I left these horrible people and convinced Bryce to sail across the realm to a new home. A new start."

"Sounds like he was a good man." Kiera softly says.

"I believe he still is." her mother smiles, "Something in him snapped years ago, but it wasn't because of you or your brother. It must be his guard duty in the city. He sees bodies everyday, and I think it's taken a toll on him. But the man I love is still in there. I know it."

Kiera lays her head on Alara's chest but doesn't say anything. Her mother continues.

"I thought they could never find me. But when you mentioned that preacher, I knew they found me. Twenty years went by since I left, and they never gave up the hunt."

"Does that mean we have to leave again?" Kiera asks, feeling her mother's chest go up and down with her breath. Alara gently runs her finger through Kiera's hair and pauses. "No. We are staying right here."

Kiera raises her head and looks at her mother with frowned eyebrows. "What about the people who attacked us?"

"I will make sure they won't touch me, you, or anyone in our family again. I promise."

"How?" Kiera asks.

"Believe me, sweetheart. The less you know, the better."

"Mother," Kiera insists, sitting upright again. "I am in this too, now. That mage I shot before I found you, I only shot his arm. But he saw my face."

Alara closes her eyes reassuringly. "It doesn't matter. This won't happen again. I need you to trust me on this. And please, don't tell your father. I wanted some fresh air, and some bandits attacked me. Then you went after me because I took too long."

Kiera sighs, glancing at the bandages on Alara's leg. Tears form in her eyes. "How can I pretend like none of this happened, when you would've been dead if it wasn't for me?"

Alara caresses her daughter's cheek. "I don't want you to pretend. This is your memory now, and the only way to give it a place in your mind is if you don't run away from it. I only ask you not to tell anyone else about this. Let it be our secret. Can you do that for me?"

Kiera nods and wipes away a tear when Alara hugs her again. "Thank you for saving my life. I love you."

"I love you too." Kiera sobs in her mother's arms. Suddenly, the door opens, and the inn owner stands in the doorway, sweating and panicking.

"Everything okay, Simeon?" Alara asks.

"You might want to leave. Soldiers from High Harbour are turning this town upside down."

Alara sighs and shakes her head. "No, I know who this is. Kiera, go get him. I will do the talking."

Kiera nods and heads outside, noticing the blue shimmer of dawn in the sky. Still, more importantly, the soldiers barging into every door they come across. And her father, standing in the middle of the road with Aidan sitting on a horse, protected by another soldier.

"Over here!" Kiera waves, catching Bryce's attention. He immediately runs towards the tavern in his full steel armour.

"She's in here, and she's okay," Kiera says, but he ignores her and bursts into the room, shouting.

"Where is she?!"

"I'm here, Bryce." Alara says.

He runs into her room, scanning every corner first, and panting. "What in god's name happened?"

Kiera and Aidan meet eyes, and he instantly lights up, climbing off and running towards her. She walks toward him and crouches to catch his hug.

"What happened?" he asks. Kiera wants to speak and explain everything, but her throat has a lump. She starts crying and falls on her butt with him in her arms, grasping his back and holding him tight. Aidan accepts the silence. He doesn't understand, but he knows her big sister needs him. Kiera cries in her little brother's arms for minutes until Bryce walks out of the tavern, supporting Alara.

"We're going home."

Thirty minutes later, an entire squad of soldiers are combing the woods for the 'bandits' Alara mentioned. The family is escorted back into the capital. They come home, and Aidan is put back to bed since his sleep was cut short. By noon, it is only Kiera, Alara and Bryce in the common room.

"We'll find the bastards who did this." Bryce says, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Fuck, Alara. What were you thinking? Running off like that in the middle of the night? You could've been dead."

"I know," Alara says, looking down and sitting on a chair behind the dinner table. "It was stupid."

"Not only that, but you left our children alone." Bryce continues. He then looks at Kiera, who seems to be zoned out. "And you. You're done hunting. From now on, you're staying right here to help your mother."

Kiera hears him, but she doesn't react. She just stands there with crossed arms, leaning against the wall.

"Am I clear?" her father insists. "No more hunting."

Kiera visibly swallows and nods.

"Good," he says, pushing himself off the counter and walking towards his sword. "None of you leave the house. I'm going to join the hunt for these bandits." Before he leaves, he pecks the top of Alara's head and heads through the door, closing it behind him. As soon as he does, Alara stands up and limps toward her daughter, looking her in the eyes.

"I hate asking you this, but I need you to keep one last thing from your father." Alara furrows, "I need to leave one more time and put a stop to all of this."

Kiera's eyes open wide, "But-" but her mother reassures her. "Don't worry. This time I will be okay. I promise."

Kiera nods, "Okay. Be careful."

Alara Fyre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWiblddBORw

Alara smiles and then puts on her jacket, limping to the door and taking a deep breath. And then, there she goes, back into the cold city. As the day starts, the streets of the slums are much busier. She makes her way through the crowd, glaring in front of her with a sharp look in her eyes. She sometimes gets a look from the people she passes as she makes her way to the district's arch passage and then into the city square. She squeezes through the crowd towards the fountain with the giant statue of a king and looks around. Finally, she locks onto a preacher. The same one Kiera came across, the same one who was dragged off his preaching stand. There he is again, preaching as if nothing happened. She limps towards him, pushes people aside, and grabs him by his robes, violently pulling him off the stage. Some commotion stirs within the crowd as the man turns to look at Alara in fear. But when he sees her, his eyes widen, and his mouth opens.

"Tell the Touch of Shadows I will rejoin, but stay away from my family." Alara growls.

The preacher starts chuckling. "You can't hide the truth about your daughter forever, Alara. You know she is the key in all of this. The rise of the Hinos cannot be stopped."

Alara scrunches her face and bares her teeth before sending her fist into his face.