The Kingdom of Aabran reeked of dark magic and malicious spirits. Serah swore that even in the tops of the mountains that dotted the north, she could smell the foul stench that plagued the kingdom. It was, after all, what had called her feet towards the cityscape. Yet, despite the undercurrent of corruption that ran deep in its veins, it had a certain kind of beauty to it. Perhaps it was simply her time spent in the bleak wilderness of the north, but in the two days she's spent inside Lyra, Serah found herself endlessly awed by what she saw. Curiosity led her to enter shop after shop, albeit lacking in coin, to simply stare at the wondrous things they had displayed. One in particular held items that produced music that could rival the songs created by the breeze.

What Serah found she liked best about the city were its people. Despite their dark practices, many citizens had proven quite welcoming to the odd stranger wandering cluelessly around. Some were even gracious enough to toss her some coin that she later deposited into a marvel that the kind lady had called a "wishing well". Mayhaps if the Spirits heard her wish, she would be able to rid Aabran of the dark cloud looming over its head with ease.

Optimism filled her heart when no more than an hour passed after tossing her coins into the magical abyss that news of a Pernn - titles and nobility meant naught to the child of the soil - who sought aid in capturing the murderer. The Wilderdeep - as the locals called it, but a voice as ancient as time whispered a different name to her ears when she had walked near the gates prior to visiting the armory - was their target.

Serah stood again at its border alongside three others who had the same quest as she. Humans, all of them. A part of her felt more alien than she already was, but the thought was pushed away as one - Zog, as he had charmingly introduced himself earlier on - called for her attention. She did not understand much of the man's words - her grasp on the common tongue was flimsy at best, but she knew enough words to form simple sentences - nor his actions towards one of their own. It seemed to be a mating ritual, a preening of sorts, and she couldn't help but wonder if the human's mating season had already begun. It was a strange thought as the other humans in their vicinity had not attempted to catch the female's attention as Zog had. If that were the case, she only hoped humans were not like the hares of the north. They would not proceed much in their quest if that were the case.

Regardless, she drew the spear that was always faithfully strapped to her back and took a step forwards. There was no one more suited to lead the charge into the Wilderdeep other than her, but an underlying sense of dread made her skin crawl. She was almost hesitant to leave the city that seemed so wondrous and exciting.

She gave a soft grunt, motioning for the others to stop dallying and to start moving.