Hearing the horns sound, Chia’s heart dropped, her face going pallid, like fresh-fallen snow on a winter day. She had heard of the Skeeters, a terrifying monster that ate blood and metal.  They came in swarms, and they could destroy small villages. Such as Gold Ridge. Her heart raced with fear as children and adults alike began screaming and running into safe places. 

The baby on her back started crying, tugging at her mother’s hair. Chia touched the child’s hair with a comforting hand. “[color=sienna]Shhhh, Shadzi.[/color]” the young mother said in a gentle tone. In reality, she was just as scared as the child. Her heart pumped at an unsteady rate as she viewed the chaos surrounding her. Guards and mercenaries alike were fighting against the archfiends, along with the Screamer woman from earlier and a man she couldn’t identify.

Tentatively, Chia drew her sharp dagger from a hidden pocket in her dress. The dagger was always her last resort, and she was trained in it. Self-trained, of course. But before fighting, the baby would come first. Chia set the small child in a relatively safe alcove, kissing her head. She would fight to protect this village. If all those children lost their home and possibly their lives- well, that would break Chia’s already fractured heart. 

And then the woman went charging into the battle, brandishing her dagger and stabbing into a diving Skeeter’s belly first chance she got. Yeah, she was mostly just fighting for the heck of it. But man, was it [i]fun[/i]. She wasn't about to say that death and pain was fun- that wasn't her point. She had always loved the feeling of rushing into something with no plan, improvising as you go along. In this world, that had become her sense of enjoyment. Enjoying surprise, even if it was bad.