[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/RQaJfun.png[/img][h1][b][color=B22222]C L A R A[/color][/b][/h1][hr][b][color=gray]THE EOLDYSSEUS, IFRISE FOREST — SOVEREIGNTY OF DRYADALIS[/color][/b][/center][hr]
Gods, what an encounter that had been. Just the thought of those two suspicious blondes had Clara's stomach churning with anxiety. At least she knew now to avoid them like the plague for the rest of the journey. Which, seemed simple enough, seeing as the lady didn't want her company in the first place. Clara gathered herself and took a deep breath, calming her nerves.

Her calm wouldn't last for long as the frightening halt of the barge twisted her expression into one of shock and horror. Clara was hurled backwards, and her back met the wood flooring with a loud thud.

In a matter of moments, hell had broken loose. Clara was quick to get up before getting trampled by shrieking passengers, almost as panicked as they felt. Then she saw the window to her sides swarmed by literal [i]crows[/i], hammering at the glass and threatening to shatter it at any minute. Clara was one of the few not taking refuge under the seats; words could not describe her disbelief.

Clara was panicking too, yes, but she wouldn't let her composure waver that easily, even if she was surrounded by a flock of murderous birds. They had blocked all of her escape routes and were about to break through the windows, sure, but toppling over from fear would do nothing to improve her situation. Clara slowly crouched, and watched her sides.

As much as she detested those who called themselves an Inquisitor under the Status Eccelsiae name, she could only wonder where in Vitae the Inquisitors meant to protect the barge were hiding. It seemed her fellow travellers were thinking the same thing, praying for their arrival or for the chaos to suddenly dissipate. Their troubled faces weighed heavy in her heart, and Clara even tried her best to comfort some of the passengers around her, it was all she could do. She encouraged them that they would come out of this alive, that help was surely on the way. Deep down, Clara wasn't so sure.

Then, the gunshots came. Clara prayed that was the sound of action being taken against the flock of birds on the upper deck.