[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]
The consecutive gunshots soon came to a stop, and from the corner of her eye Clara could see there were a lot less birds by the windows than before. Some had even flown away, likely taking to the skies where the rest of them were gathered. Clara took back everything she said about how rickety this old hunk of metal was.

But there air still felt tense, and Clara struggled to gather her thoughts amidst the chaos. All she wanted wanted to do jump out and sprint away, and had her legs carried the power to outrun the entire flock, she would have done so a lot earlier. Instead, Clara was trapped inside, frantically pacing up and down its floorboards thinking of what to do. It was only when she stopped to breathe and looked out to the depths of Ifrise Forest that she realised something strange, even stranger than the sudden crow attack.

The strong abundance of magical energy Clara had felt before was almost gone.

Ifrise Forest was a land fertile with ether, she could tell from the rich amounts of energy she sensed when the barge entered the area. Yet Clara could hardly draw any into her body anymore, as if she had never been born with ability to do so. It felt wrong, unnatural, and Clara felt the urge to leave. But venturing outside alone, with ravenous birds at her tail? Clearly not the wisest choice.
 
A familiar streak of red caught her eye as it dropped in front of the window, and the appearance of the young girl she had seen earlier took shape. Clara heard a barely audible yell above where she stood, and assumed that no one else had taken the opportunity to walk into the mysterious forest just yet. But perhaps this was the start she needed to free herself from this pandemonium, a start to finding out the cause behind this strange phenomenon. Clara really didn't want to sit still and wait to become bird food, and clearly, neither did the little girl. Perhaps she had felt the same disturbance in the land's ether, too. Perhaps she was just like Clara.

Still, Clara had her suspicions. Then again, what regular person would even want to risk stepping outside after everything that had taken place? Looking around, she was sure no one inside was itching to find out whatever was causing this mess.

Clara was very, [i]very[/i] tempted.

She walked towards an emptier part of the carriage and forced one of the barge doors open, placing one boot on the soil. Ifrise's ether was still there, and it was a relief to Clara knowing she could still sense it. But it had nowhere near as large of a presence as it had just moments ago, she hadn't a clue as to what this magical blockade was or where it was coming from. Clara couldn't let fear overcome her now, even with her magic gone and the Inquisitors in such close proximity. Screw her uncertainty and suspicions, she was going to die here if she didn't take the risk. Clara figured the Inquistors would be too busy defending the barge from the birds to be suspicious of one regular civilian walking into the forest anyway. Clara's pace quickened, intent on chasing after the young girl.

[b]“[color=B22222]Wait, you can't just run in there by yourse—[/color]”[/b]

Something flew over her head before she could finish, and Clara very nearly screamed thinking it was the sound of birds on the hunt for her flesh. With a sharp swivel of her head she saw the reckless blond boy from before accompanied by another man of similar features, hanging from a tree of all things. Clara didn't know what to make of this circus act, other than it was just silly to even think about right now. In another time she would have burst out laughing as any circus act would have made her, but this was a life-or-death situation, she had to take it seriously. Clara could only manage an awkward look of worry at the one who smashed his forearm into a tree branch, before speeding past to catch up to the young girl.

That would now make four people venturing into the depths of Ifrise Forest.