Kory Kalicos was just stopping by in Iselia. She wanted to get some rest after beating up a bunch of monsters after she had left Triet to finish a monster hunt job. Hunting monsters was fine for her wallet, but it always left her bored and unsatisfied. Her heart cried out for her to spill some Desian blood, but with the non-aggression treaty in Iselia coupled with the heavy fortifications in the other Human ranches, she couldn't do much about it. Sometimes a good rest in a sleepy village such as this would do wonders for her boredom; she would get tired of the peaceful place and happily go back to smacking monsters upside the face.

This visit would have been no different were it not for the brilliant light that awoke her from her slumber. She grumbled in annoyance, "The hell was that? Can't a girl get her sleep without being bothered?"

Unable to go back to sleep, Kory rolled out of bed and got dressed in her light clothes and armor, then draped her white hooded coat over her and buckled a few belts. Together with the scars on her face and her steely grey eyes, she had a ragged and rough appearance that told people, "You better not mess with me." Kory gathered her belongings and went to the old lady at the counter, saying, "Yo. Your services are appreciated, as always. Not that I really needed them since I just crashed most of the time."

"You're up earlier than usual. Did the oracle wake you up and now you're in a foul mood?" the woman chuckled slightly.

"I'm glad someone finds my sleeplessness humorous. What the hell was that light anyway?"

"You don't know about the oracle? The Chosen is on her way to the Temple of Martel to begin the journey of regeneration."

"Oh, that..." Kory grumbled. "The whole pilgrimage thing that has done nothing to solve our problems for hundreds of years."

"Please don't say that. The Chosen is our only hope of ridding the world of the Desians. I'm sure Zoey, however irresponsible she might have been with her studies, will take her divine duty seriously."

"This Zoey person... How old is she?"

"She's 16 years old."

"Well, ain't that lovely? Out of diapers and already everyone is shoving their hopes onto her tiny shoulders. If all Chosens are this young, it's no wonder they all died at the Desians' hands."

"Kory..." the woman sighed. She was well aware of the mercenary's bitter attitude, although she wasn't really sure why.

"Take that with a grain of salt, ma'am. It's just the opinion of someone who's seen too much cruelty to see any good in this screwed up world anymore. I'll tip you handsomely to make up for that comment."

"No, that's not necessary. I know that you're right, but some things are better left unsaid. You might be strong, but many of us are not. We have no choice but to cling to the Chosen's pilgrimage, even if she's much too young to be bearing such a huge responsibility."

"Fine, let's leave it at that. Be seeing you later," Kory sighed and gave the woman a wave before leaving the small inn. She stretched a few times and sat down on a nearby bench, pondering what to do next. Her first thought was to go to the Temple of Martel and meet the Chosen, hopefully snagging the job of protecting her. On the other hand, Kory figured that enough people were already assigned to such an important task and didn't really need her. She could just ignore the whole thing and go back to hunting monsters and finding rare materials to sell... as well as murdering any foolish Desians who dared to cross her path.

[i]Desians... That's right, they always try to kill the Chosen. With the current one being so young and Iselia near a Human ranch, she might be hunted the moment she steps out of the village. The non-aggression pact says the Desians won't attack Iselia, but it may not apply to when people leave its borders. Does the Temple of Martel count as part of the pact?[/i]

There were too many unanswered questions for her liking. As someone who preferred facts over hearsay, Kory wanted to be absolutely sure the Desians wouldn't attack while the oracle was underway. With a huff, she got up from the bench and headed towards Iselia's northern exit that led to the temple.