---

Fia chuckled alongside Miwa as she defended herself. Not even a full day and Miwa didn’t seem out of place. At least outside of her attire, which wasn’t that out of place either as it complimented Akari. If it were not for their choice of camping ground, that being within the confines of the Twilight lands, this felt much like Fia did when she traveled with that old elf and his throng of the most unlikely allies she often found her self returning to. Fia smiled as she finished the sandwich, tempted to reach for another while the few remained on the uneven crate acting as their dining table.
“It’s not your conventional weapon. I would think the canopy would get in the way or catch the wind. Ah, thank you my dear Mr. Elc. This will work just fine.” said Fia, The mercenary had returned with a metal tankard full of warm tea. Not the most conventional of hot drink ware, but it served the job well enough. The handle kept Fia’s hands from the heated metal. “Anyway, you look quite capable with it, even drawing water. I’m impressed. Not with just that, but coming this way all on your own. You are resilient, darling. Your temple is fortunate to have you. You certainly deserve more rest if you need it, dear.”
Fia sipped from the tankard of tea and then quickly reached out grabbing another sandwich out from underneath Mr. Elc’s attempt to grab it himself. The tankard rested near the edge of the crate as Fia took a bite from the sandwich, a drop of the marmalade falling out and landing softly in the grassy dirt below.
“My dear, Jazdia. You don’t need to take things that seriously. We are not in any immediate danger, it is okay to relax. Our dear Miwa has perked up and the tea is still warm. Vesemir still sleeps, so we have time to further decompress before we head out towards the artificer’s lair.”

“My dear, Jazdia. You don’t need to take things that seriously. We are not in any immediate danger, it is okay to relax. Our dear Miwa has perked up and the tea is still warm. Vesemir still sleeps, so we have time to further decompress before we head out towards the artificer’s lair.”

"Whew! That helps a lot! I'm definitely awake now." she said chuckling as she stood up.

"Oh, the water is perfectly clean, drinkable and purified, should you need it for something. A small perk of being a Miko from the Shirakawa temple. Normally it's used for purifying rituals... But there are no rules saying that it can't be used like normal water, despite being sacred." she said laughing.

"I swear I normally am not this bad at waking up! It's just that... Well... Yesterday was a particularly exhausting day... I was walking for quite a time before I fortunately encountered you guys, after all." Miwa said, justifying herself with a rather embarrassed chuckle.

Jazdia smiled before slowly sipping her own cup with dignified grace, a gesture to show that she was genuinely happy to hear that. Although it was unusual to bring a weapon to tea time, she accepted this oddity, reflecting on her own nature, as she was not one to strictly adhere to the rules of etiquette herself. In the end, there were truths in Fia's and Miwa's words, and all of her concerns have been addressed anyway.

Even when the sorceress claimed and chewed one of the few last sandwiches so passionately, she tried to remind herself to rein in an urge to tell that she barely had any from the entire breakfast she herself prepared.

Now, I can understand Fredricus' frown back then. Yeah, I am really one to talk...

Escaping from that small intermezzo, there were details that she was interested in, and she would address them straight to the point.

"Purifying rituals, you say? Please sit down," She leaned forward and placed her cup on the table, gesturing Miwa to take the log bench left by Mr. Elc. Jazdia's Blue eyes, unnaturally blended with red tints, gazed into the young Sourjourner, glinting with a spark of interest and hidden despair. "Please tell me more about it. Can it purify curses?"

"When this journey is over, I would like to invite you to our main temple. It will be a rather long journey, but I am confident that with enough preparation and research about said curse, it can most definitely be purified." Miwa said, gently approaching Jazdia and speaking in a lower and softer tone, reminding her that despite her looks and personality, she was still a proper Miko of a temple and knew how to help and soothe as much as she knew how to defend and attack.

"Can most definitely be purified? That's a lot of confidence..." the elf chuckled, and the moment Miwa approached her, she did not react much to let the young sojourner feel a glimpse of power that had been shackling her. It was almost like a curse had the mind of its own, and could immediately sense someone who could detect it. It sent off an invisible searing heat that hurt one's psyche, like a lash to the brain that engraved a clear warning: This one is mine, back off!.

At that moment, the curse revealed its true form. An ethereal aura engulfed Jazdia like a pale flame, binding her wrists with ethereal thorny vines that seemed to descend from the sky above. A broken halo hovered above her head, while shards of light floated behind her like shattered wings. Those who were initiated could see that these forms slowly sapped her strength, channeling it away to an unknown destination.

The elf looked at Miwa as if the pain she experienced and her expression upon the revelation were already well calculated and expected. Not out of malice, or amusement, but rather an acceptance borne from an expectation that was already hopelessly low.

"I'd like to visit your temple... someday. But my time is running low, and this is my last shot." Pausing, her voice lowered and slowed. "If I can't get rid of this... this time... I don't know what will become of me."

It took less than a moment for her expression to shift to something more optimistic, however fake it might be.

"But hey, we did solid research, and The Library should have the answer."

---

As she fully awaken. Akari rose up from being seated. She looked on the Mr. Elc.

"Mister Elc, can you find me some container? It size like a bucket. I'm going to fetch fishing." Akari politely asked Mr. Elc.

She walked to the river cliff along with her unsheathed tanto and glared on the river. She recalled that it was safe said by Jazdia off screened as the whole party spending the night eating and telling tales. Proceeded to remove her clothing to revealed her white swim wear. A medium well shaped body and unscarred milkish skin despite as a sword user. She tied her hair into ponytail. While waiting on the container, she began to do warm up before for a swim. She were train to be be an excellent swimmer during her younger age of training. Ninjas were meant to aquire this aquatic skills for their operations.

As she fully awaken. Akari rose up from being seated. She looked on the Mr. Elc.

"Mister Elc, can you find me some container? It size like a bucket. I'm going to fetch fishing." Akari politely asked Mr. Elc.

Mr. Elc scratched his masked chin and nodded. "I'll be right back."

And returned he was, with a medium-sized, already opened wooden crate of the size of a cooking pot. He quickly catches up with Akari, who was already on the river, clad in only underwear, unbothered by the cold morning air, or those who might stare.

"Here it is, the best kind of basket to store fish! It can float, and contain fish, and let some water through to keep them alive for a while."

He said, not stuttering a bit, and why should he? The pretty view of a lady in a swimsuit in front of him? Nah, he had lived long and seen many things.

***

Meanwhile, Vesemir and Eblana had woken up. The old elf could be seen waking Stepan up, while Eblana did her own thing to prepare her morning routine like everyone else, preparing breakfast for her and her boss.

The poor mercenary was dozing off when he walked toward the river, intending to wash away the remaining drowsiness with cold water. He found himself something stronger anyway.

"Damn, in this very morning?"

The masked elf sighed. "Yes, looking for a fish she said. Now pick your jaw from the ground, that ain't polite of you to keep oogling."

"Wha-- who says I am?" Despite saying that, his eyeballs were glued to Akari's smooth back and side. "Lady! I saw the fish there! A bunch of em! Tehehehe."

---

Upon descending to the river, she erased her presence and swam along the riverbed. When those preys come in contact, it was ready to strike. The various edible fishes launched into the air and precisely getting landed to the basket that suggested to be their container. She is quiet good for carry her own, learned survival skills during her Adventurer's days. Akari paused and shown her presence to the two mercenaries, showing her head and halved of her shoulder.

"Two you. Please gather all container for water container. These waters are seems good to drink. We can filter this for a bit to make it cleaner." Akari politely asked the two who was idling both for a great view in front of them.

"Two you. Please gather all container for water container. These waters are seems good to drink. We can filter this for a bit to make it cleaner."

@Akari

If one could see through his mask, they would see that Mr. Elc tried to hold back an uncomfortable grin.

"You do it. Or ask this gentleman to do it," he stole a glance toward Stepan, who seemed to be the only person who had a purpose to be here... for the bad or for the worse. As for Him, the masked elf had better things to do, so he left, pondering whether bringing gallons of water would be a sound plan to do, before approaching Vesemir to speak about their schedule today.

---

The morning air was cool as the sound of water softly rippled throughout the clearing. The forest trees filtered the dawn, only brightening the sky. Insects chirped, and rustling of grass as the adventurers stirred about the turned over crate. Compared to the chaos and lingering death that spewed from the dragon’s presence, or that of the earth being tossed aside by the trees themselves, this morning was rather peaceful. Clear heads knew to be wary of the hidden dangers that lingered deeper within, or even the hidden dangers that had yet to be revealed from behind. A shame that only this moment in time was almost like a vacation.
“So, it’s a curse then, darling?” said Fia as she slowly chewed the remains of the sandwich. A few crumbs broke free of the crust, saved from free fall among the folds of Fia’s skirt. As the rest of the sandwich disappeared, the only evidence of it remaining were a small smattering of marmalade on the corner of her lips. Fia looked at Jazdia with an intense gaze as the dialog took pause. What the elven archer thought possible, and what Miwa claimed capable seemed to be in competition. It almost appeared like pain and desperation. Even for a young elf, having to live with the thorns of unknown causes from powers childish must only bring torment. Tolerance can only go so far.
“Then the fire offers more than just warmth against your skin. How to be so young and beautiful and to be shackled by the chains of the vengeful. Coming here was not merely obligation but to seek out the shears that can sever you from the tangles of pale emanations.” Fia leaned forward in her makeshift chair, the back of the box tilted forward digging the edge into the soft dirt. She grabbed Jazdia’s hands into her own, holding them tightly. “Not to worry, darling. I may be here for my own desires, but that does not mean I will not lend you any aid I can offer.”
It was only for a moment that Fia held Jazdia in that position before she let go. Fia allowed gravity to take hold of the box seat again letting it fall back onto its stable face. Fia picked up the tankard of nearly room temperature tea and finished what remained from the cup. The tankard empty, Fia placed it back on the crate-made table with a soft knock against the wood.
“That library does seem to hold promise, if master Vesemir’s speculations are correct. An artificer you say. It’s one thing to cast magic. Among the many people I’ve met, few fully can harness mana, and fewer who harness it unbound. It makes you wonder how many are actually capable of infusing it into an object. I’ve only ever known one person capable. Maybe there is something there for you, whether a cure or information. In any case, I’m sure there will be some quality loot.”
Fia watched as Mr. Elc stood to aid Akari in her endeavors by the riverside. The young ninja striped off her clothes and jumped into the likely cold water in her underware. Akari went about plucking fish from the riverbed and expertly tossed them into the crate provided by Mr. Elc. All the while, the other party members were starting to wake. At least mostly from the elves. The sky was getting brighter, but the light had yet peaked over the canopy of the trees. Birds chirped now, calling for their early morning partners or seeking feed for their young.
“Hmm, it looks like our dear Stepan has engrossed himself by the water. How unlucky of Mr. Elc, his alone time with so many lovely ladies being cut short.”

---

Akari made a blank stare on retrieving Mister Elc towards to the campfire. She noticed Miwa, the small descending from the river cliff and shoo'd out the last mercenary, leaving Miwa and herself. The young woman looked upset and about to burst out.

"Don't you think it's too shameless to display yourself like that?! At least ask me, Jazdia, Fia or Eblana to assist you instead of asking half of the males in our group!" Miwa said, scolding Akari as she continued fishing.

"I do commend you for the initiative to gather food and water for the trip but you should think better than to show yourself like this!" Miwa continued, still scolding Akari.

"But with these clothing allows the most mobility underwater. What is wrong with the swim wear? This is meant for a swimming... Quite popular on some region next to the beaches." Akari calmly replied the scolding young Miko.

Akari looked away from the young miko, eyeing the bucket. She sighed and pulled herself out of the river. Revealing the feature appearances to young Miko. Akari then made a hand sign and created a burst of wind around herself, preventing her from getting soaked from the river. Fetching her clothes, she went back with her black suit and her natural classic-length black hair.

Rezello

---

When Rezello emerged from his tent into the cold morning air, he had a single thought on his mind: breakfast. Making his way over to the camp’s stockpiled supplies, he sorted through the food stores before he remembered a detail from the aftermath of the battle the day before: no eggs. Something else would have to suffice to sate his hunger, and so he retrieved what he considered the next best thing: meat. Taking a pair of sausages in one hand, he returned to his tent to get a frying pan from his mess kit, positioning it on the ground in front of him before taking a seat. Summoning one of his daggers into his free hand, he began slicing the sausages into the pan when a panicked voice coming from the river stole his attention.

Miwa was standing by the water, apparently scolding Akari for something, whose head and shoulders were sticking out of the water. A morning swim? A basket on the ground near them indicated otherwise - if his guess was right, the ninja girl had been collecting something from the waters. And if that something was what he thought, it would make a fine addition to his morning meal. He stood up, dropping the final remnants of the sausages into the pan in front of him before stowing his dagger in his belt and making his way towards the basket; as he arrived, Akari had emerged from the water and begun to redress, but Rezello’s focus was entirely on the potential addition to his breakfast.

Kneeling down in front of the container, his suspicions were confirmed: it had been filled with a variety of fish, fresh from the river. Taking one by the tail, he looked it over before nodding and lifting the basket in the arm of his free hand. Turning back towards the main area of the camp, he glanced at Akari. “Good work. I can take these back.” Upon returning, he set the basket next to the rest of the stockpile before heading to the front of his tent again, pulling the dagger from his belt and quickly scaling and gutting the fish he had taken while on the way.

Dropping the prepared fish among the sliced bits of sausage, he picked up the frying pan, a hot blue flame manifesting beneath it as he began to cook.

Jazdia was a bit overwhelmed when the soujourner and sorceress took their turns sensing her palm. She was not a very touchy person herself, and there was a concern that the curse might affect them in some way beyond her calculation

“Then the fire offers more than just warmth against your skin. How to be so young and beautiful and to be shackled by the chains of the vengeful. Coming here was not merely obligation but to seek out the shears that can sever you from the tangles of pale emanations.”

It took a while for Jazdia to ponder whether she would grant an explanation or not, before deciding that the sorcerer was saying that as an idle musing. Truth to be told, it was the need to survive that led her to become like this. The second reason was less noble -—it was a desire for vengeance so intense it consumed her from within. One that blinded judgment and clouded rationality. After the vengeance faded and retribution was exacted, it revealed the steep price she would have to pay.

When their hands touched, Jazdia did not speak a word, yet her face relaxed despite the raging feeling that was now being shared. As their touch lingered, the true nature of the curse became clearer—it was a result of a contract. One could speculate whether this contract was formed through coercion, trickery, or desperation, but it mattered less in the end; The deal was made willingly, which likely explained why no external force could break it.

Jazdia sips her tea calmly. They speak quite a lot, almost giving no chance to the others to insert a word into the conversation. The enthusiasm was commendable and promising. Too promising, Jazdia felt a bit uncomfortable envisioning it, especially when Miwa asked Fia to count herself in.

It was finally the elven ranger's turn to speak, right at the moment when words were less frequent. In her turn, she meant every word she said.

"Thank you for your kind words. But such sincerity cannot be taken for granted. Do not risk yourself and do not ask any commitment from others, for my burden should be mine to bear, and I cannot live to see others get hurt by the result of my own choice."

Smiling again, she said with a more playful tone as the conversation shifted to the matter regarding the library. The encouragement about it eased her.

"We will, alright, just like what Vesemir wanted. That thankfully serves me just fine since our interests align. Let this revelation trouble you no more. Thanks for entertaining my request, Miss Miwa."

For someone seldom deceived by hope, her words were surprisingly optimistic.

Thankfully, they did not linger near her any more than necessary. Akari and her bold presentation helped a lot, it seemed, and the two immediately joined her, not for fun, but rather to give the nubile ninja an earful.

*****

Meanwhile, at the other part of the campsite, there was a small disagreement between Mr. Elc and Vesmir.

"I don't think I heard you clearly enough," said the masked elf, arms crossed. "The plan was to visit the library. Why risk another route?

"Because I do not come this far for some ruined building and stone tablets, Mr.Elc," Said the old elf, storing a rather large tome into a canvas bag. Meanwhile, her Secretary Eblana had just finished adding a drawing onto something that looked like a map.

"That I know, but what you say is a bit mythical. An underground vault? Never heard about it. How do we even suppose to locate it?"

"There was a secret passage. According to the records, of course. A labyrinth, a tunnel that leads to the vault. Built by Theriadore himself to anticipate total destruction of the surface. Turned out the library survived the war, but not from neglect and millennia of abandonment. Such a shame, really. But I tell you, Mr. Elc. The vault survived, and the passage to reach it exists, even when the main building had caved in, and we shall go there. We have Miss Jazdia as our navigator, and all is according to plan."

Under the mask, Mr. Elc opened his mouth, but no words came out. Everything seemed sensible, yet it felt too easy—a strange combination that had many flaws to consider. How long was the tunnel? Would their navigator have enough power to guide them through the labyrinth? And what about the opposition? Who knows what dark creatures might be lurking beneath the hill, waiting for them? The hardest part of addressing these questions was that none of them knew the answers. The less they knew, the more adventurous individuals like Vesemir would become.

"Not about to flat out reject your plan. But I just want to say that other route may exist..."

"I don't doubt that, but the other way yields less reward, and for some, that's not an option," said Vesemir, glancing at Jazdia, as if confirming that he managed to put the other party's interest to his advantage. And that alone ended this dispute.

"Change of plans?" Miwa asked, approaching both of them, having only overheard the last phrase Vesemir said, something about another possible route they could follow.

"No, not at all. All is according to the plan. It's just on the details where Mr Elc and I have a bit of disagreement."

"It's not like I am disagreeing with you, just saying a safer route is available." said the masked elf.

The old elf raised his eyebrow, yet his posture remained composed.

"Yes, and while I am sure that path has its merit, this expedition must choose which one that will serve its purpose better. The surface section of the library has been flattened ages ago, and we are not equipped to dig out caved corridors and passages, even if we somehow find one. Such a waste of time."

"Fine fine. The boss has spoken," the masked elf sighed exasperatedly. "I will not question this matter anymore, but I hope you remember that you hired me to advise as well, and there was my advice."

"Your advice is most appreciated, Mr. Elc. Thank you."

The old elf then regarded the rest of the party, who seemed to have all woken up and were ready.

"We will move out in one hour. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to discuss them with me. The last-minute change is the worst kind of decision-making. "

---

“Aww, look. Not even a full day in, and Miwa has taken charge of her young student. It’s good to see she is acclimating with our group quickly. Those two get along swimmingly, don’t you agree?” said Fia, not really looking for an answer. Since Mr. Elc removed himself to aid Akira and converse with the newly awoken Vesemir, and Miwa confronting said ninja, it left Fia alone with Jazdia as her immediate company.
“The young miko is right, though. I might not be as versed when it comes to curses as she, but I am well versed in weaving about mana. I’ll help her as best I can to remove whatever vengeful aura that afflicts you. I can recognize the desperation having come into this forsaken land time and time again.” Fia leaned forward on the box she was sat. Her right hand reached forward, and her index finger hooked the edge of the plate that held the remaining sandwiches. Carefully, she slid it closer to in front of the cursed elf. She lifted her hand and rested it on Jazdia’s arm. “There are two left. Everyone else has left, so you should enjoy them yourself. You did make them, after all. It would be a shame if you were denied any.”
Fia stood from her seat, swiping the back of her skirt to straighten it out. Fia wandered near the river bank as Miwa walked away after her lecture. Akari herself was just leaving the water, using some of her own magic to dry herself off. Akari pulled her hair through the neck of her black tunic and adjusted her bow. Fia held her arms together in front of her torso, intercepting the ninja girl as she started back towards camp.
“Allow me to say, my dear Akari, that you are a lovely lady. If you ask me, I think the others appreciated this chance to see you at work.” said Fia, “Miwa means well, and is only looking out for your well being. I don’t believe she said what she said out of malice. Just concern. For you, and I suppose for our dear Stepan.”
Fia paused and turned her head. One of the elves raised his voice as he addressed the party as a whole. It was time to start breaking down camp, at least partially in preparation for the next leg of their journey towards the fabled library. Fia turned back to the young ninja. “It looks like we will be leaving soon. You’ve been swimming all morning, so you should get something to eat before we go. Who knows what we will encounter next, so you should keep your strength up. Come, darling.”

Jazdia got up from her seat, immediately pushing the depressing topic to the back of her mind as the discussion concluded and the announcement about the plan began. She had always excelled in this, which was probably the best aspect of her laser-focused attitude that others often found tedious. For her, keeping emotions at arm's length allowed her to be more effective in solving problems..

"I have no problem with it. If a passage is a secret, then we want it." she said, taking the last sip from her cup and approaching the group at a steady pace. She counted the team and did not see the snake youkai and Degel, who, of all people, should be hard to miss. She wondered if Vesemor noticed it too.



And so their march to the old library began. The two aforementioned party members showed up just in time to follow the group, much to Vesemir's delight. However, the two did not talk much, which was strange for Jazdia. The others seemed rather indifferent about the irregularity, or maybe just thought bringing it up would be a bit inconsiderate, the elf could only guess.

After a two-hour walk, they came to a stop. From here, the road declines sharply towards a gorge walled by craggly hills that seemed discouraging to get through.



"Beyond these hills lies the Library," said Vesemir, huffing to catch a breath. High-spirited as he may be, someone like him was not built for this level of outdoor activity.

"So we climb?" Asked Stepan.

"Nah, the entrance should be around here." The old elf looked around and then pointed at the group of trees to the left side of the party. At one of the trees, beyond bushes and small overgrown, they could see a skeleton, clad in rusty armor, leaning against the tree. There was heraldry on its armor, still recognizable despite the accumulated rust.

"He was from one of the Westernant frontier towns. Scheel, to be exact. If he is here and my informant is correct, then our entrance must be somewhere down there. Miss Jazdia, if you may?"

"A moment, Vesemir." the archer said. "You seem to know a lot about that fellow over there. Care to explain how you could locate this place, and who is this informant?"

Vesemir nodded. "Well, we are hardly the only group that tried to locate Theriadore's Vault," he paused to glance at Miwa before continuing. "And the accident that happened in Westernant's frontier town was quite a news back then, even with all those cover-ups by Castediar officials. Some witnesses talked, and the information about it circulated. I am sure you know what I mean."

"Well, I know that, and I think Miss Jazdia too. But I am still a bit lost here," inquired the masked elf." What is the correlation with that and that fallen knight, and the secret entrance we seek?"

"Information that not many know. The accident happened just a few days after their local knights returned from an expedition to the Land of Twilight. Rumour said that they managed to find the vault."

Jazdia did hear the news. Ten years ago, an entire population of a town disappeared in the blink of an eye, no bodies found, no survivors or witnesses, nothing, as if the people weren't there from the beginning. The accident circulated for a while in the Archons Hall, but quickly faded and was forgotten after Westernant refused an offer of aid from their neighbour, even with the promise that the investigation would remain confidential. The details on what caused the accident are still a mystery to this day, until Vesemir spoke about his supposed informant.

"Dunno about missing town, but look at the guy. Seems like a grim business if you ask me." Said Stepan. "They just left their fallen friend here and didn't even think about burying..."

"It's not easy transporting the fallen out of the Twilight land," replied Mr. Elc.

The gizzled mercenary shook his head. "They could, if they want to."

"Really, how do you combat the decomposition? I've been in many rescue missions myself."

While they discuss the soundness of transporting a dead body a hundred kilometers away through a dangerous and duplicitous forest, Jazdia gathered her strength to scan the cliffs and valley below. It was a small help that the sky was clear today, and the sunlight shone unobstructed. It slightly recharged her mana; still, that was a welcome compensation for the bad sleep she had.

It was on the second try that she managed to locate something that was very likely the secret entrance. It was well hidden under the encroaching vegetation and the shadow of the flanking cliffs.



"I saw a cave, the entrance is under the cliff southeast, at one o'clock. I saw no other cave or secret door, so it must be it. Hold on."

The elf paused, eyes still glowing as she tracked the tunnel. It was mostly a straight path leading into the deep unknown. Hard to say if it was man-made or natural, but it seemed to have been employed as a regular passage and campsite at some point in time, no older than 100 years ago.

"That should be it then," mused Vesemir. As he looked to his side, he found Eblana already supporting Jazdia, who had nearly lost her balance the moment she deactivated her power.

"I am okay," she said, massaging her temple and then repeatedly bumping her fist against it in frustration. Her voice was slightly clipped, and she was still holding Eblana's forearm, trying to regain her balance as she spoke. "I saw no movement. At least the first one hundred meters... still, if we go in, we do it quietly."

Vesmir nodded. "Thank you. Get a small rest, I will take it from here."

Rezello

---

The time to depart came shortly after Rezello had finished cooking and eating his morning meal, giving him just enough time to clean and cool the heated pan he had made it in before returning it to its place among the rest of his mess kit. Summoning his armor, he took a moment to ensure it was secured before collecting his pack and following the rest of the party as they began their march.

For two hours they made their way through the forest, Rezello taking position near the front and watching the treeline for potential threats, though none had appeared. When they arrived at the gorge, he looked over the surrounding cliff faces before something Vesemir pointed them to caused Rezello to freeze.

Well... this is unexpected.

A skeleton, clad in plate armor corroded by years of exposure to the elements. But even through rust and decay, the design was unmistakable to Rezello; before them all sat the remains of a veteran knight of the Sten Corps. A knight of Scheel. A knight of Rezello’s home. While Vesemir, Stepan and Elc discussed the circumstances of the corpse’s presence and the logistics of transporting the dead, and Jazdia scanned the terrain ahead as she searched for the hidden entrance, Rezello approached the fallen knight, kneeling in front of it.

“A knight of Scheel...”

He remembered the story. A group of Sten Corps knights had been hired to assist in a mission that would take them deep into the forest. Such offers weren’t necessarily uncommon, but from what he could recall the rumors at the time were that this particular contract was especially lucrative, and had attracted the attention of several of the knights who otherwise might have had reservations about journeying so far into cursed land. The income from such jobs was, after all, a substantial part of what allowed a city as remote as Scheel to function.

The survivors of that expedition returned to Scheel just a day or so before he and his fellow knights-in-training were sent out on the final mission before being inducted into the Sten Corps. He had heard the mission went poorly, though he didn’t remember hearing anything about a vault; then again, such information would have likely been above his station, seeing as he hadn’t yet been officially knighted. But considering the timing... could something that happened during that mission have caused the incident in Scheel those many years ago? Could they, having survived whatever set ruin upon their expedition, have inadvertently brought an equally terrible fate back with them?

Banishing these thoughts from his mind, he stood, staring down at the body. Summoning his spadone, he turned the blade downwards, tip resting on the overgrown forest floor, and placed his palms atop the pommel before closing his eyes to pay respect to his fallen would-be comrade. The best way he could honor the fallen knight, he decided, was to ensure that the information he had died to secure was put to good use. After a moment of silence, he took up his sword, resting the blade on his shoulder as he turned and started to head towards the opening Jazdia had uncovered.