"I saw it all... yet I turned a blind eye..."

A man stood before the Erpeopian king within his own throne room, his head to the floor as he delivered the news from the village.

Next to him stood an Erpeopian who wore the same scales as him, the creature much younger in comparison.

"My lord, the people are falling ill!" they declared, looking up to the king for any sort of solution, some sort of answer that the king could have. "Our medics have been doing everything they can, but..."

"We couldn’t save some of them! And the rest are still suffering!"

The king couldn’t bear to listen, his claws dug into the wooden throne frame.

"I’m sorry, my liege, but... there’s nothing to be done..." The boy next to the king turned to see the reaction of the man. His teeth gritted as tightly as his fists. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Father, shouldn’t we seek aid from the Poulians? They specialize in magic of this sort, don’t they?" the boy pondered, the king only shaking his head to the boy’s words.

"We haven’t made contact in eons... At this point, the other races have been reduced to a fairytale..."

"I’ll lead an expedition!" he declared, his hand on his chest before the Erpeopian king.

"I only need four men at my aid. I promise you I’ll see it done. Please, Father..."

The king’s head rose only barely to the boy’s words, seeing the pure determination lit under his eyes.

With a small smile of his own, he stood from his throne, resting his arm on the boy’s shoulders.

"Very well then, I trust you. Save our people. May the wind guide us all,"

The prince grinned, nodding to his father’s words. "I will!"

Though that was the last time, the last warm memory they’d had...

The rain grew heavier, beating against the forest floor with howling winds. The prince stood in the middle of it all, his weapon stained by Poulian blood.

He could barely stand straight, eyes narrowed and burdened with fatigue...

"How did it come to this... Father?"

***

"Take the neo wolves and find Veira’s crew."

"We’ll have an easier plan of attack once we’re all in the loop." Freya replayed Vagnis’ instructions in her head as she rode on wolfback.

"You do realize..." she muttered, looking over to the memory of Vagnis.

"I’m already fully aware," Vagnis interrupted, glancing up from the map with knitted brows, practically glaring at her.

"We don’t expect anything of you if Veira disagrees. Just save your boss and Zelr. We’ll follow our leader, and I expect you all to do the same for yours."

Eventually, with her thoughts, the wolf came to a stop by a campsite, the flames long dwindled, replaced with charcoal and ash.

"They’ve been here..." she murmured, patting the wolf’s side to continue going. "Get moving. We need to get there as soon as possibl–"

The neo wolf let out a whimper, flopping to the ground with an exhausted whine.

"What’s up with you..." Freya grumbled, getting off of him to check on the wolf. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, panting heavily. "Fine... we’ll rest for now."

She stood and reached for the pouch along the dog’s back, hoping to take it off. Yet an unexpected weight caught her off guard, causing the bag to plummet.

"Ow!" a voice came from inside the bag.

Freya’s eyes widened as she opened it to take a look inside, only to see Sylvi cramped up within it.

"You..."

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Sylvi couldn’t help but cup her ears to the woman’s loud cry, only for one of her arms to be snatched. "I’m taking you back!"

"What!? No way! I came to help!" Sylvi latched onto her, wrapping her legs and free hand all down her arm.

"Like hell you are!" Freya hissed, shaking her arm wildly in hopes to knock her off somehow. "Do you know how bad this looks?! Having you with me will surely sabotage Veira’s allianc—"

"They’re not like that!" The child cried, almost desperate as she refused to let go. "We’re friends! We’ll never break off over something like that!"

Freya’s breath hitches, head shot back slightly at the girl’s idiotic optimism. "T-the hell do you know?! And get off me you brat!"

With a heavy flick of her arm Sylvi was lashed free, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. "Oww!!"

"Why’d you do tha—" Instantly Sylvi’s hands fly to her nose cutting herself off. "It stinks here!"

Just as she says it Freya began to notice it too, a pungent smell that stung her nose the minute she inhaled. Her arms flew to her nose and mouth as well, eyes shut in fatigue.

"You’re right—"

She fell to her knees, trying to stay awake. The winds were howling, blowing the smell more and more in their direction. The smell started to grow suffocating.

"Get back in the pouch, now!" With the little strength she had she pushed Sylvi away, getting stuck in the arm with a lance thrown from the forest bushes. Freya hissed in pain as she was sent on her side, Sylvi quickly scrambling for the bag again.

The woman struggled to stand, her hand reaching for her compressed staff. It shot out in a burst of steam, causing a small crater in the floor as she awaited whoever was out there.

Heavy thuds echo through the forest, two Erpeopian’s walking out, one without their weapon in tow.

"So you’re the ones who took Veira?" She panted, the stench causing her sense of balance to fall completely off.

"She’s practically dead on her feet already," one of them scoffed, walking forward with his blade drawn. It shimmered emerald with the faintest of sunlight that touched it, the blade humming with untold energy.

"Just end it quickly so we can go home—" The Erpeopians words were interrupted by another gust of wind, one that almost knocked everyone over.

Sylvi watched from the pouch, through the tiniest part of the zipper with a brow filled with worry.

"I’ve already done it once...but I’m not again, never again" She muttered, yet her voice was not convincing in the slightest.

"I’m never failing Veira again!"