“Identify yourself.” Farra drew her blade from her bedside and whipping her arm until the blade's edge came to a halt, pressing to the chest of a figure standing within her tent. Her other hand rubbed over her eyes, adjusting from her slumber, her mind's sight able to identify the girl who had begun to shake.

“It's...just me Farra.” Naia squeaked. The blade pulled back from her tunic and allowed her to breathe once more. She let out a sigh, brushing her fingers over the crease the blade had made on her tunic, easing out its folds. The black metal stopped short of so much as tearing into the clothing despite the feirin's daze.

“My apologies. It was a restless sleep. Despite Lady Bathalian's words I find it no easier to rest in a place such as this.” Farra sheathed her blade while rubbing her eyes, then checked around the tent for any inkling of a silent intrusion. Her hand tossed the thin cloth covering her away, shifting to move from the tent.

“It's your fault, you know. For choosing to sleep in the middle of a camp like this.”

“Sleeping here gives me more peace of mind than elsewhere in this domain.”

“I don't understand your reasoning.” Naia extended her hands. Farra glanced up to the smiling girl before grabbing hold and being pulled to her feet in a crouch.

“If you intend to rest with unfriendly company, it is best to keep one eye open.” Farra stretched her arms, lifting one flap covering the tent and escaping the confined space. Naia followed behind, her height making the tent's size only a minor inconvenience to her.

“You did nothing to keep one eye open though.”

Farra glanced back before running a hand across Naia's head and ruffling her hair.

“It means to remain alert, if any intruder were to come and attempt anything during my rest, slaves would likely take notice and create a panic, and those same slaves seem to fear me as is.” Farra pulled her hood over, peering side to side to confirm her mind's observations. No signs of slaves, at least outside their tents. They rustled within, sleeping or simply trying to avoid attention. The nearest soldier was in the distance on the other side of the tents.

“I see. Did you find what you needed then? I spoke to Teilve for a bit before he took off.”

“Teilve left?”

“Yeah. And depending on your choice, we might be leaving soon too. The hound we took here is ready if it's what you decide.”

“What has happened then?” Farra brushed her regalia, unsheathing her blade and examining its edge. “And do you have the bag with you? If not we can request additional resources from Lady Bathalian depending on the situation.”

“I asked her already. She had to send out a troop of soldiers herself, she told me there was little to spare but offered these scrolls.” Naia reached into her tunic. “They're not created with runes, but I can use them if need be with my magic. And there's this one, she said it can be used regardless of whether someone is capable of magic or not.” She outstretched her hand, offering the scroll wrapped with a thin red thread.

“What is the scroll meant to do?”

Naia looked around the encampment before continuing on. “She didn't exactly tell me, she just said to save it for only if we find ourselves in a lot of trouble. As for our supplies, there's only a bag of dust left from what we started with.” Naia pointed to the small bag hanging by her waist-side. “There was a few slave uprisings across Lady Bathalian and Lord Erres' territory. Since Lord Erres is still eastward, she said it's up to us to settle it. Teilve went southwest, the troop of soldiers went northwest.”

“Then where is the last revolt?”

“At a quarry supposedly west of here, within Lord Erres' territory. Teilve left it to you to handle it if you're up to the task. But given your mission, he wasn't sure if you had the time. Both he and the troop Lady Bathalian sent out are going to converge on the quarry after they handle their separate places.”

“That's fine, it's understandable. Teilve desired not to interrupt my sleep. But we'll handle it Naia, there is time.” Farra smiled with a turn, “Where is the hound?”

Naia clenched her teeth with a silent gulp, “Are you sure you're up to it and all? Maybe we should just return to the temple, they can surely take care of it.”

“Steel your heart, it's not the time for uncertainty. We have traveled together long enough now for you to know what needs be done. I'll tell you about my investigations during our travel. The path from here to the quarry is a short one, least when compared to our journey from Raom's domain.”

“But...” Naia bit her lip, “...as you will, and we can talk about everything on the way. Are you finished with everything here?”

“Yes, I see no reason to idle in this place any longer.”

At the edge of the encampment was the hound they set forth on from Raom's lands, kept by a single soldier who stood silent while holding onto its reins. An unfamiliar heat blanketed the encampment, the warm and moist air sticking to one's skin despite the ever-present darkness where the moon provided only a pallid light. This guard acted as all the rest, he avoided looking at Farra, simply holding out the reins for her to take, and nodding his head in affirmation rather than speaking any words. The hound at least, grinned happily at the feirin and human, having become comfortable with the familiar riders.

The soldier walked away into the darkness back toward Bathalian's keep. Farra watched him until he left earshot.

“A sack of dust and the scrolls within my regalia. Some of these scrolls are ones I thought may come in handy, and they still might yet be. But they have been unneeded between a weak enemy and the presence of far greater might.” Farra reached into her regalia, pulling from it and opening one scroll, looking over the shape and tracing of each rune. “Perhaps a downside to rune magic, is that if one could change the design prior to its activation, the result would be wildly different than originally intended. But changing those designs are not so easy for one who is short of dedicated to rune magic.”

Farra pulled on the harness, the hound sitting to the ground and allowing the two to mount it. “I see no ears around, but we are still within the court of a talented mage. Save conversation for once we pass the towers.” She patted a hand to the head of the creature, the hound immediately rising with a playful whimper followed by a snarl. They darted into the darkness, their presence as ignored when leaving as it had been when present.

Naia clenched Farra's regalia from behind as means of securing herself on the mount, leaning forward into the feirin's back. The quiet filled only by the padded footfalls of the hound lasted until they passed the towers of stone.

“So then how did your investigation go?”

“It bore nothing other than confirming my suspicions. Let us speak of my findings in tandem with these sudden uprisings. I find it more than troubling I was not able to convene with Teilve before this splitting, but Lady Bathalian has engineered these events.”

“You mean that it's a trap?” Naia spoke, her voice muffled within the feirin's clothing.

“Undoubtedly so. I can say Teilve is certain of it too. Given my sleeping, Teilve chose what he believed to be the most amenable options. A decision I'm certain Bathalian is conscious of as well. If he had waited to speak with me, then it might have ended in an even greater advantage for her.”

A silence came as Farra felt her regalia clench tighter, Naia was rustling against the feirin's. A look of anxiety was apparent across her face in Farra's mind.

“That doesn't sound very favorable. We're walking into a trap. And even when we're taking the best choices, Lady Bathalian knows exactly why we made these choices and how to respond? We shouldn't be going to this quarry then.”

“If it was not our duty to quell any uprisings against the War Faction's interests, then I would agree. However not only are these uprisings a slight against us, but these revolts lying to the west and southwest are both within Lord Erres' territory. He still is likely overlooking the reconstruction of Raom's domain, meaning that in the worst of cases, if we do not deal with this uprising many valuable resources could be lost.”

“But it's a trap. What if...what if you and Teilve can't handle it on your own? If there's an uprising there would be other soldiers to take care of it right? If they had to run or were killed, what makes you think you two can walk into a trap and come out alright?”

“We are strong. And it is our duty. I can say little more to assail that worry. But take solace in that Teilve is resourceful. While we are both going into traps yes, these are set within familiar lands. I became a slave at this quarry, and though I did not stay there long at the time, I have since been stationed to watch over it numerous times. To the southwest is an encampment near a mountain, Teilve himself frequents it as he does nearly all of Lord Erres' strategic points. Our enemy has made their preparations, however the mountain they must overcome is insurmountable. I will slay any enemy before us once you enchant me, and Teilve has ever been a survivor who comes out of the most daunting situations with nothing but stories to woo one's ears.”

Farra laughed, patting the hound. The creature leaped before entering a sprint, cutting through the chilling and dark air. The humid air that sat on the slave's encampment was gone, and a darkness wrapped around them. Traveling away from the moon would be a lonely endeavor, if not for the fact the two had formed an unlikely bond despite their differences and short time together.

“What if we ran instead. Maybe Teilve can handle both situations alone?”

Farra peeked over her shoulder, her brow raising in apparent surprise.

“Naia that is nonsense, why would you ever suggest...”

“I don't want you to get hurt.” A scream and cry came mixed together, the girl clutching tighter to the feirin's robe. Farra blinked. This was something she never experienced, not one crying, but someone crying for her own sake. A small sob came and just as Naia tilted her head down to bury it against Farra, the feirin too tilted her head down in silent contemplation before answering the girl's worry.

“We are soldiers Naia. Caring for others...I am not one to speak of this topic, but I do not disdain it. I care for many of my fellow officers and commanders, and a number of subordinates, you included.” She paused, the pace of the hound filling the gap between her thoughts. “But we are all soldiers, and loss is inevitable. The grief that comes with it too, is inevitable. If we lived in a world where peace could exist, then perhaps gracious feelings could come without pains,”

“You're an idiot Farra. Despite all your wisdom and know-how, you're an idiot emotionally.”

The feirin looked on blankly, continuing to listen to the quiet sobbing before she bent her arm and hand back, patting Naia. “Forgive me.”

More sniffles came before the girl tried speaking again. “Then your investigation, you never said anything about it.” Her voice was cracked and tearful, but the cold air cooled the flowing water as it escaped her eyes.

“Like I said, it yielded nothing. It only confirmed that Lady Bathalian is an astute saboteur and traitor. But she works for herself and would leave no apparent ties to her treachery. I wonder what her connections are, for she surely has a hand in some of these uprisings. But to what end might they even serve her and what her goals are I can't imagine. Sending her troops to quell the problems she creates. It is nonsensical, it can be as simple as her wanting us to have our hands tied and out of her territory while she plots there, or maybe it is something more convoluted.”

“What even is there after you break away from the War Faction, she's just making it so she has no friends,” Naia muttered.

“There is no conceivable way she has ties to any opposing faction without numerous soldiers from every territory taking notice. She respects the will of the Warlords, I think it would be best to say she simply wants things done her way. To what end causing these revolts and uprisings to occur only to help suppress them might serve I don't know. Little of it makes much sense to me given the price she has to pay. But perhaps that is the desperation she is in after Raom's demise. Or perhaps these actions were planned all along but made much more sense so long as Raom did not fall.”

“I won't doubt the possibility of some of these things, but they feel more like your ramblings than findings Farra.”

“They are merely possibilities. There is very little that became certain, other than that she knew of our coming, she made sure to leave no indication of her treachery, and she has trapped us into these circumstances. However her reach must be more expansive than I thought, to cause trouble in three places at once. One slave I encountered, he was set to forging weapons of a particularly lower quality, unfit for any respectable soldier. The focus was quantity over quality. I cannot imagine her arming her troops with such weapons, but the possibility of arming several tribes of beasts or slaves to revolt...that is something that did cross my mind. But it is nothing close to conclusive, it is not unacceptable to create low quality weapons, only questionable.”

Naia emitted a choking giggle, causing the feirin's ears to perk.

“Did I say something?”

“Yes, it's just everything you're saying. I thought you were one who was quiet and had little to say. You just need to feel comfortable before you open up don't you?”

“I suppose. That might be true. I think many have suggested it before.” Farra scratched her cheek, feeling a heat fill her face before breathing in the cold air.

A tremendous crack of thunder bellowed from the distance, followed by a flash of faint lavender light, beyond the line of spiraling mountains surrounding the land. The hound let out a low growl at the crack, heightening its pace. Gradually, the ground beneath them began to change. Veins of blackened stone could be seen rising amidst the otherwise packed, and dry earth. Periodic dips within the ground suggested the natural flow of water which had abandoned the desolate land. Farra gazed beyond the mountains, eyeing the sky from which the light emanated.

“My Lord's mindset often has been the need to prepare for the unknown. Desiring to establish some of fleeting status quo in these darkened lands that can be upended by any enemy is foolishness. Each time I see something so atypical to me, I cannot help but agree with him. Even the darkness and rebellions aside, the crystal Teilve found which I'm sure he told you about, and that lightning. I know not where they come from, I can only imagine what they may lead to.”

Naia shook her head side to side.

“You two really reinforce each others worries. That's not really a healthy thing, unless you both end up being right.”

“We all live in uncertainty, but we must choose a direction and all go in it together rather than let our divisions pick us apart.”

“Right.” Naia shuffled on the back of the hound, shifting her gaze towards where the purple light effused in the deep black sky. “Hey Farra, do you know what stars are?” Naia touched her chime.

“I think I have heard the term in passing before, but they are nothing I've studied.”

“Well.” Naia rang her chime. “They say that in a place beyond our lands, people look to the stars that fill the night sky with pearls of glimmering light. You can make a wish upon one, however small it might be, and if you do it at the right time it may come true. If the glimmer in the sky disappears and you chose that star, it means your wish will come true.

“Night. Our land has no concept of it, or at least one would say this land is in an eternal night. And there are no glimmering lights in our sky.”

“Yeah, but maybe there was at some point?”

“Then that would suggest that wishes have left this world then, wouldn't it? If all the stars are now gone, I would prefer to think they were never there to begin with.”

“You just dragged it in a dark direction, it was supposed to be hopeful Farra.”

Both laughed, the hound letting out a confused whimper as it rushed onward. An indiscernible amount of time passed as a consequence of the fleeting moonlight and the moon's position behind them, but they began to pass landmarks familiar to the feirin. They were now within Erres' territory. Farra clenched the reins of the hound tighter, peering into the dark for any signs of movement.

“The thought of venturing into a trap certainly is foreboding, but perhaps we have overestimated Bathalian's hand.” Farra muttered, steering the hound around a tower outlying the quarry, slowing it to a trot and peering inside with her mind. “Or perhaps we are correct. There is something unusual going on around here, normally a soldier would act as a sentry in this tower.”

The creature sped back up when Farra pulled on its reins. She circled the descent into the quarry, then looked towards a number of abandoned tents. She reached with her sight for any individual, unable to find a single soul hiding anywhere. The hound sped again upon Farra tapping her boot to its side. The grounds lying between the slave tents and quarry lacked any light, just as it always had. Both the barracks and the war hall were beyond sight within the obscuring shadows.

“If there is anyone here, then they should be in the hall.”

They shot through the shadows, halting before the ground turned to solid black stone that led into the building. Farra's eyes began widening. She pulled herself from atop the hound with such haste that Naia lurched forward.

A large grizzled man towered above Farra. On his back was an axe appropriate for his size. He wasn't wearing a helmet, and his silvery-black armor protected him in modest amounts, but ensured various vital points were protected.

“To see you again Gare, it is a relief. Tell me what has happened here.”

Gare stretched his neck, his face littered with scars, his short hair full of dirt and oil. “Same thing that's been happening all over. Slave revolts.”

“Well yes, I figured as much, but do you know as to why or how?”

“I do, but it doesn't make the situation any prettier. I had orders from Lord Erres to keep a handle on things in his absence, specifically within his territory. Things became more chaotic than I thought. It's just the consequences of how they're treated. Let's go for a walk to the quarry.”

“A walk? If you suggest so.”

Farra took a breath, beckoning Naia to attend her before keeping step with the fellow officer.

“Good to see you're in decent shape too, Naia.” Gare gave a nod toward the girl. She gave a meek nod in return, encouraging the creature to the ground so she could demount with less effort.

“Should I just leave the hound here?”

“Doesn't matter.” Gare responded curt, waving her along as well. She dropped the reins, petting the head of the creature before stepping up to pace besides Farra who now walked between the both of them.

“Gare, I did not expect your presence here, if things are under control or are already too late, then I must find reason to set out toward the temple grounds with due haste.” Farra spoke in a hurried hush, a shred of confusion within her voice at the turn of events.

“Hold up. You might have passed right by it without noticing. It's difficult for you to see what stays still right?”

"See what?" They stepped to and began looking over a second dig that had been established during her time as an officer. Farra's eyes shrank, her hands tensed into clenched fists. Below, as if hewn into a shallow grave, lay mounds of bodies, slave and soldier alike. And beneath that dim blue glow of the crystals, their bodies were all but shattered, lifeless and still, careless and embittered.

“What is the meaning of this Gare? Why are so many of ours dead here?” Farra turned with a glare, looking to the officer and Naia.

“Strife. It's what Lord Erres wanted and what our faction fosters, and this is the consequence. A circle of bloodshed that none escape from. Even if our Lord has his way, the amount of bodies we were going to make along the way will make any lasting peace impossible.”

“Such attitude is only befitting of defeat Gare, madness has overtaken you.” Farra cut back, looking back into the pit of corpses.

“Is this madness then? These slaves revolt believing there is no future with this faction. Even our soldiers are disheartened and believe there's little point in persisting under a regime when their lives can end at a given moment, living in misery, dying in misery. They think it better to clutch a chance at some semblance of enjoyment now. These slaves, you were one once, you know their hopelessness well don't you?”

“My life as a slave was a short albeit everlasting memory. It would be disparaging of their hardships to consider myself having endured that same life, I would have died. It was by none other than your suggestion that I was given the opportunity to live.”

Farra looked from the pit, preparing to back away when she peered far into the shadows, feeling the darkness shift within itself as she turned.

“And so they die now. Yet, you don't feel any mercy for them after having been saved from such a fate? They suffer for our cause with no hope for absolution. They die in a fruitless struggle for freedom. That, is better in many of their eyes.”

Farra scanned the darkness before placing a hand to Naia's tunic, squeezing her sleeve.

“Gare you speak as one who would side with the plight of the slaves over Lord Erres. Your emotions suggest nothing short of treason, so please, choose your next words carefully.”

“And you would cut me down otherwise? What is there to gain? Coming to an understanding benefits both of us more than meaningless bloodshed. Think about the good you could do Farra, rather than being an enforcer, you could be a protector. One who helps people's happiness rather than contribute to misery like so many others.”

“I do not care for this naïvety. My loyalty lies with Lord Erres. If this was all you had to share with me, then I will return to the temple now and we can muse over your thoughts among our peers.” Farra pulled Naia along, stepping away from Gare. “Let us head...” Farra spun back around, glaring toward the man who now gripped his massive battleaxe in one hand.

“Do you intend to combat me over such a pointless difference?”

"No, it's clear that you're beyond good reason. Given your experiences, I had hoped that you would understand. But I see now that I was mistaken. You've been molded into a true soldier, a tool of war. This difference you find so pointless is why you have to die. There's no better opportunity to cripple Erres and save countless lives."

From the shadows and into Farra's vision, numerous armed soldiers crept forward. Some wore crude armor, others wore mail or even plate common to Erres' soldiers. In their hands they readied weapons both crude and refined, surrounding Farra and a shaking Naia who clutched at her chime.

“So that's how it will be then. Sixteen excluding you.” Farra shifted under her robes, a hand wrapping around her blade's grip. “It will be your swift defeat Gare, and then perhaps you might regain some sense and shed light on this treachery.”