Aeila Cairn's Story

Heading back to the university, Vortahar was mentally preparing his excuses. Drayden could be quite persuasive and Vortahar had to be really sure of his words.

Crossing the entrance to the herb garden, Drayden was already waiting and came running to him with a worried expression.
"Where have you been, Vortahar? I was worried sick about you! I've heard rumors of trouble near the city hall; were you near the confusion, boy?"

"Yes, master. A huge creature, seemingly made of paint attacked the governor and some warriors helped to fight it back. I crouched behind a rock and watched the whole thing." Vortahar says excitedly almost blurting about his participation in the fight.

"A creature...made of paint...! You could have been killed, you lunatic! What were you thinking.... ?" Drayen shouts.

"But master...I was trapped there. The creature was tossing paint projectiles and I almost...

"Silence, Vortahar! If you had not defied me, this wouldn't have happened in the first place." Drayden yelled angrily. "I am responsible for you. Can't you understand how important you are...if..." Drayden dramatically stops mid-sentence as if having said too much.

"Important...what are you talking about, master?" Vortahar tries to probe him for more information but Drayden starts to walk towards the herbs with his tools.

"The Harlequins are getting too bold to attack like this at daylight." Drayden mumbles changing the subject and Vortahar follows him.

"Master, during the mayhem, I got a sample of the creature's paint. I suppose you would like to study it." Vortahar takes the small vial from his pouch and hands it to Drayden with a confused expression. Drayden takes it with a nod and puts it inside his tunic pocket but turns and continues his chores silently.

Abdown cast a glance at Vortahar as he left, deciding against pursuing him, for now at the very least. He assumed this was against his mentor's wishes anyways and would likely stir trouble, regardless of any good intent. Later perhaps a discussion was in order, over some tea.

The governor put his hand on his chin, pondering what to do now. An attack was staged so close to home, even if he felt no malice in it. It forced his hand, and he had to make a decision, one that'd certainly conflict with the coward of a mayor.

"You," Abdown said, turning in the direction of Raimondo. "I'm curious... what are your intentions with the Harlequins? I must say, it is rare to see those of us willing to take up arms, in your case, quite literally," he continued, giving a look at him, then over at Aeila, who also participated in the fight. "I feel I'm under pressure to make some... executive decision regarding all this, and the spread of Silence."

"Executive dec... decision?" the mayor muttered, a faint shimmer of some frustration in his eyes. "What? Haha... no, don't worry about it! You resigned yourself to advisory, remember?"

"Under the pretense," Abdown responded almost immediately, raising a finger and casting a piercing gaze at the diminutive mayor. "Of maintain the peace."

"Oh... oh! But nobody was harmed, all is well! B-besides it was... it was after you, right? Seems l-like a personal matter, right? No need...no need to involve..." the mayor responded, his tone getting quieter and shriller as he found Abdown's gaze increasingly... intense, shrinking back until no more words exited his throat.

"The Harlequins chose to pick up arms against the Silence, and some broke the taboo of killing others, even if they were infected, and overall, the Silence should be our greatest priority," governor Abdown said, turning back to Raimondo. "They are dangerous, don't get me wrong, and they have to be stopped, but they aren't exactly wrong, either. What does justice dictate in such a situation?"

A sound cracked through the air, or more like, a deafening of sound rang from below. It was not a sound, not quite the accurate term for it, but rather, a vacuum of sound, true to its name, the Silence was stirring. Night was falling soon, and with it, all villagers fled to their houses once more, stopping all work they had set up for today, including the repairs from the recent scuffle on the streets. What threat a small group like the Harlequins paled in comparison to the Silence by far, even as terrifying as the group can be, a corrupting force was nothing short of a surreal nightmare. It didn't just carry with it a sickness as some had described, but crawling forth sometimes were the monsters twisted and reformed by its touch.

"It would appear that time has come to return to my tower," Abdown said, looking down. He had to maintain the barriers, that was about all he could do at this point due to his advanced age. "Raimondo, what do you intend to do?"

---

---

On the far side of the great landmass, the beast had fled into the wooded region. She proceeded to lay down, having grown drowsy from the sedatives, and exhausted from all the exertion, panting, dripping with the paint-like substance. She searched with clawed hands to find what was the cause of an itch to pull out a dart from one of her legs and tried to get a better look at it. She pricked her thumb with the point of it and threw it aside, sucking on it.

"What did you do, Puah?" a man's voice called out. Puah looked around, checking for the origin of the voice, catching sight of a figure in one of the branches, it was a man, fairly young looking with strange features. It was Malachie, and he looked to her with not anger, but concern. "You weren't supposed to go there, so why did you?"

"I-," she muttered, but stopped herself. She looked down ashamed, ears drawn back.

"Honestly," he said softly, jumping down beside her. Taking from one of his pouches he pulled out some bandages and began to wrap her wounds. "You were there to get him, weren't you? Thought you could fix his and my issue?" he continued, tightening the bandage, causing the beast to yelp. He looked up at her, but she refused to look him in the eyes, looking a bit flushed. He sighed, looking more defeated than agitated. "Lady Zilthai had a vision of three places. Maybe this is it? Two of them should be easy enough, well, easy, as traversal goes, at least. One in the great tree, and one on an island below. The third, on the moon. Even if we could fly, the turbulence and distance would certainly be... a trial of its own."

"The moon..." Puah uttered, looking perplexed, even her magic, raw power as it was, wouldn't be able to penetrate the sky as it stood. Didn't help that she was an amateur at best, with only a powerful body. She sunk her head, thinking also of traversing the depths. "That island... too? Nightmares are greater there. I'm already marked, I..." she said.

"You won't turn, Puah. Zilthai said it yourself, you are resistant," he said, trying to give reassurance. "But... lets start with the tree, and see how it goes from there, alright? The others are waiting, if you are too tired to walk, I'll take you there."

Puah looked perplexed, but silently nodded, and despite the sheer size of her, a feat of pure strength, Malachie lifted the beast from the ground into his arms and began to carry her on his back, the scene both awe-inducing and absolutely absurd. And with only slight difficulty began to make the trek towards the Great Memoria Tree.