The things I have to put up with...

Kitaya watched Aldeheid exit the Orchard with more of a pep in his step than when he'd entered. To think simple things like compliments held so much power. She'd seen him, sitting by the lake, looking as though someone had stripped him of every shred of hope. Such a rare thing for an immortal.

But seeing him in such a vulnerable state had reminded her of a time when she'd felt as pitiful as he'd looked. And in that moment she'd felt connected to him, somehow. A complete stranger.

Too bad he was a blithering idiot.

She shook her head and extended her marked hand. Cryptic words from a language nigh forgotten spilled from her lips, and a golden glow engulfed the swirling mark that denoted her as a cape.

Vibrations tingled up the soles of her shoes as the markings beneath her feet activated, shifting the Orchard into its state of invisibility. She glanced up in time to see Aldeheid whirl around with clear intentions of reentering the Orchard.

His abrupt halt told her what she needed to know. From his vantage point, there was only rolling heather knolls to be seen. A gambit of emotions moved through those beautiful eyes of his, then he turned and ran off to the east.

Not the first traveler to wander unwittingly into my Orchard, Kitaya mused. But definitely the most amusing.

She leaned her head against the tree as a wave of dizziness hit her. The fruit-laden trees doubled and tripled into an amalgamation of colours. She sucked in a breath and held it, waiting for the bout to pass.

While being able to use magic was both wonderful and convenient, getting sick every time was a crippling annoyance. But capes weren't supposed to be able to use magic, so Kitaya supposed this was the price of being an abomination.

When her vision finally cleared, Kitaya took Alvere's reins and guided the black steed deeper into the trees. The late blossomers came into view, their floral scents permeating the air.

Such a beautiful place, the Phantom Orchard. But, as many humans and immortals had learned, it was a beauty to be admired at a distance. And as Kitaya got closer to its sinister heart, she was reminded why.

Alvere stopped and pulled against her, nickering softly.

Kitaya swore under her breath. They weren't even halfway there and he was already kicking up a fuss. "I know, I know." She stroked his silken fur to calm him. Animals were always the first to react. "Go, Alvere." She let go of his reins and continued up the path alone, the fallen blossoms crunching under her feet.

Please let it be something trivial...

As the sound of Alvere's hooves disappeared behind her, she broke into a jog. Her long strides ate up the distance, and in short order, she was passing the pillar that marked the Orchard's center. The air was as still and quiet as death, making her heavy breaths sound louder than they should. The tall grass and wildflowers that dotted the clearing stood ramrod straight, like soldiers at attention.

Kitaya crossed to the row of stones that ran the length of the clearing. They stood half her height, lined in a neat row. The swirling runes that covered their surfaces reacted to magic, and they, along with the animals in the area served as her only warning system. The first stone was warm to the touch, the second was hot enough to burn her finger.

It's not trivial.

So, there was a surprise waiting on the other side. Well, it wouldn't hurt to peek. She rolled up the sleeve of her tunic, and pushed her hand past the marked rocks to a place beyond the human realm. To Magika. Her hand disappeared as though the air had swallowed it up.

She already knew what was on the other side of the sinister portal, but a groan still escaped her throat. What a damn nuisance...

Pinpricks of chilling magic danced over her skin. The magic of a monolith. A sharp pain radiated through her hand, and she pulled it back quickly. Several gashes marred her skin, blood from the wounds welling, pooling and trickling before decorating the grass at her feet.

"Ow!" Kitaya screeched indignantly at the portal, as though whatever was on the other side could hear her. With a scowl, she turned on her heels and headed towards home.

She was supposed to head south that afternoon, to run from the mountain's impending, brutal winter. But this little mishap with the monolith needed to be dealt with. Securing the Orchard was top priority, which was why she made rounds every day, checking every tree, every rune, every blade of grass. 

Kitaya bit down on her thumbnail, oblivious of the blood trickling down her arm. "What are my options?" she asked the trees.

Leave anyway and let the immortals at the Etheria Bastion deal with it? Ugh, no. She didn't want Gallitel and his rats running through her orchard. Although... Mellidius may still be amongst those rats. He probably had their fleas too. Disgusting.

Erect a barrier around the portal and contain the monolith? That would take too long.

Delay her trip south and deal with the monolith herself? It was the least desirable but most feasible of the three. And at least she could take her frustration out on the blasted beast.

Kitaya's cottage finally came into view, and so did Alvere. He was plodding around the small clearing where her home sat. Her other horse, Kaza, was nowhere to be seen. She'd probably already broken out of the stable and ran off somewhere.

Kitaya sighed and sidled up to Alvere. He jumped out of her reach.

"Alvere... it's just me." She inched closer to him, but he reared back before she could grab his reins. Then he charged forward, and she had to dive to the ground to avoid being knocked over. "Fine! Go!" she yelled after him as he disappeared down the south path.

Her suspicions surrounding her other horse were confirmed when she saw the stable door banging in the wind.

I'll have that monolith's head. Kitaya turned on her heel and stomped into her home. It was pitch black inside, but she weaved through the familiar layout with ease.

The scents of honeysuckle and wildflowers greeted her as she walked into her bedroom. A bed and a trunk were its only furnishings, as she neither had the time nor patience to personalize this one of her many living spaces.

As she crossed to the trunk, the shadow of a box on her bed caught her eye. Inside was the Behemoth, her weapon, and something that would make dealing with the monolith a breeze. As tempting as it was, she wanted her strength alone to be enough. So she tore her eyes away.

After she was dressed to kill, and her injuries were taken care of, she headed out. Only stopping to grab her weapons from the door. The sword was strapped to her hip, and she kept the dagger in her hand, flipping it around as she walked.

The rows of trees had quieted enough for her to hear her own breathing. No bugs, no birds, everything had fled. And she was getting the itch in her feet, an uncomfortable sensation that made her heartbeat quicken and her stomach quiver. The closer she got to the orchard's center, the more the feeling intensified.

It had been a while since she fought a monolith on her own. The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying. But the human town was halfway between the Bastion and the Orchard. They'd be in the most danger if the monolith went on a rampage unimpeded.

Those beasts were feared even by immortals, as they could wield magic better than most magicians.

Kitaya took in a breath as she stepped into the orchard's centre. The magic stung her lungs like the bites of tiny insects, and the portal made the air writhe and coil as though it were a living breathing thing.

Stay here and wait? she pondered. Or jump inside. As though facing the monolith alone wasn't crazy enough. Perhaps she should've let that curious fool stay a bit longer. He would've made excellent bait.

With a sigh, she sat in the grass next to the pillar and waited. And the more she waited, the more she stewed in her frustration, until nothing short of seeing that monolith's head on a stake would grant her any satisfaction.

The shadows grew long, and the warm yellows of dusk gave way to the cool blues of twilight. A screeching wind blew through the orchard, shaking fruit from their branches, and thick grey clouds gathered overhead.

Here we go.

Kitaya rose and stretched, working the stiffness from her muscles. Sparks of electricity skittered across the grass as the tear in the veil rippled outward. The monolith bust fourth, swathed in lightning and fury.

It stood twice her height, its lupine body covered in thick white fur that glowed. Sparks of electricity arched and slithered through the luminescent strands.

A little one. This should be easy.

The monolith released a howl that Kitaya cut short with a swift kick to its jaw. Her boot connected with a force that snapped its head to the side. Its lips peeled back to reveal wickedly sharp rows of teeth, and blood dribbled down its jaw from where she'd knocked one loose. Icy blue eyes glared down at her, filled with promises of death.

The monolith lunged, quick as lightning and Kitaya barely got out of the way in time. The wind picked up, and bolts of lightning struck the ground with a fury to rival the gods'.

She took off, zigzagging through the trees. Tiny vibrations rumbled up her boots as the skies punished the earth. The loping strides of the monolith sounded in her wake, growing ever closer. Every hair on her body stood on edge, and she pumped her legs faster.

A blur of white passed over her head and the monolith appeared before her, its paws skidding in the dirt. She didn't slow her gait as the beast lunged with its mouth poised to swallow her whole. As they collided, she grabbed him by the fangs. Heat rose through the soles of her boots as she skidded backwards.

She twisted her body, using the beasts momentum to swing it around and slam it into a group of trees. Fruit rained down, bouncing and rolling across the ground, some breaking open to colour the breeze with their sweet perfume.

The monolith recovered quickly and swiped at her with a claw the size of her head.

Kitaya skittered out of the way, and the claw connected to a nearby tree, tearing it clean in half. Another flash lit up her peripheral, but her reaction was too slow. Heat shot through her body, and she didn't realize she was flying until she hit the ground. The wind left her lungs, and pain bloomed in her shoulder as the ground caved in from the force of her impact.

She blinked the haze of white from her vision in time to see the beast descending upon her, back-dropped by streaks of lightning. Her mind was screaming for her to move, and she would've if her bones didn't feel like they'd been liquified.

At the last moment, she flung her body to the side and stood on wobbly legs. They weren't in the Orchard anymore but just outside its western side, near the lake. The monolith lunged again, but another clumsy dodge took her out of danger. She sucked in a quick breath to clear her head before charging it head-on.

Whatever strength she had left was gathered in her fist, and when she struck the power radiated outward like the burst of a dying star. The monolith yelped with pain, the cry drowned out by the crunch of its skull caving in. It bounced and tumbled across the ground like a weed in the wind, stopping just short of the lake.

The familiar sound of steel on steel echoed through the din as she unsheathed her sword. "Now you," she said, ambling forward, "will make me a lovely winter cloak." She shoved her sword deep into the monolith's chest, past the ribs and into the heart.

Blood welled out and stained the grass at her feet, and the light faded from its coat.

Kitaya stood over the corpse, chest heaving and vision blurring in and out of focus. That should've been an easy fight, but it seemed she was losing her touch. She wanted nothing more than to lie down and forget this ever happened. But she couldn't leave the body there, out in the open. More curious idiots may wander near her Orchard.

She exhaled a sigh through her nose, and looked into the monolith's dead eyes. Burning the body would be such a waste, and there was no way to burn it completely either way. This was such a nuisance. She watched the rivers of blood meander through the grass, and an idea sprung to her mind.

A forbidden idea that would get her in trouble if anyone found out.

Kitaya dipped her fingers in the monolith's blood and drew a series of crude runes on her marked hand. "Ancestors, forgive me." The spell left her lips in a breathy rush, a cadence of words and power that warmed her skin to a fever.

Black spots clouded her vision and obscured her view of the void that materialized in front of her. It sucked up the monolith's body, and whisked it away to a faraway place where it would be someone else's problem.

Kitaya collapsed onto the grass. That was it, the last of her strength, used on a thankless job.