The Elder

The elven woman, whom Umbra soon realized was the village elder, identified herself as Kiaren as she led Umbra and Aunora into the tall building in the center of the village.

The inside of the chamber room held no furniture, instead, it was covered in silky blankets and pillows that was used for sitting area. The fragrant aroma of incense hit Umbra's nose immediately when he walked in, its strong, sickly sweet smell causing a small headache above his eyes.

Kiaren, with an exhausted huff, sat down on the largest pillow in the room, inviting Umbra and Aunora to sit as well. Two violet eyed elven girls joined her side, carefully catering to her hair, dress, and face with soft rags and various beauty supplies.

Umbra sat on his knees in seiza, keeping his fingers interlocked and his head respectfully dipped down. He, understanding the importance of the character before him, was on his guard, hoping not to offend her with his behavior. Aunora, on the other hand, was much less threatened by the elven woman's social standing, sitting fully relaxed beside Umbra.

"I'd like to thank you for answering our call for assistance," Kiaren murmured, smiling gently. Her handmaidens had added an extra layer of blush on her cheeks and obscured some of the more noticeable wrinkles on her face. "I cannot tell you how much this means to the entire village."

"So, uh," Aunora mumbled, preoccupied by a string that was attatched to the pillow she was sitting on. "What do we gotta go? Fight something?"

Kiaren reached for a small stack of papers behind her, spreading them out before the two mercenaries. On the brittle, tan sheets were sketches of one, strange creature. It resembled a cross between a wolf and a spider, with a large, muscular body and eight, massive legs holding its body above the ground. It's head was a fearsome sight, with the snarling maw of a canine aided by the multiple eyes of a spider.

"What...what is that?" Umbra asked, drawing back from the papers.

Kiaren drew her finger across the images, a serious frown set on her lips.

"We're not sure exactly what it is, but we have started calling it the Monster of the Mountain, as it seems to dwell in the peaks of the mountain range near our village. All we know is that the creature is incredibly violent and dangerous."

Cringing, Umbra allowed another glance at the paper. The arachnid features of the Monster made Umbra's heart pound, triggering his instinctive fear of spiders.

Of course, he thought with disdain, it had to be spiders. Not only do I have to tolerate Aunora, but now some sort of spider monster?

"Do we have to..." he paused, taking a moment to compose himself. "...fight it?"

Kiaren let out a heavy sigh, shifting her gaze from Aunora to Umbra.

"Whether you kill it or not is not our concern, that is not your mission. We sent out a request for mercenaries because, several days ago, the Monster of the Mountains raided our village."

Umbra dipped his head. "My greatest apologies, my lady."

Kiaren smiled. "Ah, thank you. But we faired well. No one was injured." She turned to one of her handmaidens, who seemed to be in mourning.

"But, alas, the beast ransacked my chambers. It stole some rather meaningless objects, but it did obtain one very important thing."

Kiaren retrieved one last sheet of paper from behind her, placing it in Umbra's palm.

The picture detailed a small, but obviously beautiful and ornate stone, set into pedestal made of gold. Notes were scribbled around the sketch, but they were written in elvish, a language Umbra had only a basic understanding of.
"This is one of our sacred Stones of Ceremony. It is the rarest and largest of the pink sapphires that spawn in our mountains," she explained.

"We use it for crowning our village officials, like elders, generals, and healers, so it is crucial that we get the stone back."

Aunora shrugged, not as impressed as Umbra was. "Why don't you, y'know, get a new rock? Wouldn't that be easier?"

Umbra smacked his hands on his forehead, covering his face out of shame. That idiot!

Kiaren's eyelid twitched, the elven woman glaring at Aunora. Aunora held firm eye contact, not swayed by her aggravation.

"This stone," she whispered, "has been passed through our village for thousands of years. Obtaining a new one is not an option."

Hoping to quell the increasing tension in the room, Umbra stood up, holding out his hand to Kiaren.

"We understand your plight, my lady. I, along with my partner, will set out immediately to retrieve your stone. It is of our highest concern," he said coolly, glaring at Aunora.

Kiaren rose to meet Umbra, leaving Aunora sitting casually.

"Thank you, mercenary. One of my soldiers will escort you to the base of the mountains. Take care, please. It is the season of the falling snow."

Author's Note: Sooo, what character do you find most relatable?