ADARA

Prunal's bells tolled for the night, where everyone tried to continue the revelry well into the night. It echoed through the air as she made her way farther out towards Rosaleta's orchard. She counted each one in time with her steps, free from Gregor's insistence due to one individual hearing her plea. Adara released a breath as the bells stopped, but they'd continue to signal the night. That man... strange one, wasn't he? No one ever stands up to Gregor like that. Leaves shuffled against their brethren to cast skittering shadows along the path. Little creatures snuffled through the underbrush, but quickly made their escape when she disturbed their own snacking. Out of sight of the knight's patrols, and closer to home, she made her way through the marked paths. Several signposts sat on little piles of stone to point towards other towns, but Prunal was the heart of Tebora, where the king reigned.

Basket in hand to help Rosa collect the mystical fruit of the ice fae, she nudged open her metal gate and headed up the steps to the orchard farmhouse. The trees shuffled in their own man-made forest. Over one root which curled over the path, she frowned when it squished under her heel. Oh, I hope whatever has been affecting the wheat fields hasn't reached the orchard... Adara rushed up the path as the silence followed her, up the creaky floorboards to the door.

"Rosa?" Adara knocked on the door as evening light spread a halo across the forest. "Rosa! I'm here! I brought a basket. Are the fruits ready?" She knocked once more with the next toll of the bells, which fell into the same steady silence. Adara pushed into the center of the door, and blinked when the frame cracked slightly, and it eased open with a hush of wind. "Rosa, are you here?" Past the boundary of the outside light, she stepped into the inside darkness. Embers fluttered in the fireplace, alive with crimson shadows as they settled on some logs to chew at the last pieces of coal. Hm, it was lit, so she is here. Maybe she's out back at the tree? Adara headed up to the fireplace, past the dining room table which held Rosa's own basket for collecting fruit.

The embers cast shadows around the dining room. In a corner, something dripped in the world. Slow. Steady. Is her house leaking? Adara followed the source of the sound to the corner of the room, where a dark splotch stretched around the corner. One step closer, and she almost choked at the smell. Mold. Mold with decay. Hand up to her nose, she witnessed one more drop fall to the board below, and fall silent. No more drips. Rosa's going to strangle the last guy who tried to fix the leak. Must've started growing last rain when... A head lopped off, and Adara shook it out of her memory.

It dripped again, and the crimson embers moved the shadows.

Gross... Adara avoided the ooze puddle it made beneath it. Drip. Each step echoed the sound. She grabbed the staircase banister to make her way upstairs, but ice froze her feet on the first step. Chills crawled up her spine as the scent intensified, and she tipped her head to peek behind her, where the door creaked with the wind pushing against it. One odd feeling in her stomach. Primal dread, with a sense of deja vu. Her temples ached as she listened for footsteps, then glanced at Rosa's fruit basket.

"Rosa?"

It fell silent.

Her fingertips dug into the banister, and she tore her hand away with a calming sigh, but her chills remained. It inched along her spine with a spider's webbed touch. Adara moved up the staircase onto the second landing. The sense of deja vu remained as she reached the corridor, where she viewed the outside window into the orchard. Every tree waved its branches with the wind, sending the soothing noise of whispering leaves down her chest.

Not her spine.

As she headed for the nearest door, the stench intensified with sundown's crimson spread. One thin slit to guide her closer. Adara reached out to the door, and pushed it. It swung open in complete silence, while the sun splattered with blood. It sprayed against the window as the buzz of death entered her ears. The bells tolled, distorted and rocked through her bones as if it rang above her head. Her bones vibrated with each clang as she followed the desolation. In the same corner where the mold began beneath her feet, a pile of—

Is that—? Adara sucked in the decay.

Bones laid haphazardly around the room. From rib-bones to the smallest fingers, chewed down to the marrow, though some meat hung off what remained of the corpse. Blood pooled around the pile, unrecognizable as a person.

Rosa lived alone.

Adara brought a hand up to her mouth to block out a scream, but nothing came from her throat. Sundown slipped out of reach behind the trees, casting her in crimson darkness. Her heart stilled against her ribcage as she shuffled backwards with each toll of the distorted, dissonant bells in her bones. A horrible, blood-soaked song to fill her ears as she rested her back against the hallway wall for flimsy support. Gods. Gods, no... no one could... no, a person didn't... She tried not to breathe in the decay, the mold, but something dripped to her right.

In front of the hallway window, a shadowy mass hung off the ceiling. Red, beady orbs stared at her. Its tongue slowly lolled out of its twisted maw to hang further to take the lightest lick of the floorboards. It rolled back into the maw, and this creature never smiled. Hunger rested in its gaze as it cracked its shadowy spine with an unnerving stretch. Blood dripped with the movement. Mold and taint grew as it moved slowly along the ceiling with twisted claws.

Her heart screamed against her ribcage. Her mind fell silent at the overwhelming stench of death.

You.

It held out a gnarled tendril, as if pointing at her.

A hilt clasped in her fingers, unable to tear her gaze away from the creature of the void. No, not a creature, not even the shadows under her bed.

It opened its jaw with another crack of bone to reveal gnarled crimson teeth, silent as the wind had gone. No unearthly groans from before. No mindless snaps. More red orbs grew along its body and at the end of its tendrils, focused on her. Adara inched towards the stairway, the blade in her hand.

Wake up!

The moon shone light through the window.

Adara screamed at the same time as the creature as it lunged off the ceiling and bounced against the walls, leaving splotches of murk in its wake as she headed for the staircase. It barreled into her as she brought her dagger up, but she was nothing more than a babe as it shoved its jaw through the blade. Sizzled smoke rose from it, but it chewed on her arm as they both tumbled down the stairs.

Her back burned with each tumble, and she kicked out her feet as she rolled onto the bottom landing, where crimson flames sputtered to life as she gasped through tears, getting onto her feet as the monster turned inside out to stand up. Shadows inched across the mark she had left. Its tongue licked the spot, and the smile returned, but apathy remained. Adara rushed for the door while the entire world melted away. The orchard! The orchard!

Unable to focus through the blurring world, she tried to fight through the pain crawling from her arm and to her head. Her breath escaped her lungs as the thing screeched behind her, giving chase, and she, no strength to run. Adara dipped into the shadows, pulling her magick around her as she weaved through the trees, all wilted whenever she drew closer. The tree... the icebark... Sweat rolled down her brow, but the noises continued to haunt her. Her knees threatened to cave in, but she urged herself forward through the dying roots, which spilled more crimson whenever she stepped on one.

They're all bleeding.

It released a hungry groan behind her, and she turned around as its tendrils stretched around her neck. Adara turned to swipe, but stopped when a blur of white bowled into it, pulling it with another scream into the dark as jaws ripped and tore into flesh. Adara choked and rushed deeper into the orchard's shadows. I... Tears stung her eyes as she reached the winter clearing. Crimson tendrils sucked the life out of the tree, where its leaves fell helpless to the ground. Few survivors remained, struggling to stay strong.

No...

Adara cried as she held her burning arm, and her blood boiled on her skin, revealing the fire within. The fire she tried too hard to hide. In her hands, the blade drained and shone silver as she stared at the dying tree of magick. Crimson spotted snow rested at her feet as she turned around at another deep gurgle.

I can't...

Adara stepped into the shadows of the tree branches as the monster lumbered out of the undergrowth. It snarled and snapped, cornering her as she slipped against the tree.

I don't want to die. Not like this. Not in that way... Adara bit on her tongue and held the dagger across her stomach as tears swam down her cheeks. Garren... Mother... Bloody tendrils crawled around her tunneled world, threatening to take her into the abyss. It came closer, its tongue lolled for a feast. It licked the leaves of snow as it approached, where they wilted into ash. Adara blinked as everything fell still as its jaw closed in on her.

A bird rested at the bottom of a cage of shadows.

A new shape rushed in slow motion towards the Derelict as the life she led flashed before her eyes. A shield of gold slammed into its jaw, shattering it. Dislodged, the golden shield carried it away from her and across the clearing to slam into the ground with magick might. Emerald glyphs spun with power, quickening her breath as vines ripped through the monster's spine. Adara rested her head against the tree of ice, unable to get a good look at who came into the fray. Nothing more than a golden crescent blade. In another blur, they rushed the creature with a heavy huff as it released itself from the vines with a blood curling hiss.

It dodged out of their swipes, focused on her as it tried to round him. The attacker caught its stomach, disemboweling it, but it never relented. Adara forced herself to stand as they tugged the crescent blade around its throat, pulling it away by its claws. It switched its attention to the golden-bladed warrior, swiping its sharp tail at their neck. It whizzed past when they rolled back with almost nimble ease. It snapped and bit at anything it could reach, but they brought their shield down on its throat, almost severing the head off its shoulders. Sinew kept it in place as it sped around the snowfield, and the attacker followed.

It bounced against their shield as crimson tightened around the edges, and the person grunted when they were thrown back by its powerful jump. Adara jolted when they tumbled into a tree, forced to use their blade as support. Another, familiar white shape leaped out of the bushes, grappling with the monster as the beast dragged it away from the recovering warrior, who shook out their head with a groan. Back on their feet, their golden crescent blade glowed in the moonlight. The monster bit down on the huge beast's throat, causing it to yelp.

Flames borne from her heart spurred her forward.

Her foot crashed into the side of its jaw which clamped onto the white beast, and it let go with a scream when silver flames licked at its tongue. It recoiled, but went for a lunge at her. Opportunity. Adara stumbled out of the way, but a golden blade tore through its stomach when it raised itself on its hind legs to grab her.

It stuck into a tree on the other side, and when the thing glanced down as if to investigate, vines rippled across the gentle emerald twine. In another flash, energy pulled it across and whipped it out of the tree into the back of the thing's throat. It tore open to reveal a crimson core, and it tumbled out, dragged along with the hook as the beast let out one final scream, and burst into golden starlight.

It fell along the clearing.

Adara sank to her hindquarters, holding her arm as it fell silent. Above her head, the fruits hung limp on the branches. Rosaleta's care brought them to live in foreign soil. A monster killed them all. Tears swam in the world from pain and the burning heart of flames. "No..." She reached out to one when it fell, but crumbled to nothing to reveal rotting insides. "No... we were going to know what fruit tastes like outside of Tebora..."

"Miss?"

Adara listened to the seaborn voice as the golden-bladed warrior stepped into the light of the moons, in a loving embrace. Unable to get a good look at all the blurry images, they came closer. One more blur. "You're bleeding, my lady."

"The tree," she said, then couldn't contain her sobs. "No... she wanted to share the fruit with me. We were supposed to know." She brought an arm to her brow, trying to wipe away the blur to see the world for its clarity. It refused to show her the truth as the shape knelt down towards her. Adara turned to the tree, watching as her boiling blood fed the dying roots. "Magick is a curse. Everywhere I go, it's like... death follows it." Adara brought her uninjured hand up to her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs. "Why?"

Moonlight washed into her vision as the shape moved around her to the base of the tree. It spread its wings over the clearing as the blurry individual with the golden blade pushed their hand against the bark. They leaned closer to it, and emerald roots embraced the tree with a pulse of life. It crawled against the crimson, tearing it off with the same gold starlight.

Adara blinked against the blur as the shape came into the moon's clarity. Brown hair waved with the wind, while a wolven pin hung off the familiar braid. Covered still by what appeared to be a blindfold, they rested their brow against the tree. "Return what the dark has taken," he whispered to the bark. "Leave behind the imbalance of the flow. Ojain, take wind of the murk, and flip the coin to light."

Adara leaned back when the emerald twine twisted further up into the tree branches. Leaf buds bloomed with the newfound power, while the remaining fruit perked up with crystal snow. It glowed with power as the twine fell away, bereft of its own power in giving it to the tree. Adara held her arm as the shape took a small step back, and turned to her. "You're a magickae."

Horror battled with her pain. "I—I don't know what you're talking about." Adara wanted to run, but she had no strength in her bones. No strength to keep running. "You're the man from the tavern. Fenrer, you said. Who are you, really? Let me see your eyes."

Fenrer turned to her in full. He raised his hands to the back of his blindfold, then untied it with one gentle movement. It fell away into his palm. Green swirls met her, as the stars danced across the sky on their trails. "You have no need to fear," he whispered, then held out his hand. Emerald flames collected into a glassy orb, precise and controlled, with all the power of the inferno. "I am as you are."

Adara held her arm as he moved back up to the tree, then tapped his crescent blade with it. One more emerald twine wriggled up the tree to release a branch the burden of a fruit. It floated down, and he grabbed it. "I didn't realize you had wyvern fruit growing here." He knelt down to her, and she took in the galaxy of the green. "Let me take care of your wound."

Adara took the fruit into her hands, jolting at the cold touch at her fingertips. He never grabbed her, as if waiting for something. She lifted her head to peer into his face. He smiled at her, gentle and assuring. "You healed the tree."

"It is my duty." He nodded at her arm. "Please, you shouldn't leave that as it is."

Adara held out her arm, her own blood bubbled and popped along the edges of the bite. "It's boiling, I don't know what that thing did to me."

"It's not real," Fenrer said as he kept his hand low, a bandage in his other hand, and she put her arm forward. He twisted it along his fingers, where magick hushed into the fabric. "It causes the world to shift in a different way, against reality." He wrapped her arm, gaze focused, but she couldn't tear away from the green swirls. "It will pass after a night's rest, the venom of a Derelict isn't lethal."

"A Derelict?" Adara frowned. "What's that?"

Fenrer lifted his head, a look of confusion spreading through his strong features. "What you just saw was a Derelict," he said with a patient smile. "It is a creature born of the Echo Obscura."

Her mind spun at the information. "Uh." She swayed on her knees, trying to stay awake. "I can't think..." The crescent blade took her attention away from the green galaxy. Fenrer followed her pointed stare, then smiled at her.

"You can consider me a monster hunter, and this golden crescent blade brings light into the Derelicts," he joked. "Do you live nearby? I can take you home."

Adara clung onto him. "Thank you... but if you're a magickae, what..." Her voice failed her at the movement, and she almost flopped to the grass.

Fenrer bowed his head, then helped her up to her feet. "Don't strain yourself," he instructed as she leaned onto him, a stranger, for support. "And... you don't have to thank me."

Adara lifted her head, trying to peer past the crimson. "Your eyes are pretty." Heat washed up to her face as he blinked, and she almost lurched back from her spiraling thoughts. "Oh, Gods. I'm sorry. I'm not—" Her head spun, and Fenrer reached forward to steady her.

"It's fine." He smiled, with a more sheepish expression. "That's a first. Where are we going?"

Wanting nothing more than to get away from the bloodscape, she gave struggling directions away from the orchard and into the forest. Every shadow made her jump, but the golden light and wyvern protecting a star sent a strange wave of familiar ease into her heart. Fenrer guided her up the path to the log cabin, where she spotted Garren pacing the lawn. He whipped around at their approach, but she noticed him freeze when Fenrer came closer. Eerie silence filled the air as Fenrer released her.

"What happened?" Garren demanded as she went into his support instead.

"A Derelict," Fenrer answered, as if Garren would know what that was. "It bit her." He unlatched one of the strange phials off his chained leather armor, handing it to Garren, who took it without comment. "I advise you to seek sanctuary out of Tebora... she's an Anima..."

His voice washed her thoughts with a soothing wave, and the world fell dark.