Aurelia felt her heart lump in her throat. Somewhere, deep in the back of her mind, she must have known what was to come. It was an inevitable part of war: combatants and non-combatants died in its wake. To her knowledge, no other event in all of Saintian history had destroyed the sanctity of life more than the devastation and carnage war brought about. Only the dead would see the end of it, while the living would spend the rest of their lives fighting its vestige. As Aurelia stared at Dinia's broken body, she realized she had been a fool. She wasn't some cog in one of Kesi's machines following a predictable path of order, but a leader responsible for all of those under her care.

This was all her fault.

Almost immediately, guilt settled in the nubs of her horns. Quickly joined by shame, guilt made its way down her spine, knowing it was her slip up that caused Dinia to dive upon her attackers. Dew started to form on her blue eyes. She closed them, replaying the situation over and over in her head, going from wishing, to hoping, to demanding Thepa's spirit tell her what she should have done differently. However, try as she might, Thepa's spirit had no answers. Truthfully, she knew there were none. Some, most likely Devi and Krery might have demanded them, but at the moment, words failed her. Even if they didn't, a part of her unrealistically hoped the time she would have to explain herself would never come.

"Aurelia?" Darby's voice pierced across the night.

Across the field, Aurelia could see Devi and Krery scolding a few younglings for getting too close to the burning building, while toddlings, bravely or foolishly, clung to their legs. About half way between her and them, three of the adults were trying to corral the rest of the younglings, while two more gave orders.

Turing her attention back to Darby, she allowed her eyes to focus on the nondescript middle age man she had met only hours before.

"Darby...," she trailed. "Mr. Edgar. I'm sorry it took us so long to arrive."

Not that either of them knew she was coming. They were just words. Empty platitudes she vainly hoped might ease any tension and her own soul. Again, her eyes looked towards her Sisters. As soon as Devi's brown made contact with hers, she knew she had betrayed herself.

"Aurelia, that was incredible. I thought for sure we..." Darby responded; hesitancy laced in her voice. Out of the corner of Aurelia's eye, she could see Darby look up to Edgar, perhaps for the first time in her life at a loss for words. However, her attention was fully fixed on Devi, who pointed Krery in her direction.

Aurelia sniffed, trying to hold back tears. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her calloused hands, already covered in grim and dirt. The combination only seemed to mix the gritty texture deeper into her socket, adding another layer of helplessness to her already tortured soul. By the time she finally managed to free herself from its debris, she could see Devi and Krery making their way over.

"Matriarch," Devi called above the chaos. We need to get these younglings to safety an—."

"NO!" Krery screamed, startling those around her. Some of the toddlings retreated, but Krery threw herself on top of Dinia's body. Cradling it in her arms, she allowed her own grief to overcome her, whereas Devi stood in shocked disbelief.

Dumbfounded, Aurelia stood there, like the useless leader she was. Again, her eyes found Devi and the woman gave her a look of contempt before quickly masking it in a contortion of clenched eyes and mouth. Not that she didn't deserve it.

This was all her fault.

When Devi finally looked back in Aurelia's direction, her features softened. Behind her brown eyes, she could see sorrow welling in the firelight. She looked down at Krery, oblivious to both their presence, still rocking Dinia's body back in forth in a blubbering mess. Gently, she rubbed the back of Krery's neck, before making her way over to her, stopping only a few feet away.

"Sister Devi, this is all my—"

"We serve the Beachwick." Devi held. Silent tears started to stream down the satyr's face, but she herself was bravely wrapped in her broken spirit. Aurelia matched her gaze letting her own tears fall, finally understanding the true burden of leadership. Devi too was a leader, perhaps a more deserving one. However, Devi knew what she was just starting to learn. There were moments to be strong and moments to be weak. Right here and now, especially in front of all the Saintians surrounding them, this was the former. It was not yet time to grieve.

"We live and die." Aurelia affirmed.

Wordlessly, Devi nodded. Around them, youngling and adult alike turned in their direction, while the orphanage resigned itself to be nothing more than a pyre. Past Devi, Krery continued her weeping having at some point removed the sword from Dinia's chest. Aurelia was just about to suggest they all go back to her ancestral home, when a menacing laughter erupted behind her in a low vibrato.

"Stupid whores," said the Goldendale soldier, shaking in his bindings. "Think you've won some victory here. Come morning, you'll all be dead and this pathetic city of yours will be nothing more than a Goldendale playground. This little stunt proves you will all be hunted down like the vermin you are."

Devi pushed passed her, fixing her brass knuckles. Fire burned in her eyes, heightened by the flames crackling all around them. Without missing a beat, she closed the distance between her and the bound man, whereas she drove her hoof into the man's chest only to quickly bend and swing her brass across his face. When the two made contact, blood and spit went flying and though Aurelia couldn't be sure, it looked as if the man lost teeth. She started to wind up again, but Thepa's spirit was pulling at Aurelia to stop her. The man clearly knew something.

"Wait, Sister Devi," she pleaded.

"Yes, listen to your master whore," the man teased through broken teeth. "Maybe if your good, she might let you experience a real man. Make it worth my while and I might even spare you the coming carnage."

"Another word out of you soldier and I'll make you more whore than man." Devi threatened as vitriol spewed from her voice. Aurelia didn't doubt it, and she might have lent her the dagger, but instead, she could see Thepa's spirit guiding her to press the man for more information.

Appeal to their self-interest. Allow the person to think their own goals are being met, whereas helping you helps their own situation.

"What do you mean, come morning?" she pressed, holding the man's gaze. By the smug expression he wore, she could tell he was dying to tell, if only to rub it in.

"What's it to you and your filth? You and your kind won't survive the destruction anyway. Knowing about it won't change your faith. This little show here was to press the bastard elf for more information. I can't wait to tell him his silence was all for not."

"Bidant!" Darby cried, pushing herself forward, but Aurelia held her back. There would be a moment to deal with the elder elf's situation, but the loss of focus might push the man away from the information she needed. Instead, she offered him an out.

"Our fate might be sealed, but yours is not. Tell me what I want to know and I'll let you live."

"And if I refused?" he countered.

"Then I give Sister Devi my dagger."

It was a bluff, but one Thepa's spirit was excellently guiding her through. She held his gaze determined not to be the first one to break. To break now, would mean to lose any advantage she had over the man, and she could already see him squirm under her stare.

"Fine!" He exclaimed. "Not that it will do you any good, but after your little rebellion during the Liberation Day celebration, word was sent to the Syndicate. I already received approval of one hundred soldiers, promised to arrive by mid-morning. When they come, every single one of you cloven foot whores and your allies will be either locked up, shipped out, or killed. My coins hoping for the first. I do like to have my fun."

A collective gasp echoed around them, but Aurelia kept her gaze. Thepa's spirit was not surprise, almost expecting as much. Bidant's own actions and his speech pretty much guaranteed it.

"And the elf?"

"Chained to a wall. When the army comes to gather you, he'll be shipped off to Goldendale. I hear one of the High Syndicate is always looking for new toys."

"Aurelia we must—"

"Thank you for that," she said, cutting Darby off. Plans needed to be made. While she intended to keep her end of the bargain, she didn't need the man knowing what she was doing. In a short motion, she gestured to Devi, who smiled with glee. The man, perhaps realizing he wasn't going to escape further harm, tried to object, but Devi sent another blow across his face knocking him out. In the process he dribbled a few teeth from his parted lips, but Aurelia could see he was still breathing.

Confident he wasn't going to bother them, a plan started to form in Aurelia's mind, but she would need everyone on board. She turned back towards Krery and slightly approached her whimpering form. Still holding on to Dinia's body, Krery clung to Aurelia's leg as Aurelia bent down to wrap her in a hug. It might not have been time to show weakness, but she knew it was exactly what Krery needed.

"She was my dearest friend." Krery sobbed.

"She was your sister," Aurelia gently prodded. "Our sister. Her loss is incalculable. Together we will mourn her, but now we must save the Sisterhood."

"I'm not sure I—"

"Sister Krery. It's not fair of me to ask of you. You have given so much already. Say the word and I will let you go off alone to grieve in your own way. However, I would be remised if I couldn't implore you to heed the call. At least for one more time. Our future needs your blade."

As Krery sobbed in Aurelia's arms something in her mind clicked, her own words resonating in her.

Our Future, she thought. An enemy of the past threatens your Future. Kesi is my Future. Something or someone, likely right now, is threatening Kesi.

Knowing that Edgar was here and not out there looking for Kesi gave Aurelia hope. If he was as good as he claimed, she needed it meant he had completed his mission in finding her daughter in a single day. Hoping beyond hope, she quickly found Edgar's non-descript eyes, without moving, desperate to ask the question pressing upon her heart. Perhaps sensing it, he wordlessly nodded.

"You have my steel Matriarch," Krery answered, obvious to the exchange. "Sister Dinia would want me to go on."

"We serve the Beachwick."

"We live and die," Krery completed. Aurelia helped her stand. Having finished the first task of her plan, she turned to the group. "Our first priority is to get everyone to safety. I don't know if that soldier was lying, but I believe him. At the very least, we should treat his threat as real. I will need volunteers to gather the Sisterhood and prepare to depart the Beachwick."

"But our homes," one of the adults objected. Aurelia didn't know the man, but the halfling had a serious look that told her he was weary about leaving the only safety he had ever known. "Where will we go? Surely you don't expect us to live in the jungle?"

"There is an alcove on the north side of the island about five miles from here," she said. "The cave system there is large, but fairly obscure. We can lie low there for a few days until I can secure us passage off the island."

"There might be another place," Darby added. "On the northeast side of the island there is a secluded settlement. If we secure Mr. Bidant, they might be willing to take us. They have rapport with him. They might take us without, but they're very selective about who they accept."

"That...may not be possible." She said, watching Darby's face fall. She hated to hurt her friend, but at this point, she didn't know if a rescue mission was likely, never mind the fact Kesi's unknown fate was pressing on her heart. She had already resolved to leave for her immediately and she didn't even know how she was going to find the strength to do so.

"I can do it, Matriarch." Devi said. "The only place that worthless waste of a man could have been talking about are the holding cells by council chambers. At this time at night, its sure to be sparsely guarded."

"I'll join you," said Krery wiping her face. "I already lost one sister; I'm not going to risk losing another."

"Be careful," Aurelia warned. "Mr. Bidant maybe important to all of us, but we need you two too. I can't..." she trailed meeting Darby's face, but they both looked away, one in guilt and the other in shame.

"Aye, Matriarch." Devi affirmed.

Glad that at least things were coming together, there was just one more thing and she knew it might be the hardest one to coordinate. "That just leaves people like my mother. Those affected with the mind sickness. Darby, any chance—."

"It's not a problem Ms. Warbol," said Darby causing Aurelia to inwardly wince. The slight might have been unnoticeable by those around her, given the formality she had known Darby to greet others, but it's meaning was as clear to her as the waters running through the jungle. She had hurt her friend dearly, and this was her penitence. "Healer Goddard's clinic is just down the road. He took your mother there earlier in the evening to better treat her. No doubt, he will be willing to aid us in transferring the others."

"Then we have a plan." Aurelia stated, avoiding Darby's gaze. "Darby, I need you to coordinate with the older younglings and the adults to gather the Sisters and anyone who might be on our side, along with the healer. Tell them to travel light and take only what they need to survive. Leave one of the adults behind to keep an eye on the smaller younglings in a place you can trust. When you've finished, have the Sisterhood meet there. I want you all at the Alcove before the first train pulls into the station."

"And you Matriarch?" Asked Devi.

"I'm going after Kesi. This war involves both of us. Already, enemies are attacking on multiple fronts. If I don't make it back in time, I'll meet you at the Alcove by nightfall."

"It's going to be close either way," spoke Edgar. "It's at least a five-hour horse ride to the temple she's at. Even if we get her out right away, I don't know if you will make it back before the army arrives."

Temple?  She thought.

"Will cross those tracks when we come to them," she said. "If it comes down to it, we will meet you directly at the alcove. At the very least, Kesi and I will be traveling very light."

Aurelia paused to see if anyone had any questions, not that she was sure that she would be able to answer any of them. Instead, she watched as Krery silently recovered Dinia's daggers and placed them in her hands.

"Make sure you come back to us too Matriarch. Your survival is our survival."

As the weight of the plan pressed upon her, Aurelia felt her heart swell with gratitude. It might have been difficult being their leader, but in Krery's tear drained eyes, she could see her support and loyalty that extended beyond mere words. It was a simple gesture, but it filled her with a sense of responsibility unlike any she had felt before.

"I will," she promised.