Mira couldn't stop running. How could she? Mummy wasn't there anymore; she couldn't feel the warm embrace she'd felt for the past five years. Never again.
After seeing those crimson eyes looking back at her in the Square. Something inside her screamed of danger; just looking at him made her shiver with fear and, at the same time, want to cry endlessly.
So… she did what any five-year-old girl worth their salt would do. Run.
But… she didn't realise just how big the world was. It was BIG. She had run all day until the moon's light shone down on the open plains south of Haven's Point. She'd also stuck to the roads; roads made her run faster—obviously. And it worked. It totally worked.
She buried her face in the warm, velvety cloth of the not-her-mummy lady that had offered her a ride. As she buried her forehead into the material, a gentle arm drew her closer, embracing her. As expected.
The horse-drawn carriage was larger than most she'd seen visiting the village, and that was a good thing. The cart had two benches stretching from front to rear, either side, and a canvas material acted as both wall and ceiling as it stretched over - leaving enough room to stand in the centre for grown-ups.
Sitting on the benches were a group of four. Including the warm lady. Ellyara? Ellaras… no. Elara was her name. Then there was Angry Face, he was a gruff beast-kin, he was wearing baggy purple clothes and a wide brimmed hat. He also had lots of cuts on his hands and face, so… she guessed he wasn't so bad if he liked to play so much—every time she played, she always ended up with a little cut or a bruise; she didn't have anywhere near as much as him… and she played a LOT. She didn't really know his name, but Angry Face would do.
Then there was a Rose; she was pretty. Really pretty. She wore a black hooded garment that was really tight around her tiny tummy, she guessed that it was the thick leather belt that was so tight around her. She also wore chainmail bracers and thin metal sabatons. Her hood was down and her hair up in a ponytail; even then, her hair almost touched her lower back. Her eyes glowed with a nearly golden light, and her smile was enchanting. Just looking at her made her feel in awe. El' said she was an Elf… the Elves in the village were always lovely.
Then there was Foust; he made her laugh, even after she didn't think she'd be able to laugh again. He had normal clothes, like everyone wore. A white tunic hung loosely around him, and he had tan leather trousers and boots that came up to just below the knee. The sleeves on the tunic were rolled to his elbows, displaying his dark complexion. He had thick black hair, brown eyes and a toothy smile that was always on display.
Why did they matter?
Well, they were the ones who found her. When she was running down the roads, just as night was coming, and they'd stopped. They hadn't asked any silly questions… they just asked if she needed help. She wasn't too impressed with her display at their first meeting; rather than answer 'yes', she'd simply started crying. Elara had held her; it felt so warm and friendly. It felt like Mummy—she knew it wasn't… but… she couldn't stay in the village. Not with that thing still there.
After a while, when she'd calmed down, she explained that mummy had disappeared not long after the monsters attacked their village. After Daddy died, her Mummy was sad… Mira knew that her dad would be with Arwen now and that he was a good dad. He would be watching over them. Mummy didn't seem to like it when she smiled at knowing her dad was always with them; she got angry… she wouldn't talk to her… Then, when she came back from the square that day, she was gone. The thoughts made tears swim down her face, and Elara gripped her tighter; she might need to cry a little bit more.
Elara felt the sorrow pulse from the girls spirit, she had lost her family—in one way or another. She knew the pains that the Aberrations brought, the confusion that grief caused. Why did it have to affect such innocence? She knew the Gods could not intervene, it was not their place. They needed to right the wrongs of Eridoria themselves, the sins of nature had become unbalanced and they, the children of their world, needed to act.
She was uniquely placed to do so. A chosen of the Order, one who would carry out the great pilgrimage. As she held onto Mira, embracing her tightly, she frowned, she would stop this pain, this suffering. For all the children of the Gods.
"Foust," she said, her voice soft, "How far are we?"
A beaming smile answered her "Not far El, two days to Ithris and—" he paused, scratching his thick hair "Job shouldn't take too long there, maybe a few days."
"And a fuckin' month after that to the capital," A gruff voice cut in, Haestin the beast-kin was not known for his elegant speech.
"Haestin, must you curse in front of a child? In fact, why do you curse at all? Can't think of any other words?" Rose said, her voice carrying like a melody.
"Piss off you cock-ridden skan—"
"Two days." Elara cut in, her one hand stroking Mira's soft hair. "That's wonderful, isn't it?"
"Mm…" Haestin grunted.
She continued, "I know its taken time to get here, some of us would prefer to set off by ourselves, but that isn't the way. We're one short. It would be playing with fate to face our trials as we are now."
"Hey, you're the boss, El! I'm just here for the ride." Foust's smile unimpeded by the short exchange.
Rose chuckled softly as she looked at Foust "I'm pretty sure you're here because you didn't fancy the next ten years in the mines."
"Hah, ain't that right, Rosie!" He replied, "and what lovely company I have up here in sweet, sweet freedom."
Elara saw Haestin glare at her two companions, his lips pursed tight and his eyes furrowed in displeasure. Rose was right about one thing, he did favour certain… distasteful words, but, he was the only one in their group who truly understood their mission. As Rose had also eluded to, Foust was here as a punishment—he had foolishly tried to make away with a sacred urn from the Order, a crime usually accompanied with forced labour in one of the Empire's mining operations. She'd heard of such punishments being handed out and, not many survived the ordeal. Luckily for Foust and her, his Innate Ability was too useful to throw away. After he made an oath under the System, he was absolved of his crime—"If only he knew…" She thought.
Rose, well, she was here because of her insatiable appetite for knowledge. The Veldran Republic had sent her as an emissary, she was to accompany her on her pilgrimage. Due to how unsuccessful the Order had been, the Republic planned to start their own Pilgrimages. This drove a wedge between Haestin and Rose. Haestin didn't believe the Pilgrimage was something to compete as nations over and, he was right, but it was a moot point. "I will succeed." she declared in her mind.
Haestin on the other hand was raised by a Knight himself, trained from a young age for one purpose, a guardian for the Chosen.
Two days to Ithris, another chance to get stronger. She would take each and every opportunity, they needed all the strength they could muster for what lies ahead, and Mira… She would take Mira to the Order, they would care for her.
Two days passed quickly on the road, the caravan able to travel day and night thanks to the Orders horses—able to absorb both Mana and Life Force through the magically imbued harnesses that straddled them. The harnesses had to be charged periodically, which was expensive. But what price could they put on the lives of all that lived on this planet? Every second they delayed was another life lost.
They had arrived at Ithris in the late afternoon, the warm winds and flourishing green flora that surrounded the small settlement was a welcome gift on their long journey. Whilst a subtle reminder of the passing time, Elara enjoyed the warmth that came with the changing season.
Soon after their arrival they understood why the Order had sent them here. This village had, like a great number had, been ravaged by the corrupted abominations. So many lives had been lost.
Elara's resolve flared as she took in the grief and devastation around her. "By both Gods, I will cleanse this evil." she uttered breathlessly as she willed the system prompt into her vision.
[Quest: Cleanse the Corrupted:]
[Objective: Eradicate the Aberrations Nest 0/1 — Reward: 10 Mana Crystals per Aberration killed]
She didn't need the reward, but, she knew she couldn't scoff at it either, outside of the Orders influence you needed money. Mana Crystals were the only world-recognised currency and they would eventually need a healthy supply.
After only an hour upon entering the village, they had managed to locate the nest. The villagers had sent a number of scouts in recent days, and one had been successful.
The scouts report indicated that the camp could be found at an abandoned cavern at the foot of the mountains to the East, only a mile or so away from the Town. They would head there quickly. Rose would stay with Mira; whilst Rose's fighting capabilities were far above the average, small caves and caverns did not play to her strengths. At her skill level, her control of Elemental 'Magics' was limited and they were likely to suffer damage themselves if she went skill-happy in an enclosed space.
No, her, Haestin and Foust would more than suffice.