Yesrel and Zinlee walk around the forest not straying far from the home the rest of the group rests at. Zinlee picks flowers and fills a makeshift basket with some berries. Yesrel looks up at the trees watching as birds fly above her. Zinlee continues to think about how there may be surviving humans on an island that has been thought to be abandoned for many years.
After a while of walking in silence Zinlee finds a rusted sword laying next to the base of a tree. "Wonder if this sword saw battle like ours have," Zinlee looks at the sword thinking to herself as Yesrel walks over.
"Well if it saw battle it probably didn't see battle like we have since we arrived," Yesrel continues to look around before looking at Zinlee. "The others will be awake soon so we should return."
Zinlee and Yesrel return to the house. As they get closer they hear the sounds of the group talking to each other. Fafiel stands leaning against the outside of the house as the two of them approach. "Welcome back you guys. Find anything useful out there?" Fafiel greets the two of them as the chattering from inside continues.
"Other than some berries that could be dangerous to eat no there was nothing," Zinlee shows Fafiel the basket as Yesrel enters the house. "How are you feeling, Fafiel? Are you doing alright?"
Fafiel seems surprised by the concern Zinlee is showing. She looks back into the house before she speaks. "Uh yeah I'm alright. You don't need to worry about me."
Zinlee positions her umbrella open so that it stands between the two of them and the group making it so that the rest can't see the two of them. "Give me an honest answer, Fafiel. The others can't see us now. I need to worry about you because you are the strongest one here and I can't have you being sad when we need you."
Fafiel's face grows flushed, surprised by the amount of concern Zinlee is showing. "I'm alright I swear. What happened yesterday was simply a fluke. It isn't going to happen again," her normally serious and cold demeanor seems to break slightly before she quickly returns to normal.
Zinlee closes her umbrella. "I'll take you at your word for now. But if I see that something is wrong again I'll make sure to get the truth out," Zinlee walks into the house as she gestures for Fafiel to follow.
Fafiel follows behind Zinlee. Eldan can be heard talking his head off once again, giving explanations that are longer than needed. "If I were to guess that person we saw at the lake must've come from this direction somewhere," he points at a map of the island a little past the lake as the others watch. "But there is also the chance that they came from here or here. I doubt if there is some form of city or village left on this island it'd be on the coast so we can erase all of this area from our heads," he scribbles over the coast of the map marking where the city can't be. "We know it's not anywhere here since we've passed through all this land and only saw the person here," he crosses out the map where they've been and then circles the location of the Lady on the Lake. He begins to circle some spots on the map. "These are the likely spots for a settlement of any kind to be. They're close enough to water and from some of the records of this land they have fertile enough soil."
Yesrel looks at the map thinking to herself. "Which location do you think is most likely for this place to be?" Yesrel looks at Eldan as he continues to circle more spots on the map.
"Well based on the direction the person seemed to be walking along with how they didn't seem to be exhausted or hungry it must be decently close," he looks at the circles he's made thinking for a bit. "This spot is where I feel we should stop at first," he points at one of the circles. The map shows that it is just outside of the forest.
"Are we all in agreement to go there," Yesrel looks around at everyone as each of them nod. "Then let's get moving." With that they leave and begin to walk toward the mark spot.
They walk through the forest once more. Zinlee continues to grab berries, handing some of them to Eldan. "Do you know if these are safe to eat?" Eldan looks at them before handing some back to Zinlee.
"Keep these ones," he gives three different berries back the rest he tosses into the grass. "Those other ones have traces of toxins and things that would just make us sick."
Zinlee nods and begins to collect the berries that Eldan said were safe. She looks back at Fafiel who is looking around watching a rabbit hop beside her. Zinlee smiles before returning to her berry collecting. Fafiel stops and stares at the rabbit for a second, the rabbit stopping as well staring at her. Fafiel reaches down and picks the rabbit up and sets it on her head. The rabbit seems to not be against this, simply getting comfortable as Fafiel catches up to the rest of the group.
Yesrel walks ahead of the rest of the group watching for anything strange. In the distance she can see the end of the forest. She can vaguely see a village. "You may have been right Eldan," she begins to walk a little faster.
The rest of the group speeds up with Yesrel the rabbit still peacefully staying on Fafiel's head. As they reach the opening the village can be seen clearly but it is not inhabited instead it has the same abandoned look that everything has had thus far. Eldan's face shows his immense disappointment as the group begin to look around the village. Fafiel explores the village's central square with the rabbit cleaning itself on her head. She finds a note left on a merchant's stall being held down with a rock. She picks the rabbit off her head and holds it gently as she leans forward and reads the note.
The note mentions that people have been turning into monsters and that there have been monsters that look and act similar to the emotionally vulnerable. There's directions to somewhere the note says that it is a heaven for the survivors and those who remain. Holding the rabbit in one hand and the note in the other Fafiel walks to Yesrel handing her the note. "We have a new destination everyone," Yesrel hands the note over to Eldan. "Seems this wasn't for not."
Eldan's disappointment dwindles some as the rest of the group gathers. As he reads through the note he comes across the name. "Sorrow's Crossing. The last bastion a heaven for those who remain. Its name sure doesn't inspire confidence," Eldan looks up at the others.
Zinlee stands next to Fafiel who has set the rabbit on her shoulder. Zinlee begins to pet the rabbit as Yesrel talks. "Well guess we move to this Sorrow's Crossing. Lead the way Eldan."
The group all follows Eldan through the open plains. As they walk Zinlee begins to talk to Fafiel about the rabbit. "You know we really can't bring that with us. It is still a wild animal," Zinlee says as she pets the rabbit.
"It came to me and seems to have no issues with this arrangement so I see no problem in this. Besides I can find a way to keep it fed," Fafiel and Zinlee begin to argue back and forth for a while before Fafiel gives up and sets the rabbit on the ground as they continue to walk. Moments later the rabbit catches back up looking at Fafiel. "See it wants to be with us," not wanting to continue arguing Zinlee sighs and doesn't object. She watches as Fafiel sets the bunny back on her shoulder.
"I'll help feed it if we are keeping it," Zinlee picks a vegetable from her personal food bag, handing it to Fafiel who holds it out to the rabbit.
As they continue to walk a wall can be seen in the distance. It seems to circle around. The closer they get they can see buildings outside the wall. "This must be what we're looking for," Yesrel says walking up next to Eldan. "Hopefully this hasn't also been abandoned."
Eldan pulls the note out. "Unlikely this note doesn't seem to be as old as the destroyed and abandoned villages and buildings we've seen," Eldan sets the note away again as they get closer the wall only growing in size.
Eventually they can hear the distant sounds of talking accompanied by slight panic and shouting. As they look at the village they can see what seems to be some form of dog but it is too big to even be a big dog. It bites and scratches at the people. Those who aren't near the conflict seem to be acting like nothing is happening. The group begins to speed up running towards the conflict. As they arrive those fighting the beast turn taking a defensive stance as they look at the group. Some of them stay engaged with the beast. "Halt! Who are you!? Are you here to kill us!?" one of them steps forward as the rest return to fighting the beast.
Yesrel steps forward as Fafiel and Zinlee stand behind her, the rabbit now sitting on Fafiel's head. "If we were here to kill you we would've already done that!" Yesrel yells at the man as they watch those defending from the beast get torn and bit into. "Listen, you guys seem outmatched! Start evacuating your people and we will handle that thing!"
"The royal guard has to be on their way from the central walls!" The sound of crunching bones is heard from behind him followed by screams of fear. "Once the royal guard is here the problem will be handled! We don't need your help!" As yet another person is crushed, Fafiel calmly hands the rabbit to Eldan.
"Watch Thumper for me," with that Fafiel tightly holds her katana and runs past the man before he could react. She moves swiftly as she grabs someone who was about to get crushed by the beast's jaws. She slices at the beast, cutting wounds into it as the beast attempts to swat her.
Yesrel and Zinlee begin to run after Fafiel as Eldan stays back petting Thumper. "What are you doing? The royal guard will not be happy about us being helped stop!" The man stabs one of the elven archers with his lance, causing the remaining four and Eldan to quickly take a defensive stance. Eldan stands behind the other four holding Thumper gently.
Yesrel quickly turns around as the man stabs the archer and leaves the archer dead on the ground. She quickly rams her side into the man knocking him onto the ground positioning her blade at his throat. Zinlee and Fafiel continue to fight the beast and save as many lives as possible. "What the hell is your problem!? Why'd you kill him!?" Yesrel yells at the man as the cold steel of her blade touches his neck.
"If we ever defeat one of those beasts on our own the royal guard takes our people and we never see them again," he shakes in fear. "I don't want to watch my neighbors be taken from me."
Fafiel and Zinlee continue to fight. Zinlee stabs the beast with her umbrella forcing it open inside the beast before closing it and pulling it out. Fafiel cuts the beast's legs causing it immense pain. As they continue to fight the sound of a gate opening comes from the wall accompanied by the sound of footsteps.
"Do not fear outside dwellers! Commander Rol of the royal guard is here to save you!" Rol runs to the beast followed by four soldiers. When he arrives he stands surprised watching Zinlee and Fafiel fighting it and holding their own. "What is this? Outside dwellers who are fighting?" Rol runs towards the beast, his soldiers following close behind.
Yesrel removes the blade from the man's throat and sheathes her blade. "Don't attack us and I won't kill you," Yesrel watches as Rol attempts to keep up with the speed of Fafiel and the grace of Zinlee.
"What in the hell are you guys!?" Rol continues to struggle as the soldiers who are with him don't even join. Zinlee jabs her umbrella upwards into the jaw of the beast causing it to throw its head back and open its jaw. Fafiel seeing the opening slices through its neck killing it. Rol stands in shock as he watches Fafiel finish the beast off with ease. Zinlee begins to clean her umbrella and Fafiel runs to Eldan. Yesrel approaches Rol.
"Are you the royal guard?" Yesrel questions him, watching his shocked face. Fafiel grabs Thumper and sets him on her shoulder before following the others to stand behind Yesrel.
"Ye-yes we are the royal guard. The ones who protec-" Yesrel doesn't let him finish.
"We are an expedition team who traveled to Sanyx to see if we can discover anything. Also if you are supposed to be a royal guard, shouldn't you be stronger than you are?" Rol's face fills with anger at the insult.
"I am the strongest of the guards and am always sent to deal with the beasts that attack the outside dwellers!" he shouts with anger as he turns and watches Zinlee clean her umbrella. "What the hell even are all of you. Are you monsters too!?" Rol points accusingly at the group as they all stand there.
Yesrel lets out a sigh as she pets Thumper. "We are not whatever those things are we've seen since we got here."
Rol turns away angrily. "Follow me. The king will want to see what has walked into Sorrow's Crossing."