Once the kitsune had left, Alena stood there with Elijah on her side in silence.
Alena kept staring off into the distance, utterly lost for words or how to feel as the nine-tailed fox had fled away, and Elijah's eyes had dilated back to normal.
It wasn't long before Elijah had turned his attention to Alena, and meowed at her in reminder.
Alena jolted back to her senses, remembering hersearch.
"—Karra!" Alena exclaimed, as she chose a direction and continued to run through the forest.
It wouldn't be long as she ran before Alena would look up, her attention caught by the sounds of flocking birds flying overhead. Alena's eyes widened out in surprise.
"So many!" she exclaimed as she continued to run.
When Elijah had also noticed them, he watched intensely—his eyes once again constricting under his predatory instincts.
As the birds left her field of view, Alena returned her gaze upon the forest path she ran against before her. She continued running, until eventually she stumbled upon a clearing.
Everything here was new to Alena, as this wasn't a path she had taken in the past. She wasn't afraid, but there was that little part of her that still struggled with being out in the forest without prior permission of the one in charge—her teacher.
As she entered the clearing, Alena came to a stop, barely six meters in.
Alena turned her attention all throughout the clearing, hoping to spot any sign of the one she was looking for at all. Soon though, the sky grew dark, and the gemstone around Alena's neck began emiting a slowly pulsing glow.
Alena's eyes had been diverted, as her gaze was gripped by the light of the gemstone.
"What...?"
Alena couldn't believe her eyes.
In that moment, she reached up her paw, and lifted up the charm of her necklace in her palm.
"Why is it glowing?" she asked herself.
As she held the gemstone within her palm, the pulses of light deminished, and soon the glow emitted and remained. Alena and Elijah watched the glow of the gemstone, and it soon began to shake.
"It's moving...?!" Alena exclaimed with widening eyes, her mouth parted open in surprise.
For a moment, the glow became brighter, and the gemstone shifted in her palm—though only slightly. In the following moments, a rustling of foliage was heard behind them, as one of the treetops was disturbed nearby. Elijah immediately turned over his shoulder to look in the direction of the rustling leaves above—then Alena, who was still eyeing the gemstone, turned her head to follow the sound as well.
Nothing came of the rustling of leaves, and thinking nothing of it, Alena turned her attention back to the gemstone as it settled, and the light once again diminished.
Noticing the diminishing of light from the corner of his eye, Elijah too turned his attention back to the stone. The two of them continued staring at the gemstone for a duration, but nothing further had occurred.
"What was that about...?" she thought aloud, twisting her head curiously with the tilt of an ear.
For two strange happenings to occur in such short duration upon pushing her traversal limits, was this what the forest would really be like?
As nothing else seemed to occur, Alena gripped the gemstone within her paw—and when letting go of it—she darted off, continuing on with her search.
The widespread search continued on for the remainder of the day, and as the time passed, everyone had eventually come together once again. There was absolutely no sign of Karra anywhere. Everyone had searched high and low, but nothing was found—not a single clue, not even a whisper. Karra had been declared lost.
Eventually, Alena and Elijah, Tika and Maulana, and Kazran, had all returned to the spot just outside the dormitory as the sky was now pouring rain.
In the village, the gossip of a missing student would spread far and wide. All of the students of the dojo had talked about it, and before long, there would be no one who wouldn't know of the disappearance.
Soon everyone gathered outside the dormitory, and Kenrir and Alena with Elijah would be the last ones to make their appearance. The crowd of individuals stood there in silence, Kenrir approaching from one side, with Alena and Elijah approaching from the other.
Alena stared cold at the ground as she approached everyone, feeling defeated and broken up by the situation. Kenrir's eyes followed Alena's approach, seeing how her demeanor was all but head hung down. Elijah by this point had decided to walk along the ground, following closely behind her.
"Anything?" Kazran broke the ice.
Alena, Tika and Maulana each shook their heads; none of them had any news to share.
Seeing this, Kazran's gaze dropped, as he now too glared towards the ground in disappointment.
All of Sem's group and Kenrir made note of this, as they each expressed their own form of disappointment. None of them had found so much as a single clue.
"What would cause a child to just up and leave before their initiation ceremony?" Sheila asked aloud.
Alena's gaze rose over to Shea-Shea, her heart weighing heavy in equal wonder.
Everyone had turned their individual attention Sheila's way, and before long, Kenrir turned a glare down to his side—gripping his hands as he reflected in the moment. There was one person that came to his mind. This situation with Karra, reminded him of her.
Years ago, Kenrir was out in the forest, searching for any signs of a particular person's return.
It was out in a far off stretch of forest, where Kenrir had finally stumbled upon the target of his search. It wasn't good news, as when he stepped out from behind a tree, the one he had been looking for had come into view. Kenrir's eyes spread wide, and his body froze—chilled to the bone, as what had been standing before him was something he hoped would never come to be.
"Whatever happens, you can't use the primal energies inside you..." Kenrir's voice chimed, a memory.
"Why not...?" A young girl's voice asked back.
"If you rely on it too far, the beasts we were born from will consume you. Your consciousness, and everything that you are will be no more. Whatever the cost, you can't take that risk..."
"What if... I'm put in a situation where it gets really bad?"
"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for.
Should it come down to it, remember your training, and find a way to win—but don't bring out that power at any cost..."
"I understand... Master..."
Standing before Kenrir's eyes, and over a disfigured body, were the fierce, narrowed eyes of a feral beast. It stared viciously at Kenrir, growling heavily with every breath. Its bruised and bloodied composure heaved, slanting forward as every vein popped out under its skin. These eyes, this territorial posture, it all spoke of death.
The chocolate-colored hair, the jade-colored eyes...
The shell of what once was, was now no more... Nothing more, than a feral beast.
It screamed at Kenrir with malice, its throat tensing under the force of its call for blood...
[MAYBELLE...]
As Kenrir and the others stood there, Kenrir soon lifted his head and looked upon the general others as he began to speak.
"This isn't the first case we've had of a runaway student, but even then, that was an entirely different scenario—and was many years ago. If we can't find her, then someone will need to inform her parents."
"May it not come to that," Malin commented with uncertainty.
"Is there not something else we can do?" Ulva asked.
"We've already searched everywhere in the relative area. The only option now would be to span the search even further," Malin added in.
"How far can we really look in hopes of finding her?" Sheila asked in a lack of certainty.
Alena and the others remaind silent—each dealing with the disappearance in there own way. This conversation wasn't giving any of the children much hope.
"Perhaps... we could search each day in shifts?" Yonka quietly suggested, also feeling unsure of their possible efforts.
Kenrir took this into consideration, as there were few options they could turn to in order to Karra. That however was when someone else could be heard.
"I volunteer..." a tired, gravely voice insisted.
Everyone turned their attention to Variann, who was proping herself against the a pillar of the courtyard pass. It was clear she wasn't yet ready to stand on her own, and yet with the commotion, she had woken up and made her way to the crowd. She leaned close into the pillar, her groggy weight balancing off to one side with her hand on the pillar—even with her staff in hand.
This noticable detail quite surprised everyone. Particularly those of Ania and Yonka, as well as Alena and her friends.
The Tanzha soon approached from behind her, and stood just on the other side of the temple pass.
"You should be resting..." Kenrir insisted.
"How can you expect me to rest when there's a lost girl from our court? Matters like this are my responsibility," Variann argued.
Kenrir soon walked over to Variann, approaching her with another layer of concern.
"This isn't a matter for you to worry about. You, more than anyone, need your rest."
"And just who would be better with the task of founding our lost girl than me? You don't hear or feel on the same frequency as I do," Variann pointed out. "Without my sensitivities—" she began saying as she tried to push herself off of the pillar, "—it's unlikely that you—."
Variann gasped, her weight slipping over her foot as she dropped forward. Behind her, The Tanzha got ready to catch Variann as Kenrir instinctively stepped forward. Collapsing into Kenrir's chest, Variann caught herself with his shoulders, as his arms had simultaneously caught her around her waist.
Kenrir could see Variann's determination, but he simply couldn't allow her to take on such a responsibility without being recovered.
Variann's head had landed against Kenrir's chest, and she lifted herself off as she glanced weakly into his eyes.
"Kenrir, I can—"
"You need to get your rest," Kenrir interrupted Vari, "Only then can I allow you to take on this task. You're in no position to set out as you are now."
"But..." her gravely voice was soft, baring little push back as a part of her knew that he was right.
"Get your rest first. Then in the meantime we will do what we can to find her. You needn't force yourself. You won't get much better if you do."
There was a pause.
"For me Variann. Get your rest."
Kenrir's concern for Variann was soft spoken, and it was equally clear as day.
Variann read his eyes, as she remained soft and heavy in her stead.
Placing her head over Kenrir's chest, Variann gave off a gentle sigh—an acceptance of defeat. She knew that Kenrir meant what was best for her by this.
"I understand..." Variann muttered breathfully, as she slid her hands off Kenrir's shoulders slightly to push herself off of him.
Kenrir's armed followed, sliding away as his hands supported her at her sides, as he turned his gaze upon The Tanzha.
"Please take Lady Variann back inside, and make sure she doesn't get up until she's ready," he instructed.
The Tanzha agreed, and in moments, they had both taken hold of Variann—supporting her balance as the led her back inside.
Kenrir silently observed, as the one dearest person he had left was escorted away.
As Variann and The Tanzha disappeared from view, Alena soon stepped beyond her group, and walked up behind him.
"Mister Kenrir..." Alena spoke with concern stuck in her voice, "What's wrong with that girl?"
Variann wasn't young, but Alena being her current age, couldn't currently verbally disclose the difference.
Kenrir turned to face Alena, and he could soon see the shared looks off shock and concern amongst Ania, Yonka, and the younger students...