"This is incredible it's huge, just as huge as meeting the Vessels was! And look at these carvings, this must be a picture of the Titan that everyone says they fought again..."

"Hmm..." Skylar nodded at Damien's words, and glanced briefly at one of the numerous carvings that dotted the Sentinel village, tracing his eyes along the lines of the strange figure. The slab of stone was decorated with a human-shaped body that had a tree in place of a head, garbed in only a loincloth while wielding a halberd in one hand and casting a spell with the other. The swordsman wiped a few remaining dribbles of salmon soup from his lips, cleaning his fingers on his shirt afterward, and looked over at the cream-furred canine that stood just nearby, scratching her muzzle.

He narrowed his eyes, prickles of worry running down his spine. Hanae had been unusually silent from the very first moment Kibagami had called to them, confusing her with one of the bushi under his own command. He understood why she was silent, of course – she had every right to be thrown for a loop, after finding out her own family's historical legends truly did trace back to the north – but he couldn't help but feel concerned. The beastwoman idly twiddled her fingers in her lap, and when she noticed that he was staring, she bowed her head in embarrassment. Skylar blinked, then looked away as well, feeling his cheeks heat up shamefully as he mentally scolded himself for not minding his own manners.

"Where the hell did the big guy go, anyway?" Naomi remarked crassly, looking from side to side before reaching for the pot of soup and ladling herself another serving, slurping it from her bowl with gusto. "He said he had something to do, but feels like it's been a while since he just left us sitting here in the cold!"

"He's over there, Naomi," Sahra replied smoothly, pointing out towards a small gap between a pair of limestone pillars; behind the one on their right, they could see the bulky form of a bull-man, fiery red hair cushioning his curved horns and running down his dark blue chest. He was kneeling down, and the giant club slung across his back helped to block whatever he was doing from the explorers' view. The sniper fiddled with her red hairband, pushing her empty bowl away and getting to her feet. "...And something's wrong. He seems uneasy."

"He is?" Skylar asked, sitting up straighter as he looked over at the beastman. It was hard to tell from the short distance away, but his muscles were tense, and his head moved pointedly around the little section of the cavern. He turned his scarred eye towards them, and Skylar frowned: Kibagami's expression wasn't nearly as pleasant and friendly as it had been before. The swordsman stood as well, glancing around at his teammates. "I think we should ask what's going on."

"Oh, c'mon, Skylar!" Naomi let out an irritated growl, standing up and marching over to her fellow explorer, a few stray fish bones sticking out of her mouth. "Do you have to try and help everyone you meet with their problems? Besides, we just met these guys a goddamn hour or two ago! Can't we wait until we've finished their food and gotten even a little shuteye, huh?"

Skylar opened his mouth to retort, but he lost the words on the tip of his tongue as Hanae stood up, wordlessly walking past both the swordsman and the fortress, arms dropping to the sides of her padded dress as she headed for the limestone pillars. They watched her go for a moment. Then, Skylar started walking after her, jogging somewhat to catch up with his friend. Naomi turned towards Sahra and Damien, only to find Sahra already running past her as well, and the armor-clad woman grunted, reaching over and grabbing the medic by his coat's collar.

Hanae slowed to an abrupt stop just next to Kibagami, her eyes widening to the size of saucers as she brought her hands to her mouth, unable to suppress a gasp of shock. Skylar ran over to the bushi when he heard the noise, only to gasp as well, his jaw dropping as he followed Hanae's gaze. Sahra, Naomi and Damien were all just as taken aback when they arrived, and the latter took a couple steps closer, squatting down and starting to sketch the pitiful sight that lay before them.

A young Sentinel child, younger than even Sahra, lay on top of a small, flat rock bed, his face contorted in pain as he curled up into a tiny ball of fur, his squirrel-like tail wrapping under his legs for him to cling to like a blanket. Skylar shook his head in astonishment, staring at what looked like vines sprouting from his shoulders and wrapping around his arms, thorny roots that draped over the edge of the bed, and even clumps of what looked like tree sap that littered the cavern floor. The swordsman watched Sahra swat Damien's hand as the medic attempted to pick one up, instead pulling an arrow from her quiver and nudging one of the scabs of sap around, revealing fur stuck to its underside.

Damien started to scribble in his journal again, and Skylar looked back at the sickly, shivering child, noticing bare patches of skin where the scabs must have formed. Kibagami was holding a small bowl up to the boy's mouth, trying to get him to drink down an herb-laden medicine of some kind. Hanae took a step forward, but then the leader of the Sentinels spoke. "I know you have never seen the likes of this before, but it is a bit rude to show such surprise, my guests."

"I..." Skylar turned away, feeling utterly foolish for the second time that night. The others reacted similarly, except Damien, who obliviously continued to jot down notes. "I'm sorry, Kibagami. Should we...?"

"No... it is alright, as long as you keep your distance, please," The beastman said with a heavy sigh, standing up once his patient had finished the bowl of medicine. He set the dish down in a clear spot on the cavern floor and wiped his hands on his armor, turning around to face the group of explorers that stood behind him. "I apologize for leaving you for so long. I know a little about medicine, so I take care of the young ones from time to time."

"What the hell... what the hell is going on with him?" Naomi asked bluntly, though the confusion in her voice lessened the effect of her crass words. Kibagami closed his eyes for a moment, then gestured towards one of the carvings of the tree-person just close by, expression turning distant as he thought to himself.

"We call this sickness the Titan's Curse. It first started to spread about ten years ago." Damien perked up at the bull's explanation, flipping to a new page and hanging onto every word. Sahra, on the other hand, took the arrow she had used to poke at the scab of sap and snapped it in half with a mild grimace. "As I told you before from our legends, those who fought against the Titan were turned to plants. Of course, I also told you that our ancestors fought the foul thing despite its godlike power, and took its heart, no matter what the cost would be..."

"And so you think this is the cost?" Sahra finished the beastman's statement for him, and he nodded.

"It affects the weak first, those of us who are old and gray or don't have the strength to fight it," He continued, briefly watching as Hanae took a couple steps forward and knelt down, staring at the squirrel child with somber eyes. "But the young ones are still growing, and so they suffer the hardest when they turn ill."

Skylar looked at the young boy again, sitting down next to Hanae and frowning deeply at the Sentinel's expression, a mixture of pain and fear that sent a chill through everyone that saw it. The swordsman slipped his backpack off of his shoulders, digging through his supplies for spare poultices and rolls of bandages. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Kibagami shook his head, reached out and placing a hand on the swordsman's shoulder, pressing him down some to stop him from searching around further in his bag. Skylar paused, turning his head upward and giving the beastman a firm look. "Unless you know of a way to cure the sickness entirely, I'm afraid not. No herbs or prayers of ours has ever had any effect on the Curse, and all those who catch it have turned to trees and grass within a few years."

"You mean nobody's ever survived it?" Damien said in awe, the tone of horror in his voice unable to quell his deep-seated curiosity. Kibagami shook his head again, turning away and gently stroking at the squirrel boy's tail, trying his best to keep him calm as he slept.

"Never. Nobody who has shown the signs has ever survived. This Curse..." The Sentinel leader trailed off, peeling the boy's tail out of his grasp and giving his midsection a quick once-over before letting the bushy appendage flop back onto his patient. The child snuggled into it again, the slightest trace of comfort appearing on his features. Skylar couldn't help but smile inwardly at the sight, if only just a little bit. Kibagami let his arms fall to his sides as he eased himself onto the floor as well, sitting cross-legged in front of Skylar and Hanae. "This Curse is the scourge of our people."

The explorers had no more words to say, and so the conversation was left hanging in the air, the cavern returning to silence save for water dripping from stalactites above their heads and the scratch of Damien's stick of charcoal. Occasionally a passing Sentinel on the other side of the cave would throw a glance their way, only to turn back when they noticed their solemn faces, easily able to figure out what they had been discussing. A few others seemed to perk up at something else, walking over towards the entrance to the village. After a solid few minutes, Kibagami spoke again, this time much, much more hesitantly, and worriedly, than before.

"I did not wish to ask earlier, as we have only just met, but... are you heading to the demon tree on your journey?" The bull began. Skylar nodded after a moment, as did Hanae, then Naomi and Sahra. The fortress grabbed Damien's hair and pulled, getting his attention, and he chuckled sheepishly as he nodded too. Kibagami smiled slightly at the display, but turned serious again just as quickly. "I won't stop you, but I told you all of this because I wanted you to know about the risks. If you approach the tree any further, even you might be affected by the Titan's Curse. I would not want anyone, Sentinel or human, to become ill with... with this."

"You're pretty pessimistic about all this, huh? It's not like there's nothing in the world that can cure this thing, you know. I know a way to do it, if you'll let me show you."

Everyone turned around sharply as someone else spoke up, footsteps softly echoing through the cavern, and Skylar narrowed his eyes at the familiar figure that casually loped between the limestone pillars. An uncharacteristically stoic Whirlwind scratched at his gray hair as a droplet landed on him, wiping the water off on his orange scarf before slipping it back into his pants pocket, and Hanae inhaled quietly, getting to her feet when she noticed the young, brown-haired girl that the older man had brought with him. The Medium bowed her head before anyone could meet her eyes, though, holding her staff close, and Skylar frowned, putting his backpack back on and standing up.

"Whirlwind? How long have you been here, old man?" Naomi greeted with a wave, grinning toothily as the older explorer turned to look at her. She cracked her knuckles, dropping her fists to her hips as she stared back. "And better yet, how long have you been eavesdropping on us, huh? C'mon, old man, don't be trying to hold out on us!"

"Xiuan..." Sahra walked past the fortress, extending a hand towards the other young girl, who took it gratefully, still finding something interesting at her feet even as she nodded a hello. "Are you okay? Did Whirlwind bring you here?"

"Y-Yes..." Xiuan spoke quietly, tapping the bottom of her circle staff against the limestone, drawing shapeless patterns on the floor. "I... I overheard your conversation as well."

Hooves scraped against rock, and Skylar glanced over his shoulder at Kibagami. The beastman had furrowed his brow at the two newcomers, pulling his hand away from the blade of his katana as he took a few steps towards Whirlwind and Xiuan. The swordsman quickly moved back to Hanae's side, feeling her tail brush against the leg of his pants, and he gestured towards both Kibagami and towards the others. "Ah, that's right! Sorry, Kibagami, these are two of our friends, Whirlwind, and Xiuan. Whirlwind, Xiuan, this is Kibagami, the leader of the Sentinels here."

Kibagami kept silent as Whirlwind walked over and tapped Damien's shoulder, leaving Xiuan with Sahra as he reached into his pocket again and pulled out a small scroll, handing it to the medic, who took it with a gleeful smile. "Here, I got a present for you."

Damien unfurled the scroll, peering closely at it and reading it over, and Whirlwind chuckled, looking back at Kibagami and reaching outward. The bushi didn't take it, instead standing and waiting patiently for the man to explain himself. The gray-haired explorer seemed to understand the blue-furred bull, and he shrugged.

"We need two things to cure the Titan's Curse. First, we need the Titan's heart, and if your legends are true, your ancestors supposedly brought it back here, right?" Whirlwind said, glimpsing the carvings out of the corner of his vision. Kibagami grunted in acknowledgment, folding his arms. "And then we need miss Xiuan here. She's the Medium of the Vessels, she's able to hear Yggdrasil's voice."

That made Kibagami's jaw drop, his arms falling to his sides in shock at the older explorer's words. Skylar pulled Damien back as he continued to read, and Naomi and Sahra walked over from behind Whirlwind. All five stayed to the side, watching as Xiuan jogged over to Whirlwind and Kibagami, her small footsteps still managing to bounce on the walls. Kibagami stared in total awe at the girl that was less than half his size. "Wh... what did you say...?"

"This curse is caused by the Titan's blood... somehow. Something like that, anyway," Whirlwind continued, scratching at his chin. "If miss Xiuan here works on its heart, she can cure every single sick Sentinel here. I'm pretty sure it'll work, too."

"Pretty sure?" Naomi cut in, shoving her way past Skylar and Hanae, armor clanking as she brusquely grabbed the older man's arm. Whirlwind let out an exaggerated sigh of unhappiness, rolling his eyes at the fortress as he tried to peel her gauntlet-clad hand off of him; Skylar couldn't help but smile somewhat at the old man's behavior, which did, at least, help to lighten the mood a little. "You don't sound all that confident, old man! So cut the crap and give us a real answer!"

"That was a real answer!" Whirlwind replied, finally managing to shake himself off of the knight and checking over the red marks the woman had left on his skin. Afterward, he turned around, briefly looking at Xiuan and nudging her forward with a tap of his hand. "Besides, if you don't believe what I have to say, just believe in the Medium instead. She can do it."

"I'm not convinced." Sahra walked up to Naomi, standing just across from Xiuan as she folded her arms on her overcoat and looked up at the older man. Kibagami was silent, as were Skylar, Hanae and Damien, all watching the conversation unfold in front of them. "How do you know all this? We've never heard of any of this up until just tonight. Tell us how you found out about how to heal the curse."

That made Whirlwind flinch slightly, his expression turning noticeably ashen at the young sniper's cool statement. "You too, Sahra? I thought you'd have a little more faith in me... but okay. Remember... eh, remember when the Hollows attacked and... I was wounded?"

Sahra narrowed her eyes slightly, fiddling with her goggles, then answered. "Of course I remember. It was only last month."

"Only last month... heh. Time has a way of catching up to you, kiddo," Whirlwind said, turning wistful for a moment before snapping back to attention. He thumbed towards Xiuan, then let his duffel bag fall to the floor with a heavy plop, opening it up and rooting through it. "Anyway, I was resting and healing up in the Vessel town when I noticed some books lying around the place. Nobody seemed to mind me being around, so I went ahead and took a look at some of 'em. One of them in particular mentioned a terrible disease, and how to cure it. Someone had made notes between the lines, too."

As he searched for the book in question – or more likely a copy of it he had made, Skylar thought to himself – Whirlwind nudged Xiuan again, her ornate orange robe waving around somewhat as she glanced back at the older man, head tilted. Skylar smiled gently, walking over and kneeling down to the young girl's level, reaching out and patting her shoulder; the reassuring gesture brought her attention over to him, flashes of seriousness crossing her innocent expression.

"Go ahead, Xiuan," Skyklar nodded, glancing towards the squirrel boy on the rock bed nearby. "See what you can do to help out. Hanae's right. If anyone can do this, it'd be you."

The Medium bowed her head slightly, mouth wriggling into an embarrassed smile at the swordsman's praise, and she toyed with the flowers stuck in her hair for a few moments before composing herself. Skylar stood up and walked back to Hanae, and everyone followed the girl as she approached the sickly Sentinel, staff in hand. However, she stumbled to a halt when Kibagami blocked her path, eyes wide and arms held out as he moved between his patient and the leader of the Vessels.

"Little one, please, you can't!" The bull exclaimed. "If you heard my talk with my guests, then you know I don't wish for anyone else to catch this sickness! I cannot allow you to expose yourself to the Titan's Curse!"

"Kibagami!"

Everyone jumped at the firm call of the beastman's name, and Skylar glanced over in surprise at Hanae, who had stepped forward, reaching out towards the Sentinel with an open palm. She shrank back a little when she realized that she had accidentally gotten everyone's attention, but shook her head, her long blonde sidelocks falling down her shoulders as she spoke for the first time since they had arrived at the village. "Please, Kibagami... I understand why you're worried, but please... let Xiuan try. I don't... want to see anyone else die of this curse either. She may be the best chance for your people."

"Miss... Hanae?" The blue-furred bull frowned, standing up fully and staring back at the cream-furred fox, scratching absently at an itch behind one of his ears as he got his thoughts in order, taking a deep breath before replying. Hanae blinked as he asked her name, her tail waving back and forth behind her. "You said you had come from the outside world as well?"

"U-um... yes, that's right," The bushi replied, looking back at her four friends. Damien nodded excitedly at her, while Naomi grinned and Sahra folded her arms. Skylar locked his gaze with his friend's, both of them tensing up somewhat, but then the swordsman relaxed, bashfully raising his fist to send Hanae a thumbs-up. Confidence seemed to swell within her, and she looked back at the bull. "My ancestors fought in a great battle, and were separated from their comrades near the end. They and some others settled down to the south and formed a small village. When we heard about explorers going to the northern outlands... I wanted to go to learn about my family's legends."

Skylar blinked at an odd green glow that moved around behind both beastpeople, and he leaned sideways a little, noticing Xiuan quietly tiptoeing behind Kibagami's back. The brown-haired girl quickly noticed him, and brought a finger to her mouth. The swordsman raised his eyebrows in understanding, and looked back at Hanae and Kibagami, the latter once again thinking hard to himself.

"I see... your parents would be proud of the powerful warrior you seem to be," The leader of the Sentinels said. Hanae shyly clasped her hands together on her lap, smiling small and averting her eyes at the compliment, but she recoiled in surprise. Skylar peered from side to side as well, and he inhaled sharply at the crowd of villagers that they had attracted to the sickbed, all of them intently watching the discussion. Whirlwind seemed uneasy. "But you haven't seen the horrors of the curse like we have. If you had, I know you would understand why I cannot let this Medium expose herself to the sickness."

"Hah!" Naomi blurted out, stomping forward and pointing over at the squirrel boy. "Too late!"

Damien let out an 'ooooh!' and shuffled around behind his teammates, sidling over to the sickbed and staring in wonder at Xiuan. Skylar and Whirlwind glanced at each other and nodded, following after the medic. Kibagami swiveled on his hooves at the sudden commotion, and he reared back in terror when he saw the young, orange-robed girl standing right next to his ill patient, holding her staff above her head as she caressed the boy's arm. She was already in a strong trance, the air thick with tension as everyone, exploring outsiders and Sentinel villagers alike, watched her work.

Tiny motes of light started to form, running in circles down Xiuan's staff, her arms, her body, as she chanted an almost inaudible prayer under her breath, and the orbs hovered in place for a moment before fluttering over to the beastboy, looking almost like fireflies against the cavern walls. The magic spheres gathered above the squirrel's head and glittered brightly, settling down along the vines on his shoulder, as well as on his forehead. Seconds later, they winked, and vanished.

Xiuan staggered back as she was shaken out of her concentration. Hanae reached down to catch the girl before she could tumble onto her backside, kneeling down again to help support the Medium as she leaned more and more against the beastwoman. Skylar smiled, then turned back to the sick child.

Everyone held their collective breath.

Water continued to drip from the ceiling. The fires scattered around the village crackled.

Drip. Crackle. Drip. Crackle.

The squirrel boy's pained expression drooped a little. Then a little more, and a little more again, until the pain and fear were gone entirely from his face, replaced by a remarkable stillness that was broken only by the rise and fall of his chest. His breathing was still shallow, but he was no longer trembling. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully; Skylar realized that it was probably the most restful the child had been since whenever he had gotten sick.

"I begged Yggdrasil to ease his pain, but this is all I can do for now," Xiuan said after catching her breath, wiping sweat from her brow as she turned around and craned her neck to look up at Kibagami. The bull was only half-paying attention to her, still in awe over the visible improvement in his patient's condition. "Now that I have tried on my own, I do think what Whirlwind suggested would work. I just need something connected to Yggdrasil at hand...!"

The entire Sentinel village, save for Kibagami, let out whooping, triumphant cries of joy, unable to suppress their excitement any longer as they rushed fully into the little section of the cave, pushing and shoving each other around to try and get a better look at the young Sentinel. The five explorers all abruptly found themselves surrounded by beastpeople of all sorts, and Naomi yelped loudly, stomping in place and making noise as she tried to push her way out of the crowd. The last thing Skylar saw was Sahra yanking on Damien's coat to pull him out of the way, and the swordsman whipped his head around, mind racing in a mild panic as he tried to figure out which way to go.

"Skylar!" He heard Whirlwind yell, catching a glimpse of the older explorer, and Skylar started to push his way towards the man, running a hand through his dark hair in relief when the two swordsmen found each other. Whirlwind gave him a friendly chuckle before grabbing onto his bracer, leading him over towards the limestone pillars. "Here, this way. I saw Kibagami heading out as well, seems like he had the same idea that you all did."

Skylar scanned across the room as he ran along, spotting Damien's arms holding his journal and satchel above his head, and then a pair of familiar furry ears just a short distance away from them. Soon enough, the group of six explorers all managed to make their way out into the emptier part of the cavern, the Sentinels' voices echoing back and forth until they became a cacophony of sheer noise. Kibagami noticed them fumble their way towards him, and he sternly shook his head, beckoning them to follow as he walked towards the little passage leading outside of the village.

Sahra let go of Damien, the medic running hastily after the sniper, and Naomi marched along as well, her clanking armor drowned out by the cheers of the villagers. Hanae was the last to walk over, her ears flattened against her head as she checked over Xiuan, who was a little shaken by the suddenly bustling cavern.

"Are you okay, Xiuan?" Hanae quietly asked, the usual gentleness returning to her voice, and the Medium looked up, nodded, then hugged close to the beastwoman's leg. The cream-furred canine gasped softly, her fur bristling from the contact, but she relaxed mere moments later, dropping her hand down to Xiuan.

"Yes, I'm okay," The girl smiled, pushing off of Hanae's waist and wrapping her tiny fingers around her open hand instead, and she yawned loudly, covering her mouth with her staff. "Ohh...! But... I'm a little tired, too. What time is it miss Hanae?"

Sahra let out a yawn as well, then Damien, as Hanae looked around the cavern, which grew darker and darker as Kibagami led them further away from the campfires burning around the village. The beastwoman's tail started to wag as she thought to herself. "It's... we found the village late in the day, and it's been a while since then... it must be almost eleven at night now. We should get you to bed."

Skylar felt the urge to yawn himself, and tried to hold it back as long as he could, but it was to no avail; after a few seconds an enormous breath escaped his mouth, and he shook his head. The Medium's tiredness was making them all acutely aware of how exhausted they were. The fact wasn't lost on Kibagami, either, as he stopped and turned around to face them, his expression still stern.

"I apologize for bringing you out here, but it was the best place we could find some peace and quiet," He said, glancing towards the tunnel leading to the village. The sounds of late-night celebration could still be heard in the distance, and out of the corner of his eyes, Skylar noticed Whirlwind looking over his shoulder and shaking his head. "I want to thank you, all of you, for what you've done tonight. But I will need to think about my decision of what to do from here..."

Xiuan yawned again, resting her head against Hanae as she started to nod off, and Kibagami glanced over at the young girl, his frown slowly morphing into a friendly smile. "And it is getting to be quite late. If you would like, you may spend the night here under the care of my bushi and I."

"That would be great, Kibagami. Thank you." Skylar walked up and held out his hand, which the Sentinel leader promptly grabbed, giving the swordsman's whole arm a strong shake. "So... we'll all see you tomorrow morning, then?"

"Yes, tomorrow morning. I hope you all have a restful sleep, my guests," Kibagami said, looking around at the group of explorers before walking past them and disappearing into the passage leading into the Sentinel village.

A few minutes passed. Naomi was the first to sit down, hitting the ground with a heavy thump, and Skylar slipped his backpack off again, digging inside and pulling out a bunch of folded blankets. Whirlwind did the same, taking a bedroll out and laying it flat on the floor, using his bag as a pillow as he lay down and got comfortable. Soon enough, everyone was resting in the cave, wrapped up in blankets and winter clothes to stay warm. Skylar lay back and stared up at the ceiling, water still dripping down from the roof of the cavern, and he turned his head to the side just in case. His gaze fell on Hanae, and he furrowed his brow.

The beastwoman was still only wearing her padded dress, having given her cloak to Xiuan instead, and she reached up to rub her eyes, still trying to stay awake as she dropped her hands to her chest and toyed with the ends of her sidelocks. Skylar fully rolled onto his side, whispering as quietly as he could as he waved at his friend. "Hey, Hanae. Are you alright?"

"Hm? Oh... mmhm." Hanae peered towards him, a small smile finding its way on her muzzle as she nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"I was a little worried before, when we found the Sentinels and everything. You seem more like yourself now, but..." The swordsman trailed off, gesturing behind him before curling up some more, the chilly air slipping through his blanket. He opened his mouth to say something, but Hanae reached over and grabbed his other hand, squeezing gingerly as her smile widened.

"Thank you for caring so much, Skylar," The bushi said, red eyes sparkling with happiness. "I was really surprised before, but I am feeling a lot better now. Is that why you were... um, looking at me before? While we were eating dinner?"

"Huh? Oh, er... yeah. Eheh." Skylar blinked, then chuckled sheepishly, scratching at his hair with his free hand as he looked away.

A few seconds passed in silence, even the noise of the village having died down now, and when the explorer looked back at the bushi, he found her asleep on the ground, still holding onto him as she dozed off. He sighed, fidgeting a little in his bedroll as he felt himself starting to slip away as well. "Goodnight, Hanae..."

The world went dark as he fell asleep.