(New Gransys; flashback..)

"I ask of you to deliver Lord Julien this message. John and I will be on our way to Gran Soren by the time he awakes. We shall be back, tell the man to await our return here in Cassardis." Pablos nodded, and seen us heading for the gate, which marked the exit of the village.

(End of flashback..)

And so it was once again merely Neon and her trusty Pawn. Gransys was dismal, morbid.. The everlasting obscurity of the sky darkened the lands below. The dozen of rabbits, which back then filled the fields right before Cassardis, seemed to have completely vanished from the surface. The mellow chirps of the seabirds silenced. Where had all the animals gone? Her query could not be answered, when suddenly something decided to welcome the Arisen being back in Gransys.

"A hellhound, master! Do keep away from their fangs!"

Grunting and yipping could be heard from afar, if anyone was even foolish enough to leave the protective gates of their hometown in dire times as such. Those were by far stronger than common wolves, she started to almost miss them. One arrow alone was not enough to silence these sort of beasts. But how would they like 10 arrows as an answer? Her aim was deadly, once Dragon's Blink launched the offensive, it would guaranteed be a painful experience combined with her Tenfold Flurry. Her Main Pawn preferred hand-to-hand combat, or this time rather hand-to-fang, successfully getting rid of the threat. However they had to hurry, and avoid further distractions as good as possible. By running. It was definitely good for their cardio, at least she thought so. After the many miles of running and Gran Soren in sight from a distance, the woman felt relief. Although seeing the current condition of the grand city walls filled her face with grief. The beating heart of all Gransys was itself at the edge of devastation. Suddenly the sky above them had darkened even more, was it night-time already? No, that was near impossible. They had left the fisher village in all earliness...

"Watch yourself, Arisen!"

"Oh my god, what is that?! Ruuuuunnn!"

It wasn't the clouds which had caused the sudden obscurity. It was the massive form of a winged beast, surely not wishing for play time. Neon abruptly decelerated to a halt, yet before she had even time to pull an arrow from behind her back, the draconian creature already jetted pass her with all its might, knocking the Arisen off her feet due to the strong gust of wind caused by its mighty wings. Hitting her head against a fallen rock structure, NeonSky immediatly lost complete consciousness. The thick crimson liquid was slowly leaving the wound on the back of her head, somewhat tinting the earth underneath her in a darkish red.

"Master!? Stay with me! MASTER!"

(In a darkened room..)

"W-Where.. where am I? Am I.. dead?"

"UGH! ...outch... No, this is far too painful to be in heaven already."

The woman abruptly raised her both eyes, her hues gleaming like two crystals in the darkness. She couldn't see much, to her right rested her equipment, from longbow to daggers and the armour she was wearing. ..wait a minute.. her armour?! Soon enough she took notice of someone's presence in the room. Her Pawn was aside her all along.

"J-John..? What happened to me out there? Ugh! There's that pain again…"

"Do not strain yourself all too much, master. After the beast knocked you unconscious, I immediately rushed to your aid, and carried you to safety here in Gran Soren."

"We're in Gran Soren?"

Her Pawn merely dipped his head in response, probably aware of the slight confusion his master was in. Neon sat up properly with her memories slowly finding its way back to her mind. She remembered again, yes, that winged nightmare almost crashing into her, causing her to lose her balance. And the rest, she already knew.. She clearly was quite frivolous there during combat.

Austine: "Arisen! Thank the Maker, you are up and well! Quite a handful grew worried about your condition. But in thanks to your ally being swift on his feet, you avoided everything but an injury to the head. Pray, do stay as long as it is needed. I'm afraid I have nothing else to offer, beside the bed you're in and this humble home. But it is the least I can offer you, after what you have done for Wilhelm and me. Letting my son escape the reaper's scorn. So if you should need any more, come, don't be shy to ask."

So this was Austine's home. Clearly not hesitating to show his gratitude in form of hospitality towards the Arisen's deed from the past. Neon's weary gaze locked with her Pawn's. Had the male possibly tended to her wounds? Judging by the now dried blood staining his both hands, he must have. She decided to lay back down for merely a moment, resting her head into the feathery pillow beneath her. The Arisen hadn't stopped looking at him yet, brushing some of the pink strands of hair hanging into her face aside, before slowly reaching for John's hand. There was a moment of reluctance, when his light brown optics flicked from the Arisen to the Arisen's hand and back, before placing his hand in hers in a light manner. He was so gentle, almost perceptive. Even for a Pawn…
Her bandaged frame rested motionless beneath the white blanket. Had he really freed her from her entire armour to tend to her wounds alone? It was weird.. He was so different from other Pawns, yet still the same. John was a mystery on his own. Then, moments later she had the urge to blush, thinking how her own Pawn must have seen her in the nude for the first time. Not that he would comprehend the meaning of such an act anyway.. but still…
By now her cheeks were a rosy colour, causing the male to slightly tilt his head to the side in quite confusion. NeonSky merely returned the warmest smile she could possibly manage at a time like this. Because she knew.. They had to get to the castle grounds: Off to the Duke's Demesne! Everything else would have to wait until afterwards. So many questions left unanswered indeed…