Spryday, Oceansfull 7, 3828

When Raaja had showed up in the guild hall's main hall where the other Bloodsworn raiders had gathered for the raid, she was met with concerned and questioning looks. They had all heard the rumors—that she was mysteriously ill and unreasonably wounded. Her injuries were almost completely healed but she didn't feel any better. She felt worse. She was feverish, sweating, and if anyone looked close enough they would see her trembling, but she kept her distance to avoid raising suspicions. She didn't want to worry them.

The pinnacle of the Growth season brought heat and storms to the chilly Kylong Plains and warm rain gently fell on the Bloodsworn raiders as the bridge keeper drolvarg were cut down. As the group slowly moved across the bridge connecting Karnor's Castle's outer stronghold to the inner sanctum, Raaja wiped water droplets from her face and looked up at the gray sky.

"Enemies down! Move forward!" Groo shouted as Terrakor led the fighters and the chain and plate healers into the castle. Raaja squinted against the rain as the mages and druids advanced.

Agizmo tapped her on the arm as she passed. "Thanks for the Jester's Cap," she said with a smile. Raaja returned it and nodded, thinking the snow bunny hat on her head looked mangy in the rain. They were all soaked to the bone—and Kahn looked like a rat—but spirits were high. She waited for the rest of the casters to move across the bridge, hair slopping against her cheeks as she looked this way and that, before following them inside.

That's when she felt it. The pull. She stilled and listened, wondering how a shard could be on Kunark and she didn't feel it until she was right on top of it. It was close. Very close.

"It's in the castle," she whispered.

"What is?" Ciryna asked as she came up beside her. Raaja didn't answer her, barely even heard her. All she could hear was the shard calling out to her. She started running.

"Raaja?" Groo asked as she approached the front lines. She bolted past Terrakor and Athazia at the head of the force.

"Raaja!" Terrakor yelled. She jumped over two drolvarg guards as the raid force rushed after her, ignoring their shouts to come back.

She wasn't sure how many beasts were trained behind her but she didn't stop to look. She heard their barks and the scrape of their claws on the stone, but she kept her eyes ahead. If she didn't stop, they would never be able to catch her.

She followed the pull of the fragment deeper into the castle, ducking swinging paws and dodging snapping maws until the world finally blurred into the memory that housed Thumore's fragment. The drolvarg were gone and silence loomed in the corridors. She inched forward, shaking after expending so much energy running.

As she approached a corner, she heard the hissing breath of Iksar warriors. She peeked at their forces then put her back to the wall. Too many. She could never fight them in her condition. Her only hope was to run it.

Raaka took three deep breaths then pushed off of the wall and dashed around the corner. The Iksar barely knew what had gone past them before she was racing down the corridor. They immediately gave chase. She darted around a corner, jumped down a flight of stairs, and tumbled into a pool of water. When she looked up, a pair of large, round eyes imbedded in lime green skin was staring at her inches from her face.

"Woah!" she exclaimed and leapt backward. The Reet Frogloks crowded around her with mouths pulled into perpetual grins. She snatched Kahn out of the water as she slipped around them. She climbed out of the water and raced down more corridors until she came to the final descent.

In front of Pawbuster's empty throne lay Thumore's fourth fragment, guarded by more hissing Iksar and wide-eyed Reet Frogloks. They stared up at her, waiting. Their eyes dared her to try and take it. Her chest heaved, sweat poured down her face, and her body ached. She heard the collection of trained enemies closing in and knew her time was short. She swallowed the lump in her throat and began shouting, stirring up her enemies until they shouting back. When she charged down the stairs, they began climbing to meet her.

She jumped over their heads and rolled when she hit the bottom. They turned so fast, many lost their balance and some topped over. Raaja raced forward, dove, and snatched up the fragment.

When the memory faded, she saw the Bloodsworn raid force cutting down the last of the drolvarg guards just a few feet away. She stood up and slipped the shard into her backpack. Vardas, the cold and calculating Erudite coercer, approached her first.

"Are you alright?" he asked in his monotone voice. His dark eyes were sizing her up, making her uncomfortable.

"I'm fine," she replied, pushing past him. He stopped her with another question.

"Are you fit?"

Raaja's jaw and fists clenched. He thought she was a threat to the raid force. It infuriated her. "I'm fine," she snapped, which didn't help to prove him wrong. She didn't wait for more questions and quickly made her way to Terrakor to answer for her actions.

"Terrakor, I—"

"I think we cleared the castle in record timing," he said with a smile. The on-lookers accepted that and turned their gazes away from them. Terrakor leaned in close to whisper. "Can you continue?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied quietly and nodded.

"Good. We'll talk later."

Vermin eyed her with a frown—he was frowning so often lately—so she avoided his gaze and returned to the middle of the raid force.

"You look pale," Calimew told her. Raaja acknowledged her with a shallow nod. She didn't need any more reminders.

Suddenly a bout of nausea overwhelmed her. Her vision blurred and her stomach started whirling. She bent over, dizzy, and beads of sweat slid down her face.

"Raaja?" Ciryna whispered and placed a hand on her back. She didn't respond, couldn't respond. She was going to hurl—or worse, pass out. No, she thought, not now. Not in front of everyone.

Just as she her knees started to give out, a cool sensation rushed through her limbs. The nausea dissipated and her focus returned. Suddenly, she could breathe easier. She glanced around and saw Elostirion muttering spells of healing. He smiled briefly and put a finger to his lips. Raaja nodded her head in thanks.

And the raid force pressed forward.