The Tales We Tell

by ErrorWrites

Three champions find themselves drawn to Uwendale for different reasons. The ranger-knight Quinn chasing the scarce trail of mage rebels, the yordle Poppy hoping to find the hero of Demacia, and Nunu following his mother's heart-song. Unknown to the three, fate has them entwined for a bigger threat. The cursed masks of Kindred has once again appeared. New chapter every Wednesday!

36. Chapter 35 - Quinn

p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn opened the chest by her brother's gravestone. Escaping out of Uwendale hadn't been too much of a problem, but she had failed to grab any weapons on the way. While it was a long-shot, she knew of the spearhead enshrined with her brother and hoped that it would still be good enough even after all these years. She intended to track down Kynon, just not empty handed./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Uhm." The Freljordian boy knotted his brow in confusion. "I don't know about Demacian culture but it's not nice to steal from the dead."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""I'm not stealing," Quinn replied. "Siblings share stuff all the time." The sharp edge and polished sheen seemed to agree with her. It showed signs of regular maintenance and when Quinn glanced at her father, Darragh let out a small cough and looked away./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"A growl made the ranger-knight aware of the white-haired beast looming over her. There was a threat behind the sound, a question in the monster's narrowed eyes and bared teeth./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Willump… uhm…wonders what the plan is," Nunu said./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The monster turned to the boy with a surprised expression and a high-pitched grunt./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn raised a brow. "Are you sure that's what he's asking?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The eyes on the Notai wavered. He lowered his gaze and seemed to shrink as he shuffled behind Willump, grabbing the beast with a trembling hand./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Yeah…" Nunu said, looking up at the yeti. "Yeah, that's what he's asking."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Willump held the boy's gaze for a moment. The beast's face was lost in thought. Finally, his expression softened and gave a nod./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The bond they shared reminded Quinn of Valor. The azurite eagle was propped onto her shoulders, refusing to leave her side. She didn't mind how her companion's talons dug into her clothes and pricked her skin since Valor was the more cool-headed out of them./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Finding out that Valor hadn't delivered her message to the Great City had been a relief, but it also meant that if she failed, no one would come and help Uwendale./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""The plan is simple," Quinn said. "Jax, Valor, and I will track down Kynon."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""We're not coming with you?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""You're not coming with us?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The boy and her father had asked at the same time./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn shook her head./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""I don't like the plan." Jax, who had been silent on the side, spoke up. "I've fought with Kynon and I'll tell you right now that you won't be able to defeat him, ranger-knight."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Because of his fire?" Quinn asked./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The purple mercenary pulled up his sleeves, revealing blisters on the skin. "His magic is strange."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"She couldn't help but scoff. "Aren't all magic strange?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""I've fought with mages before," Jax continued, "and there are methods to handle them. Kynon's fire is like a shield, retaliating by burning whatever's attacking him. Whichever part I tried to strike resulted in searing flames."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn groaned. "So you're saying he's invulnerable?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""You can't defeat him," Jax repeated. "That make-shift spear will melt before it reaches Kynon's heart and your bird will turn to charcoal if he tries to even give that man a peck."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""I don't remember you being so timid, Jax."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Try surviving a hellfire and see if you get any better." The large mercenary walked up to a tree by the edge of the glade and with a swift motion chopped off a branch with his bare hands, inspecting the length. "Are there any white trees around?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""There's birch at a higher elevation," Darragh said, "but I don't recommend using birch as a spear handle. Oak, like the one you're holding, is better."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Jax tossed the branch to Quinn. The small lights in his visage stayed locked on the ranger-knight. "I'm talking about another sort of white tree."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The branch clattered next to Quinn./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""How do you know about them?" she asked with a tense voice./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""That doesn't matter. Are there any close by?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The Petricite Forest was something only a handful of people in Demacia knew about. The fossilized white wood was the main ingredient the mageseekers used to create their numbing potions able to block a mage's abilities. The wood could also be mixed with lime and ash to create shackles for magicborn. Shackles which Sylas broke free from when he raised havoc in the Great City./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""No," she said, kneeling down and picking up the branch. "We can't rely on those."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Quinn." Her father's voice was filled with worry. "Let's go home and talk with Mealla. She could help you with catching that man."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""She won't." Quinn was surprised by how certain she sounded. "I just fled from Uwendale after the warden tried to arrest me and send me back to the Great City for a murder trial. I can't go back. I need to find Kynon."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Darragh looked dazed, as if someone had punched him. He shook his head slowly, blinking several times. "But this is not you," he said. "You don't hunt down criminals. You're a ranger. You scout and gather intel and spend most of the time marching through forest and mountains." He walked closer, gripping her hands. "You said it yourself, Quinn."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"She stayed silent, taking in her father's details, deducing everything he's been through. The scratches on his fingers and the dirt under his nails indicated him fighting on the bare ground. His clothes were torn from branches snagging the fabric during a chase. His face was bruised from punches and falling from a height. Dry blood stained his beard. Each detail made Quinn squirm with worry, but it was when she reached his pleading eyes that her will faltered. Darragh's dark eyes begged her to be safe and sound, to not take any risks nor actions./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"She pulled up one of her sleeves, revealing the scars in her arms running through her skin like blood vessels. Her father was a weaponsmith, so he must be familiar with wounds from blades and bolts. The amount of lines tracing through Quinn's arms told him the truth and he gathered her in a tight embrace./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""At least sneak into my shop," he said in a gravelly voice. "Caleb's the one proficient with a spear. You were always the bow and arrow type. Take anything you might need from there, your mother won't know."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn broke free from the hug. "She'll find out the moment I enter Uwendale, and then it will be a lot of talking and questioning. It'll take too long." She turned to the Freljordian boy and his companion. "Since you two aren't going back to Freljord, can I trust you to escort my father safely home?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""But you have nothing," Nunu blurted out. "You don't have a legendary sword or fists strong enough to shatter stones. How are you going to win?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Depends on what your goal is," Quinn said. "It would feel good to kill that man but my goal is to stop a war from happening. The cursed masks can be the proof I need to convince the mages about the manipulations, and there's a high chance Kynon has them close by. If I manage to steal them and take them to the rebels, it might be enough. Cara was with us when Shiza revealed her memory loss."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""If and might," Jax said. "That's all to your plan?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Nothing unusual for me." Quinn said it in a nonchalant manner, but deep inside her gut, she did her best to keep the sense of dread from spilling out. "I'm not even sure you should join me, Jax. Your size isn't suited for a stealth mission."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The purple mercenary laughed dryly. "I can be stealthy. Those masked undead didn't notice me until my fist was in their face."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The mention of the undead made Quinn remember about the pouch she carried. "There's one thing I need to ask you, Jax," she said. "We believe that there's three unique cursed masks. The Vulture's mask makes one forget, the Wolf's mask turns corpses into living dead, and we have no clear idea on what Lamb's mask does. But we've encountered several undead with Wolf's masks. Do you know if a curse can spread?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The large figure scratched his neck. "I'm not sure."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn poured out the wooden shards into Jax's huge palm. "This is from one of the masks. Can you see anything with that special helmet of yours?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Jax took a whiff on the black splinters, then peered into them with his glowing eyes. "One of the pieces stands out from the rest." He pinched one with his fingers and held it up against the sun. "It seems to be budding."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn narrowed her eyes and took a closer look. There were small sprouts branching from the polished wood./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""It's eldlock." A shadow blocked the sun as Nunu, sitting on top of Willump, loomed behind Quinn and inspected the shard. The boy squeezed his hands into tiny fists. "I saw Fareed with something similar, but it was white, maybe it was a splinter from Lamb's mask."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""What is eldlock?" Quinn asked./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Nunu opened his mouth, but his face was filled with hesitation. He gripped the horn of his friend and took a deep breath./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"There's a tree hidden from the living,/em/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"Cut branches able to blossom and flower./em/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"There's a tree bewitched and forgiving,/em/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"Its wood was ripped and carved for masks of power./em/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"It was a song. Soft and eerie with a strange rhythm. It reminded Quinn of her stay in Jandelle, when she was tracking down the assassin who'd killed the castle's commander. She'd spent a night afterwards, watching a performance in one of the more famous theater's known as the Golden Rounds, known for their death dramas./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The boy took another breath, but his face faltered as he failed to find the next lines in the song./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Cut branches able to blossom and flower," Jax muttered. "So a shard of the cursed mask is enough?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Maybe." Quinn looked up at Nunu. "Where did you learn that song?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""My mom sang it to me."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"There was a flash of emotion passing through the boy, followed by a warning glare by the white-haired beast which stopped Quinn from pressing further. If what Nunu said was true, then a crucial part of the cursed mask's mechanics had been solved. While the curse could spread, there was a limit to the amount of undeads Kynon could make./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Hey," Jax said. "We could need another —"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""No," Quinn cut him off. "I'm not going to let my father stumble back to Uwendale by himself, knowing that there are monsters and possibly rebels lurking in the forest." The boy cowered under her scowl./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Can you promise me that you'll bring my father back to Uwendale?" she asked./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""You shouldn't go."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"It had been more of a mumble from Nunu, as if he talked to himself. "At least… at least, go back and say something to your mom," he muttered. "In case something happens."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""What do you want me to say?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Nunu chewed on his lower lip. His eyes swiveled left and right and his knuckles were white from how hard he gripped Willump's horns. She sensed a lingering guilt in the boy and it was spilling over his words. Nunu worried for her, even though she'd put a bolt close to his ribs. She wasn't sure how to respond./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""If you promise that you'll escort my father safely back to Uwendale, I swear that I'll have a chat with her after this is over."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"She counted six heartbeats before the boy looked away, patting Willump's head twice, and began walk away from the glade./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Take the south trail," she said to Darragh. "When you pass the juniper bushes, turn east and walk straight ahead. It's the shortest distance to Uwendale."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Her father didn't move./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""You'll only distract me if you stay," Quinn said. "Go back to mother and tell her of everything that happened. Be with her. She's all by herself."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""So are you," Darragh retorted./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The azurite eagle's screech pierced the glade, and a wry smile spread across the ranger-knight's face./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;" /p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"*****/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;" /p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"They'd been combing through Westwald, wading through thickets and groves. The ranger-knight was surprised by the larger man, who somehow managed to step softly onto the ground and evade snagging branches and roots. Not able to find any whereabouts of Kynon, they decided to climb the elevation to the hinterlands. As the sun descended from the sky, Quinn's frustration grew./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"They rested by a fallen tree. Quinn had dug the ground and used Caleb's spear to cut some edible roots, washing it down with the rainwater still clung to the dead tree branches./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""They would've been of use," Jax said./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Through their search, Jax had muttered how they should've taken the Freljordians with them, that the yeti and the boy's magic would've helped against Kynon's fire. Quinn had snapped back that you didn't talk during a stealth mission./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""This is a Demacian problem." Quinn chewed on a root and spat it out./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Sure, it had nothing to do with you almost killing him, right?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Her finger tensed around her brother's spearhead, attached to the oak branch Jax had cut off. She'd done her best to peel the branch into a suitable rod before puncturing the top with the bladed edge and secured the spearhead with some wet clothes wrap./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Jax sighed and leaned back against the dead tree. "Did you feel guilty by how scared he was?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""He flinched whenever I raised my voice. He could barely look me in the eyes."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""And yet, I'm sure that he would've helped you if you asked," Jax said. "Even if his friend didn't seem too keen on it."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""They'll keep Darragh safe."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""You think they'll be safe in Uwendale?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn gripped her spear. "I've been wanting to ask you a thing."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""How I survived?" Jax asked, his tone amused. "A bit of luck and a friend in high places. Nothing unusual."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Who are the Kohari?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"There was a sudden change in the large mercenary. A stiffness and shortness of breath, as the small dots of light honed onto Quinn./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""The demon called you the last of the Kohari," Quinn continued. "What does that mean?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"She hadn't dared to rest by the water due to the River King. That was another factor she needed to think through. She'd heard of a half-dragon by the prince's side and how the Crownguard siblings defeated an evil spirit, but those had been things she'd never latched onto, believing it to be incidents meant for the greater people, not for a ranger like her. Now, she was enveloped in a tangled web about death, mages, and demons./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Jax took a long moment staring at her, gauging her expression and thinking of what to share. The mention of the Kohari seemed to have aged the man, as his shoulder slumped and his neck lowered slightly./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""He's lying." Jax said. He returned to his former self, yawning as he raised his arms and stretched his back. "I'll take a page from your book and tell you after all this is over."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn rolled her eyes and chewed through another piece of plant root./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Valor descended into view, spreading his blue wings as he landed on a tall tree branch, pointing his beak towards south-west./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""A clue?" Jax asked./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn scanned at the place her companion was pointing at, and her eyes narrowed. "It's by a riverbend."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Jax stood up and tightened his wrappings around his legs and arms. "Then let's go behind enemy lines."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"They descended back to the forest, moving swift yet silent through grass and soil until the white foam of the riverbend came into view./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn raised a hand for them to stop as she leaned closer, peering past the gurgling water and towards the birch trees and bushes of elderberries. There was something on the river shore. She found Valor on top of a tree and she held up her hands. Her companion descended, hovering above her. She gripped Valor above his talons and the bird flapped twice, lifting her off the ground. They rose over the crown of the trees, flew past the river and landed on the other side. When she turned to signal Jax to standby, a shadow grew bigger in the sky and landed next to her with the sound of prattling leaves./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""That's impossible," Quinn spluttered out./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""I thought you didn't talk during a stealth mission," Jax whispered back./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"She gathered herself and kneeled down, brushing her fingers against footprints and wet soil. They were small, child-sized even./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Behind her, Jax whispered a name. "Poppy."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Who?" Quinn asked in a hushed voice./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The large figure had his hood up and his face was covered in that mechanical helmet of his, but she swore that Jax's face was frozen in shock./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The name had sent a tingle through Quinn's memory, but she wasn't able to put the name on a face. Instead emotions of frustration, awe, and gratitude swept through her. She was surprised how she couldn't remember anyone who had evoked such feelings./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The footprints led them deeper into the birchwoods only to stop as if the person had been whisked away. Quinn glanced around. She'd passed this area before, when she was heading towards Uwendale, before the start of everything. She hadn't discovered anything that would remind her of a base./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Clever," Jax whispered./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""What are you talking about?" she whispered back./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Use your senses. Aren't rangers really perceptive?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Valor seemed also to have found something, perched by a branch and staring into nothing but trees./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"But there was something there. Whenever she tried to focus on it, her vision blurred. She took a long look at the white birch and the bushes with golden berries. The air brushed against her face, carrying with it the sickening sweet scent of death./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"As soon as she recognized the smell, the blurring of her vision cleared up, revealing an old house with a slanted roof and broken walls. It looked like an abandoned cottage, with moss-filled logs of wood piled next to the home./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Similar to the yordle's magic," Jax said, "but how did he do it?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Yordle?" Quinn whispered back./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""You've really forgotten it, haven't you?" the mercenary said in a harsh tone. "You've forgotten Poppy?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Who is…" Quinn's voice trailed off. "But Vulture's mask should only affect the wearer."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Jax had no answer, instead he gave a shrug./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The cottage was still several hundred paces away. If it was Kynon's hideout, she needed to go inside. Circling the building revealed no windows, only slits on the roof for light to shine through. A single closed door was the only entry./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""A trap?" Jax whispered, "or are we lucky enough that he's away?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"They crawled closer and Quinn groaned inwards by the sight of human-sized footprints. There was someone here./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"They were less than fifty paces away, so close that Jax didn't dare crack a joke anymore. She signaled for them to split up and Jax headed for the door entrance./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Her breath was faint and she walked with her heels first, slowly rolling her feet forward until her toes hit the ground. She stayed low, spear in hand, moving to the backside of the house, where she wouldn't block the sun's light seeping through the cracks./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The scent of death was strong now, reeking out of the home with rot and burns./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"She was by a wall, listening to a chair scraping against the ground, the flutter of clothes moving, and the distinct thumps of a hammer./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Her heart slammed against her chest as she looked into a crack, seeing a gray-robed figure hunkered over a desk. He was holding a mask with a long beak, chipping away parts of it with a hammer and chisel./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The figure turned around, revealing a naked face filled with burn scars and a naked scalp. It was Kynon, and he held up a shard against a candle light, unbothered by the dead Illuminators swaying around him./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The masks of Lamb and Vulture were in sight, but no matter how Quinn surveyed the insides of the hideout, she couldn't find the black mask of Wolf. That would have to do./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"She raised a hand in the air, waving it in a circle three times and waited, with her spear ready./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Valor let out a shriek and it was quickly followed by the sound of wood splintering as Jax tore through the door./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"He was wielding a wooden log in each hand and threw both at Kynon before the man had a chance to react./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"But the logs burst into flames and disintegrated to ashes, staining the Noxian's robes a darker gray./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Jax ran forward, slamming one of the swaying corpses onto Kynon and a putrid stench spread through the fanned flames. The heat from his magic reached even Quinn who was outside, and it forced Jax to retreat./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""What's this?" Kynon asked. "Didn't the River King take care of you?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""From how I remembered it," Jax said, "I was the one taking care of him before you interrupted our fight."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn watched Jax stumble out of the door and Kynon slowly follow after./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""And is this your last charge?" She heard Kynon ask by the entrance. "The last charge of the last man from the once proud nation of Icathia?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""I see that you're wary of me."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""It would be foolish not to be."/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn raised her spear and jammed it into the wall, puncturing the wood, growing the cracks. She then took a few steps back, braced herself and rushed forward shoulder first, and slammed through, tearing a hole and climbing in. She saw Kynon in the corner of her eyes, his face surprised for once, before he raised his arms from another barrage of wooden logs made by Jax./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Quinn dove towards the desk, grabbing Vulture's mask and reaching for Lamb's hanging on the wall, when a force pushed her away and knocked her out from where she climbed through/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"She lay on the grass, gasping and trying to catch her breath as she held her stomach. It felt like someone had fired a cannonball at her./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"A movement made her roll to the side as something landed where she'd been, snarling and growling. She glimpsed strands of white before the thing was over her, biting and tearing, and she could do nothing but raise her hands to shield her face./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The weight was lifted off her and she stared up at Jax's grim visage, pulling her up./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"Kynon climbed out of the new-made hole, the masks of Vulture and Lamb in his clutches./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"In front of him was a small beast on all fours. White hair and blue fur. Saliva drippled out of its mouth with bared fangs. Half of its face was covered in Wolf's black mask and the uncovered eye looked rabid./p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;"The ranger-knight swallowed. "Is that another demon?"/p
p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Noto Sans', Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: #1c1c1c;""Worse." Jax said through gritted teeth. "That's Poppy."/p