Act 1, Part 4: Bianca

"Mama, I want candy," Kari said, pointing at the rows of sweets. "We haven't had candy in foreverrrr." He made sure to drag out the word 'forever' for as long as possible, just to emphasize the point. Bianca smiled as the boy slowly ran out of breath before gasping for air as dramatically as possible.

"Not today, little man," she said. "We've been eating birthday cake for the last whole week. Besides, I can barely handle you on a normal day. Any more sugar, and you might just gallop off like a Seacle."

Kari looked at Bianca as though she'd suggested that the sky was green. "Seacles can't go on land, Mama," he protested. "They swim in the ocean."

To demonstrate, Kari began trotting like a Seacle. Bianca stifled a laugh, believing it best not to tell the boy that his impersonation of a Seacle was just like a regular land horse. Like most five-year-olds, Kari was both Bianca's source of joy and annoyance. He was more than a handful at times, and he had a penchant for theatrics, but on the whole, she found it more endearing than not. The two of them had a small little life, but it was a cozy one. El Nath wasn't a paradise, but its people had warm blood, as the saying went. She'd lived in Hemant for about a decade now, and the people had taken her in like one of their own.

It was market day in town, and there were booths full of everything that one could need in El Nath. The main things, of course, were meat, clothes, herbs, wood, and such. But there were booths that sold toys and candy, which were Kari's favorites, and even places where you could play games and win prizes. Those booths didn't see much traffic these days. Hemant didn't have many children, and the families that did tended not to have enough coppers for such frivolities.

Six years ago, a plague had spread across southeast El Nath. It had been especially contagious to those under twenty. Many children, and many young adults, including Bianca's fiancé, had died that winter. Towards the end of the year, a group of traveling priests had come to bless the town and cure them of their illness, which had saved Bianca's life just in time. They had later learned that the disease was of a magical breed, which was why the townspeople's usual treatment of herbs hadn't been effective. Bianca shuddered to think what would have happened if the priests hadn't come when they had. The people of the snowfield mainly lived in isolation, and as such, they could only depend on wandering adventurers in events of crisis.

The year after the plague, Bianca had given birth to Kari. After having buried nearly all the young folks of their town, the people of Hemant saw Kari as a symbol of new hope for the town's future. Bianca was an orphan from another village, and with her fiancé dead and a newborn at seventeen, she'd been afraid of how she would do it all alone. However, the town had come together magnificently to help her make ends meet. They'd made sure that she and Kari had food, clothes, and a roof over their heads. Even now, she thought to herself that she could never thank them enough.

"Good mornin', Bianca!"

Bianca was shaken from her reverie by the sound of Rosalina's voice. She turned to see the stout woman greeting her from a booth. Rosalina grinned and said, "Ye woke up late this mornin'. I was thinkin' of wakin' ya, but I figured that I could handle the booth alone today."

"Aunt Rosalina!" Kari cried excitedly. He immediately ran up and jumped into her arms. Rosalina laughed and picked up Kari before spinning him around.

"Yer gettin' bigger there, lil' fella," Rosalina laughed. "Ye might even be ready to join Uncle Rex 'n the others huntin' in a few more winters."

Kari's eyes lit up. "I'm gonna hunt a Yeti! A really big Yeti! And then I'm gonna wear its pelt and scare everyone in town!" He raised his hands and made claws out of them to prove his point. Rosalina fake screamed in fright before setting Kari back down.

"Kari, why don't you go explore for a bit," Bianca told him. She gave him two coppers and sent the boy off. "And don't go too far!" she called out, though the boy was already long gone.

Rosalina laughed. "It's nice to hear 'im so excited. Makes it feel like things are finally gettin' back to normal 'round here."

"I think I spoil him a little too much," Bianca admitted. "Just a moment ago, I told him he can't have any candy, and there I went and gave him money that he's probably gonna use to get some."

"Hard to say no to someone with a face as cute as his. It's a good thin' fer me that I'm not with Rex fer his looks," Rosalina laughed jokingly.

Bianca laughed too. "How was he this morning? I'm sorry that I overslept."

"Haha, don't be. It's been a slow day, ya haven't missed much. Rex was doin' good. Was out at the crack of dawn, but then again, what else would ya expect from our esteemed chief? He went out on a hunt. Doubt he'll get back before nightfall."

"Did he take the men with him?" Bianca asked.

"That'd be the sensible thin' to do, wouldn't it?" Rosalina said, shaking her head. "Nah, it was just him and Thorne."

"Is that safe?" Bianca asked in concern. "I've heard that the Tarheeds were spotted a few towns over."

"That's what I told 'im," Rosalina said. "I said, we've hardly got the men to hunt. What'll we do when the damn Huntsman King and his merry men torch our homes?"

"Do you think they'll find us?"

"No clue. They been sayin' that he's steerin' straight south. Got no clue what he wants there, but Goddess willin', he'll zoom right past us without stoppin'."

Rosalina smiled, but paused when she saw the hesitant look on Bianca's face. She took the girl's hands in hers. "Don't you worry 'bout a thin', dear. We're kin, 'n we look out for our own blood. It won't be like when ye firs' came here. Yer not alone no more. Jaecar, bless his soul, loved ye with all his heart. And yer practically a sister to Rex 'n me. Yer gonna be safe here. You and Kari."

Bianca smiled slightly and nodded. Rosalina squeezed her hands reassuringly. The girl had been through enough hardships as it was. Bianca and her parents had fled from a village up north, chased down by a Yeti. She'd been the sole survivor of the attack. The girl had only been twelve when Rex and his younger brother, Jaecar, had found her half-starving in the woods. Their mother had taken in Bianca, despite already having two mouths to feed.

Bianca and Jaecar had quickly grown inseparable. Four years later, he'd proposed to her with a wooden ring that he'd carved himself, even in spite of how everyone had told him that they were too young for it. Barely four months later, however, the plague had reached Hemant, which had claimed both Jaecar and his mother. Rex, who had married Rosalina just two years before, had become the chief of Hemant and had sworn to take care of Bianca as his own.

"How 'bout you and Kari spend the day together?" Rosalia suggested. "It'll take yer mind off things."

Bianca hesitated. A day all to themselves did sound nice, but she hated how it made her feel like she was taking advantage of Rosalina, especially when she'd woken up late and had missed setting up the booth. Despite Rex and Rosalina's insistence that she live freely as their guest, Bianca couldn't feel comfortable without doing some things for them, like running the booth on market day, mending clothes for the townspeople, gathering firewood, and other such tasks.

Just as Bianca opened her mouth, Rosalina interrupted her. "Nope, I know what yer gonna say, but I won't hear it. Go enjoy yerselves. Ye hardly did anything for yer birthday, and I know ye were thinkin' of taking Kari to the lake."

When Bianca hesitated, Rosalina rolled her eyes. "Go on, Bi, it's not every day ye can be twenty-two. The Goddess knows I can attest to that."

Bianca laughed. "All right, you win. I'm off then."

She waved goodbye to Rosalina before heading off to find Kari. Out of the corner of her eye, Rosalina thought that she saw something moving. By the time she turned to look, however, it had already gone. But still, something didn't sit right with her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something had been watching them. She considered calling out to Bianca in order to let the girl know to be careful, but she held back. The girl had enough on her plate. There was no need to scare her with empty shadows. Nevertheless, Rosalina made a note to mention it to Rex when he would get back that night.

An hour later, Bianca and Kari were skating on the frozen lake. Bianca had been pleasantly surprised to find that Kari was a natural.

"Mama, watch me!" Kari squealed. "I'm a Pepe!"

"I can see that," she laughed. "You're skating as good as Papa."

Jaecar used to take her to the lake all the time. She'd been terrified of the woods after the Yeti attack, and so she hardly used to leave the town. Jaecar was the one who had surprised her with a pair of hand-carved wooden skates on her thirteenth birthday. The two of them had gone to the lake, where they'd spent the whole day skating and having a picnic together. She remembered how he'd kissed her that sunset, and how they would go there every year on her birthday since.

After his death, she'd steered clear of the lake. Her seventeenth birthday was the saddest one that she'd ever had. It was her first one without him, and she'd spent it crying in her room until she'd exhausted herself to sleep. The year after, it was a bit better. She still hadn't wanted to celebrate, but she'd tolerated a quiet dinner with Rex and Rosalina. She'd still cried that year, but at least she'd been able to hold baby Kari close to her. Her eighteenth birthday was special, not only because Rosalina had insisted on throwing a large celebration, but also because it was the first year that she hadn't cried. She'd felt guilty about it, as though it meant that she didn't care anymore. But then she and Rex had spent the night telling stories about Jaecar, and at the end, he'd told her that you could miss someone by laughing just as much as you could with tears.

Every year after that was a little easier. Raising Kari had kept her busy, and it had helped her learn how to be happy again. She hadn't been planning to go to the lake this year, but during her birthday party, she'd looked at Kari laughing and it had sounded just like how Jaecar used to laugh. What had surprised her most was that it had filled her with fondness, not longing. That, more than anything else, had made her realize that it felt safe to go back. Looking at Kari having the time of his life, she wondered if this was what it felt like to move on.

"Kari, it's time for lunch," she called.

"Five more minutes, Mama," Kari complained.

Fifteen minutes later, the two were enjoying a nice home-cooked meal that she had made herself. For their main course, she'd prepared grilled Krappi, which a fisherman had caught in Ludus Lake. She'd seasoned it with salt and some local herbs, and to go with it, she had brought Hemant's famous apple jam to eat with bread. For dessert, she'd brought a flask of hot chocolate, which was Kari's favorite.

"Mama, tell me about Papa," Kari suddenly mumbled, his mouth full of bread.

"About Papa?" Bianca asked, surprised. "What do you want to know?"

"What was he like?"

"Well… he was very nice. When I first came to Hemant, he would always show me around. Sometimes, he would help Grandmama cook dinner, and he would always give me the best parts. One time, he accidentally burned Uncle Rex's birthday dinner, but he still gave me the parts that weren't as black as the others. I didn't like going outside that much, but he would always take my hand and lead me out the door. He took me to this lake, actually, and we skated and had a picnic, just like you and I are doing."

"Why didn't you like to go outside? Outside is so…" Kari struggled to find the best way to explain it. "So… big!" he said, spreading his arms as wide as they'd go.

"Outside was a little… scary to me," Bianca said. She hadn't planned on sharing the story for a while, at least not while Kari was so young, but there was some part of her that wanted her to do it anyways. "When I was little, me and my Mama and Papa were walking in the woods when a scary monster started chasing us."

"Which monster?" Kari asked excitedly. Bianca hesitated, wondering whether it was the right time to tell him. He was just a little kid, she thought to herself. He'd think that it was just like his toy monsters. But seeing how invested he'd gotten in the story, she knew that he would be annoyed if she stopped midway. And after having kept it to herself for years, it was almost as though her mind was urging her to relive it again, just to keep the feeling alive.

"A giant Yeti. He was white as snow, with a giant horn sticking out of his head. He was as tall as three Uncle Rexes stacked on top of each other, and his eyes… his eyes were black and beady, with no light inside them. His front paws were giant, large enough to crush a man."

As she retold the story, her mind flashed back to that day. She remembered everything. Her father yelled at her mother to take her and run. Her mother gripped her hand tightly and led her through the woods. She only spared a single glance at her father, who was pointing his spear at the monster. Even after the two of them ran without pause, they were still able to hear his screams echo through the forest. They were so loud that she thought that he was right behind them. She couldn't tell if she was hearing the twigs break under her feet, but somehow, it sounded like her father's bones being crushed to powder in the Yeti's vicelike grip.

The moment that his screams stopped, her mother faltered. She turned to look back in fear before spotting a hollow log. She led Bianca to the log and bathed her in mud before having the girl crawl inside. She kissed Bianca and promised that she'd be right back before charging alone into the forest. Even from her hiding spot, Bianca saw the Yeti charge in and grab her mother. He squeezed her like toy until she went limp after a sickening snap. The Yeti stumbled around for a moment, but the mud had disguised Bianca's scent. After what felt like an eternity, it turned and walked away, leaving her to suffocate in that log. She couldn't breathe. She was gasping, but still, she couldn't breathe.

"…Mama… Mama!"

She jolted back to reality as Kari shook her. She was hyperventilating, like she was back inside that log, watching the Yeti crush her mother to death. It was hard to tell what was real and what wasn't. But then she saw Kari's terrified face, and she willed herself to calm down. Deep, steady breaths, just like Jaecar's mother had taught her.

"Are you okay, Mama?"

"I'm okay, love. I'm okay. Let's… let's talk about something else," Bianca said breathlessly. "Something happy. Let's talk more about Papa."

But the worry still hadn't left Kari's face. Bianca chided herself for having scared him with her story. She should've known better. It was bad enough that she had to live with it. She had no business making it Kari's worry too.

"Don't worry, Kari," she reassured him. "Papa and Uncle Rex found me. They chased the Yeti away, and we never saw him again. Really."

The worry still didn't leave Kari's face, but he still nodded.

"He really chased the Yeti away?" Kari asked. "Was he taller than Uncle Rex?"

Bianca laughed. "Not very. He only came up to Uncle Rex's neck. He wasn't that strong, or good at hunting. He was scrawny, because he didn't like to eat his vegetables," she said, poking at Kari's tummy playfully. The boy giggled. "But he was graceful like a reindeer. He loved to skate, and to dance, and swim. He was really good with his hands… when he found out that you were gonna be born, he stayed up the entire night carving little wooden soldiers and animals for you."

That got Kari excited. The wooden toys were his absolute favorites. Jaecar loved reading about creatures from all over Maple World, and so he had made a mountain of wooden monsters: Slimes, Wyverns, Hectors, Pixies, Seacles, and even the Mimi creatures that the legendary knights of Ereve rode into battle.

"I wanna see him," Kari said. "I wanna play monsters with him."

Bianca smile sadly. "I do too, little man. But you know… there's a bit of him in you. The way you love monsters, how you skate like a Pepe, every time you laugh… that's how you and Papa are still together. And even though we can't see him, all those moments we're having fun? That's him having fun with us."

Kari nodded, though Bianca didn't know how much the boy had understood. He was so much like Jaecar that she sometimes almost forgot how young he was. But even though Kari had never met him, she wanted him to know how much Jaecar had loved him, how much he'd been looking forward to being a father.

"It'd be enough," she thought. "If I could raise him into someone Jaecar would be proud of. I think it'd be enough."

A few hours later, the two headed back to town. The sunset had been beautiful, but Bianca didn't want to stay too long. Perhaps it was from having recounted her Yeti story, but she somehow got the strange feeling that someone had been watching them. Despite what Rosalina had said, she was having serious doubts about whether the Tarheeds would just leave their town alone when even the smallest villages by the wayside had been torched along their warpath.

It seemed like the other townspeople were having the same reservations too, because there were very few people on the road as night was beginning to fall. When they finally reached home, Bianca let out a sigh of relief. Rosalina greeted them and asked all about their day over dinner. The rest of the evening passed by in a flash, and soon enough, it was time to put Kari to bed.

"But Mama, I'm still playing," Kari protested. "The knights are still fighting the Yeti. We've gotta beat it, or else it'll eat us when we're sleeping."

"Eat us when we're sleepin'?" Rosalina laughed. "I though last night the Yeti was guardin' the castle."

"He can't guard the castle," Kari began explaining. "He's evil. He crushed Grandpapa with his-"

"Alright there, little man," Bianca said quickly. "That's enough for one night."

"But Mama, I've gotta finish, or the Yeti will-"

"No one is gonna come, Kari. I promise."

Bianca quickly picked up Kari and took him to bed, ignoring Rosalina's questioning glances. After ten minutes of negotiation, Bianca finally put out the lights and closed his door. She then returned back to the living room, where Rosalina immediately spoke up.

"Evil Yeti? Ye told him what happened?"

"…a bit," Bianca confessed. Rosalina continued staring expectantly. "…Okay, more than a bit. I shouldn't have told him, I know already. I don't know why I told him. We were talking about Jaecar, and somehow, we stumbled onto that day. I was only planning to tell him the bare minimum, and I swear that's all it was. But that day… it began flashing in my mind. I don't even remember what I said, only that I started panicking and he started shaking me awake and-"

Rosalina hugged her tightly.

"Breathe, love," Rosalina said calmly. "Just breathe."

Bianca took a deep breath in. Hold for four seconds. Slowly exhale out. Be without breath for four more seconds. Repeat.

After a few moments, she took a seat and cradled her head in her hands.

"I can't believe I was so stupid. He's five, for Goddess' sake. And now he's traumatized because of me."

"Hey, no more of that talk. He's not gonna die from one little story, Bi. Chances are, he prolly got more scared when he saw that ye were. He's a kid, kids forget half the shit they pick up. He'll end up beatin' his wooden Yeti tomorrow and he'll be right as rain, you'll see."

Bianca nodded, still cradling her head in her arms. Rosalina smiled softly. Bianca was hard on herself, and for no good reason half the time. She figured that Bianca probably felt like she had something to prove. That she could fit into a new town. That she was worth the effort to clothe and feed. That she was worth being loved. That she was good enough to take care of a baby by herself at seventeen. That she was worth her parents giving their lives for hers.

"I'm just… so scared," Bianca said. "I get so scared sometimes that I'm… I don't know, cursed somehow. That everyone I love just drops dead around me. I'm so scared of losing you, and Rex, and Kari. Even talking about it makes me feel like I'm gonna make it come true. I feel like… such a burden. "

"Yer not a burden, Bi. And don't ever let yerself believe otherwise. This whole town loves ya, don't ever forget that. If ye hear that voice tellin' ya that yer not good enough, that's the part of yerself that's not true. We've all got that part in us. Only the Goddess knows why, but for better or worse, we've got it. It's the part that we've gotta beat. Because if ya feed it, it'll just keep growing. It'll grow 'n grow until it drags ya down right into the darkness that it came from. Ya understand?"

Bianca paused, but she soon nodded slowly. "I get it. And you're right, I'm not a burden. But I keep thinking that I am, and when no one says it around me, it's like that part of me decides to say it for them, just to make it seem like it's right… that's probably what it is. Just the part of me that likes to play tricks. Heh, it's probably the reason why I thought that someone was watching me today."

Rosalina frowned. "You did?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I… was thinkin' the same thing today. Earlier this mornin' at the market, when you went off with Kari, I thought I saw somethin' out the corner of my eye. I thought it was some trick of the light, so I didn't think much of it."

"I thought someone was watching us at the lake," Bianca confessed. "I thought that I spooked myself from telling Kari the Yeti story, and from thinking about the Tarheeds earlier. I thought it was a trick too, but now I wonder if it really was somethin-"

The two women jumped at the sound of the door unlocking. Rosalina immediately ran to the fireplace and grabbed two axes, tossing one to Bianca. Bianca broke out in cold sweat as the door handle slowly turned.

"R-Rex?" Bianca called out.

The door swung open, revealing a man in purple and gold robes. Though he wore a hood over his head, the top half of his face was obscured by long, white hair that fell all the way down to his knees.

"I'm afraid not," he said in a mocking voice. "But then again, when was the last time you opened the door expecting me?"

"This is the chief's house," Rosalina snarled. "Leave, now!"

"Leave?" the man asked. "Is this the famous Hemant hospitality I've heard so much about?"

"What business do ya have here?" Rosalina demanded.

"Just one. I'm here to give my lovely Elmina her birthday present."

"What present? And who's Elmina?"

The man chuckled. "Why, the woman standing next to you, of course. And as for her present…"

From his pocket, the man pulled out a black book and an old ring. "I have it right here," he said.

"Bianca, take Kari 'n go," Rosalina said.

"Kari? Your little boy, Kari?"

"How do you know him?" Bianca asked quickly.

"I've been watching you, dearest," the man said. "Finding you is never as simple as I'd like it to be. I had to be sure that you were the one. Even now, I still need to conduct one last test."

"Yer not doin' anything," Rosalina roared. "Bi, go!"

Rosalina charged at the man, who merely flicked his hand lazily at her. Dark tendrils of magic shot out from his hands and wrapped themselves around her, immobilizing her in place.

"Rosalina!" Bianca cried out.

With a shout, Bianca charged at the man herself with her axe. However, the man easily sidestepped her and send out more tendrils to wrap around her, causing her to drop the axe.

"Let us skip the incivilities, my dear. After all these centuries, I've found that they've lost their charm."

"You're the one who was watching me today," Bianca said, struggling against her bindings. "What do you want with me?"

"I've merely come to return what belongs to you," the man grinned, holding up the book and ring. "And in turn, I'm here to take back what belongs to me… you."

"She doesn't belong to anyone," Rosalina snapped.

The man laughed. "What you think is inconsequential. Elmina, I've given you twenty-two of freedom, enough time for your magic to mature. And with it, I can finally unlock the Book of Ancient once more."

"I don't- I don't know what that is," Bianca gritted her teeth, struggling to move. "And my name isn't Elmina."

"We shall find out soon enough."

The man approached Bianca, who began struggling even harder. Rather gently, he took her hand and put the old ring on it.

"This does bring back fond memories," he chuckled. "Now, let us see whether I was right."

The man waved his hand, causing the dark tendrils to dissipate. Bianca immediately fell to her knees and gasped. He then held out the black book to her. "Open it."

"And what if I don't?"

"Then watch as your friend dies."

"Don't listen to him, Bi!" Rosalina yelled. "Don't give him anythin'!"

"Quiet," he said, clenching his hand. Rosalina immediately began choking as the dark tendrils began wrapping tighter around her throat.

"Stop!" Bianca yelled. "I'll do whatever you want. Just, please, let her go."

The man smirked. "Very well, I suppose I don't need to restrain her any longer… if she can behave herself."

With another wave of his hand, the bindings around Rosalina disappeared. Rosalina immediately fell to the ground, gasping for air. Bianca began to move in order to see if she was alright, but the man raised a hand to stop her.

"The book, please. Now."

Trembling slightly, Bianca took the book from the man's hands. The instant that she touched the cover, the old ring on her hand began to glow. Suddenly, the book flipped open on its own. Bianca's eyes widened in shock. It wasn't what was written on the book – most of the words themselves were in a script that she had never seen – but rather, it was the way that the words were written.

"This is… this isn't possible," Bianca breathed. "This is my handwriting."

"Excellent," the man said, ignoring her shock. "The Book of Ancient – the complete Book of Ancient – is mine once again. Well then, it seems that our business here is done. Come, Elmina, it's time to go home."

"She's not goin' anywhere with you!" Rosalina roared.

This time, however, instead of running towards the man, she threw her axe at him. To her shock, the man merely teleported away, causing the axe to hit the door. Reappearing behind her, the man sighed in resignment.

"For her sake, I was planning to simply erase your memories. But if you insist on being an irritant…"

The man began muttering in some strange tongue. As he spoke, a dark spell circle appeared in the air before him. Suddenly, Rosalina began gasping in pain as a strange aura of darkness engulfed her.

"Rosalina!" Bianca cried. "Stop, please! You said that you'd leave her alone!"

The man merely flicked his hand again, causing the dark tendrils to wrap themselves around her once more. Bianca struggled fiercely against her bindings as Rosalina began screaming in pain.

"What are you doing to her? Stop it!"

"Worry not, dear Elmina. This will all be over soon."

"N-No! Rosalina!"

With wide eyes, Bianca watched as the pattern of the spell circle appeared on Rosalina's throat. Rosalina began rasping, as though her lungs themselves were failing her, and her skin began turning a sickly purple. Horrified, Bianca continued struggling to free herself, but it was no use. Rosalina was dead in a matter of moments. The man watched, satisfied, as Bianca fell limp, unable to process what she had just seen.

"Now, with no other distract-"

The sound of screams and filled the air.

"Tch, now what?" he snapped.

Suddenly, the door swung open as three Tarheed soldiers forced their way inside. For a moment, they took in the sight of the man, the tied-up Bianca, and Rosalina dead upon the floor. But in the next, they shook their heads, realizing that none of it concerned them.

"This town is being liberated by the Tarheeds," one of the soldiers said. "All citizens have been commanded to come outside immediately, by order of the Huntsman King."

"I do not take commands from a pretender," the man said irately. "Leave, before I destroy you all."

"Wrong answer," the soldier laughed.

He nodded to one of his comrades, who raised their wand and send a trio of fireballs at the man. The man immediately disappeared, and as he did, Bianca's bindings undid themselves. Just as the man reappeared, the other two soldiers advanced on him with their weapons. Bianca spared one last glance at Rosalina's body before she moved for Kari's room. Suddenly, however, she stopped and looked back at the book, which was still open on the page with her handwriting. She hesitated for just a moment before grabbing the book and darting into Kari's room. She quickly shook the boy awake.

"Mama?" he asked drowsily, rubbing his eyes.

"There's no time, love," Bianca said, scooping him into her arms. "We're going."

"Going where?" he asked.

"Shh! Kari, this is very important, okay? You have to be quiet. You understand? Keep as quiet as you can."

She felt the boy nod into her clothes, which was enough for her. She stuck her head out the door and took a peek at the situation in the living room. The two Tarheeds with weapons lay dead upon the floor, and the fire mage was locked in battle with the man, who was quite enraged. Bianca steeled herself and quickly darted to the back door. She threw it open and immediately started heading for the woods. The man had probably heard her escaping, and so she knew that she didn't have much time. All she could do was run as far as she could, and hope that she didn't run into any Tarheeds on the way.

The rocks and twigs on the forest floor cut into her bare feet, but still, she didn't stop. She was running on pure survival instincts. Kari, who she normally couldn't hold for longer than a few minutes, felt like a pillow, despite how numb her arms were. She had no idea how long she'd been running for – whether it had been an hour or just a few minutes. All she knew that she had to put as much distance between herself and that man as she could.

"Mama, where are we going?" Kari asked.

"We-" Bianca's mind was whirling, so much that she couldn't even think of a good lie.

"We're… we're running from the Yeti," she said finally.

"The Yeti?" Kari asked, wide awake. "But you said that he's not coming back."

"I know what I said," she snapped before stopping herself. This wasn't the time to lose her composure, no matter how terrified she was. "What I mean is… I don't know how he got here, but that doesn't matter right now. As long as we keep running, we'll be safe."

"Is that what you think, Elmina?"

Bianca bit back the scream that she wanted to let out and kept running. As long she kept her head, she still had some control. The man was close, but he didn't sound close enough that he was within attacking range.

"Was that the Yeti, Mama?" Kari asked. "I didn't know that Yetis could talk."

"You can't run, Elmina," the man taunted. "No matter where you go, I will always find you."

He was getting closer. And Bianca was getting tired. Her temporary burst of strength from her fear was fading. Kari was getting heavier. And her feet were bleeding profusely. She was acutely aware of how out of breath she was. There was no way that she could escape. Which meant that there was only one thing left to do. She stopped running and set Kari down.

"Kari, I need you to listen to me very carefully," she said. "I want you to run as fast as you can. Don't stop. No matter what you hear, just keep running. Get as far away as you can from here, and you'll be safe."

"But what about you, Mama?"

"I- I'll be right behind you. I'm going to hold the Yeti off. So that you can keep going."

"No! We have to go together!"

"Kari, please!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "There's no time. You have to go."

"But-"

"I'll be right back, I promise," she said. The same words that her mother had said to her, ten years ago.

"I love you so much," she whispered, kissing Kari on the forehead. "Now… go! And don't look back!"

Kari hesitated for just a moment. And then he ran. Bianca watched him growing smaller as he got further away. She could barely keep her eyes open from the saltiness of her sweat and tears.

"There you are, Elmina."

She whirled around to find that the man had appeared right in front of her. He smiled victoriously.

"I see that your son managed to escape. But no matter. I have what I came for."

"I don't understand. Who are you?" she asked, gritting her teeth. She held up the book. "Why do you have this? I've never seen this book in my life, but somehow, it's written in my hand."

"My name, dearest, is Kirston. And as for the book… well, we'll have time to discuss it at length once we go home."

. . .

It had been two weeks since Idalia had left Ereve with her dispatch of Noblesses. She wasn't looking forward to what the elders would have to say once she got back. But at the moment, she didn't care. She and her dispatch had set up camp in southeast El Nath after following reports that the Tarheeds were in the area.

"Ser Idalia," Tianbao said, entering her tent. "We have confirmation of Tarheed activity in the nearby town, around two kilometers north."

"Very good, Tianbao," she replied. "Have the men prepare the Mimios. We fly out immediately."

"Yes, sir," Tianbao saluted before heading out.

Idalia picked up her sword and strapped it to her belt before heading out herself. She walked up to her Mimio, which was being outfitted with its saddle, and stroked its flank. The Mimio cooed softly. Suddenly, she stopped and turned.

"Ser, there's movement in the trees."

"Be on guard," Idalia warned. "It could be the enemy."

She raised the Soul Shield and grasped her sword's hilt in anticipation. The bushes began rustling louder and the other Noblesses stood at the ready. What they didn't expect, however, was a small child, who ran straight into Idalia. He immediately looked up and his eyes widened upon seeing her armor.

"Are you a knight?" he asked. "You have to help Mama. A Yeti is chasing her!"

"A Yeti?" Idalia asked.

She briefly paused and looked at the Noblesses, who were awaiting her orders. She knew what they were thinking. This was something that one of the men could handle. She needed to be there to lead them. The mission took priority. She understood all of that perfectly. But still, her eyes steeled.

"Tell me where to go," she said, picking up the boy and sitting him on the Mimio.

As she hopped in herself, she turned to face her troops. "Tianbao, I can handle this alone. You lead the others to the village. If the Tarheeds have left by the time you get there, report back to camp and wait for further orders."

"Yes, Ser Idalia!" he cried.

Together, the Mimios spread their wings and took flight. Mimios weren't particularly strong birds, meaning that they weren't good for riding long-distance. However, they were perfect for launching surprise attacks from the air. As the Noblesses headed north, the boy pointed Idalia to head northwest. Idalia steered her Mimio to break away from the group.

"Don't worry, kid," she reassured. "We'll get to your mom in time. What's your name?"

"Kari," the boy said. Despite how scared he was for his mother, part of him was enjoying the experience of flying on a legendary Mimio with a knight.

"How old are you, Kari?" she asked. Personal experience had taught her that distractions were the best way to alleviate bad thoughts.

"I'm five."

"Five, wow! And what do you wanna be when you grow up?"

"I'm gonna be a hunter, like my Papa. I'm gonna be friends with all the monsters in the world, and then I'm gonna hunt them!"

Idalia laughed at the contradiction. "Sounds exciting. Maybe you could even become a knight one day. Knights like to hunt down bad people, and we can fly all around the world and meet new creatures."

Kari's eyes brightened at the possibility. "I'm gonna be a knight!"

Idalia smiled before she braced herself once again. Down in the trees, she could see some sort of magical altercation happening.

"Brace yourself, Kari. Mimio, set him down gently," she ordered.

Her Mimio cooed in acknowledgement. As the Mimio started gliding down, Idalia jumped from the saddle and landed on a thick tree branch. She looked down to find a strange magician advancing on a woman.

"My name, dearest, is Kirston. And as for the book… well, we'll have time to discuss it at length once we go home," he said.

Kirston raised his hand and shot dark tendrils at the woman. Idalia leapt from the trees and jumped in between the two, raising the Soul Shield up. The shield glowed brightly with light, immediately vaporizing the dark magic on contact.

"In the name of the Empress, I order you to surrender," Idalia declared.

"A Noblesse," Kirston seethed. "Your kind don't belong here. Go hide back in your perch above."

"I'm no Noblesse. I am Ser Idalia, Knight of Light."

"Knight of Light, you say?" Kirston said, vaguely interested. "I've heard rumors of what hides inside your shield. But I have no interest in that brand of power, which means that you are of no use to me. Stand aside."

Idalia unsheathed her sword and charged at Kirston, who teleported behind her and shot another dark spell. Idalia raised the Soul Shield to block it, causing a wave of light to radiate from it, which knocked Kirston painfully against a tree. Idalia threw her sword straight at the magician, who widened his eyes and barely managed to dodge it, though it nevertheless managed to graze his cheek. Kirston raised a hand to his face and felt blood.

"Insolent whelp," he snarled. "This is your final warning. Out of my way."

Idalia chose not to respond and instead raised the Soul Shield in a defensive pose.

"So be it," he said.

Kirston created a spell circle in front of him, from which a torrent of dark magic shot out at Idalia. The knight grunted as she put as much force into the Soul Shield as possible, pushing back against Kirston's dark magic. Kirston grinned and clenched his hand, causing tendrils to grab the edges of the Soul Shield and pull it right out of Idalia's hand. With no weapon or defense, Idalia immediately made a rush for her sword, which had been lodged into the tree. Kirston sent more dark tendrils to grab at her, which she managed to dodge by weaving and rolling. She grabbed her sword and dislodged it from the tree, but as she raised it, she found that it had slightly bent out of shape. Nevertheless, she turned to face Kirston.

"Surrender. You're no match for me," she declared.

Kirston barked out a laugh. "A knight with no shield and a broken sword. Let me tell you something, girl. The first thing that ever warrior should be taught is how to know when they are beaten."

"Beaten?" Idalia laughed, looking up. "I don't think so."

Mimios cooed in the air as the Noblesses jumped down to the ground and surrounded Kirston.

"As long as a warrior has her comrades, she is never truly beaten," Idalia said. "Noblesses, take this man into custody."

The Noblesses advanced on Kirston, who turned to look at the wounded woman watching in shock. He grimaced, realizing that he was at a clear disadvantage.

"Tch, this isn't over," he seethed, teleporting away immediately after.

Idalia breathed a sign of relief. Despite her bravado, she knew that she'd been outmatched, and that things could have been a lot different if the Noblesses hadn't circled back. She realized that it likely meant that they had missed the Tarheeds.

"Mama!" Kari cried, rushing over to the woman. "Are you okay?"

"Kari!"

The woman hugged the boy as tight as she could, as though she'd never him let go again. Idalia smiled at the exchange before the woman looked up at Idalia. Idalia looked back at the woman and took in her features, which she found were quite beautiful. She had raven-black hair that fell messily onto her shoulders, chocolate brown eyes brimming with emotion, and tanned skin. Idalia then looked down and noticed that the forest had made small tears in the woman's clothes, and that her bare feet were caked with mud and blood. She immediately rushed forward and took the woman in her arms.

"Are you all right, milady?" she asked. "You're injured. Please, allow me to carry you back."

"I-I'm fine," the woman stuttered. Idalia supposed that the woman must be flustered to be lifted so abruptly like a child. "Thank you… for everything. For protecting my son."

"He told me that there was a Yeti after you. That was the smallest Yeti I've ever seen," she joked.

"It's a long story," the woman said quickly. Idalia could feel her nervousness and realized that it was probably too early to joke about something so traumatic. She cursed herself for being so tactless. Just because it would've worked for her didn't mean that it would work for everyone.

"My apologies. I'm Ser Idalia of Ereve," she said instead. "At your service, milady."

"I am… that's to say, my name is Bianca," the woman replied. Bianca's face flushed slightly, but in the darkness, it was thankfully impossible to make it out. "I- I'm sorry if I appear nervous. I've had a bit of a scare, and… I've never met a knight before. Or been carried by one."

"Please, no need to apologize. That was incredibly brave, what you did," Idalia said. "Your son was quite brave too. It seems that he gets it from his mother. In any case, I'm just glad that you're safe."

Bianca smiled softly for the first time. It was a beautiful smile, Idalia noted to herself, causing her to grin back in response.

"S-Ser Idalia!"

Idalia immediately looked up at Tianbao, expecting more enemies. To her surprise, however, she found Tianbao and the others were staring at something behind her. She turned, and the moment she did, she almost dropped Bianca in shock.

"Here's your shield, Miss Idalia," Kari said brightly. The Soul Shield was shining like the sun in his hands. "It's really warm."

. . .

Rex walked weakly through the smoking ruins of Hemant. Around him, the survivors of the Tarheed attack were desperately looking for survivors. He and Thorne had gone out hunting, and despite Rosalina's protests, he had foolishly chosen not to take the others. He hadn't wanted to tell her that he had been hunting for an anniversary gift. He and Thorne had gone deeper into the forest, where they'd encountered a Yeti, even larger than the ones he'd seen before. Believing that it was the same one that had attacked Bianca ten years ago, he had tried to kill it himself, which had resulted in Thorne being crushed to death and him being knocked out for hours before he had trudged back home.

He entered through the charred doorway and immediately found Rosalina dead upon the floor, her skin turned some horrible purple color and a strange curse mark on her throat. He picked up her lifeless frame and hugged it tightly, tears flowing freely down his face. Bianca and Kari were nowhere to be found, and so he had to assume that they had died too. He cursed himself profusely for his stupidity in going alone, for taking on a giant Yeti, and for not coming back in time.

He looked up and saw several dead Tarheed soldiers in the room. His breath wouldn't come out steady. There was so much anger in him that he thought that he would burst. He looked up at the sky through the broken roof. The moon didn't dare show its face. Not when all that was left of his family was dead.

"TARHEEDS!" he screamed.