Vincent hugged Crimson as she sat there emotionless, not knowing what was happening, but she slowly embraced him, anyway.

  “I’m so gd you’re okay. I thought I was going to have to expin the worst to Jouvins.” The poor man said with a shaky voice.

  When he finally let go of her, she stared back at him with a confused expression. “How did I end up here? What happened while I was gone? I had this weird dream where I -”. Crimson's eyes widened in fear as she lifted the bnket and saw there was no longer a hole through her abdomen but a scar that looked like a small leaf in the middle of her stomach.

  Vincent sat back down. "It took you about two weeks to fully heal yourself on your own. However, I was told that your aura gate needs to be replenished. Do you feel weak? Vincent asked with a little too much enthusiasm.

  Before Crimson could answer, Ms. Eliot swung open the door, staring at the floor, breathing heavily. When she looked up, she saw Crimson sitting up, and it immediately cheered up her mood. The elderly woman shuffled as fast as she could to see her. “My dear, you’re awake. I guess that old fossil helped, after all. I was so worried. I would like to apologize and thank you for letting Lana pass on.” She said, leaning over to hug her.

  Crimson hugged her back, feeling an emotion she thought she had lost a long time ago in that embrace.

  "What happened, Ms. Eliot? Why were you so riled up?" Vincent asked in a concerned tone.

  “Oh, that's right! Alex is downstairs, back from his adventure with the priest, but something happened. He told me you both needed to talk privately.” The old woman responded, still having her arms wrapped around Crimson,

  “Ok, I will be downstairs if you need me, ok you guys,” Vincent informed them before walking away to the sitting room.

  When he arrived at the bottom of the staircase, there was a man with long blond hair and a scar that ran across his lips sitting in a chair looking at a bubble caster with a brooding expression. “Sorry, I had to cut your happy moment short, Vinny, but we have a problem. Also, your wares in town are safe. I made Seb lock them up in the back, and headed home,” the man said, not even looking up at Vincent.

  Vincent walked towards the couch and sat down, leaning forward and folding his hands, “Thank you, Alex, I’m sorry for running off like that in town it's just I have been waiting for that elf doctor for the past two weeks to arrive, and the girl I’m taking care of was very ill."

  “I was told in a letter from my uncle about what happened with this Crimson girl, and I fear what I’m about to say maybe connected with her.” Alex closed the bubble and looked towards Vincent.

  "A Harbinger Cultist was spotted on the Tractor Highway. They killed a guard, and were waving at us with their severed arm when we spotted them."

  Vincent's heart dropped. “No, th-they would never show themselves so close to the Capital. Hollybrook is the safest vilge to live in because of that very reason. It has to be some kid pying a prank!” he said, with a panicked tone.

  “That was no kid. I fought him. Plus, where would a kid get a real human arm?” Alex looked into Vincent's eyes. “There were ten other adventurers on that highway with me and their respective regales. Even if it was just one of them, he took us all down, killed all the regales, and Hollybrook's priest. I only lived because I was teleported by the priest to Seb. Thank the Manticore that I didn’t take the cultist with me when I was teleported.”

  Vincent shuffled in his pocket to look at his telobubble with thirteen missed calls from Beto. A look of dread showed itself on his face. “The Royal Guards are coming to Hollybrook aren’t they?” Vincent questioned his voice turning cold.

  “Not just The Royal Guards, but I heard this level of intensity might have the commander a long with them. We will pn an escape route for you and Crimson. I expect her to be a wanted felon like you. The mayor was also informed when I first arrived.” Alex got up and walked up to the staircase. “If it’s ok, I would like to meet this Crimson, and say goodnight to my aunt.”

  Vincent gave a nod to him, allowing him upstairs, then opened his bubble caster to make a call.

  Alex walked up the stairs and felt uneasy. It felt like a heatwave was taking pce in the very halls. From what his uncle wrote about to him in the letter, was that she was not a human. She could heal herself, and apparently she can put her own life essence in common things to create weapons, like a branch. “If she turns out to be the main cause of the cultist, I will have to eliminate her. For now, I have to pretend I am her friend though,” he thought, reaching to open the door.

  Crimson was standing in front of the mirror looking to see if there were any other signs of injuries while Ms. Eliot rummaged through her drawers to find her something nice to wear.

  Alex walked through, while closing his eyes. “Sorry to intrude, but I would like to introduce myself. My name is Alex Demar.”, he said, bowing with his eyes still closed.

  “Alex, you can open your eyes, she is presentable.”, Ms. Eliot said with an eye roll.

  “Oh,” Alex opened his eyes and walked up to Crimson, looking for a handshake.

  “I am Crimson, it is nice to meet you.”, she responded by not giving him a handshake but hiding her hands behind her back,

  Alex smiled to not feel awkward. “I wanted to thank you for helping my mother Lana move on. I did not know she was still lingering here. My uncle said that you were quite impressive. Oh, he also has something for you at his shop, so when you feel up to it visit him alright.” He turned away to face Mrs. Eliot. “Auntie, if it's alright, can Seb and I stay at your house tonight? I forgot my house is under reservations still.”

  The old woman smiled. “Of course, I might stay here for a little while longer to help with Crimson's recovery.”

  “Thank you, and with that I bid you both a goodnight.” The man walked out, closing the door behind him as the sweat poured down his face.

  Just being inside that room felt like standing in a firepce. He was honestly shocked how his aunt could just sit in there. While walking back down the stairs, he noticed Vincent was no longer in the sitting room. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn’t any of his business. He left without saying goodbye for the night, t knowing well where he could have been.

  “These are just lovely to wear tonight, I believe. Come on, dear, let's run you a bath. That would help you feel better,” Ms. Eliot said, grabbing Crimson by the arm with one hand and the clothes in the other.

  They both entered the washroom and Ms. Eliot tied Crimson's hair in a bun, then turned around to turn on the faucet. Once the tub was full, Ms. Eliot stepped out of the room for Crimson to have some privacy.

  Crimson kept staring at her wrist, thinking of what happened in that void or what Nyra called the Stem stained her memory. She didn’t want to turn into a monster, and what did she mean by choosing battles carefully? There were too many thoughts running through her head. Crimson turned to the cheval-mirror on the wall and looked at her reflection. The steam from the bath water was fogging up her reflection, covering her body in the mist. She untied her hair from the bun and whipped away the steam before it could cover her face. A knock on the door alerted her, and she turned her head to face it.

  “Hello, is everything okay? Can I come in?” Ms. Eliot hollered from the other side, holding a loofah and towel.

  Crimson responded with a little hic in her throat, “Yeah, I was just looking to see if I had any more scars. Give me a second.”

  Crimson walked to the bath and dipped her toes in the water. It was scalding, something she didn’t mind. As she sat down, the steam rose even faster. Adding her own body temperature made the tub turn into almost a cooking pot.

  “You can come in!” Crimson yelled out.

  Ms. Eliot walked in and put all the bathing products on a stool beside the washtub.

  “Can I help with washing your hair? I tried brushing it every day, but you would constantly fidget every time I would try to touch it.” She said calmly.

  Crimson nodded as Ms. Eliot put the products on top of the stool on to the floor and sat down. She was nervous about the water from the amount of steam that was rising.

  Ms. Eliot pumped some shampoo into her hand. “I would like to apologize again to you Crimson, for what I said I knew you took it personally,”, The old st said sincerely while she scrubbed a chunk of hair.

  “It was the right thing to do for Lana. She and I were in the same boat. Banshees are humans who are lost, that turned into monsters, and I don’t know what I am anymore. All I know is that I don’t want to be like them.” Crimson protested.

  “I know from what I was told about your past is that it was like a war against you, but not everyone is evil. Do I seem evil?” chuckled Ms. Eliot.

  “No,” Crimson replied quietly.

  “Plus, that heart of yours is what makes you who you are. I wouldn’t care what species you would identify as. I believe one of my best friends is the dragon, after all.” Ms. Eliot continued scrubbing and section of Crimson's hair.

  “You never told me the story about this dragon. Do you mind telling me?” Crimson asked shyly, which made Ms. Eliot think of Alex when he was younger.

  Ms. Eliot pumped more shampoo in her hand and scrubbed Crimson's scalp. “Why, of course? I wanted to tell you at the Summer Harvest Festival with all the kids, but I feel like I owe you this, at least.” She replied.

  “When I was a little girl, the forest wasn’t out-of-bounds like it is today, and every summer the adults would take us out on a little camping trip. Well, when it was time to teach archery, you could say I wasn’t the best sharpshooter and my arrow went flying into a ke bed where animals commonly visited. Due to us not wanting to be tracked down by monsters or to scare the wild fauna from the area, I was told to go retrieve it.” Ms. Eliot reminisced with a smile on her face as she doused Crimson with the warm water over the head, with her hair covering her face.

  “Sorry, my dear,” she said, clearing Crimson's face from her hair, who had a bnk expression.

  “As I was saying, I remember stumbling down a hill to the waterbed where I saw my arrow that seemed to have pierced itself in a bluish grey rock. As I walked up to it, I felt a bit of uneasiness, as if my body was begging me to run away. Then I noticed that as I got closer, I noticed that those rigid bumps on its surface were scales, and not was not a rock. When I reached out for the arrow, he turned his head at me as his body emerged from the camoufge. He had wonderful eyes that shined like polished amethyst.” Ms. Eliot smiled as she squeezed conditioner out of a tube, while Crimson's eyes lit up from the story.

  Ms. Eliot continued while scrubbing Crimson again. “When I gripped onto the arrow, I remember their eyes closing like they were bracing themselves. I had to twist and pull it out. There was a bit of blood, but nothing too serious. I remember scooping some water into my hands and pouring it over their wound. They were so calm. He even tilted his head in thanks and walked away. Ever since then, I would leave offerings near that water bed, which isn't hard for a shepherd.”

  Ms. Eliot once again doused the poor girl and got up. "One of these days, we should visit that spot. Who knows, maybe I will see them again? Now take all the time you need, and when you’re ready, I will bring some cooneshine tea up into your room." The old women said smiling, walking out the door.

  Crimson leaned back, letting the water caress her in its warmth, as she stared into space, staring looking at the ceiling. Remembering holding someone's hand with her right hand and with her left hand, she was holding a blue dragon plush cw. Walking down a street with people. Crimson looked at her left hand; that toy meant the world to her, for it was the only thing she could remember. She looked away and closed her eyes and sank farther into the embrace of the water.

  Vincent was siting in his shed staring at his bubble caster with anxious eyes. He needed to tell Beto about everything. He swiped his hand on the bottom of the pad until Betos's name popped up and pressed the button. A bubble blew out of the little nozzle and he waited for a response. A dim blue light lit up the room until Beto answered inside of his limousine.

  “Hello? Vincent, is everything alright?” Beto asked with a stern face.

  “Yes, I’m sorry that I missed all your calls,” Vincent replied nervously. He felt like he had a lump in his throat.

  “Vincent, I'm on my way to Harlif University. Do you think they can teach Dankle anything? Hah probably not.” Beto joked, trying to lighten the mood.

  Vincent whispered, “Jouvins, they are coming to Hollybrook.”

  “I know. I was calling, trying to warn you.” Beto stared at the bubble. The grin whipped completely off his face.

  “It’s not just the Royal Guards, but maybe the Harbinger Cult as well. What do I do with Crimson and your stashes?” Vincent asked, worried about the outcome.

  Beto put his hand to his head. “I thought getting out of the capital was more tedious than usual. The highway is closed off, and I'm nowhere near Hollybrook. None of my men can probably make it out there either.” He paused, thinking. “Alright, you will hide the stashes in the shed's floor boards with all that lumber in there. The jackals won't be able to smell the drugs or weapons, as for Crimson. Uh, hide her in the basement. There are two passages. As for yourself, if you have to, you have my permission, Gss Shot. If you need anything else, let me know.”

  Vincent nodded in agreement. “Just one more question. Why are you really going to Harlif University?” He asked curiously.

  “I got an invitation from the headmistress, so I thought might as well see what's up. Stay safe, ok I’m almost at Arcreen now.” Beto ended the conversation with the same stern face, then looked out the window to see the Harlif Vilge lit up with nterns.

  As the bubble popped, ending the communication. Vincent sat in that dark room for half an hour, contempting what to do next.

  Crimson left the bathroom dressed in the pajamas left on the stool by Ms. Eliot. As sh. walked down the hall, she felt a presence as she continued walking towards her room. Before Crimson could open the door, she felt a hand grasp onto her shoulder. In that instant, she turned around, ready to fight whatever it was, but there was nothing there, yet she noticed a shadowy trail heading downstairs. Something wasn’t right. She ran down to the kitchen to find Ms. Eliot.

  Almost tripping over herself, she ran into the sitting area and looked around the corner in the Kitchen to see Ms. Eliot standing there dazed.

  “Ms. Eliot? MS. ELIOT?! VINCENT HELP!” Crimson tugged on the old dy's arm. It was like she was pced frozen in a different time.

  Then a music box pyed, and a purple hooded figure walked around the sitting room pying it. It was as if they came out of thin air, whispering a song to the melody;

  “The light will fade

  When we stare into the gaze,Of maw that will devour us all

  When we leave, you all will seeThe lush bushes will grow tall.Run away, run away, they all say

  Before, it is too te.

  She wi-”

  Before the cloaked figure could finish, Crimson dashed forward towards them and with all her force grabbed the figure's stomach, twisting it in her grasp, trying to rip it apart, yet it felt like nothing was there. She looked down at her arm, seeing some sort of ooze crawl up it. She tried to ignite her hand, but it failed.

  “You will become more beautiful when you bloom~.” the figure sang, only to disappear back into thin air.

  Crimson stood in the same position, her eyes glowing a fuming red until she heard a soft voice.

  “Crimson sweetheart, are you okay? Why are you standing there like that? Did you catch that damn spider?”

  Crimson turned her head to see a stunned Ms. Eliot holding her teacup. To not scare her any further, she changed her posture and smiled.

  “Yeah, I caught it.”, Crimson reassured her.

  “Thank goodness I'm deathly scared of them. You are a blessing Oh, and your tea is already in your room, but take a biscuit. I baked them this morning.” The old women waddled over to a tray of cookies and grabbed a few for her.

  Crimson received the cookie with her other hand, keeping the “spider” clenched in her fist. “Thank you, Ms. Eliot. I will enjoy these and rest a bit again. I'm still tired. Goodnight.”

  Ms Eliot waved and smiled. “Goodnight, love.”

  Crimson walked up the stairs, clenching her fist tighter as the bck oozing liquid dripped from her hand. Walking into the hallway, now felt that overwhelming presence was gone. By the time she made it to her room, she was sure there was no longer a threat. She looked at the tea, still hot, and put the cookies on top of the cup. Crimson walked to the foot of her bed and sat down, looking at her clenched fist, bracing herself for whatever it was in her hand. She opened it up, the liquid spilling all over the floor, only to reveal in the middle of her hand a bright green leaf with no ooze on it whatsoever. She stared at it, knowing this wasn’t over, but whatever that thing was, she must have killed it, as she crumpled it in her hand until it ripped apart.

  Crimson Scoffed at the torn leaf, "I can't catch a break can I?"