12th day of the season of death 2448

A jolt awakened the archer' senses, but her body refused to follow. A bead of sweat rolled slowly along her forehead overwhelmed by the searing heat. Yet she remembered well that she had settled in the shade. How long had it been since then? She moaned and opened her eyes to see the desert that was now cradled in the dark of night. Wait a moment... Why was she so hot then? She readjusted her body aching because of her uncomfortable position. A mass was blocking her movement. When she turned back she saw Baldur leaning against her. He didn't move, barely breathing. The two young dragon riders were back-to-back.

- Whew he has quite the body heat, Azena whispered.

It was a little strange to see him so affectionate if you could call it that. Well, coming from the kid, it was the best you could hope for; he was rather antisocial.

- Come on, the second sun has just set, Reaginn said, waking up the squad by shaking everyone one by one.

So he was the culprit.

Azena examined her surroundings. Morcan was already ready, it seemed; he was probably the last lookout. Sanah was stretching while Trish took a sip from her water gourd, still sitting in the sand with her legs crossed.

- Baldur, Azena whispered in the boy's ear. Hey, wake up.

Suddenly the bodyguard leapt to his feet and drew his two axes. He took up a defensive position and tried to find the enemy who disturbed him.

- Eh? he said confusedly.

- Easy soldier, said Azena with a hint of mockery. It's just me.

- My apologies miss, Baldur replied, relaxing his muscles.

Able to decapitate a head in an instant, but also to show almost innocent politeness, Baldur was one of a kind. Azena was not sure how she felt about him. In any case, if he was on her side, it reassured her for when she'll be on the battlefield.

A pair of leather boots and a long black cape momentarily blocked her field of vision and stopped to the right of Morcan who was observing the enemy camp.

- The night is on our side, the elementalist emphasized, referring to the moon, which was now coal-coloured. There is almost no light anymore.

His companion and captain nodded, his face as stern as his voice.

- I'll give you five minutes to finish preparing, he said.

The squad obeyed promptly. For her part, Azena shivered as she equipped herself with her weapons. The breezes were particularly biting. Her arm hair spiked, the archer tried to loosen her stiff jaw, used to the unbearable heat of the day.

- I'm t-tired of th-this desert, she whistled between her trembling teeth.

She felt as if she was never comfortable with the temperature going from one extreme to the other. She found a minimal amount of inner peace by telling herself that it was all for a good cause; the near total darkness was going to bring them a great advantage.

Suddenly, the thought that she might lose her life for this mission crossed her mind. Worried, she could not help but glance at Trish. The fortune teller must have been aware of her destiny since she had read in the prophetic cards that had chosen her. Should she ask her? If she was going to perish, perhaps she could avoid such a mistake? Fortunately, the fortune teller gave her a small smile of confidence. This reassured Azena that nothing was going to happen to her. She was certain of that. Now she had to be brave for Umah and Yuzia.

- Leave your mounts behind and be subtle, Reaginn said. Choose your movements and where you set foot carefully. Until we are discovered or when we reach Yuzia, this is an infiltration mission. Baldur...

He turned to the boy who looked as serene and focused as an eagle chasing prey.

- Silent, clean killings. I know.

- Good, replied the prowler before turning to Azena. And you...

- I'll stay away and wait in case I have to send the signal, grumbled the teenager who crossed her arms.

- Precisely. Control your ardor.

Azena rolled her eyes avoiding her captain's gaze and continued to rub her bare arms in an attempt to keep warm.

A few moments passed and the captain finally gave the signal to move forward. He was the first in line, followed by Baldur, then Morcan and Sanah, who glanced at each other tenderly and admiringly, and finally Azena and Trish who were side by side. The archer knew that the fortune teller had been assigned to keep a close watch on her. In fact, she was curious about her companion's combat skills for she was armed with a simple staff.

Reaginn made an abrupt movement with his right arm, which Azena saw from the corner of her field of vision. Baldur reacted and positioned himself behind the girl and Trish. Decidedly, Reaginn lacked confidence in one or the other, if not both.

- Concentrate, whispered Azena for herself.

Her captain had assigned her a mission. Although it was trivial to her, it was still important. She was not to fail, not mentally or physically. She sprang forward with energy, Trish following her pace with a mischievous smile on her face.

The camp was growing fast in size. The squad was now very close to their goal. Azena's heart was pounding and she felt a bead of sweat rebel and escape from the pores of her left temple. She put her right hand on her elven bow in a moment of stress and then took a deep breath and released the weapon.

Trish gave her a nod of comfort. The archer appreciated her greatly and continued, letting her short legs carry her down the right path at a brisk pace.

A dozen heartbeats later, she heard a first groaning that was immediately muffled by an outside source. She stopped abruptly, looked up and saw Reaginn, who had earned his first victim: a sentry patrolling the perimeter of the camp. He had one hand clutching the mouth of the barbarian who was on the verge of unconsciousness and his other holding a blood-soaked dagger that had pierced his target's throat.

The brutality of the one who had guided and protected her until then caused nausea in Azena. She was aware of his title as the most renowned assassin amongst the dragon riders, but she had not prepared herself for such a spectacle. He hadn't made a sound; she didn't even realize what had happened until it was too late. Her lip trembled slightly, intimidated by the man in front of her, who was showing an expression she had never seen before. He looked as hard as iron, almost as if he had lost his humanity. Was he not affected by his actions? Immediately, Azena imagined what kind of training he must have gone through to be able to neutralize his emotions in such way and a second nausea surfaced.

- Don't vomit, do not throw up, she thought to herself.

- Come on, Trish ordered, taking her by the hand and dragging her along.

The archer couldn't help but glance behind her to continue watching the assassin at work. She was hypnotized and at the same time, she wanted to erase this image from her mind forever. She did not react as the body of the deceased barbarian fell ever so gently to the ground, methodically supported by his killer who made sure he was dead by putting a finger on his neck and ran off, probably in search of his next victim. Luckily, Azena and Trish went in the opposite direction. They followed Baldur who now led the small group. Morcan and Sanah weren't present either.

Panic. Panic. Azena looked away from the gravity of her situation. A huge knot was obstructing much of her breathing. The cold didn't even bother her anymore. In fact, she was having hot flashes.

Then she remembered why she was in that vile place. A wave of courage and inspiration filled her senses. She let go of Trish's hand and rushed forward so passionately that she passed by her two companions.

- Wait, Trish says. Don't be impulsive!

Another sentry must have heard her, for immediately after her words, a strong man turned a corner and charged at them with his big axe ready to strike. He chose Azena as his victim, probably because she was the nearest and smallest. As he was about to utter a war cry, he felt a sharp pain in his belly. He suddenly stopped, emitted a kind of regurgitation and looked down to see a kid who had opened up his guts with his two weapons.

- Wh-what? he said with difficulty before collapsing.

Trish sat on his back and gagged him with a blindfold that was attached to her belt, probably for that very reason.

- Die in silence, she whispered.

The man stopped struggling a few moments later and she released the body.

- We make a good team, she whispered, still with a mischievous smile. It could have been painful if he had been able to signal the others.

Disinterested in her companion, Azena began her frantic run again. She had to find Yuzia or Umah as soon as possible.

- Hey not so fast, Trish called, hurrying to follow the younger woman. Don't be reckless!

Baldur was unprepared for Azena's sudden reaction and for Trish who was doing her best to follow. They crossed the eastern side of the camp, finishing off a few barbarians in their path thanks to Baldur's extraordinary fighting skills. Azena searched for a few tents hoping to find Umah in vain. At the fourth dwelling, she found Sanah alone and kneeling in front of what appeared to be a bed of animal fur blankets.

- Sanah?

The herbalist was at first, startled. In a slow and delicate movement, she turned towards her allies. In her arms was a baby with thick ebony hair, sleeping peacefully despite all the chaos and noise. He was wrapped in a cuddly blanket and he smiled in his sleep.

- Where are his parents? Baldur asked with a touch of sensitivity in his voice.

- I-I don't know, Sanah said sadly. Morcan and Captain Ruvior killed a few people near that tent and then continued their search. I think they...

She didn't finish her sentence, but Azena knew how it ended. This little one was probably orphaned by now, thanks to the squad. The archer suddenly felt uncomfortable with her actions. She had never thought about the families who were perhaps hidden in the horde of virile barbarians.

- But what is a baby doing in such an environment? Baldur asked, clearly concerned about the situation.

- I've seen a few female warriors in their ranks, Sanah replied. It's probably... Well, you can figure it out.

The skin on Baldur's face turned slightly greenish and he lowered his arms that still held his two trusty axes. He was clearly disturbed by what they had just discovered. A drop of blood dripped from the blade of the right axe and stained the carpet on which the boy was standing. His gaze wavered from the baby to the blade and he swallowed with difficulty.

- So there's a little emotion underneath that murderous shell, Trish teased.

- It's not funny, Sanah reproached her. Every being has a right to humanity.

- Sorry. I know that was a tasteless joke. I have a dark sense of humor sometimes.

A long pause made it even more uncomfortable than it already was.

- So, what do we do? said Azena, who was getting impatient.

Footsteps echoed from the right side of the dwelling. There was indeed a figure behind the leather wall and it carried a short sword in each hand. Azena opened her mouth to warn Sanah who was closest to the intruder, but she was too slow. As she screamed, the barbarian tore the tent apart and passed a huge, muscular arm inside and around her to prevent her from fleeing, pressing a blade against her delicate neck.

The others didn't move an inch, fearing that the barbarian was going to kill Sanah.

- Give child, growled the broad-shouldered warrior.

It was probably the father. He bore resemblances to the baby: long black hair, small eyes and olive skin. Trish looked as surprised as the rest of the group.

- You didn't predict that, huh? Azena grumbled at the fortune teller.

She was frustrated, impatient to get out of that tent and complete this mission. She realized too late that she had projected her emotions onto Trish.

A growl echoed from the barbarian's solid jaw. He struck the ground with his foot and fixed his eyes back on the child.

- There, there, Sanah said, handing him the wiggling little package.

As the father secured his grip on his offspring, a second large, imposing male arrived. The latter had eyes so dark brown that it seemed like he was possessed by an evil spirit. With a square jaw and a small smirk on his face, he pointed at Sanah. His arms were as wide as a tree trunk and as hairy as a bear. Disgusted, Azena clenched her teeth and fists. She had a nasty urge to punch them all.

- Pah! said the father, irritated by something.

Azena expected him to let Sanah go, but instead, he dragged her with him and pushed her into the arms of his companion who was one head taller than he was. If the father was intimidating, the second one was a real beast on two legs. His thick dark beard covered half his face, but his yellowed teeth were clearly visible.

- Mine, he hissed in his cavernous voice. Move and his blood will flow.

- Don't worry, Sanah said.

Her new captor growled and pulled her hair back as a sign of dominance. Clearly, he wanted her to keep quiet, which she did.

The two barbarians, Sanah and the baby disappeared under Azena, Trish and Baldor's shocked gazes. The three companions were completely demolished, all in their own way. Baldur was ashamed that he had failed as a bodyguard, Trish was sorry that she had not foreseen such a tragedy, while Azena raged in her helplessness. In fact, the teenager roared and started banging on a small wooden bedside table next to the makeshift bed.

- Stop, Trish ordered. Calm down.

- Dirty Dragon's Blood, raged the half elf without taking Trish into consideration. I hate them all! Damn it, I hate them all!

She pulled out her dagger, which she usually kept hanging from her belt, and stuck it repeatedly into the wood of the piece of furniture. Suddenly, her movements were limited by two female arms gripping her from behind. A warm breath tickled her neck and she felt her own breathing slow down.

- Relax, Trish whispered in her ear.

As if the fortune teller's words were absolute, her muscles relaxed and the weapon fell to the ground. Azena felt like a doll at the mercy of those around her. Despite her sudden serenity, she still couldn't find peace. A tear rolled down her cheek and she uttered a silent moan.

- I can't let Sanah get taken away. She could be abused, raped or killed. It doesn't take long, you know.

- There are too many of them, Trish replied with a little more energy in her voice. We should wait for Morcan and Reaginn.

Azena found Trish's reasoning absurd. They had Baldur who was an accomplished killer.

- I'm going with Baldur.

- Wait here. Please.

- No! sliced the archer who was starting to get annoyed again. Baldur is worth five of these foolish barbarians on his own.

The boy's cheeks grew darker in the face of the pretty half elf's compliment. Still, he didn't speak at all. He stared at Azena with determination and nodded, confident in his abilities.

- You can stay here, Azena spat at Trish.

She broke free from the fortune teller's grip and walked with Baldur to the tear created by the blade of the barbarian who was also a father.

- No! Trish squealed.

She sprang up and grabbed Azena by the arm. Upon touching her, the half-elf got rid of her in a large sharp movement and turned around to stare at her.

- You're really starting to piss me off, she growled between her teeth. Why do you insist?

Guilt filled Trish's sparkling eyes. She pursed her lips as if he was arguing with herself. She seemed unsure of what she should do.

- You're coming or you're letting us go, Azena said.

She turned her heels, irritated by the hesitation of her interlocutor.

A roar that was powerful enough to shake the ground was heard. There was no doubt: it was a dragon, probably Yuzia. She was nearby. At this point, the camp was probably nothing but chaos.

- I'm sorry! Trish cried. You have to meet your avatars!

She was fast; she grabbed Azena by the shoulder and gave a blow to force her to stop. Then she put her second hand over her victim's face and closed her eyes, going into a deep trance.

Azena immediately felt overwhelmed by the presence of the fortune teller who was much too close to her physically. She had no time to react; her mind was bombarded with strange images.

First, she saw a small seed that stirred itself a few times before letting a stem pierce its surface. Immediately, Azena remembered the card that was used to begin the prophetic reading.

- Every living being has a birth and a growth, said a gentle voice that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere. The Avatar of the Beginning chooses you, you who are connected to the remnants of the living beings of this world.

Azena blinked, stunned by what she saw and heard. Was this a true reading of Thalic's cards?

- No, she begged. I don't want to know! I-I don't want to see!

- The second avatar that will guide you is the Idiot, replied the entity.

A face identical to that of the second card appeared in the place of the seed and stared Azena straight in the eyes. The almost innocent expression on his face caused a deep uneasiness in the archer. She couldn't understand why, but she wanted to run away. Yet there was nothing alarming about that face.

- N-no, she stammered. Stop it!

- You feel that I'm your friend, but also your enemy, laughed the face. It's quite normal! You see, you poor fool, you trust people who are not worthy! You will be betrayed in the course of your life by an individual whom you respect and sincerely idolize, and then by a second one whom you look down on, whom you do not appreciate.

- Why is that?

- Because you are a fool, and you trust in those whom you should not, in the infidels!

- You lie, she said to bring herself some comfort.

The face burst into a crazy and playful laugh that did not stop. The worst part was that deep down inside, Azena knew that Trish's prophecies had so far all come true, even though they were sometimes vague. These betrayals worried her. Who? Who could they be? In the end, she had other concerns at the moment.

- I don't have time for this! Azena screamed furiously. I have to go save Sanah!

The face she was starting to hate dissolved to make way for a feline. It had big passionate eyes, long saber teeth and a proud mane.

- The Roar is an integral part of your journey, said the huge cat with its honeyed and fiery voice. Roaring is your instinct, your partner! It will be your release, whether good or bad. Your spirit will break when a roar fills your ears and eyes! It can be repaired with an even greater roar! On many occasions, courage or blindness will break free from their shell by the roar in you that escapes so softly.

- What does this gibberish mean? raged the teenager.

- Listen carefully to the beast in you. It talks to you even if you don't always listen to it. It seems that you don't always speak its language. Maybe you don't know it... Or maybe you're accidentally deaf. Yet there it is, omniscient in the depths of your subconscious.

- What the hell...? Let me go! I don't have a beast in me! I'm human!

Out of habit, she had proclaimed herself human, which frustrated her even more. As before, she felt like hitting, kicking, destroying, damaging, just to let off steam. This time, she was stuck in this strange state of mind and it drove her crazy. She felt trapped in her own mind, in her own body.

- Roar! yelled the cat, roaring himself.

Azena let herself be guided by her interlocutor and bellowed until there wasn't enough air in her lungs to maintain the sound. When she opened her eyes, she realized that the feline had turned into a spiral that whirled around so quickly that she had an instant headache.

- The passion of souls: what makes mortals interesting. The Chaos in your heart is rooted in who you are. Hand in hand with the Roar is the most beautiful art in the world, eternally unpredictable, repelled by reason! What sublimity!

- And you, what are you? Azena grumbled, crossing her arms, looking away. I can't look at you, you're giving me a headache.

The spiral turned into a dozen smaller spirals that began to dance between themselves, completely disordered. They circled around Azena who had no choice but to see them pass before her eyes. She growled, shook her head and closed her eyes.

- We are Chaos! Face us, young dragon rider! ordered the spirals at different times which gave the impression of an echo. We are the conflicts that constantly overflow you. Your choices will determine the fate of so many great things! You are free spirit, unable to adapt to hierarchy and authority. You are loyal to nothing! Not to a being, not to a faction, not to a race, not to a kingdom, not even to a lover! Deep down inside, you know it! Don't worry, this mentality is out of the ordinary, but it is not necessarily bad.

Azena covered her ears, unable to endure the multiple voices of the spirals that threatened to make her lose her mind. The spirals began to sneer incessantly, mocking the half elf who felt her already lost patience draining away even more.

- Enough! she shouted with a vengeful fury.

She finally had a moment of silence. Able to concentrate, she charged forwards and punched into nothingness, not reaching anything. When she turned to look for a target, she noticed that the filthy spirals had disappeared. In its place, an open hand supported a few individuals, humanoid as well as animal. They were only silhouettes, but their souls shone softly around their bodies. The archer's headache instantly disappeared and her rage faded away.

- Is this the last avatar? she grunted, determined that she had to listen to them all before she could be released.

- The World, replied one of the humanoid figures amicably.

Azena blinked, slightly worried about the meaning of this last avatar. The others all represented aspects that seemed rather personal, but this one emanated something grandiose, something much greater.

- I am your last Avatar, continued the representation called the World.

A different figure spoke for every reply.

- Wow, you're different, Azena said. That much is obvious.

The World giggled, the little figures sneered in chorus.

- You're calm, Azena continued with a smile. Thank you for that. The others...

- They are as bright as they are dark, interrupted the World. It's up to you to see if you let them guide you in the way that suits you. Besides, they're not the only ones. Each avatar has many facets that adapt to the person they choose.

- Even you?

Resting on the hand, what appeared to be a wolf or coyote nodded and pointed a claw at her.

- We represent your bond, your influence with the rest of Aerinda. You are going to have a tremendous impact on many communities in your lifetime, be it good or bad, calamity or miracle, villain or hero, a role model for villains or saints. Everything is gray, not completely white or black. There will never be a perfect choice. Good and evil are but illusions.

- W-what? Stuttered the dragon rider. What does that mean?

- Remember that no matter what you choose, you can't please everyone. That's all I'm saying.

- That's it? B-b-but wait! It's so vague. That's so little information for such an important avatar!

Suddenly, she saw Trish's face and Baldur watching her. The boy looked worried, his skin slightly pale, while Trish's eyes were wide open, sparkling with interest.

- What happened? exclaimed the teenager as she jumped to her feet. Where's Sanah? What were those avatars?

- We stayed here, Baldur explained. You suddenly fell...

Azena realized that it was Trish who touched her just before she became enraged by the visions of the so-called avatars. She glared at the fortune teller who knew exactly what she committed.

- It was just a small, but forced reading, huh? No big deal, huh?

- Someday you'll understand, Trish replied.

- I told you no! barked the archer. Now I am and will be tormented by riddles that I don't even understand! What's all this about the World? This card... This avatar rather... It gave me a bad aftertaste.

Trish looked down, took a deep breath and raised her head again.

- I don't know about that either, but it's the first time this card has shown itself to anyone. Usually, people have four avatars with the Beginning that is always present. But you... You have five. That means something important! I had to share it with you!

- Well, bravo!

The half elf shook her clothes and armor to get rid of the sand and dust stuck to it. She checked that her bow, arrows and dagger was still on her person, and then she made a decision:

- We're going to save Sanah.