Exhaustion, dread, expectations . . . I'm so very tired of it all. 

                              Someone tell me the truth,

    that's what'll save me.

»»-------¤-------««

A mist settled onto the earth. The sun had no means to pierce through the fog and the careful winds only helped the lithe like mist twist around the ground.

The Father has arranged a meeting to be held by the Amber Canal. Usually surrounded by a mist due to being further south of Eastern City where it's warmer but has great bodies of water. The name was given to the river when it began to glow near its water fall by the Fissure. Its luminescent yellow was indistinguishable throughout half of its body, as if the Fissure had a means to escape. There, an unlit cabin laid in ruin from the overgrowth. Vines hung from the roof and moss grew from the dark, damp places of the walls, roots have begun to coil outside the windows and holes in the walls then into the dirt.

Multiple vehicles parked on the worn dirt path to the cabin, each one not very neatly - absolutely no coordination - parked. Everyone all got out at once, or at least it seemed like it. There were at least a several dozen men who began walking towards the cabin, each one wearing suits, something that represented them as a business person, and some even wore hats.

Kirin followed Jaeger into the small building, noticing that the air was humid inside. The floors creak from beneath them. Almost everyone looked down to watch where they were stepping, afraid that their feet might fall through. Though there were holes in the floor and in the walls, they simply were ignored as they noticed the overgrowth mainly happened near the walls, save the fact that there were patches of grass and moss here and there. The furniture was poor or perhaps they seem like so because of time and environmental damage Kirin thought, staring at the run down wooden furniture.

Jaeger pulled out a chair and contemplated on whether or not he should sit. His face and him remaining to stand gave the room an answer as everyone stood with him.

Heavy footsteps started coming up the stairs, the noise wiping the atmosphere out of the room. As a large man entered, so did some of the mist and the wind. He wore a beard and his skin was weathered, his gray clothes bearing the same look. Though he seemed to be old, he seemed very much a strong person.

"Your briefing on the mission begins now," the man said, his voice shot and grumbly but very clear, he made it clear. "My name is Exolas and I will be in charge of this mission."

"Where's the Father?" a fairly young voice asked.

Kirin looked over at the man, Orik. He was bald and burly, his skin was smooth and dark, no signs of scars on his face. Usually people would have some sort of scar visible to the other members. He made it into the faction pretty young, she thought.

"What are you his lap dog?" Exolas replied. His eyes narrowed at him, a never wavering expression.

Orik puffed up at the comment and began to walk towards him. "I'll put you in your place right now, old man!"

Exolas scoffed at him and looked at everyone else. "This mission will leave most of you dead. And it seems he's rounded up some fresh meat for the Fissure,"

"I'm not done with you-"

Before Orik could finish his sentence Exolas' eyes glowed almost white and a gust of air blew from the doorway, around and into Orik blasting him back into the wall where he came from. He cursed after his back hit against the wall. Everyone watched in awe as he fell to the floor. Though it wasn't enough to knock him unconscious, he gritted his teeth and stayed where he slowly got up.

Exolas eyed the entire room. The mist still running amok behind him. Though his angered expression never wavered, he knew he had control of the room.

"You're an Ursu!" A man said in the corner.

"A religious man, I see."

"No it's just . . . that's what they call you," he said, his voice unsure.

Kirin has never met - let alone seen one in person - an Ursu before. As far as she knew, they were a part of a secret order led by the Crowned Minorin. Their powers were nothing to mess with as demonstrated by Exolas. Not much is known about them, people just know that they've never existed until the Fissure opened.

"I'm your leader for this mission and that's that. Any objections!" He waited for people to step up but none didn't, not against him. "Good." his voice trailed as he walked towards the center of the room. He reached into his coat and pulled out a map showing the Fissure.

"Are we meeting a smuggler at the border?" Another man said. People began to smirk at each other and some shuffling began as they whispered to others.

"Yes," he said grimly, his tone hardened. "On the other side."

Everyone grew silent. They began to understand that whatever he said was never a joke.
"You're telling us that we're going to be crossing the Fissure?" The same man asked. A light gust blew through the cabin along with the silence. "I don't know about you guys but I'm opting out of this one."

He walked out of the cabin, causing others who now share the same thought.

"Say goodbye to him, this will be the last time you'll be able to see him," Exolas seemed to have pulled at the air and the door behind him closed, trapping those who wished to leave. "You'll die either way. Either he'll kill ya or the Fissure will but I need you all alive."

Kirin looked at Jaeger with concern. He put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze. Though no amount of comfort was enough, she took some solace in the fact that Jaeger was there.

Exolas explained how they were going to cross the Fissure. There wasn't a bridge to cross or an ocean to sail.

It was more dangerous than that.

He mentioned that the way of crossing would not be mentioned until they're there, not revealing the exact way for safety measures, as he put it. It made sense that he did so, if anyone found out how the operation worked then there'd be a monopoly on the business. It would also mean a greater risk of getting caught.

Exolas packed the map back into his coat and looked at everyone. "We'll meet at the edge of the Fissure at the end of the Amber Canal. There you'll be shown the way."

"But the edge of the Fissure was already explored and there's no way to get across." Kirin mentioned, the words slipping from her lips.

Exolas stared at her. His cold, lifeless stare pierced her skull sending shivers down her spine, causing goosebumps to emerge from her skin and her hairs to stick up. Eventually he turned away. He said what he had to say and now it was time for him to leave.

"There has to be a way to get across the Fissure. Otherwise this would be a suicide mission," Jaeger said, turning away from the others. His hand brushed his mouth and glided down to his chin. "I can see why he sent us on this mission but Exolas seems like a veteran when it comes to crossing it."

Kirin watched Exodus exit the ruined cabin, everyone's heads turned slowly as they watched him leave and disappear into the mist outside. Some started to mumble to one another, the fear and panic in their expression was something you couldn't miss.

"We can't do this," Kirin said, her fear and panic also showing. "We're just gonna be bait for whatever awaits down there. And if we're caught by the Crown or even the Ministry we're going to be exiled or even worse executed."

Jaeger motioned for her to follow him outside and she did. Her hands clasped together, freezing and red around the knuckles. She followed him to his car where he opened the passenger side door for her. Kirin stepped in and Jaeger closed the door after her. He got into the driver seat and started the car, warm air began to flow into the canopy. While they were in the cabin the windows fogged up but slowly they were able to see out again.

Jaeger flipped his lighter again to light a cigarette. Before he puffed he cracked the window. "We're not going to die. I'll make sure of it."

"Last time I checked we don't have any special powers or are we even armed. We have nothing, Jaeger."

"I have you and you have me. We'll figure something out," Jaeger looked at her, her hands in her armpits.

"You're right," she replied. "We don't even know our circumstances yet."

Jaeger nodded at her and put his car in gear. He began to drive down the dirt road. Kirin leaned her head on the cold window and slowly her eyes began to slowly shut. Her mind was consumed by the sound of the car and the crunching of gravel and earth underneath the tires.