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[attr="class","nalyrics"]Pretending to be strong
saying I'm not afraid of anything

[attr="class","nabody"]Yeul’s eyes fluttered open, her eyelids still heavy with lingering sleep. The grassy bed underneath her body scraped at her exposed skin as she rose to greet the incoming day. Distantly, the Seeress could hear other creatures awakening.

Combing through her long hair with her fingers, Yeul sat up. The glint of the helm laying to her side hit her pupil, causing her to squint before rolling the metal away from the encroaching light.

A thin fog shielded the young girl from direct sunlight as the star rose steadily above the hillside. The outlines of trees, barren minus their tips green with sprouting buds, stood darkly around Yeul. Other than the aforementioned stirrings, a stark silence reverberated around the side of the mountain. Not even the white noise of wind slipping through the branches and hollowed bark could be heard in the desolate surroundings.

Clutching the silver helm, Yeul stood. Her food stock within her grass-weave satchel was dangerous low, and the shrubs with the capacity to produce berries were all either withered or only blooming leaves. Supposedly, there were at least some wanders around this area, but Yeul had yet to cross them. Any buildings she’d stumbled across were horribly decrepit, to the point where the unarmed girl preferred the danger of sleeping outside rather than under the crumbling roofs.

The Seeress had wanted to go back to the Temple. Hostile as it was there, it was about the only place she could think of to meet Crowe. However, the area she had been teleported to had completely vexed her sense of direction. It was obvious to her now that she was headed through the valley of Mount. Hotan, but by now it was too dangerous to try and return back the way she’d come. At least here, things grew. Behind her was nothing but snow.

Donning the dragon-inspired helmet, Yeul began to walk. It was too large for her head, as evidenced by its movement every time she took a step. The edge of the helm fell over her eyes, causing her to constantly hold it up. Though Yeul had seen similar warriors wearing helms akin to her’s, she had nary an idea if it was part of the design or just a flaw. She’d tried simply carrying the decorative thing, but it proved to be a considerable exercise for her twig-like arms, so she’d let it come to rest upon her crown.

"Chaos has won," the woman’s voice echoed in her mind, clear as when she first heard it, “My power wasn't enough. Soon, evil shall rise from the shadows…you must gather forces to stop it or all shall be lost! Please...My warriors…”

It had only been a full day ago, but Yeul’s memories of the entire ordeal felt fuzzy. Terrified she’d forget it all, she reiterated the events in her thoughts: I went to the World Sight. An Emperor went with me. Crowe was there too, but she disappeared like a mirage. There was also a young silent boy and a sly man. I was voted to touch the crystal, but something must’ve happened…and then I was far from the altar and the others…But why did she call me a warrior? I cannot even swing a stick to defend myself.

Laying a hand over her chest, Yeul felt the beat tense as she remembered her Guardian’s face. It was there now, within her, and she was resolved to not let it fly away again. She had a face to the name, as well as something she’d begun to lose – hope. Caius Ballad hadn’t abandoned her back in the crowded streets of Toresten. Even though he was not there physically, she felt safe…she felt guarded.

After a sizable amount of traveling time, Yeul finally stumbled upon the closest thing to civilization. Tucked among the ancient trees were four cabins, each with intact windows that revealed dusted furnishings and fresh firewood stacked outside.

Silent relief flooded the Seeress’ stomach, but it did hardly anything to satiate the hunger within her. Removing the dragon helm as she approached the entrance to the nearest and largest cabin, Yeul knocked on the door. “Pardon my intrusion upon your homestead,” she started, “But I would be grateful if you or the other inhabitants here could provide me some directions and a meal…Hello?”

Yeul knocked again, blissfully unaware that the corpses of the cabin’s inhabitants were a little ways off. Closer yet was the monster that killed them.