Clock: 7:00 AM

  Shirin opened her eyes, surrounded by the soft padding of the blanket. The opened window allowed light to pass through lighting the room solely on its own. She lay there alone, Sylvia who'd slept beside her the night before was nowhere to be seen.

  She tried to get up from bed but failed to do so. With a clenched jaw her fingers travel over her body and just now she noticed bandages over self. Her eyes widened but it further widened when she couldn't move the rest of her body.

  “Why can't I move?”

  She tried to push herself off the bed but fell back. She looked around the room. On the bedside table was a thick book, and a few pills of colour-blue.

  “Sylvia. Are you there?” She called out. And immediately got an answer.

  “Yea.” With the response came hurried footsteps and the door swing opened. “Good morning.” Said Sylvia as she walked in.

  Sylvia: “Hope you had a good rest.” Saying that she sat at the edge of the bed. “Feeling anything strange?”

  Shirin: “Yea.” She answered followed by taking a long breath and her chest tightened. “It hurts to breathe.” With few chocks in between.

  Sylvia: Sylvia reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from Shirin's forehead. "You're safe. You're at our place. Just breathe.”

  Shirin: “I just said it hurts to do so—”

  Sylvia: “Medicine time. I'll go get warm water.” saying that she left the room.

  Shirin: “H-hey is it bitter?” Before she could get an answer Sylvia had already disappeared.

  From somewhere around the house Sylvia replied, “No idea. I never tasted it.” Hearing that a slight frown formed on Shirin's face.

  Sylvia: It wasn't much longer until she returned with a glass of warm water in hand. She placed it on the bedside table and said, “Let me help you sit up.”

  Saying that Sylvia pushed the blanket off of Shirin, revealing more of the bandaged body. Shirin looked at herself with wide eyes and dried mouth. With hand in hand she was aided to sit up.

  Shirin: Eyes didn't wander off of the bandages, “What's the condition of Riven?”

  Sylvia: “Can't be said much but he's fine. For now.” She popped a pill. “Can you take it by yourself?”

  Their eyes met. And she nodded.

  —{StoneWell Inn}—

  In Riven's room Jude sat on a chair next to the bed with his legs crossed and with a book in his hand. While Jude flipped pages and muttered words under his breath Riven lay in the bed staring up at the ceiling, while the sunlight hit his face.

  In comparison to Shirin the bandages on his body were minimal. From what was visible due to the blanket up to his waist, only the shoulder and neck were majorly bandaged. With other parts being his arm.

  Riven could freely move his head as he turned to look at Jude.

  Riven: “What are you reading?” The cover of the book was sealed in another cover. Of colour-green.

  Jude: “A book.” He said without missing a beat.

  Riven: Raised an eyebrow and eyes back on the ceiling. “Pretty informative… How's Shirin.”

  Jude: “Probably fine.”

  Riven: “Fine. Just that?”

  Jude: “I told Sylvia to give her medicines from time to time. Trust her. She does her work.” He added a bookmark to the page and closed the. The bookmark in particular had the name written, “GlassGarden” on it. And, “~Sylvia”

  Jude met his eyes and continued to speak, “From what I saw last night it may take a week to fully recover. There's nothing critical going on right now.”

  Riven: “Hey, did we get poisoned?”

  Jude: He took his glasses off, now between his fingers. “Yes, but like what I'd expected. The venom inside you isn't strong and not dangerous as it should've been. Perhaps. What you fought wasn't a Gloomcall Harpy. But something else.”

  Riven: Eyes widened and he shifted a bit in bed to better look at Jude, “How so?”

  Jude: Cleared his voice and put back his glasses over his nose, “First; The venom isn't the same…”

  He paused.

  Riven: “And?”

  Jude: “That's it. I didn't think much of it. I had other things to do.” He said reopening the book and eyes scanning the page.

  Riven: Took a deep breath before his next words, “Any idea of what it was?”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Jude: Flipped a page, “For that I'll first like to ask some questions. How big was it?” He asked without meeting Riven's eyes.

  Riven: Hearing the question he looked up at the ceiling and paused for a moment. He answered, “About 5 feet.”

  Jude: “Height or length?”

  Riven: “Length. Approx.”

  Jude: “Could it run fast?”

  Riven: “Um, it was fast I guess.”

  Jude: “Looking at the injuries I'll make an assumption on the talon size. Meaning it was a Dust Runner Harpy.”

  Riven: Blinked twice, “How can you tell?”

  Jude: Their eyes finally met “Reasoning, based on your answers plus the area they choose for nest, and the time of season, it's mostly them. Plus, other harpies of the same patterns aren't found here. On the other hand I may be wrong… Wrong if what you're saying isn't accurate.”

  A long silence fell over them. “But um… That'll also mean that you can get compensation for it. Because the guild provided false information.”

  Riven: “I see…”

  The sunlight peeking through the window highlighted the page as he muttered words under his breath. Seconds passed in the quiet moment as no words were exchanged… until Jude got a bit curious.

  Jude: Side eyes to Riven, “And who was this woman, who helped you?”

  Riven: Cleared his voice and averted eyes from Jude, “Someone.”

  Jude: “Someone, hmm, nodded to himself, “And what's the name of this. Someone?”

  Riven: Turned his back to Jude with much effort, “Her name? I don't know.”

  Jude: “Hm, ‘I don't know’ is indeed a pleasant name.” Said with a smirk on his face.

  Riven: “Hey, I can sense your lips twitching.”

  Jude: “I can tell.”

  —{Calira’s Room}—

  More than half of Calira's body lay in bed tangled with the sheets. While the other half hover over the floor with a cigarette in her fingers. After each long drag she pressed the tip onto the ashtray on the floor. An empty glass sat beside it, empty of any contents in it.

  Her hair was a mess as it wasn't combed. She wore the same clothes as yesterday. While an envelope sat at the table with its wax still intact.

  Smoke escaped through the window and out to the open air. The room was dimly lit and experiencing a tyndall effect. Even in the dimly lit room the dark circles formed under her eyes were clearly visible.

  Another long drag. And after letting it out she pressed the tip on the tray and dropped it.

  She let her body fall back into the bed and cuddle with her pillows. She sniffed her own sheets and rubbed her face against them.

  Her breath caught a rhythm under the closed eyes of the tall woman. Her slender fingers grip tightened against the soft pillows and rubbed her cheeks against it.

  Suddenly there was a knock on the door followed by a familiar voice. “Calira. Food's at the door.”

  And soon disappearing footsteps were heard getting further and further.

  Calira got out of bed in a smooth motion that led to edges of the blanket dropping onto the wooden floor.

  She opened the door and without looking at what was left she brought the plate in and set it on the floor beside the ashtray and glass.

  She sat on the edge of the bed looking down at the breakfast served of rice, and a few pieces of cooked meat.

  Reaching beneath the bed she pulled out a glass of wine and poured herself a drink.

  —{Somewhere, hidden behind the cover of trees}—

  Zara was cooking a juicy piece of steak with a smirk on her face. In a camp… While multiple bandits lay unconscious on the ground. Some were awake but with hands tied.

  Zara whistled while cooking over the flames. “You made the bad decision of jumping me. Should've just let me pass by.” She said while lunching the steak in the air and catching it by the pan mid air. “Thanks for the meal though.” She said after setting it aside and starting to prepare a side dish. She pulled up her sleeves.

  “What's a gold doing in this forest?”

  “Just passing by. Could've avoided me but, NO. You had to jump me. Damn.”,

  Zara continued to whistle while the bandits stayed motionless where they sat.

  Even the trees in their surroundings bore marks of slashes. Some were uprooted and had fallen onto the ground.

  A sudden gust of wind slightly blew her hair and she moved. Her sudden movement knocked off the cooking utensils. She'd shifted several feet away from where she stood in a blink of an eye.

  “What was that? I'd sensed mana flow. Magic?”

  Her eyes scanned her surroundings. Behind her, beside her, the bandits, sky… “Wait, the bandits. Some are missing.” She said as her brain registered the empty ropes lying on the ground.

  Her hand instinctively reached for the daggers, but her left hand stopped mid way, her eyes shot upwards and she leaned to her side. And something descended from the sky. Looking beside her she saw the tip of a spear pierced through her right and to the right thigh.

  The person who'd done it. A woman with long wavy cyan hair tied in a ponytail. Though her face wasn't visible. But what was visible was that she wore a blue cape over normal clothes. And earrings.

  Another thing that was visible was the fact she'd stepped over Zara's right ankle. She also seemed to be as tall as Zara, or even taller.

  Zara's eyes widened.

  She again moved her body and fell to the ground several meters away besides trees.

  The person now stood tall and her face much clearly visible. Strands of hair fall over her forehead, just above those green eyes that had locked on to Zara on the ground.

  All of that happened in a matter of seconds.

  Zara's jaw clenched in response to the smirk that played on the woman's face.

  “Lucky dodge.”

  Saying that the woman started walking towards the wounded Zara. Her spear also had another but smaller sharp blade on the other end. Also wearing high heels…

  “Caught you off guard, HardVolt? You're getting slower.”

  While one hand was wounded the other was armed with the dagger. Her body moved and kicked the woman's calf. She just lifted up her foot off the ground. And stepped on Zara's leg.

  Zara bit her lip suppressing a sound.

  The tip of the heel dug into the skin through fabric.

  No words were exchanged except the noises of quiet pain.

  A sudden gust of wind and shock of voltage crashed onto one another and both females disappeared from where they were.

  Zara leaned onto and clung to a tree under its shade, breathing in a steady rhythm. She opened a small glass bottle and poured its liquid over the wound. The wound started to cover up.

  By instinct Zara raised her arm to her left side. The spear's sharp tip came to stop just a few cm away from her eye.

  Blood drips down to meet the pulled up sleeves from earlier. Her veins popping out from their place. “I stopped it.” She whispered to her tightened arm spitting blood. She started to relax, not losing the rhythm of breathing.

  The hand came to rest on the handle. The hand didn't belong to Zara. “Lucky.”

  Seeing her Zara's jaw clenched tighter her whole body stiffened and the spear's handle broke under pressure.

  Widened eyes followed seeing Zara breaking the spear. But soon replaced with a clear soft expression. “Impressive.”

  Zara lunged forward trying to grab her. But a strong gust of wind blew against Zara's face and Zara was momentarily blinded.

  She slowly lifted up a part of the broken spear and smacked Zara with it. And giggled.

  Zara's eyes flared open, unable to look up at her but with much effort let out a high voltage of electricity sending the enemy flying back slowing down before gently hitting a tree behind her.

  “You— Bitch!”

  Zara cursed, her eyes started to glow and she charged at her with lighting speed and knuckles digging into the attacker.

  The enemy let out her own burst of strong wind shattering the tree behind her.

  Zara didn't stop and switched to her daggers. Those two blades made hundreds of stab wounds into the body in front of her in a matter of seconds.

  Zara finished with a kick. The blood battered body stumbled back onto the floor of grass and dried leaves.

  Her rhythmic breathing finally broke, she turned around and leaned against another tree. Her knees fell to the ground, and rested her forehead against the bark.

  She'd just begun to heal her new wound when the body stood up. Clean. With a frown on her face.