24 The Organization

The entire trip to the village, Irvin kept glancing at me in shock. I'm sure Andri and Lark already told him, but it seems Irvin didn't believe me developing abilities until he saw it for himself. We jump out the tree line into the quiet village. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I expected more than nothing. There's no chaos, no undead, no...anything. As it stands, they will have a harder time believing me if there's nothing here. We continue forward remaining vigilant.

"Lark, are you picking up anything?" Irvin asks.

"No, not even nearby animals are making any noise," he replies.

I shiver at the same unsettling quiet as before. I stick to Lark. He clears his throat to draw attention to this. I chose to ignore it in favor of clinging harder. Fearless compatriot, I am not. Seeing as I wasn't going to let go, he drops it. The village is small, and we discover the blood. Now dried and browned. A fine tremor seizes my hands.

"This is where we first saw those things," I mutter.

Lark pats my hand, in sympathy? Pity? I don't care which, I'm all in favor of leaving and never coming back. We finish searching the village and discover it's as abandoned as it appears; this helps me lose tension I've been building leaving me with a belly full of questions? Irvin may not believe my story, but even he has to admit something happened. We don't stay for long. When we return, it's time for the midday meal. Lina says Daric hasn't spoken a word. I feed him some soup left from morning meal. He ate little, but at least it was something. I yet to get hungry or eaten. After, we pack and make actual progress on the journey to the capital. Lark flew the wooden oza, while Daric and I sat in the back. I refused to get back on those four-legged monstrosities. I saw the way Kala was eyeing me. Irvin and Andri rode their pleos with the prisoners tied behind them, while Scias, Lina, and Ryo shared Bao. The day is uneventful, and we keep going until it nears sunset. We stop to make camp and have an evening meal. Daric ate more than before, but not enough to satisfy me. Ryo sets up the temporary room. Daric and I change into sleep clothes and go to lay down. Neither of us able to sleep well.

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A cloaked figure puts distance between them and camp to reduce the chances of being discovered. Once far enough the cloaked figure waits for their contact to appear. A shift in the shadows puts them on alert but lessens when they see who it is. A shadowy figure cloaked in black smoke comes closer. The contact, X, has arrived.

"What happened?" X asks half illuminated by moonlight.

"It seems the spell wasn't necessary and she returned when the anchor died," the cloaked figure replies.

"Are you certain she's the one we need?"

"I will check her talent level to be sure."

"Do that. I'm sure I don't have to mention what will happen if you identify the wrong woman. We need the surge her blood asura will provide. Few people can tap into that kind of power, and none are so vulnerable."

"Understood."

"What path will you be traveling?"

"Northeast to bypass any towns and villages along the way. To reduce the chances of being seen, sticking to side roads. We're pretending to be merchants to travel easier."

"Alright, now go back before you're missed."

The cloaked figure bows deep and slips away going back to the camp.

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X watches as the cloaked figure hides away in the darkness to sneak back. He sighs, /Master has been searching for this woman for decades for she's the key to breaking the cage he was trapped in for five thousand years. If we fail, we won't be able to survive Master's anger./

A noise comes from behind X, and he turns to see the ghost who was once an anchor appear with her new body.

"Is your new vessel working properly?" X asks.

A woman with straight long black hair, voluptuous curves, and cute oval face lifts her hands, slowly opening and closing them.

"I don't have full control, so my movements are a little stiff," she said off-handed.

"It'll take time for your spirit to integrate into the body fully," X narrows his eyes at her, "are you aware of how important your role is, Mistress?"

A fire lights in her eyes, "I don't need your constant reminders," she snaps, "Master has helped me break from a tragic fate forced upon me, I will fulfill his plans." A frightening smile stretches across her face, "and in the process make them regret using me as a disposable replacement."

A shiver runs through X when the woman's eyes and mouth go too wide. He's unaware of what Master told her to gain her devotion, but he can tell if she's given enough power, there's nothing she wouldn't do.

He stares at her for a beat before pulling a book from within his cloak made of shifting smoke. The very book Monna gave the drunkard to summon the draugr. A thick plain white book with no distinguishing features, created from the flesh of an archmage. Curious she asks, "wasn't the mother of the little girl who had this once apart of the Organization?"

X sneers, "useless woman, she declared to have fallen in love. She fled the Organization and hid the book away, claiming never to want such evil to walk Asteria. Our plans were put on hold until we got this book back.

She takes the book, "don't worry, I'll do my part," scorning him she adds, "and I won't be so incompetent as to put it in the hands of a moron to run tests."

Ignoring her haughty attitude, X fades into the shadows. Leaving to check on the progress of Master's other plans. For now, he plans to have the Lioness send some of her people to slow down the traveling group.