The sun shone brightly as Allura trekked her way through a sea of grass with Flora sleeping on her back and Rune in his pack. Allura paused as she took a moment, waiting for her breathing to lessen so she could listen to Flora’s. The young girl’s breathing was shallow and labored, making Allura sigh heavily. Flora had fallen ill, and Allura did all she could for her with the knowledge Curo had passed to her.

“Just gotta keep going forward," she whispered to herself, and she continued her way down the dirt path.

Night fell as Allura reached a dark city, built by cold stone walls, and only a few people walked its streets. She stopped at the first she came across and they told her where to find the doctor before she rushed her way there.

The doctor saw to Flora immediately, and Allura finally had a moment to rest in the waiting room, only to realize the toll of her haste. She had pushed herself too far and cultured her own illness, but in this cold city, the doctor cared more for his profits than his patients, leaving her penniless after Flora’s treatment.

The girls left the office with Allura carrying Flora on her back again until they reached a shelter for beggars that offered free food. The woman who ran its kitchen was kind enough to provide a warm bowl of soup for both of them.

“You mustn’t strain yourself so hard," the woman spoke softly while placing a blanket around Allura’s shoulders as she ate before doing the same for Flora who was already asleep on the ground beside Allura.

“Thank you so much, Madam Lilly," Allura smiled weakly.

“You should pray to Sanocuro, or another God that still watches over this world, not one that has long since forgotten us," she suggested while eyeing the pendant that hung from Allura’s neck.

Allura’s eyes widened with color rising in her cheeks as she hid it back under her shirt with a panicked haste.

“Don’t worry child. Who you follow is not my business," she assured her before taking her leave.

Once Madam Lilly was gone Allura carefully set her bowl down, and she glanced around before retrieving the pendant out from under her shirt. The pendant was smooth and white, carved from bone with elegant curves, and tied to a simple black cord.

Allura continued to stare at it as she tried to remember the last time she had actually looked upon it like this before she shook her head clear, and she safely tucked it away once more.

“What was that?" Flora mumbled as Allura shook her head and smiled at her.

“Nothing, just a memory." she hummed, and Flora rubbed her eyes with a yawn. “Are you feeling better?”

“A little," she coughed as Allura pulled her against her side. “I’m hungry though…”

“Here!" Allura chimed while picking up her bowl and handing it to her.

“But isn’t it yours?" Flora asked.

“Yeah, but I’m full, so you go ahead," she lied with ease as Flora nodded happily before accepting it.

Flora ate with her appetite free of the illness, and Allura looked to the night sky overhead. Before long the soup was gone, and Flora was sated once more. She curled back up on the ground with her head resting in Allura’s lap before drifting off without hesitation, leaving Allura to her own thoughts.

“Hey there," a man chimed while sitting next to Allura, and she jumped slightly before scowling at him. “Whoa, what’s with the hostility?”

“Shush!" Allura hissed at him before speaking quietly. “My sister is sick, she needs the sleep.”

“You’re not looking so hot yourself," he stated bluntly while pressing the back of his hand to her forehead, and she quickly smacked it away.

“Who the hell do you think you are?" she growled quietly.

“Lars," he hummed while extending his hand in greeting, and Allura met him with a cold stare, earning a sigh. “Well, most call me Larsolis, God of-”

“If you don’t lower your damn voice I will stab you, god or not." she threatened in a hushed tone as his eyes widened slightly.

“Excuse you child, I-" he started again in a slightly louder tone, barely a moment before she drew an arrow, and she thrust it towards his thigh only to have him catch her wrist with a look of bewilderment. “You weren’t bluffing," he whispered as her eyes narrowed.

“I don’t know what kind of sicko, perv you are to be preying on kids at a shelter, but-..." she started but fell silent as he looked into her eyes, and a vision of his true form filled her mind.

“Now, I have a mission for you." he started with a smirk, and he pressed a finger to her chest before sliding it diagonally down to her hip.

*SMACK*

Lars blinked in confusion as his cheek throbbed, and he looked at Allura’s brightly colored face before looking to her chest to find no line. His gaze lingered on her chest in confusion, earning another smack from Allura that was loud enough to awaken Rune and Flora.

“What’s going on?" Flora questioned as she blinked, looking between the two.

“Ehnh?" Rune asked as well.

“PERVERT!" Allura shouted as Lars looked back up to her face before he tried drawing the line across her front again, and Flora screamed in a panic.

Shadows swallowed the girls and Rune whole causing them to vanish, leaving Lars confused and alone.

“What the hell was that?" Larsolis breathed in shock while gently touching his cheek.

“Menshio!” Larsolis barked.

“Yes?”

“As the god of Knowledge, what do you know of this Allura?!”

“Do not mistake my participation in the new era as an interest in your antics.” the Ancient God of Knowledge huffed.

“Where are we?!" Allura pressed as the pitch-black darkness gave way to a lighter one. “Rune? Flora?!”

“Ehnh," Rune answered.

“I-I don’t know," Flora began to panic.

‘Calm yourself,’ Usko’s voice echoed silently in Flora’s head. ‘You slipped through the shadows, and because the night is so dark you have traveled far.’