Minutes passed since the incident at the Cliffside. As Cyrus was well into his battle near the forest, far off Cyrene's eyes shot open. She gasps as she jolts up into a seated position, surveying the region frantically. The huntress sprung up on her two feet standing atop a pillar of dirt, her eyes darting at the nearly obliterated surrounding area. Unbeknownst to her, sporadic flashes of sparking energy radiated from within the crater and partially danced around her body. When she inspected her body, the energy dispersed. She moves her hands and arms around, but could not find any new scratches or bruises on her frame. The slight sensation of feeling more revitalized perplexed her.

“What…?” 

The huntress swiftly stops examining her body as her mind shifts its attention to the escaped merchant. Her eyes light up and she frantically scans the area. She thinks to beckon to him in case he resided nearby.

“Hey! You creep! Where are you! What did you do to me?!" 

Her goading fell on deaf ears, yet she tries once more. 

"Come out! Show yourself!" 

She turns swiftly around her vicinity, and was still unable to find him. Feeling defeated, her eyes pivot to the ground and she notices her weapon had been taken. Cyrene was at a loss for what to do next until she recalled recent information given by the enigma.

"Er-erm, well, it doesn't look like you're around here, so I can only assume you're a traveling merchant of some kind. I don't believe you're apart of this village... does that mean you've come from the Grotto?"

“From beyond the Grotto, actually.”

Newfound incentive relishes from within the huntress as she plans to intercept the merchant near the Grotto's entrance.

Cyrene leaps out of the crater and makes a mad dash back into Stalwart Valley in hopes of encountering her target one more. All the while, furtively creeping behind her, a familiar monstrous hand manages to climb back onto the Cliffside. 

In very little time, Cyrene sprints out of the forest while maintaining most of her stamina. Dark clouds drifted over the hamlet, causing the huntress to slow down. Bewildered, she gazes over her home from a distance. Half of the hamlet’s very foundation had been destroyed by monsters. She felt devastated. The near-annihilation of her home gave her pause when she recalls her brother waiting for her arrival.

“Cyrus…” She mutters breathlessly. 

She broke out into a sprint once more. On her way, she bore witness to more of the chaos that ensued. The villagers that were unable to flee inside their homes were killed and left along the path. Those who fought back were either dead or bleeding heavily and close to dying. Brick and mortar were littered across every possible corner. The town was left decimated. 

Arriving near the vicinity of her home, the sight of something concerning made her heart drop. Cyrus was lying in the middle of a small field, his sword firmly grasped in his hand. His attire was practically torn to shreds and newly formed scars spread across his body. Cyrene’s eyes welled up instantly.

“CYRUS!” 

She cried for his name and rushed over to his side. She fumbles to her knees and hoists the bloody man on her lap. Cyrene's hands trembled and she began hyperventilating while holding her motionless brother.

"Cyrus! Hey! Please wake up! You're okay, you're gonna be okay, please get up!" 

She presses her fingers underneath his jaw and against his neck, hoping to find a pulse.

"Please, please, please...!" She wept breathlessly.

She looks back at his face, her hands gently placed on his cheeks and tears welling up in her eyes. Her face became slightly blotchy and her eyes puffed up.

"Dad, don't leave me...!"

THUMP THUMP THUMP

His faint pulse beats against her fingers. She embraces him, bringing Cyrus closer to herself. She lowers her head in relief then raises it to look at her brother. The huntress manages to smile albeit with tears still escaping her eyes.

“You’re alive…!”  

“Just barely.”

Another voice cuts through to her. Cyrene looks up and is greeted by the sudden appearance of the merchant once again. When her sight locked with the enigmatic appearance, she felt her eyes dilate and body quake with rage. Without thinking, she drops her brother and lunges for his sword. She takes it from his grasp and dived head-on at the merchant. 

Her wrathful plunge was followed by a vertical slash at the mysterious man. The attack was easily evaded when the merchant leaped backward. 

“Woah, relax lady,” he said calmly.

“RELAX?!” She snarls. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" She cried and held out her sword. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY FATHER?! WHO ARE YOU?!" 

The huntress balls her fist and glares at the peddler with tears forming underneath her eyes. The merchant slowly paces the ground.

“Me?" He asks, pointing to himself. "I’m no one special. Just takin' a tour of the valley. As for you, I don't think I heard a thank you for giving you a little jump start in power. You should be feeling all fresh and ready to go, right?”

“What’re you talking about?!”

“You’ll figure it out soon, don't you worry. Oh, and don't worry about your pops right there. He's really good! I just saw him wipe out a buncha those monsters by himself. He impressed the hell outta me!" 

"Like hell! He would never get beaten by monsters! You must've been the one that hurt him!"

The merchant pauses. 

“I mean I told ya the truth but believe what ya want I guess..." he shrugged. 

A devious smile forms behind his mask.

"But for the sake of argument, what would you do if I did hurt him?" He questions slyly.

Cyrene could feel a surge of bloodlust emanating within her spirit; the very same sensation which echoed through her brother. She scowls at the merchant, a shell of her rational self.

The huntress lunges at the merchant again, yet she falls short. The mysterious man dodges her attack and disarms her, the sword flying into the air and landing further away, tip first into the ground. He then kicks her away and sends her sliding across the ground. She looks up and sees the merchant looking past her.  

“Well, guess I got my answer. But I’m not the one you should be so focused on killin', sweety.”

Cyrene hesitates to take her eyes off the man. She turns around and sees something approaching her. The monstrosity from the Cliffside returned.

“You have fun fighting that! I believe in you, ya hear?"

Cyrene spins herself around to face the merchant.

“You’re not going anywhere-”

The merchant was already deep inside the forest, barely visible to her sight. The creature from the cliffside inched closer to the hunters. Cyrene noticed the weapon was meters away near the forest, too far away to retrieve and return in time to defend against the monster that tread closer to her brother. The monster takes several swings while she is distracted, but Cyrene dodges them in the nick of time and kicks the monster, pushing it back with great force. It falls to the ground and starts collecting itself off of the blood-soaked dirt. She balls her fists and raises them toward the monster, ready to defend her brother. The huntress glares at her target. 

“Sword or no sword, I'm not letting you touch him!”