Prince Aiden did come back a few minutes later, carrying a rolled paper. He unrolled it, and held it in such a way that the firelight caught the details and brought it to life under its light. It was a map of the world- with cities, rivers, and mountains of the continent all laid out before them. Bright ink was dotted on it, like notes on the margins of a book. 

“Aiden.” Kiln dropped a warning, and Asura couldn’t help but agree with him. Prince Adanian was showing a stranger the map they carried with them. In war, a map was very important, and she was sure it was just as important in times of negotiation. 

The prince waved his hand dismissively. 

“Children in danger is a travesty to any nation. I can’t turn a blind eye as a prince of one.” 

Angling the map so Asura could also see, he pointed to a place just south of Jerome. 

“I was given reports of a flesh merchant that specializes in… fetishes. His headquarters are under a corn farm, underground.” His scooped his hands down to emphasize that it was under the earth.

His finger pointed to another place, by the coast, north of Ardwen. 

“When we docked, I saw many workers looked much too young. It’s possible that they could also be dealing with the selling of children.”

“But my gut is telling me your friend is here.” Aiden pointed to a city, also north, by Gensen. 

“There is a place of worship around here. My informants have never seen a child who entered come out. I believe this is where they’re keeping your friend.” He tapped the spot repeatedly, to emphasize his confidence. 

Asura’s eyes were fixed on the spot he pointed to. It looked a lot like the temple that the Goddess resided in. The one where her time was turned back. The one she was just at last week, where she ran into Duke Pontius himself. 

“I’ll bet they also deal underground, away from the eyes of the city.” Aiden then looked at Asura, checking to see if she was paying attention. 

“But that’s a temple.” Asura half-heartedly protested, her chest sinking with each passing second. 

If this was true, she had been right there. The children had been right under her feet. 

“It is. It’s just not a sanctuary for good people anymore. Not all holy places are virtuous.” He offered, a bit gently, as her face looked to be breaking down in sullen regret. As the silence grew, Aiden began to panic a bit. 

“I’m sure you’ll be able to find her here.” He gave a weak reassurance, and started rolling up the map. 

“I can give this to you?”

Asura seemed to come back to her senses a bit when he asked her a question.

“No, I know where those places are. Thank you for your help.” She looked down at her leaf of food, suddenly not hungry anymore. She forced herself to stuff the rest of it in her mouth anyways, no longer interested in talking. 

Swallowing, she wiped her mouth with the inside of her wrist, one of the only places that was still somewhat clean. 

“What will you do with it?” Asura gestured to the dead creature at the entrance of the camp. Currently, three of the guards were looking it over. Asura saw that one of them was the claw marked victim, lively and spry as ever. Some of the guilt she held slid away with the sight. 

“Harvest what we can carry, and leave the rest up to nature.” Kiln answered for the prince, rolling up his leaf idly. When his comment wasn’t followed by anything else, Asura recognized it was time for her to leave. 

“Thank you so much for saving me, feeding me. Your hospitality is… unmatched.” Asura stated, looking both Kiln and the Prince in the eyes before standing. 

“I will be on my way. Safe travels to you.” This was the safest response she could give. She didn’t know how to show respect to royalty, but Aiden grasped her forearm in farewell, smiling at her. 

“Safe travels.” He mirrored. 

She rearranged her clothes, settled her backpack and makeshift holster on her person once more, then left the campsite. Her knowledge of the stars came in handy tonight, guiding her back to her makeshift home in the spacious estate. 

Once her back was out of sight and the noises of her travel faded, Aiden still didn’t take his eyes off of the trees. 

“Assign an escort.” He had two reasons for doing this. To guard her return, and to help with the inevitable rescue that girl would recklessly try. He could see it in her eyes.

…And maybe he wanted to get more detail on who she was, since that eagle hilt was no mere sword. 

Kiln turned away to assign someone, when Aiden spoke up again. 

“You go. You like leaving your prince in the hands of others anyway.” Aiden playfully sneered at Kiln for letting Asura take him without a fuss. Most trusted guard, indeed.

“Do you know any assassins that look like that?” Kiln dropped his shoulders incredulously, his eyebrows raised and a finger pointed in the direction that Asura had left. 

“I’d be more worried about a rat.” It seemed like his eyebrows would rise above his head and fly away with how high on his forehead they were. 

“Hahaha!” Aiden was amused at Kiln’s response. 

“All the more why you should go. You guard rats best.” He chuckled at Kiln’s expression, both dark and dreading the journey. Kiln complained a lot, but this time he did not. It was a detail that led Aiden to believe they were both thinking the same thing. 

That girl will be killed the next time she steps foot outside. 

Her overconfidence bore a hole in their conscience. The torn shirt, rumpled clothes, sodden boots, soot all over face, and the roped belt holding a sword that was probably too heavy for her to wield. It was like watching a toddler run with scissors. Toddlers should never run with scissors, or in this case, swords.

“I guard princes, not rats.” Kiln patted Aiden on the head in affection and left to assign his replacement while he was gone. 

Aiden smiled at his back, then turned in the direction Asura had left.

Safe travels. 

He bid farewell once more. 

“Achoo!” Asura sneezed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. 

Is someone talking about me?

She was back in her rooms, freshly bathed and steaming. Surprisingly, she made it back without incident, contrary to her expectations. This brought both relief and a little bit of suspicion. 

Someone needs to train their guards better.

She was tired, so tired. Her legs and arms pounded with each heartbeat and her stomach ached with each breath. Still, she relished the sensation of her body tearing and growing stronger. The movements she learned in her past life were being molded into this body, her younger self. She had magic that allowed her a Talent, and better yet, she could protect the people she loved with it. 

Her hands tingled with the memory of shielding Prince Adanian. 

With a small smile playing on her lips, she dozed off to sleep in a wave of appreciation.

“We’re almost there!” the coachman called out from his seat. Asura had requested to go back to Gensen the very next day after her nighttime escapade, but it had still taken two days to get permission from her parents, prepare transportation and lodging. Because it was an eight day trip one way, Chrystoph accompanied her atop his own horse. All other adults were unfit for the trip with Orsen still recovering, much to her dismay. This would mean her arduous training would continue throughout their journey. 

It was hard to win her parents’ approval, even with Chrystoph escorting. She couldn’t give up even a single inch of her efforts. Resolving herself to her fate, she gathered her things strewn about in the wagon, preparing for departure. 

She didn’t mind that it was a wagon, the soft sides allowed for the wind to blow through and the open ends provided a great view. She preferred not to be trapped in the wooden cage of a carriage anyways. 

Upon their arrival, Chrystoph assisted the coachman with his duties. 

I have to do it now. 

Asura knew she would be scolded later, but she needed the safety of day to scout out the temple in order for her to have the highest success rate. She was looking for anything that would lead underground, as Prince Adanian had suggested. 

“I’m going to find a restroom!” She shouted, then turned on her heels and ran, wielding her real urgency to support her excuse. 

The streets were less crowded after the festival, its inhabitants back to their normal activities. Children played in the streets, and while there were still vendors, there were many less than the festival because they were local to the area. Some of them Asura knew by name. 

Because it would be safer for her to have witnesses, she allowed her hood to fall from her head, her dark locks braided into a long rope. Nan wasn’t with them on this trip, so Chrystoph did the best he could with what he had. Today it was a leather cord with beads on the end of it. It reminded Asura of the tassels the Remurian warriors decorated their spears with.

Rounding a corner, she recognized the fields leading up to the temple, full of vibrant yellow flowers. There was no blood splattered on them today. 

It would be better for her nighttime activities if the underground entrance was outside the temple, so she approached with watchful eyes. Its stone stairs were barren except for two figures on them. One was the priest that encountered her on her last visit, and the other an elderly woman, holding a basket of what looked like onions. 

As she drew closer, she caught some of the conversation. 

“-and it would please this old lady if you could take some.”

“Oh, no no, I couldn’t possibly-”

“You know my grandson left to become a priest just like you and-”

Asura skirted the stairs, moving past the conversation and arrived at the back wall of the temple. Green and brown stains were set upon it, remnants of cleaned up plants and bits of time. She scoured the bricks, looking for any separation or hints along its grooves with her fingers. 

Passing inspection, she sighed. 

Of course it wasn’t that easy. 

Going around to the other wall of the temple, she was again at the stairs, the back of the priest facing her and the old woman too short to see her. Slipping inside the doors, she walked down the aisle once more, her steps echoing against the cold stone floor. 

The familiar statue stood at the end, two dark lines of shadow cascading down its face. As she drew closer, her feet slowed their pace and she blinked her eyes several times. 

The shadow on the statue’s face was dripping off the chin of Piatys’s serene likeness, landing with a muted plip at her feet. 

Plip… plip

A sense of foreboding filled Asura as the statue came close. Close enough to discern its face. A liquid the color of crimson leaked out from the corners of closed eyes, its serene gestures disturbed. 

The statue was weeping blood.