While Mordecai didn’t really see himself getting involved with this whole crisis, especially since his accursed father was among the gods now, but this was bigger than them. Better than anything they had to deal with before and lots of innocent people were going to die unless those capable of fighting would fight. He fit that bill, though it took much for him to reluctantly comply to join in. Before he knew it, he had ended up in Endapano, surrounded by the bustle and hustle of the resistance forces, either tending to the injured, beginning or ending their shifts or anything in between.

He managed to duck and dodge those that got in his way for one reason or another, but there was one person that snuck up on him that he really didn’t want to run into.“Hey there, brother! I barely recognized you…”

“Dante.” He could recognize that annoying voice anywhere, any time. Mordecai glanced over his shoulder and saw his younger brother hugging him. “It’s been a while…think the last time was when you tried to skewer Father. How have you been?”

“Go…away…horny toad…”, he quickly replied it was clear that he didn’t get along with him. While the same could be said to all his siblings, Dante was one of the few that his father treated a bit special and therefore deserved his special ire. Not to mention his appearance was too similar to their father’s. “Now that’s just rude. I’m no toad, I’m a rabbit.” Mordecai pushed him off and continued onward, with the little weasel trailing right behind him. “Anyway, not too sure this is a good idea with you being here…perhaps you should have gone to Apoy or Mamlak. Even Itjivut sounds pretty good around this time of year…”

“He’s here, isn’t he?”

“…Yup.”

“Wonderful” The demon hunter would have to avoid that man, no that thing at all cost. The last thing he wanted to do was to get distracted from the insects by him. “I’m staying and fighting. What the hell are you doing here?”

“Had to come here, for the wife and kids…”

Mordecai stopped in his tracks and Dante bumped into him. He had thought he had misheard him at first. “Wife and kids? You? That’s a hell of a joke.” Only he wasn’t laughing. “Hey, things change, brother. I found someone that could…keep up with me if you know what I’m saying.” Shaking his head, he resumed his trek; he knew what that meant and wished he hadn’t.

“Dante, you must introduce me.” Angela took Mordecai’s arm lightly in her own. “I actually have a job for such a strapping young man like yourself.” The red head’s eyes moved to Dante as she tilted her head. “Your sons are peeping in on the women changing three tents down. I would suggest you go get them before they get beat or worse… Lotus finds out you let them out of your sight again.” Angela had a smile on her face. “Plus… You should know Shiroi is kicking right now. She really really active but you know how much Lotus hates when she gets kicked in the ribs. I wonder how much trouble you’ll be in…”

There was a mischievous look to the woman’s face. Once Dante was gone Angela unlatched herself from Mordecai and had a serious expression on her face. “You don’t have to accept this job from me but I think Steele left back for the battlefield. My name is Angela and I’m the Weaver of Life and Love. I was going to have Steele go out and do this job for me but I think you would work well too.”

Her hands were fidgeting. “Two hours ago I received word that my daughter was on her way here… Only I wasn’t pleased to find out that the mercenaries who were supposed to bring her decided to trek into the western side of the island to get to the camp. They would have run directly into the forces. I can feel she is alive but I don’t have anyone I can personally send. Could I trouble you to go get her? I will pay you handsomely. My children are all very precious to me. Cala is a bard there is no way she could protect herself from these insects. I’m not allowed to leave these grounds.”

Angela appeared saddened for a moment but she perked back up. "However, from what I can tell from the earth… Calanthe has stashed herself in a safe place. Most likely a cave or a high tree hole. Masking herself with the flora of the area. If that's one thing I've taught my children it's survival. Please… Please go out and save my daughter."

Neither of them noticed when she was able to sneak up on them, but at least Dante was getting used to it. Mordecai looked at Angela like she had lost her mind. He was aware of who she was; then again she was one of the more sought out and respected ones. Still, it was kind of out of nowhere as he found himself at her mercy. “Auntie, they are growing boys though. They have a lot to learn in this life…”, Dante spoke before that grin of his faded when Lotus was mentioned. As she weighed in how much trouble he would get into with his antics, Dante dashed away, waving farewell to them both. “Never seen him move that fast…” But at least he was gone and he was grateful for the annoyance’s exit.

“Mordecai. I’m unfortunately brothers with Dante. His ever serious look died down a little as she requested a job of him, of someone she barely met. But it didn’t seem like she had many options for whatever this task was. “The pup? Well, that’s what he does- war is his second nature.” Unlike Dante, he wasn’t too surprised to hear that Steele was around here, especially since Father likely drew him into the battle. It wouldn’t have taken much persuasion, at least as much as he could remember of the warlord. “Taking that Dante called you that, I’m guessing this Lotus is your kin?”

For the remainder of his questions, they could wait as the Goddess seemed to want this done urgently. Mordecai was a hunter, but of the demon sort. He wasn’t the bounty hunter sort through, but considering that looking for her daughter would send him into the fighting anyway, the blonde young man scratched the back of his head and closed his eyes. “She might be alive, but from your words, I doubt the mercenaries are alive. At least that’s what I’m going to assume about this situation. I’ll more than likely will have to go around the fighting and be able to go west without too much worry.” While he found the matter of her unable to leave the grounds laughable (considering she had more power in her pinky than most could ever have in their entire bodies), he saved face and started to head out. “I’ll find Cala and bring her back. Don’t fret about it”, he called back to her as he exited the gate.

He was going to bring the girl back through this hell; it was just another mission and he took them all seriously. Failure would not be accepted in the least, and he had to be careful as the daylight hours was waning. If he didn’t find her by nightfall, then the odds of her survival would drop significantly. Actually, his own would drop as well- the night would likely benefit these creatures, or at least some of them and looking for someone in the middle of the forest was bad enough. Add in the cover of the night and it only served to increase the difficulty.

The trek was getting longer the more he headed out west, trying to avoid as much fighting as possible as the sun dropped lower with each passing hour. “Cala! Cala!” His calls eventually earned him some unwanted attention in the form of wasp-like creatures that darted towards his direction. Mordecai took out his scythe and waited before swinging and slicing one of the damned things in two. The other one flew past him and he could hear the buzzing of its wings as if it was in all directions. “Shit.” He started to run forward, trying to get away. There was no time for this- the last bit of light was slowly dying and he hadn’t found her yet. “Cala!” The second wasp burst out from the left, behind him in a blind spot. It gripped at and proceeded to sting his back. He gasped in pain, dropping his weapon and frantically grasping at it to toss it off him. Damn thing got him in one of his shoulder blades but he had dealt with worse. He took his khopesh out from its sheath on his right side and stabbed the wasp. It struggled and escaped but the damage was already done- mummy rot would soon claim its body and life. The demon hunter grasped at the wound it made on him and continued his search. “Cala! Cala! Angela sent me to come find you!”

“Both Steele and Dante are married to my nieces.”

Angela shook her head. “I felt their life forces leave a while ago. Knowing Cala she is probably using what’s been taught to her to survive. My children are fighters but not all of them in the physical sense.” Once he agreed to it she took a sigh and smiled. “Thank you very much. I owe you a great deal for taking this request.” Hopefully, he made it.

Once he took off she could only wait for his return. But deeper into the woods and through the insects was Calanthe. The trees in this part of Endapano were huge and this often led to them having hollow spaces. How to utilize them was a special skill that not everyone could do. So once Calanthe heard her name she immediately perked up. Her light skin was smeared with a mixture of leaves and berries to throw the insects off her scent.

She moved part of the tree trunk out of the way showing the opening. She proceeded to sneak up behind Mordecai. “I’m right here.” She put her hand over his mouth and took him back into her tree trunk. She put the gate back up and proceeded to slather the mixture onto him. “You need to smell more natural. Even I can smell you.” There was a stack of fruits and what looked to be a bowl of leaves fastened into a water holder. She had moved quickly to make sure she could survive just a bit longer.

“Shhh.” She put her finger to her lips as the buzzing passed by. Her eyes of gold watched for a while before she took his shirt off. “You are hurt.” she motioned for him to show her. Calanthe was a small woman certainly so much more than her mother with long red hair that was currently thrown up into a rather crude bun. She was covered from head to toe in dirt, leaves, and berry juice. Most likely to mask her scent.

“You said Mother sent you?” She began to work healing magic into his back. She didn’t sound scared but the way her fingers were shaking spoke otherwise. She was putting on a good show.

Lords knew that he had been out there for a good while, and still no sign of Angela’s daughter. He couldn’t recall how long it had been and the venom from the wasp was working its magic as he felt weaker than before. With any luck, it would pass within hours and with any further luck, he’d find Cala before then. If that happened, then he could at least rest up a bit and get his strength back up. He still figured that she was alive and kicking, faring better with the bugs than he was doing. The evening blanketed the surroundings, pushing away the last glimpses of light left. It wasn’t too much longer before he heard a woman’s voice from behind and spun around to see one that shared some looks with the Goddess. Immediately he found her hand against his mouth and he understood the meaning behind it. More of the creatures were out and about, taking advantage of the night and he has led away to a tree trunk. It had just been like her mother had said- she made quick work to hid safely and now he could relax inside as well.

A deep breath slipped out of him as he sat down and was now paying attention to the wound on his back. He hadn’t realized much more pain he was in until now. “She did say that you probably masked your scent. Didn’t think that their sense of smell would be that damn annoying.” Mordecai probably should have asked to get his scent masked as well by the goddess, but there was no point in wishing for that now. His shoulders tensed up a bit when he too heard the buzzing, and that action made the pain more irritating. But he kept his tongue until the buzzing went away and was caught off guard when she pulled off his shirt. “Yea…one of them stung me”, he pointed at his shoulder blade. “The bastard will be in worse condition than me, though. I can live with that.”

“She was worried about you, Cala. Heard that the party escorting you ran into some trouble, so she sent me to come to retrieve you. Name’s Mordecai, by the way.” The healing magic felt good against him, he let out a sigh of relief. “Didn’t think they’d get the drop on me that easily. At least you are safe and sound though.”

“It’s one of the few things I caught onto really well believe it or not. When you live out in the Highlands you have to know how to survive the raids. I was a bard for one of the old gods out there.” Calanthe.”If they are insects they probably use smell a lot and even pheromones like… the ones put into your back when you got stung. It’s kind of like when you disturb a hornet’s nest.” Her hands were gentle against his back. “Once one stings you all the others know where you are.” She only stopped her words to avoid the buzzing but her ideas were very clear.

After all the Roses seemed more in tune with nature. She began to squeeze the venom out and before long she applied deep healing magic against his shoulder. “My name is Calanthe but Mom probably only called me Cala.” She gave him a smile as she came back around him now. There was enough room for her to move comfortably.

“It was more than just a bit of trouble. The leader and his second command got into a fight over the route they should take… Unfortunately the second in command killed the leader, as that normally happens in these situations. His idea was the wrong one and we ended up landing on the wrong shore. I took off as soon as I could. Staying with someone who had no survival instincts would have gotten me killed. Plus I had heard the buzzing before they could. There was so many of them Mordecai.” She looked scared but she put on a brave face.

“You must be thirsty.” She got the small leaf bowl of water and was gentle with it as she held it up. “I would give it to you to hold but it’s very fragile.” She wasn’t expecting him to know how to handle it. She tipped it enough for Mordecai to drink before looking towards the exit. “It’s going to get dark soon.” She whispered. “I can see you though… I can see in the darkness but if you can’t it’s okay. We should stay here for the night… Rest so we can try and avoid them tomorrow… Unless you have a plan already.”

She rubbed her neck. “Brynn taught me to think on my feet… I don’t mean to be so bossy.” Her eyes of gold drifted from him as her cheeks flushed red.

He gave her nod, the girl knew her stuff about survival. Her mother’s faith in her wasn’t misguided in the least, which was also good for him. “Have to remember that, Calanthe.” The damn things would have tracked him down and killed them both if not for her quick thinking. He wasn’t sure how he could be so careless, especially in his line of work. A simple retrieve mission shouldn’t have proven more difficult in comparison. They were dealing with something more primal than simple-minded demons. He let out an annoyed sigh at his own carelessness, “I should have been more cautious around these parts. Figured this area wouldn’t have been as bad as the main battlefield. Forgot to consider that there would be scouts sent out…”

Mordecai looked to her and grimace a little when she started to squeeze out the venom. It hurt like the dickens, but it was far better than to wait it out so he bared the pain as it came before she continued on with healing. “I suspected that they were likely all dead. Your words only strengthen that belief. This wasn’t a time to play who’s the boss. Not with those things out there.” It was a shame that good men had likely perished out there, but such was war and a group divided was better to kill off. “Don’t have to worry about anything- I won’t let you get hurt. Promised your mother that I’d return you and I will make it so.”

Looking at the bowl she made, he rose an eyebrow before he moved over and placed his lips against it. He hadn’t seen such a thing before and didn’t trust himself enough to be able to hold it properly. Felt like the thing would break at any moment but Calanthe knew what she was doing. He trusted her well enough not to think that she would poison him or something.

“It’s a little over half a day’s travel back to the camp and eve has arrived a bit ago. Probably better to stay here and travel at dawn. I figure that your mother would at least know that we are still breathing, fortunately."He felt for the where the injury had been and rubbed a few times. He felt better but he wasn’t foolish to believe that he was completely healed just yet. For now, he could rest and let his own regenerating takeover. “Don’t worry about it. I can’t fight against such wisdom when it makes sense.” He leaned back against the inner trunk and threw his head back a little. “Thanks, by the way for the heals. How did you manage to get so separated from your mother and the camp? Came out here later?”

“Humans can be careless… and cruel.” Her words were gentle as she thought about it. “They often only think about how to further themselves… I suppose a lot of races are like that though.” Calanthe’s gold eyes glimmered at him and she appeared to crack a smile just enough under the pressure. It was nice to be reassured again. “Thank you Mordecai.” It really did help her a lot to hear those words.

Her fingers were gentle with the leaf bowl as she helped him take a drink of it before taking one herself. “I thought it was a lot longer but that might have been me just being tired.” She took a heavy breath and rubbed her neck more. “It took a lot to find a hollowed tree you know.”

Golden eyes batted at him as she thought about his question. “Mother taught me the fundamentals of healing when I said I was going to travel the world. I’m a traveling bard. I go where ever the winds of music take me. It just so happened that I haven’t been with my mother for a few years now. I lost my lover you see… so I decided to go on an adventure all of my own. I was out in the middle of it when I was told to come here… Mother had hired some mercenaries that we thought would be of help… When we had the issues.”

She frowned a bit. “I hadn’t told her I was going to be gone for so long but I’ve been lost without Brynn.” Pulled her pack over she pulled out a blanket. She was shivering and Mordecai was warm. They decided it was best that he warm her up. The blanket covered both of them as they laid with her back to his chest. He had his arms warmed around her warming her arms up by rubbing them on occasion. Her teeth chattered a bit and she laughed but it came out like a whisper. She reeled her head back like she was remembering something. Her red hair going against his face for a moment. “Brynn was a lich. Crazy right? He was never warm and his temple when he was a god was cold as ice.”

Her gold eyes closed. “He was incredibly warm even if he wasn’t. He taught me about the old world… The ancient Highlands. The way of the bards and how important they were. My mother had given me to him as a present… Not like that.” Her voice was soft as she corrected any bad thought he might have had. “Because bards were important in the Highlands… They were often the stewards to the kings and other nobles… so I was given to him to be his bard… His steward. When Brynn fell I couldn’t find him and I was sad… I ended up in his tomb and I took his crown. He woke back up and he was angry. I was so scared and I felt so selfish. We were happy for a time. He was slowly killing me though just by being around me.”

She frowned. “He went back to sleep once he realized. His lich life force was slowly taking my own for his. It just hadn’t before because he was a god. He wasn’t a bad man. He had become a lich because people stole from his burial chambers. It’s the only reason I knew how to make him come back.” She frowned a bit more and turned enough to look at Mordecai. “Sorry to lay that all on you… I just got thinking about it. I had to get it out.” She laid her head back down and closed her eyes. “I don’t think I can really talk to mom about it. I think she would feel responsible. She might seem all jolly most of the time but Mom worries a lot. For everything she has to worry about we’re normally her number one priority. It’s why a lot of us left home. It’s why I haven’t gone back home even though I probably should.”

She felt like she was dragging on so she stopped herself. “I had all this inside of me… welling up because I didn’t think I was going to make it to the camp.” She whispered before putting her arms around his so she could sleep. “Good night Mordecai… Thanks for unwillingly being my prisoner.” She chuckled and drifted to sleep.

“In my line of work, I’ve seen such traits basically from all sorts”, he commented. “Some are just better at hiding it than others. But like you said, humans are worse when it comes to that. Everyone has that two-sided coin aspect, just depends on how potent one is compared to the other.” He knew that he wasn’t the shining example of holiness but then again, Mordecai never did preach or act like he was. There were times when he had to embrace the colder side of himself and he could admit to it. “Don’t mention it.” It was odd to be given the water in such a matter, but it helped quench his thirst. “Especially on short notice too. How long you think you’ve been hiding out?” His green eyes watched her with care as he tried to get in a more comfortable position.

“Your mother did tell me that much, which was why she was hasty in sending out a complete stranger to come for you. Well, I suppose not quite as much since my brother Dante is with one of yours.” Saying that felt even stupider than thinking it- him of all people finally settling down…there had to a catch to it. Even more disturbing was that he actually procreated…the world didn’t need a Dante, much less more of him. “I travel as well, but I’m a hunter of demons and such. Basically, a gloried rat killer, just that my prey are far bigger and stronger.”

She seemed good at trying to hide her emotions, at least he was sure that she was given her tone and body language. He didn’t say anything about it, of course. He wasn’t the sort to pry too hard unless needed; he was similar in masking himself at times. Considering that they had a long night ahead of them, he agreed to the idea of huddling up for warmth. He didn’t think too much of it up until she was literally right in front of him. Beneath the dirt and berries, he could faintly smell her scent, especially once her hair covered his face like a damn bush. “Not sure how that works, but not the sort of thing for me to judge”, he spoke when he pulled away from her hair. The name Brynn was familiar, and when she spoke of him as a god, he was able to draw the connection. Although it was a shame for her to use him after losing godhood, the chances were unfortunately good that something would happen. Many fallen gods didn’t last too long in these parts- either unable to cope with mortality again, crossing the wrong people that wanted revenge, or simply faded into the pages of history… Again, he wouldn’t voice such things to her, not when it seemed like her speaking of the man was already upsetting her.

“It’s fine”, he muttered with closed eyes. “Better to speak these things out than to have it consume you. I should heed my own advice, but not really one to face my own demons easily.” So many skeletons in the closet for him to keep up with, and plenty that he didn’t care about. “Parents, at least the good ones, tend to worry for their children. The other end of the spectrum isn’t…pleasant by any means.” He barely knew of his mother, and his father…well, he’d pick drowning in lava over ever making amends with the bastard if given the choice. His hands would occasionally warm up her arms; it seemed like she was much colder than he was, even with the blanket on them.

Mordecai would have told her to relax; that he would make sure that she would get back, but it was already said and done. He rather them not become chow for the insects out there, occasionally on the prowl. He could hear them every now and then but it ended in the same result, their position wasn’t given away. Sleep was necessary though it didn’t come easily to him as it had for Calanthe. He gave her a look at being called her prisoner, though it was in the end, a jest and he pushed it aside to give in to the comforts of sleep himself. It was hard to tell when the time had passed given their position, but when he finally succumbed, it did feel like an eternity when he woke up. He looked around and still found Calanthe up against him. Even if the hours of dawn were a little off, he figured that they could head out and get an early start.

“Hey Calanthe.” His hand went to shake her a little, “Calanthe. Cala, wake up. Think it’s time to hurry and go. I don't hear them out just yet.”

Calanthe chuckled at him and shook her head, “You can at least protect yourself. What will I do? Hit someone with my violin?” It felt weird being so light-hearted when they were so close to death. Then the conversation got turned to Brynn by her own hand. She had been trying so well to hide it but Brynn was the one who used to protect her and keep her warm at night.

Together they huddled and she chuckled a bit in her sorrow. “It’s weird but when you love someone their presence can warm you even in the cold. Even if they themselves are cold. It isn’t a real warmth at all but when its real… It really does feel like the area isn’t cold at all.” Her words were soft and gentle as she thought about it more.

“I suppose that I was just ready for someone to hear it is all… and you are stuck with me.” Her own gold eyes closed as a yawn left her lips. “My father… was a drunk from the highlands. I don’t know how he got my mother to agree to have me or if like so many of my siblings she just made me into existence because he was suitable but she disliked him.” A musing thought really. She reeled her head against his out of instinct as she fought sleep for just the moment. “He… Came for me once when he heard how good of a bard I was. How I could get coin like nothing. He wanted me to make money for him so he could drink without worry. Mother forced him out. I don’t know if she knew I was listening or not… He was a horrible man… So in that aspect, I know the spectrum but maybe not in the same way as others.”

Mordecai was so warm that it was lulling her and soon her thoughts slowly came to a crawl. At first, when he shook her in the morning she swatted at his hand. “Five more minutes.” It was more like a pout but with how groggy she sounded it was likely she didn’t realize where she was. She rolled near him and took hold of his shirt in her hands as she put her forehead to his chest. It was his scent that woke her up. She bolted to the other side of the truck away from him. Her gold eyes were wide and her chest was heaving from the surprise of waking up to him. It took her a few moments to calm down and realize everything was okay. She wasn’t used to his face.

The trunk was so quiet her little heart could be heard beating away in between her deep breaths. “S-Sorry. I didn’t mean… I mean… What I’m trying to say is…” For a bard, she was way too lost in her words as her face flushed and for a moment she balled herself up against the wall and put her head into her thighs. There were a few deep breaths. “I’m sorry that I got too close… if it was a problem. I didn’t mean to.” Her face was still red once she was calm enough to apologize to him. Her gold eyes were sheepishly looking at his now.

Soon after they were packing up her things and she put her pack on her back. “Let’s take a look…” She opened the truck steadily. Her eyes looked about and her ears listened good for noises. “It sounds like they’ve moved on from this area.” She pulled herself out from the truck crawling on all fours until she could stand up. She went to brush herself off but when she pulled at her dress and looked… She realized there wasn’t really a reason to try. She was absolutely filthy. Through the leaves, mud, and everything else in her hair there were glints of red like Angela’s that reflected in the sunlight filtering through the heavy canopy. “We should we good to move towards the camp I think… As long as we’re stealthy about it.”