It was gray, bleak, and wet… Very wet. But Mirannda forged forward. She must get through this storm. What lay in this land was the only known realm of a deity residing in the mortal lands of Parvpora. A concept she dare not utter was on the tip of her tongue, and the cause of her fear. It pushed her for urgency and fueled her worry. Not too long ago, a very concerning thought spawned a fresh concept as to what was happening, or what had happened.

With rumors of Dalanesca running amok wreaking havoc, the plants and dryads wilting at an alarming rate, and the rifts above causing everyone to be worried, Mirannda didn’t know what to make of it all. But it was the way she thought it to herself which changed everything. ’With plant life dying.’ And it hit her all at once. Life was dying. If plants were dying, what about the Goddess of Love?

Should something affect the goddess to such a degree, how would that affect the sphere of influence that she is connected to? Following this what if scenario led Mirannda to believe that something was attacking the conclave since taking out the Goddess of Life would be a strategic move. Once she was out of the picture, other the other gods would be in danger. Besides going home to Nemesis’s place, this was one of the closest to her current position. And Mirannda needed answers.

Nelanna sought out the Gods. After seeing Dalanesca, Kohaku suspected that her odd behavior was linked to plant life dying. If one deity is involved then surely they all are. Angela was the only one connected to life, and if life is dying, then that was no good sign. And so he joined her on her search for answers. Zanar would have been the first deity to go to, but Nelanna was having difficulty finding him. The only other deities she knew are Fukugami and Lokir. Goddess of Storms and Luck was her target for today, then the God of War.

The two pushed through the storm with determination powering each step they took. “Perhaps we should seek shelter and wait it out,” Nelanna suggested. Kohaku shook his head, “No, this storm will not leave. We can only keep going until we reach the end.” He could hear Nelanna sigh. He chuckled with a light shake of his head. “I warned you that this was not the best path to take,” he said playfully. Nelanna suddenly stopped walking, sending a wave of mixed emotions towards him. He, too, paused with a brow raised at her, “Nelanna?”

“Mirannda is here as well,” her brow furrowed. Kohaku’s heart thumped and he turned to look right as Nelanna glanced at him questioningly. Sure enough, the beautiful Champion was up ahead. For a moment Kohaku was excited to see her again. “Mirannda!” Nelanna called out, and Kohaku was suddenly aware of the anger his Master was feeling. Since meeting Dalanesca she has felt almost betrayed, her trust in Mirannda wavering. It made it difficult to believe that Mirannda was any difference if she truly was working with such an evil deity willingly. But Nelanna did not know the real Dalanesca as Kohaku did. He never knew her personally, but he has been around long enough to hear talk of her. She was a dear friend of Angela, and he found it difficult she would act like this on her own. He had suspicions, especially after seeing those black eyes of hers. Something wasn’t right. Unlike Nelanna, Kohaku was able to see this, and knew for certain that Mirannda never lies to them.

After they got her attention they approached. “What are you doing here?” Nelanna asked.

She could feel the strength of a champion behind her, but Mirannda did not take the time to investigate it. No, she must go and see the goddess. Time was of the essence, and idle chatter was luxury she could not afford. Maybe it was the thunder above, but she could have sworn she heard her name spoken in anger. Mirannda stopped and turned to see Nelanna and Kohaku. With a defeated sigh, she waved at them and waited for them to catch up.

The anger was clear as day on Nelanna's pretty face. Hurt and betrayed by something, she idly wondered if Cecil had done something to hurt her. Kohaku seemed weary of the situation. She could see the happiness to see her, and the concern for his master's anger. No, Cecil had nothing to do with this. Nelanna's frustrations were aimed at Mirannda. What did she do to invoke this?

Mirannda was taken slightly aback by the tone of voice when Nelanna asked her business here. "Hello to you too, Nelanna. Good evening, Kohaku." She gave him a sultry smile before turning her attention back to the obviously offended champion. "I came seeking an audience with the Goddess of Storms and Luck. I need to see if she is okay." There was something odd going on, and Mirannda wanted to put a stop to it. No way was the phoenix going to stand idly by as the world suffered. The only reason Elata or Calcifer were not with her was the area she boldly trudged forward. "Is it safe to assume you seek an audience as well in this crazy turn of events? No use traveling alone if that is the destination for each of us."

Nelanna blinked at Mirannda’s reply and cleared her throat awkwardly, her face making it clear that she just now noticed how rude she had been. But despite her attempts to keep herself from jumping to conclusions, Kohaku could still feel her frustration and pain. Nelanna is a very good person, kind and loving towards everyone. But her sense of justice was beginning to cloud her judgment. Witnessing the horrors that Dalanesca caused truly messed her up. No matter how he looked at it, he could only see this meeting with Mirannda ending very badly. He could only hope they won’t break what can’t be mended.

He nodded to return her greeting, but decided to say nothing. Right now, it was between two Champions. Mirannda explained that she,too, has come to see Fukugami. “Yes, you would be correct in your assumptions,” his master replied more calmly this time, and then agreed, “It would certainly do no harm to go together.” He spotted a soft smile, but her inner turmoil made him question its sincerity. Nelanna was conflicted, torn between pursuing her suspicions, and trusting her friend. Mirannda’s concern for the Goddess of Storms put doubt in his master’s mind, which offered him a hint of relief. It seemed Nelanna was going to play it cool and, hopefully, hear Mirannda’s side of the story before deciding she couldn’t be trusted.

“Speaking of recent events, do you happen to know what is going on?” Nelanna asked with a tone and expression that surprisingly lacked any accusations. Please, Kohaku inwardly pleaded her, don’t do anything you will end up regretting.

The three began walking together while Nelanna waited for an answer. Kohaku had yet to say something, his eyes moving back and forth between the two. Aside from Nelanna’s very distracting emotions, something seemed…different. Kohaku felt as if someone, or something, was missing. However, he didn’t figure out what it was until Nelanna tensed, eyes looking everywhere around Mirannda with her brow creased with concentration. Looking back at her fellow Champion, Kohaku could see what was missing, and his master could, too.

“Where are your companions, Calcifer and Elata?” She asked. It was an innocent question to ask, but Kohaku could feel her inner concern. He looked at her sadly. It wasn’t like her to act like this, to look for reasons that would prove Mirannda was guilty. It was as if she has already been convinced that her friend was not innocent. Had her run in with Dalanesca messed up her mind that much?

What was happening to his master?

Mirannda gave an inward sigh of relief to see the soft smile. There was no doubt that the other champions would accuse her of betraying everyone by bringing wonton death and destruction to the world. If Dalanesca truly inflicted harm to Angela, then things were clearly confusing. Her goddess would never mortally harm another god or goddess. She prayed that Nelanna wasn't thinking she was playing a vital role in the obviously upside-down events. Her expression turned sad as she shook her head to Nelanna's question.

"Not much, I'm afraid. Dalanesca is moving around far too frequently for me to track her down easily. By the time I get there, she has already sped off elsewhere, leaving a trail of disaster and unnecessary violence in her wake. This isn't my goddess…" Mirannda lapsed into silence as she contemplated what she did know of Dalanesca. The goddess respected Angela, the order of life and death. She forbid Mirannda from murdering a town of innocents for no reason, only to give her direction to others who were stealing from Angela far too early. There is no way that Dalanesca would disregard her morals and start slaying hundreds for absolutely no reason.

Nelanna's voice broke her train of thought as she looked back at her fellow champion and her familiar. She gave a half shrug. "Calcifer hates the rain, but he is here, safe from the wet. Elata is, I'm not sure where. She mentioned something about following a trail of rumors, and then flew off. There was no elaboration, and all contact had been cut off due to distance." Mirannda patted a pack at her side when she mentioned Calcifer. Inside was a jar where the flame sprite hide from the drenching downpour. She gave Nelanna a confused look. "Nelanna… you're not thinking…. Are you? That I would condone what we have heard?" Her voice was hurt, disbelieving as she realized that is exactly what Nelanna was thinking. Did she truly not trust her? "Please… tell me you're not thinking that…"