At first, Elena couldn’t tell where the dream stopped and reality started. Her focus had shifted onto Malice for only a moment, and when she looked up, the vortex of chaotic colors had already replaced the meadow. It might have been another vision conjured by the Goddess, or maybe even from her own mind this time.

The hard rock digging into her back quickly disproved that thought. Finding herself suddenly awake, Elena turned her head to look around, or at least she tried to. Her eyes only got one swift glance at the white flower before her free hand shot up to clutch the side of her head. She hadn’t even noticed the pounding in her skull until the pressure burned painfully behind her eyes.

Elena almost thought she was falling as her ears rang and her vision blurred. A steadying hand on the ground told her she hadn’t actually moved. Still, her stomach protested the sensation and almost threatened to lose its contents entirely. As she waited for her brain to distinguish which sensations were real and which weren’t, her eyes inevitably landed back on her sword. Malice’s black was the only color that wasn’t swimming in her eyes. It wasn’t comforting, but at least gave her something to focus on.

The sword felt tamer than it had during her dream. Although it was still humming with furious energy, the corrupted hatred it contained had turned from a raging inferno into the low rumbling of a volcano. Malice would gladly strike out at any target that presented itself, but right now, the blade would obey its wielder. Hopefully, it would remain this docile once Elena rejoined her party.

That thought made her stop. Yesterday, she had planned to leave and go on alone. A foolish idea, sure, but still better than hurting the people dearest to her. But then her Goddess had visited. The beginnings of the dream already frayed at the edges of what Elena could remember. As far as she could recall, there had been little happening before the unexpected appearance of the divine figure. Seeing the Goddess in, well, not in the flesh exactly, but the closest she would probably ever experience, had been stranger than Elena would have imagined.

The Goddess of Creation was the most powerful divine being in existence. There were a few disputed records of Her talking to mortals or appearing to them directly, but as far as Elena knew, it was never in such a… familiar context. As she remembered the warmth of her Lady’s legs and hands, Elena’s head quickly turned red. And then there was the topic the two had been talking about. The few priestesses and clergymen who had visited Eastwood in the past usually spouted about the sanctity of procreation and that one shouldn’t indulge. But now their Goddess commanded the exact opposite.

Elena should have been happy about it. Ever since she had become the chosen heroine, she had prayed to receive guidance from her Lady. Now that she had, though, the advice had been for the one topic she had thought irrelevant to her life. Her mind still churned at the memory of Tela’s state, yet she felt glad at the divine confirmation that she had done nothing wrong. How she would act upon her command was something Elena had to think about some more, though. For now, her focus returned to regaining her bearings.

Her current resting place, the stone Elena had been sleeping on, might have been the biggest of the bunch, but in the morning sun, it became clear how little that actually meant. It was just barely large enough to lean against. Next to the rock grew the testament to life’s resilience that was the bush and the delicate flower she had first seen upon waking up. Last night, it had done nothing to quell her despair, but now seeing the petals shine in the sunlight filled her chest with reassuring warmth.

However, as she got up and tried to take the first step, Elena stumbled. Her legs already moved to secure her stand, but quickly caught on something. It almost seemed as if she would fall over after all, before her hands landed on the small boulder for stability. Looking down her body, she instantly saw the problem.

Her… skirt, if one wanted to call it that, was little more than a tube of fabric that clung tightly to her legs. It didn’t flare out to give Elena her usual range of movement and had just barely enough room that her thighs wouldn’t constantly rub together when she walked. Most notably, though, its constricting cut did nothing to preserve her modesty.

The fabric clearly contoured her legs, and even when it was flaccid, the bulge in the front was plain to see. Her Goddess had declared she should stop hiding it, so should Elena just walk back to camp in her current attire? The idea caused her dick to harden slightly. Unfortunately, its length had no room to maneuver either and strained against the fabric holding it down. For a moment, Elena almost thought the cloth would rip.

Thinking about it, Elena soon concluded that hiking up a mountain in her current attire would have been nigh impossible, so her free hand moved down to remove it. However, as it turned out, her hastily made creation had no easy way to take it off. There was no waistband she could loosen, nor any other way to open it. The skirt was simply one continuous piece of fabric. As Elena struggled to pull it off, Malice inched closer to her thighs.

The weapon had already ruined her original skirt. It would have been trivial to cut this one into pieces just the same. However, just before the warmth of its corrupted liquid could land on her legs again, Elena stopped it. Her Goddess might have told her to use her other ‘sword’ more liberally, but Malice was still a tool of Evil and would always remain so. The only reason her clothes’ destruction would have been so effortless was because the blade stood for everything she was supposed to fight against.

Malice leaked out one bigger drop of its dark blood to do it regardless, but it was already too far away. The hilt heated up in agitation. Instead of acknowledging her weapon, Elena returned to her original plan. She pulled, or rather ripped, her skirt down below her knees. When her penis finally sprang free, it was still semi-hard, but she ignored it too. The fabric tore in a few places before it softly landed on the ground. Getting her feet out of the slim cloth was trickier than expected, but soon enough Elena stood skirtless in the frigid morning air.

With her mind focused on the task and the early sun providing a little more light than the stars last night, it was trivial to create an actually useful replacement this time. Drawing upon her powers filled her with the usual warmth, even if it was nothing special. The skirt looked plain, but its purpose was protection from both attacks and the elements, not fashion.

One reaction Elena hadn’t anticipated, however, was the intensifying heat she suddenly felt in her hand. Her sword was still reeling from being denied its destruction, but using the Goddess’ gift so openly had Malice’s rage boil over in an instant. In contrast to the cold now brushing against her bare legs, the corrupted blade grew hotter and hotter.

Elena instantly clutched the sword with her dominant hand. Her grip was not the controlled handling of a weapon, though. Instead, she suddenly had to fight against Malice to somehow get its hatred back under control. Despite the blade’s searing temperature, her other hand snapped to the hilt as well. After another heartbeat, it shifted upwards to gain more leverage. Why her scant power use would set the blade off in such a way, Elena didn’t know.

Malice vibrated with barely contained fury, its black blood pouring out of every crack. Primordial anger directed at the heroine, the world, and most of all, the Goddess responsible for it all. In the end, Elena kept her weapon away from her newest creation. As she pushed the corrupted sword aside, it left no damage on her skin. Her hand only ended up coated in the black blood.

Similar to her experiments, the liquid caused no damage. Elena almost wanted to wipe her hand on her skirt, as she had done hundreds of times. Thankfully, she caught herself just in time. Afterwards, Malice’s anger petered out almost as quickly as it had appeared. Elena let out a huff of air as she did her best to calm down as well. Her breath formed a small cloud in the frigid air.

Although nothing had actually happened, her sword’s reaction had shocked Elena. Her right hand was still clutching Malice’s hilt, and she almost feared its anger would flare up again if she loosened her grip. Only when seconds had turned into minutes did she finally put her sword down. Letting out another sigh, she finally turned back to her original problem: Where was she?

While running away, her brain hadn’t really paid attention to the path she had taken. If she remembered correctly, there had been turns, stumbles, and maybe a few small leaps. In what order or where exactly any of those had occurred, she didn’t know. Looking around, there was no smoke nor any other indicators of her party’s whereabouts, so she eventually decided to hike up the mountain for now. It was probably a safe assumption that, in her panic, she had run down the incline more than up. At the very least, it would give her better sightlines. In the end, Elena would hear her companion before she spotted them.

“—can’t believe you! She’s been gone all night! What if she’s hurt? Or attacked, or—”

Elena stopped just before the crest leading to their camp. Partially to catch her breath, but the burn in her legs suddenly felt trivial compared to the knot forming in her stomach.

“If something truly happened to her, she knows to stay put and is more than capable of creating some sort of signal. Nonetheless, I agree we should look for her.” Tina must have perked up at Rolan’s words as he hastily added: “Together. The last thing we need is someone else missing.”

Compared to Tina’s agitated voice, the commander sounded… not calm, but focused. Elena could only imagine how tense and worried he was as well. She should just come out before they spend more time and effort fretting over her disappearance. However, just as she was about to, another voice made her stop in her tracks.

“I told you that’s unnecessary.” Tela, in contrast to the others, actually sounded relaxed.

The ranger instantly interrupted her. “I don’t want to hear that from you! Why did you even let her go?! You should have told one of us! Hell, Elena should have said something instead of running off alone!”

The elf just let out a sigh big enough that even Elena could hear it. “She didn’t ‘run off’. She is simply communing with her Goddess. As she had done plenty of times before, need I remind you? She’ll be back soon enough.”

Before Tina could rebut the mage again, her brother spoke up instead. “She’s here.”

With just two words, the discussion instantly stopped. Judging by the sound of fabric and metal armor shifting, they must all have followed his gaze. For a moment, Elena’s heart hammered more intensely before she tightened her grip and took the last few steps into the clearing. The camp looked the same as when she had left it, except for some bedrolls that their owners had hastily scrambled out of.

Instead of their camp, Elena focused on her companions, especially Tela. The elf’s composure seemed as collected as ever. Her eyes were focused, her hands steady. None of the frantic behavior of last night, nor any of her evidence left behind. When Tela noticed the heroine’s gaze, she simply raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Elena almost thought she couldn’t remember what they had done. Then the elf gave a small smirk and licked her lips.

Before Elena’s face could heat up, Tina thankfully became the center of attention again. “Elena! Where have you been?! You can’t just run off like that!”

“I’m sorry. I had to… pray about some things… with the Goddess.”

Tela let out a tired puff of air. “I told you—”

“And why did I have to hear about it from Ray of all people then? When you go off in the middle of the night, you tell the gods-damn watch! We should have just—”

Tina’s hectic speech made it harder for Elena to follow, but one word in particular sprang out at her. “Wait, Ray noticed?” Truth be told, last night she had put less effort into staying hidden than she should have, but knowing someone actually had seen her and Tela finally made her ears burn with embarrassment.

“Yeah, and apparently she thought it was a good idea not to tell me! ‘Elena isn’t a pup anymore. Just give her some time.’ Why do we even have guard duty if nobody says when they leave!” Tina’s impression of the beastkin was surprisingly accurate, but before Elena could respond, the wolf in question joined in herself.

“And I was right, wasn’t I?” Ray’s eyes roamed over Elena’s body for a second, but there didn’t seem to be any deeper meaning behind it. “No need to wake everyone if it was fine. Besides, I didn’t smell any blood or anything.”

Ray had said it to reassure Tina, and the grumbling ranger eventually turned back to packing up camp. Elena, though, had a very different reaction to her words. Just because she couldn’t detect any blood didn’t mean Ray couldn’t have smelled something else last night. Or maybe even the time before that.

The rest of the morning passed in awkward normalcy. Like last time, Elena and her sword kept far away from any soft fabrics or foodstuffs. In lieu of anything else to do, it gave her ample opportunity to watch the camp and her allies. Tina occasionally looked back in her direction, still not entirely satisfied with the explanation. Ray and the knight commander, meanwhile, must have thought the topic over, as they focussed on packing up. And then there was Tela.

The elf worked as efficiently as ever, but she seemed to notice whenever Elena looked over in her direction. Sometimes glancing back at the heroine, sometimes shifting her behavior in subtle ways. The way her hips swayed when she walked or how she bent lightly toward the heroine when stretching. Although Elena wasn’t sure if it was less actual change on Tela’s side and instead her paying more attention to the little quirks of her companion.

Nothing further happened, and soon enough, the party was back on the road. Technically, the mountain range should be behind them soon, but it was hard to tell. The snow-capped peaks still looked as imposing as ever from the ground. The party traversed through narrow passes and mountain roads, sometimes single file, but always with the rangers in front calling out hazards or loose footing. Everyone else followed in an open formation, with Rolan taking point and Elena guarding the rear.

After the last few days, the march was routine, but that just gave Elena’s mind more opportunities to drift to other topics again. She had watched her party members at first. With her attention on the road ahead, Tina had let her suspicions rest a bit, but it seemed the ranger girl was still mulling over Elena’s disappearance on her watch. On the other hand, Ray seemed to have forgotten the morning tension already, assuming she had even noticed it. Now and then, her ears would snap to some noise, but her head wouldn’t follow. Overall, the beastkin moved through the rough terrain with fluid grace.

As the sun rose higher and morning turned into noon, though, Elena always caught herself watching one party member in particular. Like the beastkin, Tela seemed unbothered by the harsh ground. Where her petite frame hid that surprising endurance was not immediately visible, and having seen Tela’s naked body so recently only reinforced that thought in Elena’s mind. Every time her eyes drifted over to the elf, Tela quickly caught on to her and turned to meet her eyes. Instead of breaking off the eye contact, Elena met her gaze. It was still embarrassing and her head might have turned a shade redder, but what gave her the incentive to hold it were the words of her Goddess.

‘Embrace it. Study it. Share it.’

It was remarkably similar to what Tela had wanted to do that first night. If their roles were reversed, the elf would probably not have hesitated to follow the divine command. However, Elena also remembered Tela’s earlier state. Overwhelmed. That’s what her Lady had called it, but She had also said that it wasn’t inherently dangerous. When exactly it would be safe to continue, Elena didn’t know.

As the trek went on, both the metaphorical and literal weight Elena had to carry seemed to grow heavier. The sword in her hand was an ever-present reminder of her task, and it was not exactly light in any sense of the word. With her arm growing tired, it was a great relief when the party finally stopped for the day. As the rangers were cooking dinner together, Elena was more than happy to just lie down and let her body rest. The idea of sneaking off to offer a solitary prayer was tempting, but now that the party had stopped, Tina was once more watching her like a hawk.

“Do you smell that?”

Elena looked up at Ray’s words. The mountain air was still a bit too cold for her liking, but she quickly took a lungful anyway. The most immediate aroma was, of course, their dinner. “Smells like stew.” It was basically the same food they had eaten since entering the mountain range. Part of her couldn’t wait until they reached the plains beyond, another dreaded it.

“No, I mean the air. The corruption’s thinning… Well, except for your sword.” As if to illustrate her point, Ray tilted her head up and sniffed the air.

Before Elena could answer, Tela suddenly cut in. “That trend won’t last. Once we leave the mountains, it won’t be long until the first signs of corruption show up again.” The elf was watching over the fire, only half paying attention to it or the discussion. When she noticed Elena’s growing unease at the topic, she gave a small smile. Probably to reassure her, but the feeling didn’t quite reach the heroine.

The rest of the evening passed quickly. They had made good progress, and there wasn’t any need for another tactical discussion, so the party soon went to bed. Unfortunately, it was Elena’s turn on watch again, so the heroine eventually found herself guarding over the dying embers of their campfire. The night was as beautiful and boring as ever. At first, she tried to pass the time with her skipped prayers, but it did nothing. She hadn’t expected another divine message so soon, but even her own turmoil barely receded.

Running off to train with Malice was also tempting, but Elena feared that the moment she stepped away, Tina would catch her out somehow. Plus her legs were still sore and the terrain a bit too rough. Twisting her ankle in the middle of the night was something she could decidedly do without. That only left stargazing to pass the time… or watching her companions.

Tela hadn’t woken up to interrupt her night for once. That shouldn’t have been odd, to be honest. Elena had spent most of her previous guard duties alone, after all, and even her Goddess had warned to give it some time. Still, spending hours with nothing but her thoughts had never really been Elena’s strong suit. So, as the night stretched on, her mind circled endlessly. From the dream, her Goddess, and whether Elena will see her again, to Tela and the two nights they had shared, as well as the many more that her Lady apparently wanted them to have.

Malice pulsed in her hand at the thought, its warmth offering no comfort. The sword was restless as always, corrupted liquid coating its cutting edge. It must have gone through this song and dance a dozen times already, but the weapon still held onto its unending hatred. Elena wondered how the other heroines dealt with it on nights like this. Had they distracted themselves somehow, or indulged the power of Malice.

When her shift finally ended, Elena was already half-asleep. Thankfully, Rolan didn’t keep her awake for long as he peeled out of his own bed. By the time he took her previous spot by the embers, Elena had already settled in, and her eyes instantly closed. Her dreams were the usual mix of meaninglessness and reflection that she would forget as soon as she woke up.

Morning arrived viciously soon. When the sun crested the mountains and forced her awake, Elena could have slept for another hour at least. The other party members started their day as they usually did. Ray and the rangers seemed unbothered by the early hour, while Tela and Rolan prepared for the trek ahead. Nobody paid much attention to the groggy heroine, and before long, the group was back on the road.

The first difference from yesterday occurred around midday. It was a little hut, wooden logs probably sourced in the valleys below and pulled up by some draft animals. It wasn’t a home, consisting of only two rooms with no beds or other furniture. Still, the shelter was the first sign of civilization since they had left the kingdom.

There were a few supplies inside, enough even that their group could have lived off them for a week, but they left without taking anything. The structure had likely been built as a refuge from blizzards or storms. At the moment, though, the weather was as clear as could be, and it was too early for the party to stop for the day. Instead, they marched on.

After the little mountain hut, the terrain subtly shifted. No longer were there precarious mountain passes and steep cliffs. The ground gradually turned greener, and it seemed more travelled. Trails from livestock and hand-drawn carts were subtly present in the weathered path. Then they came across their second undeniable sign that civilization was close.

“It’s rotten. Shouldn’t that have taken a few more years?” Elena felt tempted to prod the remains of the fence. The poor thing was close to falling over from the slightest gust, though, and she didn’t want to destroy it further.

“That’s probably not a recent development. The owner must have neglected its maintenance even before they left.” Tela’s analysis was clinical and most likely accurate. Her last word still left Elena feeling a bit sick.

“Do… do you think they got away in time?”

The mage turned around, but Elena’s gaze stayed locked on the decaying wood. “There aren’t any signs to the contrary, so yes. There are neither demons nor any carcasses left behind, so even the livestock was evacuated.”

Although Elena should have felt reassured by Tela’s logic, the knot in her gut remained. If she had been faster in her training or had set off earlier, the people and animals that had once lived here might not have been forced to flee in the first place. It wasn’t a very helpful thought. For all she knew, they had abandoned this harsh region before her cycle even began. Still, it was her responsibility to make it safe for people to live here again.

The road only grew smoother after that first pasture, as the way ahead became clearly laid out. Instead of steep footpaths, it turned into a shallower gradient snaking down the mountain. Perhaps even loaded wagons and handcarts could travel up the incline. At one point, boulders and a shallow trench diverted a stream around the path. All the while, the plant life surrounding them increased with every step down the mountain. Bushes and flowers nestled along the road and sometimes even on it.

Naturally, it wasn’t long before the first real settlement came into view. “Still no movement. I think it’s abandoned.” Tino’s voice was just loud enough that everyone could hear him, but it didn’t echo through the valley. The party had been watching the village for a few minutes already, lying on top of a small ridge to have a clear view.

“That’s a good thing, right?” Honestly, Elena had no idea what she should be looking out for. At their current distance, she could just barely make out the doors and chimneys of the houses. If there were someone hiding down there, she would never have seen them. The rest of her party didn’t seem to share her issues.

After another second of observation, Tino finally responded. “Probably. Demons don’t set up ambushes to begin with.” Turning around to look at him, Elena’s gaze momentarily caught on her elven companion instead. Tela’s scrunched eyebrows seemed to disagree with his assessment, but she said nothing. Only when she noticed Elena’s gaze did the elf quickly compose her features again.

Ray took the silence as her signal, as she suddenly sprang out of their hideout. “I told you it smelled empty.” Tino must have agreed with that judgment, as he wordlessly stood up as well. Only Tela shared one last glance with Elena, but the heroine could not decipher its meaning.

As they walked into the village, it was silent. Rolan and the rangers were still on edge, hands on their sword and bows, while Ray was their complete opposite. The Blackwolf seemed to have complete confidence in her senses as she strolled across the small square at the village center. Most doors and windows were shut tight, but when Rolan tentatively put his hand on a handle, he found it unlocked. The inside was dark and the knight commander didn’t step through.

Eventually, the party reached the biggest house in the village. That said little, considering there were only eight of them, but it was the most reasonable place to start their search. Again, the door opened without issue, but the hinges loudly creaked when Rolan pushed it open. Elena half expected someone to call out at the noise. A warning, or a signal for an attack, or maybe even to welcome them. Instead, it was deathly silent. No people shuffling about, no dogs barking at them, or livestock wandering the streets. It reminded Elena of her dream meadow, but there the stillness had been peaceful. Now it felt eerily oppressive. A wound only made noticeable by its absence.