Still finding it strange to be so warm, Watseka’s eyes popped open as the glow of the morning sun began to warm in the eastern sky. At first the temple seemed so foreign and yet almost instantly seemed like home. The thoughts of her past began cascading through her mind … distant screams, red hair, tears, a kiss … a long, cold trek through the melting snow … being afraid and alone … looking out the window in her room, watching children play … the threats of severe punishment if magic was performed outside the temple … excitement and shyness during her first trip to the market … the dream … fear and anger watching the children being killed … the heat as the fire exploded from her body from the knife wound to her heart … strength and a growing friendship from traveling together … voices praying in her head … unwanted attention after the speech … sadness and love for others from seeing prisoners and Niala in such a horrifying situation … excitement of traveling with Amphion, a centaur, and finding Niala’s homeland.

Quietly getting up to get dressed for the day, Watseka dreamed a dream of stability, of a home and family, of safety and security. With a sigh, she finished adjusting her chain shirt, gathered the last of her things, and packed them away in her backpack. In silence, she sat on the steps of the temple waiting for the others to join her enjoying the warmth and sunlight as it peaked through the trees on the horizon.

Excitement and anxiousness anticipating the trek to the shard distracted Watseka during breakfast and the meeting with Viath.

“… elderly and children are missing. I would be grateful if you would look for signs of them in the Ruins,” Viath finishes.

“We would be happy to aid you in this. Consider the task taken care of,” Conner replied.

Rubble covered the ground making it harder to walk as they entered the Ruin Maker area. Several hundred feet in, the upper half of a small girl was found haphazardly dropped along the ‘road’. It was Miara, one of the children missing from the village. Her small body was ‘scratched’ or possibly ‘chewed on’ by something of great size.

Amphion uttered, “She will be returned to the village. Please help me get her onto my back.”

Passing by an old library pulled at Conner’s longing to enter and explore. With much anguish, he agreed to return later. Watseka’s eyes grew wider at the awesomeness the farther they went into the Ruins almost to the point of ‘popping out’ when they came across Thrush’s village. The humorous argument of it being seven / ten years since The Long Dark suddenly no longer seemed amusing especially after seeing Thrush looking down on the bodies of his family and then himself.

Little was said as they continued walking toward the green glow deeper into the Ruins. It seemed to take forever to move closer because of the debris from the buildings that had been destroyed when they had hit the ground. The eternity of a few moments shattered as the ground beneath their feet gave way sending them into another building below. Everyone felt the jarring stop twenty feet down but before Watseka could do any healing, a mother Remorhaz reared back, coiling around the emerald colored shard, roaring at them for daring to enter the nursery. Without a moment to lose, Watseka used her magic to help Jogalia be more able to defend himself. A series of TWANGS could be heard as arrows flew toward the creature from Thrush’s bow causing her to bellow in pain as they pierced into her flesh.

Jogalia yelled, “Remorhaz, we only want a small portion of blood from you and then we will leave!”

Knowing the situation would not be solved with words, Conner pulls a vial from his belt pouch and drank it as wings began to grow from his back. Watseka put her hand on Jogalia’s arm again enabling him to be able to strike the Remorhaz easier and do more damage. TWANG, TWANG could again be heard as two of the babies fell to the ground. The Remorhaz roared again, this time scaring Amphion, Skal, and the mercenaries who began to try to dig their way out of the room. Jogalia stepped forward to block one side of the stairway down into the nursery. The babies spit little fireballs at Jogalia who quickly used his sword on them dispatching two more. The mother Remorhaz almost seems to sing, calling out to her unhatched eggs for them to join in the fray. Unsure of the outcome, Watseka throws a fireball at the mother striking her and healing the damage caused by the arrows.

“Oops. Sorry,” she quietly said.

Conner, knowing Watseka must get to the shard, scooped Watseka up in his potion-strengthened arms and began to fly toward the shard. Jogalia decided to run passed several of the infants to take the battle directly to the mother. TWANG TWANG. The Remorhaz roars with defiance at Jogalia and chomps down on his arm as the infants shoot little fireballs at her to heal her presently unharmed body. Jogalia roars back at her showing he has no fear. Conner continues flying forward while Watseka improves his defense with magic. TWANG TWANG. The Remorhaz bites down at Jogalia who almost seemed to allow himself to be taken into her maw where he thrust his sword up into the roof of her mouth. Heading directly for the top of the crystal, Conner landed and began to set Watseka down on the shard. TWANG TWANG. Knowing what had happened to those nearby the shard, Watseka yells out to be dropped as she tries to climb up Conner’s arms, away from the shard. Her foot swings down losing purchase against Conner’s arm strikes the shard causing it to explode, shredding through Watseka, Conner, the Remorhaz, the infants, as well as the unhatched eggs. Numbness and pain consumed Watseka’s foot and began to edge its way up her right leg. Still having a hold on Watseka, Conner lowered them to the floor. A sword bursts from side of the shrinking body of the Remorhaz. Shredded but knowing they must get Jogalia out of the Remorhaz, Conner and Watseka attack her. TWANG TWANG. Two arrows strike the creature finally dropping her to the floor.

Realizing that everything else was dead from the shard fragments, Watseka quickly healed Conner and says, “Hurry! Jogalia does not have much time left!”

The two of them began carving down the side of the Remorhaz to free Jogalia. Suddenly, Conner sees Watseka fall to the ground. Her right leg had become emerald crystalline in appearance. Begging for him to free Jogalia, Watseka tries to hide her fear and pain from Conner. “Please there is no need for two of us to die today,” fills her thoughts as Conner turns to continue. The burning numbness continues through her body, down her legs and arms, heading toward her chest.

Terror consumes her as she struggles to take air into lungs that are shifting into the emerald shard. Before Watseka can scream, the searing pain surges across the rest of her body, completing her change into pure crystal. Somehow she can still hear but can not move or talk. Unable to help, she hears Conner and Thrush commenting on Jogalia’s near-death condition. The spell of fear must have finally passed because soon the sound of Amphion’s voice joined theirs.

“… foot touched the crystal and it exploded shredding into Watseka and me,” Conner said. He continued, “The Remorhaz lost her power and size allowing us to finish her off. Watseka healed me and we were going to check on Jogalia but when I turned to see where she was, she was on the ground, the lower half had become transparent and green like the shard. ‘I’ll be fine,’ she said so I tended to Jogalia first before returning to her. When I turned back to her, her transformation was complete. I found this note, rod, and powder in the next room. It would seem that I left it for me ‘in the past’. I am definitely going to have to think on that!”

“That shard is bigger than Watseka,” Thrush stated.

“I know. It keeps adding new shards to the outer surface so lifting it out of here using a rope would be very risky!” Conner’s voice faded off becoming more muffled.

A very small piece in a giant puzzle … concepts beyond comprehension … thoughts too great to fathom … time seems to fly by and yet stand still … tranquility.

As the piece of emerald-inlayed stone is gently removed from Watseka’s face and mouth, she slowly and deeply inhales followed by her eyes fluttering open to see Niala kneeling over her, holding the chunk of stone.

“I am glad it is you here with me … I owe you my life now for I think the men would have left me inside forever.”

There is a feeling of excitement in her voice and yet a noticeable sign of exhaustion. She attempts to hug Niala but her arms are weak causing Niala to lift her up for the hug. Niala notices the tears flowing down Watseka’s cheeks when she lowers Watseka’s head to her lap offering her a cup of dark herb tea. As Watseka gingerly takes the cup and sips the hot, soothing infusion she realizes the face looking back at her from the rippling liquid is not her own. Startled, she drops the cup and notices that her body is not right either. At first there is pure panic on her face as she tries to contemplate what has happened to her. Lifting Watseka’s head to her shoulder, Niala strokes her head, gently rocking her like a child.

“What happened to me? Why …”

“Shh shh shh. It’s all right. If Kol had you grow up early, I am sure there is a reason. As you helped me after … my trials, I will help you through this, little one. Well, not any more.” Niala’s soft laughter helped and Watseka’s shoulders began to relax.

For several hours into the night, Niala explained to Watseka about the things that her adult body would experience, about men and what to expect from them. Watseka could hear the tension in her voice as she explained the latter.

Watseka sat quiet for a while absorbing everything she had been told. “Not that they could have been much help with what you explained to me but I do have my comrade in arms, my friends, to help me through the rest of it. When I leave, who will you have?”

“I will have Valera, and a rebuilding of her church. There are many things about her that even she does not understand. The madness which swirls within, on the edge of pure love, leads to many new emotions for the Brides – and it has consumed most. Now, however, we must come to terms with our pain, learning to function in spite of it. But more than that, I will have Viath, and our children will lead us to a new land where we will be free from persecution.”

After helping Watseka stand and walk for a few minutes, Watseka noticed the pile of her belongings with her necklace lying on top. Carefully walking over getting used to the length of her legs, Watseka picks up the necklace. “Niala, as a Bride of Valera, maybe you can help me. This was my mother’s necklace. When she kissed me goodbye, she left this behind. Is there any significance to it with the Brides of Valera?”

“The shape of the necklace is not familiar to me, but the stone from which it is made is. It is known as Heartstone – from the mountains where it was said Valera’s tears created the Qani’thi, my people, deep into the continent of Suranami. The Brides consider items made of Heartstone to be sacred. But I do not recognize this pattern.”

Before Watseka was finally willing to lie down to sleep, she asked Niala for a mirror. “Goodness! My mother may have only known me for a very short time but it would seem that she chose the right name for me … Watseka means ‘beautiful woman’. Thank you for all your help tonight. I should let you get to sleep. It’s good to see you in the Temple,” Watseka tells Niala with a smile on her tired face.

“Sleep well, Watseka. I will be down the hall if you need anything. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Niala. I will see you in the morning.” Watseka laid down eventually falling asleep hearing the gentle breathing of Conner and Jogalia on the far side of the room. Again her mind seemed to drift off to that place it had found after the emerald had darkened and she lost the ability to hear, where she knew an overwhelming amount of information but grasped little.