Amaranthine

I returned to our home in Sano, and I finally mourned Ambrose. There was never time before, what with my running around to become a Hunter to track down my husband's killer. But... the deed was finally finished, and with nothing else left to do, I found the pain welling up once more, and tears escaping my eyes.

Three weeks later, still trapped within my depression, I saw a most fabulous sight. A six winged monster perched on a tree near our home, gazing at me. Normally, a monster, especially a winged one, is one to be extremely wary of, but this one... he was wearing the ring! The matching ring to mine!

And his gaze! It was him! Ambrose! His soul. He had come to me in my despair, and I knew, I had to follow him. So, I grabbed my gear, never having unpacked it, locked the door, and I left to be with Ambrose.

Turns out, Ambrose does not want me to find him. He took to the air and flew away at a most hasty speed. I'm still trying to track him, mostly through magical means; and the ring helps as his possesses a bit of my soul too.

It is finished.

I have avenged Ambrose at last.

I was able to chase the witch all the way from Quartise to Midglen where the trail seemed to go cold. What was the witch's undoing, however, was the abnormally large amounts of monsters in the surroundings.

Apparently, this was a new occurrence for these people, and I slowly waded my way through the zombie monsters until I made it to Midaset. The difference in quality of monsters became pronounced as I came to the small town, and even more so as I ventured through the surroundings until I came upon the forest behind Midaset.

Ten different behemoth monsters lingered in the forest. I saw quite a few pieces of shield fragments there as well, and if I venture to guess, I think that the Order members sent to fix the breaks in the Shield here were probably made into the very monsters that stood in my way.

Seeing that Ettie Bosket refused to show her face by these behemoths, I ventured a guess that she had yet to complete the control over these creatures, which was and is always correct, but even monsters will linger in places where food is plentiful, and if she was smart, she would have hidden her headquarters somewhere untouchable by monsters such as these.

They were wingless, after all, and while two of them were rather grand, the other eight were much dumber and slower. It's obvious in their unfocused gaze and the drool that tends to hang from their mouths.

I immediately cast a sharpening enhancement on my blades, along with a haste enchantment and a ice enchantment as well. They would last only three hours, but three hours is plenty, and I can always recast.

Levitating them with ease, I set the long swords to guard my perimeter, an ice spell on them to slow nearing enemies while my daggers and chakrams headed for my opponents, a lightning spell on those to shock and basically cause seizures for the creatures.

The first two went down easy, and I swiftly captured their souls in the empty Crystals. The third when down after my chakrams shredded its body into pieces, and the fourth after my daggers gutted the creature's brains.

It was from here on that I had troubles fighting the creatures as they teamed up. The swiftest of the two smarter monsters drew in close, taking swipes at my body through the small gaps between the swords. The largest of the smarter monsters shot out projectiles that definitely made through my sword barrier and pierced my arms, legs, and even through my chest. Luckily, my face did not suffer any damage.

The other three ran around, basically causing chaos and making it difficult to focus, what with forest debris flying everywhere on top of the projectiles and the swiping attacks.

What these monsters underestimated in me was my original occupation as an exceptional healer, not that they would know that. As easy as it is for me to wield my weapons mentally, it is that much easier for me to heal, especially my own body.

It took but a pulse of magic through my body to heal all the injuries at once, and another pulse to keep the healing spell on. It's a bit of manipulation magic, but one that manipulates my very cells to either fix itself into its original state, or to replace itself with a perfect original copy.

Once my body was healing, I did away with the annoyances, and took down the large monster first. The projectiles were very annoying as they easily went through my swords, and with the creature's thick hide, my daggers and chakrams weren't doing much damage.

I replaced my shield with the daggers and let the chakrams cleave circles around me while the long swords flew at the monster to make quick work of it. The extra sharp and sturdy enhancement helped greatly, and the stacked haste spells let my swords catch up to the swift one with ease.

Once all the monsters were dealt with, at least the large ones, the ones that would impede my search for her, I then proceeded to wander to the Edge Ridge. If I was a killer hiding in Kyrikos, I too would hide in the Edge Ridge. Not only are the tunnels extensive and easy to get lost in, but it is also the perfect place to hide as no one ventures to the Edge Ridge, not unless they were eager to die or wanted to study the remnants (although, many of these die too, so it's all the same, really).

As I wondered how I would find my culprit, my wedding band heated with warmth, and a light seemed to shine some ways in front of me. I knew at once it was Ambrose that was showing me the way, and eagerly, I followed. He too wanted justice! And I was eager to give it to him.

I found a near ground entrance to the tunnels, and by enhancing the muscles in my legs, I was able to jump high enough to reach the entrance even without wings.

Once the cells returned to normal, I proceeded inward, relying upon the warmth to guide me forward while I left a dagger plunged in the walls to guide me back.

In the end, Ettie Bosket was nothing compared to everything else before. The hunt, the chase, and the monsters. Everything was more challenging, even the tunnel.

She was thirty or forty, but wrinkled in age, with three misshapen wings on her back, two on the left and one on the right. The wings looked like a strange hybrid between scales and feathers, and occasionally bare skin in places. I surmise she did it herself, and poorly at that. Still, considering that that was probably her best attempt, it would explain why she was so horrible at everything else. Why I had little trouble discovering her.

I might have been a bit gleeful when I found the cavern she experimented in. Dead bodies everywhere, notes, papers scattered about, and what looked like broken Crystals and a few pieces of the Shield. If nothing else, all of this was more than enough to condemn her to a life of slavery.

The problem was, I didn't want that for her. Why should she get a chance at redemption when she killed Ambrose? Experimented on his soul probably! A soul that was and is still wandering Kyrikos?

It would have been so easy, to just throw her down a rift, let her die for eternity, or kill her and keep the Crystal with myself until I found a different solution, a way to torture her for her crimes. All these thoughts went through my mind in mere seconds after I pinned her into place with my swords.

One stab, and the deed would be done, or I could use my magic, my manipulation magic, my healing magic, and turn it against her. Turn her body against her and cause her pain beyond pain! And as I was struggling with which one to go with first, to how to prolong her suffering to reflect my own, Ambrose's suffering...

The wedding band grew hot, nearly enough to burn, but it didn't, and a thought rang clear in my mind. Ambrose did not want me to become sullied. He loved me for myself, for who I was, and while he understood the vengeance I wanted, he did not want me to become twisted because of it.

I struggled to hold in the tears as I placed a sleeping spell over the witch. She fell down unconscious, and I used the chains she possessed to bind her. I needed to move quickly, before I could change my mind. Before the vengeance overtook me again.

I walked the unmarked plains until I came to where the Keepers dwell in the Central City. They took her, still unconscious and bound, and promised that she would get her due for her crimes. I left after handing over the many Crystals I had collected during my quest to capturing her, and after I received my money, I left.

It's quite a sum, what I received, not just for the souls I captured, but for the criminal as well. I'll be set for a while yet, not counting the money Ambrose left me when he died.

The time is at hand. I have written my will for my belongings, including my ring. It is my hope that should I perish in this attempt, the ring will remain safe and when I am reborn, I will be able to reclaim it.

It is too bad the object cannot follow the soul, but as a bit of our magics, and in essence, our souls, exist in the metal rings, I hope that this will be enough to connect us through the ages for eternity on end.

Ettie Bosket is getting very desperate! At this very moment, I am standing over the corpse of another poor soul she's killed off in an attempt to create a monster. The poor sod died from extensive manipulation done to his organs and tissues. It's rather a complete mess. A large blob of red and flesh meat, and white fat hanging about here and there.

Disgusting, but inevitably inside us all. The abhorrent result of manipulation gone bad, I suppose. The body's age was only twenty. So fresh, so young. Just starting out in adulthood probably, a farmer, by the looks of his clothes. Well, the parts of his clothing that remain.

I found nothing resembling identification, nor did I find any circular objects on him. Probably unmarried, and while I could try to fix his face, or what's left of his face, I'm not sure if I could place all the bits back in the right places to make it recognizable.

Regardless, a missing report will probably show up soon, not that I'm all concerned about this anymore. She's almost in my grasp now, and if this monster had succeeded in forming, it might have delayed me, but only for an instant longer. Lucky me, I caught the soul before it could re-inhabit its old body. Nice and snug in a crystal. I'll be sure to take it back to the Keepers, along with the body of Ettie Bosket.

Much Keeper traffic as usual. What was unusual was the acquaintance I ran into. Luciano Peral. A fellow Hunter, one whom I've known since childhood. I might have inspired the idiot to become a Hunter, although at the time, I was complaining of having to heal my mother all the time because of her Hunter profession.

In fact, I vaguely remember stating how annoyed I was that she continued to get the same injuries every time and that I'd probably have to follow her for the rest of my life, and I distinctly remember remorsing how I would never be able to settle down with Ambrose.

So, I'm not really sure why Luciano was interested in stopping me for a chat, but for old times sake, I decided a quick stop at The Blue Clue wasn't disagreeable. The Blue Clue does have the best strawberry pastries that I have yet to taste, and their salads are decent. The kiwi mango smoothie is to die for.

Luciano had chicken, rotisserie, and apparently it was rather scrumptious, not that I would know. He did agree that the smoothie was rather tasty, but he prefers apples... To each their own, I suppose, although Ambrose would have agreed with me. Especially on the kiwi mango.

Then again, I suppose that is why Luciano is just Luciano, and Ambrose is my everything.

Anyways, the idiot wanted to compare Hunting styles and get tips on techniques. Not sure how I was supposed to help with that, considering that I have only been one for nearly a year now and there are only oh so many ways of sealing a soul, and that my original calling was to healing. I think he wanted to trade tips that my mother could have given him, as he's more of a bow and arrow wielder, and since I'm a blade wielder, it just doesn't work.

I did let him know that the enchantments and enhancements were all done by yours truly, which he gushed at, and begged for some on his own arrows. Sadly, I told him the drawback of the rather substantial strength of my magic, which was the short time span.

Three hours apparently isn't long enough for him to go out and kill a monster. Who knew.

I suffered the idiot for nearly three hours, most of it useless, and I swear, at one point, I think he was trying to injure himself so that I might heal him. I, of course, pointed him to the nearest healer, as there are quite a few in Partark. Probably comes from the high traffic of Hunters. Besides, those healers would be much cheaper than myself, as my costs for healings, both manipulation and otherwise, are rather exorbitant. He didn't seem to happy about that.

Three burglars.

Five small-time thieves.

Two scam artists.

And twelve attempted robberies on my person.

The people of Quartise has not changed much, or perhaps I should say that the quality has decreased in the past years. The city is obviously getting worse, but that's what makes the city so interesting!

So much leniency, mostly from lack of funds, but this allows for the many shadowed operations to coordinate complex plans of attack and defense amongst one another.

It also is a wonderful source of information, especially for people such as myself. Not strictly of the Hunter position, but for people seeking information on others of shady origins. The amalgamation of the darkness in Kyrikos, and me, with my swords to get answers.

And answers I got.

For the past month, I have been searching for the root of evil in a more obvious way in hopes of either cornering the magician, or in making myself a target. It seems both results have occurred, although the cornering is more like chasing.

Just yesterday, I was hunting a few low leveled monsters, one of which had possessed a prized horse of my client, and I was ambushed in the woods between the Edge Ridge and Centeld.

Ambushed, not by monsters, but by humans who had apparently been paid quite a sum for this deed. They were well-armed with swords and spears, and one with a bow and arrow that might have been my undoing had I not had a shield active at the time.

The fools were ill-prepared for a fight against me. I am well-versed in fighting after all, and monsters are much crueler and swifter, and besides, the monsters I was dealing with wasn't exactly pleased with the interruption. Particularly the horse.

Well, it wasn't exactly a horse anymore. More like a demonic mount crossed with a bull and a lion. The humans, lucky them, only escaped with their lives because I actually did my job, and used the distraction they created with their screaming for mommy and the general chaos they caused as one of their numbers was bitten a zombie, and actually destroyed the monster and captured the soul.

That did leave the zombies, but I only dealt with them after I rounded up the humans. Really, it was hardly a challenge, except for the one with the bow and arrow. That one was farther away and up a tree, but my blades surrounded the fool and although he was rather cut up once brought to me, he was still alive, and that's what counts.

Once the zombies were dispatched, their souls also captured into crystals, I headed for the Keepers, my assailants in tow. I left them with the Keepers for whatever punishment would befall them. Attempted murder isn't exactly looked well-upon, after all, although most of us know not to commit such heinous acts.

Now, while I did leave them with the Keepers, one of them was rather chatty during the long walk, and made a few comments that helped me to narrow down the location of her.

She is a female magician, one who seeks humans who are not missed who possess magic, and often turn up dead soon after. A she who hired them to either capture me, or if that failed, then to kill me and throw my body into the Nothing.

That would have only succeeded in getting rid of my body, not my soul. In that, I suppose, she has some integrity. A very small amount. Miniscule.

Over the past year, I have kept up with a list of rumors and facts of all the missing and dead humans, especially in recent times, Ambrose being the center of it all. As we all know, magic is the innate ability of all humans, and it is our soul that enables magic.

Now, there have been a few dastardly people in Kyrikos who like to dab in forbidden magics, including ones of making monsters. Murder. Killing for whatever inane reason they possess.

Still, these murderers possess a drop of intelligence in that the killings are not quite labeled as such. People missing, some dying of strange illnesses perhaps, or others perishing in an unfortunate accident.

But in this past month, the rate of missing increased to where more than three people are gone, one of them a child. A little girl, only five, and she'd shown signs of talent with the weather. I discovered this same girl, her dead body hidden deep within the forests near the Edge Ridge. I'm certain the little girl's soul is probably wandering Kyrikos, warped into a monster, and probably wanting the freedom only we Hunters can grant.

While I might not show great care for humans other than those that I am fond of, children are beyond humanity. Children are our future, our past, our present, and they are beings we must protect.

I was in an eaterie in Riview, a quaint place called Fishcotheque, and I overheard a few unsavory characters as they walked past my table speaking of a rather large piece of shield that had been recovered, along with a buyer who's willing to pay quite the sum for this piece. In fact, the price was so high, I would think the buyer would be from a rather wealthy noble family, or perhaps one of the wealthiest magicians in Kyrikos. What either of these possibilities wants with a large piece of shield is up for speculation.

A candle lit for hope, Fasting for peace, Vigilance in my mind, No rest shall I seek.

The day is for you, Now and before, In days yet unseen, Til we meet again.

Love is unending, Conquering all, Unchanging and faithful, Only for you.

The creature is gorging on fish instead of searching for broken shield pieces. Fish! I had hoped it would leave soon enough, but it persists in cleaning out the river of fish. Perhaps one of the souls was a fish enthusiast. I know not, and I care not.

We must stop the depletion before it is too late! I understand the closeness to Quartise is alarming, to say the least, but Nerta is not nearly so bad. Vestr Inn is quite clean and decent. The prices are not overpriced, the food is good, and the service is delightful.

I have decided to call the creature Gigantus for lack of a better name to describe the thing. It has to be the largest monster I have yet to come across, and I have come across quite a few, not just in my own adventures, but in those with my mother.

Gigantus is not capable of flight as I have yet to sight wings on the thing, but it is still rather large. Perhaps the size of twenty prized horses, but not nearly as quick on its feet nor lithe. The monster is rather reminiscent of the lizards found in the Central Desert, although this one seems to thrive near rivers.

I fear the rivers will be depleted of fish, and so I engaged the monster, only to find it not only resistant to poison, but with an abnormally thick hide as well. My daggers and swords have had little effect. I have also discovered that the creature possesses not one head, but three, albeit the two smaller ones are hidden near the shadowed parts of its chest.

As I have failed to defeat the monster on my own, I ask for those Hunters nearby to come and assist. Perhaps with our combined forces, we will triumph over this warped soul, or as I suspect, warped souls. For the moment, I will linger in Nerta. I will be situated in Vestr Inn.

I have endeavored, in the past months, to achieve Hunter status, and thanks to having a Hunter for a parent, I have succeeded in a short amount of time. I suppose it helps that I knew most of the procedures already from having helped my mother in her job during my childhood.

While it is with some regret that I leave behind my job as a healer, know that my services are still available should I be in the vicinity. Otherwise, I will now join the profession of hunting monsters throughout Kyrikos, for my reason, my purpose for maintaining a home is gone.

The official statement of his death is a work-place accident, but I have reason to doubt this. He was in prime health, my healing powers ensuring this, and his mental state was stable, no matter what the statement says. Yes, he was a little obsessed with me, but so was I to him. Our obsession over each other was never destructive, nor harmful. It was a beautiful love, one that was reunited after nearly ten rebirths.

If my love grounded him to reality, then, all the more, it made me happy. But he's gone now, and I am alone, but I know he would not want me to follow him into death, so I live. I cannot bear to stay in our home, not without him there with me, so I have taken up my mother's mantle.

Ambrose and I just visited the cutest little eaterie in Iness called the Cork & Fork. They have a surprisingly good selection of wine, and the best steak, according to Ambrose. I am particularly partial to their sauteed trout. For dessert, we had a most delightful cake smothered in strawberries, kiwis, and peaches. It was delicious!

Ambrose surprised me today. Well, I suppose mother was in on it as well, but it was Ambrose that bought me the one present I have always wished for. A home of our own.

It's in Sano, in between Midglen and Riview where most of my diet comes from, and a short journey to Halfaway, the Order's headquarters, which is convenient for Ambrose.

Our house is modest in size, perfect for a not-quite-newlywed couple, with plumbing, clean water, nice surroundings, and good food, not that it's a urgent necessity anymore. Ambrose is quite the cook, and he's all too happy to cook for me.

He's enjoying his more stable job now, although if there is a need, he'll be called to fix breaks that are farther away, but he no longer has to scout everywhere. Instead, he's charged with helping to fix breaks in this area, and his shifts are not bad at all.

I've already used my healing abilities to help ease some of the magic pollution, and I think my presence alone soothes him. Mother will be leaving in another week; her job as a Hunter cannot be halted as she must support herself. Ambrose and I have offered to support her, but mother's a bit of a free bird, and she is ill-inclined to settle down.

I might even agree with her, but I would rather have all of Ambrose in one place than no Ambrose, or sometimes Ambrose in different places. As such, I've taken to open my services as a Healer to the public. It helps that I've already made a name for myself as an accomplished healer in my youth, and customers are not lacking.