Sunmi picked a piece of broken ceramic. She tossed it at the ground with a snort.

“It will take forever to rebuild this place,” she complained.

Sunmi kicked at another piece, sending it flying across the remains of her hut. She walked over and moved stones, searching through the rubble. She knelt and pushed aside a thick wooden pole, tugging out from the mess a chest that miraculously survived the destruction, apart from a small crack on top. She grabbed one of the stones and smashed the lock. Rummaging through, Sunmi let out a relieved sigh when she found her mother’s precious black jewel. It glinted in her hand, untouched by time, lustrous as when she first eyed it as a child.

Sunmi buried the jewel underneath her left . Its warmth radiated throughout her body, sending shivers down Sunmi’s spine. She promised to never use it again, but times have changed.

Abandoning the chest, Sunmi used her staff as a cane to trudge through the marshes, leaving behind what she had called home.

As she was walking, Sunmi repeated the other night’s events in her mind. First, Hellions attacked out of nowhere and knew exactly where she lived. With all precautions Sunmi had taken over the years, one thing she had been always sure of was the safety of her hut, but they somehow bypassed that and took her by surprise. Secondly, a Hellion the size she could not even fathom appeared out of nowhere and if not for that woman’s intervention, the villagers would have died in an instant.

Speaking of the woman, Sunmi’s skin prickled at the memory of her wall of fire. The only other person capable to conjure it was her mother. Sunmi had never learned the proper spell or the proper way to focus in other to summon it, but excelled at the lesser version, that of a short blaze of fire destroying everything in its path.

Her feet touched the ash where the wall of fire had erupted. It had cooled down by now. Sunmi looked up, clouds blackening the sky. The wind had picked up suddenly, tree branches and her hair swaying along. A storm was coming. Sunmi pulled her robe closer to her body, hood hiding her face. She hurried to the makeshift wall, avoiding the Knights, stooping as low as she could and taking smaller, unsure steps to seem much older and possibly injured.

Sunmi froze at the sound of a Hellion’s roar, her hand tightening around the staff. She turned to her right, ready to fight. Sunmi loosened her grip when she saw the Hellion was chained in a metal cage, prodded by the Queen’s men to stand down. Another caged Hellion was being pushed into a cart. She would deal with them later - no Hellion must leave the area.

Sunmi looked away and touched where the jewel pulsated. She picked up the pace, heading to the tent furthest to the wall. She pushed aside the tent flap, bending and entering. On her knees, Sunmi tossed back her hood to reveal her face to the Knight inside, before she grabbed the rope holding together the two flaps and tied them, so no one could enter.

“How is she?” Sunmi questioned, hunching over the other woman.

Chungha was in Seulgi’s bed, stripped to her undergarments and asleep, with the two pieces of her staff placed by her head, scorched and useless. Seulgi replaced the damp cloth on Chungha’s forehead and tapped her temples, cheeks, chin and neck lightly with another cloth.

“She has a fever. She’ll be fine after resting. The Commander on the other hand is rabid, he wants answers.”

“I do not care for your old men, Knight,” Sunmi grabbed a bowl with a green paste she had prepared that morning. She scooped the last bits and smudged it all over Chungha’s exposed chest.

“You didn’t tell me what that’s for,” Seulgi pointed out, sitting on the cushioned floor, resting her bruised arm over her knee. Chungha wasn’t the only one scarred. She closed and opened her fist, pain stabbing her muscles.

“To breathe better,” Sunmi explained, careful to spread the paste evenly. “She was too close to the fire.”

“Got anything for me?”

Sunmi wiped her hands on her robe.

“You deserve none of my skills.” She told her coldly, glaring at Seulgi.

The Knight grabbed Sunmi by her head and forcefully kissed her on the mouth, tongue dipping in for a taste. Sunmi shoved her away and slapped her over the c