Stretching out my body with a yawn as I slowly gained consciousness.  I quickly discovered Aura’s hands wrapped around my waist in a vice hold, impairing my ability to get up.  Stuck in bed with her for the moment I checked my own condition.

Thanks to a good night’s sleep my throbbing, pulsating headache has gone away.  I actually feel quite refreshed, despite the morbidity of recent events, now able to resume perception without the head splitting pain to distract me.  Aside from that, the rest of my body wasn’t injured or fatigued in any way so I didn’t need to worry.  Making yet another stretch with all four limbs, with my muscles being pulled taut I could feel everything was in order.

Having finished my thoughts drifted to last night.  After discovering yet another body, me and Aura, along with several others, immediately made a sweep of the campsite, making sure there weren’t any other murder victims and in the bleak hope of finding the killer.  The pain in my head obviously impaired my ability but I did my best to muscle through and follow Aura as we checked every single location within the camp. 

Thankfully nothing else had gone wrong, every girl had been accounted for and then both of us stood up for several hours watching the empty darkness of the night.  Once being relieved I immediately crashed for the night and only just came to.

“Aww.”  Aura leaked out as she came to.  Though as she did so she tightened her grip while burying her face into the small of my back, rubbing her breasts against my butt.

“Can you stop enjoying yourself and let me get up.”  I said coldly.

“Oh, fine.”  She loosened her grip, letting me roll out of the sheets.  “Though to be fair with how things are going we should enjoy the little moment while we still can.”

“If only I had reserved use of my ability till night time, then I could have caught the killer in the act.  I probably wouldn’t have saved that girl but I could have sensed the attack and we would know who’s committing the murders.”  I voiced aloud remorsefully. 

“Don’t beat yourself up so much, it wasn’t a guarantee that this mystery killer would have struck again.  Just learn from your mistake and be prepared for next time.”  Aura stated calmly, while dressing herself.

“Hah, you’re right.”  I replied languidly, hunched over sitting on the ground. 

“Well, look on the up side.  Istara’s liable to hand out a good breakfast to distract everyone.  Think of it, a double helping of lamb jerky with bread and sauce, maybe she’ll crack open that case of beer she’s been holding onto.”  Aura teased with an alluring, if sly, smirk on her face.  She had a glint in her eyes as she brought up the previously unmentioned drink.

“Beer?”  I asked with one eyebrow raised.  Though I asked, my mouth was already watering at the thought lamb for breakfast.

“Oh yeah, there’s a barrel with the luggage carried by the onagers.  Istara has been holding onto it since I signed up on this trip as a guard, she told me it’s for emergencies or celebrations.”  She said in a slightly up beat tone.  I’m already the impression that Aura must be a heavy drinker.

“Hmm.”  I mumbled as I reached for my clothes to get dressed.  Moving quickly, I was ready in only a few minutes and walking out of the tent in short order.

Immediately I noticed a girl sitting in the dirt a short distance away.  She was hugging her knees silently, while staring at the entrance of another tent. 

A feeling of dread overcame me as soon as I caught sight of the cowering girl.  The way she just sat there, wide eyed tipped me off that this wasn’t going to end well.

Steeling myself I approached the girl, with the calmest and soothing voice that I could muster, I asked.  “Are you alright?”

She ignored me continuing her to sit, rocking back and forth ever so slowly.

Taking a deep breath, I crouched down next to the girl while I slowly tried to get her to speak.  “What is wrong?  Why are you so quiet?”  Honestly, I had an idea as to ‘why’ but I want to verify my suspicions before jumping to conclusions.

“…Great Mistress, Bringer of Light, protect this servant.”  She finally muttered after my prodding. 

“…Only the might of the Sun can save us.”  She chanted, mostly to herself.  All the while her eyes never once shifted away from the tent in front of her. 

“Hah.”  I sigh in mild frustration, trying to interact with this girl has NOT bolstered my confidence in this situation.  Her words have piqued my interest, they seem to be some form of prayer, unfortunately my curiosity will have to go unsated as there is a looming problem.  My only comfort at this moment is that Aura has noticed this girl strange behavior as well and is currently standing behind me. 

“You’re not going to get anything out of her.”  She said, partially as a statement and partially to reassure me that I’ve done what I could for the girl.

“…Yeah.”  I agreed with her words.  Standing up and turning towards the tent, I really don’t want to but somebody needs to confirm what has happened here. 

With that thought I practically vaulted to the tent, intent to get this over with.  Peering into the tent I saw that my fears were confirmed, it was even than that.  It was savage, brutal, absolute butchery committed to the girls who slept in this tent.  A wave of revulsion hit me after seeing the atrocities housed inside. 

I took a step back smacking into Aura, she didn’t say anything just stood in place silently.  Her hand patted my back to help assure me.

This phantom killer problem is getting out of hand, we’re being picked off at the killers leisure.  Now the killer is entering tents and murdering the occupants while they slept and I remember inspecting this tent last night, everything was normal.  This evens that this latest bout of killings was very recent, maybe just a few hours ago.

To make things worse more girls are getting up and have taken notice the stupefied girl still sitting in the dirt.  Several are already milling nearby and I’m sure it’s apparent to them that something is wrong.  The concerned looks on their faces and cautious glances between the girl and the tent said everything, they had basically figured it out.

“What happened?”  One of the girls gathered the courage to ask.

“Never mind that, get Istara.”  Aura sternly ordered to the assembled girls.  I can tell that she’s hoping to disperse the girls before they get to curious.

“Why?  My friend slept in that tent.  So what’s going on?”  Another girl piped up, an anxious look building on her face.

“Mistress of Light shield us from the monsters beyond you’re gaze!”  The stupefied girl yelled out right then, cutting off Aura’s reply before she could voice her words.  The girl was still huddled, rocking back and forth, the prayer-like line shocking the gathering girls.  A sense of subdued panic began to develop amongst all who heard those words.

Several of them headed for the tent, their faces clearly expressing that they were adamant to see what had happened with their own eyes.  Every one of them froze in terror the moment they got a look on what was inside, followed by scrambling backwards and screaming.  Their actions igniting the panic that has been building among the rest of the girls.  The entire camp is a cacophony of screaming and yelling.

“We’re doomed!”

“Please, I just want to go home!”

“Why!  Why!”

I don’t even know what to do about this, these girls are falling apart in hysteria.  In just two days the killer has managed to incapacitate the camp.  A piece of me just wants to give up as I watch the descent into madness occur around me.

“Stop!”  Istara yelled as she approached from the other side of the hysterical women.  “Get yourselves together.  If you lot would calm down, you would realize that this murderer wants you to panic.”

Her words did little to assuage the crowd, they continued to yell. 

“Come on calm down.  Calm down!”  I tried to help Istara organize this mess.

“Why!?  We’re all going to die anyway.”

“Wait, weren’t you the one who fought the first girl killed?”

“Yeah, she did!”

“You’re the one doing all of this!”

“Get her!  Hold her down!”

This is what I get for trying to help.  Now I’m being swarmed by a bunch of crazy idiots who are jumping to conclusions. 

Luckily, my attackers are merely laborers who aren’t thinking straight and so they’re coming at me raggedly, one at a time, so I can deal with them piece meal.  I punch the first girl square in the face, shoved the second one out of my way, kicked the third girl in the stomach but they just kept coming.  Several of them managed to get to my flanks, attempting to grab my arms and hold me down.  More continue to mob me, overwhelming me with their hitting, shoving and shouting. 

Refusing to give in and overcome with building anger I felt something bubbling up within me.  A primal, rage fueled roar escaped my throat that engulfed the hysterical idiots swarming all around me.  Caught off guard by the sheer ferocity of the roar they were forced to either kneel or step back. 

The fight only lasted seconds but I was panting deeply from it. 

An awkward silence descended on all those present, with everyone’s attention focused on me.  Visible looks of shock and fear were plastered on many of the those present including some of those who didn’t become emotional and attack me.  Istara had a resigned look on her face as she sighed profusely while Aura just looked on in amusement.

Not exactly in the mood to deal with this awkward situation I decided to just walk away, heading towards the edge of camp.

--

Sitting on the ground at the edge of camp I sulked while staring off into the wilderness for the past few hours.  As far as I could tell there has been no attempt to get the caravan moving, which suits me just fine for the moment.  All of those workers making assumptions about me, making up rumors about me and now they’ve assaulted me based on their own hysteria.  After I burned myself out using my enhanced senses trying in vain to identify the killer, those irrational cunts decided to single me out for persecution.  Why should I care about what happens to them now?

Hearing footsteps approaching me, I catch in the periphery of my vision that its Aura.  She didn’t say anything, didn’t try to strike up a conversation, she simply sat down next to me and began observing the same stretch of wilderness.

We both sat there for a number of minutes in a calm, resolute silence.

“Aura?”  I eventually broke the stillness by asking, my eyes fixed to the horizon.

“Hmm.”

“I’m starving.”  I stated plainly.

“…”  I can practical feel her eyes staring at me.

“Tsk, hehehe.”  She finally broke out laughing for a moment.  “The way you can say that with a straight face, hehe.”  Finishing her laughter she sobered up to but on a serious face.  “Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I understand what its like to angry and disappointed like what you’re probably feeling.”

“…Really.”

“Yeah, I’ve dealt with plenty of people who made me wonder how they can be so stupid and short-sighted.” 

“Ever had a hysteria induced mob gang up on you, after those same girls make accusations that you’re some mass murderer?”  I asked blankly.

“No.”  She answered a little sheepishly.  “…but I did get rejected by a clueless idiot.”

“Hmm, what do you mean b…”  “Someone’s out there.”  I was interrupted by Aura as her eyes narrowed.

Following her line of sight in a I saw two figures moving in the distance, it was quickly apparent that they were making for the campsite.  Both of us stood up and patiently watched as they steadily advanced towards us.  As they approached I focused in my sight on the two, when I realized who one of the oncoming figures was I was filled with a complicated mix of joy and dread.

“Yuri!”