Morning comes without incident. With my clothes dry, I put them back on and stashed the spares in my backpack. Little Miss Templar is just now stirring awake. She puts her hand over her eyes, blocking the early morning sun. Unlike my world, the sunset was in the north and rose in the south. Then she notices her armor lying to the side of her. Looking at her body, she jumps up, causing her breasts to flop wildly. Her face burns with anger and embarrassment. My shirt is barely big enough to cover her hips or Riona's busty chest. She realizes this and conceals herself like a schoolgirl in a locker room.

"You've violated me, you perverted fiend!" she yelled.

"Get over yourself, honeybuns. If I wanted to violate anything, you'd know it by now," I said.

"How could you tell me why I slept?" she snapped.

"The only option was that, or you get sick from being wet head to toe," I countered.

"Where are my undergarments?" she asked.

"Gone...," I said.

"Gone where???" she snapped again.

"Well, burned up, I think. I had to give you emergency life-saving care. Somehow through that, you got these runes," I said, showing Riona my wrist.

"What do you mean??? I don't know what you are talking about," Riona said.

"Check your body... you'll find them soon enough," I said.

She frantically turns around and does a quick check of her body. "I only see the one... what is the meaning of this, and where are these others you speak of?" Riona questioned.

"Under your breasts...," I whispered.

"What??? That means you violated me!!" she yelled.

"No, that's not what happened," I countered.

"Then how did this happen? You must have done something to cause this!" she said.

"Look... I don't know. This is the seventh time this has happened. But, from what I know, it has something to do with one of the God Kings named Sol," I revealed.

"You can't possibly expect me to believe that ridiculous lie??? This must be some curse you've put on me to enslave me!" she yelled.

"If that's the case... sit down and hold your tongue...," I whispered.

"What???" she said.

"If I made you my slave or something... shouldn't you obey?" I asked.

"I don't have to obey you!" she said, sitting down.

"So... why did you sit down?" I questioned.

"Because I felt like it!" she snapped.

"Or it scares you. I may enslave you. Although I can assure you, I didn't if that's what you feel. Let's roll with it. Come over here and take off your clothes," I ordered.

She shot up and walked to me. She was about to undress a moment later, but I stopped her.

"You see, that's called brainwashing. If you were a slave, a painful shock would have brought you to your knees when you first questioned my order. I know that much, and so should you. But instead, they have conditioned you to follow orders. Specifically, from males of a certain type," I explained.

"Nonsense, I'm a Dark Templar!" she shouted.

"Then why aren't you going for your sword???" I asked.

"Because you... saved me in the river...," she said, pausing

.

"Or the brainwashing is wearing off," I said. "Using drugs is an easy way to control someone. But, if they are off those drugs long enough, they lose effectiveness," I revealed.

She sat down near the fire. Her mind seemed to be recalling memories. I left her to her thoughts for now. This was the first step to breaking their hold on her. That has to be a good thing. We sat in silence for a long while. Riona puts her armor back on, then throws my shirt at me. She puts her hand out for her sword.

"What? This? You're not getting this back, Little Miss Templar," I stated.

"I have no intention of fighting you after you saved my life...," she whispered.

Her request was silly from my point of view, but I felt a sudden shift in the environment. Something I have felt before. A stillness took over the forest. Even the sounds of the river were gone. I slowly unbuckled her sword and gave it to her. The templar realizes something is afoot. I focused my ears the best I could on my surroundings. This feeling was familiar, like the moments preceding an attack from an Anathema. Anyone surviving as long as I did against them had a keen sense of detecting them in the leading moments before an attack or ambush. 'Another breach? No, this one must have come through with the other two. Maybe even more than that. Lythienne wasn't focused fully on the breach. Who would be during that devastation?' I slowly stood, reading my piston and blade. Riona did the same. Together, we backed against the outcropping. I kick dirt on the campfire. I drew as close as I moved to the inside of the opening. Just as I did, two long, pointy legs like a spider came over the top.

I holster my pistol and cover Riona's mouth. The monster's entire body comes down right where we just were. 'A blind one... a hunter. The worst kind and a Sentient Preborne. Classifying Anathema was vital during the war. Knowing what you were dealing with was the difference between dying and living.' I could feel the fear in Riona. They may bring people from other worlds, but not these monsters. The beast crawled over our camp and followed the direction we'd come from. I made her wait a long time before letting go of her mouth. She was trembling at the sight of the Anathema.

"That was an Anathema. A monster from another world. It's hunting for something or someone. Probably one or both of us...," I whispered.

"What do we do?" Riona whispered.

"Don't die, that's what. We need to move before it comes back. It can't see us, but this one can hear very well," I said. So stay in front of me and move cautiously," I instructed.

After seeing that monstrosity, the templar heeds my words. Taking careful steps, moving away from the direction it took. 'Let's hope there is just one.' E.D.I.O.S. System or not, facing one is dangerous. I have no idea how to use this system or how it will affect me physically or mentally. The sounds of branches snapping behind us cause me to renew my alertness. I look at my left hand. I feel strange as I move my fingers up to my shoulders. It spreads to my chest. As my heartbeat increases, I feel dizzy. As a result, my left eye becomes blurry. Pain shoots across my brain. I collapse to the grant, holding my gaze. It feels like someone is applying a hot torch to my eye. Riona turns around in reaction to my collapse. Confused and scared, her flight of fight sense kicks in. She pulls me up onto her shoulder. Behind us, we can hear more rustling. The stalker must have heard me collapse. Riona yanks me along, almost stumbling into the river. She leads us, splashing into the river, trying to cross it. A loud thump comes right from the spot we just were. I turn to see the Anathema in its fullness. A giant tarantula made of white plate armor held together by dense muscles loomed on the banks. In place of eyes were ear-like sockets. They all turned towards me. The monster jumps high into the air.