The Scarlet Paladin

Claire felt better after letting herself cry. Like the weight Lily talked

about eased on her shoulders. Though her eyes were red, she had a subtle smile on her face as they drove the last 20 minutes. She sat between the two older members, basking in their warmth.

Lily held her tightly against her bosom, gently petting her head. Jasmine kept her focus on their surroundings, aware of the danger of the region. Thankfully, nothing disrupted their journey.

Elsie was able to finish Ursa's lesson without any issues. However, her sister would not stop clinging to the warrior. Despite her general shyness, Ana had grown quite bold in her affection towards Ursa.

All that warmth and joy dissipated the moment the village they were supposed to be visiting came into view. Claire's small smile faded quickly upon seeing the devastation of the village. Rundown homes, collapsed roofs and blackened timber. It looked like the village just barely survived a war.

The joy was smothered by the decrepit state of the village. The nervous pit in Claire's stomach came creeping back in. Even their horses seemed to be unsettled.

Jasmine gripped her dagger tightly as she scanned the area. Even she wasn't prepared for the state of this village.

They made their way to what they assumed was the central building, only to find the foundation and rubble. The signs of a fire were evident as ashes littered its surroundings. Jasmine stopped the horses before whispering to the two beside her.

"Get inside, gear up. Be prepared for an ambush."

Claire helped Lily crawl through the window, eyes darting around the area. She followed quickly after to find the other three already gearing up. She rushed to her gear with Lily right beside her, and the two of them strapped Claire's armor on as fast as they could.

"I'll guard the horses," Ursa said, confidence oozing from her voice. She was the only one smiling. She hopped out of the driver's window and landed beside the agitated horses. She cracked her knuckles in anticipation.

Elsie and Ana handed Claire her sword and shield, while Lily finished with her new armor. It didn't fit quite as well as her old set, feeling a bit stiff. She flexed her muscles and limbs to get a better feel for it.

Once she was ready, she cautiously opened the back doors. She scanned their surroundings, finding no movement. Claire took a deep breath, calming her nerves.

"You two stay near Lily, she's our most vulnerable. Ursa and I will guard the carriage while we wait for Jasmine." She commanded.

The twins nodded in unison. "Be careful Claire," Elsie whispered.

Claire smiled before prepping her shield. "I'll try."

The village had no movement and was eerily quiet. No civilians or anything were walking around. No wind was blowing. She couldn't even hear birds chirping.

Claire kept her breath steady, her eyes scanning for any signs of movement. It took several minutes, but Jasmine returned and whispered to her.

"Nobody in the area. There are signs of a struggle, but everything seems to be several days old." Claire's shoulders eased upon hearing that.

"What do you think happened?" Claire whispered back.

"Could be anything… village didn't pay their dues, rival bandits, a monster, or that gang we're hunting caught wind of our acceptance..." Jasmine rattled off possible explanations in a calm manner. The possibility that they caused this made Claire's spine shiver.

"Any bodies?" Claire asked hesitantly.

Jasmine shook her head. "None. None at all. No bones, not even blood. Just… gone."

"Strange. We'll make camp, focus on surveying the area." Claire said, rubbing her chin.

"Right, I'll be back within the hour," Jasmine said before disappearing.

Claire let out a sigh, feeling the pit in her stomach grow heavier. She turned and made her way to Ursa, who was pacing impatiently. "Ursa, there were no signs of bandits or villagers. You can relax."

A flash of disappointment shot across her face before she lowered her axe. "Damn… I was looking forward to a fight."

"Jasmine is scouting the perimeter. We'll see what she picks up," Claire said.

"Did you forget I was a werewolf?" Ursa smirked, handing her axe to Claire before stripping. Claire watched as the now-naked Ursa rapidly grew fur matching her hair, limbs reshaping. Before her very eyes, Ursa turned into the white wolf from before.

Its eyes were still similar to Ursa's, sharp and intimidating. Its wagging tail gave it a puppy-like presence, but it spooked the horses. Claire had to calm the horse down while the wolf watched, its presence making it harder.

Once they were settled, she scratched under the wolf's chin. Its wagging tail thumped the ground, creating a rhythmic beat. For a moment, Claire regained her vibrant smile.

The wolf let out a huff before sniffing the air, no longer interested in Claire's presence. It seemed to have picked up something as it sniffed the surroundings. Claire watched for a moment before returning to check on the three inside the carriage.

Lily was rapidly going through her potions, looking for anything to help the party. The twins were diligently scanning the environment. Claire decided to patrol around the carriage, looking for anything.

And for several hours, the party stayed on high alert. Jasmine scouted the area with Ursa in her wolf form. Both found traces of life, but nothing recent. The most telling sign was dried blood on a distant tree.

By the time the sun began to set, the two returned to their camp. Ursa barely picked up a trail while Jasmine found signs of a struggle. The two discussed their findings together, theorizing what might have happened.

All while Claire kept patrolling.

She paced around the carriage, with that same pit in her stomach. With each step, she whispered prayers to her Goddess. She desperately hoped for the safety of the villagers.

Elsie watched her paladin pace, serving as a second pair of eyes. She was worried about Claire's nervous pacing, but decided to shelve it for later. Ana and Lily were preparing rations for the group, but they didn't dare start a fire.

All six were tense as the sunlight began to fade. Jasmine spoke during their last hour of light.

"We're doubling up on watch tonight, two people at once. Rotate one person at a time." She commanded. No one argued. They just all nodded and went about their nightly routine.

No nightly activities were had, however. Everyone was on edge. Claire doubted she could even feel turned on with how nervous she was. Though clinging to Elsie while wrapped in Jasmine's arms helped her nerves.

As the sun fell, Claire found it surprisingly easy to fall asleep. She suspected her Goddess helped her as she felt that ethereal presence again.

"Claire." The divine voice echoed. She stood in a familiar space with light all around, like dawn perpetually frozen in time. The silhouette of her Goddess shimmered through the veil

"Claire… I'm sorry too." The Goddess said. Sorrow filled the eyes barely visible beyond the blinding light. "I feared you might lash out had you known…"

Claire shook her head. "Even if I did, I'd have calmed down eventually. Thought it through with a clearer head. But… I don't blame you."

The Goddess smiled, but it was faint. Claire could barely notice it, but she felt it. "As for where you are now… before I worried that this gang was beyond your party's skill, but Ursa is a superb warrior. She'll no doubt turn the tides…"

Claire nodded. "Yeah, she's incredible… any details on what happened here?"

The Goddess let out a sigh. Not a good sign for Claire. "Unfortunately, no... The other gods grow weary of how often I interfere… I fear you'd be punished in my stead."

Claire swallowed hard, remembering their last encounter. "What about Toni? Is he alright?"

The Goddess nodded. "Yes. Some excellent timing on his part. Stopped any confrontation from happening. But, I can't say more."

Claire took a deep breath, something that felt odd in the dream. She was glad Toni and Alice were safe, but annoyed that She couldn't say more.

"I wish I could… but I have my faith in you. All of you." The Goddess's voice seemed to be drifting away. Her light slowly faded in Claire's mind and she just barely caught the Goddess waving goodbye.

Claire awoke to Ursa tapping her. The warrior's red eyes seemingly glowed in the darkness.

"Nothing noteworthy to report," Ursa whispered. She offered Claire her hand and continued. "Not even signs of animals… this is getting weird."

Claire rubbed her eyes and nodded. "Agreed."

Ursa traded places with Claire, snuggling up to Ana, who had replaced her sister. As she snuggled up to the younger twin, she whispered a question.

"Does the glowing mean She visited you?"

Claire nodded with a forced chuckle. "Yeah… forgot to tell you that."