Shifters

Questions and Answers

Vicious winds battered the flattened mountaintop as the furious downpour descended from the dark skies above. As the clouds released its torrent mercilessly, what little shrubbery and uprising shoots that managed to survive the previous drought now lay groveling in waterlogged soils. Sheltering from the storm beneath their protective shield, the trio looked on in both welcomed surprise and amazement as Herman stared dumbfoundedly at them. 

"What's happening?" Herman asked, eyes switching between the three, "How'd you get here Joana?"

"Nice to see you too," Joana answered dryly, shifting her position to allow Cassandra to support her own weight.

"Herman!" Cassandra whispered loudly, wiping fresh tears away with the back of her hands, "You're alive!"

"I'm as surprised as you are," the burly man replied, rubbing the back of his neck gingerly before reiterating his earlier question, "What happened whilst I was out?"

Before either could speak, looks of relief coupled with expressions filled with grim excitement told Herman that his companions had been through quite a bit during his absence. 

"So much has happened since you fell unconscious that I have no idea where to even begin?" Josh muttered as he arose shakily before adding, "How'd you manage that by the way?"

"Not my proudest moment," Herman replied, smiling sheepishly as he took in his surroundings, "My best guess would be that the Saintess' retaliation paired with the sudden shift in elevation was enough to knock my already oxygen deprived body out."

"Seems feasible enough," Joana shrugged.

"Speaking of that crazed, religious fanatic, where'd she disappear off too?" Herman asked, suddenly alert.

Exchanging glances between themselves, Josh fell silent as Joana answered, "She's no longer with us."

"It'd seem you're much stronger than I originally thought," he said in awe as various misconceptions pervaded his mind.

"You'd be mistaken if you thought that," Joana said correcting his opinion, "Although I was able to bring her to her knees in the end, from what I'm led to believe, the real credit here lies with Josh!"

"Was it the ring?" Herman blurted, immediately covering his mouth the moment he spoke.

"What ring?" both Joana and Cassandra asked simultaneously. 

"What are you two hiding?" Joana added, noticing their unnatural reactions. 

"I'm not sure if I can say it here," Josh replied, casting a subtle, sideways glance at Cassandra. 

"I trust Herman with my life and after what we've been through I'm certain Cassandra can be trusted as well," Joana said, a hint of a smile creeping on to her face after noting Josh's reluctance. 

"I second Joana's words and will also vouch for Cassandra's trustworthiness," Herman said, following up. 

"You guys are starting to scare me," Cassandra chimed in, quickly adding, "However, I assure you, I'm good at keeping my lips sealed."

"Alright then," Josh relented, extending his left arm, "This is the ring he's talking about."

Leaning closer, his companions stared intently at his hand searching for the mentioned jewelry. 

"What exactly are we looking for?" Cassandra questioned after thirty seconds of fruitless staring. 

"Can't you see it?" Josh asked, clearly witnessing the black metal snaking around his middle finger. 

"Not really no," Cassandra replied, returning her gaze to his hand. 

"What about you?" Josh went on, directing his attention to Joana.