Kura and the Guardian of the Night had mentioned the name of this place—Liatrez. Though the word sounded beautiful, it sounded dry in Kristen's tongue.
After skirting the water of a river to pass through to Liatrez, Solla counted that they had only three days left to stop the war. It wasn't much time in Kristen's opinion, but they couldn't do anything about it. Solla also mentioned that Cadleigh is right next to Liatrez, so they should be able to make it in two days if all goes according to plan.
Kristen watched the sunrise as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. The breeze was dry and fast, quickly blowing past the tall blades of orange and pale yellow grass. Sighing happily, Kristen got up and stretched her sore muscles.
It was always like that. Kristen always woke up first. But she didn't mind it one bit. Kristen had always enjoyed the morning time alone. It gave her a chance to breathe and refocus.
The second to stir was Mel. She quietly headed over to where Kristen was stretching—just a few paces away from their friends—and sat on the ground near her.
"Good morning to you too," Kristen greeted her as Mel sighed silently.
"Rough night?" Kristen sat down next to Mel as she nodded.
The two sat in silence as the sun rose higher and higher.
"We should wake up our friends," Kristen suggested and Mel nodded.
"I'll go do that. You go freshen up a bit," Kristen added and Mel once again nodded.
Kristen headed over to her friends and shook them up. Despite all of them being tired, they woke up easily.
"Hey," Cold grabbed Kristen's wrist before she could go and do something else, "you good?"
"Duh," Kristen replied, raising an eyebrow, "Why'd you ask?"
"You didn't shoot me with water."
Kristen tried to think of a response. She didn't like this feeling of unclarity. "I-I just didn't feel like it," Kristen decided before tugging her wrist free from Cold's grip.
The group quickly got their things together and walked through the sharp grass. Though it should've felt foreign, Kristen remembered this feeling.
"Are we heading in the right direction?" Kura asked after a bit. The only thing that stretched out for miles was grasslands. There were only a few trees nearby and no water source so far.
"Cadleigh's to the east, so we should still be on track," Solla replied.
"It'd be nice if we ran into some people-"
"No," Kristen blurted, interrupting Cold.
"You sure you're okay, Kristen? You've been quiet since we woke up."
"Aww, you miss my pranks, B-Blockhead?" Kristen couldn't help but stumble at the last word. Why was it suddenly hard to do anything? Even her tease didn't sound confident.
"Kristen, you can tell us if there's something wrong," Cold tried to grab her shoulder, but Kristen swatted his hand away. "There's nothing wrong."
"Maybe we should take a break first-"
"No, we don't have much time to spare. We have to keep moving," Kristen argued, prompting Kura to fidget her fingers in nervousness.
"Guys, look!" Rayn called for their attention. Kristen was relieved that they could finally focus on something else.
Heading towards them was a group of people in red and brown clothing. They carried all sorts of long-range weapons: bows, whips, and more.
"Should we trust them?" Cold asked.
In the crowd, Kristen recognized someone. A girl with long black hair braided down her back and red eyes. She wore a long-sleeved, airy, red top and brown pants. To someone else, the girl would've looked like any other female in her tribe. But Kristen recognized her from her most defining feature, her smile.
Kristen could recognize that smile from a mile away. The smile that penetrated through the gloomy faces of the other people as she tried to lift their spirits.
"Yeah," Kristen suddenly felt at ease, "we can."
Running, Kristen chased after the group. "Kristen, wait for us!" Rayn called after her.
"Huohua!" Kristen blurted and the group turned to face them. The smiling girl's face lit up brighter as she saw Kristen.
"Minjie!" the girl exclaimed as she too started to run towards Kristen and her friends.
Wrapping her in a hug, Kristen lifted Huohua off her feet and twirled her around the air as they laughed.
"Why are you here? Didn't you say you wanted to answer the Call of Cadleigh?" Huohua instantly bombarded her with questions, "And why did you come from the west? Isn't Cadleigh east of here?"
"Long story," Kristen replied, "Starting with losing my memories."
Kristen quickly learned that the one thing Huohua was incredible at was making people feel something. The moment Kristen told her that, Huohua's face twisted to an expression of sadness and sympathy. It made Kristen feel bad for losing her memories, but she knew that it wasn't her fault.
Supposedly.
"So you don't know anything about anything?" Huohua asked.
"Just a few things," Kristen replied as her friends finally caught up to her.
"By the way, these are my friends," Kristen introduced them.
"Hiya!" Huohua greeted all of them, "Come on! I'll take you to my tribe. They should be more than willing to accept you guys!"
"Huohua," called a big man as Huohua's group approached them. He scanned Kristen and her friends for a while before saying, "I'm sorry, but we don't have any food to spare."
"That is no problem, good sir," Kura replied as she panted. Though she said it like it was no problem, Kristen knew that they were starting to run out of food. That bag Leon gave them and Solla's parents' sack was drying up quickly.
The man's eyes lit up ever so slightly. "Very well then! Friends of Huohua's are friends of ours. Welcome to the Huoshan tribe."
The man introduced himself as the leader of that hunting squad, Huoyan. He led them back to the main camp of the tribe as Kristen and Huohua caught up.
Kristen told Houhua about all that had happened the past few days and Huohua's reactions were nothing but entertaining.
In turn, Huohua told Kristen what's been going on in Liatrez since she left for Cadleigh. "Remember the legendary beast, the Nian?" Huohua recalled, "Wait sorry, I didn't mean it that way."
Kristen laughed. "No worries."
"Yeah, so that beast was reported plaguing the Zuoshi and Faguang tribes. Last we heard, it's headed to Leisheng next," Huohua told Kristen who wracked her brain trying to remember what tribes those were.
"What did the Nian do?" Cold asked.
"Ate livestock, kill people, strike fear," Huohua replied, "Everyone's all sad now because of the Nian and hunting's suddenly super hard. That's why I tagged along. Y'know, for moral support."
"You don't fight, Huohua?" Rayn asked.
"I fight, but differently," she replied, "See, I'm more of a mage than a warrior."
"Oh, a healer?" Solla guessed.
"Not exactly. I don't know how to heal with fire," Huohua smiled sheepishly.
"What about the other elements?" Kura inquired.
"They're harder to control for me," Huohua replied, "I don't know why, but that's just the way it is."
The group stopped when Huoyan raised his palm. He then pointed in front of them.
"What's he pointing at?" Cold whispered.
"A herd of boars," Huohua whispered back, "it's hunting time."
***
Kristen and her friends took part in the hunt with the Huoshan group. With their combative abilities, they took down the boars easily and quickly, Kristen and Mel being the most who enjoyed the experience.
But just as Kristen and Mel were about to chase after the remaining three boars, Huoyan called them back. "That's enough. We mustn't devour nature. We've got plenty already," he ordered as everyone regrouped.
"Thanks a lot, guys!" Huohua was brimming with excitement. She also assisted in the hunt, using her magic to scare the boars. Huohua tried her best not to burn anyone or anything since she mentioned that burns hurt and she didn't want to hurt anyone, even boars.
"No problem," Cold replied, "It was fun."
"Here, take this chunk. As a thank you for assisting the Huoshan tribe," Huoyan offered them a sack after the group finished chopping their hunt and storing them in sacks.
"Thank you," Rayn gratefully accepted the sack before turning to face everyone else.
"I guess this is goodbye then," Kristen looked at Huohua who laughed. "Oh, Kristen! It's a see you next time! I bet the next time you return, you'll be a renowned hero and your parents will welcome you into their tribe again!"
"Wait," Kristen started, "what happened?"
"Shimen!" one of the Huoshan men shouted.
Both Huoshan and Huoyan's heads snapped at where the man had pointed. Kristen and her friends followed their gaze.
In the distance was another group of people. This time, they wore bright orange and yellow clothing and carried large block things. Though to Kristen's horror, as they got closer, she saw the resemblance of her clothing with theirs.
"We should get out of here," Kristen said.
"Yeah. You should," Huohua agreed.
Kristen started to head the other way, but Cold grabbed her arm. "Sorry, but east is that way," he pointed to where the group of people was.
"And don't you want to know who they are?" Solla asked.
Solla was kinda right. Kristen wanted to know what had happened to her, but she also wanted to avoid those guys.
Kristen gritted her teeth. "No, and I have no interest in even greeting them-"
"Commander Jieshi," Huoyan greeted.
Kristen cursed under her breath. If only they were faster.
"Commander Huoyan," the biggest guy from the other group greeted back, "A pleasure to see you."
"What brings you to the borderline?" Huoyan asked.
"Hunting expeditions, Huoyan. Not all of Liatrez knows it, but the Nian has plagued our territory as well," Commander Jieshi replied.
"Wasn't it last at Leisheng?" Huoyan asked as the other Huoshan members greeted the orange-dressed people.
"The Nian is fast and vicious," Jieshi replied just before he glanced at Kristen. Realizing his gaze on her, Kristen turned and walked the other way.
"Sister Minjie?" he called and Kristen stopped.
Why did she stop? Didn't she want to avoid this guy at all costs? Why is she even still here?
"Come on, Kristen," Cold said, "Whatever happened to you, we have your back."
"We need to warn Cadleigh immediately, Cold," Kristen argued, "As soon as possible."
"You can't get to Cadleigh from here without going through the Shimen territory," Huoyan said as he and Jieshi approached their group.
"Sister Minjie, you're back," Jieshi and Kristen looked at each other. He had the same copper hair like her, but his eyes were black instead of amber. He also had a cincture wrapped around his arm. Like her.
"Who are you?!" Kristen exclaimed, frustrated by the emotions she was feeling but not sure why she was feeling them.
Jieshi's expression dropped. "You don't remember me?"
"They, uh, sorta lost their memories," Huohua told him.
"Oh," Jieshie replied sadly, but then he tried for a smile, "Then it's a good opportunity to start over."
Commander Jieshi ordered his men to rest with the Huoshan tribe, but take none of their hunts. In return, Commander Huoyan ordered his men to welcome the Shimen tribe, but not eat any of their hunts.
"I'm Commander Jieshi Shimen," he started, "Your younger brother."
"Why was I," Kristen waved her hand in the air, unsure of what to say, "What happened to me?"
"You were different from our tribe. Though being our sister, you were more of a Leisheng tribe member than a Shimen," Jieshi explained, "Basically, you were more of a flanker than a shield wielder."
"And that's why you kicked me from the tribe?" Kristen asked.
"I have no such power. Dad did," Jieshi replied, holding his hands up.
"Just because I was different?"
"No, not that," Jieshi glanced at Huoyan, "Do you mind if I keep this inside the Shimen? It's kinda classified information."
Huoyan nodded. "Of course, brother."
"Come with me," Jieshi told Kristen as she secretly squeezed Rayn's hand for comfort before following the commander.
The two of them walked a few paces away from the group until they were out of earshot.
"Dad kicked you out because you taught the little children your art," Jieshi explained in a low voice, "some people in the tribe planned to do bad things to you, so to please them and protect you, dad exiled you."
"That's not the reason I remember," Kristen argued as the memory of that day came back to her, "Dad said that he was shameful of me and that I was a disgrace. So, he exiled me."
"If he didn't say those words, the Shimen tribe might've overthrown him as chief," Jieshi continued, "And at that time, mom and I weren't strong enough to fight."
Kristen took a deep breath as she looked back at her friends.
"But we all loved you dearly, Sister Minjie. Mom and dad themselves were the ones who gave you those guns and Sister Chijiu helped you master them."
When Kristen didn't reply, Jieshi continued to push.
"I'm sure you've been through some hard things these past few days. Losing your memories and not knowing where you are is tough. But one thing that all Liatrezans know is that whatever happens, we've got family to back us up," he gestured to the two tribes enjoying a moment together.
Her friends also sat among them, those who Kristen had looked out for each other despite being lost themselves.
She then realized that Solla could've run away on a safer expedition and Kura could've stayed back with the protection of King Leon. But they chose to continue their journey together. Even Mel was willing to risk her life so that they could escape. Why else would she tell all of them to flee instead of just one who can deliver the message?
Taking a sharp breath, Kristen made her decision.
"We've got about a day to spare. My friends and I can take down this Nian," she told the commander.
Jieshi's brows furrowed. "Not even the greatest Shimen warriors can stand against the Nian," he argued, "You have to bring in the entire kingdom of Liatrez to take that thing down."
"We can handle it," Kristen argued back, "Just tell us what you know about it."
Jieshi told Kristen everything that happened. How the Nian had come into their main camp and tore everything down, leaving the tribe low on resources and dead bodies. He then told Kristen the Nian's attack patterns, how it fearlessly charges into the battlefield and destroys everything. Weapons don't seem to work against it either.
"Is that all?" Kristen asked.
"Yes. To lure it close, make some kind of bright and attractive light. The Nian should be at Shimen territory, so that's where you should fight it. Stay safe, sis," Jieshi tried for a hug, but Kristen pushed him away before walking back to her friends.
"Sister Minjie, there's something else you should know," Jieshi called back.
"What?" she spat.
"A few years after your exile...Dad...he..." Jieshi couldn't finish his sentence.
"You don't have to say it," she told him before returning to her friends.
"You're back! Come on, we should get going-"
"We're going to take down the Nian," Kristen announced to her friends.
"That was a fast change," Cold commented as Kristen walked over to Huoyan and bowed. "Thank you for your hospitality."
Her friends followed Kristen as she headed into the Shimen tribe silently. Jieshi had mentioned that any eye-catching sight should be able to grab the Nian's attention, especially if it's near said sight.
"Kristen," Rayn grabbed her shoulder.
"What?" she hissed.
"You can't go into a fight without a clear head. Especially not with a legendary beast," Rayn said, "What's bothering you?"
Kristen took a deep breath as the rain started to fall. The memory of her past came back. In the days where her siblings would play all sorts of games with her. How they'd hunt together and compete to get the most back. How happy they all were back in those days. How whole their family was before everything happened.
"Train hard and you may even best the greatest warrior in all of Liatrez!" Chiju had told little Kristen.
"All of Liatrez?" her mom had laughed as she offered the girls a bowl of water, "All of Nophos is what I say!"
That was the reason she was going with, right?
"The Nian took my mom and sister," Kristen scrunched her eyebrows as she looked at Rayn, "so I'm gonna kill it."