"Then," Alia's voice dropped lower, laced with fear, "yesterday... the Church returned. Not with healers. With guards. Led by the Verstach..." She shuddered. "They declared it a curse."
Lysaria's head snapped up as she took a quick glance at Sherry. "A curse?" An involuntary flicker of unease crossed her face, a deeply ingrained reaction to the word, perhaps momentarily associating it with the village's newest resident who practiced different arts. She pushed the thought away, disturbed by her own subconscious bias, but the seed of doubt lingered.
"Yes," Alia choked out, tears finally spilling. "Said the orphanage was tainted by dark influences – blaming the children, blaming me for bringing ill fortune. They said they were taking the children into 'protective custody' at the temple for purification."
Sherry, who had been listening silently near the back, stiffened visibly, her eyes flashing with a familiar spark of anger and remembered trauma. "Dark influences... always the same excuse," she muttered darkly.
"They took them?" Lysaria breathed, her face paling now with horror at the accusation and the action. "By force? Based on what evidence?"
"They rounded them up," Alia sobbed. "The guards... they pushed us. Said we were cursed." The eldest boy added weakly, "They took Elara... and Finn... said they'd burn the sickness out..."
"They wouldn't let me near them," Alia continued, her voice breaking. "Said I was the source of the 'taint'. I... I managed to hide these two in the cellar. Slipped out through the old passages after dark. I took the pony... I just ran. I had to find you, Riku. You're the only one who..."
Her words dissolved into quiet sobs. She buried her face in her hands, her small frame shaking.
Riku placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, his expression grim but resolute. Lysaria stood frozen, horror, confusion, and a growing, uncomfortable suspicion warring within her. The Church turning away the sick? Guards taking children? Accusations of curses? It didn't align with the ideals she held. But there was a Verstach involved! Surely, he would not do anything without cause?
Something was deeply wrong in Vintross, but the pieces weren't fitting together cleanly in Lysaria's mind. Lila knelt beside Alia, offering quiet words of comfort, her own eyes flashing with righteous anger. Sherry remained by the wall, arms crossed, her face a mask of cold fury – she knew this pattern of blame all too well.
"Riku, you must hurry. It took us 5 days to reach here. I don't know what might have happened to the other children." Alia sobbed, and the two other kids beside her started sobbing as well.
Riku's calm presence seemed to anchor the room. He knelt beside the makeshift beds, murmuring reassurances to the two feverish children, while Lila gently coaxed Sister Alia to sip more water. Barou stood near the door, his face a mask of grim determination.
"Alia," Riku said softly, once her sobs had quieted slightly, "you did the right thing coming here. You and the children are safe now. We'll figure this out."
"But the others..." Alia whispered, clutching Riku's sleeve. "The children back in Vintross... locked away by the Church... accused..."
"We'll get them back," Riku stated, his voice leaving no room for doubt. He looked up, meeting the eyes of Lila, Lysaria, and Sherry. "We need to go to Vintross. Now."
"I'll ready the fastest horses," Barou said immediately, already turning.
"No," Riku countered quickly. "A cart is better. Less conspicuous, and we might need the space." He stood up. "Lila, Lysaria, Sherry – you're with me. Barou, keep Alia and these children safe here. Use the healing stones I left; they should keep the worst of the fever at bay for a while."
Barou nodded curtly. "Be careful, all of you. Vintross sounds like it's walking on eggshells."
Within minutes, a sturdy cart was prepared. Riku helped Alia settle back onto a cot inside the inn, promising swift action. The two children watched with wide, weary eyes as Riku and the three women climbed aboard the cart. With a nod to Barou, Riku flicked the reins, and they rolled out of Elowen, leaving the deceptive peace behind them.
The journey back along the familiar path felt different this time, charged with urgency. They rode in silence for the first hour, the gravity of Alia's story weighing heavily upon them. As they rounded a bend, putting the last familiar landmarks of Elowen's territory behind them, Riku pulled the cart to a halt beneath the shade of an ancient oak.
"This will take too long," he said, turning to the others. "Four days is time we don't have if the Church is involved."
Lila frowned. "But what else can we do? Flying?"
Riku reached into his satchel again, pulling out four smooth, dark stones that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. Faint silver lines pulsed within them. "The monk," he said, offering a familiar half-truth, "also provided these. Emergency transport stones. Linked pairs. They can move us much faster, but they're... noticeable if used carelessly."
Lysaria and Sherry exchanged glances, their previous bickering momentarily forgotten in the face of Riku's casual display of yet another impossible artifact. Lila just looked intrigued.
"Hold tight," Riku instructed, placing one stone on the cart's dashboard and holding the other three. "Everyone, place a hand on my back. Don't let go until I say."
Hesitantly, the three women did as instructed. Riku closed his eyes, focused, and channeled a sliver of mana into the stones. The silver lines flared, the air shimmered, and the world outside the cart dissolved into a brief, dizzying blur of grey.
When reality snapped back into focus, they were no longer on a forest path. They stood beneath the same ancient oak, but now, through its leaves, they could see the imposing stone walls of Vintross looming in the near distance, perhaps only a ten-minute walk away. The cart remained behind, back near Elowen, linked by the stone Riku had left.
"Whoa," Lila breathed, stumbling slightly as she regained her balance. "That was... fast."