Looking inward

Alexis’ watch had been quiet so far. She was sitting by the fire, but rather than into the dancing flames, she looked up at the towering peaks of the Fang, framed by the starlit sky.

It remembered her so much of Garrah. It also remembered her how far away from her homelands she really was.

“… heaven’s breath tumbles down
to dance along the timeless crown
with a shroud of glitt’ring snow
travels forth to the canyons below…”
She softly murmured to herself, reminiscing.

Alexis had not really known what to expect when she came to Arcadia. After all it had been more a matter of leaving something behind rather than walking towards a destination. As such it had come quite naturally to her to join the army. Familiar structures, likeminded comrades, clear objectives.
Though looking back now, was it really natural? Maybe ‘easy’ would be more apt.
Different environment, same work.

But Arcadia had soon shown its fangs. Made it abundantly clear that it was a very different beast to Helias.
A memory haggling fiosaiche. Magik users. Mystical, deadly creatures. Ancient cults on the rise… the list went on.
Some things, however, were very much the same. She had learned that very fast through the struggle with the Creed.
People in power that would only ever lust for more, and that would never care who they had to leave behind in the dust or crush under their heel to feed their greed.

If Alexis had wanted to serve people like that, she could have just stayed with the Wulver.
Save income, as long as one wasn’t too haunted by conscience.
Alexis couldn’t. Still couldn’t, after all this time. Even though more than once agreeing with all those voices telling her how pointless it was to cling to ‘foolish morals’, as Tarmen might have put it, when there was nothing to gain but mockery.

And now here she was, without guidance, without orders, without lead to follow, committed only to herself. In fact, now there were people looking to her for leadership. Her, not a rank she happened to hold. It… was scary sometimes.

But… in between all the chaos and uncertainty, she had also found something very precious. Before her inner eye she saw the faces of those who had become close to her. Islana, Gonyaul. Almost family. Even more that she would call dear friends, with the latest addition of Hunter. Connections. Bonds.

Lost in though Alexis fed another log to the ever gluttonous fire.
She wasn’t yet sure if there was a place for her here. If she could find a purpose for herself. Something worth fighting for.
But, without a sliver of doubt, she had found people she was willing to fight for.

And that was something she had thought lost forever.