My friend helped me edit this. Thanks Henry! A bit bloody this chapter...but it's more violent in my head. Chiela means 'heavenly' or 'from the sky' in Esperanto.

Chapter 3

"Where is she?" Freyja had spent the last hour asking everyone she could find if they knew where Roxanne was. Freyja paused a moment to regard the sky. She smiled faintly, feeling her magic draw on the stars. Freyja magic was solely based on light. She could manipulate all forms of it to her will, whether it was a fire or an electric torch. She looked down the hill to see Siren doing cartwheels in the distance.

"Siren!" she called. The distant figure turned around and sprinted up.

"Have you seen Roxy?" They both said in stereo. Siren frowned.

"You don't know where she is either?" Freyja shook her head.

"I haven't seen her since me and Ryuu came back" She whispered.

"Roxy seems to be an expert at disappearing without anybody noticing" Siren observed. Freyja sighed in frustration.

"Well...she obviously doesn't want to be found"

"She didn't want to be found last time, either" Siren pointed out.

"True enough" Now it was Freyja's turn to frown. "Let's just hope if she does cut herself that someone finds her before she bleeds to death"

"Any idea why she does it?"

"You asked that last time, Siren. I am no closer to finding out why than I am last time" Siren seemed to have an idea but Freyja interrupted. "And no, Siren you can not take the situation into your own hands"

"Why not?" Siren whined, pouting like a six year old.

"Because do you remember last time you did something like this? You made a mess out of everything and ended up with a death warrant on your head from another tribe"

"I got out of it though" Siren protested.

"After 3 months of evading them they gave up, you mean" Freyja smiled, Roxanne temporarily forgotten. Siren muttered something then waved to something. Freyja looked towards were Siren was waving and caught sight of August, who was weaving their way towards them between the rocks.

"What are you two lovely ladies doing?" He flopped between them and smirked as Siren edged away. Siren often became nervous around men in close proximity. When asked why she wasn't nervous around Taboo, she said he didn't qualify as a man.

"August, have you seen Roxy?" He hesitated.

"Nope" He shrugged at their disappointed expressions "Sorry"

"It's ok" Freyja played with her hair absently "I just can't help worrying"

"Worrying isn't gonna help Rox, cher" Freyja smiled thankfully at August. He gave advice so little that when he did it had to be taken seriously. He was pretty accurate in his predictions and advice, and most speculated about him having foresight, though he insisted he didn't.

"But since we don't know where she is, what can we do?" Siren commented.

"True..." 

"What if we send that bird of yours to Lucrecia? Maybe she's with her"

"Peppa?" Freyja's pet falcon was extremely temperamental but fiercely loyal. He wouldn't do anything except for Freyja, and tended to attack anyone approaching her if he was nearby. He would to anything for Freyja though, as she had been the one to rescue him from the jaws of a fox. He could also run messages, as he seemed to understand what people said to him, and he had strong honing instincts.

"Yep" Siren nodded.

"Fine, I'll get him" Freyja ran off towards the camp and Siren turned to August who was lying on his back with his eyes shut.

"Do you really think Roxy's alright?"

"Like I said earlier, I have no idea...but Roxanne is one crazy lady. I know that much" He refused to say more and Siren was left to worry quietly.

"Here we are!" A voice cried triumphantly. Freyja walked up, carrying ruffled Peregrine Falcon in one hand. She pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper and tucked it into the band around the bird's foot. Peppa shrieked before taking off and flying south and a touch east, towards Chiela, the 'Sanctuary'. It was a huge domed building, split up into 9 sections. It was a safe place to hide from the monsters, but many were stuck there. Enemies of the 'Government' and criminals were kept there. Those who were ill with a contagious disease were hidden in one section there, never to see the light again. It was hell on earth.

"How could she have gotten there though?" August asked, noting where Peppa was heading.

"I noticed that her horse was missing. If it's with her then it'll pick her up and carry her to where it knows she'll get help: Lucrecia"

"Learnt from experience" August stated.

"Sadly enough" Freyja sighed. Siren nodded in unusual seriousness. They all prayed silently that the white mage saved Roxanne before it was too late. They had lost too many already. Taboo appeared behind Siren and clapped his hands on her shoulders, making her to scream like a small girl. August smirked.

"Ah, 'tis the beautiful voice of a harpy..." Siren scowled at him and Taboo laughed behind her. She elbowed him and frowned again at August before smiling brilliantly and bouncing away, with Taboo hobbling after her, clutching his stomach.

"Strange, strange people" August said after a couple of minutes of watching Siren chase Taboo, who seemed to have recovered miraculously, around in circles.

      About an hour later Peppa landed on Freyja's shoulder, tugging her hair to get her attention. She reached up and removed the piece of paper from the band.

Freyja,

Roxanne is here with me. You needn't worry. She's fine, and has done no lasting harm to herself. You know where I am if you want to come pick her up.

Lucrecia

Freyja sighed in relief and ran towards Xerxes' tent. She walked in and, finding it empty, left a note saying where she was. She found her mount, Epos, busy trying to trample an unfortunate troop who had tried to tie him up.

"Epos, stop that!" Freyja cried, running forward to try and placate the angry stallion. The horse stopped as she neared; only turning to snap at the troop, who quickly retreated. Freyja could not help but laugh as her part-wild stallion drove off a human in 5 seconds flat.

"You ought to restrain that animal" He called over his shoulder. Freyja glared at him. He scurried away, too scared to be near the horse and its freak owner for long.

"We're going to Chiela, Epos" The stallion laid its ears back and pulled on the reins in Freyja's hand. Epos remembered the name and the place that owned it. It was clever enough to not want to go there.

"Please, Epos" Freyja knew that anyone looking would think she was insane for begging with a horse, but she knew that Epos understood what she was saying fine. Eventually the horse allowed her to mount and set off towards Chiela, and Freyja had a feeling he was going to be mutinous. She was right. After a few moments of steady walking the black stallion broke into a gallop, leaving Freyja clinging on for dear life. He eventually stopped and Freyja dismounted, looking up at the tall dome with intense dislike. She hated Chiela with a passion, which was the opinion of nearly everyone. It took all of Freyja's strength to drag Epos into the dome, which was easier than usual as the big Trakehner was tired from running.

     The doors slid back and the overpowering stench of death and decay hit them. Freyja walked on and Epos, faithful as ever, walked beside her, his dark head on her shoulder. They went through the sections and Freyja couldn't help but notice the blood spattering the floor. She found herself thinking of Roxanne, slumped over her horse with blood streaming from her wrists, oblivious to the pitying looks people would be giving her. Epos butted her gently and she found herself in front of a small house that barely stood out from the others. It was a little cleaner, and had small flowers in the windowsills but there was nothing remarkable about it. Leaving Epos outside, Freyja entered the home of the white mage Lucrecia Whitman.

      As Freyja came inside, she felt tears stinging her eyes. It was nearly impossible to come into this house and not think of family. It never failed to make Freyja think of Altariel, her mother. She had died when Freyja was only a little older than 12. She had been found half dead by her only daughter, lying in a pool of her own blood. She had died in Freyja's arms, oblivious to her child's screams.

"There you are" A soft voice said. Freyja smiled at the woman.

"Lucrecia" Her hazel eyes smiled kindly at Freyja and Freyja felt the urge to cry. She stopped herself though and gave Lucrecia a smile.

"Where's Roxy?"  She asked. Lucrecia gestured for Freyja to follow her to a small room at the back. Roxanne was sitting there, reading some papers as if nothing had happened. She looked up when they came in. Freyja jumped on her, knocking her off her feet as she stood up.

"Worried?" Roxanne asked after Freyja had completely soaked her shirt with tears. Freyja sniffed.

"Maybe a little" She replied before standing up. "How did you get here?"

"Iris" Roxanne hated the name of her horse but by the time she had gotten her she wouldn't react to any other name. So Iris it was.

"Thought so" Roxanne stood also, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I think I'm ready to head back now" she said ruefully.

"Right then" I pushed her out the door, and then turned to Lucrecia, who was sitting quietly, watching the blossoms on her cherry tree. "Lucrecia..."

"You've no need to thank me, Freyja" She smiled benignly at me "Anything for a friend" She tucked a strand of copper hair behind one ear and waved Freyja away.

"Thank you" Freyja whispered. Roxanne already had Epos and Iris's reins and Freyja took Epos's off her, before the horse decided to take matter into his hands...hooves, even. He ran off with his reins, with Freyja in hot pursuit.  He was out the door in a matter of seconds, and stood outside, ignoring Freyja's annoyed shouts. The journey back was quiet, with Roxanne and Freyja sitting in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

       Back at the camp, Siren threw herself on Roxanne, soaking her for the second time that day. Roxanne pried Siren off then glanced at both of them.

"You were all really worried weren't you?"

"Well duh" Siren managed through her tears. She ran off, hiding in her tent.

"Where is everyone?"

"They're probably being berated by Xerxes" Freyja said.

"What did they do?"

"Nothing. Doesn't stop him though. He'll pick out the tiniest fault from something that isn't important and tell them they're failures" Freyja sighed "It really damages morale, I can tell you that"

"Well being berated for something trivial will" Roxanne said, always sensible.

"Has a real way with the people, Xerxes"

"I heard that we were going to go back to London" Freyja looked at Roxanne in surprise.

"What made him decide to do that?"

 "He doesn't see any point in being here. Far as he's concerned, this is a waste of time"

"True"

"Your brother is vying for leadership" Roxanne said "Xerxes won't last long"

"If Raiden becomes the leader I'm outta here" Freyja declared.

"Why's that?"

"You know Raiden. He's exactly like Xerxes. He'll run this place like a military camp"

"I'll never understand his obsession with the army" Roxanne said.

"Lady Roxanne!" A voice called. Gray ran up, his face red. "Xerxes wanted to see you two"

"Did he say why?" The pace had quickened as they headed towards his tent.

"Patrol, before we leave" He explained before disappearing to run more errands.

"There you are" Xerxes glared at them "You're late"

"We only just got back" Freyja explained, ignoring the furious look sent her way.

"Very well" He regarded the group that consisted of Freyja, Roxanne, August and Siren. "You will go with 10 troops to scout the area. You should be able to take care of anything that comes your way"

"But if we're about to leave why do we have to do this?" Siren piped up.

"I don't want anything attacking us before we leave. We'll be crippled" Siren nodded in acceptance and he looked around "So go"

      The climbed the hill and went into the dense forest, looking for any recent tracks. The carried on going away from the camp until they reached the other side of the forest. Freyja stopped dead. Two monsters were tearing apart the body of a human.

Bullets flew around her head as August attacked the malformed beings. They were dead in a matter of seconds. Freyja approached the human body tentatively. His face was too mangled to recognise but she recognised what the person was wearing. It was Regan, Gray's sister. She had gone missing a couple of days ago but no one had worried as she often wandered on her own. The monsters must have caught her off her guard, then proceeded to eat her alive. It can't have been too long ago as the body was still warm. Freyja backed away, feeling slightly sick.

"Regan" She said to Roxanne, who winced.

"Poor Gray. He said this morning he would go look for her but..." She shook her head and they continued patrol, promising to come back after they had finished to bury her.

        They had cut a wide berth around the camp to check the other side, and they had just finished when Siren, who had ran ahead tore back towards them, her face a mask of panic.

"Freyja!" She shrieked. Freyja looked at her

"What is it?"

"The camp...the camp..." Unable to explain, Siren grabbed her hands and pulled her to the ridge of the hill, Freyja smelt smoke before she saw it. As they cleared the forest she saw the cause.

"No..."

The camp was burning.