Chapter 3: Finding the Trail

**Previous Chapter - Chapter 2: Quest Accepted**

Despite Bella's ominous prediction, the night passed without incident. Uther was patched up, and the number of people put on night watch was increased. But as the sun rose the next day, there was a dark mood hanging over the camp. Being beset by undead was far from what many had expected. Not that large a problem, if one was well prepared. But they'd gone into this expecting monsters and beasts; living monsters and beasts. That is, until rumor spread that the dwarf was preparing a good amount of silver and other such items should more zombies crop up. A few asked how he could do such a thing without a proper shop, but a few ramblings shut them down in short order, and the quickly growing supply of silver quelled any doubts beyond.

However, there was still a position to defend. And at current, both River Ponds, Gladstone, and Raptor where patrolling the edge of the former town, poking around a large barn that strangely remained untouched despite... Whatever it was that had been assailing the settlement.

"So... What do you think it is?" Raptor asked, trying to start a conversation to drown out the small flock of crows watching them. "A bunch of undead would've moved on and attacked another town by now, wouldn't they?"

"I am not familiar with this kingdom, what's the nearest town here?" River asked. "Depending on the distance, it may or may not be attacked."

Thinking for a moment, Raptor scratched his chin and shrugged. "Less a town... But there's a small homestead a couple miles east of here. The convoy passed it on the way in." He thought a moment, furrowing his brow while brushing aside a pile of charred debris with his foot. "I suppose they would've mentioned something to us when we passed... So I guess I was wrong." He looked up, scanning over the horizon with a huff. None of this was sitting right with him. "How about that dwarf you're all buddy-buddy with? He seems to know, like... Everything. What's he think about all this?"

"Brokkr is the guy that only gets involved if it's directly in front of him, or he is curious cause it was something not expected. So unless whatever is happening he believes is truly special, he wont interfere and well get ya to buy something from him, or sell to something him." River answered as she looked down at the dirt they were walking on.

Rapter smirked, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Kind'a sounds like Bella. well... Apart from the part about selling ya something." He furrowed his brow slightly, a thought occurring to him. "Don't think she's asked anybody for... well... anything, really. Besides stories that is. She can't seem to get enough of those." He ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep sigh while looking out at the horizon. "She's kind'a... Odd..."

River stopped her walk as she knelt down onto the dirt before removing the handguard and gently wiped her hand onto the dirt before looking towards her left. "I got something." River said as she stood and pointed to the directed she looked towards. "I found feint tracks, most likely foot prints heading towards there."

Raptor sprinted to her side, following her gesture to see for himself. What he found though, wasn't exactly encouraging. For starters, the trail River found led off to the mountains in the distance, meaning they'd have to break camp at some point. furthermore... the tracks themselves. He'd seem them before, but only realized they where footprints when River pointed it out. And that was only because he thought they where potholes at first. Whatever had left these tracks was big. Bigger than any undead. "We... Should go tell the others..." He said, keeping a hand on the knives hanging at his belt. "River, c'mon."

"Alright." River then walked with Raptor back to the main group to see Uther standing despite the injuries he suffered. "Uther, we may have something!" River called out as Uther looked towards the two and began to meet them.

"What have you both found?" Uther requested as Raptor prepared to answer.

"River found a trail leading to the mountains, we believe that is where the came from." Raptor responded as Uther held a hand to his chin in thought.

"To the mountain did you say?" Uther questioned as he walked to see the mountains from afar. "If so, it be best to send a small detachment unit from the group, go into the mountains undetected and retrieve any crucial data on their place of origins." Uther declared as he turned to the adventurers. "River Ponds, Raptor." Uther Began. "You two shall be going for defense." Uther sorted as he turned to another group as he spotted someone in particular. "Skaði and Azuth Aindra." Uther called out as a light skinned elf with light green hair and a middle-aged man stepped forward. "The elf shall provide long-distance reconnaissance as an ranger and Azuth Aindra shall lead the group." Uther explained as all of them got together when Azuth turned, recognizing River.

"I have to admit, I was not expecting a fellow adventurer from E-Rantel to be here, so far from the kingdom, you sure a cute little thing should be on this quest, be wise to not allow those nasty beasts to feel you until I get to, hm?" Azuth commented as River eye twitched as she smirked with a hint of annoyance.

"Azuth, as perverted as always with your lines and self-indulging womanizing facade, did you come here to see my protection from the lowly goblins or get into the void of one?" River spat back Azuth laughed at such a comment directed at him.

And so, the adventurers dispersed, setting about their new task and precuring any supplies they may need. Uther was about to go back to planning their next move, when he realized he wasn't alone. Bella sat on the wheel of an upturned cart, lazily kicking her feet back and forth while watching everyone go about their work. "I'm surprised." She muttered, just loud enough to grab the old paladins attention. "No role for me?" She hopped off her perch and landing without so much as a sound, putting on a coy smile. "You wouldn't, per chance... Think I'm not up to the task, do you?"

"Not at all, I figured a recon mission may not be your cup of tea." Uther answered as he looked at Bella. "But seeing how quiet you had moved, I now believe you be eligible to go with the detachment, you will need to follow Azuth's commands if you go, agreeable?"

Bella's eyes narrowed, but shrugged all the same. "If you think that's the best decision." She turned to leave, taking a few steps away before stopping and glancing over her shoulder. "Those people... The undead..." She spoke softly, her expression appearing completely serious for a second. "It seemed like you knew them."

"I very well did Bella, one of them, the death warrior was named Ector, son of Hector from the same order as me, the Order of the Light. Hector died long ago, leaving his only son, and to see him like this breaks my heart." Uther sighs. "But until we find the culprit, we can't do much. Once you lot done your recon and gathered intel, report back so we can see if the army must be sent in."

To that, Bella let out a short chuckle. "Oh, I think we're more than a match for whatever we may find in there." Her next action surprised him though, she turned on her heal and, gripping the strap that bound her numerous weapons together, offered a small bow. "I am sorry for your loss." Before he had so much as registered the comment, Bella turned back around and strolled off towards the edge of the encampment. well out of sight before Uther was able to get his bearings.

Across camp, River and the others had prepped to set out for the mountains. Just as she picked up her pack, she looked up to see Bella approaching them as well, her bundle of weapons hung over one shoulder and a small travel pack over the other. "Oh, good, you haven't left yet." She said with a small smile. "Walking on my own would've been terribly boring."

"More pretty girls we have here, the better I would say." Azuth remarked as he approached. "Are you certain a cute little thing can keep up? You might be a good fighter, but do you have the fortitude to stick to what I have planned?"

Though both River and the elf scowled at him, Bella smiled. "If I can't, I'm sure I could find a hansom young man to carry me." She smirked, tracing her finger across his tunic as she passed. "Could I count on you for that, sir Raptor?"

Throughout their procuring of provisions, Raptor had done his best to remain unseen, as Azuth had spent a majority of the time accosting the women, and he just didn't know how to respond. So when Bella addressed him, it was like waking up from a deep slumber. "U-uh... i don't."

Chuckling, Bella strolled past him as well, looking out at the mountains in the distance. "So... what is it you are hoping to find?"

"From what Uther and the rest told me about the attacks, we need to find out where they're coming from inside the mountain, if it's a nest? Or there's someone being able to not only tame the beasts, but control them to enact these attacks." Azuth explained as he went to go the front of the group. "River my dear, since you seem the be the tankest of us here, you'll be taking point." River nodded in acknowledged as Azuth faced the elf. "Light elf, I can not pronounce your name, you'll be at the rear, being our eyes but when we get to the mountains I want you to scale, take the high ground." The elf nodded Azuth though grunted in annoyance at the remark. Ignoring the grunt from the elf, Azuth faced both Bella and Raptor. "You both will stay behind me and River, once we get into the mountains, you both will be the ones checking our sides for potential attacks."

Raptor nodded, while Bella didn't really respond. She fell into position when they set out though, walking alongside Raptor with the same, ever amused smirk. The trek passed largely without incident; a few hours across an open plain, then through a short, rocky incline that eventually became overgrown with trees and underbrush. At one point they looked back, seeing the thin wisps of smoke from the basecamp in the distance. If the attackers had come from this direction, they where going a fair ways out of their way for it.

After hours of walking, Azuth decided to make camp as it was getting to sunset and must get their rest. "Alright, we shall make camp here for the night, I am certain we're not far from their point of origin." Azuth told the group as he faces the light elf. "Elf, you'll keep watch first, see if you can climb the trees and silently take out anything that is hostile." The elf nodded as she began to swiftly climb the trees. "I gotta say, the elves of Evasha knows how to climb."

"And us?" Raptor asked as Azuth looked towards the rest.

"Rest, and make a fire would ya?" Azuth directed at River raised eyebrow before doing as told, getting things such as wood, and leafs to build a fire, using her Blades of Surtr to ignite a blaze.

Meanwhile, Bella set her weapons down next to a fallen log, and began to pace around the clearing. "Where do you think we are now?" She hummed, watching the trees as she circled the newly lit fire. "There doesn't seem to be much here."

River pace around the camp area still in full body armor as he seem to refuse to sleep per Azuth's orders. "Not sure, best be careful I been in too many situations of surprise attacks in these conditions." River said as she placed her twin blades back onto her back.

"Oh? find yourself taken by surprise often, do you?" Belly mused, sitting down on a log and staring into the campfire. "Maybe you should be more aware of your surroundings." She said with a mischievous smile.

"Not taken surprise, too many numbers of the enemy and I can still remember the battle at Concord in the North."

For a moment, it seemed like Bella was disappointed her jab didn't get a reaction. Seen enough though, she simply crossed her legs and propped her head up in her hand while watching the fire burn. "You don't look that old to me." She muttered. "But the way you talk... Sounds like you've had a very storyed life."

"No, I do not have the appearance of a older woman, but I am roughly over fifty years old. I've been in hundreds of a battles within a single year. When she emerged and the battles that came after, it causes one to be on guard more then one really should." River said before looking towards the light elf and signaled her for anything out of the ordinary or if she spotted anything.

Pulling her eyes away from the campfire, Bella raised a curious eyebrow. "This world is full of oddities..." She murmured, scooting over on the log and patting the spot next to her. "Come, sit. I want to hear this story." Regaining her mischievous demeaner, she chuckled one more thing under her breath. "Young lady."

River raised a eyebrow and before she could reject the offer, she'd instantly turn to face the direction behind her. Taking a step ever so forward, she raised a hand to signal the light elf using hand gestures. The light elf returned with another hand gesture which River nodded before facing towards the group. "Get ready, we got another trail, there is a platoon of undead coming this way."

Lazily looking down the path River was, Bella rose to her feet and stretched out her back. "Should we wake the men?" She asked, drawing a dao from her weapon bundle but stopping half way. "Or did you want to handle it on your own?"

"I am sure a couple of undead is not a big deal." River said as draws only one of the two twin Blades of Surtr. "A single blade will suffice." Slowly River began to sprint towards the direction of the undead and the trial. "If you want to wake them, best to do it now!" River shouted as she charged at the undead.

One quick glance a the still sleeping men on the other side of the clearing made Bella smirk. "No..." She muttered, drawing the dao once more and stepping after her. "I'm sure we're more than enough."

As soon as she broke through the bushes circling the clearing, a shambling ghoul lunged at her. Never breaking her expression, Bella made a quick swing, slicing the creature in half from hip to shoulder. She stepped around it before it even hit the ground, pausing a moment to watch River engage another group further ahead.

Pulling out her twin Blades of Surtr, River quickly clashed against the undead in an brilliant swinging motions, throwing the blades towards them she used the chains to hold onto them as they get swiped in front of her. Covering her entire front, the blades quickly sliced through five undead as they combusted into flames due to the additional enchantments on the twin blades. Soon enough spinning the twins to form an oval motion before slamming one blade at to her left then leaping into the air to slam the other, causing an eruption of fire as it turned the weaker undead to ash on impact. River wiped her forehead, bewildered herself on the strength of the twin blades as she held them out, inspecting them.

"Oh my..." Bella muttered, quickly executing another undead with a decapitating slash.

However, the weapon snapped with a loud crack, sending the blade spiraling off into the woods alongside the head of the zombie. Another undead stumbled her way, but she ignored it in leu of staring at her now broken weapon. At the last moment, an arrow flew from the trees and skewered it through the temple. She looked just in time to see the Elf glance at her, before moving on to the next foothold and vanishing from sight. Smirking again, Bella approached River from behind. She first surveyed the scene, then at River herself.

"Not what you where expecting?" She hummed, circling around her while bouncing the broken weapon I her hand. "That was quite the maneuver."

River turned to face Bella before looking at the direction of the undead, eyes squinting. Pulling an small war axe which radiated cold and frost. Reeling back she'd threw the axe as it struck an undead hidden behind the bushes, instantly freezing. "Look at that, some kind of undead spy or something, could be intelligent." River remarked to Bella as she approached the frozen undead.

Bella slowly turned, obviously less interested in this development. "Someone has scouted our scouting party." She said with a disappointed huff. "Looks like we're on the right track at least." Training her eyes on the woods around them, her small smirk slowly returning after a moment. "What could be out here that would be worth all this trouble, I wonder?"

River then unfroze the undead with a wave of her left hand, and instantly using her right to grab the throat of the undead spy, lifting it before slicing both its legs with a Blade of Surtr, which screamed out in agony. "There undead, you wont be able to escape and to provide us with what we want to know." River threateningly informed the undead who had both an scowl but a terrified expression.

"What.. do you want to know girl." The undead spoken in intelligent speech, which for a moment surprised River before shaking it off.

"Tell me where you and the rest of the undead came from, and who summoned you?" River questioned the undead, but stayed silent, which prompting River to bash its head against a tree before asking again. "I'll ask again, where did you come from, and who summoned or made you?"

The undead eyed her for a moment, it's face unable to convey any sort of expression saved for a skeletal grin. "I was summoned..." It began. "By another like me. To keep the likes of you from finding the city." The creature lowered it's head, shuffling slightly before looking up once more. "But you'll-."

Suddenly dagger soared past River's ear, striking the undead square in the eye. River drop the creature in surprise, where it, and a small dagger coated in an odd liquid dropped to the ground. A dagger that began began to sizzle in the wet earth, and the grass around it began to crumble away. "That was close." Bella hummed, lowering her arm and folding her sleeves together with a small chuckle. "Lucky for you I was faster than he was."

"He was about to tell us something, and ya let that be lost to us!" River berated the small Bella before sighing as the rest of the group emerged from behind Bella, having been awakened from the fighting as the flying cat perched himself on River's shoulder plating. "Even still, we know the direction they went at least."

"Fairly sure I also just saved your life." Bella chuckled into her sleeve.

Moving past her to stand by River's side, Raptor eyed the undead with a dagger protruding from it's eye with a grimace. "You know where these things came from?" He looked off deeper into the forest, following a number of tracks the undead had left during the attack. "I guess... That means we should report back to camp, right?" He looked back at the others, just as the elf descended from the trees to join them. "I mean... We can't handle this on our own, can we?"

"I'm not opposed." Bella said with a giggle.

River looked off towards where the undead came from, as it was captivated by something, never once breaking her sight as she faced towards the direction. Gladstone looked at River, having tilted his head to the side. "River, you ok?" He questioned her as she began to move forward.

"You can head back, I'll scout their base of operations." River concluded and has no signs of ever backing out on what she's doing as she looked towards their party leader. "If that is alright with you?" She questioned towards Azuth, who simply shrugged.

"If you wish to do so Lady Ponds, by all means. We'll head back and then you can deliver an scouting report to our dear High Lord Hector" Azuth smiled before turning to inform the group they're heading back. "However I believe you have some other reason to continue, but I will not pressure you, just come back without a scratch, be painful to see a beautiful lady covered wounds and dirt."

One at a time, the group members slowly turned and headed back for the main camp, now only lights in the distance. Raptor spared a moment to stare at River, but if he was waiting for a reaction, he didn't get one. Eventually, he too slid his hands into his pockets and matched off alongside the others. River remained facing the path the undead had carved, fixated. Obsessed even, by something she couldn't explain. It was like something called to her. Something great, ant terrible all at once.

Something that, once she realized it, distracted her from the fact that she still wasn't alone. She looked back to find Bella waiting there, leaning on a fallen log with her typical smirk. "You really intend to leave on your own?" She said curtly. "It was my understanding good adventurers knew enough to stick together."

"You're wrong.. I'm not alone." River smiled as she petted Gladstone on her shoulder. "If you want to come, that's your choice but whatever happens, you leave it to me." River told Bella as she began to proceed forward, placing her blade onto her back.

"Hmhmhm... As you wish." Belly snickered, folding her sleeves together and slowly following after her. For a time the two walked in silence, taking in their surroundings. Whatever it was that'd caught River's attention, Bella either hadn't noticed, or simply didn't care. She seemed content to just watch River's back and follow wherever she led her. Of course, after a few minutes of hiking this contentness seemed to fade, and she spoke up once more. "So tell me, what is it about this place do you find so fascinating?"

River pulls an clutter of branches and leafs to reveal an rundown town, seemingly looking extremely old along with low-level monsters that seem to had taken residence. "I feel something... or someone is here who shouldn't."

Bella moved to look over her shoulder, gently cupping her chin. "My my..." Her eyes narrowed at the sight, and narrowed further when she looked up to see more overgrown structures poking out from the overgrowth in the distance. "I take it this is not what you had in mind?" She gave River a small smirk, but she didn't respond. Bella's expression flattened, and with a huff, she backed away from their vantage and hugged her elbows. "I believe we should head back. I'm sure the commanders would like to know about this."

River looked towards the old structures and soon enough Gladstone would appear in front of her face. "Come on River, I know that look! Ever since leaving E-Rantel you always did things your own way, but you're in a group now, it be best to not take our chances in unknown territory." Gladstone voiced his opinion as River simply stared back at her flying feline friend.

"I think I know who is here, this feeling.. this aura is reminiscing." River spoke as she took a step forward towards the old structures filled with the monsters. Gladstone tried to reason with her to not go, but was in vain and simply accepted as he looked at Bella.

However, Bella was less accepting. She simply reached out gripped the woman's pauldren. "River." She didn't raze her voice, nor did she speak with any level of authority, but when River looked back, she found her with a completely serious expression. "If you start a fight now, everything in there..." She gestured with a finger of the hand that held River's shoulder. "Will come out here. And strong as you may be, something will get past you and find the rest of the convoy." Her eyes softened, and she listened her grip slightly. "You may survive whatever comes, but I very much doubt anyone else will."

River then looked back towards the monsters idling by as she thought about it. River thought back to her time as an military commander and her time as an adventurer. She became more reckless and charging into hostile territories more so then her time as an commander. Although wanting to see and solve this uneasiness, she reluctantly took a step back, no longer intending to charge in. "Recognize... one of your knights." River softly spoke before she spun around to return to the group, which Gladstone hovered next to Bella.

"Thanks for that, didn't think that would work honestly." Gladstone, chuckled. "Though weird phrase huh, recognize one of your knights? I wonder who she was even referring to."

"I couldn't say. I assumed the pair of you where strangers in this land." Bella hummed, her smirk returning. "But... At least she's proven she's not all muscle." Chuckling into her sleeve again, she stepped away from the outlook and ushered Gladstone back to his companion. "Off you go now. She might get lost out here without the pair of us keeping track of her."

"Lost? I doubt, she has very scarily level of intuition." Gladstone told her as he flew to River's side as she walked. "Say wanna tell me why you want to go in there?" River glanced to Gladstone before moving onto the moving party ahead. "Hmm, something must've spooked her to be this quite."

Undenounced to the pair of them, Bella began to lag behind. It simply looked like she was just taking her time, allowing River and Gladstone to leave her sight. Once even their footfalls had fallen silent, she abruptly stopped dead in her tracks. "I take it you haven't alerted the others because you're not sure how I'd react. Yes?"

Before another word could be said, an arrow flew at her from the trees. Faster than lightning, Bella caught between her fingers, spun, and threw it back into the bush like a dart. What followed was a short yelp and an inhuman groan. Bella stepped through the brush, finding a small goblin scout pinned against a tree with the arrow through it's shoulder. However, Bella's attention remained fixed to a shallow slice in her palm. Licking the blood away, she smirked down at the struggling creature. Her hand shot to a pouch on her thigh, an she lobbed a dagger into the trees just as an arrow flew from them, striking her square in the neck. A moment later, a dead goblin fell from the trees, the dagger burred hilt deep in it's chest. The goblin still pinned to the tree flashed a grin of jagged teeth. But that quickly changed when Bella next down next to it, plucking the arrow from her neck without so much as flinching.

"Poisoned as well." She said in a singsong tone. "Clever." The goblin lunged for a small horn hanging from it's hip, but Bella knocked it out of it's hand with a short kick, before she knelt down and closed her hand around the goblin's neck. "You should've done that from the start." She said, the wound on her neck slowly closing up. "It wouldn't have saved you... But you might have alerted your village." A quick twist of her hand broke the creatures neck, and she allowed it to quietly slump to the side. "But thanks to that, our scouting mission was a success." She said with a smirk, brushing the blood from her now wound free hand. "I wonder what other fun things will happen on this quest."

"You..." An low deep voice radiated from behind Bella as she spun around to face the one speaking. An large undead warrior in black cladded body armor with red cape and drape on his waist. "It's a intriguing prospect that I am not the only one sentenced here in this... New World." The undead warrior spoke as if it knows what Bella is.

I took a moment for Bella to respond. She tilted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes. But all the same her smile grew larger. "I'm sure I have no idea what you mean." She said with a small shrug. "I'm just a simple adventurer, on a quest with my companions." She folded her sleeves, offering a small, polite bow. "A quest to find you, I take it."

"A quest to fine me you say?" The warrior noted. "And who sent you on this quest, and were you looking for me specifically.. or were you looking for others from YGGDRASIL?"

Smiling still, Bella slowly turned and began strolling away. "We where sent to investigate the monster attacks in this area. I'm not exactly privy as to who, or why, but I don't really care for such details." She paused a moment, looking back over her shoulder to put on a genuine smile "As for you're other question though... I'm just looking for a bit of entertainment." She turned about and bowed once more, before turning again and resuming her exit. "Do try to entertain me, would you?"

The undead warrior scoffed before turning to walk back to his original position. "Be warned that any further you go towards us will be seen as a hostile action, and the Confessor will do everything for his King." The warrior warned Bella as he walked towards the debris of the town.

**Next Chapter - Chapter 4: The Lost Kingdom**