Iunnet awoke to the sound of gunfire to the south. She had found herself in the bed in which she had awoken the night before, and there she quickly rolled out and onto the floor, as the combatant was close. It had not been fired towards her, nor the camp, but without any sign of Juggie in her immediate vicinity, she had no idea if he was now dead.
Fortunately, the gunfire was isolated, having only reverberated a couple of pops throughout the forest before the sounds of nature reclaimed their home. Iunnet slowly stood to peer over the one window of this shack, which displayed the southern part of the forest.
With no sign of Juggie, and a fear of revealing herself had she called his name to any potential assailants, Iunnet quickly ducked for her gear on the other side of the shack. After recollecting everything (in an abnormally quick manner, for Iunnet seemed to have incredible processing speed), Iunnet dashed out the door to the shack and sprinted to the north, leaving the camp -- and Juggie -- behind.
Iunnet’s plan was rigid in her understanding of not just the geographical, but political landscape of Selahktia. Her studies had brought her far, and so a consequential capture of her objective by a mostly hostile force led her to deduce that her next goal was to wade through less ravenous waters. The entirety of central Selahktia was under consistent warfare, as the I.H.M.D. had initiated a strategic push towards the northern farmlands. Iunnet’s plan was to now veer south and cut through Allamak Pass, following the Havendale River southwest. From there she would continue northwest, eventually arriving at Stagerd Concordia. Iunnet’s main effort was to find another Scholar, and perhaps achieve more information on exactly how things have changed since her studies.
Iunnet had known the volatile nature of the Overworld for some time, indeed many of the inhabitants of Myrddin told many fantasy stories about the happenings above ground, but the role of a Scholar is soulbound. Scholars may never return to their city of Myrddin, in fear of infection of Carbon Cancer. The virus -- if exposed -- induces carcinogenic compounds, and ultimately diminishes their victim into a painful and excruciating death.
Iunnet had learned to identify this plague through its appearance factor -- it is applied as a black dust that scours its territory for prey, hence its moniker. These Carbon “clouds” were extremely dangerous during darker hours, as the mist would seemingly blend into the night. Indeed, they were also far more active at night, for reasons the Scholars had seldom experimented with.
In four hours’ time, Iunnet had managed to make it to the Havandale River. Upon her arrival, the serenity of the forest had overtaken her, once her eyes laid upon it. It had been quiet for some time, but Iunnet’s hastening had relinquished the tranquility from her mind.
There, she stared at the modest river, its current strong as it passed west. The sounds of water mixed with the hums of life in the forest, and so Iunnet had taken a minute here to rest and abide by meditation -- a call to nature.
She relaxed for an indeterminate amount of time as she breathed in the complex nuance of the life around her. When her process had finished, she opened her eyes and stood up -- stern and now refreshed in her directive; but, just before she crossed the river, Iunnet had noticed stripes among the river water. These crimson stripes flowed freely throughout the stream, until it became much more dense.
Iunnet quickly realized the true nature of this debacle, and so there she witnessed the blood of someone slain, basking in the sanctity of nature, just as Iunnet had.
