The Awkward Dance by augmentedfourth

Alys was busier than she had ever been, doing jobs for the Hunters' Guild. The creatures on Motavia began to grow in both size and number and many people were beginning to worry. Travel between towns began to slow and soon, the bustling town of Aiedo became isolated from its neighbors. Alys was still sometimes required to travel for missions, but it was becoming more dangerous to walk from place to place.

It was in a small neighboring village that Alys had dispatched a band of young thieves. As soon as she met the ringleader, Chaz Ashley, she could tell that he was much smarter than his cohorts, and rather than send him to be incarcerated, she took him under her wing. She had never much wanted the responsibility of children of her own, but for reasons unknown, this impulsive teenager triggered some sort of maternal instinct in her.

As she had expected, Chaz was a fast learner and with his intelligence, she knew that he could be a great hunter some day. As she taught him, Alys' thoughts drifted to her experiences with her own mentor, and, in turn, Rune. It was then that she came to the realization that it had been well over a year since she last saw him. She felt slightly guilty about not having noticed earlier, and then worried a little about his whereabouts. She hoped he was okay, but there was no one to ask.

Alys remembered the last time he had disappeared out of her life, it was nearly ten years before they met again. She allowed herself to briefly miss his sporadic visits and the intimate company he provided, but training Chaz and protecting the citizens of Aiedo and the surrounding areas consumed most of her energy. In the back of her mind, though, she held on to the hope that Rune was safe and that she would see him again some day.

Before she knew it, Chaz was ready to be a full-fledged member of the Hunter's Guild. Though Alys had never really had an official partner, she was content to remain working with him. The first mission she accepted for the two of them came in the form of a vague message from the principal of the Motavia Academy. She had not traveled as far as Piata, the college town, in a long time and was eager to finally get away from Aiedo for a bit.

In Piata, Alys and Chaz unexpectedly learned about the root of the surge of monsters. Alys had occasionally wondered where they had all been coming from, but as they had kept her busy and she didn't have to worry about work, she hadn't given it a lot of thought. At the Academy, the pair picked up another traveling companion in the form of an assistant professor, Hahn Mahlay.

Hahn was not a trained fighter, but he was knowledgeable about the monsters and knew the professor who had gone off to seek their origin. He stood in the room with the two hunters as the principal recalled the tale of how a man named Zio suddenly appeared and warned him to stay away from Birth Valley, an underground cave north of Zema. Alys had heard talk around Aiedo of this strange man, but had thought him nothing more than a false prophet with a small gathering of followers. Despite the fact that she had heard some negative things about him, she hoped that a person was not responsible for the herds of monsters that had been growing stronger by the day.

For a small fee (much lower than her usual commission), Alys agreed to accompany Hahn to Birth Valley. Immediately upon entering Zema, though, they could tell something was wrong. The residents of the busy town were, quite literally, frozen in place. Alys gently brushed the face of an elderly man, his mouth eternally displaying his horror.

They've been turned into stone! Chaz exclaimed.

Alys merely nodded as she led her small team into the entrance of the cave. Inside, the monsters were stronger than the ones they had encountered out on the sandy plains, and Alys didn't want to reveal how uneasy she felt. Unfortunately, Hahn's colleagues had suffered the same grisly fate as the townspeople of Zema.

An ancient curse? Alys said, more to herself than to the others. I can't believe someone is able to cast such a spell in this day and age!

Hahn looked as if he were about to be ill. Isn't there any way to restore them? he asked.

Alys thought for a moment, trying to remember where she had originally heard the tale of people being turned to stone. It had been years ago, but the hazy memory gradually made its way back to her. I've heard that a medicine called Alshline is able to turn stone back to flesh, she finally said.

Where can we find it? asked Hahn.

I heard about it some time ago in a Motavian village...but we're talking some time ago.

Which Motavian village? her young partner asked her.

It's the village of Molcum, which is far south of here. She vaguely remembered being in Molcum one night, years and years ago, listening intently to Father Poban tell stories and legends to a group of young, eager, Motavians. Some of the tales she had heard before, as they were myths passed down from generation to generation, but she hoped that Poban had been telling the truth as he reassured the children that they needn't be afraid of turning to stone, as he was the proud owner of a bottle of Alshline, the antidote.

Looking after Hahn in battle was starting to be a bit of a hassle, so Alys charged another small fee to travel to Molcum. She led the team out of the cave, out of the town, and started walking in the direction of the small Motavian village. I know the leader of Molcum, Alys explained. He's always been very helpful to me in the past, I'm sure this time will be no different.

As they walked through the desert, monsters occasionally sprang into their path and attacked. The group was able to defeat them rather easily, but Alys noted that they were much stronger since the last time she was near Molcum. She had taken on dangerous missions before, and several times, she had even admitted to feeling lucky she escaped with her life, but something about this mission was rattling her. Every time she thought they were getting close to being finished, there were a dozen more unanswered questions and she didn't like how she seemed to know so little about what was going on. Her team was counting on her, though, so Alys took a deep breath and continued marching through the Motavian desert.

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