Reina jolted awake. Forehead sweating, ears ringing. The sound was impossibly loud and her vision was clouded from a haze of ash.

She had camped just outside a small elven village after passing through the prior day. She gathered her pack together slowly but deliberately. Whatever that ghastly sound had been certainly meant trouble and she wasn’t in a particular hurry to find out what horrible scene awaited her in the tree village ahead. A pot left out the night before was laid at the base of her sack, she neatly wrapped her fishing line, and then double checked to ensure she wasn’t forgetting anything.

Eventually she approached the settlement slowly and a glimpse of what had transpired dawned upon the rose haired woman. It was pure pandemonium within the township.

Injured elves, screaming children, and trees ablaze. Like something out of a nightmare. Embers from a burning branch streamed by her face while she tried to process what had occurred. Was this the work of a demon? An attack by a rival tree-dwelling empire of elves?

An elderly female rapidly approached Reina, blood seeping down her face. She shouted in a panic, “it’s Lornius! A volcano! An eruption!”

That was convenient. Reina now knew the what but was unclear regarding the why.

Before she could process the eruption’s cause her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion coming from a rather large tree ahead. It was too far away to tell what was going on, though that did not dissuade her interest. The thin woman pulled her tan jacket close around her waist and adjusted her yellow scarf to try and reduce the amount of soot she was inhaling. With her katana tightly clipped along her right hip began to meander near the disturbing noises.

Immediately after she had begun her walk she noticed a group of individuals quickly approaching her towards her left side. Obviously they must’ve been heading towards whatever was causing a ruckus in the distance.

Steadying herself, Reina turned and approached the group. Hopefully they could provide some explanation for what was happening.