Vivian washed her face with cold water, seeing the dark bags underneath her eyes showing her lack of sleep.
She had finally returned home after witnessing hell rise within the lands of Frostfang, and it was horrifying.
To think that she had followed such a being into such a place without knowing of his true origin.
"I knew he wasn't some stray damnit..."
She muttered gripping the leather of one of her many books.
Then the door of her room rattled with knocking.
She knew that it was her father, because he had always been impatient with her, even in his attempts at being a father.
"Come in..."
She said quietly, trying her best not to show her frustration.
Barren stepped into the bland room and sighed, his smile was clearly forced and his eyes showed that same familiar fear he had always had since she was a little girl.
"Father?"
He took a deep breath, and steadied himself, clearing not ready to say what he needed to say.
"Vivian... We need to leave, and go far West..."
"West? What lies West?!"
She said lifting her voice, not understanding why they needed to leave their home behind.
Barren looked around, his eyes darting toward the windows as if afraid they were being watched.
"Listen... This city is not safe anymore... Cinderveil is the farthest place from here and one of the few places held under a rightful king... We need to seek out Mare of House Night, he will give us shelter and protect us from the coming days..."
"Father..."
Vivian did not know how to respond, she had never seen her father so worked up, he was a member of the first division after all, retired or not he was strong enough to rival even a Paladin.
"Please Vivian... We have to go..."
She stuttered, and then grabbed her things, but before she left her room she whispered to her father.
"What about Chase?"
She knew that her father cared for heir, and had known more than he wanted to let on, so she figured that he had something to do with this.
His face turned dark, as if mentioning the name had casted a shadow upon him.
"The heir of Vallmora... He will be fine, he is stronger than I gave him credit for, but he will face terrors that he had never thought possible soon, and we will be of no use to him, not yet at least... We must go... The heir will live no matter what. But we do not have that luxury..."
She quickly followed him outside of their luxurious house within city limits, and stood outside for a moment, he gave her some time to take it all in, but did no good.
She looked at the grand fortress set atop the grand mountains, that she had grown up in. Phoenix Academy was her home, and she was clearly not ready to leave it behind yet.
"Father?"
He shook his head, trying to force himself out of a daze, and stepped into the chariot that had already been awaiting them outside.
"What is coming?"
She asked quietly as she sat down across from him.
His face grimaced and his breathing picked up.
He started to mutter unfamiliar phrases to himself, as if trying to force a prayer from his non-believing mind.
"The... The old ones... The new ones... Sacred souls... I cannot believe Leander had not warned me sooner, or I would have prepared better."
"Father! What are you talking about!?"
Vivian had started to fear her own father, surely he had not gone mad? She thought, feeling her heart race and shivers run down her back.
He took a deep breath and looked outside of the closest window, his voice lowering to a simple whisper.
"The balance of the kingdoms has broken... Only war lays in the ruins of Vallmora... The Grand Paladin will not stop it... He underestimates the morality of the Paladins, he believes they are loyal... But they are not... I fear that the end is near... War is coming, and not a silly little one between two weak kingdoms..."
"War?"
Vivian asked, trying to pry her father of any information that could make sense.
"My father... He stood aside Orion, until they were betrayed by their own ally... Zen had killed him, and I do not wish to face the same fate. May Orion rise soon or we are all doomed..."
She gazed at the second sun that covered the entire kingdom of light in its protection, she had never thought that she would face such danger in all of her time living within the city of the phoenix...