Mosaic

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Written by: Ida

Haunting reoccuring dreams had begun to plague Riza at night . Every moment she allowed her rump to rest , she would find herself back in her old prison, The Manor . The Room she occupied was sun lit and warm . In front of her , 12 exquisite sets of leather armour had been placed in a row. Each boasted a unique hue that glimmered in the light . Handcrafted by a talented craftsman , they were fit for only legends in tales.

Whenever she reached out to admire the armour , the armour would fall , splattering blood across the sets, the walls and herself . It began to wobble then shake and finally , scream “ HOW COULD YOU LEAVE US RIZA?”

It was night of a full moon when Riza decided to take a solo detour . She grew fond of the group snd was proud to be part of the rebellion , but she could not be of any use when she could never fully rest . In a note she promised her return and took off into the night , riding to conquer her fears. Had her people taken her lead And escaped the cruel lord ? Or did they blame her, and the Lord slaughtered them all . She simply had to know even if the thought made her feel sick .

The journey to the manor was tedious . She took extra precaution to stay undetected, moving mostly during the later hours . Had she not been so preoccupied by arriving at her destination , she would have noticed she soon was there . The once strictly kept paths leading up to the manor was overgrown by vines and weeds . Lush vegetation had curled around erected statues and the gate of the manor was vined shut . The once bustling courtyard had a single white butterfly enjoying the new home .

Surprised , and cautious , Riza left behind her horse and jumped the gate to investigate . Her spear readied , she reluctantly crept up to the manor. “ Hello?” She called softly, searching for any sign of life . The door was unlocked, picked infact. Carefully she prodded the door open and peered inside. A overwhelming stale smell greeted her instead of the old Butler Rhys.

With great caution , Riza searched each room of the manor without finding a single clue . Even the slaughter house and stable was empty. She had checked all the rooms rxcept one . The room with the armour . The room of the Lady, whom Riza had killed . She had hoped to give that room a miss but the lack of clues insisted she did . With the greatest of care , and a deep breath , she approached the room in the top wing . She rolled tbe door knob slowy , opening the door with a creak . Instead of armour , she was faced with an arrow of a crossbow in between her eyes

“ Don’t make another voice “ the owner of thr crossbow growled . It paused for a second and lowered the bow . “ Riza ??” Teo looked confused at his contractor . “ What on earth are you doing here ? “ He stepped back , trying to hide a stash behind his tail .

“ Likewise “ Riza exhaled “ You didn’t return so I had to come look for myself”

Teo sheepishly rubbed his head “ About that . I arrived and no one was here . I wasn’t sure of the full story . How could I report back with half news ? “

Riza ignored him , looking around the room. She noticed his stash , picking it up , ignoring his protests . Inside his baggy was hundreds of picked scales . Each with their own radiant hue . Riza held one to candle Teo had lit . It shone a brilliant Emerald green . Riza grunted , a tear rolling down her face . “ I am taking these . You should keep close . I think there's a storm coming “

-end-

Patient is the night