The morning dawned crisp and fresh as Yuki stepped out of an inn at Oak. The lady marched, ecstatic of her search for any job that could provide her jewels. As accustomed, she went to search for the city's mission board first, in hopes of catching a good starting quest. It did take her quite some time to finally find what she had searched for. Standing in front of the board, she scanned for the few missions posted in it. There were only two that somehow she could fit based on the requirements noted, all that’s left for her to do was to choose.

Yuki’s eyes glittered, drawn to a quest where the details included the phrase ‘Lord of the Phantasm family’.  She quickly grabbed the post, hopeful of a chance to be granted entry at the castle that first piqued her interest in the town. She pranced, making her way towards the towering structure that stood tallest among the town’s buildings. As she read through the quest details however, her hopes were met with disappointment upon seeing that the quest was to be discussed with a guard at the town’s gate, instead of the castle’s attendants. Dispirited, she turned around to make her way towards the gate, her heart heavy with disappointment yet somehow consoled with having her first income in the town.

The discussion didn’t take that long, with the guard nonchalantly briefing her of the beacon’s locations. She was dispatched hastily, after a very brief deliberation, which worked well for Yuki with her introverted nature.

As she was instructed, she hiked up the hill with its path conveniently accessible from near the town’s gate. A long hike would be a breeze for Yuki who’s used to distant walks however, the heat of the sun proved to be a challenge in her task. There were not many trees for Yuki to retreat to as a momentary shield against the blazing sun, only the meager shade of her trusted grimoire. Fortunately enough, the location of the first beacon wasn’t that distant of a walk.

As she emerged upon her destination, her eyes stumbled upon a guard that paced between a makeshift miniature tower and a pile of logs. Yuki sat by a rock, as she watched the guard adding a few more logs on what appeared to be the beacon that was mentioned on her quest. It wasn’t that long when the guard finally concluded his labor, followed by a series of stretches signifying the completion of his job. With that, Yuki approached the guard then bowed, her body bent at her waist and her arms stiffly resting at her sides. “Uhmmm, good job mister.” She greeted awkwardly, somehow stuttering then quickly ran towards the east. The guard was left baffled at the lady’s action but simply brushed it off as his job for the day was complete.

Yuki gasped, somehow guilty of her impolite exit. She wanted to walk back for an apology but she realized it’ll be more awkward to do so and besides the quest briefing only indicated that she makes sure each beacon is completed and nothing more.

Much to her convenience, the path towards the next location was teeming with trees that provided her shade from the rays of the sun. A few sounds from various creatures of the forest however, stirred fear in her. She had a few spells to defend herself however, her lack of confidence made it hard for her to actually use them should she experience an unfortunate encounter.

She let out a sigh of relief, the moment she emerged to a clearing in the forest. Based on the sentry’s description, the next beacon should be found nearby. True enough, Yuki was able to spot a neatly constructed beacon placed almost near a cliff but before that, a slightly loud snore caught her attention. The lady traced the source of the awkward sound just beside the constructed beacon that came from another guard, who laid in slumber. Satisfied of the beacon’s appearance however, Yuki decided to slink towards another set of trees, just up north. She tiptoed, careful as not to wake up the guard who seemed to be tired after setting up the beacon.

The blazing midday sun relentlessly shone on the trail towards the location of the last beacon. Yuki had to endure through the almost unbearable heat of noontime, as she tried to console herself of her quest’s near completion. As she reached another clearing in the woods, the lady rested the palm of her hand on a nearby tree. She took a deep breath, in an attempt to somehow ease herself out of her wearied state.

The view of another beacon came to her view as she rested upon the tree. The current beacon however was still on it’s incomplete state being similar in appearance with the first beacon before the last pieces of logs were placed on it. A few logs were scattered around it along with a few dislodged stones. What caught her attention however, was another guard that laid near the incomplete beacon. Even from her location, stains of blood were visible at the guard’s armor. Alarmed, Yuki quickly ran towards the guard to check on him. Much to her horror, the man’s wrist showed no sign of any pulse no matter how long she tried to feel for it with her fingers. She then decided to place her finger right in front of the man’s nostrils. The lack of moving air indicated that the man was no longer breathing.

Suddenly filled with terror, Yuki hastily retreated back towards the woods where she came from. She scampered through the forest, ignoring the pain of her wearied legs. The reign of terror pulsated through her body, her heart throbbing with a rapid beat. She ran, incessantly relying on her instinct to guide her towards the city gates. Her mind was caught in an array of dread, with her legs simply moving out of pure will.

“Halt!” The yell of a guard somehow snapped her back to her senses, realizing that she had already reached Oak’s outer wall.

“Ttttthird beacon…..man….dead!” Yuki shook in trepidation, as she approached the guard who originally briefed her through the quest details.

“Men quickly! Check the location of the third beacon.” The guard commanded, sending two of his men to check on the location. “Here’s your payment lady now go back to the city! I will have Lord Servas informed of this!” The guard retreated back to his men, issuing them a couple of commands. Yuki on the other hand, couldn’t stop shaking, still haunted by the vision of the dead sentry.

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