Are There Thorns Beneath? [Private w/ Jeremiah]

It was meant to have been a simple expedition, but the sight of the place had been far too moving. For young Camilia, it was the thought that this had once been someone's home - once, when the world was still whole and intact - that made every pained step sting that much more. From atop the heavens, the sun sneered down at her, searing rays of golden light beating against her pale skin. She walked through a desolate city of rubble and glass, its foundations scattered across the dirt in a mockery of what might have resembled civilization at one point.

Peru was an unclaimed land, one of few which would no doubt be the turning points in the conflict between the Crusaders and Guardians. It was a country she planned to retake, and one she was intent on returning to the world. These ruins were the first thing she would sweep away once the war was over, and in its place, a brilliant city would rise.

Yet, for all the determined thoughts racing through her mind, the girl's march was sullen and melancholy. From the very start, this felt more like a funeral than a resource-gathering mission, and against her better nature, Camilia had let her mourning heart lead her away from her group, leashed around like an animal that didn't know any better. It had been too long since her last departure from the crystal walls of Antartica; her steeled demeanour had softened considerably.

Coming to a halt in a pocket of destruction and ruin, Camilia let out a heavy sigh and moved to lean against a large slab of stone - upright and imposing, almost artistically positioned. The rock was cold and unwelcoming against her back, but it was serviceable enough. All she needed was some time to gather her thoughts, and she'd be back with her party in no time at a-

...!

The Guardian's hand flew to the hilt of the long, slender blade she carried. It was an untraceable motion, prompted by pure instinct as she vaguely felt an approaching presence. Her body tensed as she stood upright and firm, scanning her surroundings vigilantly. Someone from her group? She couldn't yet see them, and for all the girl's naivety, she wasn't yet willing to give into assumptions. She knew all too well that some monsters wore human faces.

Or perhaps, the young lady mulled, she had been graced by the presence of the enemy. At that thought, her fingers tightened around the hilt ever so slightly.