Beads of sweat rolled down Rosa's forehead. The air in the Great Forest was warm and humid, the gigantic trees trapping all moisture underneath their canopies. She finished plucking the last herb and rose to her feet, grimacing when her knees popped obnoxiously. The girl gently placed the green sprigs into her bag and brushed the damp soil off of her hands. Glancing up, she saw her twin brother Oak, grinning mischievously at her from the other side of the little stream.

Rosa smirked back, bouncing on her toes in anticipation.

At the next bird call, the two twins immediately shot off deeper into the woods, racing head to head back to the small settlement. The peaceful atmosphere was shattered by the chortling teens as they bumped into each other and tripped over stray roots. When Oak carelessly whacked her in the face with a branch, however, Rosa switched into her serious mode. Rubbing her tearing eye, she let her mind drift away towards a crow perched in a pine up ahead. The black bird started a little when it sensed her aura, but settled down when she sent a calming thought to it.

When Oak approached the pine, she sent a mental image to the bird, a vision of Oak tearing into a nest of eggs. It instantly responded, diving down from the branch and flying into her brother's face, flapping angrily and cawing loudly. The boy yelped and shielded himself with his arms. Rosa took advantage of this and pulled ahead of him, cackling wickedly.

"That's dirty! No magic!" he cried after her while trying to shoo the bird away.

Rosa let out a peal of laughter, and calmed the crow again, "Not as dirty as your face!" she returned, helpfully pointing out the smudges of dirt on his cheeks and chin. He rubbed his face, disgruntled.

"Still..." he muttered, pouting a little. Rosa quieted down, knowing that continuing to tease him would only hurt his feelings. In her tribe where most of the members were gifted with magic, Oak got the short end of the stick. It broke her heart remembering the destroyed look on his face when he realized that he didn't have any magical talent at all.

Oak had been pretty quiet about it since then; he was smart enough to know that complaining wouldn't give him magic, but it was clear that it was a sore topic for him. Rosa sighed, and approached him to give him a comforting pat on the shoulder. His amber eyes met her green ones and he let out a small chuckle.

"Now, are we going to have our race or not?" she asked, "No more shots to the face."

"Agreed," Oak nodded with a shy grin.

Rosa had to admit, even though he had no magic, Oak was really fast. His feet seemed to find just the right path through the thick foliage, as if they were guided by the spirits of the forest. He entered the small settlement first, a crooked, triumphant smile setting his whole face aglow. Arriving soon after him, Rosa tripped over a stone, wincing as the sharp pain lanced through her big toe. Barely swallowing back a curse that would have made her grandmother faint, the healer gave her brother a congratulatory pat on the back.

The utter happiness on his face, though, made the throbbing ache in her toe, and her pride, totally worth it.

...

"G-go out?" Rosa sputtered, wondering if she heard right.

She was sitting next to her mother, helping her strip a woody vine into thin, pliable strips. They were inside one of the many huts in their settlement, woven from sticks and cemented with mud and clay found in the stream. The heady aroma of medicinal herbs hung in the air like a fog, lulling the hut's inhabitants into a comforting trance. The sudden words of Rosa's mother, however, snapped the young healer back to full alert.

"Yes, dear. You are now old enough to leave the Great Forest and go to the town. We're going to need more cloth, since summer will soon be coming to a close. We don't want another case of frostbite affecting us again. Oh, and we'll need some more of those roots that are so hard... to find... you know the ones...." Her mother drifted off, as she tended to do while prepping supplies.

A thrill of joy danced through her blood, making Rosa feel warm. Before she got carried away by her glee though, Rosa tentatively asked, "Can Oak come too...?"

Her mother's lips pressed into a thin line. Oh no.... "Rosa, you know what could happen if he went. He would be completely defenseless if a magic user decided to compromise you two! No one should attack a healer, but there is always someone who would. It would be too dangerous for him, and for you if they decided to use him against you."

That isn't fair! Rosa wanted to scream, but she kept her mouth shut and stewed silently.

This was how their world was. The minority of the population who couldn't use magic were ruthlessly bullied, best case being lower wages and higher taxes, and the worse being senseless beating, torture, and lynching.

Biting her lip, she kept her head down and continued to strip the vine.

...

Shuffling his feet, Oak handed Rosa her basket. No words were exchanged between them, but a mutual understanding was shared when their gazes met. He smiled at her; though it still held pain, it was genuine. She reciprocated it, taking the basket and looping her arm through it. The woven material rubbed abrasively against her shoulder, telling for a uncomfortable trip. Ignoring it, she set off down the worn dirt path.

Through the canopies of the trees, Rosa could see dark clouds accumulating above her, beginning to shroud the sky in darkness. Wind rattled the leaves, producing a quiet, incessant hiss. The healer fixed her gaze ahead while trying to shrug off the worrisome sense of dread coiling in her gut.

After walking for a few hours, Rosa brushed her auburn bangs out of her eyes and noticed brightness on the path ahead. Increasing her pace until she was sprinting, the girl burst out of the forest for the first time, her green eyes as wide as saucers. She swiveled her head side to side in alarm and instinctively shied back into the tree line.

Trepidation made her hesitate as she took in the foreign flatness before her. Rosa could see grass, yes, but there were no trees! Swallowing back her anxiety, the girl closed her eyes and stepped out again with all of her other senses in overdrive. First one step, then two, then five, then ten...

Holding her breath, she lifted her lids and let out a small gasp. Never before had Rosa felt so exposed. Tall grass was all around her, rippling under the wind's gusts. Small clumps of flowers dotted the field, splashing it with their bright colors. Above her, she could clearly see the whole sky, the blue blotted out by the encroaching storm clouds. It was beautiful and exhilarating.

Heart pounding, Rosa continued on her way slowly, taking in all of the sights and sounds. At the bottom of the hill lay the town, its streets bustling with people. Surrounded by buildings, Rosa felt more comfortable than before in the field. However, the looks she received from the crowd were a bit unsettling. Most of them were warm and welcoming, once they noticed the symbol of the Sun Tribe embroidered on her robes. Others were less than friendly. Nice or not, Rosa felt squeamish being in the center of their attention.

After quickly buying few rolls of cotton at the nearest stand, Rosa hastily ducked into one of the tiny medicinal shops her mother recommended. Finally away from all the stares, she let out a soft sigh. The old man behind the dusty countertop gave her a disinterested nod and resumed grinding herbs. Rosa brushed off her robes and wandered further in, taking in the shelves cluttered with all types of foreign plants and dirty jars. The gears began to turn in her head, piecing together all the possible combinations and applications of cures.

A dry cough from the shopkeeper shook Rosa out of her trance and she sheepishly approached the counter.

"Excuse me, sir, but I was wondering if you had an herb my tribe needs," she started, fidgeting in place.

The shopkeeper gave a disgruntled sniff, "Sorry, Miss, but I wouldn't know unless I knew the name of the herb."

"Oh!" The healer's cheeks began to burn with embarrassment, "I'm sorry... Do you have Majah root?"

The old man turned away from the counter and began rifling through his cupboards, muttering something about the young needing better communication skills. Just when Rosa's mind began to drift again, he hobbled back to the counter holding a twisted black root.

"Here we are, this was just imported from Majah last month. That will be twenty ren."

Nodding, Rosa reached into her bag for her purse containing the silver rings. When she couldn't find it, panic began to eat away at her nerves. She dumped her bag's contents onto the counter and rummaged through, while the old man's gaze turned colder and colder. After a long moment of shame, Rosa met his eyes and opened her mouth to apologize.

"If you don't have the money, then get out of my shop!" he spat harshly, baring his yellow teeth. Rosa couldn't help but wither under his annoyed glare.

After hurriedly shoving everything back inside her shoulder bag, the healer rushed out of the building and back outside. Hot tears burned in her eyes and she clenched her fists. She just had the money! She bought the cloth right before she came to the shop, so why was it gone?!

Did I drop it? Did someone steal it?

Rosa quickly wiped the tears away and took a moment to ease her breathing. Stressing about it was not going to help the situation. She couldn't very well ask the authorities for help, since she had no idea what happened. Rosa returned to the fabric stand to question the lady running it, only to find it closed due to the weather. Looking up, she pouted in irritation at the black clouds, now obscuring all color in the sky.

I should just return home, for now. I can come back when the weather clears, she thought to herself with a dejected slump of her shoulders.

Wrapping her shawl closer to herself, Rosa set off at a fast pace, determined to at least get underneath the forest's shelter before the rain hit. Once she stepped into the open field, the girl could finally feel the full brunt of the upcoming storm. The wind now buffeted her around, shrieking in her ears and clawing at her robes viciously. The tall grass and flowers were flattened under its force and the trees groaned and creaked painfully. Rosa began to sprint, leaning into the wind and shielding her face from flying debris.

After much struggling, and almost losing the cotton to the wind's yanking, Rosa finally made it to the tree line. She felt herself relaxing the second those ominous clouds overhead were blocked from her sight, but she pushed herself to keep going. She wasn't naive enough to think the younger trees would be enough to shield her from the weather. Snuggling deeper into the small warmth her shawl provided, she pressed on.

Luckily for Rosa, the further she went, the easier walking became. It was still a struggle, but manageable. The sun must have begun to set, because everything was getting increasingly more difficult to see. It was getting cold too, reminding Rosa once again that autumn was just around the corner. Shivering, the healer hunched her shoulders and squinted her eyes, trying not to think about the incoming rain. It was a wonder, though, how the clouds have managed to hold onto the rain for this long-

Pat!

A fat raindrop hit Rosa on the eyebrow, startling her and making her jump in surprise. Wiping it away, she scolded herself. Great, I just had to go ahead and jinx myself by thinking about it... Above her head, she could hear the sound of rain aggressively battering the leaves.

A few moments later, Rosa's stride faltered when her next step suddenly squished and sank into freezing mud. Yelping, she jumped back and shook her leg, shaking off most of the unpleasant substance. She glanced behind her with a scowl, wondering if she had strayed off the dirt trail and into a marsh with the ailing light.

Once she had reassured herself that she was still on the path, she turned back ahead, puzzled. Where did all this mud come from...? It had only been raining for a few minutes, not nearly long enough to produce mud this deep.

Frowning, she knelt down and examined the ground; soon she noticed a bunch of churned mud and broken foliage near the edge of the path, as if there was a scuffle there. Moving closer, Rosa picked up a freshly snapped twig. That was when she heard it.

Stiffening, the healer crept closer to the faint whine, her green gaze fixed on the dark figures hidden in the gloom.

"So sorry... please..." a ragged voice pleaded from a man lying prone in the mud, "I'll never do it again..."

"It's people like you who disgust me the most; you don't deserve to be gifted," A cold voice cut through the storm's racket. The other person seemed to be a boy; he loomed over the man, cradling his bleeding arm with his back turned toward Rosa.

There was a weak scoff from the man, who appeared to be clutching onto his side in agony, "And you think you do...? You're just a monster; you're one of them..."

"Shut up!" The boy hissed, his thin shoulders squared up with tension, "You live a comfortable life full of luxury, yet you steal from a traveler, and other detestable things, because you're bored... If you looked in a mirror, I think you'll see who the real monster is."

Rosa leaned forward to get a better view when a twig snapped under her knee. The other two whipped their heads to the sound, and Rosa froze, paralyzed like a mouse trapped by a snake's gaze. Blinking the rain out of her eyes, Rosa swallowed thickly and willed herself to rise, slowly standing up onto her feet. The tall figure's dark eyes followed her every movement, intense and penetrating.

"H-hello..." She stammered nervously, regretting every decision she made that day.

The tall figure appeared to relax a bit despite his rigidity, making Rosa feel just a little less wary, "Ah, it's only you," he said coolly, shaking his damp black hair out of his eyes, "Come closer."

Rosa cautiously obliged, concerned about the man's injuries and wanting to get a better look. The dark haired boy clumsily tossed Rosa her purse, keeping his arm close to his body. The ren in the purse jingled happily when she caught it. Stunned and at a loss for words, the healer tucked it back into her bag.

" You should hurry home now," the boy adjusted the dirty rag covering his face with a bloody hand, and turned away, "The storm is only going to get worse."

Rosa briefly considered it. The storm was getting stronger, and staying with these people might be dangerous. The dark haired boy had a downright hostile gleam in his eyes, and the man clearly had no qualms about stealing and, according to the boy, 'other detestable things'. However, Rosa could not abandon the only job she knew: healing people. These two were hurt; there was no way she could just walk away.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that," She stepped up to them resolutely, "You two need to get those wounds treated immediately, before infection sets in." The boy flinched at her sudden nearness, "It's okay. I am a healer from the Sun Tribe."

On guard, the boy glared down at her, "We're fine, there's no need for that-"

Everything had happened before she could even blink: the man, taking advantage of the boy's distraction, sprung up with a burst of energy and plunged a knife deep into his shoulder. Howling in pain, the boy whipped around and, with a crackle of discharged aura, threw the man back with a powerful flood of water. After smashing into a tree with a sickening crack, the man flopped onto the soaked ground like a limp rag doll. Rosa could only gape in horror, thunderstruck by this sudden turn of events.

Ripping the knife out of his shoulder, the boy began to storm over to the still body, the air humming with his aura. It was obvious that he was no longer in his right mind, now just lashing out like a scared, wounded animal. Mortified, Rosa finally found the strength to move and leaped forward to grab his elbow.

He jumped at her touch, but didn't retaliate immediately. Rosa forced the words out as quickly and evenly as possible, hoping to reason with him, "Hold on! It's okay, he's no longer able to hurt you. You have to calm down, before you kill him!"

Lightning split the sky in half with a thunderous crash. The boy gripped onto Rosa's outstretched hand tightly, his dark eyes wild and dilated with fear. Then he backed away, feet sloshing sloppily through mud. She let him go, understanding that crowding him could very easily tip him over the edge. After a short moment, Rosa made the mistake of lowering her guard just a tiny bit.

Abruptly, the boy formed a large suspended orb of water. Rosa started toward him, her heart pounding erratically in fear for the man's life. There was a flash of intense heat and the orb exploded into a thick, white mist. Suddenly unable to see anymore, Rosa stumbled and fell. She reached out and snagged onto something, but it ripped and she landed face first in the cold, sticky mud. By the time she managed to wipe her eyes clear, the boy was long gone.

Soaking, cold, and very much confused and worried, Rosa opened her hand and looked at the ragged piece of fabric crumpled in her palm. It was pale and dirty, with a stark black symbol emblazoned on it. It looked much like a compass, but with arrows pointing in all directions. Her stomach twisted in the most unpleasant manner when she recognized the infamous symbol of chaos.

There was only one group of people who bore that symbol. A group whose very name struck fear even in the strongest of magicians.

The Grievous Clan.

. . . . . .
A/N: Hello! This is my first official story ever *laughs nervously*... Thank you for taking to your time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed!