Shifters

Panic Attack

Time seemed to slow drastically as the resplendent, Lorian covered ceiling transformed from day to night. It's subtle, yet magnificent twinkle perfectly mimicked the beautiful night's sky on completing its smooth transition. Beneath its splendor lay winding rivers, glittering brilliantly as light shone off of its reflective surface. Captivated by the picturesque view before her, Joana leaned heavily on the wooden guardrails as she contemplated her next move. She'd successfully managed to carry out her assignment, however, the results were less than satisfactory. Staring at the vast land below, a strong breeze washed over her position, forcing her long, brown hair to flutter wildly in its wake. 

"It's a good thing the conditions weren't like this when I brought Josh here, otherwise he'd have been tossed over the edge," she said aloud, smiling as the thought crossed her mind. 

The thought of Josh made her wonder how he was adapting to his new life. She'd felt at ease after leaving him in Herman's capable hands knowing that he would take good care of him. It had been exactly two weeks since her departure, and even though she'd returned four days ago, Joana had resisted the idea of visiting him. Rather than reporting to Shaw and rejoining the inquisitive Josh, she had opted to spend some alone time atop the secluded ridge. 

As per her orders, Joana had returned to their previous mission's site, in hopes of finding any clues as to what happened to her companions. To her surprise, the facility seemed even more deserted than when they'd first breached its perimeter. After entering, she discovered that all traces of battle were removed as though it never happened. Even the vault, which had been crowded with countless artifacts before, was now laid bare. To the back of the room however, was a picture fixed to the wall, with red painted arrows pointing at its frame. Joana's knees grew weak as she vividly remembered the image depicting her nearly lifeless comrades bound in chains. 

"How am I supposed to face Shaw after this," she said, burying her face in her hands as tears spilled out of her eyes, "It's all my fault. If I'd only reacted sooner, Celine and the others wouldn't have been taken."

Unfastening a small brown pouch from her waist, Joana opened it before removing the slightly creased photo. Staring at their tortured bodies, her pulse quickened as she once again felt responsible for their capture. As the wind's ferocity increased, she held firmly onto the railing, as her tears stained the printed image. 

"This is no time for tears Joana," she said, reprimanding herself, "Every moment you waste here could potentially be spent trying to find some way to rescue them from those fiends."

Deciding it was time to break the news to Shaw, Joana placed the photo back into the pouch, refastening it to her waist as she wiped away tears from reddened eyes. Gazing at the beautiful scenery one last time, she returned to the teleportation chamber where she entered the doorway to Lele. 

As she exited the doorway, Joana was greeted by a rather strange site. Before her knelt a disheveled man in front of the city gate, pleading with a nearby guard to be let inside. At his side sat a canteen along with a backpack, commonly used by the inhabitants of Lore  which once again reminded her of both Josh and Herman.

'I hope those two are getting along well,' she thought as she walked over to the armed guard. 

Noticing her presence, the soldier crossed over to her before standing at attention.

"What seems to be the problem?" she asked casually motioning for him to be at ease.  

"Nothing ma'am," the soldier responded quickly, "Just another drifter hoping to get in. We usually get a few of them from time to time." 

"I see," Joana said softly, staring at the bowed head of the pitiful man, "He seems to have travelled a great distance. Can't you let him spend the night at the very least?"

"I'm sorry, that would be against protocol," the soldier said reflexively.

Deciding not to push the matter any further, Joana directed the topic elsewhere, "Is Travis not on duty today?"

The guard's eyes shifted to the side as if uncomfortable by the sudden mention of his superior, "I-I haven't seen Sir Travis in nearly a week. I'll be sure to let him know you're searching for him when he returns."

"No it's fine," she said noticing his discomfort, "I was simply curious of his whereabouts." 

"If you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend too," he said, pointing at the late arrival of three slowly approaching horse-drawn carts packed with ripened produce.

Not wanting to impede the guard's duties, Joana stepped out of his way as he attended to the oncoming merchants. Entering the city, Joana wondered why Travis, who had never once missed his post since he was assigned, had been absent for over a week. Stopping in the middle of the street, Joana slapped her cheeks, garnering a few concerned stares. 

"Stop that," she muttered, "you can't keep worrying about everyone."

Realizing her actions was gathering a crowd, she quickly slipped out of sight, sticking to mostly unused roads as she made her way to the city's center. Reaching her destination, Joana entered the building, greeting two armed guards that saluted her at the door. Traversing the familiar hallways, Joana was surprised to see that the once dim passageways were once again well lit. 

'Seems they finally got that new shipment of Lorian,' she thought, appreciating the fact that she no longer needed to strain her eyes to see the path ahead. 

Arriving at the door to Shaw's office, a sudden wave of anxiety blanketed her senses. Leaning forward, Joana could hear the faint lisp of voices conversing on the other side. 

'Perhaps now isn't the best time to give my report,' she thought backing away from the entrance, 'No! I have to tell him at some point, so why, why do I feel as though I'm missing something?'

Joana stood still as she reorganized her thoughts. Although the news she bore was in no way positive, she felt certain that her sudden anxiety was not related to it. Replaying her entire journey to the capital over in her mind, one word seemed to stand out from the rest, Lore. 

'Had the source of her anxiety been Josh? No, of all the things she was sure about, his safety was the only one she'd claim to have been fully guaranteed. So then why was she unable to shake this feeling of unease? Perhaps I should go pay them a visit,' she thought, staring at the door, 'after I give my report.'

With renewed resolve, she retrieved a flask from the pouch at her waist, splashing water in her face, before returning it to its spatial confines.  

Drying the residual water off in her sleeves, Joana took a deep breath as she grasped the handle, "Let's get this over with!"