At the Edge of the Charred Woods

"Anything!"

The calm cool morning air was punctured by the smell of smoke that slowly rose from the now black and dead forest that for so long so many had called home. Tsuyu felt to her face, and realizing indeed her mask was still missing, pulled up her baggy clothing to conceal what she could of her face. It was only after that was taken care of she felt to her wounds, and to her face. Closed. But her eye was still missing, a sunken but healed socket marking its former location. A few feet away, her brother and Edith were slowly waking up. But Aubron, her master, stood already, though something was...off. The silence was punctured by the loud scream of a crow near by. It flew a couple feet and landed on the ground near the group.

"She has awakened us. Me." Aubron spoke, slowly turning to his rising party members. Tsuyu's suspicions were correct, there was something different. Her master's eyes glowed a new color, their iris an odd magenta that reflected like precious metals in the sunlight. They reminded her of that woman in the desert. And the mark on his neck...yes. A quick glance confirmed it was on Edith and her brother as well. She didn't even need to confirm she likely shared it. Aubron spoke again after his pause. "I won't waste this chance. I will not just kill Noa Wei for this..." he trailed off, looking over his now destroyed place of birth, his expression a mix of rage and intense sadness. He gulped hard and continued. "I will wipe him from the world. His name will never be by the title of king. His family will not know him, nor this world them. He can't pay for what he's done, because his debt to me and this world is unending. And I will make sure that his blood is spilled forever to pay it all back in full."

Tsuyu stood, and approached her master. Standing inches from him, she spoke in a voice even Aubron so rarely heard. A voice her brother had grown up with. Her own voice. "Then I shall stand by you. We will destroy them."