In the Golden fields

With the Sun high in the sky, it went without saying that it was already time for lunch. Though the girl on the road wasn't quite hungry just yet. Her now black hair fluttered in the air that was blowing ever so gently as she walked further on the simple road made for horses and wagons. Thankfully it was also flat enough for your regular human feet to walk on without any problems at all! Doing simple things like this was what really bough Leila back into the past memories that she adored so very dearly. Though the new disguises form she took on was still something she had to get used to properly as she clutched the black crystal pendant in one of her hands for a solitary moment. It was something that she wanted to do if she was to travel the world again. It wasn't like she was exactly popular throughout the entire world or anything, but she preferred to not be recognized by anyone on her path. It was... for her own selfish reasons, this journey. She wanted to feel like she was back in the past when none would know her name, when the only thing she knew was the road and the unknown ahead. It sounded a bit lonely, but she got used to it over the many years she has been living like that. Her only wish was that she could do this along with her father... but he was no longer around, so that was simply impossible.

In any case, the girl stretch as she looked around the golden fields once more. Countryside always had a special place in her heart. The peacefulness of it all, yet filled with hardworking folk all around. There was also another thing she noticed. On a nearby wooden pole, there was a piece of tattered paper just barely hanging on, being stuck to the rough surface by a simple looking nail. And on the paper, hand-written message. Apparently a nearby farm was looking for a mage or a warrior using silver or other magic-infused weaponry. A monster that was plaguing the place and would not go away? Well, the girl was in her disguise right now, but that did not mean she would not help those in need. Especially if she could actually make the difference and take on this task. Though it was somewhat odd that they would just leave the flier out here in the land of no one. Were they hoping that someone skilled would venture through here eventually? Looking at the paper again, it appeared that the place was still some a bit further down the road. Removing it from the pole, she hid it in one of her pockets and continued on forward, this time with a little faster tempo than before. After all, she was no longer having a walk, she was on her way towards a contract!

The place looked somewhat run down, but other than that, it certainly was operational with people running around somewhat panickly like. That at least rolled out the possibility of the contract being fake, this whole place being some bandit ambush or something. The moment she entered, an older looking man quickly approached her with eyes sparkling with home. "Oh, a stranger! Are you by any chance skilled in the arts of combat? I hate to just come up to you like this miss, but we have a dreadful problem!" Trying to calm him with a positive gesture and nodding her head, the disguised Eden's mage would speak out. "Yes, I found your flier. There is a monster in the fields, right? I'll get to it right away, but before that... would you be able to describe the beast? Any details can help." After all, her magic was still recovering. She had he powerful bow, yes. But that did not mean she could defeat stronger foes, so she had to know if this thing had any weaknesses at all that she could exploit. The man scratched his chin few times as he dived into his thoughts for few moments. Unfortunately, his face grew somewhat dark as he tried to answer as politely as he could.

"My apologies miss, but we all fled the fields the moment it appeared. Though from what we saw, it looked like a decayed lass, wearing something akin to a wedding dress, but tattered and dragged through the dirt." Well, that was at least something. She would not to him again and then brave her way into the golden fields all by herself, her silver bow on the ready. She walked for minutes, but there was nothing at all. She almost started thinking that it was all actually a fraud, or that the monster actually left on it's own. At least until she felt a gathering of magical energy nearby. Taking several steps back, she moved the bow from her back into her hands, aiming straight ahead! And what she was actually pretty damn accurate to the description she received. A humanoid figure that certainly could have been a pretty girl at some point in the past. But now? Her flesh was of grey color and somewhat transparent, yet falling apart as if it was real. Her eyes gauged out and lower jaw missing completely, exposing a long saliva-covered tongue that moved about like a tentacle. Atop her head sat a crown of flowers, seemingly made with care and the only thing that still appeared pretty about this thing, whatever it really was.

For now, it was also quite docile, just kinda floating there in one spot and not moving at all. It's dressed, tattered and torn in multiple places gently fluttering in the waves of wind along with the wheat that was around them. Not exactly the most desirable battlefield of them all, but it was all she got. And finally, the monster would make it's first move, letting out a horrid screech that forced Leila to cover her ears for a moment. That was clearly the goal of that action, as the specter moved in and swiped it's hand at the girl. Seeing it from this close, it was actually more like a predator's claw than a human's hand. Just barely did Leila manage to step back, the attack only tearing apart the front of her attire a bit. Several quick arrows managed to drive it back too, but there was another trick it had up it's sleeve. Instead of screeching, it's body lit up as flare, or the noon sun that was above their heads, blinding everyone around, including the black haired maiden even as she tried to cover her eyes. With her instincts alone, she tried to roll to the side and felt sharp pain for a moment as she did so. In few seconds, her vision started returning, albeit blurry. Her left shoulder was grazed, a small would bleeding on the rest of her arm.

With a click of her tongue, she drew to bow, a sudden burst of power filling her body as magical energy surrounded her. One of the shots before was not to deal damage. It was to place a mark on the specter's body that was still visible. Mark that was meant to deprive the target of their defense and make it easier to take them down. Raging wind surrounded her and the arrow that she was about to unleash as she locked the monster in her gaze. "The always dancing wind... guide this arrow of mine to victory!" With those simple words, she unleashed her attack as a line was suddenly drawn through the Noonwraith, the arrow being too fast for it to dodge, penetrating it's body and continuing until it dissipated in the distance. Only a hole was left in the specter as it slowly faded. And as it did, Leila could swear that she heard words of thank you from a young feminine voice. Though she dismissed it as nothing more than her imagination, she returned the bow to it's place on her back and started heading back towards the farm houses, leaving only a pile of glittering dust behind where the monster once was. After reporting back, she learned that the farmers here didn't have enough jewels to actually hire a professional, hence why the flier was in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully the girl felt kind enough and simply accepted a warm meal and having her wounds treated as a payment before she would hit the road ahead. It appeared that many adventures would await her on this path. And that could be only a good thing.