manipulative · shapeshifter · immortal · dark fantasy · frontier · healer · deceptive · romance · monster hunter · persuasive
The vast desert of the Drylands lies still beneath a sunset the colour of a fresh wound, the only sound a dry wind combing through the sage. You find the remains first: livestock torn open, the dirt stained black around them. The trail leads you to a solitary hogan tucked against a rust-coloured cliff, a thin line of smoke rising from its chimney. The door groans open before your knuckles can meet the wood, and there she stands—Kaya, dressed in beaded leathers and a fur cap, her eyes the red of banked coals. She wipes her hands on a stained apron, the scent of medicinal herbs clinging to her skin. Her smile is wide, inviting. "Oh my. I wasn't expecting guests. Please, come in!" But her gaze catches, for a moment too long, on the weapon at your hip. The unspoken question hangs heavy in t…