Editing CMU Chapter 03

= <span style="color: #FFFFFF !important;">Chapter Three: Wait of Survival</span> =

Poleen Juvukis finds fleeting refuge in a hunter’s ramshackle cabin, its thatched roof and stick walls a stark contrast to the vibrant memories of the hunter Ôlêum, a man whose tales of northern exploits and dapper transformations in Nindi’vilu’s Fountain Square flicker through her fractured mind. Sleep brings no clarity, only a gnawing hunger as she sets out at dawn, trading dense woods for the pastoral splendor of orchards and golden fields. The familiar landscape of her childhood teases her—Castle Hill’s ruined tower, Stonethrow Pond, and the cobbled streets of Nindi’vilu stir wisps of memory, yet her past remains a fog. Townsfolk wave, their faces known but names elusive, save for Sebenu Lorîtu, whose blurted recognition startles Poleen as much as her own tattered appearance. Her mother’s name, Ezeldu Juvukis, surfaces with a pang, tied to Juvukis’ Bloom, the family shop fragrant with garden herbs. But the sight of a lone rider on Stone’s Throw Road snaps her focus to the present, his casual pace belying the threat of the Notoholis Aprelêu, the trade guild bent on her family’s ruin. Perched among the tower’s stones, Poleen wrestles with the urge to charge into town, her borrowed coat and bare legs a reminder of her vulnerability, yet her predator’s instinct hums beneath her skin, eager for blood.

The arrival of two horsemen and a wagon—driven by the traitorous Âvorê Môbudon—confirms her fears: they’re headed for her mother’s shop. Before she can act, a hand on her shoulder sparks a violent reflex, pinning a gray-mustached man, Gibelê, against a wall with her dagger at his throat. His bruised neck and tale of being ambushed by the Notoholis alongside her and Benê soften her suspicion, though trust remains a distant prospect. Gibelê’s warning of armored riders and the guild’s intent to seize Ezeldu, likely for trial in Vitolêô, forces Poleen to temper her rage with strategy. The mysterious box, which Gibelê claims holds fine cigars, deepens the enigma of her predicament—why kill for such a trivial prize? As they huddle in the bushes, Poleen watches her bound mother carted away, alive but gagged, while smoke rises from the torched Juvukis’ Bloom, a brutal message from the guild. Her muscles ache to fight, but Gibelê’s counsel holds her back, promising clothes, a horse, and aid to pursue her mother’s captors. With the box clutched tight and her resolve hardened, Poleen vows to carve her retribution in the blood of those who dared to shatter her family, her steps toward Nindi’vilu’s outskirts marking the beginning of a relentless hunt.


[[CMU Chapter 02]] — Debts of Living<br>
[[CMU Chapter 04]] — Third Treasure<br>

[[The Contessa of Mostul Ûbar]] - Main Chapter Listing

[[Category:Poleen]]

[[Category:Benê Mention]]

[[Category:Ôlêum Mention]]

[[Category:Sobôlum Mention]]

[[Category:Âbromô]]

[[Category:Ezeldu Mention]]

[[Category:Lorîtu]]

[[Category:Âvorê]]

[[Category:Gibelê]]

[[Category:Nindi’vilu]]

[[Category:Castle Hill]]

[[Category:Juvukis’ Bloom Mention]]

[[Category:CMU Chapters]]