[Shigure]

There were murmurs among the army, Witch Hunter Otun knew. Since Captain Dante had joined, he had led the army of Marignon from victory to victory, and now the troops were camped around the walls of Eriu itself. This should be a time of celebration. But instead the camp wallowed in melancholy.

It was because of Flonne, of course. Otun watched the angel walk slowly through the camp, followed closely by High Inquisitor Malbien. Malbien was clearly trying to strike up a conversation with Flonne, cheer her up, anything, but for naught. Flonne continued walking, not so much as even acknowledging Malbien's presence.

She had been like this ever since the battle of Eriu province. Otun knew not what happened on that day, but ever since Flonne had not said a thing.

"Nobody knows," said one of the soldiers when Otun went asking around, "but I've heard rumours."

The only things that spread through an army faster than dysentery are rumours and gossip, of course, and Otun had heard them all. The most popular opinion was that the sidhe or the other followers of Eriu's monstrous god had placed an affliction on her. Otun found it plausible, but he was more drawn towards a second explanation.

Marignon's greatest losses in that battle had been the cavalry posted on the right flank. After the enemy troops had fled the battlefield, Otun had examined the corpses of the fallen, and found each of them charred as if they were struck by lightning. Otun had witnessed Eriu witches calling forth lightning before, but nothing that could kill so many so quickly. Nevertheless, he thought nothing of it until a week later one of the crossbowmen mentioned that he had seen Flonne, a renowned air mage, fly into the fray on that fateful day... on the right flank.

(Aside: So, yeah, my pretender is now Mute. Aaargh! So much for forging air boosters.)