“Why did you leave?”

“Because you left.”

“You damned idiot, it was your dream!”

“It was.”

“Don’t give me that, Marke.”

“Hani…”

“You don’t get to call me that either!”

“That’s what you are to me.”

“By Ja, you are infuriating… Why!? You could have anyone else! I’m neither beautiful nor am I special.”

He smirked.

“I’ve seen you naked, I know what the tattoo means.”

“I gave it up, it is not me anymore.”

“And that is why you are special.”

“I can’t ask this of you, we’ll get this done then you’ll go back. Ask forgiveness, beg, I don’t care, but don’t give everything up for…this.”

“We will be together for a long time. Enough for me to convince you this is what I really want.”

“Did you even consider what I want?”

“I know what you want.”

“Marke, I swear to Canna…”

Past.

Marke woke her up at dawn. Only then to be left alone with Ra’fa after dressing in her usual leather training garb, to be pampered like never before. Her mother had washed her hair, combed it, and even put some slight make-up on her face. The white powder was giving Nay the urge to sneeze.

All this ceremonial preparation was for a simple reason: Today, she would accompany Marke to the summit of the plateau.

“Mhmhmhmhm!” Nay complained, instinctively dodging the black crayon closing on her eye.

“Stop squirming, I don’t want to poke you.” Grumbled her mother.

Once done, the woman gave her a small mirror.

“Look at you! Becoming a ravishing young lady!”

Nay did not like the image reflected to her. She found her grey eyes weird, and her long brown hair may be silky, but it was cumbersome. Ra’fa had categorically refused for it to be cut, even though Marke had asked numerous times. The argument of: “It could bother her during a fight.” Was not good enough for the tall woman. She usually helped Nay by doing her a ponytail, so it did not impede her sight during trainings, but not today. Today, they wanted Nay to look at her best, and her hair was let loose.

What bothered Nay the most was her childish appearance. She looked like a six, maybe seven-year-old at most. She felt much older than that.

“Don’t make that face, you’re cute!” Her mother tried to comfort her.

“I don’t want to be cute; I want to be tall and strong.” The little girl answered.

Ra’fa did not really know what to respond to that, but internally, she promised herself that after the opening of the school, she would teach Nay about what being a woman meant. She knew that the girl was gifted with blades, and that she would be destined to those someway or another, but she was still a girl, and she would have to find a husband. At this rate, she would find a bride first.

Nay did not notice her mother’s frown and entered the living room. Marke was waiting for her and studied her appearance with one long look. He did not say anything and began eating, she joined him without a word.

Then, they left the house.

The little girl was terrified.

They were crossing an empty commercial street, only a bakery was open amidst all the shops, when Marke spotted Nay’s anxiety, he tried to make her think about something else. “There are three ways to climb the Ducal plateau. The first is the Oriental road, the second is the Meridional road, that’s the one we’re going to take today, and the third is the Rising Sun lifts.”

“The Ducal plateau?” She asked, her curiosity stronger than her fears.

“The name of where we’re going. It is not a mountain; the top is flat and wide. The whole plateau shadows the city and is protecting it against most attacks. It is one of the best strategic locations you could ask for.”

They continued their walk for a little while.

“Yes, what is it Nay?” Marke asked with a sigh, not able to ignore the sparkling eyes of his daughter.

“What’s a lift?”

She was a curious one, maybe too much for his taste. He refrained sighing again and tried to give a simple answer to her question.

“Some sort of automatic stairs, it lets you go up and down easily, it works with big ropes, pulleys and weights.”

She nodded, imagining steps climbing and descending, circling in the air. She wanted to try this lift, it seemed fun to use.

The gate of the Meridional road was closed, but an unmistakable guard was waiting for them.

“Sergeant-General…” Said the blond man, bowing his head slightly, a sarcastic smile on his face.

“I don’t own that title anymore, Commandare. Just call me as…call me Marke.” Her father answered dryly, as he accompanied his words with a military gesture.

Nay understood that something was amiss. Her father was…tense?

Last time she had seen him like this, he was scrutinizing the grottos of the Canyon of Sables to look for the monster she did not want to remember.

“I’ll take your word for it then, Marke.” He suddenly turned around to face her. “How are you Nay? Ready for your big day?” The guard’s smile, who was clearly not a normal guard, creeped her out.

“You met before?” Asked the Legio innocently.

A spark of panic rushed the little girl.

“Oh, she didn’t tell you?” Responded the blond man.

“She told me she wanted to cross the road, but that you stopped her. Not that you were acquaintances.”

The look in the Virnyl guard changed. He was clearly trying not to laugh.

“Oh, yes. That is an interesting way to describe what happened. I believe you should go back on this story and push a little deeper. You would be surprised from which side she wanted to cross the gate, or that at the end, I actually complied with her request…”

Nay was not only anxious now; she also had the urge to run away. It was most definitely survival instinct, as Marke was going to kill her.

She met his gaze.

“Aha?” He said with a carnivorous grin. “Yes, I think I shall have this particular conversation with her, afterwards.”

‘Today is not going to be fun’ Nay thought.

The gate opened, and the Commandare joined them on their walk to the summit. The climb was long and arduous, and the scary silence between the two men did not help.

Nay tried to concentrate on what she was seeing, mixed feelings between stress and excitement in her core. Last time, it was night and she had not realized the colourful stone houses half incrusted in the cliff. They were bigger than in the lower city, and some even had beautifully managed gardens.

One hour later, the road finally stopped climbing. It extended on now flat land in a multitude of paved avenues with the edges filled with trees and pink and blue flowers just starting to bud. The buildings here were also different, much larger and imposing than those that bordered the sinuous road or the wooden ones in the lower city. To Nay’s taste, they were too big.

The ever-smiling blond guard guided them through almost empty avenues towards a tall and wide circular wooden structure. It seemed to be a modest-sized arena. It stood just next to a sumptuous garden, which in turn opened itself to a gigantic palace of marble and gold. The wooden structure and the palace could not have been more different from one another, one symbol of functionality, and the other of opulence. It felt weird for them to be such close neighbours.

Nay had no time to enjoy any more architecture, as they entered the Capri arena. The ground was entirely sand, and wooden stands were surrounding the scene.

Virnyl guards, they had to be considering their multicoloured armour, were filling a few rows. They were looking at them with interest. The other spectators, quite obviously nobles, mostly men, were seated quite far away from the guards. They were dressed in layers and layers of rich fabrics and ostentatious jewellery. They did not even notice Nay and her father coming in, as they seemed to be laughing and joking around.

Nay recognized one of them, one of the only ones actually looking at them. She waved at Ka’in, the master merchant, but he only answered with a weak smile. He did not look healthy; she could tell even from far away. He had taken a lot of weight since the Canyon.

All in all, something like one hundred people were filling the stands, and that did not even fill them a quarter of the way.

This seemed a lot for the Legio though.

“I didn’t expect so many to come…” Mumbled Marke.

Commandare Redrick heard him: “Oh, I may have contributed, I hope it doesn’t bother you.”

“Why…? You…you are staying.” It was an affirmation, but the blond man answered him, nonetheless.

“Of course! I invited a lot of my men; it would be dishonourable for me not to enjoy this with them!”

“I see.” You could see the clenching of nerves in Marke’s jaw. “You have a reputation after all.”

“Which one? The one saying I’m good with my men or the one saying I’m sleeping with them?” He had said that humorously, his smile unfaltering.

Marke did not seem to find the joke funny, but it did not deter the blond man to continue on the same tone, this time addressing Nay. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t talk about this kind of thing in front of a lady. I give you my sincerest apology, Miss Nay.”

She could only shake her head for an answer. This man’s face, his unnatural charm, Nay had no doubt this man was more than popular.

‘But not my type.’ Ra’fa’s sentence came to her mind. It helped her keep her bearings, and she felt slightly better.

With no more words, Redrick left the sand-filled arena to join his men in the stands.

“Not now, but later you’ll tell me exactly what you said to the Commandare last week, got it?” Marke said to her menacingly.

And she was not feeling so good anymore. She sighed. Her day was decidedly going from bad to worse. Before she could answer, a man stood from one of the rows. He was wearing fabrics of silver silk and was so fat the flesh from his chin was dangling onto his neck.

He expressed himself in absurd theatrics. Nay immediately found him stupid.

“By the skies! What is it I see? A girl!? First apprentice of the uncontested master of blades, a girl!? What devilish trap is this? Has he lost his mind? And you, Ka’in, are you wasting our precious time? Why should we bring ourselves to watch this masquerade? Have you the simplest idea of the hour? I could still be in the crest of the bosom of Orphea!””

Ka’in answered very calmly, not standing up or turning around to face the oversized man.

“Monsieur Bornegife, now that you’re here, why not just watch? You’ll see soon enough why I brought you here.”

The obese man gave him a disdainful stare as only answer, that Ka’in could not see, sat down, said a few words in the ear of one of his neighbours, and started laughing. The nobles sitting around him joined him in his hilarity.

Now that she looked at it more closely, there were some spectators that were trying to be discreet a few rows behind the laughing nobles, they were not dressed as fancy, and none wore jewellery. Some had even brought children. She was not really interested in them but could not help but notice a girl her age, unaccompanied, with azure eyes the colour of the sky.

She turned her attention to the guards. If her father were correct, she would have to fight one of them after all.

They were terrifying. At least, in front of the gate of the Meridional road, they acted human and smiled.

Here, they did not even seem to breathe. They had not reacted to the nobleman’s speech and Nay felt their unmoving stares piercing her skin. Redrick was sitting at their centre and was softly smiling. He was the only one who was.

“No time for stage fright runt, it’s do it or break it now. If we waste his time…it’ll be his perfect excuse to get rid of me…us.” Marke had a very serious tone, talking to her softly, not wanting anyone to overhear him.

“What!?” Nay exclaimed too loudly.

“Hush. It’s your fault, getting noticed by the most dangerous guy in the city.”

‘Who, Redrick?’ She could not believe it. He was creeping her out, but he seemed frivolous and light-hearted at first glance…

But she had no time to think about it.

Marke positioned himself in front of her and unsheathed the wooden training blades from his belt. She did the same.

“No no no! That won’t do!” The Commandare said out loud. “Bring them real ones!”

And as if everything had been long planned, a guard that sat at the front of the stands stood up and brought them two steel daggers and two steel swords. They were all excellent in quality, and there was no way a guard had those kinds of weapons in reserve on him by chance.

Nay did not dare touch them at first, but as Marke did not hesitate, she felt the need to follow suit. “Don’t worry, it’s not the first time we do this. You’ll give them a hell of a show, trust me.” He said reassuringly.

Not really managing to be.

She knew they had no choice. She had forgotten the weight of metal in her arms.

The guard went back to sit at his place.

“Whenever you want!” Shouted Redrick with glee.

“Ready?” Marke asked.

She gulped, felt all the stares weighing her down.

“Ready.” She said.

At the first exchange of blows, Nay knew Marke was not kidding around. If she had not parried his strike, her head would have rolled down on the floor. He was holding back though, he could have hit her way faster and stronger than that, she knew it for a fact.

The first half of the duel went like this, submerged by the rhythm of her fencing master, she barely held on by parrying and deviating all the swings raining down on her. She did not have time to warm up, but the Legio was still playing nice, letting her muscles get used to the strain put upon them. The Legio fell back, putting space between them. He was letting her catch her breath.

She saw a few guards looking at her, discussing her with words she could not hear. The Commandare was watching them patiently, hands in front of his mouth.

Every moment that passed, she was getting more and more unsettled by him. Something about this man was not right.

With the exception of Ka’in and what had to be his wife, no noble or bourgeois spectators were really paying attention to her. They were speaking or even laughing together.

All this she could see from the corner of her eye.

‘It isn’t enough?’ Doubt began to crawl on her.

Those were quickly blown away when her father attacked her again, and she had to put all her concentration on the fight.

“Stay focused.” He scolded her with a quiet voice.

She barely managed to parry his vertical strike.

Right, Left, Forwards, even a spin, she saw no opening. Her master’s art was beautiful. She should have been able to use the fact that he was deliberately slowing down, but even restrained, Marke’s rhythm was perfect. His Rreico was dominating her. She was unable to break free from this whirlwind.

“Nay!” He said softly. “Focus, show them what you got!”

But she was panicking now, she could not see a way out. She was still able to parry his strikes, but did not dare dodge anymore, and because of it, was getting tired faster and faster.

“Is that all?”

Silence.

In a heartbeat, no-one dared make a noise anymore. The exchange of blows between Nay and her father had ceased. All were staring at the man with the blue eyes that had spoken. A strange aura was seeping out of the Commandare and the air felt like frost. The smiling man had vanished.

A monster had taken his place.

Nay was paralysed. A feeling grew inside her, a memory.

Marke closed his eyes. Sighed.

“We hadn’t had time to warm up, my utmost apologies Commandare Darkstar.”

Her father opened his eyes.

Nay saw the white and cold resolve in his pupils.

“Get ready.” He announced.

His feet swiped very slowly towards her.

He was going to attack her seriously. No more holding back.

His whole body was screaming it to her.

Nay felt the fear vanish from her body. She could not afford the emotion anymore. She took a defensive stance.

The first strike almost killed her. He had begun with a feint, dropping his sword on her, but with no force. She almost stumbled when trying to counter the strike but then managed to jump back before his dagger cut her femoral artery.

The second strike almost killed her. The feint had been followed with a vicious roundhouse kick. She dodged it, but even though she first thought about using the apparent opening to her advantage, she fell back. A sword swept where she would have stood.

The third strike almost killed her. She had deflected the dagger aimed at her head with a simple sidestep, but the heavy sword she could only parry. It was meant to cut her in half, and the hit was so strong she was catapulted in the air before crashing on the ground. Both her arms were trembling from the shock, but nothing was broken. She had difficulty breathing and the sound of metal on metal was ringing in her ears.

She tried to stand up as fast as she could but knew it would be too late: the next hit she would not be able to escape from.

But the duel was over. Marke had thrown his weapons on the sand.

Nay did not understand why.

Everyone was looking at them.

No one was laughing.

“Is that good enough for you, Red?” Said her father with an expression of disgust. It was hard to say if his expression was aimed at the man in the stands or at himself.

The two men looked at each other.

“No.” Answered the blond monster.

“I…” The Legio began.

“You don’t need to say anything else! I understand perfectly well your predicament. Come and sit down. Herind, take his place.” The amicable demeanour of Redrick was back, but it was still as unsettling.

One of the Virnyl guards, two stars hanging on his multicolour armour, stood up and walked down in the arena. He picked up the thrown weapons in the sand. His comrades were silent, some with almost sadistic grins on their faces.

Her new adversary was tall, but not as tall as the Legio. He was still way bigger than she was. He had a stubble of a beard and hair cut very short. As he smiled, she noticed he was missing one of his front teeth.

She was ready to fight a guard, she knew it would most likely happen after all. But it was her father, still standing upon the compacted sand, that seemed to have a problem with what was happening. He clearly did not want to move; she saw that he did not want to leave her in the arena on her own. His jaw was clenched, and his fists shut, his head was low. Finally, he went to sit in the first row, rose his head and looked at her. He would not let her out of his sight, that was the promise Nay could see inside his gaze.

The guard positioned himself a dozen feet away from her, she noticed he had not taken the dagger on the ground, equipped only with the sword. He pointed it in front of him. It was the first time Nay saw this posture.

She waited.

“You can begin Herind.” Said the Commandare.

As soon as he said that, Herind rushed forwards, straight at her.

It was not the first time she was duelling someone other than Marke, but she had no idea how she could be so certain of the fact, as she did not remember it ever happening.

Despite her limited experience, she immediately understood that the man opposing her would not try to win with techniques, only brute strength.

A violent strike pummelled down on her; she deviated it with a gentle push of her dagger.

Left, deviated. Right, deviated. Straight for her throat, dodge.

The Virnyl guard was getting angry. The little girl almost seemed to absorb his attacks as if he were faced with nothing but void.

Nay could feel that. She could feel this rhythm, his Rreico of anger. It could not be compared with Marke’s, because contrary to the Rreico of her father, this boiling mess of a rhythm she could easily take hold of.

She exhaled.

Then, for the first time, she took the initiative.

Her strikes became faster and faster, more and more precise. She was dancing.

The guard had to take a step back. Then another.

He was not smiling anymore. He was furious that a child, a girl even, could force him to fall back. But he felt something else, anxiety.

And that he could simply not accept.

She knew all of it. She used it. Saw an opening.

Herind was losing. He did not understand how. He was stronger, more experienced, and faster. But even so, this Firante of a little girl was slowly but surely gaining on him.

That was unacceptable. He would not be merciful. Herind did not want to disappoint him.

He had been told that killing her was authorized. Authorisation meant the same as an order. So, he needed to crush her. Right now.

He lunged.

Immediately, a sword came to crush his forehead.

He caught the blade with his bare hand.

Nay looked quizzically at the blood that was dripping from the palm of her opponent. Her weapon had barely scratched him, even with a real blade. She just was not strong enough to be dangerous to a trained adult with that kind of strike. But as it was first blood, shouldn’t the duel be over?

To serve as answer, the guard clenched his hand over Nay’s sword and ripped it from her grip. There was no way to prevent him from doing that. The man in front of her seriously wanted to kill her.

“Doesn’t matter.” She said out loud.

Because as much as she was surprised that the duel had not ended and that she had lost her weapon with the longest reach, she still held the guard's breathing inside her own. The “Rreico” was still hers. A sword struck empty space. She had done a backflip to get out of reach. Her grey eyes perturbed the Virnyl guard for an instant.

She began spinning and dancing.

Herind stepped forward, his gaze full of anger and incomprehension. Was she mocking him? For a fraction of a second, he could not see the dagger in her hands anymore.

“NAY DON’T KILL HIM!” Suddenly yelled Marke, who understood the trance-like state his daughter was currently experiencing.

The guard did not dare to move.

A long gash had appeared on his neck. Fortunately for him, it was not deep. Aghast, he touched the wound to see blood oozing out on his fingers.

Nay was breathing heavily.

“Bravo! Bravo!” The Commandare applauded. There was a moment of astonishment in the stands before the other spectators joined his clapping.

As he raised his hand, everyone stopped.

“Herind, come and sit back down.” He continued calmly.

The guard obeyed, climbing the stairs towards his seat, not believing the red in his hand.

For a moment, silence filled the arena. Marke broke it.

“I believe we have shown enough of the…”

“Ta ta ta!” Redrick interrupted him. “It’s obvious she has shown exactly how great your teachings will be Sergeant-General, but you have to admit she’s a prodigy. One I cannot help but want to enjoy myself.”

He stood.

Nay saw her father’s face turn ashen grey.

“Commandare, you can’t be serious?”

But once again the blond man stopped him.

“I’m not used seeing you so anxious, oh you last of the Legio!” he was mocking him. “Did you get soft Marke? It would sadden me greatly… I just want to play; she won’t have anything…serious.”

For the first time, Nay saw Marke show true fear.

The Commandare unsheathed his sword. It was slightly curved and had only one sharp edge. Nay had never seen one alike. She picked up her own sword on the ground, it had a bit of blood on top of it.

Redrick did not let her pick up her dagger because, just like an overexcited child he announced: “Let us begin!”

He stood straight, ten feet away from her, not really taking any stance.

His smile was not friendly anymore.

She did not even see the first strike. She only dodged it by pure instinct. She did not even realize he had moved. A strand of her hair now on the arena’s ground was proof that he did.

She knew that letting her hair flow around was a bad idea, and she internally swore.

“Magnificent!” The face of the blond monster was unfathomable, it felt like nothing.

Once again, it was by pure instinct that she managed to dodge the second then the third strike. More of her hair fell on the ground.

He was playing.

He had been serious when he had said that.

She shivered.

She felt no rhythm, no technique in him. There was just nothing. It was like fighting a ghost.

Her sword vanished from her hand like magic. She realized she had not managed to dodge the fourth strike. Before she could even begin to react, she was down on her knees, a curved sword under her neck.

He got closer to her and whispered in her ear.

“That’s for wounding one of my men.” His voice was death.

She felt pain and blood flow.

He walked away.

On her throat was a cut.

She lost consciousness.