People swarmed around her, nothing but faint blurs and half familiar voices. Close enough to be heard but far enough to be drowned by the rhythm of her heartbeat. They wanted to help her, she realised. They wanted to save her.

Liera reached out.

Blake’s hand found hers and pulled her up. “You alright?”

Liera blinked, taking in the weight of the sword in her hand, the vast empty courtyard, and the chill of Danira’s wintry morning. Had she lost focus? “I’m fine,” she said, white steam rising from her mouth. She spun the blade in her hand, glancing nervously at her father.

“Your underhand is too weak, Blake. Liera…” Vince crossed his arms and gave her a stern look. “Be glad you’re using dull weapons. If this was a real fight, you would have lost your life.”

“Yes, father.” Liera brandished her blade. For a child of eleven years, it was heavy, but she never complained. Her brothers never had.

“Brace yourself, sis,” Blake said with a smile. He took a step and swung low, aiming for her waist.

Liera brought her sword down to parry, stumbling from the force behind the strike. Her jaw rattled, and the bitter taste of blood filled her mouth. Brown wood greeted her when she opened her eyes. Where was she? She tried to swallow and her mouth was so dry it hurt. A bitter taste remained.

“Liera!” Blake pulled her up into a hug. “The medicine is working!”

“Brother?” She could see his face now, worried and tearful. “Where is this?”

“The airship,” Blake said. The wooden planks creaked as the entire room shook. “We’re going home. We’re getting you home, Liera.”

“Ah…” She had heard the words clearly, yet she couldn’t understand what they meant. It was like they were spoken in a tongue she didn’t know, belonging to a world she wasn’t part of. The room grew hazy again, the nausea setting in. Colours spread out in waves from the centre of her vision.

“Please.” Blake held her tighter as her body numbed. “I can’t lose you.” His voice was growing distant, being reduced to mumbling as the colours took over. A figure with silvery skin neared her. What was her name again?

“The nora created by the drug is not enough to sustain her. She needs more–”

Ah, and there it went. Mumbling once more. Liera felt warmth returning to her chest, the kind she’d nearly forgotten. The colours shifted to a bright orange and the hot feeling spread throughout her body.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Rane toyed with the fire in his hand. It only lasted for a few seconds before dissipating.

“It is…” Liera pressed her palm against his, still hot in the aftermath of his magic. She squeezed his hand twice, then drew a circle on his palm with her finger. It was their own secret greeting. “Have you shown it to dad?”

“Not yet!” Rane giggled. “Mom said she’ll teach me how to make it bigger tomorrow and I want to surprise him!”

Liera pouted. “You could train with us every once in a while, you know?” Sometimes she thought he only cared for his powers. Magic was exciting and grandiose, sure, but that’s all he ever talked about.

“But I hate the exercises!” Rane whined. “Figuring out spells is so much easier and interesting.”

“Spells?” Liera grinned from ear to ear. She poked his side teasingly. “Can’t you only cast one?”

“Stop!” Rane shoved her hand away while laughing. “It’s one more than you can cast!”

“True, but I can do this instead!” Liera hugged him, sending them both tumbling down on the soft, wet grass. “Take this! My secret strategy!” She shook her head over his, tickling his face with her hair. Rane’s laughter rang through the small garden and broke the serenity of the forest that surrounded their house.

“Stop it,” he pleaded in between chuckles and fits of giggling. “Stop!”

“Nope!” Liera kept tickling him, until she heard the door behind the garden open. She hastily backed off and sat on the grass.

“Liera!” Vince scowled at her. “What have I told you about being loud?”

“Only allowed before nightfall.” She tried to sound apologetic.

“That’s right.” Vince rounded the fence to stand in front of them, wearing the armour of his afternoon training still. “Do you see the sun in the sky?”

“N-No.” Liera stammered.

“You know what that means.” Vince bent down and lifted them both by their waists, resting one on each shoulder. “You have to keep quiet while you fly!” Vince held them close and spun, turning the world around them into a blur and making Liera’s hair fly into her face.

“Dad!” Liera tried to wiggle free. She was already getting nauseous. Rane simply laughed.

“Dizzy yet?” Vince chuckled. “What if I do this?”

Vince stopped suddenly and Liera felt herself slipping from her father’s arms. She fell and landed on something hard. Something different than the soft grass of her home. She mustered the strength to push up against the wood.

“What is going on?” Blake rushed to her side, helping her up onto the bed.

“We’re passing through a sand storm.” Vince grabbed onto a desk to keep his balance. His face wasn’t mellow and soft, but gritty and bitter. “Help me tie her down!” He and Blake rummaged through… something. She couldn’t quite see. Darkness crept up on the edges of her vision. Cursed or blessed sleep, it made no difference. Somehow, despite the haze and pain running through her head, Liera knew the chances of waking up again. Vince and Blake fastened her body on the bed. She blinked, trying to get rid of the black spots growing in her vision. The darkness enveloped her instead, deep and unwelcoming. Her bindings that kept her in place felt strangely hot and soft against her skin.

Her mother hugged her closer, trembling. The sound of metal clashing and men dying filled the air. “You have to run.” Cecilia placed her forehead on theirs and whispered. “You have to go to the hall. Drayton will keep you safe.”

“But… But Rane…” Blake said between sobs. “Where’s dad and Rane?”

“Listen to me!” Cecilia cupped his face and looked straight into his eyes. “You need to be brave. Keep your sister safe. I will find your brother.” She hugged them both one final time before standing. “I love you,” she said. Her eyes grew bright and mist enveloped her body. “Now go.”

Blake gripped Liera’s trembling hand as their mother turned and left, going out to face the chaos and night. He led her away from the fighting and the flames and the screams, towards the inner part of the city. Buildings and memories of her youth were up in flames, lighting up the night sky. Slowly turning to ash, dust and ruins. Smoke burned her throat and stung her eyes, yet she felt numb. She wondered if it was a survival instinct kicking in that stopped her from panicking. ‘Everything changes when your life is on the line,’ her father had said. So Liera followed Blake through the town, not sparing the blood and the charred bodies a second glance. Blake stopped abruptly and she nearly fell on his back.

A scream right ahead of them was cut short. An ashfen pressed an armored foot on the lifeless body that lay on the ground, tearing his weapon from it in a splutter of blood. He turned in their direction, and his face lit up with sickening joy. “Look, Erza!” he said, pointing at them with the tip of his weapon. “It’s human kids!”

Another younger ashfen approached from the shadows, staring at them in silence. There was something hidden in his gaze, Liera could see it. Regret?

“Back away!” Blake’s sword alternated between the two of them.

Liera’s hand trembled over the hilt. Why couldn’t she touch it? The pressure in her chest mounted, causing her to grow dizzy. She had trained so hard and yet…

“Look at these brats!” The man smashed his sword against Blake’s and Liera felt the strength of the strike through her brother. Blake’s weapon clanked away. “The female one’s pretty. Should fetch a good price.” The ashfen loomed over them, his face shadowed by the fires burning behind him.

Price… They were going to sell her. War slaves. Vince had never been one for hiding the ugliness of the world from them. He thought it’d make them grow and train seriously. She knew what being captured entailed. She knew of the lives not worth living. Still, her tears wouldn’t come, nor would the fear. The shock subsided. Only anger remained. How dare they separate her from her family? How dare they ruin her home? Liera pulled her dagger out without sound using Blake’s body as cover. Just like she had been taught. How dare they destroy her life?

“I thought we agreed.” The other ashfen placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “We’d split from the main force to get the lion’s share, but we’d let children and women go.”

“Bugger off, Erza! Let me have my fun, eh?” The man turned around, shoving his companion away. “When I’m done perhaps I’ll let you get a tas–”

Liera had had enough. She slammed the dagger through a gap in the ashfen’s plate.

“You little whore!” The man doubled over and howled in anguish. His raw voice felt brutal beside her ear.

Liera tried to grab Blake and run, but the ashfen pulled her hair and slammed her down onto the ground. The searing pain from her head brought her to tears as the world spun and her eyelids fluttered. The ashfen – a giant of hate, metal and blood– stood over her, pressing her brother onto the cold stone underfoot.

Blake gurgled and coughed. Liera tried to find her balance, to rush over, to help him, but the man slapped her back to dizziness and the borders of consciousness.

“What’d you think this would do, huh?” The ashfen pulled the dagger out of him with little more than a grunt. He held her by the hair and brought the weapon close enough for the blood to mix with the tears on her cheek. “I’ll show you!” He stood again, forcing Blake up by the throat and pressing the dagger to his neck. “Look here you brat! Your friend is gonna die because of ya!”

But Liera had arched her back and turned her head to gaze elsewhere. Her eyes met Erza’s and she held him there, his hand on his hilt with a disgusted expression.

“Look at me!”

Blake let out a scream and Liera felt the blood splash against her face. She fought, but managed to keep her eyes trained on the other Ashfen, and she hated it. Pleading for help, entrusting her fate on someone else. She hated all of it. And yet her gaze, full of hate and pain and a child’s desperation made Erza draw his weapon. Liera turned then, to her brother, took in his wounded leg, his flailing limbs and each of his struggling, laboured breaths. She hadn’t managed to save him.

“Yes, yes!” The ashfen smiled, pressing the Blade against Blake’s neck. “Look at your human friend di–”

His head found the ground the next moment. He had died with that damned smile still on his face. Blake fought to stand, but faltered and fell under the weight of his injuries.

“Take him and leave.” Erza knelt next to his companion, taking the pendant that hung from the body’s neck and placing it around his own.

Liera hefted Blake on her shoulders as well as she could. The weight of his body and armor made him near impossible to carry, but his grunts of pain demanded it. So Liera pushed through the night, through darkened streets and slain bodies. She offered Ezra no thanks and herself no forgiveness. Guilt carried her forward, one tortuous, heavy step at a time. Fate had saved them, an enemy’s mercy. Not her.

Figures rushed in their direction from the darkness and Liera let herself collapse. Whether ally or enemy, there was nothing she could do. A soldier rushed to her side.

“They’re wounded!”

His voice relieved the pressure in Liera’s chest. The human took her in his arms and carried her in turn. “You’re gonna be alright,” he said, voice strangely familiar.

Liera leaned her head against his back and fought to keep conscious.

“Hang in there. Please, hang in there.” His voice soothed her somehow. She raised her head and squinted from the sudden sunlight. The city hall ahead of them was larger than she remembered, and the building stood defiantly instead of having crumbled. Blake mumbled next to her ear.

“By the Arbiter, by the Aspect… By every force from above or below, I will save you.”