One step a time, he thought with a sigh. A wound on his side had reopened, blood trickling down his side with every movement. His shoulder hurt, no doubt dislocated from using it as a battering ram. Not to mention the countless bruises that dotted his body like huge purple tattoos. To his left, Keira did not look much better, her stride impeded by the swollen mess that was her right ankle. The two looked like bandits in their torn, stained clothes and worn armor.

It’d been two days since the fight with Cloud, and Ryu was already regretting his decision to help Keira find the others. It was too late to take it back now, though. If nothing else, Ryu wasn’t one to give up. He’d lie, threaten, trick, and do just about anything else, but he wouldn’t back out of something just because it was hard. So he kept going. Painful step, after painful step.

“I guess we never did talk too much about your home on the First,” Keira ventured, tone light. It was odd when she did this. She clearly didn’t like him, yet at the same time, she was too accustomed to travelling with a group. Walking in silence probably never occurred to her. Sadly.

“I suppose we didn’t,” he said, not letting his eyes stop moving. Awareness was critical in the Trial. A threat could appear in an instant. He had to be watching. Always.

Keira frowned. “Want to tell me about it?”

“Maybe we could start with your own home,” he said lightly. It was best not to anger the woman who slept just a few feet away from you. Especially when she was the only one around to watch your back.

“What do you know of the Second Ring?” she said after a moment.

“Not much, if I’m honest.” Movement to the left, he thought, his body tensing. His hand landed on the hilt of his sword. Just a rabbit. He sighed.

“Well then I’ll give you a bit of background. Life on the second revolves around water. We are spread across islands, and the Universities, the most famous structures on the whole Ring, are a series of huge towers that jut straight from the sea. My mother visited them once…” She trailed off a moment before resuming. “My home was a small town on a minor island in the Warren Chain. Not a lot happened there, to be honest. It was just me, my sisters, and our parents. When my seventeenth birthday came, I leapt at the opportunity to join the local Adventurer Guild. And that’s how I met Marshal and Cynthia. They were both rookies from nearby islands.”

Ryu grunted. He wasn’t sure what to make of the woman’s story. Guilds, Universities, the sea. They might as well have been stories from a book. The First Ring only had freshwater, and it was ruled by tyrants and lords. Of course he knew other places were different, but they just seemed… distant. As if he’d never actually encounter them. This forest, the Kong, the kings. These were real, tangible, and most importantly present. He was much more interested in them than some information on what was almost another world. Yet for some reason, he found himself talking.

“The First Ring is a… hard place. Different factions dot the land. Kings command. Their subjects die. Grudges from the Genesis, the appearance of humans in the Rings, still hold. My house alone was involved in a dozen border disputes at the time I left, and we’re a medium-sized force at best. If you’re the son of an important figure, your time is structured to make you whatever the House needs. Thankfully, my fa… A good man was in charge of my training, but still, my life was full of duels and politics and… Well, let’s just say it wasn’t exactly the most freeing of experiences. I’m honestly surprised that I had never considered leaving before meeting you and the others, but then again, I was raised with the expectation to perform for the family. Disloyalty isn’t really an option,” he said, letting it all out at once.

He frowned after, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. It was the first time he’d voiced his thoughts on his future with the House since entering the Trial, and it made him feel dirty. Treasonous. And strangely relieved.

Ryu fingered the scar on his cheek, the one from his vow to his uncle. It seemed like so long ago. Being the Sword of his House? It seemed like such a pointless goal when faced with the vastness of the Rings. In truth, he didn’t know where he would go after this Trial. He just knew that being a tool wasn’t for him, even if his family was the wielder. Jinn would understand. He was a good man. Far better than Ryu himself was.

They continued walking, an awkwardness lying between the two. They walked next to each other, yet after talking, there was no denying the fundamental gap between their childhoods. It wasn’t a completely bad experience, however. The feeling of loneliness that Ryu felt with the group had melted. A little. It was just strange that Keira, the woman who had helped build the wall that isolated him from the others, was now the one to help tear it down. He might have judged the Witch too soon. Then again, maybe he should’ve expected this. Marshal did not seem the type to attract people of impure character. Well, besides Ryu. Even he himself had been surprised by that one.

As they walked, Ryu felt the presence of another. At first, he dismissed it as paranoia. He wanted to believe they were being followed. It would go along with the visions in his head. He soon realized this was not just fantasy, however. It was like a sixth sense. He just knew. He stretched, trying to look over his shoulder in an idle way. Nothing. Then he remembered. The trees. The Kong loved the trees. It was how Arun’s scouts had tracked them in the first place. He stretched the other way, twisting his back to look over his shoulder once more. Still nothing. He wasn’t dismayed, though. The Kong would show itself eventually. He just had to be patient and ready.

The day passed without anything of interest. Their follower, whoever it was, had not come out of hiding. That night, they set up camp silently. Their rations were scarce, separated from Cynthia and her storage ring as they were, so they decided to forgo eating a meal before sleep. Ryu laid in his bedroll, hunger gnawing at his patience. He wished for the stalker to appear. The Kong would probably have food. Ryu could take it. He begged silently to any gods that existed to reveal their pursuer. He rolled onto his back, looking up at the tree limbs above. Amber eyes looked down at him. His wish was granted.

A dart hit his thigh. A muffled whimper told him Keira had been hit with one as well. The amber eyes moved above, dropping down from their perch and into the space between Keira and Ryu.

The form that dropped from the trees almost felt familiar. It looked like a man with dark, shaggy hair and a cold visage. If he squinted, he could almost believe he was looking at his real father, Haru Ishida. Fear caused his heart to trouble. Thinking of Haru made him feel… weak. Ryu did not want to feel weak. He wanted to kill.

“It’s just a mild sedative, boy. Don’t struggle so much. I just want to talk,” the Kong said in a smooth, deep voice. He was cloaked in dark armor of leather and wood, and various blades were scattered around his form.

Ryu gritted his teeth. He’d managed to grab his knife and sit up, but then the poison had taken effect. Now, he was forced to sit back, unable to move. He was helpless. “What do you want?” Ryu growled. The surge of anger threatened to dim his vision.

“Don’t be petulant. Did you really think Leif was going to let you wander into his territory after what you did to his brother?” the deep voice said.

Leif. The third Tyrant of the Kong Forest. This Kong was going to try and kill them. “And who are you, then?” Ryu asked. He needed to buy time for the sedative to wear off.

“Me? Since you’re trying to stall for time, I’ll give you the long version. Is that alright with you, girl?” the Kong said, sparing Keira a pitying look.

“Y… Yes,” she said through gritted teeth.

The Kong looked down for a moment. He brushed a twig off of his black and scarlet robes with a hum. “I guess you could call me this part of the Trial’s secret challenge. I am not as limited as the other Bosses you’ve encountered, you see. But that’s the simple answer. The one you want to hear starts a long time ago… Maybe a few hundred years ago at this point, I’m not entirely sure anymore. Anyways, millions of our kind- the beings known to you as the Kong- were taken from our world. The name escapes me, I’m afraid. My brothers and I were only babies at this point.

“We were not alone in this new world. Dozens, if not hundreds of other species were there, some of which can not be pictured from a mere description. Our purpose in this new world? To kill the others. To become the supreme of all beings. All that diversity and life… And we were forced to kill. To eradicate. For what reason? I couldn’t tell you. I try to forget, but I can’t. We were backed into a corner. Trapped. The only way the Kong could survive was to kill. So we did. During this time, my brothers and I grew up and became the stars of our kind. Stars. Do you know how it feels to be celebrated because you can kill more than anybody else? To have children look up to your blood-stained visage with happiness? But I digress. Eventually, the fighting caught up to us. Other races, ones more suited to combat, overwhelmed the rest. The Kongs lost territory. And lives. So many lives. Finally, we surrendered. Just like that, we were taken from that world and put here. In this Trial. I have no doubt the others who surrendered in those battles find themselves populating the myriad dungeons and Trials of this world.

“So me? I’m Whisper, the forgotten brother. I gave up my position as a Trial boss, hoping to die, yet somehow I keep coming back. Something wants me here, so I travel between the territories of my brothers, watching the Kong civilization prosper despite being mere puppets in some ‘training exercise’ for you humans. We decided long ago to keep ourselves as weak as possible, you see. Young humans like you can only do so much damage. If we reach higher, our strength will return, sure, but at what cost? What’s the point in being a better Trial if it only means even stronger humans will destroy the little bit of our people we still have? Yet I find little humans scurrying about, trying to settle the dryad’s grudge,” Whisper said.

“Grudge?” Ryu asked.

“Yes, she wouldn’t have told you, I guess. The dryads were also brought here from that world. We were actually the ones who defeated them.”

“We’re just trying to save our friend,” Keira said.

Whisper looked at her coldly. “A single human does not compare to my entire race, I’d say.”

Ryu was conflicted. He already wasn’t sure about risking his life to save Tam, and now? Whisper’s story had trapped him like a fly caught in a spider’s web. In some ways, it reminded him of his people’s own struggle. Would he doom this entire people and their culture just because of one person? Honestly, no. Tam was a good man, but he was just one man. People died. It was the way of things. But whole species? Sure, it happened, yet it was a tragic act that left the world a bit dimmer, a bit less interesting. He wouldn’t send the Kong on the path to extinction just to save Tam. Maybe. If this Whisper pissed him off a bit more, he might change his mind.

“What do you want from us, then?” Keira asked indignantly.

“In an ideal world, you would change your mind about helping Willow, but I can see that probably won’t happen. After all these years, I’m still naive, it seems. Oh, well,” Whisper said with a sigh. “I can make a simple offer. Willow needs my brothers removed to activate whatever mischief she has that can kill them permanently. I, too, have a bit of mischief of my own, but it can only kill the Dryad when used by a human, a difficulty I hope you can see the answer to. Help me rid my people of this threat, and I’ll train you to save your friend before the rest of the group can kill my brothers.” He stood.

Ryu remembered the fight with Cloud. The Kong had not been more powerful than them. Just skilled. Much more skilled, even when holding back. Ryu wanted that. He was weak, yet strength called his name. A longing filled his soul, shattering whatever self-control he might have had.

“Wait,” Ryu said. He didn’t know what he was doing, but this was an opportunity he couldn’t let go. “Take me with you. Teach me. I’ll help you stop Willow.”

Whisper chuckled. “A bold one, aren’t you? How do I know you won’t betray me?”

“Ryu, what are you doing?” Keira cried out. She was foolish, thinking their group could save Tam on their own. Or at all.

“Sorry, Keira, but this world is too big to worry about a single life. I have goals,” Ryu said, trying to ignore the woman’s stare. He turned back to Whisper.

“You know, I was never a fan of the treacherous kind, but a deal is a deal. Fine, come along. The sedative should be wearing off soon,” the Kong said, flicking his hand. Another dart hit Keira in the neck. “But if you fall behind, I’m leaving you. I understand that there is another among your group that can stand under Willow’s aura. I was actually hoping to find him.”

Ryu stood on shaky legs, anger fueling his muddled thoughts. He casted a look at Keira. In a way, their talk had helped him come to this decision. With the realization of his feelings for his house, he no longer cared to struggle against the urges that had overwhelmed his mind of late. He was a Ronin now, and his loyalty was given only to the cruel mistress of violence, her hooks having been in him from birth. He was Haru’s son, after all.

“So, where are we going?” Ryu asked, running after the Kong. Whisper was fast.

“Less talking. Run.”

That was fine with Ryu. He didn’t mind the silence. He followed.

Running. A simple act. One foot in front of the other. It was this simpleness that nearly broke him. He was tired. He was hungry. His legs were lead weights. His lungs burned, and his heart pumped like it was trying to break free of his chest. At the same time, the exercise was purifying. It beat the impurities out, the second thoughts and doubts vanishing with every step. Power. It was the single concept that tied everyone in the Rings together. His house wanted it, so they sought the perfect Sword candidate. Marshal wanted it to prove his father’s theory about the higher Rings right. Now, Ryu wanted it, yet it was in short supply. To get it, he would have to compete. It just so happened that in this case, Keira and the others were the ones in the way. He ran harder.

Hours passed. Whisper did not stop. The Kong's stamina seemed inexhaustible, whatever well he drew from far deeper than Ryu’s own. Still, Ryu didn’t quit. He couldn’t. If he did, this would have all been for nothing. He was in too deep. His soul was too stained to just return to his family.

His vision tunnelled. He saw only Whisper’s form in front of him, his thoughts driving him forward. Eventually, they too faded away. He was left with only the mindless rhythm of the run, his animal brain taking control over his movements. Yet the body could only go so far. In that mindless state, his vision darkened. His legs stumbled. With the sun dawning a new day above, he fell, passing out before his legs hit the ground.

“You don’t need to be taught.” The words seemed to penetrate his unconscious state, and Ryu woke with a panic. Above him, Whisper sat on the limb of a tree, looking down.

“What?” Ryu asked. His mouth was dry. For some reason, that was all he could think about.

“You don’t need training. Teaching. I’ve been in this Trial since it’s been around. I know a noble’s brat when I see one. House Ishida, if I’m not mistaken. The eyes and hair are a dead giveaway. So tell me, what am I supposed to teach you?”

Ryu’s mind struggled to wrap around the words. His thoughts were sluggish. His mouth was dry. Wait, didn’t he already think that? “I don’t want to go home.”

“Ah, a runaway. Found out the world was a bit bigger than the Houses, eh?”

Ryu nodded dumbly.

Whisper shook his head. “You realize you’re not choosing the easy life here, right? If you really don’t care about saving your friend, then it’d be best for you to just leave the Trial.”

Ryu’s head was starting to clear. “Suppose you want your brothers to die, then?” he asked.

“Blunt,” Whisper said, nodding. “I respect that. Fine, I’ll try not to convince you otherwise. First, we’ll form a blood contract to ensure you’ve done as promised. Last night, I arranged for the girl you were with to be captured. I will also make sure that your other companions find out about her imprisonment. That will keep them busy for a bit, and if it doesn’t, I have other… surprises, if you will. During that time, I will train you to the best of my abilities.”

Ryu didn’t hesitate. “Deal.”

---

“I did not lie earlier,” Whisper said, pacing over the wooden floor of his tree home. “I can’t make you a more skilled fighter in a few months. At least not a lot more. So we’ll focus on what I can help you with: your mind. The first Skill of a Class seals a part of the Classer’s personality into permanence. Love for a family member, ambition for a particular goal, hate. Anything that defines you. This part of yourself will be unaffected by trauma or change while you have your Basic Class. It’s typically random, although it is usually a part of yourself that is critical to your mindstate at the time. This Shard, as it’s called, can be honed in a way. Do you have any idea what yours is?”

The Kong had led him to the house in the tree, letting him pass out in one of the place’s bedrooms. It was a nice place, if he was honest. A bit odd, though. Kong architecture disagreed with his human notion of structure, and the rooms and furnishings seemed like natural growths in the tree rather than built by external hands. They now stood in a large, flat training room, holes in the tree casting light onto the wooden floor.

“I’m not sure,” Ryu said. His house- and the Red Sun Faction as a whole- frowned on passing on knowledge of everything Class related. It was considered most honorable to make one’s own path with limited knowledge like the first humans had upon arriving in the Rings. He knew little of Shards. It turned out honor was even less useful than he'd thought. What geniuses his people were.

Whisper seemed unbothered by his ignorance. “There are techniques to help you. Techniques to hone this part of yourself. To make it an unwavering core. Ahead of you is a life of violence. Of death. Of war. That is what you have chosen. The normal mind cannot endure under these things, so we hone our Shards. We weaponize our mentality."

A thought occurred to Ryu. “What happens if you lose your Class?”

“Well,” Whisper said, looking at Ryu curiously, “if such a thing were to happen, the part of that person locked into the Class would no longer be sealed, and it would be subject to change just like any other part of one’s self.”

Ryu nodded. He’d lost a piece of himself when he’d lost the Samurai Class. He knew what it was too. His honor. The part of him that was connected to his House, to his honor and reputation, was no longer what it once had been, changed by his time in the Trial.

“Well, what are these techniques, then?”

Whisper smiled. “One of them is pain. Nothing bares one’s soul like suffering.”

Ryu stood.

Whisper’s kick smashed into his side.