“Now then, since everyone is finally acquainted, I will now introduce you to the main attraction. Starting tomorrow, noon, I will be taking on challengers. If all goes according to my plan, by the time it will be over, I should have fought every single and currently active, member of the Royal Army.”

“Ha! Now there’s a good joke!” Tonso ridicules me.

“It’s not a joke.”

“Breeze, you can’t be serious?” The color has drained from Laira’s face.

“I am. This will take a while, but I’ll try not to drag the fights out. Once the first stage is over, the new training will begin. That is where all of you come in.” I look my team over again.

“So cocky of you, mongrel.”

“How so, Culebra?” I ask, knowing the answer already.

“You are so certain you won’t die.” The Mancer stares at me for a brief moment.

“Don’t worry, I don’t go back on my word.” I see Crile flinch. He knows what that means.

“I sure hope not.”

“Breeze, you lost it!” Laira jumps up from her seat.

“Laira, I know all you’ll say. However, this is not up for negotiation. It has to be done.” I give my sis the hard stare.

“Surely there is another way!”

“Enough! I did not tell you this to get your permission! I am telling you – this is how it will be done. End of discussion.” I put as much authority in that sentence as I can. Laira sits back down.

“Only thing I will need from you, is to make sure no-one intervenes with the fights. I want this to be one-on-one.”

“You want us to take them out?” Vestigo asks, casually playing with an arrow.

“Subdue. I’m not planning on killing any of them. Do what you can to stop them, but do not engage them, unless I give the order.”

“I’m sure we can manage.” Marcus says holding Laira’s hand.

“Tonso, you are able to conjure walls?” I ask the drunken Shaman.

“More than that, girly.” He makes a toast and gulps it down.

“Perfect. You, Culebra and Marcus will be responsible for barriers and shackles. Vestigo, Jack and Rixa will be on the lookout for anyone who needs them.”

“What about me?” Burla carefully raises her hand up.

“Watch and learn. Take notes, mostly.” I see the eye-roll she gives me. Brat.

“Needless to say, Laira and Percival will be my healers, however, not during the fights.”

“Understood.” Percival never argues. Laira nods.

“One last thing – during my fights. Observe your classes. Think of the training you will be giving them later. Try to find similarities, think of ways to break them. I need those youngsters to be as unpredictable as possible. That’s all.”

“Alrighty then.” Tonso gets up first. The rest follow. Rixa tries to make his way towards me.

“Don’t even think about it.” I growl at him.

“Very well, next time then.” He winks at me and walks out backwards. Crile and I are the only ones left in the room.

I wait for everyone to leave. I’m furious.

“Problem?” Breeze asks me. I stand up.

“Big one.” I come over to her and pin her to the wall.

“Get off me!” She growls.

“Forget it.” Now I growl. “Don’t do it. You’ll get yourself killed. A string of fights every day without a break is madness! Your body won’t be able to handle it! You’ll die! You know it!!” My body trembles. I can’t handle the pressure.

“Good. Maybe then all the pain will be over.” What?

“Pain? What pain? Breeze, do you ever stop to consider what kind of a pain you put those around you in? What about Laira? Your mother? And now even Marcus and the rest of them!”

She doesn’t say anything.

“I know I said I wasn’t going to interfere, and as much as I want you to be happy, even if it’s not with me…” I grip her tighter.

“It’s all a lie. I can’t sit on the sidelines and watch you do this to yourself. I can’t. Every time you get hurt a piece of me dies. Every time you drop to the ground, I fear you won’t wake up. I lose my mind from the thought that I won’t be able to hear your voice. All I want is…” Something’s getting in the way.

“I wasn’t around for fifty years.” She keeps her voice calm but cold. It snaps me out of it.

“This is different.”

“How?”

“I never lost hope you would come back to me. One way or another, all I thought about was how I will have you in my arms. How I’ll explain everything to you and…”

“Explain what?”

I hesitate.

“Explain what?” She pushes for an answer.

“Nothing.” I let her go.

“If that’s all, then I’m leaving.” She walks past me. I grab her and press her against my chest.

“I love you.” I hold her tight. “I love you.” That’s the best I can come up with.

“And I won’t ever stop.” I let her go again. She doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t look at me either. She simply leaves.

The next day Breeze issues an order for every one of the Army’s recruits to gather in the training grounds at noon sharp. She told Team Breeze to line up in front of them too. It looks like we are going to war. The eleven of us against all of them. Well, ten at the moment. Breeze is missing in action.

“She’s late.” Culebra hisses.

“She’ll be here.” Laira – always on Breeze’s side.

“Of course, she will. Only question remains, will she survive?”

“She will.” Marcus?

“You don’t think this is a little bit too much? Even for a monster like her?” Culebra almost sounds worried…

Tonso laughs into his bottle.

“Did I say something amusing, mole?” The mancer gets offended.

“Ay, woman, who do you think Deathbreeze Skyrider is?” The Shaman jugs some more wine down.

“She’s not immortal.” Culebra says calmly… I feel my fingers curl up into a fist. As much as I hate to admit it – the mancer has a point.

“She may not be a God but she comes close to it.” Rixa. My instinct reaches for my knife, I saw the wink he gave Breeze last night. Something about it pissed me off. I hold back.

“It’s our job to make her into one, right, Laira?” Percy speaks up.

“Yes.” Laira agrees.

“Any more questions?” Marcus turns to Culebra. The mancer remains silent.

A dragon's shriek reaches us from above. A shadow flies over the crowd. Storm. Ever the dramatic entrance? Storm goes for a dive. Breeze jumps off her. They’re in free-fall. Side by side. I’ve seen this before. Moments before the impact, Storm gets under Breeze and swoops down nice and easy. Show off.

“She never said anything about Strom? Did she?” Laira whispers.

“Did she change her mind?” Jack asks.

“No. She’s making a fool out of herself with this on purpose. That way they will be more eager to fight her and she will prove them wrong. The more she wins, the more they will try to find ways to defeat her, ergo – they will be forgetting all about their training, without even noticing it.” The words escape me.

“Makes sense. This was her initial plan. I was curious how she will fight decades worth of rigged training. Guess this is one way of doing it.” Jack agrees.

“Ladies and Gentleman!” Breeze calls out to the Army. “As of this moment I am your sole Commander!” The recruits do not seem too happy about that. Rather – they look amused. Of course, they are, this whole project is a bad joke.

“If anyone is opposed to the idea – please step forward.” Here we go. Someone from the first row steps forward.

“I am opposed to this. Now what?” The Primerian boy speaks out.

“I appreciate you volunteering.”

“Volunteering? For what?” His face tells us he’s surprised.

“To battle me, of course.” Breeze grins. Gods help her. “Tonso!” She calls out.

“Ay!” The Shaman wipes the booze of his face and the ground rumbles. The earth cracks and an arena appears where Breeze and the boy are standing.

“Rules are simple – use any means you can to defeat me, within the ring. The sky is the limit. Get thrown over board and the fight is over. Simple enough, no?” Breeze circles the Primerian.

“However, no one is allowed to intervene and there are no do-overs.”

“Even better, this will be over soon.” The Primerian takes up a fighting stance. A CC? No weapons? Interesting.

“Yes, it will be.” Breeze shifts. A sight of a human size beast would make anyone flinch, especially from point blank range. Strangely enough, the boy smiles.

“This should be good.” Rixa sounds a bit excited there... I cringe…

Breeze charges. The boy dodges. He rolls to the side, gets a knife out and charges Breeze. That thing looks like a toothpick, compared to the creature it’s going up against. Breeze changes back. What for? She conjures a staff out of the ground and uses it to jump over the Primerian. While airborne she conjures shackles around the boy’s ankles and he kisses the ground. Breeze lets the vines go, changes again and grabs the CC warrior by his collar with her massive jaw. I figure she wants to toss him out the ring but the Primerian slips out of his chest piece and slashes Breeze’s front paw. That doesn’t even phase her. She paws at him, slashing his back, bites his leg and tosses him out the ring.

“Well that was a fast one.” Tonso laughs.

“The fun is just getting started.” Rixa sounds quite pleased.

“Anyone else?” Breeze yells out. “Come on, don’t be shy. I will be here for as long as there will be challengers’!” She strolls alongside the edge of the ring and speaks again.

“From dawn till dusk!” She stands facing the crowd, with her back to us.

“Laira, can you fix her up from over here?” I ask the Druid.

“I wish I could…” She whispers. Damn.

“She said not to intervene. That means healing will have to wait after the fights are over. All of them…” Laira isn’t liking this anymore than I am. Someone approaches Breeze. A Balli boy. A Ram, judging by his physique. They already know two of Breeze’s tricks. Vines and her Wolf form. Trying to figure Breeze out was like solving an ever-changing puzzle. There was a time where it excited me. She was never boring. But now that part of her is biting me on the ass. I stop paying attention to the challengers. The fights are over before they even start. One after another.

“Percy, can you tell how she is?” I ask.

“I can’t track her vitals but as long as she’s standing…” The boy’s voice is barely there.

“Shadowkill, there’s a hunter aiming an arrow at Breeze. Want me to take him out?” Vestigo has his crossbow aimed at the crowd.

“No. We’ll time it just right. Tonso.”

“Ay.” The Shaman readies himself.

“Now!” The hunt calls out. The ground rumbles again and for a brief moment only, a wall appears in front of the recruits. That should send a clear message.

“Good enough?” Tonso dusts his hands off.

“That will do.” I nod.

“This is a waste of my time.” Culebra – the ever disappointed one.

“Nobody moves until this is done.” Jack isn’t a push over. For him to say something like that, well, you better not argue. Culebra can complain all she wants but a part of her is enjoying this. That’s why she’s still here.

“Wouldn’t it be easier if all of you were to fight them instead?” Burla speaks quietly. “You know, like having a bunch of different fights at the same time?” I hate to say it but the Street Rat makes a decent point. However…

“No. It has to be her. Alone. None of us have the kind of a versatile power that she has. The incident that turned her into a freak of nature cost a lot for her. This is her chance to make use of it for generations to come. She is a fighter, a healer and a caster all in one. For centuries we were taught to pick a side and stick with it. But. Who’s to say that a Mage cannot be an Assassin or for a Cleanser to be a Close Combatant?” Nobody says anything. I continue.

“As an Assassin myself, I have enough mana to be a Mage. However. I choose not to be. Instead, I use my mana resources to cast the Shadow Walk. Now, depending on how much mana I have, I am able to cast the spell that many times. Short distance ones are quicker and easier, meaning I would have more chances to use my skill. Long distance Shadow Walks can be cast, but those usually end up being a one-way ticket as it requires more mana, plus the recovery time increases as well. Therefore, it is not advised to use Shadow Walk for long distance. Same way that the skill is not recommended to be used if there is no clear visual of the surrounding area, as one might get stuck in a wall or something. It is possible to use Shadow Walk without seeing where you are going but then you have to have a crystal clear visual of the place, where you want to go, in your mind. That requires an unparalleled attention to detail. It is not just a matter of memorizing a map of a castle, for example, as much as seeing the room where you wish to be at and the positioning of the furniture in it as well. That’s why teams of Hunters and Assassins are formed. Hunters are able to scout the area in question and guide the Assassins accordingly. We prioritize sneak attacks, over brute strength. Some think it’s a coward’s way out, but I, personally, prefer it this way more, over a dragged-out fist fight. Also, needless to say, but the Shadow Walk cannot be used with no shadows, so a pitch-black room would not work, as ironic as it is.”

“How so?” With the corner of my eye, I see Burla look up at me.

“We expel the mana from our bodies into the outside and fuse it with the shadows, to be able to go under. Since the mana flows outward, it has to have a line that it cannot cross over. If an Assassin would attempt to cast Shadow Walk in a pitch-black room, the mana would never stop flowing, depleting all of it and the Assassin would not be able to do anything. It is similar to Meditation, when one has to visualize being pulled underwater. Difference is – Assassins do it for real. Most are scared of that bone chilling darkness that consumes you whole. There have been known cases when people even go mad from a single attempt at Shadow Walk. Water Shamans need to be submerged underwater for a set time limit to be able to absorb the magic power of the water surrounding them, so they could complete their Overtake. The thing is. When doing it for Water Shamans, they have no choice but to be completely submerged underwater. Fire Shamans get surrounded by flames, but there is an air pocket for them still, as they do not burn for real. In comparison it is easier then completing the Water Challenge. Also, Shadow Walk is not perceived as a spell but more as an ability. Anyone who is not familiar with the classes and how they work, can think that even without having mana you can become an Assassin. However, that one skill is exactly what separates us from warriors and hunters.”

“What does that mean?” The brat asks again.

“We do not have any mana.” Vestigo answers.

“How is the Water Challenge different from the Earth Challenge?” Percival asks. Good question.

“When you do the Earth Challenge, you lay flat in a hole and just have some dirt and mud thrown around you, not enough to weigh you down completely, but just about enough to make it terrifying and difficult to breathe. If you ever went swimming before, you may have noticed how the water presses down on you when diving deep.” Tonso explains.

“I see.” The boy says.

“So, does anyone know what is the Air Challenge, then?” Burla asks the next question carefully.

"You're an Air Shaman and you don't even know that much?" Laira's hostile.

"I only know the basics!" The brat is annoyed.

“Ay. Story goes, that other Air Shamans have to cage you in with their Air casting, also for a set time limit.” Tonso answers her.

“That doesn’t sound too bad.” Burla shrugs her shoulders.

“Trick is. You have to breathe still, meaning you will be breathing in the herbs that are used to control the air currents. That way the air can be extracted from your lungs as well and you can suffocate.” Tonso finishes.

“Oh.” Is all the brat says.

“If I may,” Percival starts; “wouldn’t it have been easier to explain the possibilities to the recruits, instead of having Commander risk her life?"

“It would have been.” I answer him.

“But?” The Cleanser adds. Clever boy.

“You can’t make a horse drink if he doesn’t want to.” Tonso says.

“Meaning what?” Marcus asks.

“Meaning that words don’t account for much.” Culebra answers.

“They are kids mostly still, so they are easier to influence with a display of power, rather than have them listen to grand phrases like: You can be anything you wish.” Rixa adds mockingly.

“Basically, it is as the Assassin said before: she is forcing them to think for themselves. Pushing them to want to change. I hate to admit but it has to be her. She is a monster of a different caliber. We would not make that kind of an impression in such a short amount of time. The recruits would just right it off as us being more experienced and probably would not even bother to improve, which could make them slack off instead.” Jack continues the thought.

“So, us being on Breeze’s side, is making us appear like we are hiding something as well. Power wise. So, then the trick here is to keep the Army guessing if all of us are just as mixed in our abilities as she is, making them curious to know more. Which will lead to them listening to us better and paying more attention later… Right?” Marcus asks.

“Exactly.” I agree.

“I thought we weren’t supposed to be mixing magic?” Burla asks another on point question.

“True.” I hear Laira. “But that only goes for Mages and Shamans. Mages are not recommended to be mixing Forces of Choice that they manipulate because they are using Mother Nature itself for their spells. And to be able to fuse your mana like that with more than one force of nature would simply overload the caster's mind. Therefore, it is easier to manipulate a single force in both: offensive and defensive way.”

“But, that does not mean that a Mage cannot use their mana for healing spells. Or, as Crile said before, for a Cleanser to be Warrior. The point here is to mix two completely different styles. Warriors fight with weapons, without mana. So, let’s say that we have a warrior with mana. As their main focus is hand-to-hand combat, plus weapons, they’re not really using their mana resources, are they? So, they could be able to, for example, use minor healing spells to support themselves while fighting, or even help with healing after the fight. Provided, of course, they survive the fight, but anyways. You get the idea.” Marcus pitches in.

“What about Mage-Assassin mix?” The brat is on a roll.

“Actually, I’m curious about that one as well…” Percy joins in.

“Shadow walk is a supportive spell. Assassins, like Warriors fight hand-to-hand, so, using something else, as support, would not be impossible.”

“That does make sense.” The Cleanser speaks quietly.

“So, what about Shamans then?”

“Ay, bratty, think for a moment.” Tonso steps in. “What do you need to make your air move?”

“Enchanted herbs.” The brat answers.

“Do you see me use any?” The geezer takes charge.

“No?” The confusion is strong.

“Exactly. Only Air, Fire and Water need enchanted herbs, and the right kind too, to be able to do anything with it. Ya can’t use any weeds all willy-nilly as you please. The more enchanted herbs are infused with the element, the more powerful the spell, however, if you are not careful, you’ll end up using up your herbs before your mana runs out. That, and because herbal mixtures are used, it is seen as wasteful to use them for fighting. That’s why the most popular combos are Air and Earth, or Water and Earth.”

“Doesn’t that make Fire Mages useless in a battle, then?” Burla’s unbelievable today.

“Half-baked ones – yes, Full-Fledged Shamans are like exotic beats – rare and valuable, as they can be used much like Hell class Necromancers – a Last Resort for either offense or defense.” Now I get why Breeze sought Tonso out. The Shaman knows his stuff.

“What about Fire and Earth combo?”

“For one. A Shaman can withstand only one Overtake. Two. Both are offensive types, yet only one can be used without herbs.” The old man is handling the brat like a pro. “Fire and Air or Fire and Water are kinda common…”

“But then we are back to the herb problem…” Burla finishes. Maybe there’s hope for the brat yet.

“But, we are not that mixed in our abilities, as you described…” Percival makes a valid point.

Tonso laughs. “But the hatchlings don’t know that.”

“Ah!” Laira gasps and quickly covers her mouth. Breeze is down. The Cornutese girl picks Breeze up by her hair. She laughs as she puts a knife to Breeze’s throat.

“We have to stop this!” Laira moves.

“Don’t!” Marcus grabs her.

“Let go!”

“Laira, no!”

“Breeze!” I reach for her. Wake up! “Breeze!!” I try her again. Damn it! “BREEZE!!” A giant wolf appears next to the Cornutese Assassin. Breeze bites into the girl’s shoulder. Almost tearing the arm off. The girl drops to her knees. Breeze changes back and kicks her off the ring.

“Who’s next?” Breeze yells out. She doesn’t even have to ask. The fresh meat are too eager to take her down. I know there isn’t single person, in that crowd, that can drop her and I also know that she isn’t going to drop the idea of this either.

“Ok, I have to admit, this is getting painful to watch.” Burla speaks out again.

“Get used to it.” Vestigo barks.

“She was joking, when she said that she’ll fight every single one of them, right?” The brat is actually worried about her guardian…

I wonder who will answer that one. But the silence says it all. Breeze is on a suicide mission. She’s well aware she can’t handle the entire Army. Meaning, she has no intention of leading the forces anywhere. The best she can do is set an example for the young ones to strive for and that’s it. If she dies here, then Tahon won’t be able to launch an attack against Noxanda. The deal only applies in case Breeze makes a run for it. But if she gets killed, while in training, then no harm done…

“Have you changed your mind about doing this, brat?”

“Shut it, bone bag! I’m not the one who lost her mind! If she wants to die, let her!” Burla snaps at Culebra. No comment.

“She won’t die.” Rixa’s eager to defend Breeze.

“I know.” Burla whispers. Breeze, you’re a monster. We stand like that for hours. Soon enough, hours turn into days…

“Damn it, Laira, just fix me!” Breeze is screaming at her sister. The same bullshit scenario has been happening every night after the fights are over… It’s been only a week… Every night Laira tries to convince Breeze to take a break and every night Breeze would refuse… I always stay out of it.

“Breeze, we are doing our best, but you need at least a day’s rest for the healing to work, you can’t…”

“I can’t go on like this, yes, I know, you’ve been telling me the same shit for days now! And I keep telling you that it’s not an option, now fix me!!” Breeze yells. I want to punch her.

“That’s enough, Laira, get up. Come here.” Marcus pulls Laira away from Breeze.

“As much as I respect you, Deathbreeze, I will not allow you to speak to my woman this way. You have enough brains to realize that the situation you are in, that we are all in, is all your fault. If you want to yell at someone, then I’ll happily hand you a mirror, scream away. Now apologize.” Wow. Color me impressed. I worry for a moment how Breeze will react. I guess even Percy feels that something’s about to happen, because he steps back as well. Breeze laughs. Nervously. She kind of creeps me out.

“Laira, I’m sorry.”

“I know you are.” Laira tries to play it cool but that lasts a brief second. She goes back to fixing Breeze in a heartbeat. Percy joins her shortly after.

“Thank you, Marcus.” Breeze looks up at him. “I’m happy, Laira has you to look after her, especially when it comes to me.”

“Anytime.” Marcus is calm but pissed.

“Sis, I know you don’t want to hear this but I am telling you, you cannot go on like this. It’s not only your body that is taking damage, your organs are as well. At this rate…”

“At this rate something will rupture and cause internal bleeding.” Percival finishes Laira’s sentence.

“How big of a hit must it be?” Breeze is asking the wrong questions.

“Don’t get tossed out of the ring. At that height it will be enough to kill you.”

“Thank you, Percival.” Breeze sounds irritated.

“Was I not supposed to answer that?” The kid might be a decent healer but it’s simply too easy to throw him off his game.

“That’s all. Try to take it easy, please.” Laira hugs Breeze.

“Forgive me if I won’t make any promises.” Breeze hugs Laira back.

“Fine, have it your way. Goodnight.” Laira smiles.

“Sleep easy.” Marcus walks Laira out of the room.

“Try to rest.” Percival leaves too.

“Are you going to lecture me as well?” Breeze speaks to me without looking.

“Will you listen?”

“Do you need to ask?” She finally gazes at me.

“You’re so selfish. You think you’re the only one who’s getting hurt, only because you’re the one fighting all of them. You have no idea how they are hurting watching you go through this. You’re the only idiot here, Breeze.”

“Are they the ones who are truly hurting? Or is it you?” Her mockery is too much…

“You deserve a knife in the gut for that.” I whisper and shut the door behind me.

Today is the same as any other day. Same ring. Same Breeze in the middle of it. Same blood thirsty atmosphere. I feel numb to the sight in front of me. I shut my emotions off. Breeze made it easy for me to do it after last night… So why do I feel uneasy still? Seeing her as she is now… I’m not sure if I am able to love her the way I used to… Perhaps the time has truly come when I should let her go… Never before have I felt the emptiness inside of me, as I am feeling now… Am I being too selfish? Wanting her all to myself? Maybe the New Breeze doesn’t have any use for me? Why did I ever believe that My Breeze will stay the same? She already wasn’t the same Breeze I knew the next morning after the Battle… Half the century that we were apart, I should have known she’d change… But people don’t change… Not without putting effort into it… Or given enough time, maybe?… Our race is blessed with the luxury of having as much time in this world as we desire… Not many are so fortunate... Yet, do I have it in me to change? But what for? Whom I would be changing for? Breeze? Myself? What if that will only make it worse? What if she doesn’t want me even afterwards still? It’s not like she wants me now, so… Am I a fool to think that in time Breeze will warm up to me again? Is my one and only option left to let her go? Maybe I’m mistaken, thinking that she and I are destined to be together? Could it be that all this time I was wrong?

“Chieftain! Chieftain!” A figure approaches the ring…

“Chieftain! Chieftain!” I hear someone call for me in all of the noise and chaos of the fight.

“Yes!” I answer. I’m getting my ass kicked and now somebody’s looking for me. Perfect timing, as usual, for someone to be bugging me. Ugh.

“Sorry to interrupt the training but there is someone who requires your immediate attention!” Oh boy. What now?

“WHO?” I scream out just before dodging a fire whip from a mage and jumping up to shift into a hawk.

“The ruler of Noxanda, Milady.” The boy who called for me is a Noxian. I see the seal of the High Priestess on his chest. Mother? Here? Now? That can’t be good. I dive down and grab the mage girl with my talons and climb back up into the sky as much as my worn-out wings let me. The girl tries to break free but I have my prey. I’m not about to let her go. Not yet at least. I climb a bit more and drop her. She falls screaming and I hear the fear roll over in a wave among the other soldiers. I might be tough, but I’m not heartless. I change back into my human form and dive down after her. Just as she is in reach and a few feet above the ground, I turn again and catch her with my talons. Instantly, it gets so quiet, I only hear the sound of my wings cutting the air, as I lower the poor girl gently to her feet. As soon as the girl feels the solid ground underneath her, she gives in and collapses. Somebody rushes over to her from the crowd. I shift back and speak loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“Today’s lesson: do not expect the enemy to fight you on your terms. Just because you can’t fly, it does not mean the enemy won’t.” I look at the girl. She doesn’t have any blood in her face.

“Dismissed.” I yell out and turn to the messenger. “Where is she?”

“In the dining hall right above the training grounds’ here.” The boy doesn’t even dare to look at me. Simply points up. Laira makes her way toward me.

“Your mother is here?” She looks me over. “We need to treat you.”

“No. Not here.” I gaze up. “Meet you there.” I turn and fly up to where the windows of the dining hall are. One of them is open. No surprise. I fly in and shift back. My mother stands near the window.

“Treasure.” She speaks to me in such a loving and a warm tone that I feel like hugging her and crying. I hold back.

“Mother.” I try to keep it together. “I’m glad to see you are looking well.” She really does look good. Considering.

“I’m happy to see you are doing good as well.” She stands there looking at me. I did nothing but hurt her ever since I disobeyed her and sought out revenge for my father. Yet I don’t detect a sliver of hatred or resentment coming off of her.

“Will you make me ask?” I stare at the chair behind her. I want to slump in it and just stare at the ceiling sooo bad.

“Do I need a reason to visit my long-lost daughter?” She has a warm smile on her face.

“No. I did imagine, however, you bringing an army to take me back.” My knees are shaking. I can barely stand upright.

“Why would I do that?” Finally, I see her expression change for a second.

“To punish me.” I take a deep breath. “For my crimes against our land.”

“Zarri.” Mother’s voice is soft and smooth as the finest silk.

“Noxanda will always be your home. Where you go. What you do. We will always welcome you back with open arms.” She walks up to me and puts her hands on my face.

“You did nothing wrong. There is no need for you to be scared.” She embraces me. I stand there like an idiot, not knowing what to do next. I close my eyes. All my reasons why I didn’t take refuge back home, after the Battle, are scattered away by the winds. I always thought I was putting my people in danger by going back, so I stayed away. I figured mother would hate me for never listening to her. Yet she’s here now. Holding me, without a single shred of disappointment. My body trembles. I can’t take it anymore. I raise my hands to hug her back and my knees give up at the same moment. I collapse in her arms.

“Zarri!” I hear my mother’s voice.

“Breeze!” Laira’s here too now. I try to answer but I can’t. I feel my body being swept of the floor and taken somewhere.

“What’s happening?” Mother’s concerned.

“She has been battling the army’s recruits from dawn till dusk for a week now.” Laira’s quick to explain. I can’t move. I know this feeling.

“Why?” Mother seems more pissed off now. I want to smile.

“To gain their respect.” Crile.

“I can’t get her armor off. I need to gain access to her body. She’s bleeding internally.” Laira’s in panic.

“What do you mean you can’t get the armor off of her?” Laira’s panic is rubbing off on mom now too.

“I can’t. It’s like the leather is glued to her…” Laira desperately tries to rip the leather of my body. That’s right. I forgot to tell her…

“Move.” Crile’s voice reaches me. I feel something cold on my side. A blade. Crile’s cutting through the armor to get it off of me. I know why Laira can't take it off. Ever since I became a half-breed, I made sure to reinforce my armor by conjuring tiny vines from the wooden bracer on my wrist, to make sure the leather stays in place. It also works as an extra layer of protection, in case I get attacked in my human form. The vines are so tiny they don’t even get in the way of morphing. I once mentioned this idea to Crile and Ammi... He remembered… I feel the armor go loose on my body.

“There. That should do it.” Crile’s voice is the last sound I hear.

“There. That should do it.” I cut through Breeze’s armor and step back. It was ages ago but I vaguely remember her genius idea about reinforced armor for Druids’… Laira works fast. She takes the chest piece off Breeze and cuts her side to get the blood out. Laira’s a great healer but she needs to see clearly where Breeze is bleeding from, in order to close up the wound and stop the blood from drowning Breeze from the inside. I turn away.

“Percy can you hear me?!!” Laira’s using the Stone but she’s in such a panic that she’s yelling.

“I need your help. Get over to the dining hall above the training grounds now! Breeze is drowning from the inside!! I can’t do it alone! Please!” She whispers the last word.

“Milady.” I speak to the High Priestess. “We should let Laira do her work. I will stand guard outside. I suggest you rest in one of the quarters for the time being.”

“I will do no such thing.” The Queen is a mother now above all else. I’m not about to argue with her.

“As you wish.” I go outside to the hall and stand there with my back against the doors. I hear faint steps echoing in the distance. Percy’s running over here. I step aside and open the doors for him. He runs past me without a word. I shut the doors again and sigh.

“Damn it, Breeze.” I’m sure that as soon as Laira and Percival will finish patching her up, she’ll go right back out there like nothing happened and keep on kicking ass. That’s one of the reasons I love her. But at the same time, it makes my blood boil with rage… She never let anyone outside her family see her struggle. I know Breeze isn’t gonna give up and I’m not even gonna try to change her mind. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt…

“Here I thought, I resolved to not caring, idiot…” I almost fall down on my ass when the doors open behind me. I stagger for a moment but manage to stay upright. I turn and see Lady Devona in the door way.

“Explain to me what the Hell is going on here.” She’s pissed. “Why is my child torturing herself. She is of royal blood. She does not need to prove her worth to anyone. Especially not to the fresh army meat.” Correction. She’s furious. I understand why.

“Milady, you need to understand. She never used her standing as the member of the royal family of Noxanda to get what she wants. She always worked herself to the bone to prove her worth. To gain respect. To accomplish her goals. This time is no different. And also.” I pause. Don’t think Breeze’s mother wants to know that last part.

“Speak.” Her tone demands for it. Guess I don’t have a choice.

“It’s her way of atoning for what happened during the Great Battle.”

“Atonement?” The High Priestess is a mother right now, not a cold-blooded ruler. She didn’t see her child the murderer that Breeze saw herself to be.

“I know this is difficult for you to hear but this is the reality, Milady. She is in pain for what happened fifty years ago and she feels responsible still. This is her way of dealing with it all. “

“And you will stand by her side and let her kill herself, without doing anything to stop her?” She’s accusing me of neglect. I can’t face her eye to eye…

“Yes.” That’s all I answer her. I hear steps. Laira’s walking toward us.

“What is it?” I ask her trying to avoid more confrontation with the Queen.

“We managed to stabilized her but she will be out for a while. We can’t leave her here.” Laira looks at me.

“So where can we take my daughter?” The High Priestess asks the girl.

“We can’t carry her anywhere without the whole palace knowing about her condition. And if the word gets out that she is on the verge of death.” Laira pauses.

“What?” The Queen’s clearly upset.

“All her hard work will be for naught. That’s not an option for her.” I finish Laira’s train of thought…

“So then how do we move her?” Lady Devona’s not letting up.

“I could get Storm here, to carry Breeze back to the cabin but…” Laira’s seriously off her game with her guardian present.

“But?” The High Priestess presses her again.

“But Storm would attract too much attention. Not an option as well.” I answer.

“Then I have a way. Look after her until I get back.” The ruler of our land walks away without saying another word to us. I shut the doors of the hall and sit next to Laira. Breeze is now covered with Lady Devona's cloak. Percy looks drained. No wonder… I stopped counting how many times I saw Breeze lay motionless like that. I stare at the blood puddle on the floor. That will be a pain to clean up...

“I know it pains you to see her like this.” Laira’s quiet voice reaches my ears.

“It does.” I have nothing else to say. We sit there staring at Breeze’s unmoving body on the dining table for what feels like hours, before the High Priestess comes back with a small army of her own. Only her little army is made up of maids and servants and what looked like a tiny portable throne with a roof and curtains on the sides. A palanquin. Four over grown Noxians carry the silly thing. I raise an eyebrow.

“Milady?” I ask in a careful tone.

“We will carry my heir out of here. Just tell me where to.”

“I see.” I look over the servants. None from the palace. Good. “Laira will show you the way, High Priestess.”

“Alright.” She turns to Laira. “Can we move her?”

The girl’s lost for a second. “Barely. We cannot put a lot of strain on her body or it might cause the wounds to open up. Even with the heals’ that we did, the risk is high because of the constant damage to her body and how weak she is.” Laira’s voice trembles as she speaks but she does her best to keep it under control.

“Understood.” Our Queen turns to speak to her attendants.

“You heard lady Evergreen speak. Take good care of your next ruler.”

“As you wish, High Priestess.” Wow. They all answer in unison. That kinda sends a shiver down my spine. The girls start pulling out sheets from under their robes, while the men take out a bunch of pillows from under their getups. That’s why they looked weird…They pile up the pillows and the covers in the tiny throne. Making it more comfortable for Breeze. They make sure to leave enough space for the Queen to ride it alongside her. It takes some time but they make sure their heir is nice and safe and doesn’t feel a thing. Some water mages clean up the blood of the floor and the table. They make even a bigger mess as they do it, but not for long. They use some of those linens to soak up the bloody mess. A few girls fold the covers up and freeze them. The blood stained, now frozen linens, end up in a secret compartment, under the palanquin. That's one way of doing it. Lastly, six guys take Breeze of the table and carefully place her inside of the miniature carrier, right next to Lady Devona.

“Well done everyone.” Her tone of voice sounds less tense now.

“Sir Shadowkill, if you and Lady Evergreen would accompany me now.” She shuts the curtains.

“Of course, Milady.” Laira leads the way. I stay behind.

“So how are you feeling?” Everyone completely forgot about the poor boy.

“Like a new born puppy…” He hasn’t fully recovered yet.

“Want some help?” I give him a hand.

“Sure.” He takes it and I help him up.

“Does this happen often?” I’m not sure what he’s asking me but I have a feeling.

“You mean the traveling circus or?”

“I mean the “or” part…”

“Often enough.” That’s all we say to each other, all the way back to Percy’s room.