“That kid’s gonna fly. Maybe not at first and she’ll probably hit the ground hard more than a few times. But, eventually she’s gonna leave the ground at will. When that happens it’s our job to make sure she knows how to land. Personally I’m hoping that we’ll be up there with her.”

~ Daimyon

Chase

Shock, embarrassment and shame all hit me at once. My outburst wasn’t meant to be heard at all, yet alone by Daimyon. My words were true though: I do want to beat him. To prove at least to myself that I’m his equal. All this time, it never occurred to me that he occupied the role of rival in my mind. I just always feel like I’ve been watching his back as he gets better and better. Still, what can I even say? Is there anything for me to say? Apparently my silence isn’t a satisfying answer to him.

“Is that really how you feel?” he asks again. Maybe I’m just making things more complicated than they are. Maybe the only thing to say is the truth. My emotions quiet themselves and the forest stands still as we catch each other’s gaze.

“Yes.”

Daimyon jumps down from the tree, landing softly with a controlled release of arcana, a feat that would have been impossible just a few short weeks ago.

“Okay then. Hit me.” I’m taken aback by his words. Is he serious? Why would I hit him? “If you want to beat me then I’m right here.” Still baffled at this whole situation, I look at him as he circles me.

“That’s not what I meant.” I say. Daimyon’s face is serious and indifferent. He really wants us to fight as if him beating me will solve anything.

“You want to beat me as a naturalist and this is the only way to do that, or are you too busy trying to figure out if it’s even possible? That was always your problem. You overthink and the second you figure out that you might not have the advantage, you run away.”

That stung like a dagger in the chest. Sure it’s true but so what? I’m supposed to be sorry because I like to know I can win? That’s easy for him to say when he acts like he has nothing to lose.

“Yeah, sure and due to that I don’t almost die every few days.” Daimyon’s mouth forms a smirk.

“I might almost die but you never live and that’s why Pip loves me and wants nothing to do with yo-”

My hand flies on its own, striking Daimyon’s face. His head turns slightly, completely resisting the force of the blow. He barely flinched. He pulls my arm, throwing me in one smooth movement. It's too late to back down now, the fight’s already started.

Wind begins howling as he draws arcana much faster than I thought he was capable of. Silver strands of wind twist around him, throwing me back. If that was just him powering up, how strong has he really gotten?

“Good, Chase. Show me what you’ve learned. Show me that you’re capable of protecting Pip or yourself or anything of value.”

Heat wells up from beneath my skin. My heart beat reverberates in my chest so hard that it floods my ears. As long as I’m like this, all I can do is lash out...So that’s what I do. I run up to Daimyon, making the first move with a punch.

He doesn’t flinch, instead using his open hand to catch my fist effortlessly. Arcana pours out from the hand holding mine, and a burst of wind blows me back into a tree. Daimyon bursts into action, meeting me at the tree, putting his hand into my face and sending another pulse of wind directly into me. My head forms an imprint as it hits the tree with a loud *THUNK* . He stops for a moment to taunt me.

“I thought the great Kouki was training you? Was all his teachings about taking punishment? Or was that you again choosing the slow and steady training, unwilling to risk anything even if it means real progress?”

He leisurely strolls around the tree still talking.

“Chase, you're a good guy, a smart guy. But you’re also a coward who’s so afraid of losing that it’s all you do. I do risk quite a lot because between every plateau of power is the chasm of failure. If you want to get to the plateau, you have to take a leap of faith. I learned how to do that because I had to when I was looking out for myself.”

He swung back around. Leaning over, he puts his face into mine to make direct eye contact.

“You picked up the opposite lesson by looking at the mangled bodies of your parents who couldn’t make the leap.”

My face sinks and Daimyon begins walking away. He’s right. He’s absolutely right. My parents' fates do scare me. I am afraid of Kouki. I haven’t been truly pushing myself, just studying and trying to handle loads that are my size. Everything I’ve done has been calculated and every decision I’ve ever made is plagued by visions of what may happen. My brain tells me to stay down and that I can’t win. But my heart says something different. The surging heat in my body screams something different. This is the moment, where everything just clicks.

“Screw the consequences.”

With that affirmation, my body and spirit are aligned, harmonized by the clarity of my objective: to beat Daimyon. Smoothly and effortlessly, I’m back on my feet. My hands radiate a tinge of light as I ball them up into fists. My eyes focus on Daimyon’s turned back. It’s time for me to attack.

~END