Antoine entered the prisoner’s cell.

The rogue had managed to hide from them for two entire weeks. Only the prompt order to seal the city had prevented his escape. And the added patrols in the streets.

The elusive man was chained at the wall, a dark smirk fixed on his face. Karda was interrogating him.

"The Grandmaster himself, what an honor!" He shouted as if he was entertaining an audience.

“Do you know what have you done? You sent four kids to die!” Shouted the sharkin. She was livid.

His smirk widened. “I didn’t send them against four dragons. You did. Perhaps you should look at your conscience, instead of…”

Karda punched his guts, hard enough to crack the wall behind him. “You cut them off from us! You…!”

Antoine laid a hand on her shoulder. “That’s enough, young Templar.” The other grunted, taking a few steps back. The Grandmaster glared at the smirking assassin. “What business does your syndicate have with a group of young Templars?”

The man looked at Karda. “See? That’s an interrogation done right: More question, less shouting.” Karda was practically vibrating in place. “About that, what do I gain for talking with you?”

Antoine remained silent.

“No fun! Well, sucks that you’ll lose such a valuable asset…” He smiled knowingly.

Already? I thought that we had more time. “How?”

“People talk, old man. A dragon that appears in your capital, and is extremely friendly towards you, out of nowhere?” He clicked his tongue. “That’s an old tale, isn’t it?”

Antoine knew too well the reasoning of the syndicates from Solkos. If other nations had something they wanted and couldn’t take it for themselves…

This man had taken the place of another priest, the one that they found unconscious in his room. The rogue also knew about their security system, the one that didn’t allow Astill’s faithful to die within the Bastion. “Was the Quest also one of your doing?”

“I think I talked too much already. So, if there’s nothing for me…” The assassin broke something within his mouth. He started to convulse, then foam.

A few seconds later, he died.

Calmly, Antoine placed his hand on the man’s chest. “[Resurrection]”

The assassin gasped. His eyes darted around, stopping on Antoine. For the first time, he lost his smirk.

“Dan Lightbloom.

Dorel Shieldforger.

Veliel Soothsong.

Nashariel Holyshield.

They’re all children of Astill and they WILL return home safe and sound.

Now, assassin, tell me everything you know.” The Grandmaster hadn’t risen his voice, but his words thundered in the whole Bastion.

The assassin gulped, all color drained from his face. “It’s too late…”

Nashariel pov

Golden beams dazzled Nashariel when she entered the newest chamber. A sensation of purity permeated the air, as if nothing outside of Light was welcome here. I kinda get why this is the favorite element of most Paladins. Thought Nashariel, watching the usual activated pillar’s rock beaming from the inside.

Idly, the omnidragon strolled within the room. She wasn’t a fan of this element; not because something was wrong with it, but she failed to lock on its purpose. Technically, Radiance is specialized against Dark creatures and such, but isn’t just easier to zap or set them on fire? That would work with everything equally well…

Nashariel brought up her Quest. This was the last element to complete it. Mind covers for water, Metal for Earth, Lightning for Air and Fire, Curse for Darkness, these two for Light… I have one advanced skill from everything, so even the skills with prerequisites count together with the merged ones. I really hope that I won’t have to buy more affinities; my forms are getting a little too much for me. Points aside, I’m having a hard time deciding between them.

During this month, Nashariel had let her Mind affinity replay both fights. During the first one, she had just let the other maul her without properly retaliating. Just breaking his wings and watching him fall from that high would have solved a few of her problems, instead of fighting him head-on.

The second fight could have been solved with Mind affinity itself. That duo didn’t look to have invested in awareness, and even an instant of that dragoness losing control and hitting her ally could have been a goddessend. The idea of zapping around to gain some time had been good, at least. Nashariel had no idea of what Shandra’s skill was, and she had searched deeply into her status. The closest thing that she had found was a skill called [Burn life force], but something told her that it wasn’t it, since the three other dragons hadn’t used it.

Back to Radiance, Nashariel didn’t want to overcommit herself, but she wanted to be done with her Quest as soon as possible.

A half-hour later, she stared at her chosen skills. The dragoness could summon a temporary overlay to keep track of her choices, adding and subtracting each one at her leisure. In her search, she discovered that this element dealt with the truth, other than an unhealthy obsession with evil creatures. Still, Nashariel waited to try this in combat before judging it. Maybe it’s really good at what it does.

Confirming her choices, Nashariel watched at the screen and the changing beams. I hope that this is worth it! So many points gone…

*Radiant light, Radiant infusion, Aura of truth, Detect lies, Detect illusions, Detect compulsions, Detect corruption, Destroy corruption, Destroy undead, Destroy illusions, Aura of purity, and Radiant blessing have been acquired.

Detect lies, Detect illusions, Detect corruption, Detect compulsions, and Aura of truth would like to merge for 20 points. Y/N?

Detect lies, Detect illusions, Detect corruption, Detect compulsions, and Aura of truth merge into-> Radiant sight

Radiant sight Lvl 1

No falsehoods, no tricks, and no corruption can hide from you. You are the embodiment of the revealing Light, and dark beings cannot evade your sight. Be always vigilant, young dragon, for evildoers may ambush you at any time.

You become instinctually aware of spells and skills that hide the truth or taints beings' hearths. You can extend this instinct to your allies.

Natural lies or wicked nature are easier to perceive.

You can activate this skill to try to find out what you cannot passively perceive.

Mana cost: Variable, but only on activation. The more mana you invest in the activation, the more accurately you see.

Upgrade cost: 5 points Lvl.

Destroy corruption, Destroy undead, Destroy illusions, Aura of purity, and Radiant blessing would like to merge for 30 points. Y/N?

Destroy corruption, Destroy undead, Destroy illusions, Aura of purity, and Radiant blessing merge into-> Aura of Radiance.

Aura of Radiance Lvl 1

Wicked beings love to fight dirty, resorting to taint other's spirits and feed on what isn't rightfully theirs. You and your allies cannot stand it. Summon your aura and Dark creatures will find that their tools have been blunted, just before you cut them down. Do not hesitate, for they won’t either.

You gain an aura that can be toggled on and off.

Within the aura:

Every aspect of Dark-attuned creatures is weakened, such as their drain or their damage output.

Deeply Dark-attuned creatures, such as undead, suffer additional increased damage.

Light-based creatures heal and damage capabilities are increased. Skills and spells that negatively affect their perception are weakened.

Cost: 600 mana/s

Range: 20m

Upgrade cost: 8 points Lvl.

Radiant light Lvl 1

Radiance isn’t only a tool to destroy evil, but can also become something to heal its damage. Sometimes champions of good are tainted by what they fight against, and their companions must be quick to act. Corruption leads to losing oneself, but this skill will help you to spare your allies a fate worse than death. Leave no one behind, Young dragon.

On a toggle, your Radiance loses all its offensive capabilities.

This attack cannot hurt a creature's health or body but directly damages any kind of physical or magical corruption within them, such as poison or curses.

Please, note that if you use a physical tool the body of the healed will still be damaged. This treatment doesn’t heal the patient, so a proper healer is still recommended.

Cost: 300 mana/s, also consumed in addition to other skill or spell costs, if any.

Upgrade cost: 4 points.

Radiant infusion Lvl 1

Darkness fears the light, but it's the Radiance that burns it down for good. With this skill, all your strikes become much more effective against Dark-attuned creatures.

Your natural weapons are infused with Radiance, inflicting slightly more damage. This amount is increased against Dark-attuned beings.

Upgrade cost: 2 points Lvl.

Points reduced to-> 160

Please, check your plate. *

Yes! Nashariel cheered. All in all, these skills didn’t disappoint her as much as she feared. The omnidragon rushed towards the plate, tapping it for the second time in the same day. I’m torn between [Omnidragon supply] and [Omnidragon fighting style]. I wonder if anything else has popped up in the meantime…

* Quest: Dancing elements.

Objective: Obtain two variant evolutions.

Reward: Hybrid forms unlocked, one given for free. You might still have to fulfill one or more requirements to obtain it.

Bonus objective: Obtain six or more variant evolutions, at least one per element. Acquire an advanced skill from each one of them.

Additional reward: Special Omnidragon-tier skill.

Good luck, young omnidragon.

Reward given: Omnidragon adaptability.

Omnidragon adaptability Lvl 1

Mortals and older monsters can combine the elements to their will, while young creatures such as yourself are limited to a single set of skills for a long time. With this skill, the omnidragon proves once again her superiority by taking advantage of all her arsenal at once and at a young age. You can now properly step into your racial might, but don't get overconfident: you are still young.

You can now combine your attunements, but only among those who share a component.

Some Skills that were barred from you are now available.

Combined skills are 5% Lvl as effective and efficient compared to normally attuned skills.

Skills that required you to stay in a set attunement no longer have that restriction, unless your current body isn’t able to support such skill in the slightest. Efficacy and efficiency are reduced.

Your ability to shift between attunements is quickened and improved.

Upgrade cost: 10 Points Lvl. *

Nashariel groaned. Well, duck, so much for planning.

This skill is strong, I guess, but I spread my elements too much to take advantage of it. She re-read the skill. Logic suggests that the restriction will be removed at the next tier. There might be a small, minuscule chance that Lvl 20 will fix it, but I’m not counting on that. The thing is, I can't level this skill, as of now, since I only have Radiance and Protection; I don't want to steal Dorel's job. Nashariel squashed the small pang of annoyance that emerged. Maybe fire and Lightning work too? I won’t try that combination here, though.

She stood by her previous decision and didn’t buy another element. Nashariel checked if her evolution was still in progress. As it was almost done, she decided to simply spend her stats, leaving more skills for another time.

Now, I have 275 points available. First, let's round out vitality because I like to be alive, then strength for a nice clean number. The girl thought about what she had needed the most during her recent fights. Endurance saved my butt more than once, as did dexterity. Yet, I failed to see the best course of action, so being more aware could be useful, especially since Mind affinity is greatly influenced by that stat. Goddess gracious, everything is useful! How can people decide what to focus on? I guess that it depends on my favorite forms… as Dad already said to me once. She sighed.

The dragoness thought long. Most of her forms were new and lacked skills, so she hadn’t a good grasp on them yet. She resorted to raising her endurance and dexterity, evening out essence. She left the remaining points and confirmed the final changes.

*Name: Nashariel Holyshield

Race: Omnidragon (young)

Age: 18

Current humanoid form: Human dragokin

Current attunement: -

Level: 102

Available stat points: 110

Available skill points: 163

Strength: 500- 1000

Power: 400 - 800

Resilience: 610 – 1220

Vitality: 700 – 1400

Dexterity: 350 - 700

Awareness: 400 - 800

Essence: 450 - 900

Endurance: 350 - 700

Hp: 14.000/14.000

Mana: 9.000/9.000

Stamina: 7000/7000

Skills:

Racial:

Omnidragon kin (minor) Lvl -

Omnidragon might (II) Lvl 20-capped

Omnidragon physique (II) Lvl 4

Omnidragon adaptability Lvl 1

Draconic breath (II) Lvl 20-capped

Draconic fighting style (II) Lvl 20-capped

Draconic Aura (II) Lvl 11

Draconic hoard Lvl 10

Draconic presence Lvl 1

Air:

Improved flight Lvl 20-capped

Draconic feathers Lvl 20-capped

Water:

Venom Lvl 17

Draconic dive (II) Lvl 6

Identify Lvl 20-capped

Improved grapple Lvl 14

Mana efficiency Lvl 20-capped

Reduced water resistance Lvl 5

Draconic quills Lvl 6

Draconic stinger Lvl 7

Water dragon fighting style Lvl 7

Earth:

Improved burrow Lvl 20-capped

Increased size Lvl 20-capped

Increased body density Lvl 20-capped

Earth armor Lvl 16

Hunter senses Lvl 16

Earth manipulation Lvl 5

Fire:

Fury Lvl 20-capped

Sharpened natural weapons Lvl 20-capped

Improved Aoe Lvl 20-capped

Light:

Improved healing Lvl 20-capped

Light’s refuge Lvl 20-capped

Taunt Lvl 14

Dark:

Nullify presence Lvl 11

Improved draining Lvl 20-capped

Shroud of darkness Lvl 8

Metal:

Metal manipulation Lvl 8

Metal creation Lvl 15

Metal armor Lvl 14

Metal dragon fighting style Lvl 12

Mind:

Intellect of the Mind dragon Lvl 2

Mind healing Lvl 7

Lightning:

Body of the lightning dragon Lvl 4

Voltage generation Lvl 4

Curse:

Body of the Cursed dragon Lvl 1

Protection:

Defender’s aura Lvl 1

Body of the defender dragon Lvl 1

Damage storage Lvl 1

Defender’s armor Lvl 1

Improved retaliation Lvl 1

Defender dragon's fighting style Lvl 1

Radiance:

Radiant sight Lvl 1

Aura of Radiance Lvl 1

Radiant light Lvl 1

Radiant infusion Lvl 1 *

So many Lvl 1 skills to train. Nashariel grinned giddily. To her surprise, her plate pulsed again. She opened it once more.

*Quest: Dedication of the Omnidragon

Objective: Acquire all Aspects from a specific attunement. Acquire two advanced skills from each one of them, including the base affinity.

Reward: The corresponding Elemental mastery skill.

Bonus objective: Acquire three advanced skills for the basic element and its Aspect.

Bonus reward: The corresponding special skill.

Quest: Mistress of the elements

Objective: Acquire all Hybrids of a specific element. Acquire two advanced skills for each one of them.

Reward: The corresponding Elemental mastery.

Bonus objective: Acquire two advanced skills for the basic elements and all their Hybrids.

Bonus reward: The corresponding special skill.

Quest: Awaken the primordial

Objective: Acquire all Variants. Acquire at least two advanced skills for each form.

Reward: Evolution for your elemental Tiers will be available.

Bonus objective: Reach Adulthood (100 years). Reach Lvl 500. Have at least six Elemental Mastery skills. Have at least six Special skills.

Bonus reward: Primordial attunement. *

Holy duck! Talk about slowly training in my forms! I’m in no rush, but…Nashariel could feel an insistent urge that pushed her to acquire all affinities.

She recalled what she read about omnidragons. They had always a preferred form or two, with only one of them having four but always of a similar attunement. I guess that no one saw the benefit of spreading out this much. I wonder if they felt this itch too… Her dreams never showed her that.

Nashariel woke up with a stretch, watching the white-golden cocoon dissolve to nothing. She decided to go for a walk. Maybe Phillia is awake?

The druid in question was tending to the large garden that she had grown near her house. Luminous flowers lightened the surroundings with their bluish light, and the reddest, largest berries let Nashariel salivate at their sight. She recognized almost no plants.

“Welcome, young Nashariel.” Phillia welcomed her without turning. She was planting a white flower. Nashariel and the other Rangers had accompanied her outside to stock up on seeds and roots, beyond actual plants.

"Phillia." The dragokin replied with a slight bow. "Is there anything I can assist you with?"

“No,” the druid stood, cleaning her hands on a green towel, “I don’t want to bother you with gardening.” She chuckled briefly.

Nashariel snorted. “I’m sure Dan is having fun with that.”

"He's a dear, yes. Although, I might need a favor from you personally if it's not too much of a bother."

“It’s not. Please, ask away.”

The druid gestured Nashariel to follow her. They went to the central plaza, near the druid’s staff. Its light was almost dull, nothing like the bright green from last month.

“As you can see, the power of my staff is waning. It would usually last for a full year, but…”

“No need to explain.” Repelling four dragons wasn’t easy, was it not?

Phillia sighed, using a hand to dry one on her eyes. “Thank you. I need to bring it to a specific place, and retrieve a new one. I don’t dare to leave my home for too long, and your flight is the fastest thing I can think of. Can you help me?”

"Sure, just point me where I need to go and when. Still, is there a reason why you can't recharge your Core manually?"

Phillia smiled gratefully. She then grabbed her staff, freeing it from the soil. The barrier around the city shivered for a moment. She brought the wooden thing in front of Nashariel.

The dragokin noticed that the ‘Core’ was just about the largest seed that she had ever seen, instead of a glass-like object like always. “Wood-aligned Cores look like this?”

“Sometimes, but this is special. You’ll see. If we depart now, we should come back in the morning.”

Talk about hurrying! Nashariel looked around, skipped a bit further from Phillia, then Transformed into an Air dragon. “Hop on!” She said, extending one of her paws.

The druid hesitated for a moment, then climbed her. From between her shoulders, she pointed towards the deeper parts of the forest. “There.”

Nashariel nodded, slowly taking flight. For once, her only passenger didn’t scream.

The omnidragon flew fast. Nashariel wasn’t yet used to the sight of the vast sea of trees below her, despite living in there for a whole month.

Her home had a forest nearby, but these trees were much taller and larger than those near Andriel. She could see actual giant trees in the distance, dwarfing the surroundings much as the Bastion did for the city. “What are those?” She asked.

The wind forced the druid to shout. “Those are our cities! The trees themselves are called ‘Trophies of the Huntress’ for it is said that Lyah’thien gifted the first seeds to the best hunters of the past.”

“Why didn’t you ask for help from them? Surely, with a thing that big, they could spare a few people and a log or two.” Nashariel couldn’t understand elven logic yet. They can cooperate just fine, but not really? It was confusing.

She felt Phillia shaking her head. "They don't even let you in if you're below level 200, unless you have special permission or you are born there. Villages like ours are seen as training grounds, where the weak are weeded out.”

Nashariel remained in silence. She tried to apply the same concept to her home but failed. Places you go…

A lonely bird decided to attack.

Nashariel jerked to the side, then bit it in two a moment later. Not on the bright side, were you? “You want it?” She asked the druid.

“… I do not enjoy raw meat, but thank you.”

“I meant for the village.”

“Oh, then yes, please.”

Nashariel threw one half at a time. The lack of impact and blood on her feathers confirmed that the druid had stored it inside her ring. “I don’t enjoy it either.” Too much. “Where to?”

The druid pointed to a place lighted by fluttering lights of all colors. “There, but don’t land on it. That would be bad.”

Nashariel let Phillia dismount, then returned in her dragokin form, cladding herself in metal. They calmly walked for a few minutes.

The place itself was strangely silent, but not in the usual ominous way. Nashariel felt like taking a nap. Laughs and giggles sometimes ringed in her ear, which kept her well awake. “Where are we?”

"A Fairy ring," Phillia whispered in a reverential tone.

Nashariel read that the elves believed to have been created by the fairies, both for their amusement and because they were jealous of Gods who had their own race of worshippers.

Fairies came in all shapes and sizes, but Nashariel didn’t know much about them specifically, focusing instead on the wildlife living in Varastill. Still, the stories from uncle Thomas let Nashariel know that fairies liked dances and alcohol. And sweets, lots of sweets.

“And your staff…?”

“Remember the cities? These are their seeds. We druids nurture them until they are ready, and they help us in turn.”

They arrived near the Ring. The dragokin noticed that it was delimited by a line of shrooms.

“Please, don’t follow me inside. They won’t like it.” Warned the druid, vanishing on the other side.

Fairies were known to be pretty vengeful, once provoked.

Nashariel stood nearby, watching her surroundings.

Minutes stretched, and the dragokin kept seeing things on the corner of her eyes, but when she turned, nothing was there. If fairies weren’t involved, she would take it as the dire need to take a nap. C’mon Phillia, how long does it take to pick up another stick? She mentally grumbled.

Giggles echoed around her. Aaaaand, these are the mind-reading types. Ducking. Wonderful.

The giggles turned to laughs.

Thankfully, Phillia came out a moment later. She looked exhausted but unharmed. "You good?" Nashariel asked her.

The other nodded. She smiled. “They taught me a few new things! It’s been a wonderful year.”

What the duck? “Excuse me?”

She shrugged. “Time works differently in there. The children of the forest have absolute control of it. How much time has passed here?”

“An hour at most.”

“Good!” The druid actually looked healthier, and most of the lingering sadness in her eyes had softened. “Let’s go back, shall we?”

Nashariel quickly nodded, almost darting away. She hoped to never get on the bad side of these little beings.

A giggle a little too close to her ears kept her hopes in check.

The Air dragon landed with grace. The first light was rising, and the druid dropped down.

Nashariel returned in her dragokin, metal form. “See you tomorrow, Phillia. If we aren’t needed anymore, we will be on our way soon.”

The druid smiled. “I understand. Thank you for your help.” She planted her new staff in the ground, much like the other. The little seed in it shone much brighter, as did the barrier. Nashariel felt somewhat rejuvenated.

New tricks? Would have been nice to have them this month…

Nashariel decided to check on her friends since this had been a busy month. Her evolutions had completely restored her, so sleep wasn’t an option anyway. She strolled down the streets, enjoying the look of the restored city.

Most of the houses had been reinforced with stone or clay. While Andriel opted for elegant architecture, elves seemed to prefer simple and practical designs, except for the beautiful arches that decorated every window and door.

The streets themselves had a central path made of wood, well-framed to the surrounding dirt, as to prevent the street from completely turning into mud.

Smiling, Nashariel reached the only inn of the village. It was twice as larger as a house, with three floors, and the only bar. The dragokin entered.

As always, people were asleep on the tables. Nashariel couldn’t say to be an expert drinker, but elven beverages had a more delicate aroma, compared to the few drinks that she had tasted in the past.

Nashariel grinned, thinking back when Dan and Dorel had challenged each other in a drinking contest. It ended up with a week of stern looks from Karda, and additional rigorous training. Veliel and Nashariel had been reprimanded for not stopping them, but neither was punished. The first time.

The dragokin approached the barman, who was also the only other wake person in the building, and she ordered a light breakfast. The elves had provided for anyone of the Templars’ necessities without asking anything in return. Which was fortunate, as their funds were… scarce.

While Nashariel ate, a messy-looking Dan wobbled down the stairs. “Hello, boss. Have you slept tonight?”

I knew you were here! “Nope, just returned from a flight. You had a good evening?”

Dan groaned. “Yeah, but my head is killing me. Can you…?”

Nashariel waited for him to come closer, then hit him with her Aura. “What would Karda say, seeing you like this?” She teased.

“‘Recruit, you disappointed me. A Templar must always be in peak condition.’” He replied, imitating Karda’s deep voice. Kinda.

They bursted laughing.

The smile on both parts died down after a moment. “Damn, I miss her.” He sighed. The barman silently passed him something to drink, together with a slice or two of bread. Dan thanked him.

“Me too, Dan, me too.” Nashariel touched the stemma on her armor. I wonder how Mom and Dad are doing…

“When…?”

“We did what we could do to help here, so maybe it’s time to go back. I just… I don’t know how well we will fare into Lyah’thien. We’ll talk with Phillia tomorrow.”

Dan nodded. “We faced four dragons, I don’t think that we have something to fear by going outwards.”

For once, Nashariel had no bad feeling about those words. The dragokin stood. “I’ll check on Dorel and Veliel. Don’t lose hope, okay Dan?”

The Templar nodded, raising his water towards her. “Doing my best, boss, as always.”

Nashariel smiled at him and waved the barman off.

Dorel had borrowed the smithy, one of the only buildings in the city to remain basically intact. There wasn't any smith left, only a woodcarver, so the young Templar had to put his skills to work.

Nashariel’s entrance triggered the doorbells, startling awake the human. He muttered something, then cleaned away a bit of droll. “Boss.”

“Dorel.”

The smith shook himself fully awake. “Did you need something? It’s pretty early.” He asked, glancing out the window.

“No, but since I’m here…” Nashariel started to summon her metal. Regardless of her friend’s techniques, the conjured material didn’t last more than a day, so the girl had to come down here every morning to refill the inventory. Dorel had considerably increased his proficiency, as time went on. He could probably shape every single tool in his sleep.

*Metal creation Lvl 15-> 16 *

I was this close, uh? “I just wanted to say, we should be able to leave soon.”

“Good, good.” He fidgeted with his hammer, looking somewhere else.

Nashariel frowned. “Is something wrong?”

Dorel sighed. “It’s just… I’m not sure anymore. About being a Templar, I mean.”

Nashariel’s eyes widened. She expected a lot, but this? “Why? Why would you say that?”

He remained silent for a minute or two. "What kind of Defender am I for letting more than two hundred people die like that? They were literally beside me!” His eyes wetted, while he slammed his fist on the table.

Nashariel bit her lips. “Dorel… it’s not your fault. This Quest had been a trap since the start, and that was a full Warband. You did your best, we all did.”

“But it wasn’t enough.”

Nashariel quickly searched for the best words. Her friend had kept everything bottled-up, and she hadn’t noticed. What a great friend I am. She sat down beside him. “Dorel, remember the first time we faced some monsters?”

He smiled briefly. "Yeah. Everyone but you was pissing themselves. Fricking wolves."

Nashariel chuckled. “True! Plus, we learned how high-pitched Dan’s voice can go!”

The duo laughed heartily.

After a moment, the dragokin talked again. “Remember how many of you were wounded, that same day?”

That ended the mirth.

None had been grievously injured, but only because the older Templars were there. Nashariel had felt like dirt, or worse, for letting that happen. She was supposed to be better than that, or so she thought.

“I do.”

“You know what Karda told me?” The other shook his head. “She said ‘You aren’t infallible, not even our Goddess is. You will fail, people will get hurt, and some will die. Learn from your mistakes, then do better.’” She took in a deep breath. I needed this reminder too. She hugged her friend with one arm and a wing. “Dorel, I let you guys get hurt against wolves, those were dragons. Fire dragons. You couldn’t do anything against that; nothing more than what you already did. You saved my life more than once, for goodness sake!”

The Defender closed his eyes for a moment. He inspired deeply, standing just a little more upright. “Thank you, boss, I needed to hear that. I… need some time by myself to… process that.”

Nashariel patted his shoulder a few times. “Sure, anytime. Next time, talk to me when you feel like this, alright?” As the other nodded, she walked out of the smithy.

The girl wasn’t blind. Dorel needed more than a pep-talk to come out of that hole, but she hoped that her words helped, to some extent. Once we go back, I’ll drag everyone to Sofia, me included.

Tracking Veliel was an easy task. The siren loved to sing, and having an audience was the best thing that could happen to her.

The villagers had built a stage for her to perform on. She was currently teaching vocalization to two kids and an older boy. The results were… promising?

Nashariel waived at her white-haired friend. The priestess noticed her and excused herself.

“Already up, boss?” She wrote.

“Didn’t go to sleep tonight. How are your lessons going? Are you having fun?” Goddess have mercy on my soul, I really should have asked this sooner.

Veliel smiled fondly. “I love teaching others the wonders of singing! Tara and Garn have talent. Folthen, on the other hand… needs a bit more work.”

"I think he likes where he is just fine." Nashariel snickered. The older boy was much busier staring at Veliel than singing properly.

“Indeed,” the other chuckled. “Any news from home?”

“I’m afraid not. We’ll have to go by ourselves.”

Veliel sighed. They hadn’t expected otherwise, but some hope still lingered. She looked at the kids with a hint of sadness. “When?”

“We’ll speak with Phillia tomorrow. Are you… doing fine?”

“What do you mean?” The siren cocked her head.

“Dorel was down a bit, so I was wondering how you were doing.”

“Aside from everything we faced… I’m alright. What about you?”

“Me too, I guess. I wonder how’s the situation back home.”

They paused for a moment. “I’m sure that the Grandmaster won’t be happy about this.”

Nashariel shuddered. “No, he definitely won’t. I’ll leave you to your lessons.”

"Thanks, boss. May the Winged Lady smile upon you."

“You too, Vel.”