Sparks leapt off the steel of Raina’s sword as Rovena diverted it across the flat of her white blade. She backed up kicking up dust in the practice yard, her breath coming in gasps. Rovena advanced. With a casual flick of the wrist, the undead woman struck out. They exchanged blow after blow in a pitched dance which kept Raina on the back foot. She applied everything she knew about swordplay in the hopes of gaining an edge. It wasn’t enough, not even close.

Every move she made, Rovena had an answer to it. She held back just enough for Raina to keep up but exerted so much pressure that she had to push herself to the limit or be overwhelmed. Her Ethos was beaten away with cold efficiency until it finally collapsed and every motion of their blades threatened to mark the end of their struggle.

The dance ended when Raina fell for a trap. Even without her armor, Rovena had an impregnable defense. It was beyond frustrating to fight against so when she saw a small opening in her opponent’s defenses, she seized the opportunity to reverse the momentum. Raina delivered a sharp thrust stepping forward abruptly to follow through on the strike while putting herself in a position to follow up. In a simple yet stunning display of footwork, Rovena pivoted avoiding her thrust and stepping past her guard in one motion. From her advantageous position, she delivered a downward cross-cut. The white blade descended toward her neck in slow motion. She was too slow to react, even with Combat Surge active.

Raina tensed, her body flush with adrenaline and her mind honed to a fine point. At that moment, she struggled to find a solution to her impending defeat. In many of the fantasy novels she’d read, the imperiled protagonists rose to meet moments like these with sudden inspiration or displays of incredible physical prowess. Raina accomplished no such thing and the blow landed undeterred. However, as soon as the edge of Rovena’s blade touched her skin, it froze. The sharpness of the metal against her skin alighted every nerve in her body. She stood there for a second, held by the darkness of Rovena’s gaze. One move, accidental or purposeful, could end her life.

The edge lifted from her neck as Rovena returned her blade to its scabbard at her hip. Raina did the same but struggled to complete the motion when the adrenaline high ended and her hands started to tremble. Once the borrowed blade was sheathed, she turned to face Rovena who stood regarding her with a look of disdain. A quiet moment passed while Raina caught her breath and dreaded the question she was about to ask.

“So, what do you think?” she asked after failing to hold Rovena’s gaze.

Rovena shook her head. “You’re weak.”

Raina blushed in embarrassment. She’d asked Rovena for a sparring match a few hours ago although the frightening woman had only agreed after she told the Twilight King of her intention to join his assault instead of returning to Ciel. Unfortunately, Rovena seemed to have a problem with Raina. Most of her responses were terse and her facial expressions— what few she showed— displayed nothing but antipathy. Despite, she sparred with Raina much like her swordplay instructor had, patient and firm, as though taking her measure. That in mind, she kept her response as respectful as possible. “Well, yes. I understand that but is there anything you could give me advice on?”

Rovena crossed her arms pursing her lips in a slight scowl and not for the first time, Raina noticed how attractive the undead woman was under her armor. With a pretty face and a body that somehow balanced a toned musculature and a shapely figure, her beauty bordered on unrealistic. Sallow skin, dark eyes, and the other aspects of undeath tainted her aesthetic with no small amount of surreal horror.

She barely suppressed a shiver down her spine as Rovena said, “No, you don’t understand.”

“Huh?” Raina asked, confused by the response.

“You said that you understood your weakness. You do not.” She nodded the sword Raina had borrowed from the Twilight King. It was a typical hand-and-a-half sword crafted from strange silver metal and a tiny black crystal set into the fuller. “You handle your weapon with no understanding of your flaws. It’s clear you’ve some skill with the blade but it’s also clear you’ve neglected the fundamentals.”

A bit of frustration pushed its way to the surface and Raina said, “Yes, I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m trying. That’s why I asked for advice.” Rovena furrowed her brow but she continued, “I mean, I feel like I’m doing alright for someone who just learned how to use a sword three days ago.”

Rovena’s eyes widened slightly and someone started coughing off to the side. Startled by the revelation that someone else was in the practice yard, Raina looked in the direction from which the sound came. Cordan sat on a bench off to the side and behind Raina. He held a goblet that swished with amber liquid in one hand and was coughing as though his drink had gone down wrong.

When did he get here? Raina wondered. He was wearing the same old outfit that he’d been wearing at the staging ground but it looked to have been cleaned since she last saw him. She also noted that his sigil gun remained holstered at his hip. Maybe I should’ve asked him for help… Rovena’s badass but she’s kind of a—

As if she could hear her thoughts, Rovena closed the distance between them causing Raina to flinch and turn her attention back on the undead woman. Only a few inches separated them. The smell of blood and a sickly-sweet odor assailed her nostrils yet she didn’t recoil, suddenly transfixed by the pools of inky darkness within Rovena’s eyes.

“Why did you leave you chose to aid my king?”

Where is this coming from? She thought, completely caught off-guard by the question. Rovena’s eyes drew her mind into their inky depths. She realized the question was important to Rovena. She should answer it truthfully. Abruptly, a notification appeared.

[Cordan has used the skill Defensive Mindlink. Do you wish to join the mindlink? Y/N]

She blinked. She didn’t really want to join the mindlink. She wanted to answer the question and maybe get closer to Rovena.

“I don’t want to be helpless anymore. I want the power to live my own life. Jack says if we help the Twilight King, we’ll get strong. If I’m strong, I won’t be helpless anymore. I can finally live.”

The words spilled from her like an overfull glass. A kernel of confusion settled in her mind. She was uncomfortable vocalizing her desires. Why am I telling her this? A small voice in the back of her mind wondered. She blinked getting lost in Rovena’s gaze and a much louder voice chimed in. Oh right. It would be bad to not answer her questions. I wonder if she wants to know anything else?

Before that line of thought went very far, Rovena narrowed her eyes. “So, you would betray your lord for power?”

“My lor— Wait, do you mean Ciel?”

Rovena nodded, her mouth set in a hard line. Raina could practically feel the disapproval rolling off of the undead woman. The effect Rovena’s disapproval had on her was shocking. Her lower lip quivered, her breath came quicker, and her heart started to race. She couldn’t bear it.

“N-no, he’s not my lord,” Raina said to defend herself. “I’ve only known him for three days.”

“You deny serving him?”

“Yes,” she said clenching her hands in frustration. “He helped me when I first got to Fracture. At first, I thought he was just a kind and altruistic person but when I looked back on it, all I can think about is how he bought me from a slave trader. Everything he did takes on this sinister light. The hours of training, the lessons, the evaluations: it all makes me feel like he was grooming an asset instead of helping me because he cared. And the worst part is that I don’t know if I should trust my intuition or if I’m overthinking things and making a terrible mistake.”

As she spoke, the frustration in her voice increased although the volume decreased. Her posture deteriorated, shoulders slumping and feet shifting. She wanted to avert her eyes from Rovena but couldn’t bring herself to break eye contact.

Surprisingly, Rovena was the first to look away when a hand gripped Raina’s shoulder. The contact was followed by a notification and a sensation that felt akin to having her mind dunked into a bucket of cold water.

[You have failed a contest of Willpower and have been added to Cordan’s Defensive Mindlink.]

“Maybe I can offer some clarity here?” Cordan said from beside Raina. Briefly, she caught sight of a pink halo around Cordan’s pupils.

Her emotions settled into a calm state. She drew a sharp breath as she realized what had been going on. Through the link, Cordan asked, “You alright?”

“I… I’m fine,” she responded. Although her emotions had settled, anger threatened to rise to the surface. Rovena had influenced her in some way to draw out personal information. What the hell? Why did she do that?

Her fists clenched and unclenched as she stared at Rovena who looked unphased by Cordan’s interruption. The undead woman gestured at the relic hunter to continue. With a glance at Raina, he did so.

“What I believe Raina is trying to say is that her relationship with Ciel is tenuous at best and nothing as concrete as that of a lord and servant. However, I don’t think the semantics of her relationship matter to you, do they?”

“No,” Rovena said, leveling a hard glare on Raina. “While I must accept your aid in the assault on my king’s order. I do not approve of your involvement. My king’s goals will inevitably bring him into conflict with this Ciel. I do not wish to have a warrior with wavering loyalties on our side especially one willing to betray her allies for personal gain.”

Raina bristled as Rovena completely disregarded her resolve to aid in the restoration of Terras. She scowled, her nails biting into her palm as hands balled into fists. She opened her mouth to retort but Cordan squeezed her shoulder.

“Easy,” he said telepathically then he added aloud, “Her situation is more complicated than you assume.”

“You defend her so diligently for one who has chosen to return to this Ciel instead of joining the assault,” Rovena commented. Her face betrayed no emotion but Raina got the feeling that the undead woman thought very little of Cordan’s decision.

“I do so expressly because I know the magnitude of her choice,” he shot back.

“Then explain.”

“Fine.” Cordan paused before sighing. “First, I think it's important you understand that neither I nor Raina are natives to Fracture. We are both from other worlds. It is not uncommon for individuals to be brought to Fracture, usually with no concern for whether or not they want to go there” Rovena raised an eyebrow but didn’t interrupt. “Raina here was transported to Fracture only three days ago. Is that right, Raina?”

She nodded though part of her wondered where Cordan was going with his explanation. Cordan continued, “I’m telling you this so that you understand that she had no foundation when she arrived in Fracture— no support or protection. Ciel is all she has. Her decision puts her at odds with him and he won’t hesitate to trample her to get what he wants. That’s the very reason I’m not helping you even though I empathize on a personal level with your king’s struggle.”

“What would you know of the weight my king bears?” Rovena asked.

That’s…,” Cordan shook his head. “That’s not something I care to get into right now. My point is that despite those feelings, I’m not supporting your king because I fear Ciel and his ilk. The personal gain that you think she is betraying Ciel for? It pales in comparison to the favor of a Celestial and it will do little to shield her from Ciel’s wrath. I’ve tried to convince her to reconsider but she—”

Rovena cut him off, “So, she is a traitor and an idiot?”

Raina had had it. Emboldened by the Defensive Mindlink and anger, she shrugged off Cordan’s hand and stepped forward coming almost nose to nose with Rovena. The smell of corpse flesh and blood nearly made her gag but pushed through it.

“Listen, I understand that you don’t trust me and I won’t ask you to but I’m not going to stand here while you badmouth me for helping you,” Raina said. “So, what if my choice was driven by selfishness. I’m here and I’m helping you despite the consequences that I might face. I didn’t choose to go to Fracture or to get picked up by Ciel or to come here. I am choosing to help your king and that is what matters to me. The Twilight King understood that and accepted my aid. If you can’t that, fine but I don’t need your approval to do my part.”

Rovena regarded her coldly with narrowed eyes. Honestly, Raina thought the undead woman might cut her down yet she stood her ground regardless. The moment lasted for several seconds before Rovena’s expression softened; not enough to make her unintimidating but enough for Raina to relax a bit of the tension in shoulders.

“Very well,” Rovena finally said. She stepped past Raina moving toward the passage that led into the castle. As she stalked away, she added, “Stay here. I will return once I have made preparations.”

The remark left Raina confused which mingled with the fading anger and tension. She asked the first question that came to mind, “Preparations for what?”

“Your training,” Rovena replied without looking back as she disappeared into the dark shadows of the passage.

Raina shot Cordan a look of utter bewilderment. “What just happened?”

He chuckled, “Looks like you passed the test.”

She shook her head, unsure what the so-called test had been and what her coming “training” would entail.

***

Several minutes later, Cordan and Raina sat on one of the benches bordering the practice yard. They sat in silence after Cordan described his understanding of Rovena’s motivation— to ascertain the strength of Raina’s resolve. The account made sense to Raina though one thing bothered her aside from Rovena’s mental manipulation.

As she thought it over, Raina asked, “How did you know Rovena had used an ability to influence my mind?”

Cordan rubbed his chin. “Hm, well, when you see it enough, mental manipulation has its clears signs but honestly, my Pathos was the reason I noticed as quickly as I did.”

“What’s Pathos? It never got mentioned in my training.”

He smiled and shook his head. “It wouldn’t be. You can’t use Pathos until you reach B-rank and even then, it's not like other abilities granted by the Logos. It’s kind of like an extra sense that extends in an aura around you and lets you sense intent. Unlike Skills or Traits, you’ve got to train a lot to even use it reliably though its effectiveness and the size of the aura depend on your Focus and Resonance.”

He gestured with his hand at himself. “My Pathos is so-so but it gets the job done. I’ve seen people with powerful Pathos who are able to project intent onto others.”

“What does that even look like?” Raina asked.

“Well, a while back, I ran staging for a B-rank Remnant Gate, similar to what I was doing for this Gate but more dangerous. This Gate had a high population of chimeric type creatures and some spilled out of the rift before the guild found it. On the way to the rift, an A-rank defender the guild hired to guard us scared off an entire pack of chimeras with his Pathos by projecting his intent to kill them if they got closer.”

“Holy shit,” she said, eyes widening. She ran a hand through her hair. Pathos reminded her of so many things from the novels she’d read growing up. “That’s really fucking cool…”

Cordan chuckled at her amazement. “It’s definitely got its uses.”

They both got quiet after that, each preoccupied with their own thoughts. Raina had a lot to think about. Her life was going in a completely different and frightening direction than she had expected before getting on that bus with Ciel. It was like she stood at a turning point in her life without any idea if her next step would take her over the precipice and into the void or if it would lead to a new chance at life, one she could truly call her own.

Another couple of minutes passed before Cordan said, “Did you really learn how to fight like that in three days?”

The question caught her off-guard. “Um, yeah. It just kind of comes naturally to me. Is that weird?”

Shaking his head, he replied, “It’s way past weird and veering into insane. I know she was holding back but watching you spar with Rovena just now and before, when we fought in the temple, I was sure you had been a swordswoman before coming to Fracture. Do you have a Trait that lets you learn swordplay?”

“Not even a little bit,” she said. She opened the Trait menu in her Status with a bit of a scowl.

Human (Basic Humanoid)

Advantages

-The Human receives a +5 bonus to her Resonance Attribute.

-The Human has a 1% chance of gaining an additional Skill when she advances in rank.

-The Human has a 5% chance of successfully equipping or using Relics one grade higher than the highest grade allowed by their Resonance.

Well-Read

-The user receives a +5 bonus to her Intellect Attribute.

-The user retains information from written sources with near-perfect clarity.

-The user gains a 25% bonus to Focus while focused on reading.

“My Traits have nothing to do with fighting. I’m human and my other Trait would be really good if I were a Wizard or something, at least according to Ciel.”

“Well,” Cordan said as he put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re a freak then.”

“Hey!” Raina said. She gave him a light shove and he laughed. “It’s not that bad. Besides, Fracture is literally a world full of supernatural nonsense. Why it so weird that I learned swordplay fast when you can shoot a magic gun and have psychic powers?”

Cordan got to his feet and walked toward a rack of wooden practice weapons. “The Logos likes things to be ordered even if that order doesn’t make sense sometimes. However crazy the abilities get, whether its shooting lightning out your hands or telepathy, you’ll find a Skill or Trait associated with it. Sure, mundane shit isn’t included in that equation but your sword skills aren’t mundane.”

“I think you’re making a bigger deal out of this than it actually is,” Raina said, crossing her arms.

He grabbed two wooden swords and inspected them. They were dark grey and ugly compared to the sword Raina wore at her hip. Satisfied with the practice weapons, he walked back over and tossed one to her. She caught it but looked at him in confusion.

“What is this for?”

“Sparring, obviously. Like I said, you’ve got something going on. Even if you were incredibly talented, your body would still need to build muscle memory through practical experience. You fight like you’ve got the muscle memory of someone who’s handled a sword for years. I’m guessing that, maybe, you’ve got a hidden Trait. Outside of stuff like the Fractured Tongue, hidden traits are rare but it’d explain what was going on.”

Raina turned the wooden sword over in her hands feeling the rough surface of its blade. “So, what? You think I’ve got an extra Trait that I can’t see which is making me good at sword-fighting?”

“That about sums it up,” Cordan said as he stepped into a stance. In the next few seconds, he rapidly flowed through several attacks and parries with the practice weapon. Raina gaped. “Don’t look so surprised. I studied several martial weapons during my time at the Academy. Mind you this was long before I was whisked away to Fracture so I might be a bit rusty.”

Raina got to her feet and asked, “Wait, so you’re serious about sparring?”

“Of course, I am. Hidden Traits usually show up on a person’s Status once they’ve fulfilled certain requirements. If you do have a hidden Trait, I’d wager the requirements have something to do with fighting. Seeing as how you want to get strong, learning what gives you your combat prowess would go a long way. I’m no S-rank swordswoman but I think I can run you through your paces until Rovena gets back.”

“Sure, why not?” Raina smiled sweetly. She had some frustration that she wanted to work off and beating Cordan seemed much more achievable than contending with Rovena. She unstrapped the blade from her hip so it wouldn’t impede her movement and went to stand across from Cordan.

Cordan held his sword in front of him with both hands and said, “Let’s do some limit testing, shall we?”