Though it was early in the shift and Solera’s mind had not yet grown tired from all the channeling, he still found it difficult to believe what was in front of him.

The child was perhaps even younger than him, his face completely unrecognizable from the injuries the wind blade had inflicted upon him. Jogujo was frantically channeling healforce through the boy’s channels, while Solera was supplementing him with his own healforce.

“Damn, this was one hell of an overcharge strike!” Jogujo snarled, not even using his usual ‘heavens’ to underline how horrible the injury was. “The channeling wounds lately have really been vicious!”

“Overcharge?” Alda asked, confused, as she dribbled some special water down the child’s cheek.

“It’s a channeling attack which aims to overload a person’s channels and destroy their soul.” Jogujo shook his head. “Because the attack relies on the volume of power released, only advanced channelers with high power purity can do it, and usually only the- god damn! Get me another drainer, Alda.”

He stuck another spiked ball into the child’s arm. The drainers fizzled as they discharged the power they came into contact with. Jogujo had used it several times before, but only as a sedating device. He didn’t think the drainer would be used like this.

“The Airborne usually takes all the advanced channelers. They have no reason to be underground.” Jogujo sat back, but his eyes never left the kid. “Heavens, that’s a lot of power. The kid might already be dead, I don’t actually know.”

“Why… Why was he fighting in the tunnels?” Solera blurted out, his face still filled with confusion. He was forbidden from fighting, so why was this boy in there?

“Who knows.” Alda scratched her head frustratedly. “If it happened, then it happened.”

“He’s dead.” Jogujo sighed, ruffling his hair. “Bring the next one in.”

The rest of the shift blurred by. All Solera could think about was the child in the tunnels. When the shift ended, Solera didn’t go back to his room. Instead, he went to Chianti’s. Her room looked as if somebody had been channeling a tornado inside; dirty clothes were strewn all about the floor, and if Solera crumpled a paper for five minutes straight, it would still be less ruffled than her blankets, most of which hung off the bed onto the floor.

But Solera’s attention was focused on Chianti. She had been practicing her sword techniques in nothing but a pair of thick woolen undergarments. Solera could clearly see the sweat glistening on her skin.

“Oh, hey, Solera.” Chianti sheathed the sword and smiled at him.

Solera stared at her, his hands clenching into fists as he tried to concentrate.

“Whatcha here for?” Chianti asked as she pulled out the sword again and did some fancy twirls with it.

“I… I saw kid soldiers.” Solera said, his voice a bit more angry than he intended. “You said I was too young to fight!”

Chianti blinked. She set the sword back down and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Sit with me.” She said as she patted the side of the bed. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Solera could smell a heavy scent rolling off of Chianti. It wasn’t perfume, but it still smelled extremely intoxicating. He got back up and walked to the entrance of the room, grinding his teeth.

“Why am I not allowed to fight, but the kids are being forced to?” Solera said frustratedly. “I mean, I get why I’m not allowed to fight, but they can’t fight and I can and they’re fighting and I’m not! That isn’t… that isn’t right!”

Solera wasn’t too angry that he was barred from combat. He had seen Fortress Hickory. He still remembered his legs broken at the Genbu assault. What he found himself frustrated about was that other children were still being forced into fighting despite their seeming uselessness on the battlefield. If he was restricted from fighting, then shouldn’t they also be?

Chianti frowned. “Solera, you already know a little bit about what war is like. How can you not see I’m doing you a favor?”

“No, you don’t get it.” Solera shook his head vigorously. “I mean that they shouldn’t be fighting! I’m more capable than them! If children like me have to fight and one doesn’t want to, then let me substitute that one out!”

“Nope.” Chianti shook her head emphatically. “Haven’t you forgotten? You’re the one who broke your legs when we went to hit the Genbu.”

Solera could clearly see that his point was not going across. “Other… other kids are out there breaking legs too! I know I’m more capable than them. I won’t die in situations where they would. Let me substitute them out!”

Chianti stared at Solera for a while. Finally, she sighed and patted the bed again.

“Solera, sit down.” This time, Solera could tell that it was an order, not a suggestion. He reluctantly sat next to her again.

“Let’s be real. I don’t know about any kid soldiers, but I know that there are kids being used as messengers and as tunnel caretakers... and as scouts. Our forces are stretched thin here. Someone has to be the scout. Someone’s gotta be the messenger. Someone’s gotta be all those things. And if it’s a kid who has to do it, then that’s just the way it is. I can’t stop it from happening, even though I want to.”

“Yeah, so why-” Solera was cut off by Chianti’s finger.

“The kid cannot be you, Solera! It cannot be you, or Guinness, or Chip! Because of the difference in importance between you and them!”

Solera was extremely confused. “What?”

“Those kids are just farm boys from the neighboring villages. They aren’t children from the Grove, or students at Fortress Hickory. The truth is, if you were taught at Fortress Hickory, then you were a part of our nation’s next generation of experts. Children like you can’t die. You’re not allowed to.” Chianti shook her head. “Before you get started, I also don’t know what Skadi is doing. But that’s the truth.”

Solera stared at Chianti, appalled. “So… those kids aren’t as important as I am? So they have to go out and die?”

“Yes.” Chianti answered very bluntly.

Solera gaped at her. How could she even say something so cold-hearted?

“Solera,” Chianti put an arm around him. “the world is cruel and unfair. I can’t change it. I can only change what I have the power to change. I’m sorry it has to be this way. I’m sorry I have to be the one to tell you this.”

“But you also have the power to make change. You can do something to help those children and everyone fighting. Help at the kitchen, or feed for the transport reindeer. Compost for the plants on the hill. There are a million ways to help without putting yourself into danger.”

“You want me to help by gardening?” Solera asked incredulously. How would that ever do anything?

“Well, the Garden wasn’t called the Garden for nothing. These plants can-”

“Never mind.” Solera shook his head bitterly. “I get it. You’re right. Fine.”

“I’m sorry, Solera.” Chianti repeated.

The two lapsed into silence. Solera looked up at the ceiling, thinking about the boy’s destroyed face. Chianti was right. The world really was an unfair place, and he couldn’t change the fact that children would get into danger on the battlefield. But it was a stupid idea to think about substituting out any children. With the power crystal, he could save far more lives helping the doctors than on the battlefield.

Chianti could only do what she had the power to do, and she had done her best to protect Solera all this time. As for Solera, he had the power to save lives. And that was what he was going to do.