“The Inquisitorial force acts as an equalizer, maintaining the fragile peace between Beastkin and Humans,” Inquisitor explained to us as we all walked into a wide-open field, bordered by a packed congregation of trees on all sides. Each of us held our chosen weapon, glistening with an aura of magic to make them safe for full contact spars. “As the Beastkin of the present times carries the blood of those who served in the Demon Lord’s army in the past, they are susceptible to the madness that afflicts those who live in the depths of Terras, the late Demon Lord’s demesne.”

“Madness?” Colette seemingly thought aloud, rather than outright ask, if her subsequent surprise at the answer given indicated anything.

“Yes.” His eyes flickered to me, before ending on her. “In the far past, the first Demon Lord gifted and cursed those who comprised his armies. He granted them incredible power, for as long as they followed him.” Then he fully turned his eyes towards me. “However, the moment they turn against him, they would be afflicted with a mad rage that strikes all those around them with no regard to friend or foe. Such a curse has persisted all these generations, with no exception.”

“Has no one tried to remove it?” Tadashi asked him, an intense look on his face.

“Of course,” Vincent answered offhandedly. “All attempts failed.” His accompanied a faint upward curl of his lip before he smoothed his expression. He came to a slow stop in the center of the meadow, turning to face us fully. “While I’m sure that you may have done so many times in the capital, but for me to better understand where each of you in martial capability, I need to see how you fare in battle.” His cold gaze rolled over us, stopping ever so often before it landed on me, then flickered to Luke.

“Sir Blaine, Sir Wirth. Would both of you start us off?” I did not reply, beyond walking forward, my hand resting on the hilt of my sword. He watched as I moved, steps carrying me closer to the center of the meadow. Luke followed after, arms crossed and looking confident. We soon reached Vincent, who stepped back to give us some space. “Your swords have been enchanted for sparring, yes? I’d rather not see Veritas’ Heroes cripple one another.”

“I cast it earlier today when Princess Emelina explained today’s activities,” Nailah spoke up from the group, though she did offer the Inquisitor a glare.

The glare rolled off him as he nodded. “Good. You’re both prepared. Draw your swords.” We did as he asked. I drew my temporary longsword, the single-handed grip uncomfortable in my grasp. The blade stood shorter too, but thicker, causing the sword to feel more cumbersome than accustomed. Luke held out a sword with a longer blade and hilt, with a pronounced cross guard. He held it with a single hand, ready and waiting for us to begin.

“When you’re ready, begin.”

I narrowed my eyes at my friend, carefully shifting my grip on the sword. I inhaled and filled my lungs with air. My first, and only, thought lead to this: should I take the initiative?

I immediately made my decision, bending my legs and rocketing forward. The ground beneath my feet cratered, kicking up dust as I lunged towards Luke. I started with a stab at his left leg. He smacked my lunge aside and answered with a parry that nearly made me stagger. I recovered instantly and met him once more in the middle, sword singing as it clashed with his. What happened next depicted a macabre dance of steel and skill. Affinity and endurance. We flowed from move to move, either of us unable to overcome the other. My superior talent with the sword trumped his supernatural ability to predict my movements and parry my attacks. His superior physical strength offset my greater agility, brushing aside and slipping through his crushing attacks.

All around us, echoed the sound of clashing steel, the scuff of our shoes on the grass, the shifting of our armor as we practically danced. I felt the kiss of the wind caress my skin as I maneuvered, as I worked up a sweat. I tasted iron, having bit the side of my tongue, jarred by a sudden strike from Luke, forcing me to stagger from the blow. I felt the burn in my muscles already, the exertions from something as simple as sparring already set my heart to race and muscle to stretch, flex and loosen as I let out all of my burgeoning anger. The sweat on my skin chilled by the lazy wind of the late morning air. Laughter bubbled in my chest, but I dared not let it out, wanting to save what precious air I did have. I enjoyed these simple moments; these instances where the only things that mattered were the next few seconds. My body moved as my mind rested; my heart pounded as my soul relaxed. All my worries had vanished.

Sparks, both ethereal and physical, erupted from our blades as they slid along one another when I parried one of his attacks, slipping into his guard. Suddenly adjusting my sword arm, I managed to jab the bottom of my hilt into his stomach. Luke hacked out a breath and staggered back with his arms still up, leaving his right side open, an unguarded area around his kidney. Bending my knees, I awkwardly grasped the bottom of my hand over the hilt with my free hand. Swinging as fast as I could, I aimed to end the spar in that instant.

Miraculously, almost impossibly, Luke managed to counter seconds before my sword slammed into his side, his sword crashing onto mine, using his greater strength to push my attack aside. Speed I did not expect drove me back, forcing me to backpedal and give ground as I bobbed and weaved along with parrying his sword with my own. In that instant, Luke’s reflexes seemed to have kicked into high gear, reacting almost seconds before I could attack. His eyes steadily moved, lips set into a thin line as I saw a pounding vein along his temple. His gaze shifted from my sword to my waist, to my feet, meeting my eyes, before continuing the circuit again.

Luke’s ridiculous offensive pushed me back. All the skill in the world meant little in the face of his nigh-precognitive attacks and parries. I found no openings and felt like mine, how few there may have been, were being exploited with laser precision. Gritting my teeth, I tapped into the new ability I had gained and felt my strength and agility grow in response. Stopping his downwards slash cold with a single hand, I retaliated with a kick to his chest. It wasn’t full contact, as he had jumped back almost microseconds before it, but I did hear him grunt as he landed back on the ground, staggering back as he did so.

“My turn,” I growled and leaped forward to close the gap once more, cracking the ground beneath me. Our swords clashed once more, sparks dancing around our blades as they slid along their edges. The aura’s around our blades flickered, almost like a light bulb close to death, but held strong beneath the pressure of our clash. Forcing my sword to the side, I broke the stalemate and once more slashed at him, my footwork getting me closer once more.

Again, I experienced Luke’s precognitive capabilities, but I kept my momentum. I made up for my inability to match his predictions by pushing myself to go faster. Where before, Luke had the decisive advantage, a stalemate now settled between our matching technique. Our swords were blurs, clashing time and time again, sparks and echoing clangs erupting from our clashes. We moved in ferocious synchronicity, matching one another seamlessly. As we fought, as we tried to send the other to the ground in defeat, I couldn’t help but notice the grin on my brother’s face. Excitement, an almost childish glee, danced in his green eyes as laughter echoed around us, amidst our resonant melee.

It took me a bit to realize who laughed… Me. I had lost myself so much in the duel, that I had laughed. Not a loud laugh, but still carried. This duel had captivated me, causing me to feel breathless more than anything else. But in the midst of that, I felt…liberated. The burning exertion of my muscles, the tightness of my lungs, the straining of my legs to keep moving, and the mentally exhausting continual study of my opponent were all feelings that I began to enjoy in the moment. I felt strong. I felt capable. I felt like I could take the world by storm and tear my freedom from it with nary more than a swing of my sword.

At that thought, I twisted around and ducked below a swing of Luke’s sword, maneuvering behind him. Bracing my bent legs, I drew my sword back and thrust it forwards, aimed at his back. Luke tried to jump forward, but I followed after him with my leap. I continued the thrust of my sword, pushing it farther forward. With a twist of the body, Luke intercepted my sword with his, but his superior strength meant nothing as we were still mid-air. An explosion of light erupted from the impact of our swords, sending both of us flying away from the other.

I landed on my back, but quickly rolled to the side and climbed to my feet to see Luke having done the same. We locked eyes and measured one another; slowly, but plainly, I could see a smile growing on his face, excitement dancing in his eyes. At the same time, I feel a smile of my own answering his. With a tensing of my legs, I rocketed forwards just as Luke charged forward as well.

“Wait!” Cries erupted around us. “Stop!” The sound of hurried footsteps pulled my attention to the side to see Deandria sliding along the ground in front of me, her large shield held in front of me. I knew I should stop. Intellectually, as well as emotionally, I knew that she had a reason to attempt to stop me. But, instinctually? Instinctually, primally, with my heart pounding deep in my chest and the adrenaline rushing through me, I wanted catharsis. I wanted to prove that I still had more. That I could even do more. My grip tightened on the sword as I sped up. Steel singing, I swung my sword at Deandria’s shield. And echoing clang reverberated throughout the meadow as it stopped dead, the momentum instantly siphoned out of it, and me as well.

A jar raced up my arm, and I grimaced in pain. The head rush that I experienced died down almost immediately as my limbs finally began to feel heavy, the sword lead in my hands. As I stepped back and let my hand fall, a cracking sound echoed throughout the clearing, followed by a snap and a thud.

Before I could attempt to check the noise, Deandria lowered her shield and glared at me. “What the hell were you two thinking? The enchantment on your swords break, and you decided to keep fighting?”

Amid my still pounding heart, I felt a wave of anger. Before I could voice it, I closed my eyes and inhaled through my nose, then exhaled out of my mouth. Still, amidst an adrenaline rush, my emotions were still raw and heady. With everything that’s happening to me because of Jeanne’s actions, I knew that I likely worried the others. “I guess…I just lost myself in the duel.” I let out a shaky laugh, lifting my empty hand to rub the back of my head sheepishly. “It felt like I could win.”

A snort behind Deandria caused me to twitch, but ignored that and focused on her inevitable reaction. “And that made you decided to keep fighting after your swords regained their sharp edges?” I didn’t respond, simply glancing to the side, flinching at the deadpan stares of the rest of the class. “Idiots, the both of you…” She said breathily. Turning, she looked behind her, and I saw that Kacee had stopped Luke, a transparent barrier dissolving before. “I bet you’re both hurting right now, too.”

As she said that, I noticed that Luke pressed a hand to his forehead, his brow scrunched as he grimaced. “Kind of. Accelerated perception sucks after the fact.”

I could feel my muscles begin to pulse with pain as the strain caught up to me. “Didn’t stop you from using it against me.”

“Never.” He managed a cheeky grin for a second before a shaky groan escaped him and he dropped to a knee.

Kacee stepped up to his side, pulling his arm over her shoulder and helping him to his feet. “I second Dee’s statement. You’re both idiots.” She looked over to me. “Pick up your broken sword and get back to the group. I’d rather not lose more time to the measuring contest between the two of you.” I blinked in surprise at her words, looking down.

Indeed, my sword had broken. Over three-quarters of the blade had snapped near the guard. “How the… When did… Why?!” I groaned to myself as I crouched down, grimacing at the strain in my legs, and scooped it into the sheath with the hilt. I tried to stand back up but found that my legs refused to listen, but I didn’t need to wait long as a hand had hooked itself beneath my arm and helped me to stand once more.

Deandria offered me an exasperated glare. “Boys.” She shook her head, her expression torn between amusement and frustration. She then helped me walk back to the group, and we stopped next to Amber, who stared at both me and the sword at my side in disbelief.

“I’m going to have to dig into the superior metals…” I heard her mutter before my attention shifted back to Vincent.

“Hmph. It seems that Knight Valeri’s description of the pair of you is true. Competitive and superbly capable.” He seemed almost insulted by that before he continued. “I suppose we should have two more of you step forward…”

The next few hours comprised of more spars amongst us, switching things up amongst opponents between us and finally figuring out a more robust schedule for the next few weeks. It wasn’t until later that afternoon that we were given free rein to whatever we wished within Nyrill. Luke had decided to stay, saying that he wanted to speak with Vincent. Feeling sore from my spars and still irritated over Vincent’s hate towards Beastkin, I opted to return to the estate and let my body relax.

Fully aware, I could better study the building as I approached it. I walked in solitude, initially having walked over with Amber, but she broke away to get to the forge. The wooden and stone building stood two stories and made wide next to a large lake. The four corners of the building were a set of immaculately carved stone pillars with a triangular sloped wooden roof. I walked over to the immaculately sculpted and reached to open it, but a voice called out to me. “Joseph.”

I turned around to see Nailah walking over to me, her long hair bouncing as she approached me. She wore a set of loose-fitting, dark colored clothing that did well to hide her curves. “Nailah. You need me for something?”

She shook her head, a small smile playing at her lips. “Not necessarily, I just wanted to talk. We don’t do that much, do we?”

“No, I suppose not.” I motioned to the door. “I’m thinking of staying in for a bit, catch my breath. Sit with me?”

Her smile widened, a cross of amusement and worry in her dark brown. “I guess that makes sense. You did exert yourself this morning.” She paused as if mulling over her next words as we walked inside. The foyer had what appeared to be a varnished wooden floor that felt soft on our feet. The entryway leads directly to a set of upward climbing stair and to a hallway that leads into another room down the hall. On the left, a closed doorway stood in front of me. I went towards the door and opened it, walking inside of a large sitting room. Hanging on the far wall, above an unlit fireplace, laid a pelt of a white wolf. On the floor, a low hanging end table accompanied a few padded chairs that sat around it.

“Take a seat anywhere. I’m going to rest my legs.” I dropped down onto one of the chairs and let out a heavy breath, relief flooding through me as I relished getting off my feet.

Nailah smiled and let out a soft laugh as she sat down across from me, though she did so in a more sedate manner. She remained silent for a few moments, her eyes searching me as she seemed to be looking for the right words. “How…” She started, furrowing her brow cutely. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” I asked her, not sure what she meant.

“Lead. Take charge. Stand up and fight like you’ve done it for years?”

I knew she wasn’t talking about my Affinity. “I don’t know,” I said softly, getting a surprised look from her as she blinked. “It’s just…I see what’s going on and I know that I have to do something. An action, any action, would be better than just sitting there and doing nothing.”

“But how?” She asked me again. “We both lived on that island for nearly a decade. We both had similar amenities.” Nailah paused. “We live in the same district, Joseph. How?”

I looked to her and finally saw what she tried to hide from the world. Fear. She felt afraid and had come to me to try and figure out how to stop. I turned my gaze away from her, looking out the window, into the beautiful blue sky. “Because I hated every day I lived on that island,” I stated frankly. “The moment my mother told Maggie and me where she and I were living after we left the shelter, I knew something felt wrong.” I paused as I felt old frustrations rise within my chest, a pinching sensation in my heart. “The moment my father told me that he ‘had to have a chat with his supervisor’ and flew out of our old house through the window, I knew things wouldn’t end well.” I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. “The very second my mother left us at the apartment complex after promising to call, I hated that place with every fiber of my being.”

I looked over to Nailah, seeing that she held back tears, just as I restrained myself from smashing the table in front of me. Her eyes swam, in grief, in understanding, as she bit her lower lip. “Maggie never understood, being too young when it all started, four; with me seven. Not much of a difference, but just enough.” I released a calming breath, trying to loosen the tension from my shoulders. “She used to call every day, our mother. Without fail, at the same time every day, even with differing time zones. Mom always made sure we were as happy as we were, despite everything that happened.”

The arm of the chair whined beneath the pressure of my grip. I forced my hand to let it go. “I could somewhat bear it, hearing Mom’s voice, seeing Maggie so excited over something simple like a phone call.” I couldn’t help the teary smile. “Made it worth it, in some ways.” I shook my head, trying to bleed away the tension. “Two years ago, she stopped calling and moved to weekly e-mails. I don’t even know if it’s still her writing them anymore.” I tried not to remember the crestfallen expression Maggie had when that last call never came. “After that, staying on that island truly felt like a gilded cage.”

I turned my head and locked eyes with my classmate and comrade. She didn’t hold back her tears. I felt unsure if I should be ashamed that I honestly felt relief after coming here, despite being forced to abandon my sister, my last bit of family. “You asked how I’m able to do what I can, to take charge when no one else does. It’s because if the alternative is entering another cage like the one we escaped from, then I’ll take charge again and again until I know without a shadow of a doubt that I’m free. I’ll fight and fight and fight until I’ve torn my freedom from the hands of those that tried to chain me. I am the champion of my Fate, not the words of some trumped-up poem.” As I spoke those words, I could feel a warmth in my chest, a soothing heat that gave me strength.

Nailah didn’t respond for the longest time, her eyes searching mine. After a few moments, she lifted a hand and wiped the tears from her cheek. “We all have our stories, our reasons for both staying on, and hating, the island we’ve come to call our reluctant home. There is no pity amongst us, only a mutual understanding that keeps us together, despite being forced into a world that feels far wider than our own.” She paused, averting her gaze to the table between us, not focusing on it in particular.

“I’m scared, even after everything Her Highness has done to help prepare us.” Nailah demurred faintly. “I don’t have your dogged determination or Luke’s natural talent or even Mitsuki’s unflappable demeanor.” She shrugged her shoulders, a self-deprecating smile on her face. “All I have is an Affinity that rewards creativity and I’m not a creative person at all. I struggle and fight, and the only reason I’ve stayed safe is due to Emelina’s protection.” She shook her head. “Even that fight in the village, I needed Guang’s help to stay alive. He managed to finish the monster. I just kept it back…”

I looked at her, disbelief. Were these…her real feelings? “Nailah…” I breathed out. “You fought with everything you had, didn’t you?” She nodded to me, confusion in her expression. “You had support. You had us at your back, ready for anything.” I shook my head, a small laugh escaping me. “Your Affinity is limitless. All you have to do is imagine something and make it happen. Like that.” I snapped my fingers. “Me? I touch stuff and master it instantly. Luke? He sees stuff in slow motion and reacts fast. Guang? He turns into a shadow. Kacee? She makes barriers.” I then waved my hand to the side. “You can do what all of us can do, with just a little bit of thought. Creative? You don’t need to be creative, Nailah. Science, physics, chemistry. You were the top of our class in school.” I couldn’t hide the excited grin that escaped me. “Hell, the only reason you weren’t a part of 12-A was that there were too many people in that class already.”

Struck silent, Nailah watched me, her eyes trailing along my face. Her eyes were wide as she took in my words as if waiting for something. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but an earth-shaking rumble interrupted her. We shot to our feet and raced towards the door. She reached it first and shoved it open, running through the hallway and out the front door. I followed her at her heels.

We made our way outside just in time to see several knights already escorting civilians through the open streets. People were frightened, jerking around and turning around frantically, crying out for missing family members and demanding answers for what just happened. Some outright refused to follow in the throes of their terror, looking as though they were about to run off.

As Nailah stepped forward, she called out, “Everyone, please calm yourselves.” All eyes fell on us, knight and civilian alike. The knights looked relieved, it being a controlled movement though, each with the slightest shift almost unnoticeable to the untrained eye. Hope danced in the eyes of the villagers, as they murmured about the ‘two Heroes’ before them. “We’re doing our best to resolve this situation. However, we need your help. We need to listen to the words of Veritas’ knights. Our fine warriors are more than capable of protecting you, but to make their duties easier, we need you to listen to their orders very carefully. Can each of you do that for us?”

It looked like a switch had flipped. The chaos slowly died down as the villagers took Nailah’s word as gospel. Some seemed contrite, while others appeared relieved at our presence.

I offered Nailah a side-eyed smile as I noticed a knight quickly approaching us. “Nicely done. I couldn’t have done that.”

She smiled faintly, though I could see a hint of color in her cheeks, despite her darker complexion. “Thank you. My mother is…she may have run for office before the Emergence and spoke well. I may have taken a few cues from what I’ve seen of her.” Shame flickered across her face before she shook her head. “That’s not important. We should see what he needs of us.” I took the shift in the topic without a word, looking to the quickly approaching knight.

He held himself like a young knight, closer to our age. The knight carried himself awkwardly, almost as if he had never run in armor before today. His wore a helm, but we could see his slightly rounded face and dark amber eyes. Upon reaching us, he sucked in a breath and leaned forward, hands on his knees. “Sir Blaine…Madame Imari, I…I…” He wheezed frantically, trying to catch his breath.

Knowing full well how he felt, I stepped up to his side and grasped his shoulder, pushing his posture fully upright. “Stand up straight. Breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth.” He did as I asked and I removed my hand. “Slow and deep. I want to say to take your time, but it’s not possible. What’s going on?”

The knight quickly managed to catch his breath, though his cheeks were red from exertion. “There’s a horde, dangerously close to Nyrill. Knight-Captain Valeri sent me to collect both of you.”

“Where?” I asked him, my heart beginning to pick up. Nailah stiffened next to me.

“At the plaza in the center of Nyrill. There’s a war council happening right now. I’m to lead you there.”

“Then take us there.” He hesitated, and I snarled at him. “Stop waffling and move!” He nodded frantically, turned and raced off. Nailah and I took off after him.

As we did, I couldn’t help but notice the sky gaining a pale red hue, not unlike the day in the market.