Chapter XXXIII

Even in such a dire situation, she couldn’t help but recall an event that had taken place many years ago. She remembered it vividly, as if it hadn’t been as long as it actually was, and she knew that whether she lived or died, she would never forget what happened that day. It was raining in the back alleys of the slums and like she often did when the weather turned cold, she found a place to sit down and hold her knees close to her chest, wanting to try and retain as much body heat as she could. Her clothes were tattered and old, with holes ripped open in various places, and the rain water had already seeped through, chilling her skin. For a twelve-year-old, it was a harsh and unforgiving life, but she always pressed forward, vowing not to let herself die, though she never knew who she vowed to. She just didn’t want to succumb to her circumstances. She didn’t want to be weak. She wanted to be strong and powerful, so she refused to let mere rain keep her down.

In that sense, I suppose I haven’t changed all that much. I’m still the same, stubborn idiot I was back then.

Because of that attitude, she wouldn’t back down from anything, and on that particular day, three men dressed in relatively nice clothing with their hoods pulled up approached where she sat. She’d heard rumors that there were certain groups who would search for children in the slums and kidnap them, either selling them off somewhere or forcing them to work for them. She knew it was especially dangerous for young girls, who she was told were often smuggled out of Erika and into the western country of Dunnovia to be sold into prostitution. With that in mind, she knew she should have been terrified when the three men came up to her.

“Where’s your parents, kid? Are you all alone out here?”

The man in the front’s voice had been raspy, and she remembered feeling shivers just being in his presence. She should have been scared. She should have turned and run and done everything she could to get away from them. But to the young her, that would have been cowardly. How could she call herself strong if all she did was run?

“Get away from me,” she had spat back at them. “Leave me alone.”

This hadn’t gotten the reaction she had wanted out of them. The men started to laugh, and she knew that meant they hadn’t taken her seriously. All they saw was a sickly child, playing at being fierce and tough, and that perception of her hadn’t been wrong. That was all she was—a girl from the gutters without a place to belong nor a family that could protect her and love her. Her parents were dead. She didn’t have siblings. She was a loner—a person whose name meant nothing and who didn’t have control over her own fate, no matter how often she tried to tell herself she did.

Who was she to think that she could do anything, that she could be strong and powerful? She was prideful and that pride had always been her downfall. Yet, that never stopped her from trying to pretend.

When those men attacked her, she did what she thought she needed to do and put up a fight. She knew a few basic spells and since they must not have expected her to know magic, it was enough to catch them off guard and swipe the advantage, if only for a mere few seconds. But that was all she had. She was thin and frail and these men were big and strong. She had managed to cut open the main guy’s face with a blade of wind, and that enraged him enough that they didn’t merely try to kidnap her. They first decided she needed to be taught a lesson, so as one man held her down, the other two began to beat her bloody. The pain had been excruciating but she still never backed down. She didn’t want to be a coward. She screamed and thrashed and this only made the experience more fun for her attackers. And then, she felt one of them grab her trousers as if to pull them down.

That was the first time I ever truly looked death in the eyes. Honestly, I should have been killed that day. My stubbornness got me stuck in a situation that I was lucky to escape. And that’s all it was. I only survived that afternoon because of pure luck.

Right as it dawned on her what was about to happen, a voice called out through the alleyway, clear and beautiful.

“Please step away from the girl! I don’t want this to have to get bloody but if you lay even another finger on her, I will have no choice.”

The men in front of her moved just enough so she could see past them to where a figure was standing in the rain, her green cloak wrapped around her body and her cowl pulled up just enough for them to see her features. Just as she would never forget how close to death she was, she would never allow herself to lose the image of that enchanting woman, a calm and almost innocent smile on her face.

“Miss, I’m gonna ask you to walk away or else you’re going to regret it,” one of them growled.

But the newcomer merely tilted her head and laughed. “Oh really? You’re saying you’re confident enough in your abilities that you think you can beat the Master of Nature in a fight? That’s kinda cute, actually.”

“The Master…”

Rumors circulated around the slums all the time, some true, some false, and she made sure she heard every one of them. She never wanted to be in the dark about anything, so of course she had heard about the supposed arrival in the slums of the new Master of Nature. They said that she intervened whenever somebody was in danger and that she was trying to help those who lived in Erika’s forgotten and abandoned district. There were even some who heard about a safehouse she was creating for the young who needed a place to live.

Abigail Reiner. I never really believed those rumors until I saw her. To me, it seemed ridiculous to think that somebody on the level of a Master could give a damn about us. Yet there she was, prepared to go three-on-one to save a girl she didn’t know. She was powerful. She was strong. She was everything I ever wanted to be and more.

“Now, stand down and let her go,” Abigail called back. “If you do that, I’ll only report you for attacking a child. If you don’t, well, then you’ll be arrested for attacking a Master, and I assure you that’s a far higher crime. So, make your choice.”

She’d been certain that the men would challenge her, but the fear in their eyes told her that wouldn’t be the case. They never even replied to the woman, instead merely turning, releasing her, and sprinting off down the alley, leaving her collapsed on the wet cobble ground, breathing hard as she realized how close she’d been to death. Her body felt weak and her face was swollen from the beating.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Abigail asked as she crossed the distance between them and knelt down beside her, a warm and comforting smile on her face. “Let me heal all that. Hold still for a moment.”

The woman’s touch was soft and caring as the nature magic flowed into her body, easing the pain and dealing with the swelling. Soon enough, she felt as if none of it had happened. There wasn’t a single bit of pain left in her and as she gazed up at the Master, she was entranced.

Why did she help me, I remember thinking. Why would anybody want to help a lost girl like me? I couldn’t give her anything. There was no way for me to repay the debt I know I owed her. Yet, when I said this to her, she just laughed, like I was telling a joke.

“You don’t owe me anything,” Abigail said. “I did what was right. How could I just pass by as you were being hurt like that? That’s not what a good person does. This place has been treated poorly for far too long. Now… What's your name?”

I still didn’t get it. She was a Master of Ijiria. She was from the Citadel. Why would anybody who lived in the clouds care about those who lived in the gutters? She said she didn’t get anything out of it, but then why bother? Why do anything if you don’t get something in return? Yet, I knew she wasn’t lying. This woman just wanted to help people, and for the first time in my life, somebody reached out to me. Somebody offered to care about me.

“Arisa,” she had finally replied. “My name is Arisa Kirisan.”

“Arisa,” Abigail repeated with a nod. “That’s a beautiful name. Well, Arisa, do you want to go someplace warm? I can get you something to eat and if you’d like, you can stay the night. This storm isn’t supposed to let up anytime soon, after all.”

Despite telling myself not to trust anybody, I went with her to that place and found others like me already there. I ate good food for the first time in years, and I slept in a bed with blankets and a pillow. It wasn’t a fancy place by any means, but it may as well have been a palace for all I cared. She let me stay the night and then…I just stayed. That place became my home. She became my mother. The other children became my siblings. I was no longer forgotten. I had somewhere I belonged. I had a family.

I remember thinking Abigail Reiner was special—that there was nobody else in the entire multiverse like her. But now I realize that it must have run in her blood, because just like her, he hardly knows me. Eric doesn’t know me. Yet once again, as I looked death in its cold and unforgiving eyes, knowing my end had arrived, a Reiner stepped in and saved my life. He’s standing down before two Masters and two Korrei-Tarr and he smiled back at me. He’ll be a criminal now, yet he’s still here.

You’re an idiot for doing this, Eric, but if there was any doubt before, there is none now.

You truly are Abigail’s son.

***

Arisa Kirisan just gaped at Eric and Hannah as they stood between her and the two Masters, his magic swirling around his arms and her sword pulled up, aimed at them. Sinna Cartus looked as if she could barely process what had happened, and Nakoma Taurus was grinning, making his excitement for what was to come clear to all. The two Korrei-Tarr had their blades drawn, awaiting their orders from the Masters, and Arisa feared a fight was about to break out. She knew Tylo had almost completed his healing because she no longer felt the burn marks. If Eric and Hannah could stall for just a few more seconds, Arisa could join them and while they couldn’t possibly win, they might at least be able to escape.

“Tylo,” she breathed. “When you finish, get to Irin. Help her. I’ll keep you covered.”

“Right.”

Feeling comforted that Tylo would have Irin handled, Arisa gripped the inferno stone in her left hand and turned her right to subtly face toward the house where she knew the swords from their raid on the carriage would be. If she could get one of them, her chances of survival would increase, if only by a little.

“What are you thinking, Reiner?!” Sinna snarled, seeming to have pulled herself back together. “Is this really what you’re going to do?! You’re going to walk down the same idiotic path that got your mother killed?!”

Arisa couldn’t see Eric’s face from where she crouched, but she saw him shake his head. “I really am sorry about this, Master Cartus, but I will not allow the children of my mother to die. I didn’t want it to come to this between us. You are not my enemies, but I didn’t have a choice. I will not stand by and allow you to harm them!”

“And you know what, that’s respectable,” Nakoma said. “While you’ll still have to accept the consequences of these actions, I do commend your honor. Abi would be proud.” The Master of Fire swung his sword down and as he did, flames erupted around the metal, coating every inch as it blazed out. “It is nice to meet you, however. I’ve heard quite a bit about you. My name is Nakoma Taurus, Master of Fire.”

“Eric Reiner,” he replied. “It’s good to meet you, too, Master Taurus. I’m sorry we won’t get the chance to get to know each other better.”

Nakoma chuckled. “As am I, boy. You sound like a fascinating individual.” He then turned and looked Hannah over, who was still in position to strike at any moment. “And you, Miss Lynn. We’ve met before, but when I heard that you killed Seiras Ka, and beat Caeli in battle, I was truly impressed. And it seems your skills were not exaggerated.” He indicated the corpse of the Korrei-Tarr Hannah killed with a nod of his head. “This should be exciting.”

Arisa could feel Tylo’s magic stop and knew the healing was complete. Her body felt like it was back to a good enough state that she could fight. She already knew what it was she had to do, and no matter what became of her, she would ensure that the other Children made it out alive.

“I’m going after Taurus,” she whispered. “I’m going to take him down. Once you’ve helped Irin, back Eric up and beat Cartus. You got that?”

“But Ari—!”

“Do it, Tylo, please,” she urged. “As your leader, please do it.”

He didn’t say anything in reply, but she knew that he would do as she asked. The moment she decided the time was right, she would draw Nakoma away from the others. If they could split up the Masters, they could potentially turn the situation around.

The street was tense, with the only sound now coming from the burning house behind them and the sounds of battle off in the distance. Ardan, Lyla, and Malt were still unaccounted for so Arisa had to pray that they were okay. Everybody was waiting to see who would make their move first, but it seemed as if Nakoma and Sinna were more focused on Eric and Hannah, so Arisa knew the one to break the stalemate would have to be her. So that’s exactly what she did.

“Proto! Correio!”

She shouted at the top of her lungs, wanting the Masters to look at her, as she burst from her spot on the ground, shooting straight for the Master of Fire. At the same time, a one-handed sword soared through the shattered window of the house, its hilt flying toward her outstretched hand like she had intended. In one swift motion, Arisa grabbed the blade and swung it down at Nakoma’s head, and as she expected, he reacted with ease, bringing his flaming blade up to meet hers, the sound of metal clashing throughout the night.

Eric and Hannah reacted as well, the former darting toward Sinna while the latter turned to face the Korrei-Tarr. With Tylo already making his way toward where Irin was lying, Arisa knew Nakoma would be her job to deal with, as she planned. Therefore, she used the momentum of her initial proto to dive over the Master’s head and land on the road behind him.

“Condite!” she snarled, and as various other incantations were called out, the sound of the blades of wind and the ringing of swords echoed across the street. Her ropes of air went straight for Nakoma, but he cut through them in a mere two swings of his sword. The man was grinning, excited at the prospect of a battle, and that was what she hoped for.

She rattled off another proto and darted away, zipping down the street to put distance between her and the burning house. Even if he knew what she was trying to do, Nakoma would follow after her regardless. He would allow himself to let her escape and he would hopefully be confident that Sinna could take Eric and Hannah without him. The issue would be if he didn’t have faith in the Master of Rock. If Nakoma remained behind, the others wouldn’t be able to stand their ground for long.

But her fears were unfounded as she felt the sudden blazing heat of fire behind her, and when she glanced back to check, Nakoma Taurus was pursuing her, his steps propelled and enhanced by what she recognized as wind magic. It was that moment that she truly understood the danger of her opponent. Nakoma was not only the oldest Master, but before he even joined them, he was a well-respected member of the Korrei-Tarr. The man was fierce with fire magic, and he knew how to incorporate his powers into combat in methods that most mages didn’t. In many ways, he was the best combatant of the Masters. Nigreos and Album were deadly because their magic was powerful by nature, but Nakoma was trained and experienced. He knew how to use his abilities to their fullest, and thus, Arisa would never be able to face him in combat for longer than a few minutes.

But I know these roads so I have the environment on my side! I don’t need to win! I just need to keep him away from the others!

“Proto!”

Casting the propulsion spell once again, Arisa spun around in midair just as Nakoma closed the distance, his second sword already drawn as he swung both of his flaming blades, as if to show off or intimidate her. His crimson eyes were wild and his grin was broad as he brought both swords down to end her life. She was just barely fast enough to parry one and dodge the other, using wind magic to increase her reaction speed as much as she could. Yet even then, she was only barely keeping up with him. As the two soared down the empty and decrepit streets of the slums, their swords rang out as Arisa parried and blocked each strike the Master swung her way, using the walls of buildings as platforms to keep herself moving. Every attack of Nakoma’s was swift and powerful, with sparks coming off of the blade each time they collided, and she could feel them burning her skin when they touched her.

She made sure she kept him close, knowing that fire magic was useless at that distance. The fire affinity was powerful but it was the most destructive of every magic class. Therefore, fire mages ran the risk of burning themselves if they cast most spells in close quarters. They needed to be at a distance to make full use of their abilities, so Arisa knew that the moment Nakoma pulled away, she would become even more vulnerable.

“You’re impressive, Kirisan,” Nakoma uttered, his voice calm, as if the battle weren’t even wearing him down. “Truly, I mean that. For a girl your age to put up such a fight, you must have talent. It’s just a shame that you chose to direct that talent against us.”

She didn’t reply, not wanting to waste any of her breath as she continued to dodge and weave while parrying any attacks that she couldn’t escape. She slid along the streets, pushing up into their air every time her feet hit a solid surface, but she was already getting tired. Tylo healed what he could, but healing magic couldn’t do everything. The body still needed rest to properly recover and Arisa had barely waited a minute. At first, Nakoma only grazed her cheeks or her arms, cutting open her skin with his burning blades, but as she got slower, he seemed to get faster, and soon enough, she felt deeper wounds opening in her sides and her arms, and pain began to build back up. Nakoma’s grin widened, and she knew he could tell that he was on the verge of winning.

Damn it! If I don’t pull away, I’m going to die, but can I really face his fire magic?

Cursing the fact that she no longer had a choice, Arisa briefly glanced to her side to check where she was, which gave Nakoma an opening to get another cut across her waist, but she decided it was a price she had to pay. Using her knowledge of these streets, Arisa abruptly launched to the right, diving into an alleyway that was so thin it was hardly noticeable in the darkness of the night. Nakoma reacted, but he was thrown off enough to allow her to get a slight distance. From there, she ricocheted off the alley walls, moving higher and higher until she burst up into the air and above the roofs of the buildings before landing off to the right hand side.

“Infernus!”

“Nex!”

She knew it would come so she was ready. Just as Nakoma’s form emerged from the gaps between the buildings, a giant wave of flame erupted from his hands, encircling his body and blasting toward her, so she threw up a shield of air, taking the attack head-on. But this was fire magic from a Master, and the shield only held for a few seconds at best before Arisa could feel it beginning to shatter. She pressed her foot against the roof and uttered, “proto”, allowing her to slide backwards until she reached the other end of the rooftop. She was ready for another attack, but Nakoma merely stood on the opposite building, his swords still gripped tightly as he regarded her.

“You do know this won’t last much longer, right?” he called over. “Don’t you understand that I don’t want to see you dead. There’s only one way this night ends: you and your fellow Children will die and your mother’s legacy will be snuffed out. There is no escape from this city, Kirisan! So stand down and take my offer! Live in the dungeons! Serve your sentence and perhaps you can be released in the future. There is no need for you to die today!”

Arisa forced herself to smile challengingly, her breathing heavy. “I will not! I will never concede to a Master! I’d rather die than go back to that place!”

Nakoma clicked his tongue and sighed. “Very well. If death is what you want, so be it. But know that I did not lie. I warned you about Seiras, did I not? I told you he would be worse than me. And he was. You broke, and had you just done as I asked and conceded to me, the Children of Reiner would not have to die tonight. But you just had to be stubborn.”

“I did,” she spat back. “I was stubborn and I wouldn’t change a thing! Seiras’s visions might have drained me, but I lived! I lived long enough to reach this night and I don’t intend for the others to die! They will escape this city, with or without me!”

“They won’t,” he said sharply. “We’ve already cut off your means of escape. Tell me, did you think it was a coincidence that we found you tonight, just as Malt Territh arrived in Erika. Did you think I never found him?”

Arisa frowned, a sudden spasm of pain in her chest. “What do you mean?”

“I did find him, and I placed a tracker on him,” Nakoma answered. “Then I just let him waltz into the city until he located you for us. I’ve already killed the traitor who smuggled him in and I followed the tracker to that house where you were hiding. Territh’s escape will not work. You are stuck here, so stand down.”

She swallowed back the sudden fear that threatened to bring her down. Malt had unknowingly led Nakoma to them, and now they were left with the sole option of using Nuvo Tannath. Arisa had wanted to avoid that, but it seemed they were left with no choice. From the way Nakoma spoke, it didn’t sound like he knew anything about that, which meant that there was still hope for the others.

Yeah…I’ll keep him busy long enough for them to get away. I just need to warn them about the tracker on Malt! If they nullify that spell, they can get out! I just need…to hold him at bay! No matter the cost!

“I won’t!” she snarled. “Kill me, Master Taurus, because I intend to kill you!”

A flash of regret crossed the man’s features. “If that is your decision then so be it. Just know that I will not take pride in this. I do not enjoy killing. Death is far too final. I prefer to give people the chance to redeem themselves. My magic is death incarnate, but that does not mean I seek to be a butcher. But if I must become one to protect the country I’ve served for so long, then I will. I will not forget you, Arisa Kirisan.”

Arisa gripped her sword tightly, ready to take on whatever he threw at her, yet she still wasn’t ready for what she saw.

“Phoenixio,” he chanted, and from Arisa’s stance, it almost seemed like Nakoma exploded.

Bright blue fire erupted from his body, its heat so intense that she could feel it from where she stood. The flames burst into the air, roiling around in the night sky and she squinted at the brightness. She could see Nakoma’s silhouette within the mass of fire, rising into the air as if being lifted by wind, and the flames began to take the form of a giant bird. Its wings spread out over the buildings and its eyes glowed a red rather than the blue that surrounded it. Its beak was wide open and she could see a mass of white flame within.

So this…is the real power of the Master of Fire…

Everything that happened took place in a matter of seconds, and before she could even react to the utter strength of the phoenix Nakoma had created, the white flames blasted from its maw, and she just barely put her hands up in time, screaming the incantation to create a shield. Yet, the moment the flames reached it, she could already feel them burning through the magic to reach her body.

“Nex! Nex! NEX!”

Arisa screeched as the fires began to char the parts of her skin that they could touch. She kept recreating the shields and they weakened in seconds, the force causing her body to shake. The pain was far more intense than anything Nakoma had done to her in the dungeons. This was a power beyond anything she had ever seen, and it was in that moment that she knew her life had finally reached its end. She had gazed death in the eyes plenty of times in the past, but this time, there was no Reiner to come and save her.

This is it. I did my best but I’m going to die here, aren’t I? Was this enough? Was I a good enough leader for them? I made so many mistakes and got so many Children killed. My attack on the Citadel spilled so much blood. My assault on Nigreos spilled more. Was I at least able to protect Irin, Tylo, Ardan, and Lyla. Will they be safe? Will Caeli get them out of the city? Will Eric and Hannah survive this attack?

She could see the skin of her hands and arms searing from her body, and oddly enough, the pain began to dissipate, as if she no longer had the nerves to register the pain. It was as if her body knew the end had come and was beginning to shut itself down.

Was this the end of Arisa Kirisan, she wondered.

And if it was, did she do a good job?

“Ari, I know you’re going to do great things one day. You’re such a talented girl and you’re smart and brave. You’re one of the oldest so be there for the little ones, okay? I trust you, sweetheart. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mom.”

“I love you, too, Mom,” Arisa uttered, feeling the flames licking at her face, and so she closed her eyes and prepared for death.

And suddenly, the fire ceased.

The burning stopped and the pressure on her shield disappeared. Arisa frowned, weakly opening her eyes to see what happened only to spot Nakoma lying prone on the opposite side of the roof, completely unmoving.

What? What happened? Is he dead? Who…?

“Kirisan!”

With the dropping of a distortion, a cloaked man appeared before her, his features were strained with worry. Ryokumo Caeli was there. Where had he come from? Had he saved her? Had he taken Nakoma down?

“Caeli…?” she breathed, her burnt arms still extended and the pain causing her voice to barely reach louder than a whisper. “Why…?”

“Come. We need to go,” he grunted, as if he were in tremendous pain, too. “That spell will wear off in barely a few seconds so let’s get out of here and go somewhere safe. Come on! I’ll heal your wounds and then I need you to tell me what’s happened!”

She was so weak that she already felt herself falling forward, but Ryokumo was quick to scoop her up in his arms and jump off the side of the building, already muttering healing incantations to ease the pain. As she rested her head against his chest, she couldn’t fully comprehend why he had done that. She knew Eric had claimed he was on their side, but he attacked a Master to save her.

She couldn’t process it. All she knew was one thing.

Somehow, once again, she lived.