The sounds around Leland drained away until only he and his breathing remained.

In – air filled his lungs, drawing his chest out like a balloon. He held it, cycling mana and lifeforce around his body like he had done so many times. In fact, mana cycling had been one of the first things his parents taught him way back when.

Even back then, before becoming a Legacy, he was studying to be a mage. Manaless, powerless, just a kid with a textbook and a couple of eager parents. He had done it, he had beat the odds, he had drawn upon the invisible resource of mana before he was adopted by the Lord of Curses. The feeling of success had been forever etched into his mind, a feeling he prided himself on.

Walker had shown him the way, but Leland knew the rest was up to himself.

A puddle, that was how he imagined it. His lungs were potholes on the street, puddles after a rain. He’d fill the two puddles with mana and lifeforce, filling them from the very bottom to the very top. Each drip was meaningful here, just like the core situated in the center of his chest full of dust and crystals.

In a way, his heart-core was like a soul. It grew with him, it was him. If he sought to train himself, if he pushed his boundaries and progress in life and power, his heart-core would show it. His soul would show it. There were more ways to power than a single path, and there were more types of power than just physical or magical.

Being a better person was one way. Being nicer, more charitable, more understanding. There were people below Leland, he knew that, but there were also people far above him. Lords were the simple answer, and as he sat there and held a breath in his lungs, Leland couldn’t help but feel one step closer to their kind.

Out – he pushed, expelling the air filling his lungs, forcing his puddle-like chest to maintain the water. Lifeforce and mana, two sides of the same coin. Resources for magic, tools to be manipulated.

A tickle crawled up his throat, one of the nagging pains that wouldn’t leave his mind until he addressed it. All he would have to do is cough, a simple cough could end his misery. But no – giving up so easily had never been in his vocabulary.

In – he forced it. Breathing in was all that mattered right now. He had to fill the puddle, he had to expand his chest. Agony clawed from inside out, torturous tickles became bloody festering wounds. He tried to think about something else, anything else.

Boom, boom. There, his heart beat. He listened, each beat louder and heavier than the last. Lifeforce and mana still came to his call, filling his lungs and collecting at the bottom of the puddle.

Boom, boom.

Out – Nothing mattered, nothing mattered. His chest collapsed, expelling everything but the mana and lifeforce he held back.

In – Breath sucked in from his nose and mouth, burning his sinuses and throat like a blast of steam to the face. That didn’t matter, he didn’t feel it. Boom, boom. His heart beat kept him centered, his heartbeat kept him in rhythm.

Boom, boom.

The beats became faster.

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

The pain caused him to whimper, but he didn’t hear the sound he created. A cry, a scream, whatever it was, it was locked far out of his mind, for all he heard was the beating of his heart.

Out – His fingernails curled into his palms. He didn’t know it, but blood soaked and pooled. The tickle was back, but this time his heartbeat only added to the pain. Each beat became a hammer driving a nail into his consciousness. He mentally screamed, his limit far past.

In – mana and lifeforce. They burned the same way… which was strange right? Leland thought so. For being used so differently, they held many of the same properties. Yeah, he decided, that was strange.

His eyes opened, the room came back into view. Sound reappeared but not his obsessive heartbeat. Noise, just plain noise, so calming, so—

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

His lungs burst, spewing phlegm up his throat. He coughed, two loud hacking coughs fit with bloody mucus. Eyes turned to him, he knew, but that hardly mattered. Most didn’t like him on principle. The Harbinger this, the Harbinger that. They could all eat dirt, for all he cared. Let them stare, let them judge…

Tears pooled in his eyes as his hand glowed with natural magic. Touch of Regeneration was obsolete compared to Imbue Life, but it got the job done. Within moments he was back to prime health, his breathing troubles but a bygone of training.

He swallowed, refocusing on the room.

Everyone was looking at him, all forty or so people. At the far end was Captain Curtain holding a long stick he had been using to point at sections of a map. Branching around him were various army personnel, team leaders here for updates and orders. Beyond them – closer to Leland – were the adventurer leads, gruff individuals here for the promise of riches and recognition.

A few others sat around, people of standing or specialty who deserved a personal explanation of the future by the Captain. Isobel was one of them, as was Elin. Or maybe she was here because she had tagged along with the rest of the group after leaving their home igloo? Leland stole a glance at her. The girl he had sworn to protect stood beside Glenny, the pair having been quietly whispering to each other for hours at this point.

Leland instantly thought of hundreds of things to tease the poor rogue with. One of his best friends with a love interest? Payback with Sybil’s honor on the line was coming. He chuckled to himself.

A voice cut through the stares. “This is the boy we are basing our future operations on?” asked an army team leader sitting two seats past Captain Curtain.

Leland frowned. Jude, Glenny, Gelo, and Isobel also frowned, changing their side of the room into rugged anticipation. Those were fighting words, and adventurers were known to throw a few punches every once and a while.

Leland, straight faced and recovered from his breathing exercise, said, “I prefer the term ‘young man,’ but people your age always like to judge people based on their age. Respect your elders and all that, even if they don’t respect you.”

The man recoiled slightly, his eyebrows darting up to his graying hair. “I’m not that old—”

“Curtain, can you silence your man before Leland kills him?” Isobel asked, exasperation highlighting her words as truth rather than hyperbole.

Leland raised his hand. “For the record, Captain, I would not kill him for petty insults. I would, however, kill him for insubordination. Times like these, people like him could get others killed.”

Curtain’s hands went to the bridge of his nose. He rubbed the irritation from his bones, saying, “Brigadier Skyfork, please keep your mouth shut.”

“Skyfork?” Jude whispered far too loudly. “What kind of name is that?”

Skyfork turned red, veins bulging from his neck while white hot breath expelled from his nostrils that just so happened to be thick with hair.

“Quiet dude,” Leland muttered, purposely making his volume loud enough for everyone to hear, “Skyfork might grow those nose hairs and strangle you.”

Jude and Glenny burst out laughing, spittle flying across the long, round table. Even Gelo smiled, a gesture that made some of the other team leaders shudder at the sight of her thick fangs.

“Are you done?” Curtain asked, his voice the same flat inspirational tune as ever.

Leland gave a shrug.

“Like I was saying,” Curtain pointed at the map. “Strike teams one, two, and three here, here, and here. Those three teams will be isolated and fighting within the main forces of the enemy. For defending teams four, five, and six, make sure to keep vigilant for our men in the scrap. No friendly fire, remember that…”

Leland felt something wet nudge his knee. He looked down, finding Gelo’s snout. “What?” he whispered.

“You okay? You looked in pain,” the cub whispered back.

“Just working on Walker’s breathing exercise. I was close to getting the hang of it, but very far from using it practically.”

“You coughed up blood.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s not good.”

“I healed myself, don’t worry.”

Gelo gave him a look, the same look Isobel was giving him. Being a Legacy of the Hunter, Isobel’s ears were far and away the most sensitive in the room. She easily picked up their conversation, opting to say nothing but also say everything. A proper stare, as she had learned, often made people think twice about whatever it was they were doing.

Unfortunately for both Gelo and Isobel, Leland was stubborn and stared right back.

“That’s it. Meeting adjourned,” Captain Curtain said. “Team leaders know where to go, prepare your people. Intelligence estimates the enemy will finish massing by midnight and be here by dawn. Get to your posts and be on the lookout for Seer. Send a runner the moment he appears.”

“If he appears, you mean,” corrected Brigadier Nose Hairs.

“If he appears, yes. Thank you, Brigadier.”

With that, Curtain locked eyes with Leland and Isobel. Between the three of them, and the rest of the team, the message was clear. Seer wasn’t going to be in the battle, instead he was going to push into the Tear, making use of the distraction of war.

Leland scanned his eyes over the map. Teams were situated across the board, each holding their own territory in or around the bastion.

Well, all except one team.

Team Fluffy Bear – Jude’s naming choice – was left alone at the Tear’s entrance. A position expected to fight without reinforcement and expected to be where the true battle took place.