Kaladin Shadowheart’s POV.

“Again, one more time. Put your back into it and aim for the ribs,” I requested.

Varnir hesitantly picked up the thick tree branch and sighed. “Kaladin, you know I was joking about all the other times, with Sylvia maybe killing me for hurting you during practice? But at the rate I’m going here, I really am going to get hunted down by her.”

“It’s fine. The first two didn’t do anything, so another shouldn’t matter. Just do it,” I insisted.

Varnir sighed deeply and said, “Fine…just protect me when the time comes.”

Varnir whipped back like he was swinging a bat and took one giant step forward and swung. I had my arms held above my head, and the tree branch swung by a mana-enhanced Varnir, which was by no means tiny and was closer to a log than a branch, impacted directly into my exposed ribs only to explode into splinters.

Yet, I felt next to nothing. The skin on my side was only reddened. There was a slight tinge of pain telling me I had been hit by something, closer to the feeling when someone bumps into a corner of something. That shouldn’t have happened, considering I took a direct blow to my ribs. At the very least, I should be on the ground gasping for air. I’d be lucky if such a swing didn’t crush all my ribs on one side and then some.

I guess I am sturdier now. But how? Is this the effect of Sylvia’s ritual? Why did my body clearly change, but I feel no difference from how I’ve always been?

And what’s with this change? Are my muscles thicker and denser, like Tsarra said? Or is my skin more robust? Or…is it just magic?

“Okay, Varnir, I’m going to need you to cut me. Just a graze on the shoulder, nothing serious,” I said, turning to face him.

Varnir gave me a dark look but nodded as if convincing himself of something. “Right. Give me your spear.”

I obliged and summoned my spear from thin air and tossed it to him. Varnir shook his head as he got into a stance and let out a deep sigh.

“Here I go,” he muttered half-heartedly.

Varner gave a quick and simple thrust forward. I felt the sharp blade slice into my skin. The pain barely registered, but that was typical for me anyway. However, it did appear that I was not stab-proof or had become an immortal Vampire as, sadly, I did not gain the ability to regenerate my injuries since I watched a thin line of blood trickle down from a shallow wound.

“This is truly fascinating,” Tsarra muttered to herself. “You seem to have a high resistance to blunted weapons, but sharp objects injure you as normal…would you care to try magic? Just a spell or two?”

I shook my head and said, “No, that’s enough for today, and I would like Sylvia with me if I were to attempt something that dangerous. Besides, there is a chance she knows what happened to me.”

Tsarra raised an eyebrow and murmured to herself, “So it was Sylvia’s doing?”

I chuckled at her enthusiasm. The previous Tsarra, who was nervously muttering to herself and on the brink of crying from embarrassment, had vanished. It seemed her pursuit of knowledge gave her superpowers of some type.

“Listen, this is the last time I do something like this again, alright? Just normal spars from here on out because any moment now, some angry Vampire is going to be coming for my throat. I can only get lucky so many times, Kaladin. I’m shocked she isn’t already here,” Varnir whined.

“Kaladin must have been rough to sedate her for so long,” Tsarra responded quickly.

What?

Varnir and I both looked at Tsarra in shock. Tsarra’s smile was wiped clean off as she covered her mouth, her face and ears turning a shade lighter than her hair.

“I’m going to go now…”

—

It took me some time to find them as they were on the far side of the villa, watching Mila, Dallin, and Cordelia playing together in the garden. I sat down next to her and glanced at the sword resting in her lap. Ever since Cerila has awoken from her fight with Sylvia, Hubris has been unable to leave Cerila’s side, quite literally.

The sword cannot be put into a Spatial Ring anymore, and only Cerila can move it. And if she leaves it somewhere and moves away from it, the sword automatically comes back to her. Depending on how fast she moves, the sword can become quite dangerous with the speed at which it returns.

It’s a shame she can’t throw it, only to have it return to her. Once it reaches a certain distance, it just hits an invisible wall as if gravity has no meaning on it and returns back to her hand. I guess if someone were in the middle of it, they could suffer an injury.

She slowly looked up at me with fatigued eyes as if she hadn’t managed even an hour of sleep.

I signed.

Cerila narrowed her eyes in defeat and nodded slowly.

I asked.

she explained.

I questioned.

Cerila nodded and looked up at the sky as she signed, < I can’t escape the feeling that I’m missing something. Something so important and meaningful, and for some reason, I feel as if this dream is trying to remind me of what I’ve forgotten.>

It must have to do with what happened during their fight. But Sylvia can’t remember anything either, and she hasn’t mentioned any dreams to me. Nor has it been keeping her awake at night. Also, her abilities have nothing to—

Wait…a vision…Sylvia…the dungeon we were stuck in…that weird vision after she first healed me, those five pillars of light. And the void entity that reached out to grab me…

I stood up as the dots began to connect in my head.

Five pillars of light with one massive one. Who else could it be…The Six? Yes…most likely. The Six were with Amon-Ra, but there were only five people ever mentioned, so Amon-ra must have been the sixth pillar while the fiv—five…four Exarchs, one High Exarch, and the Shadow Exarch make six? One Holy Relic per Exarch. The sword, shield, bow, and spear are accounted for in the holy scripture of the religion, which means there is at least one more weapon that belongs to one of the other two that is not known to the public.

But what about the other pillars of light? Soldiers of Amon-Ra? And the void entity…fighting The Six…Sylvia’s soul, my soul…Talgan. The thing I saw in that dream Sylvia showed me was Talgan.

…can Talgan live through memories? Or, more likely, can he alter them? Is it possible that Talgan is still alive somewhere?

No…that’s not possible. Two thousand years should be too long, even for a Vampire Elf. Also, what about Sylvia’s sword? What’s the deal with that? We still have so many questions but the root of them seems to be—

Cerila grabbed my arm and yanked it, snapping me out of my mental spiral. She looked at me with concern in her tired eyes.

I let out a long sigh, not at Cerila’s concern but at myself. At her, I gave her a warm smile. How long had it been since I had done something like that? A year or two?

I explained.

Cerila tilted her head to the side. she questioned.

I clarified.

Cerila pondered my question as she furrowed her bows. She closed her eyes tight just like she did when she was a kid and thinking hard, her bushy tail swinging side to side.

she eventually signed.

I agreed.

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I sat back down and watched Cerila for a moment, hoping that maybe mentioning Talgan would jog some kind of memory within her, but there was nothing of the sort. I suppose it was outlandish to assume that Talgan suddenly appeared in the middle of their fight, did some Blood Sorcery, and wiped their memories while escaping into thin air.

Yeah, there’s no way something like that could have happened.

“Daddy! Are we leaving?! Are we finally going to the town?!” Mila shouted as she sprinted at me.

I caught the giggling child mid-jump and nodded. “Yes, it’s almost noon now, so we should be leaving shortly. How about you go wake Mommy and help her get ready, mmm?”

Mila only needed to hear one thing before she was sprinting at full speed back to the villa, leaving Dallin and Cordelia in the dust.

I turned to Cerila and asked her,

Cerila let out one big yawn, but I didn’t miss the fact it was to cover up the deep-set frown on her face. Even the fatigue in her eyes seemed to have grown.

—

The carriage glided across the stone path and into the city of Flumare. We decided to spend the day together as a large family and head into town to enjoy some more shopping and general city sightseeing.

The tournament officially ends tomorrow with the ceremony announcing the top three students who participated. Sylvia would receive her accolades and her one request from King Maxwell. From there, a week-long party across the city would be held, which we were only required to attend the first day. Our general plan was to return to Vinovia after the first day.

However, for today and thanks to Lord Marinos, we secured a boat ride into the bay along with our sightseeing and shopping plans. Apparently, if luck would have it, we could do some rare ice-water fishing. However, we were warned to keep our expectations low.

Naturally, that didn’t stop Mila and Dallin’s excitement in the slightest. Going on a boat in the open sea was a rare occasion for people in this world, considering the ever-looming threat of sea monsters and, of course, Leviathans. But the bay next to Flumare was sizable while also being relatively shallow, which meant Leviathans could not enter it, and the few monsters that called the bay home were basically hunted into extinction by the fishermen.

Of course, monsters were still a real threat, and there was no guarantee of a one hundred percent safety rating, but that was just the way the world worked. We took almost the same risks traveling long distances over land.

But that was for later. As for now, we had a city to see and take in. Now that I had been in Flumare for almost a month, I had to admit it had grown on me quite a bit. The fresh smell of the salty sea in the air never got old. The entire feeling of the city itself felt comfy and warm. The people, whether it be self-delusion or fact, seemed kinder.

Maybe it was the weather or the ocean, or because it wasn’t a capital city filled to the brim with citizens and the hustle and bustle that came with it, but it was like people were enjoying their lives more. Even the parts of the town with those of lower income didn’t feel as oppressive as parts of the capital or even Curia felt.

Or maybe I’m just getting old, and I’m finding value in how the air of my city smells. After all, if my lives were combined, I would be turning thirty-one this year. Even so…those first fifteen don’t count too much, do they? It wasn’t much of a life when I compared it to my most recent fifteen.

We had been walking in and out of stores and checking out stalls for sometime now. I looked over to where my parents were huddled over a stall with Dallin. The three of them were just browsing some woodworked bowls. It wasn’t anything fantastical; it was mundane and simple, yet…it felt special.

“Yes, it all feels special,” I mumbled.

“What’s special?” Sylvia asked, poking her head around my shoulder.

I smiled and touched a finger to her nose. “You are.”

A tinge of red hit her ears as she averted her eyes, “Wel—well, yes…of course I’m special! I’m me, obviously!”

“Cute,” I said simply.

Sylvia rolled her eyes and thrust two long pieces of fabric up into my face. She bounced between one and the other for a moment as if deciding. One was a rich, deep purple, while the other was a bright yellowish gold.

I wondered if she would buy one for herself as well, but her outfit didn’t call for one today. It was something I had bought her, and I had to admit I was quite proud of myself. Sylvia, like me, typically wore darker colors with a splash of color. But today, she wore a white and turquoise cloak buttoned up at the top with a blue and gold ribbon and a bright red gemstone placed in the center. Coupled with a simple white undershirt and skirt that matched, I thought the colors suited her well.

Sylvia didn’t say anything for a few moments, so I smiled as I raised an eyebrow at her. “Is matching my eyes the goal?” I teased.

“Duh…they are scarfs…for wearing…why, you don’t like them?” Sylvia said meekly.

“I never said that. Which one do you want me to wear more?” I asked.

Sylvia hummed to herself as she brought them up higher. “Well…I like both of them. Yeah, why not both? Why pick at all? I’m going to pay for both of them,” she said to herself with a satisfied nod.

I snorted and chuckled as she strode away proudly. Next up was number two, but I could tell she wanted something vastly different from the other.

Her orange-spotted tail sagged behind her as she looked up at me with her big blue eyes. “Daddy, I’m hungry…”

“What are you hungry for? We have much to choose from around here,” I asked.

Mila’s eyes darted back and forth before she finally settled on something. “Something sweet?”

Now, that’s something I can get on board with.

I haven’t had any sweet bread in a month, and frankly, I’m craving some. I’m tempted to dip into my chocolate stash, but I must remain strong; after all, I do have a promise to keep with someone, and I can’t go around eating all of it.

“You’re speaking my language now. Let’s find something then,” I said as I extended my hand toward her.

Mila took it but looked up at me with a look of confusion. “But I’m already speaking your language? My Human language is getting better…right?”

“Of course, your Human is almost perfect, Mila. And it was just a saying, don’t mind me,” I explained to her.

It was true. Mila’s Human language studies had progressed in no time, thanks in part to Grandpa Jacobs. She hesitated sometimes, and when words or phrases got too big or complicated, she struggled slightly, but for general conversation, she could be considered entirely fluent now. At home and in private, she spoke both Beastmen and Human, oftentimes interchangeably and, to me, sometimes in the same sentence.

Even Mila’s ability to use sign language had progressed tremendously. I couldn’t quite call her fluent just yet, but in a year or so, it would be a third language for her, no doubt about it.

Mila giggled as I led her by the hand. “I can’t wait to see Grandpa. I’m going to tell him you said I was perfect.”

I chuckled alongside her as I moved through the throng of people, eyeing any food stalls that caught my eye. “I’m positive he would agree with me. And I think he will be very excited to see you. I think he misses you and Dallin the most.”

“But I think Grandpa likes Daddy the most. He always talks about Daddy whenever we study things,” Mila said confidently.

“Oh? Does he now? Hopefully, he says good things about me,” I said.

“Grandpa always says good things about you, Daddy. That Daddy is very smart and knows so much,” Mila told me.

I chuckled and smiled at that revelation. It seemed he honestly had a soft spot for Mila and Dallin to be saying such things.

But would it kill the old man to say that to my face? I think the last time he said I was smart, I was also dumb. Something like that…

“You two! Yes, ah! The Dragonslayer, please come. You look like a man in need of a snack,” a voice called out to us.

I peered over at the vendor who called out to us. He wasn’t the first to recognize me, as I was not hiding my identity. For the most part, people just gawked at me from a distance. Only a handful took a step forward to talk to me.

Most of them just wanted to say hi to me, and I obliged. But the vendor here had something interesting.

“Fruit at the cusp of spring? Isn’t it far too early to be picking these?” I questioned as I picked up a green fruit that resembled an apple.

“A good eye as well as the knowledge to back it! Truly a knowledgeable man! But what you don’t know is that this fruit had been perfectly preserved in ice to be sold during the off-season!” he bragged.

I gave the apple a firm squeeze, and sure enough, it seemed to be in perfect condition. Apples would have been freshly picked a few months before my birthday, and the last time I had one was with Cerila at the Annual Field Games.

I wonder how Agnar is doing. Knowing him, he is probably enjoying life to the fullest, hunting some dangerous creature somewhere…what a character.

“This might not be exactly what you were looking for, but are you interested?” I asked Mila.

“Fruit…” she examined the apples.

The merchant smiled as he extended a green apple to Mila. “Here, take a bite of this, it's on the house.”

Mila greedily accepted the fruit and immediately bit into it. I could hear the fresh crunch as she sank her teeth into it and ripped a fresh piece of flesh off. Her face lit up for a moment, but then she scrunched her eyes shut and puckered her lips. It was clearly not a sweet apple.

The merchant let out a bellowing laugh as Mila glared at him. “Sorry, sorry, little one, just a joke. I couldn’t help myself as now I get to tell my friends this story. Here, for my rudeness, please accept these as payment. These are much sweeter,” he said as he handed over two fresh-looking red apples that were smaller.

Mila hesitated, and I put a hand on her head and rubbed it. “Try those ones instead. They should be much sweeter.”

Mila’s tail wagged side to side as she reached out for them. Sylvia walked up beside me, smiling.

“Where are the scarfs? You don’t want me to wear one now?” I asked.

“What? No…they wouldn’t match that brown jacket I gave you,” she explained.

True, I guess it wouldn’t match. But this leather jacket was a D-ranked dungeon item and was awfully convenient and comfortable with its ability to make the wearer feel neither too hot nor cold.

Mila bit into the apple, releasing another satisfying crunch. She let out a gleeful shout and, to my surprise, dashed off behind us. Walking past were my parents, Dallin riding on the shoulder of my chuckling father. Mila jumped up and down until Dallin reached down and grabbed the apple from her outstretched hands.

She quickly moved over to where Padraic and Cerila were browsing another stall and handed the apple to Cerila. She looked surprised at first, but even though she was tired, Cerila managed a kind smile and thanked Mila for the gift, split it in half, and handed the other half back to her.

It was a lovely show of affection, one I hadn’t expected from her. But it just showed how much Mila had begun to change. And Mila wasn’t the only thing that changed in that moment.

The air around us shifted. It was instantaneous, the bloodlust that assaulted us. I flicked around, dodged the dagger pointed at my head, and blew the merchant’s head clean off with a burst of white-hot fire.

We were being attacked by multiple people.