"The wise are not wise because they make no mistakes. They are wise because they correct their mistakes as soon as they recognize them."

― Orson Scott Card, Xenocide

"So violent!"

Dante's staff intercepted Cain's sickle with a gentle flourish. The silver man in prayer was enough to shove Cain's weapon aside.

"But, it's a strange thing..." Dante pressed Cain through the air, eyes narrowed. "You're another soul from earth, like the slow-witted one over there."

"SHUT UP AND DIE!"

Cain's orbital blade slashed at Dante's face, a distraction. Sickle gripped with murderous force, Cain drove his aura into the weapon.

A blood moon formed in the air, framed at his back. A skeletal hand surfaced from its depths, a mirror of Cain's, but larger. The sickle it wielded touched the clouds, a rusted thing, better suited to farm work than combat.

Cain slashed, the points of all three weapons aimed at Dante's neck. The devilish man smiled, hand on the top of his cane.

"That's quite enough now, rude little man!"

Faster than vision, Dante unsheathed a sword from his walking stick. It slashed the air and returned to its place, hidden in the wooden cane.

An ungodly howl ravaged the air. Cain's summoned arm shattered into mist, a layer of blood that coated the land in a macabre rain. Color slipped from the murderer's eyes, while blood slipped from between his lips.

"How is that possible..." Cain's body trembled, a wave of blood that slipped from a thousand cuts. "What are you?"

"I'm just a traveler," Dante cleared an area of blood and took a seat on the ground. "Now... what do you have to trade? Keep in mind, there are three of you now, not two!"

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"Just squinch down and grab onto your power," Lyra's honest expression nodded in Speaker Ant's face. "It's like... whoosh, zap, SMASH!"

On her final word, Lyra drove her fist into the sparring ground's reinforced floor. A wave of force, directed towards the wall, blasted away the dust.

"I'm not sure I understand..."

Speaker had decided to learn more about the unusual magic of these humanoids. So far, Lyra was an... enthusiastic teacher. Unfortunately for him, he found nothing within himself to 'squinch on,' so her instructions seemed a bit off the mark.

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"You know... it's like HA, WHAM, SMACK!"

Dust continued to fly, a tornado that filled his mouth with dirt. Maybe I should ask Ven, or Mara... Lyra was better at practical work, he needed detailed descriptions of how this energy worked.

"Indeed... why don't we take a break for now," Speaker shuffled out of the ring, antenna locked in a wave. "We can visit the mess hall, or the hatcheries?"

"Let's go visit the grubs," Lyra pulled him along, lesson forgotten. "I want to say hello to the queen as well!"

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"Another ambassador has left..."

Mara's eyes gazed over the city, unfocused as she tapped a hand on her thigh. This was the tenth, all from religious nations. The Ori had started the flood, now she expected them all to be gone by morning.

"This is not about a missing ship," Aangor grunted. "The Empires of Faith have begun to withdraw from all non-religious countries."

"War..."

Mara's hand tapped faster, a desperate beat. They were ill-prepared for it. Ven was missing and the King had still not broken through. Aangor was the strongest warrior under her command, not a match for the might of nations.

"Perhaps, to be safe I will call home all the Masters," Aangor rose to his feet. "We must be ready, and the guild has strength beyond Ooulin!"

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Ven reached out a hand to steady his Master. Cain's injuries covered his body, a blanket of broken skin. Blood no longer flowed, but Ven wasn't sure that was a good thing.

"Are you alright, Master?"

"I'm fine, unfaithful disciple," Cain spat, eyes blinded by razored cuts. "He just got in a lucky blow..."

"Uh huh," Ven's lips twitched. "How about you sit down over here, you'll get him next time!"

"Damn right, I will," A flicker of red blossomed in Cain's sightless eyes. "That thing is dangerous, be careful..."

"Oh, come now," Dante clicked his teeth. "I'm a very reasonable person!"

"That's historically inaccurate..." The Dragon God sighed. "What do you want, Wanderer?"

"I want a trade!" Dante spun his cane. "The boy had an interesting bobble, I think he's got more!"

"Fine," The goddess turned to Ven. "Turn out your pockets, a trade is far better than the other options."

"I've already shown you everything," Ven backed away. "It's not my fault you only liked one thing..."

"You smell of lies," Dante licked his yellow teeth. "You have something, something I've never seen before...give it to me and you are all free to go!"

Ven hesitated. He had two more objects, a ring, and a coin. As useless as the coin was, he'd rather give up the ring. He had little need to hide his identity at the moment and the coin terrified him.

"Alright, here," Ven tossed the magic ring into the air. "But this is the last of it."

"Another lie bigger than the first," Dante squinted as he snatched the ring away. "This isn't what I'm sensing, it's strange and powerful, but you've got something else..."

"That's all," Ven was firm. "Now, can we go?"

"No," Dante tapped his finger and the ring fell at Ven's feet. "If you've got nothing I want for trade, then we can take a different path on this crooked adventure."

A heavy weight fell, a gravity that strained Ven's bones. Dante's smile vanished, replaced by an emotionless mask. The Dragon God's light dimmed further still, until the landscape was lost to shadow.

Fresh rivers of blood ran to the ground as Cain struggled to his feet. Ven stepped beside him, followed by the Dragon God.

"You're a planet-sized dragon, how about you just eat him?" Ven patted the goddess on the shoulder. "I don't think Cain or I will be much help with this one..."

"She can't hurt me," Dante's voice filtered in from the darkness. "She's a walking corpse with a hole in her heart, even in her prime she couldn't lay a finger on me!"

"He's right..." The goddess wrinkled her brow. "He's not even really alive, I can't hurt him with teeth or claws."

"I am very much alive," Dante snorted. "I've just taken a different approach!"

The man's cane raised above his head, ready to crash onto their skulls. Ven resigned himself, hands raised as he shouted.

"Wait, wait! I've got one more thing to trade!"

A black coin appeared in the air, between Dante and the group. It spun, complex runes on display as it dropped toward the ground. Dante leaned forward, hand extended.

"Oh... interesting!"