The Gardens of Eden, an exalting area outside of Soteria filled with steep hills, coastal plains, and valleys. Fields of green stretched out far beyond the eye could see. It was a sight to behold. It was hard to believe that such a beautiful place was considered to be the most dangerous area in Venetus. Or at least from the perspective of those that lived within the safety of the walls of Soteria.

Most people of the country referred to the Gardens of Eden as the Wild Lands, and those that lived out there were called Wild Landers. In the eyes of Soterians; Wild Landers were mere savages since there were no official forms of government or police force recognized by the country. Low lives and criminals could potentially run rampant out there without having to worry about the consequences of getting arrested. After all, Soteria had no jurisdiction out there. They had caused enough problems out there in the past. They didn’t want to create any more by lording their authority over them.

That was most likely the reason why Kyros Aleister was selected to venture out and explore the Gardens of Eden with his newest companions, Runa das Meer and Sarra Zosime--two Huntresses he met back in his country. As ordered by the council, they wanted Kyros to act as the countries envoy and strengthen the relationship of the area although Kyros knew that it was most likely an excuse to kick him out of the country.

About three weeks passed since Kyros, Runa, and Sarra left Soteria. It took a week and a half for the country to disappear off in the horizon. Venetus was the largest continent in Salome, with Soteria located on the southwestern end of the landmass. Natural barriers such as the ocean to the southeast and the mountain ranges to the northwest protected the kingdom.

The group traveled north.

Their destination—the Wild Hunt Guild located at the largest town in the Gardens of Eden, Anemone. From what Runa and Sarra explained to Kyros, there were only about four towns and a handful of villages in the area. Throughout their journey, the team went through two of them.

Despite the pleas of her teammates, Runa took charge and demanded that they kept moving. Eventually, the moon rose, and the group camped out for the night.

“Which one of us is going to be doing the hunting for tonight?” Kyros suddenly asked as he stared at the meat roasting over the campfire. They were about two to three days away from Anemone Town. But food rations ran thin.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s gonna be you,” answered Runa. “You don’t expect two vulnerable women to head out in the dark, do you? We need a big, strong man to hunt for us.” The woman’s sarcasm knew no bounds. Runa knew damn well that she could handle herself in a fight. She was a seasoned Huntress and Exousia. 

Kyros doubted an ordinary monster could take her down.

“Runa, would you quit teasing him already?” Sarra looked to her partner then heaved a sigh of annoyance. “Mr. Kyros has been doing more than enough work for us. He should get some rest.”

“Hey, he’s the one that said he’d be willing to do anything to help us,” Runa directed her attention to her partner. “It just so happens that having him do all the work is helpful for us.”

“I knew it! You were making me do all the work!” Kyros pointed at the one-eyed Huntress.

Runa clapped her hands together a few times then looked at Kyros with a mocking smile. “Figured that out by yourself?"

Kyros and Sarra kept silent and stared blankly at Runa. The numbers were against her. Eventually, she relented and left the others behind to hunt more meat for tomorrow's journey. She disappeared through the brush of the bushes, leaving Kyros and Sarra at the campfire. The two exchanged glances then immediately broke out into laughter. Unlike Runa; Sarra and Kyros had a good relationship. They often talked, laughed, joked, and played around together whenever they had the chance.

"Do you think she'll find anything?" Kyros wondered. It was late at night after all. Hunting monsters in the dark couldn't have been the easiest of tasks, even for experienced Hunters.

"Knowing Runa, she'll come back with something. Her pride won't allow her to admit defeat," Sarra said. 

"Nothing wrong with that. It was thanks to that attitude we defeated the Acolytes." Kyros lied down in the grass then took a bite of the meat. Afterward, he gazed up at the night sky.

It was beautiful. A dark sky that stretched on for infinity, illuminated by the blazing figures of light that flourished with immense clarity. It was hard to believe that Kyros experienced such beauty every day that he spent out in the Gardens of Eden. At times, he found himself unconsciously trying to reach out and capture the stars in the palm of his hand—as if that were possible.

“You’re doing it again, Mr. Kyros.” Sarra pointed out Kyros' odd quirk. However, she joined his side and imitated me.

“Am I? I’m sorry. It’s just so beautiful out here. I was captivated.” Kyros sheepishly stated.

“Yes, it is beautiful out here.” The little girl suddenly leaned up, then looked at him with a stern expression. “But, it’s dangerous as well, Mr. Kyros. You can’t afford to get distracted out here for too long. You always have to be on your guard.”

“I understand. I’m just taking a moment to admire the night sky.” Kyros leaned up from off the grass. “This is my second time outside of the walls of my country. I want to savor moments like these for a little while longer.”

“Mr. Kyros, you’ve been outside the walls for over a month now. You’ve had plenty of time to admire the beauty of the wilderness.” Sarra placed her hand on his shoulder. “I can’t allow you to let your guard down and slouch around while we’re out here. Just because Runa isn’t here, it doesn’t mean that you can take it easy.”

Kyros held back the urge to laugh in Sarra's face. It was the first time he'd seen Sarra act so assertive and forceful. Was that how she was like whenever Runa wasn't around to watch her?

"What's so funny?!" Sarra exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but am I seriously being lectured by a little girl right now?" Kyros struggled to say. It was one thing to get reprimanded by his superiors and comrades, but a little girl of all people? Now that was something different. Something that he didn't expect. He was enjoying every second of the Gardens of Eden.

“I may be a little girl, but you can’t deny that I have far more experience in surviving out here than you. I may have been useless back in Soteria, but out here I can be almost as useful as Runa.” She proudly stated with her hands firmly on her hips.

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It was true, Kyros couldn't deny the experience of the Huntresses. They faced unimaginable dangers and hardships throughout their travels together. But underestimating Kyros would be a mistake as well. He was the military captain of his unit for a reason.

But he wasn't going to argue with a little girl about who had a harsher lifestyle. Nothing good would ever come from an argument like that. The best thing to do would be to accept the situation and adequately listen to any advice given to him by the Huntresses. He could afford to learn something or two from the professionals. 

“You’re right about that. I’m sorry, Sarra. I’ll properly listen to you and Runa.” Kyros apologized.

“Thank you, Mr. Kyros. The fact that you listened to me makes me very happy." Sarra smiled. However, it slowly dropped as she continued, "When I say things like that to Runa, she just brushes it aside and keeps treating me like a child.”

“Well, you are a child,” Kyros stated. Sarra's gaze averted from his as she sat back down, hugging her legs close to her chest. “But, just because you’re a child, doesn’t mean I can’t learn from you.”

“I wish someone would tell Runa that. She’s been doing nothing but treat me like a child ever since we first met each other a year ago.” Sarra frowned at the memory.

“Came across each other? What do you mean by that?” Kyros felt obligated to ask the question. He always wondered how Runa and Sarra met each other in the past.

“Runa saved me from almost certain death. And ever since then I’ve grown to respect her a lot,” She answered, “I wish that she would stop treating me like I’m some useless child. She understands the things I’ve gone through ever since I became an Exousia.”

Kyros opened his mouth to respond. But he couldn't find the words to comfort the sad girl. Instead, he kept silent and allowed Sarra to continue to vent her anger and frustrations. It seemed as if the girl had kept it bottled up for a long time, and she needed to let it out.

“I felt so useless back in Soteria. While you and Runa were out there fighting, and protecting the people of the country, I was off hiding and cowering.” She shamefully admitted. Her tone grew more cold and harsh. “I followed Runa to Soteria to help her. But, I’ve done nothing but slow her down. I want to get stronger so that I can be of some use to someone. I don’t want to lose anyone important to me anymore just because I’m weak!”

Sarra's sudden display of conviction and determination stunned Kyros. He saw it in her eyes—the fiery passion, the iron will to become stronger. It caused him to remember back when he made the same declaration eighteen years ago.

“You should tell Runa that when she gets back from hunting our dinner,” Kyros told her as he placed my hand on her shoulder. “If you tell her the same thing you said, she’d have no choice but to say yes.”

“I tried before, and she didn't listen.” Sarra lowered her head. "She said she wouldn’t train me unless I learned how to unlock my Praus.”

“Your Praus? You mean you haven’t unlocked it yet?” Kyros inquired. At that moment, he remembered back to when they encountered Roditis in Aion’s weapon shop. Sarra was eager to use his technology to unlock her Praus. But, Runa sternly forbade it.

Sarra shook her head, then responded, “No. I can’t seem to grasp how to do it. Runa explained the basics to me, but I can’t get the first limiter open.”

“I see…” Kyros closed his eyes and thought for a moment about the situation. Not having ones Praus unlocked was very dangerous, especially out in the Gardens of Eden. One severe injury and Sarra would die. That was a problem they'd have to fix as soon as possible. If Runa wouldn't help her, then he would. "How about I try and teach you how to do it?"

Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at Kyros with great admiration and respect. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

“Why not? We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Yes! Yes! We are!”

“Alright then, first, let’s start by telling me what you know about Praus.”

Sarra brought her hand to her mouth then cleared her throat before she answered, “Praus, an inherent emanation of power that all living creatures on the planet possess which can be used for a broad range of abilities such as strengthening attacks or protecting the body from harm. It is a form of life energy. So, should one run out of it, they are sure to die. Ordinarily, it is not visible unless it is highly concentrated or manifested in large amounts. While visible, Praus appears in several different forms depending on the owner. The most common forms are that of a radiating glow or flaring flames. Each person’s Praus is different and as such, gives off a unique signature; for example, no one has the same color of Praus.”

Kyros sat there with wide eyes, clearly stunned at the extensive knowledge that Sarra had on the subject. Sarra recited it so quickly like it was out of a textbook. That girl was dedicated to her studies. What surprised him the most was that she was entirely right.

“Anything else?” Kyros wondered. At that point, he was purely probing the girl's brain for more information.

“One cannot gain access to their Praus without first opening the limiters in their body. There are seven limiters in the human body. The more limiters one opens, the more access they have to their Praus.” She explained. “The limiters are located in the spine, sacrum, stomach, heart, throat, forehead, and the crown of the head.”

“Excellent. I can tell you’re serious about this.”

“I am. I’ve been trying to open the first limiter for a year now to no success.” Sarra hung her head once again. “How did you manage to do it?”

“Through meditation,” Kyros answered. “If you want to open the first limiter, you must be aware of what you’re afraid of.”

“I’m…I’m not scared of anything.” Sarra’s eyes wandered away from him.

“Don’t lie to yourself, Sarra. Everyone has something that they fear. I do, you do, Runa does. Learning to accept them is the first step.”

“But, you and Runa are so brave and strong. You both show no hesitation to charge into battle when a situation calls for it.” She stated as she raised her head. “How could you two be afraid of anything?”

“Sometimes being brave and being afraid go hand in hand.” Kyros clasped his hands together for emphasis. “When I fought against the Acolytes, I feared for my life and the lives of others. In the back of my mind, I had doubts that I could do anything. But, I knew that if I did nothing, then innocent people would die. I couldn’t allow that to happen. I accepted my fear and still fought despite it.”

“I see…”

“Let’s trying meditating together.” Kyros closed his eyes and crossed his legs together. “I want you to think real hard about what you’re most afraid of. Confront that fear of yours.”

“Okay…” The hesitancy in her voice alarmed him. Kyros peeked one eye open then watched her meditate with a stern expression. He focused his attention on trying to sense Sarra’s energy. Since her Praus hadn’t been unlocked, it was impossible to detect her.

Kyros had faith in the little girl. He kept his eyes closed and waited until he sensed a sudden burst of energy nearby. However, it never came. He didn’t know how many minutes passed, but he eventually opened his eyes and found Sarra sprawled out on her back, panting heavily.

The poor girl nearly exhausted herself, trying to open the limiter through force rather than meditation. That was extremely dangerous. The most commonly used methods to unlock limiters was through meditation and willpower. Forcing them open was the less desirable option.

“Sarra? Are you alright?” Kyros rushed over to her, then lifted her back up from the ground. Her breathing grew rapid. “You shouldn’t try to open your limiter like that so forcibly. It’s very dangerous.”

“But, I can’t seem to do it the normal way,” Sarra complained. 

“Well, trying to speed things along and then complaining about it when you fail won’t do anything to help you."

Sarra closed her eyes then nodded. She moved away from Kyros then situated herself a little closer to the campfire. After she had taken a few deep breaths, she returned to her meditation.

The two remained silent for the rest of the time until Runa returned to the campsite. She dropped several carcasses of dead animals by the carriage.

“Goddess, I’m exhausted.” She had announced before she plopped down by the campfire next to Sarra. “Instead of cooking those bad boys for tonight, let’s save them for the morning.” She slowly closed her eye then drifted off to sleep, not bothering to call out her meditating teammates. 

Nonetheless, the three of them called it a night and went to sleep. Or rather, the Huntresses did. Kyros still had the duty of keeping watch. After all, monsters and Varvara often appeared at night. Once his four-hour night watch shift ended, he awoke Runa and then went to sleep after she took over.