Our morning meal consisted of fresh buns, eggs and more salted pork, we ate together while we discussed the day.

"We should go to the field and catch some grouse for our supper, then we can train as well. I need to move my body and get in shape." I shared.

"Can I come?" Aimee asked.

"Actually, yes. I want to see what you can do with those daggers of yours." I told her.

Smiling, she pulled out one of the daggers and passed it to me, handle first. "Father etched runes into them. Fire. Just like yours." She said proudly.

"I will show you how fast they fly when I send them with a wind spell. I can almost control the wind too, so the daggers are like deadly flying birds!" She made a dramatic hand gesture in excitement.

I laughed, "I can't wait to see you master that skill."

"How about you Sigurd? Will you and Willow join us hunting for grouse? I bet Willow can help us catch them faster!" Aimee asked Sigurd, turning her full attention to Willow, smooshing her face into Willows. Willow was soaking up every little bit of Aimee's love. I could see Aimee getting her own fox fairly soon. Attachments have been made.

"Oh, no. I will stay here and help Astra with all the cooking, baking and cleaning. I'm happy here." Sigurd said as he was carving into some wood, he put it down and joined my mother with cleaning up the morning meal.

Aimee and I were pulling out winter cloaks from the chest that sat by the door, and preparing some arrows when my father asked if he could join us.

"Of course, old man." I laughed, "No one knows me better than you, I need the challenge!" I was looking forward to training with my father. I couldn't count on him sticking to any one fighting style, he was always moving between defensive and offensive moves. Using magics to enhance his attacks, not holding back. A lot of that training makes sense now. I was still thankful for it.

Fate or no fate, I loved fighting. The sound the blade makes when it's slicing through the air, or an axe crashing into a shield. I enjoyed it all.

Not a moment later, Aimee, my father, Bellator and myself were all making our way up the hill behind the farm leading to the fields. They were bare this time of year, that's what made it perfect for training.

"Aimee, what have you learned for battle magics?" Bellator asked her.

"Fire and wind like most, but my father has also taught me a few tricks. Only months ago, he taught me how to bend light to blind my enemy." She huffed a bit. "I'm still working on that one."

Bending light wasn't easy anyways, not during battle. If Aimee could learn how to blind her foes, she could be lethal with those daggers. Not something I could be successful in. My father tried and I was blinded many times before we moved on.

"I want to see the daggers fly around." I was having a bit of fun with her. I was in a good mood.

"Oh, you will see them, but only when they are flying towards you." She laughed.

We both ran the rest of the way up the hill, my legs aching from being unused by the time we reached the top.

Aimee would be 13 after the solstice and that means that I will be in my 20th year soon after. If I made it that far anyways. Aimee was young and that helped me because I refuse to let a child best me in any skill. I also didn't treat her like a child during training. She needed to learn to fight like she was defending herself in battle. She knew what she could expect from me.

I slowed down walking letting Aimee get in front of me, then dropping down spinning my leg out, I knocked her off her feet. She hit the cold ground with a thud on her rear. She rolled to the side, her one hand already filled with fire to throw my way. She chucked the flames towards me, then using her other hand blew wind directly under her, pushing her back to her feet.

I laid flat on the ground, the flames missing me. Rolling to my stomach, laughing a little, I pushed up off the ground, got to my feet and ran directly at her, throwing a small wind spell at her, not strong enough to do much, but it did push her over slightly.

"That was impressive, Aimee" I said

Out of breath and rubbing her rump, "Yeah, thanks, but now my arse is sore." She said in a slightly whiny tone.

I laughed and looped my arm in hers. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

I could hear my father chuckling behind us. "She will be better than you some day, Kaida, better watch out."

"If I let her." I replied. Amiee and I laughed.

I heard Bellator's sword singing as it was pulled from its sheath behind me. Turning around to see him, he reached his hand out and motioned for me to interact. Challenge accepted.

I pulled out my sword, and my single dagger. I sent a fire into my dagger. The fire rune enhanced the small flames I channeled into larger, hotter flames.

Bellator didn't hesitate and sent fire into his own blade.

I dashed towards him, sliding to the side as I reached him, he was stepping forward to embrace my attack and stumbled when he missed. In a fluid motion, he turned and sent wind into my chest, I was knocked back a few steps. I gained my balance quickly, but he was already in front of me about to slash the front of my chest with his sword, I could feel the heat of the flames in the air against my neck as I stepped to the side again, and kicked him in the back of the knee. Losing his balance he dropped down to his knee, swinging his sword behind him, holding it across his shoulders blocking the back of his neck from my attack. I was swinging my own sword over my shoulder towards Bellator's neck, our swords sending a ringing into the air as they connected.

I stepped back catching my breath. Bellator got to his feet and turned to face me. I didn't wait, I rushed him, swooping down and kicking his legs from under him, just like I did to Aimee. He fell to the ground on his back. I jumped up and stepped over him, legs on either side of his ribs, and brought my sword down, stopping against his chest.

Again I stepped back. Bellator got to his feet. "Okay then." he said smiling.

"Sorry." I told him.

"I expected no less." He told me.

I steadied myself to go again. He followed. This time he rushed me, I stepped to the side attempting to avoid him. He anticipated this and threw his shoulder into me knocking me backwards. I fell onto my rear end, dropping my sword. Still having my dagger I put it out in front of me, catching his sword as he was swinging downwards, my blade sliding down his with a slicing sound hissing through the flames, the handle of my dagger coming to rest on his hilt. My hand getting warmer from the fire on our blades feeding each other, I held tight onto my dagger bracing my wrist with my other hand, trying to push him away. He brought his knee up and knocked my arms upwards. My blade dropped.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Bellator stood up, stepped back, turned around and held his hand out. I grasped his wrist and he pulled me to my feet.

"Well played." I said to him through a smile.

Aimee and my father were clapping behind us. Bellator and I replaced our swords in their sheaths, and walked over to them dusting the snow off of ourselves.

My father had made training targets for me and Aimee to practice combat spells on a long time ago. They stood in the middle of the first crop field, so when we were setting them on fire, freezing them and blowing them over with wind, there was no risk of hitting each other. Of course this was not my favorite part of training. It was frustrating for me. I took out a small piece of burned wood from my pocket, and on the back of my hands I drew with the carbon two runes. One that stood for power, and the other that stood for magic itself. The runes helped increase my magic, but not by much. I learned early on that any help to make my magic stronger, was help that I needed to accept.

Aimee stepped forward first. She put a foot in front of her to brace her. She did a wide, hard swinging motion and sent a ball of ice flying towards the target, she immediately swung her hands up in front of her, sending a wind wave behind the ball of ice, increasing its speed. It slammed into the target, knocking it over sending ice in all directions.

I clapped, along with Bellator and My father. She bounced on her toes happily with herself, and then walked over to our father. He gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Good job, Aimee. You could take someone's head off with that move."

"Yes, and one day I will use my skills in battle with you, father!" She said,

I knew battle was inevitable in Aimee's future. Our world had too many greedy people, and other dangers of war, and those things were always going to exist. Even in the awakened world we had our own battles. Sometimes one village would attack the next village simply because one leader knew he was stronger then the other leader.

Once the village of Braithside, a village to the north of us that was settled against a sea. They had a lot to offer., whaling and fishing. The oils alone were in high demand all over. They also fished tantora, a giant whale like creature that's been in the waters longer than we have been on land. They have long jaws that are covered in sharp, conical teeth. They share the same body structure as whale's, except instead of two fins, tantora's have four. Making them faster underwater and harder to track. Braithside wanted Duskenhills land. We are very lucky with mountains, streams, wildlife for hunting, and fields that were ideal for farming. This gives us plenty to trade, farm, and plenty to gain. Our Village does well, which is why they wanted to gain control. Braithside attacked us and failed their mission. Our leader, Erik, is well trained for war and his magic is strong. Erik and my father set up defenses around the village, and the gods have blessed the woman around here with plenty of sons over the years, so warriors are not in short supply in Duskenhills.

Braithside now goes by the name of Dusken Harbor, as it was, we took their land and village when their leader fell in battle. That's how things worked.

"Bellator? Kai rules in Perifrey, but how far does his influence reach? Do you know which villages and councils support him? Who would fight to get him the power he wants?"

"Probably far. He is Magus. There are probably more people who oppose him, that refuse to openly oppose him out of fear he would kill them and their families. There are hundreds of people who support him as well." He explained.

"We would need an army to support us if we face Kai head on. Warriors who are willing to stand up to the Magus." I stopped talking to think. " Where do we start looking?"

"Everywhere." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "As many followers Kai has, he has shown his evil in many villages that surround Perifrey, and farther. Again, it's about those people willing to stand up to the Magus." he explained.

He was right. How can I convince others to fight Kai, and Amaia with us?

I turned my attention back to the targets. I stepped forward reaching my hands up towards the sky, concentrating with all my power, I gripped the air in my hands, and pulled my hands down towards the ground like I was pulling the sky down itself. Dark clouds filled the sky, Thunder pounded the air, and a bolt of lightning hit the target, bursting into flames with a crack. We could feel the energy in the air itself

I stepped back, speechless. That has never happened before.

I have only been able to surround the targets in ice, and blow them over with winds.

"What was that, Kay?" My father asked. "Have you been practicing that? It was great."

"No. That was new to me too." I said rubbing the charcoal off the backs of my hands. I wasn't entirely sure that was me, or if something had woken up inside me. Like a yellow gem.

I stepped forward and did the same thing. The sky didn't do anything. I was standing there like a fool waving my arms up and down. After the third time, I gave up. Somewhere in the distance a crow was cawing. I imagined it was laughing at me.

I gave up frustrated after my arms started to get tired from pulling make believe energy from the sky. Turning around and storming back over to my father.

"What shit." I said angrily.

"Time will heal that, Kaida. That was an improved move for you as it was, we can't deny that." My father said,

"Yeah, but that's time I might not have." I huffed and picked up my bow, and threw my quiver over my shoulder. "You guys keep chucking your spells, I'm going to get our supper." I stormed off towards the trees.

At the tree line of the forest I sat in front of a large oak that I had sat under many times, frustrated with magics. I moved some foliage, twigs, and other forest growth away from the dirt in front of me and piled a few of those twigs together. I stuffed some dry leaves in between them, and sighed. I closed my eyes thinking about fire. The warmth, how the flames danced, the air it breathed. It only took a moment when the twigs started to smoke and a tiny fire bloomed.

The sounds of fire exploding and ice cracking as they froze and burned targets filled the air. An occasional time I could hear my father yell, "Aimee! That was too close to my face!" or "Watch out, Bellator!"

As my small fire was burning and I was warming my fingers and calming my nerves, I decided to spend a moment thanking the gods. For bringing me home for one thing.

I wrapped a few extra twigs together, some fresher leaves, and pricked my finger dropping a few drops of my blood on the leaves, then bound them with a piece of leather I cut from my boots lace. I placed it over my fire and let it burn. As the flames took over the twigs I closed my eyes and thought of Loa. I told her of my respect for her, and admiration. And I thanked her for not killing me. I thanked Ota for sending me Sigurd, and Bellator. I asked him to keep Vala close to him. She sacrificed her life for them, for their safety, and ours. Aadi. I thanked him for trusting me, and stepping in with Loa. I had a lot I wanted to say to him.

Four quick thuds above my head on the trunk of my oak tree startled me. I looked up and saw Aimee's four daggers sticking out from the tree.

I got to my feet and pulled them out. She was still standing in the middle of the field with Bellator, and my father. Waving at me, then motioned for me to throw the dagger into the air.

Shrugging, I did exactly that. I grabbed the blades and one by one tossed them in the air above me. Instantly they turned towards Aimee and took off at a great speed. landing in the ground in front of them all.

I gave off a loud roaring 'yeah' totally impressed that she actually could fly those daggers around. It cheered me back up. I ran back over to meet them ready to watch that again, forgetting about hating my magics.