Liv stared hungrily down at the guard, waiting for him to move. Moving would be his last mistake as a guard, for he’d probably get fired after what she would do.

Then the fateful moment came.

The guard moved, stretching his back and looking up at the sky. At that moment, Liv swung down from the rooftop she was laying down on, grabbing two loaves of bread and instantly sprinting away. Shouts immediately followed her, but no one started chasing her, most people not caring, the chubby merchant not fast enough, and the guard’s reaction delayed by his looking away from her.

Another plan, executed perfectly. Liv dashed around a corner into an alleyway, the burning heat of day suddenly offset by the deep shadows she was traversing. Finding a nook in the wall, apparently created when a Spiritseer had punched it-Liv sat down, the dent in the wall big enough for her entire body. She heard guards race by the alleyway, some of them probably peeking in, seeing nothing, and continuing their run.

Bringing one of the loaves she had to her mouth, Liv started to eat, the other loaf held by her side.

As she finished, footsteps sounded, and Liv tossed the second loaf to the figure who emerged. “What took you so long, Durn?’

“Parents. They don’t want me meeting you, a kid who runs away from her parents so often. I had to sneak out.”

Liv snorted. “Don’t you always sneak out?”

Durn shrugged. “Today was different though. I was lazing-asking my parents to go out, then they said no, and then I snuck out.”

Liv waggled a finger at him. “Heard that.”

Sghing, he sat next to her. Liv curled her legs into her small cove, as Durn sat on a ledge outside of it. “What did miss Master Thief do this time?”

Liv pointed at his loaf of bread, and Durn nodded. “So you stole from Fatty the Third?”

Liv nodded. “It wasn’t very hard.”

“As expected.”

Durn turned to her, and she finally noted his black hair, matching his solid-black eyes. His skin was fair, though not pale, and he twiddled his fingers incessantly, though always unobtrusively.

“Why’d you run this time?”

Liv quickly replied. “The usual one. Arguing.”

“They’ll probably be really mad at you when you go back.”

Liv shrugged. “I’ll deal with it.”

Durn turned, watching the people go past on the street. “Well, I’ll see you again whenever you pull off another stunt, I suppose.”

Liv nodded, watching him go. Sometimes they talked for hours, and other days for minutes, though that didn’t diminish their friendship in the least. Durn walked to the end of the alley, and as usual, melted through the wall, showcasing his spirit of Shadow.

Then she walked out of the alley, back on her way home.

Liv entered the small hideout she called home. It was hidden in the depths of the city, deep in the rubble of a fight between Spiritseers. Part of a shop had been undamaged, and this is where Liv lived. She crawled through the small pathway she’d found, when she first discovered this place, and entered the shop area, sitting on the hard floor. As she always did, Liv tried to see, to look past the veil placed on her eyes and to see the world as it really was-filled with spirits.

Few could do this, but the ones that did were revered. If she did, that would be an instant ticker out of this place. Briefly she recalled telling Durn that she’d run away from her parents, once again. As if I have any.

Most people would only see one type of spirit, or two, if they were very talented. Durn could see the spirits of Shadow, Fear, and Nightmare, making him one of the most talented in the city.

Liv? She could see none.

Durn had no reason to be bandying around with her, and yet he did, her only companion. The other orphans she’d grown up with had all tried to betray her at some point, one even attempting to kill her.

Peeking out her ‘doorway’, Liv spotted the last faint glimmerings of light from the west. Time to sleep, then.

She laid on the floor, staring at the marble roof above her. She had a last thought;This shopowner was pretty rich, before falling into the oblivion of sleep.

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Liv jolted awake as someone shook her, quickly getting up, ready to strike. It was Durn. How’d he find this place?

“The city’s under attack.”

Liv’s sleepy mind fully recovered, snapping her to full alert. “Why are you warning me? Also, why aren’t you fighting out there?”

Durn shook his head, and this was when Liv finally noted the holes in his clothing, his singed skin. “I was already fighting. The city’s lost. Now, I’m getting you out of here.” Durn paused. “Oh. And I knew you had no parents. And that you lived down here, so don’t go asking me how I found you.”

Liv shook her head, taking his hand. They’d done this a couple of times, and melted together into darkness, emerging above on top of a building. It was the middle of the day, the sun shining straight down on them. The Liv blinked, and the night appeared for a second, before day took over once again. “Someone on the other side is making artificial day.” Durn said.

Liv turned, seeing him panting silently. Using Shadow during the day took a lot out of him, as they both knew. Durn pointed into the distance, and Liv turned. She could already tell a massive portion of the city in that direction had been taken over, unidentifiable figures in red rushing towards them, on the other side of the city.

Durn grabbed her once again, and they faded through shadow, appearing farther away. Then they faded again, and again. Then Durn fell over. He kept hold of their hand, and they teleported again, but only moved to the next rooftop. Liv released his had, and Durn looked up from the ground. “Take my hand. Let’s keep going,” he coughed out, but Liv refused. She left him, sitting on the ground, waiting for him to recover. As he stood and reached for her again, Liv danced aside, jumping to the next rooftop. He followed, and they started jumping from rooftop to rooftop, making noticeable progress to the edge of the city.

They quickly reached the wall, towering far above them. Then Liv turned to Durn, and graciously let him do his thing, teleporting to the top. Then both of their eyes widened.

There was another army on this side, about to crash through the gates. Durn fell to his knees. “It’s over.”

Liv shrugged. “It might be. We can still escape though.”

Durn turned to her. “You can still stay in the city and be safe. I’m the only one who needs to go-I’m the only one who fought.”

Liv stared at him until he sagged. “Okay.”

Durn grabbed her, and she felt power rise in him. Shadows took over the area around them, the sky above them dulling back to night, as they melted into shadows once again.

They faded back into existence on the other side of the army, Liv and Durn rising out of shadow. Durn immediately fell into her arms, barely muttering a “Run,” before falling silent.

Grabbing him, she hoisted him above her shoulders, jogging away from the city.

Then a soldier was in front of her, before she knew what was happening, and a sword was swinging for her face. Liv jumped back, overbalancing with Durn over her shoulder, and toppled, Durn rolling for few feet before stopping. Liv got up, a knife flitting into her hand. Then the forest started filling with soldiers, and it was suddenly gone, with Liv’s hands raised in surrender. The soldiers ignored her, except for the one in command. “She’s worthless. No power. Let her go. Kill the boy.”

The soldier raised his sword over Durn’s neck, preparing to swing down, and Liv felt it. The wind.

A song burst out of her, Liv’s lips not even moving, as Wind coursed through her. The air around her obeyed her control as the air solidified, stopping the soldier’s strike, before cutting straight through him. The captain turned to her, surprised, just before she unleashed a song of Lightning.

“Let Lightning Strike From the Forsaken Skies.”

Liv stood in the midst of it all, bolts of lightning as thick as her crashing into the enemy soldiers, evaporating them. The area around her was quickly cleared out, before the soldiers further back started to run. Durn twitched beside her, and gasped. “How?”

Liv continued the song, unable to concentrate on talking. Lightning and Wind, two separate Songs, flowed out of her, neither alienating the other nor harmonizing. Then she cut it off, the stream of sound suddenly stopping.

Durn grabbed her, pulling her into shadows, as the soldiers continued to run.

They reappeared, farther away from the city, and, in unison, turned back to watch it. The lightning had stopped, but even with the damage Liv had done, the city was lost. Soldiers were pouring in, fire burning in the midst of the fallen city. She stood there, somehow uncaring about the city she’d lived in for her whole life. Durn stood beside her, no emotion showing within him.

Both of them stood there for a few minutes more, before turning away and continuing to walk. Durn finally asked the question Liv knew was bouncing around in him. “Liv. The Songstresses are dead. How did you do that?”

Liv shrugged, adrenaline still running through her. “I don’t know.”

Durn nodded, accepting her answer. He pointed into the distance, a seemingly random direction. Mountains rose at his finger, forming a menacing wall reaching far above the horizon. “Maanterin is over there. The City of Wind.”

Liv nodded. “We can make a new life there?”

Durn nodded. “Yes.”

The hooded man stared at his army captain. “You say you found a girl who decimated your troops, singing a song of Lightning?,” he said in a gravely voice, almost silent.

The captain, jittering nervously, answered. “Uh. Yes-yes sir.”

The hooded man nodded, looking off to the side. His face, during this entire conversation, had stayed mired in deep shadow, invisible. “That’s who I attacked the capital for. That’s why I encircled the entire city. THAT’S WHO I TOLD YOU TO FIND!”

The captain shrunk back. The hooded man continued. “One more chance, and you die. Find her.”

He stared as the captain scrambled out of the hall. “That royal’s not going to escape me again.”