YUKINA AYLING

We rode for hours nonstop until it was pitch dark. We managed to find ourselves on the outskirts of the city, with the Ausbane forest lying ahead. It was already dangerous enough to travel across the forest during the day, let alone at night, so we had to set camp for the night.

Svan and I sat on opposite sides of the fire with large stones, which we used as makeshift seats. Svan tended the fire, throwing sticks into it when he felt it was necessary, while I stared wordlessly at him. He was an intriguing young man who I found difficult to understand. The most intriguing thing I discovered about him was how he maintained composure and good humor despite his difficulties. If I were in his circumstances, I would let my frustrations get the better of me.

I understood what my problem was. I hated the feeling of weakness and always wanted to feel powerful. I wanted to be important. I didn’t want anyone to look down on me, which was why I’d worked so hard my entire life. I understood how furious I felt when my feel manifested without any elemental affinity, but I put that fury into training, and it didn’t take long for me to become a threefold stillbringer, a feat I achieved at the age of twelve.

Being a stillbringer was much less common than being a caster, and a feat like that was unheard of since most stillbringers could spend a lifetime trying to break the onefold barrier, as there were only three threefold stillbringers that I knew of. It was a feat that brought me a lot of respect from most people, while the rest were scared of me, declaring that I wasn’t normal.

As if it wasn’t enough, I mastered various swordsmanship. With the combination of stillbrings and my sword skills, I was practically unbeatable against an equal opponent, but I wasn’t content. Even though I was well-respected for my skills and had the protection of one of Stavren's most powerful houses, it wasn't enough. I wasn't sure what I was yearning for, but I knew there was something or someone I needed to find. But then, there was Svan, someone who appeared to be the exact antithesis of me, but despite his calm demeanor, I knew he was one goal-driven and persistent fellow. Even though his feel never manifested, he forced me to teach him swordsmanship and often said to me,

“I have to be good at something, at least.”

I felt myself becoming increasingly attached to him. He was like the little brother I never had. I felt awful for him when I learned that he would be ousted. I couldn’t just let him go off on his own, so I decided to go with him, at least providing him with the protection he needed, and maybe, during our journey, I could find the answers I was searching for.

“Are we going to sleep with empty bellies tonight?” Svan asked, with a hint of worry on his face.

I smiled at him.

“What took you so long?”

I reached into my backpack and rummaged around until I found the parcel of marinated beef that I had brought with me from the castle. I tossed it to him.

“Here, roast it.”

A smile lit his face as he prepared a makeshift spit with the sticks he gathered, skewered the meat I gave him, and began roasting it.

“Where did you learn how to do that?” I asked, looking surprised. I was expecting him to say something like, “I don’t know how to roast meat,” when I tossed the meat over to him.

“From a book,” he replied, focused on what he was doing.

Looking at him, I couldn’t help but smile. His fire-lit face seemed to disclose a different appearance of him that I had never seen. It reflected his auburn hair, which he wore in a bun with faded sides and a well-chiseled jawline. He was tall for his age, a trait he inherited from his father. If only he had been a caster, he would have probably been the most sought-after male in all of Stavren.

“So, where are we headed from here?” Svan asked, still tending to the fire and meat.

“He-he, I don’t really know.”

He halted what he was doing for a second.

“Then, we will just be wasting our time?” he asked.

“No, not really. Let’s say we are embarking on an adventure to the unknown. We would journey to numerous places, both safe and dangerous, experience new things, and meet new people. Who knows what fate might have in store for us?”

“That sounds like a plan, and the first would be a journey across the Ausbane forest, I suppose,” he said in reply.

“Exactly!”

SVAN CHORYTH

I wasn’t sure if I was roasting the meat appropriately. Theoretical knowledge and practical skills can sometimes be contradictory.

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I didn’t know what to expect when we eventually embarked on our journey through the Ausbane forest. From books I had read, I knew the forest included lots of wild monsters that could easily kill an unprotected person. As much as I was excited about going there, I knew I had to be careful because any mistake could mark the end of my life.

I felt the meat was adequately roasted based on its appearance; it had completely changed from red to deep-brown with some burnt patches here and there. I carefully set it on the parcel where it was initially stored and divided it into two uneven parts with my pocket knife. I gave the larger half to Yukina, settling for the smaller.

“Ummm, this is good,” Yukina said as she chewed the meat.

I smiled as I said to myself, “I guess I did well.”

I was just halfway through eating mine when I looked at Yukina. She was done with hers but was wearing a frown, and when her eyes met with mine, she yelled,

“Svan, grab your sword now!”

“That wouldn't be necessary,” a masculine voice said from behind me, and a group of people surrounded us in the blink of an eye.

With a quick glance, I counted all of them; they were seven in number. All dressed in black, with their faces covered in scarves. I could tell that three of them were women based on their appearance. The man who spoke earlier approached me and took the piece of meat I was eating. I cursed under my breath, but that was the best I could manage.

“I will just keep it simple. Hand over your money, and we will be on our way. There is no need for unnecessary bloodshed,” he said as he nibbled my meat.

“If you leave now, I will act like this never happened,” Yukina said in a suppressed rage.

From the look on her face, I could tell she was really pissed.

The man let out a cackling laugh.

“Hey, I don’t think you have the right to make any demands here. I mean, can’t you grasp the situation you are facing right now?”

Yukina completely ignored what he was saying.

“What guild do you guys belong to? The last time I checked, the minimum wage for all guild members in Stavren was sixty silver pieces per month, three times the minimum wage of other citizens. Also, this wage is independent of the bonuses you receive from missions, so why do you resort to robbery?”

“You seem to know a lot about the guilds. Are you a caster? Well, it doesn't matter, does it? This will be your last night,” the man replied.

“Now, prepare to face your….”

Before he could finish his statement, his head rolled towards the fire while Yukina stood beside his still-standing body, clutching both of her blood-smeared swords. A fountain of blood gushed from his neck before his body finally slumped.

I was still trying to process what had just happened while I watched in horror. In one moment, Yukina was seated with her swords sheathed; in another, she had just beheaded someone. I had never seen anyone die before my eyes all my life, and the first happened to be gore. I was scared shitless, visibly trembling, and nauseous. The remaining six took to defensive positions, each brandishing their elemental affinity. There were three fire casters, two water casters, and one earth caster.

The earth caster stepped forward as he conjured rocks into spike shapes. I counted at least thirty of them before I lost count. Aiming his palms in Yukina’s direction, he hurled them towards her. She didn’t even bother evading the barrage as she charged at him. I could clearly follow her movements, unlike before. It seemed she was purposely not using her speed stillbring. She parried some of the spike-shaped rocks while the rest hit her body but couldn’t pierce her. When she got within striking distance of her assailant, he conjured a stone wall from beneath him to stop her blow.

The earth caster was skilled, transforming the earth wall into spikes and launching it at Yukina immediately after blocking her blow. At the same time, all three fire casters unleashed fireballs toward her. She materialized behind the earth caster in the flash-like maneuver she had executed when she beheaded the first guy. He tried to create another earth wall, but he was too late as she drove a sword through his back. Without wasting any time, she charged toward the fire casters, and within a blink, she was bombarded with a barrage of fireballs.

I had already forgotten that I was not just a spectator in the fight but also a participant, and I was reminded when an ice spike grazed my neck. I felt blood trickle slowly from my neck as my heartbeat increased tenfold. Though I was a little disoriented, I still managed to unsheathe my sword.

The water casters prioritized me, while Yukina was preoccupied with the fire casters. I wished I could tell them that I was nowhere near as strong as Yukina, but that would make it easier for them to attack me since they seemed to cautiously approach me. One hurled a torrent of ice toward me while the other fired water bombs. Luckily, I used the tree behind me as cover. I didn’t know what to do, as it was apparent that my sword skills were useless in a long-range fight.

Before I could organize my thoughts, I saw an ice spear approaching me head-on. One of the water casters seemed to notice that I was much weaker than Yukina and approached me with killing intent. Tilting my head to the left saved my life as the ice spear hit the tree and shattered, generating tremors that sent vibrations throughout my body. I honestly didn’t know how I was able to instantly dodge that attack, but that wasn’t my concern at the moment. With an ice sword in her hand, she lunged in an attempt to stab me. I parried her attack, which made her lose her footing. Taking advantage of her wobbly stance, I side-stepped to my right and thrust my sword into her midriff.

I saw the disbelief in her eyes as she coughed up blood. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, and I could readily tell she didn’t want to die. Although she was an enemy who, moments prior, would have killed me without thinking twice, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

I heard Yukina scream my name. I lifted my face and saw a barrage of ice spikes launched toward me. There was no way I could escape from them in time. Instinctively, I tossed the caster, whom I had just stabbed towards the ice spikes for damage control, as I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. I could feel some cold stinging on my left arm and leg. I knew I had been hit, but all my vital spots were spared. The water caster dropped to the floor, taking most of the damage. It was evident that she was dead.

When the caster who launched the ice spikes saw that she had failed to kill me, she fled. Yukina didn’t bother going after her; she was more concerned about my condition.

“Are you alright?” she asked me.

I looked at the spikes that hit me. There were three in total; one on my arm, the other on my thigh, and the last on my calf.

“I think I will be fine,” I replied, mustering a smile.

With a sigh of relief, Yukina pulled me to her chest.

“Thank goodness you are safe.”