He stared blankly at the target. “You impress me again.”

I was surprised. It took me a moment to respond. “I think that was just luck…”

“And humble too… I wish I was similar.”

I scoffed without even thinking. “You don't want to be me.”

I honestly had no idea what his life had been like, for all I knew it was worse than mine, but I didn't think about any of that until after my words slipped out.

“I suppose we all have our problems. Still, I doubt you would want to be me either.”

The air fell still as a wispy silence covered the room. Even in the quiet wind our eyes were loud, glaring at each other. His eyes made me feel so uneasy, but I couldn't look away either. It was like I was staring into the abyss.

‘He can't be much older than me and Finlo, but he's an adventurer.’ “Why is it exactly that you're following Catherine anyway.”

He turned away and fired another arrow. I couldn't tell from his body language, but with how long he waited to speak, I felt like he was debating whether or not he should tell me.

“She saved my life and showed me what it meant to be strong. At the time it was enough for her to be strong for me… But now I need that strength for myself. My parents both became monsters and had to be put down… Realistically that means I'll grow up to be one too, That's what everyone says anyway.”

His eyes were locked down range, cold as ice. With nothing else to do, I continued shooting as well. “I guess you want her to make you strong so that doesn't happen, do I have that right?”

“Well, that's the excuse I keep using anyway… The truth is that I'm just hanging around her because I know she's strong enough to kill me before I hurt anyone, just like she did to my parents.”

Stolen story; please report.

I felt like I should have been moved, empathetic, maybe felt pity. If my own parents had treated me better than maybe I would have, but inside I was the same as the boy I saw across from me.

‘Am I the same? Running off of excuses, pretending like I'm trying to do something great, when in reality I’m just trying to survive?’

We were both fighting to escape the circumstances of our birth. The difference was that he was afraid of being like his parents, and I was so different from mine I couldn't so much as hope to be similar.

I unstring my bow and put it back. There was no longer any desire left in me to continue shooting. “You said you're going to turn into a monster… Because your parents did right? Because it's in your blood, your fate is as good as sealed…”

His cold glare met mine head on, but he stayed silent.

“If who your parents were really mattered that much, then I'd be a foot taller and strong as an ox.”

“An ox?”

“A really strong animal.”

The coldness in his eyes warmed a bit, if only because of my confusing metaphor. He shot another arrow.

I didn't know why, but his logic pissed me off. It made me so angry that he was torturing himself over the fact that he was similar to his parents. “Do you know who I am?”

“You are one of two daughters of house Nayanathulu. You're the daughter of Keigan, the strongest mercenary to ever live, and Mara, the butcher of black gate.”

‘That's what they call her?...’ I couldn't help but get chills hearing her title. ‘What did she have to do to get that title?’

‘No, that's not the point.’ “That's right. My parents are amazing. So then I have to be amazing too right?”

He squinted and raised an eyebrow, lowering his bow and turning back to face me, giving me his whole attention. “I suppose that's the same logic.”

“If that was true then I wouldn't suck at everything.”

His expression only grew more confused.

‘I should have phrased that better.’ “Look, I can shoot accurately right? That hardly matters though, because I can't draw a bow heavy enough to actually pierce a monster's hide.”

I felt myself getting even angrier the more I talked. “If you're going to become a monster, just because your parents did, then doesn't that mean I should be great like my parents were?”

All of my muscles started to feel tense as it continued to build until I wasn't even sure what I was angry at anymore. I grabbed two wooden swords off the rack next to where I hung my bow and threw one at him. “Fight me and see for yourself just how much your parents matter.”

He looked down at the sword and slowly met my gaze with his own once again “If you insist.”

“If it's in your blood to become a monster, then it's in mine to become a legend.”

He slowly tied back his hair making his deadly piercing eyes all the more apparent before he picked up the sword. “I've never been much good with these, but it seems you want to do this… I will try my best, Siya”

‘It may be in my blood to be a legend… but that legendary blood sure hasn't helped me this far…’ I started shaking. ‘This was such a bad idea!’

I took a deep breath. “Come at me then.”