Freyde was the first to recover from the shock my revelation caused them all. “Other than Deckard, I haven’t seen any of the beasts. But I believe you have some catching up to do.”

“Some catching up to do?” Stella uttered in disbelief. “These are the Miros she’s talking about. The weakest one ever seen was a fucking level five hundred. And Esu...well, now Esudein is not just any beast. Close to level nine hundred, he is the Lord of Esulmor."

“He’s more of a half-step to a thousand and doesn’t really like the title, at least the Mother Mossbears don’t.” I pointed out, not knowing why. The chances of them meeting mossbears were slim. Either it must have been my beast side, or the Mother Mossbears attitude rubbed off on me because I didn’t think the title fit him either. Esudein was just Esudein. “Well, if anything, he is a Guardian of Idleaf, just like me.”

“It begs the question of why Idleaf chose you,” Harper remarked, a smirk on her face. I was tempted to give her the middle finger. They all knew very well why, Idleaf told them.

“That’s what I wonder too, but…you can talk to beasts?” Stella seemed genuinely shocked by that.

“...and with animals,” I added. “If they have an ounce of intelligence. You really didn’t read my file, did you?”

“I told you I wanted to get a sense of you myself. That’s how it was before I blew it, and nothing’s changed.”

“Good take,” Freyde praised, taking a sip of his ale. “Files, dossiers, and papers on someone can tell you a lot, but meeting the person face to face will tell you the truth...if you know where to look.”

Meneur grunted, disagreeing with him. “People tend to put on airs and give a good impression; it’s their actions that tell you who they are.”

“That’s why I said if you know what to look for.”

“Her actions sucked,” Harper noted at the expense of our squad leader. “What does that tell you about her?”

Prompted by the baker gal, he looked at Stella, pondering. “Too soon to judge.”

“Seriously, Meneur?! Just a moment ago, you said she fucked with you like the warriors in your clan. Don’t you have the balls to stand by your word?”

Harper might not mince her words, but she had a point. The big Taurus guy, as timid as he was, never struck me as someone who changed his mind that quickly.

“I did what?” asked Stella, confused by her choice of words. All she had to do was ask about mating and I would have thought we had a second Idleaf on our hands.

“Don’t say you forgot!” Harper snapped.

“You played with us - rather arrogantly, I might add - especially here with Meneur.”

“I didn’t...” Stella objected to Freyde’s charge, only to stop short. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath. “Yeah, I did. I did, and I’m truly sorry about that. My temper got the better of me...not meant as an excuse.”

Harper smirked. “Then why the heck tell us?”

“I don’t know! So you see what drove me to do it, I guess....” Stella said with more fire in her voice as her patience with the grumpy [Baker] began to wear thin. “So that you know that I’m not like that. Usually.”

It seemed like it went both ways, and while Stella was trying to understand us, to find a way to connect with her squad, she wished for us to understand her as well.

“Doesn’t mean it won’t happen again when one of us pisses you off.” Harper didn’t let her off the hook so easily, though.

“If that happens, I’m out,” Stella said flatly and took a sip of ale to calm herself down a little before continuing. “Captain Rayden had my ear, and so did my mother. She was very upset about how I represented the Palemoon family. Anyway, one more fuck up like that as a squad leader, and I’m done.”

“You mean like out of the Castiana City Guards?” If so, that was pretty harsh.

“No, Korra. As a leader. I will be done as your leader. Whether they’ll leave me with you after or assign me elsewhere, I don’t know. Personally, I would think the latter.”

“So, you need to watch your ass,” Harper said with a happy smile and an impish gleam in her eyes. She was most likely fantasizing about pissing Stella off so much that it would get her out of our squad.

“I hope you fare well, then.”

“Seriously, Meneur?! Do you have any balls at all?”

“No doubt,” the big guy told her, but he didn’t take the remark any further, thankfully. “Harper, I...few have shown as much concern for me as you have. It means a lot to me. Only, I’ve grown to respect my leaders, no matter what they are.”

“Isn’t that what you were trying to get away from?”

“It’s not. A strong leader is a must. It’s the way Taurus warriors and commoners alike looked at me that I resented. It made me who I am...” His voice clearly showed that he was aware of his timid temper and hated it himself. Changing one’s nature wasn’t so easy, though.

“Then don’t fucking let others walk all over you. You let them do it once; they’ll do it again. Trust me. And before you know it, you’re a loser that everyone’s picking on.” There was a lot of bitterness in her voice. What she just said came from her own experience, as sad as it was. Even more tragic was that I had no idea what to say to her...or to Meneur. Knowing her, a little, she would only take kind words as a sign of weakness, maybe even an insult. He, on the other hand, would appreciate them for sure. The question was, would it help him?

Nevertheless, it was quite strange to see a 50-year-old Taurus taking advice from a young human woman. “I’ll keep that in mind, Harper. And if I don’t, remind me. But while the leaders - and not only them - in my clan walked all over me, as you say, none of them ever came to apologize. For that, I’m willing to give Stella another chance.”

“Thanks, Meneurmut. I’ll do my best not to let you down,” Stella said, very grateful and visibly relieved.

“Tss,” Harper snorted and took a swig of ale. “We’ll see about that. I had my share of bitches saying shit to make them look good on the outside, but when no one was looking...nah, forget about it!” She sank into her chair with her arms crossed over her chest, making it clear she had nothing more to say. What followed was an awkward silence.

“So...beast talk, you spoke to Esudein and Miros, Korra? I thought that’s what Major Lightfeather was here for?” Stella asked to break the silence. That she chose me was not surprising. We settled most of our differences in the infirmary, and I was the one who approached her at the bar.

“Well, Lord Wigram couldn’t entrust dealing with Esudein to a gal like me. He needed an official beast talker. Talking to beasts comes naturally to me, though.”

“Ah, your... origins. That...that makes sense, still...wow.”

“Okay, I get those beasts; their levels are off the roof, but what I’m wondering is how come I haven’t seen you talk to any beast?” Freyde asked. I was going to argue that he saw me talking to Pipsqueak, the little squirrel, only to realize that he actually didn’t. Same with any animal. None of them were ever there when I talked to them. That left only beasts in the Labyrinth.

“That’s because the ones in Fallen’s cry seem to be just dumb beasts driven by their instincts. I get more out of talking to dogs and cats than them. Horses are fun.”

“Horses?” Stella paused, only to shake off her wonder. She was getting used to my quirkiness. “Well, whatever. You’re unable to talk to them because the Labyrinth makes the beasts. As perfect a structure as it is, it’s either incapable of giving beasts an ego or limited to floors humans haven’t reached yet.”

“Someone’s a smartass.”

Harper’s remarks rankled Stella, yet she managed to rein in her temper before speaking up again. “My teachers made me read a lot. There are tons of reports from beast talkers and dozens of studies on the subject.”

“Smartass and a rich brat.”

This time, our squad leader clenched her fists. “Look, I know what I did on the training ground was wrong, and I’m sorry about that.”

The grumpy [Baker] returned her gaze. “I heard you the first time. Doesn’t mean things are okay between us, Stella.”

“I...I get that; it’s just that you don’t have to be such a...”

“Say it!”

“....such a bitch about it.”

“Oh, for a moment, I thought you wouldn’t have the gall to say it. I don’t like pussies, right Pointy Ears?”

“Not too long ago, you said we’re a bunch of pussies who can’t get their shit together.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“My weak moment. Thanks for reminding me,” Harper grumbled.

He shot her with a cheshire grin. “You’re welcome. But yeah, you’ve made it clear more than once that you don’t like to see anyone be a wimp unable to stand up for themselves.”

“Is that why you train so hard?” Stella asked, wiping the beer foam from under her nose.

“You saw us training? I don’t recall you...”

“No, Freyde,” she shook her head. “I haven’t seen you guys practice, but Captain Raden might have spoken well of your growth before me.” Pretty sure I wasn’t covered in that, and thus I was the only one whose chest didn’t swell with pride. “I know there’s some rivalry among the junior squads, but...that’s not your motivation, is it?”

Freyde let out a laugh. “I can’t say we don’t give a shit, but...”

“We don’t give a shit,” Harper said flatly. “It’s a stupid pissing contest.”

“There is merit in that,” Stella pointed out while trying to understand. “Competition makes people try harder, but if that’s not it, then what...what is your motivation?”

It felt like déjà vu. Harper, Freyde, and Meneur all looked at me. Then, following their stare, Stella did too.

“Believe it or not, we’re trying to keep up with Korra,” said Meneur.

“Not that it’s possible,” Freyde noted. “She’s a leveling monster.”

“But our monster,” Harper added with a smirk. “Our beast.”

“Is that what I am to you? A monster and a beast?” I asked, pretending to be offended and hurt. To hear that from others would genuinely hurt, but from them, I knew it was meant in jest.

“Aren’t you, Korra?” Even the big guy joined in their banter at my expense, hinting at my race: Human/Beast. The Imperial Chief Healer called me a hybrid, a general term for a mixed race. Demi-humans were, in fact, also hybrids, only there were so many of them, and they had been in the world so long that other names took hold for them, most often demi-humans or half-terrans. Degrading was the term half-beastmen. But while most of them were ashamed of their origins, I was no longer.

“Damn right. I’m a beast,” I said, and to give it some extra flair, I half-shifted into a tier II beast form, baring my fangs. The three of them laughed, Stella just smiled. “Yes, you are; you’re a damn good shifter, beast shifter.”

“But?” I could hear the ‘but’ in her voice.

“You shouldn’t, since that’s not what your class is about. Yet somehow it works; you made the skill that for ages has driven people crazy, made them go wild, work.” It seemed I still didn’t make sense to her.

“The [Beast] is basically a banned skill for terrans, albeit one that everyone has access to,” Meneur added. “It could be said that you have mastered one of my people’s greatest fears, Korra.”

That actually took my breath away. “I’ve never thought about it like that. Aren’t there skills to help you with that, not to go wild?” It would be interesting to see what a terran like him could shift into. In his case, a giant bull, perhaps?

He nodded. “They are, but why risk the danger and take up space for more useful skills?”

“True.” More useful skills - the question of the [Eleaden Standard Language] still loomed over me, and after talking to Stella in the infirmary, I was beginning to doubt the usefulness of the [Master’s Shield]. No doubt, it was a skill I learned to wield with finesse and was useful to me now, but in the long run, I could benefit more from having a different skill in its place. [Fierce Pounce], for example. I gave it some thought and was sure the role of [Master’s Shield] could be taken by the [Mantle of Magic] and magic in general - once I’ve mastered it enough.

“Korra?” Stella asked, snapping me out of my reverie.

“Don’t mind her,” Freyde said. “She tends to drift off. What was it about this time?”

One of my quirks, I guess. And, of course, it didn’t slip by him. “Skills. Not gonna talk about it.”

“That’s one of the things bugging me,” Stella said, leaning closer. “When you escaped from...Arda, you switched most of your skills, right?”

That was no big secret. “Yeah, I did.”

“Then again, with class evolution, right? It’s what I did, swapping my class skills for new ones.”

I nodded.

“So, most of your skills don’t match your level.” It wasn’t exactly a question, but I nodded anyway, having an idea of what was on her mind. “You could say skill level wise I’m on par with the rest of our squad, rather even worse off.”

“Hard to believe that one, huh?” Harper grumbled, yet amused by the fact.

“It’s true, though,” Freyde said, sipped his beer, and went on. “Most of my old skills are close to the sixties, just like my class level, and I’ve managed to get the new ones up to around fifty. The grumpy [Baker] here is a bit better off than me, and Meneur has been a mage all his life so...his skill levels match his class level, but she...”

“So you’re telling me she has skills at even lower levels? Is that true, Korra?” Stella was well aware that asking others about their skills was rude, quite personal, and also dangerous, but she needed to know. Considering I almost beat her ass, I couldn’t blame her. Besides, I didn’t see the big deal in sharing my skill levels with her.

“My weakest skill is only at level 9, but that’s a language skill.”

“You have a language skill?!” she gasped, barely stopping herself from shouting.

I scratched the back of my neck and shrugged. “Well, I’m not from Sahal. I didn’t know Standard. Don’t worry; I do now. I just need to figure out what skill to replace it with.”

Stella chuckled almost hysterically. “...and the rest of your skills?”

“Most of them are in the twenty to forty or so range; I have two in the sixties and one old one that matches my class level.” Roughly.

“Are you serious? Just one?”

“Um-hmm.”

“Shit! And you gave me such a hard time anyway,” Stella gushed, her voice full of defeat and disbelief. “How? That shouldn’t be possible.”

“Not if you suck, and she’s good.”

That was harsh of Harper. “I wouldn’t say I’m good. I’m just trying to do my best to survive.”

Freyde smirked, chuckling. “We all do our best, yet...” Yeah, I somehow did better. That was when Stella laughed out loud, actually face-palming herself.

“Ah, I knew she wasn’t right in the head,” Harper said, unfazed by her abrupt, crazy behavior. That couldn’t have been said about the guys and me.

“Are you okay, Stella?” Meneur asked, eyebrows raised. “If you...”

She stopped him. “Sorry, I just realized how fucking dumb I was.”

“Only now?”

Ignoring Harper, who wasn’t making it easy for her at all, she looked at me. “It was desperation. That’s what I felt from you in the fight.”

“I wasn’t desperate,” I argued.

“Yes, you were,” Stella insisted before realizing her mistake. “I mean, you were determined, but on a level, none of us can reach.”

“What do you mean?” Freyde asked, quite intrigued by that. So was I. What the hell did she mean by a determination that none of them could achieve?

“It’s...” Stella was quick to explain as she searched her mind for the right words. “One of my teachers used to joke about my training with beasts being child’s play. There was no real danger in it, and the same was true of sparring. He argued that only in the face of death could one truly push their limits and that desperation to survive was the key to growth. He even showed me that kind of determination, and what I felt from him then, I felt from you, Korra.”

“Cornered beasts are quite dangerous,” Freyde noted, once again comparing me to a beast.

“Something like that,” our squad leader said, and looked at me. “You were fighting with your life on the line.”

That... that was not what I expected to hear. “Well, sure. You don’t?”

Stella chuckled, and so did Freyde and Meneur. Even Harper’s face showed an amused smirk. They knew something I didn’t - not that surprising - but it still irritated me.

“No, you don’t understand, Korra. You fight like a cornered beast all the time, even down in the Labyrinth. That mental disposition is not something a warrior can easily acquire.” It was Meneur who spoke. “Most often, it takes experiencing a situation where your life will be in danger, real danger.”

“Ah,” I finally got it. “Does it make that much difference, though?” I found it hard to believe. After all, if you put everything into your training, the result had to be the same, regardless of what you’ve been through, no?

“It may or may not,” Stella shrugged. “Depends.”

“On what?”

“On you. On how you can bring what you experienced to your fight, to your training. In combat, it usually reflects on your fierceness, while in training, on your sheer fortitude and a willingness to push on.”

“You said it made me look desperate,” I argued, but I got what she meant.

What I went through pushed me forward. I knew what it meant to be afraid of death. Hell, I even wished to die many times.

Stella shrugged, an apologetic look on her face. “Sorry about that, but that’s one way to describe it. Anyway, you have a strong drive that none of us have, Korra.”

“Don’t you want to stay alive, free?”

“I do,” nodded our squad leader, and looked at everyone at the table. “I think we all do; we’ve just never experienced the true fear of losing our lives or freedom. Very frankly, for us it’s just a thought, while for you, it’s an experience you don’t want to repeat. Or so I was taught. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one having trouble taking it in. I thought my teacher was exaggerating when he told me that experiencing a real life-threatening moment would push me forward, but seeing you...I just can’t imagine what it must be like to give you such strong motivation.”

She was right. I had trouble getting my head around the fact that they basically went into fights and training half-heartedly, which I don’t think was true. “Well, I can tell you it sucked.”

“I imagine so,” Stella chuckled, and with her, the guys.

“Do you think...” Freyde said, thoughtful. “...that is what the Captain is trying to do? The reason she’s sending us to Fallen’s Cry?”

There was something to it.

“I don’t think that’s the only reason or even the main reason,” Stella shook her head after giving it some thought. “But knowing Captain Rayden, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was one of the reasons. The general lax nature of the city guards and their reluctance to step out of their comfort zone has bugged her a lot from the very beginning of her being stationed here.”

“Damn! They didn’t mention during recruitment that the training would require a near-death experience. Don’t get your panties in a twist, Palemoon. It was not a complaint; in fact, I like it. It’ll show us who’s a pussy and who’s not.”

Strangely, Stella swallowed whatever she had on the tip of her tongue, ready to defend Rayden, and nodded, agreeing with Harper. “It’ll show who has the guts to become a master guard.”

“Exactly,” Harper grinned, for the first time finding common ground with our squad leader.

Freyde finished his beer, slammed the empty mug on the table, belched loudly, and smiled. “Well, if this is where we are heading, I’m glad we have someone on the team who can heal.”

“True,” Meneur said, patting Stella on the back, so hard she almost hit her head on the table.

“Wait a minute, guys, I’m not exactly a healer...” They knew it, I knew it, but like them, I was enjoying the panicking Stella, so I didn’t let her finish. “Speaking of our squad, I think it’s about time you officially met our last member.”

She stopped, bewildered. “Wait what? Who? Rayden didn’t mention anyone else?”

“Who do you think I’m the Guardian of?”

“No...no, no, no. Don’t tell me, guys, that the spirit of the Esulmor World Tree is fighting with you too.” She whispered the last words almost soundlessly, as if afraid someone would hear her and crucify her for such blasphemy.

I nodded. “She quite enjoys it.”

“Her playing on a blade of grass is quite annoying, so annoying it distracts the beasts,” Freyde said, looking sternly at me. “Don’t tell her I said that.”

“You can tell her yourself. I just called her.” I mean, I sent her a signal through the rune on my side. “I was actually wondering if I should buy her some kind of lute or a flute. What do you guys think?”

“Think of what, Korra’leigh?” Idleaf asked as she appeared by my side.