'We are nearly there,' The Saor said quietly, a few feet ahead of Minagh and Frostpetal.

'You said that four times already, and everything in the jungle looks the same,' Minagh said, annoyed.

Frostpetal pat Minagh on the head and flew over to the Saor for a moment, whispering to their guide. The Saor listened carefully to Frostpetal's words. He was analysing for tricks, making sure he could trust the Pixie. Minagh watched the Saor's eyes soften, looking away from Frostpetal like he'd been reminded of something he would rather forget.

'I apologise, Human,' The Saor said, cutting through the wildlife noises of the jungle. 'If your Pixie friend speaks true, you did not steal your power. Someone else stole it and gave it to you. Their crime is not yours.'

Minagh walked closer so he could speak lower, remembered the rule of the dangerous carnivorous jungle.

'I didn't know it was stolen. It's the first I'm hearing of this. Is there a way to give it back?'

The Saor smiled genuinely, no malice or hate this time. 'No. It requires your death. If you wish to die to give back the power, however-'

'No, no!' Minagh said, raising his hands. 'No death for me, please.'

Frostpetal flew back into Minagh's hair as the two men walked through the jungle. The Saor's eyes narrowed with every step however, like he was expecting something new.

'All good?' Minagh whispered. The Saor hummed in the negative, his eyes straight ahead.

The jungle lit up as bullets fired from the treeline towards Minagh and the Saor. Without thinking, Minagh, without thinking, stood in front of the Saor and made himself as big as possible.

I need to be able to stop bullets.

Minagh's body was enveloped in a violet aura and it moved on it's own, thrusting his hands in front of him and expelling the energy outwards. A thick shield of energy formed in front of Minagh, blocking every shot from the unseen attackers.

Frostpetal and the Saor were wide-eyed, unable to truly understand what had just happened in that moment. But Minagh knew, like an instinct. The energy was one of his powers, a sort of field he could manipulate to protect himself. Minagh grinned. This feeling, the power in his blood, was like a good night of drinking whiskey mixed with kissing a beautiful woman. If this was what awaited him, he was in.

'Minagh!' Frostpetal cried, snapping out of her reverie. Minagh rushed forward, blocking bullets with his shields and smashing through the treeline, shoulder first. He shoved through a line of soldiers in armour made from something Minagh couldn't identify... It sure wasn't metal. And theey weren't Saor like his friend.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

These soldiers had metal-coloured skin tones. Minagh saw gold, silver, bronze, some others he didn't recognise, but they were clearly metal-coloured. They hadn't recovered yet from the assault, so Minagh turned around and caught himself on the ground with his hand.

'Surprise attacks are rude,' Minagh said softly. He sped forward and brought his fist forwards, forcing that kinetic energy into his arm and releasing on impact. It greatly affected the impact, sending the soldier into a nearby tree with a sickening crunch as his bones were shattered.

'This'll be easy if you all just run away,' Minagh said as five guns trained on him. 'I'm not here to fight any of you... But I will.'

The Saor dived forwards from the treeline and shredded through one of the soldiers, showering everyone in green blood. The soldiers turned to face the Saor, allowing Minagh to cripple another attacker. In no time at all, Minagh and the Saor were the only two standing, breathing hard.

The Saor smiled up at Minagh, closing his hand into a fist and holding it to the center of his chest.

'Wyld,' he said simply. It took Minagh a moment to realise that he had just learned the Saor's name.

'Wyld. Not to be an arsehole, but are all Saor named so accurately?' Minagh said.

Wyld laughed, nodding. 'Every Saor is named for their deeds. My name came from my assault on these Iudex years ago. My brothers and sisters said I was 'like a wild animal'.

'I'll say,' Minagh said. 'So these are the Iudex... the ones in the city?'

Wyld was a little taken aback, so Minagh explained about the temple around the portal on Earth. Wyld listened intently, like Minagh was a master storyteller, taking the words in for later.

'We should leave, they will have reinforcements.'

Minagh nodded and followed as Wyld led him away towards their goal.

Wyld stopped outside of a cave an hour after their fight with the Iudex, crouching down and pulling a large club-like stick from his back, only to wrap it in cloth. He sliced through a nearby tree's bark, and let sap coat the cloth of his makeshift torch. Wyld held it towards Minagh, but Frostpetal sent a spark of magic towards it from his hair, setting the torch ablaze.

'We are here. Please show respect. If Saor hold anything sacred... it's the Source.'

Minagh nodded, forming some of his energy into his fist to generate a dim, violet light. He was getting used to this new power already. It was like he'd used it thousands of times before... Like it was a part of him and it always had been.

The two entered the cave, the walls lighting up in violet-tinged light mixing with the torch's flame. Minagh could see paintings on the wall, depicting dozens of stories of a lone Saor, each one different with different abilities, each threat different.

'These are your predecessors,' Wyld said, gesturing to the paintings as they walked. 'They are all Saor, but they were the only one of their time. The only Source Child. Just like you are now. Each one rises to defend our home from countless threats, each eventually falls.'

Wyld sighed, seeing the most recent-looking painting of a Saor standing surrounded by Iudex in a tornado of violet.

'When Phantom died, we were waiting for her successor. Overlord will be surprised when he realises it is you.'

Minagh looked at the painting of Phantom. He felt strange, a bittersweet understanding of her plight. All the Source Children were protectors of Lux Libera, and now he was one as well. Only...

'Are the Saor going to be ok without a Source Child?' Minagh asked seriously, tracing his finger across Phantom's story.

'Only time will tell,' Wyld said truthfully. 'But I have faith in my people.'

'That must be nice,'