The man was inferior at the very least. He didn’t have the tantalizing pressure surrounding him like the girl did. His hair was a decently long sheet of light brown and his eyes a calming blue. They almost seemed like their purpose was to prepare whoever gleaned their contents for the girl beside him.

Her hair was long, pin straight. Black, intense. ‘Woah…’ Syllis couldn’t help but ogle for a moment. ‘That light olive skin, those piercing emerald eyes. They match her hellborn companions.’ She wore a long black coat that shrouded the majority of her.

“Who’s she?” The woman asked aggressively. Her expression was sour and clearly uncompromising. She did not like the nymph in front of her.

‘Presumptuous, hot headed. This must be Aura. And her regulator behind her… Korman. I can’t say Clyde’s descriptions were off at all. Still, rude! Pretty damn rude…’

“Syllis.” She stuck her hand out towards the abrupt woman. ‘She indeed knows how to make an entrance. Aren’t conjured creatures a little too showy for daily use.’ Syllis scowled.

Aura dismissed her handshake and danced by. “When I received a letter telling of a woman who drew Clyde’s blood. I hadn’t expected a siren.”

‘What a jerk.’ Syllis wanted to spit on her brown boots. After she’d learnt the true meaning behind the name, she hated it.

“Aura.” Korman tried to reason but was pushed away.

“Come on! Take one look at her getup…” Aura’s voice trailed out as she scanned Syllis. Then, she spit a wad of saliva onto the ground before walking towards the estate, following Clark and Dalea.

Korman let out a pained sigh. “I’m sorry for her, she doesn’t take particularly well to strangers.” He held his hand out to Syllis.

‘Like that fixes her actions.’ Syllis scoffed slightly as she took the man’s hand. He seemed eager to quell the bad will between the two women.

“Sorry.” Clyde whispered into Syllis’ ear. “I’m going to be honest, I really thought you two would get along. If it’s any consolation, she doesn’t particularly like Anahita either.”

“So she’s just racist.” Syllis spoke plainly, not bothering to whisper when everyone else was already well into the estate, while the both of them lingered outside.

“Ah, I should have mentioned. Korman’s bond warrants caution, he has… good ears.” Clyde tried to relay the important information while also withholding key aspects of his friend's anathemic bond. “And she’s not a racist, she’s… An angry person. Not just to nymphs.”

“So she’s just an ass.” Syllis pushed Clyde forward before following him inside. ‘Nice start to our ‘friendship.’’

The group of them made their way to the bloodstained battleground that had been used nearly a week ago. Syllis could still recognize her blood, still somewhat vivid, not quite the bleak black and brown that was caked into the dirt.

Syllis looked towards her side: Clyde, Korman, Aura, Dalea and Clark. They were all sitting next to each other. Once again, Syllis was on the outskirts of this higher class. She was frustrated. Frustrated at her parents, her life.

‘If my parents hadn’t left me for dead. Would I have been able to live like them.’ Seeing this sight to the side of her, she ruminated over her wasted years.

Her mind filled in the blanks of how her life would have turned out. She would have stayed at the top of her classes, Joan would help her study. Syllis would be taught how to sew by her mother. They would swim together, two nymphs. Unlike her lonely, desolate swimming she performed now. Theirs would be filled with light. Two creatures of the sea dancing under the beating sun. Cascading light would tip toe across their bodies.

Syllis’ thoughts were interrupted by a woman, blocking out the slight warmth provided by Asanoch’s false sun.

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“I challenge you, Siren!” Aura Therman stood firmly, one hand gripped a wooden longsword and her other pointed towards the secare nymph.

“Fine, witch.” Syllis stood, easily rising to several inches taller than Aura who was already tall for a woman.

Syllis spun and stepped over to a nearby rack, she pulled a wooden partisan from it. What would be impossible for a human to hold was the perfect size for Syllis. The only other person in the battlegrounds who would be able to effectively use it was Korman who stood at the same height as Syllis.

They both made their way towards the outer edges of the arena. Despite the massive space between them, the tension in the air was still felt. The animosity between man and nymph was palpable.

“Once we’re done with this match, you’ll see me for what I am! No longer will you look down upon us. You’ll stare up at me and beg for the power to stand up to me!” Aura spoke in a crazed voice. Her hatred for nymphs was felt in every word she spoke.

‘Why would I look down on you? I’m sure your hellish bond makes you a formidable force…’ Syllis thought, unable to compliment the woman, she chose to speak different words. “Go ahead and try.” She spoke with a cold voice.

Glancing over at the spectator booths, it held more people than expected. A dozen more than the last time Syllis stood were now watching. This ‘tournament’ seemed to have caught the attention of nearly every servant in the Boorne household.

This included Edward, the anthemic doctor that treated Syllis the last time she was here. Syllis was thankful at the fact he was here. Not because she was scared of Aura, but because now she didn’t need to hold back.

“Aura! Syllis! Are you ready?” Clyde yelled, making sure they could hear.

Syllis uttered her invocation, priming her bond to be used. Meanwhile, the kindred who opposed her seemed to mutter a few words. Both of them shook their heads and turned back towards the other.

“Fight!” Clyde yelled, accompanied by a loud horn.

Neither woman moved at the start, they only glared at each other. Aura removed her long black coat, showing her curvy figure. She wore a white button down, engraved with golden trim and frilled sleeves. It was tucked into a neat pair of black pants, held with a belt and accompanied by a pair of leather boots.

Space seemed to bend to the sides of Aura as the air grew oppressive. It ripped open giving way to green lights which permeated the battleground. Otherworldly sounds echoed from within these rifts.

None of the spectators flinched, it was apparent they’d seen this particular ability dozens of times before. The only person to show any distress was Clyde, and that just seemed to be sympathy for Syllis. Overall, none of them looked to be harboring any hope towards Syllis.

This enraged her more than anything else. ‘You people think I pale in comparison to this witch…’ Syllis scowled before the air around her grew misty and cold. ‘Maybe I just have to get started with my own tricks.

Fog settled in. Aura’s steam like smoke swirled with Syllis’ mist.

Aura spoke a peculiar word that the nymph didn’t understand. Two hellish fiends then stepped through her rifts. They resembled giant crows but held many alien qualities.

Their alabaster bones seemed to waver under the green flames that wafted from their ripping skin. Ambient sounds akin to screams emanated around them.

They almost seemed to have kindred themselves. Like corrupted kindred lost to the ‘gods’ they served. They were punished, doomed to serve this vile witch instead of moving on.

While Syllis’ bond wasn’t quite as visually interesting, it held unlimited ways to be used. She covered the entire battleground in stubble. It was too small to impede humans but these crows would have a difficult time, and Syllis was sure they weren’t just props.

After several minutes, the battle seemed to finally begin. Both combatants began moving.

One crow moved scarcely. It seemed to fear the abnormal girl who’d afflicted the ground with a strange substance. The crows didn’t seem to understand what ice was.

‘I guess their home world can’t really freeze when they emit heat like that.’ Syllis laughed wryly before being pulled out of her thoughts abruptly.

The second crow didn’t harbor the same limitations as the first. It flew towards Syllis with fervor. Only allowing her to move a mere second before she would’ve been hit. And with the sheer velocity that the crow flew forward at, that hit would’ve likely been fatal.

‘How can those things fly, their wings are dripping onto the floor!’ She refuted internally before focusing on Aura. More specifically the grin that stretched from ear to ear. ‘She plays dirty…’

Syllis realized that Aura didn’t care if she died. In fact, maybe she was trying to kill her, or at least cripple her. ‘It makes sense, I have no nobility, no home. I don’t even have a last name, no one to go searching for me.’

‘This is… Problematic to say the least.’ Syllis couldn’t afford to play around anymore. She had to use anything she could. This was no longer a fight to win, but instead, a fight to survive.