My pair of robes thrashed as I flew over the plains upon my sword. Despite the ravaging winds, I was doing well to keep my balance. I glanced down and smiled softly as a spark of fear crept within me—how do I still fear falling?

My smile widened as I took the fear as a good sign that I was not yet a monster. But my smile faded as I sent my mental focus through the eyes of my ghosts. The Fire Kingdom knights I was chasing after were young—except one, who I assumed was their superior. All five had injuries, but the desire to catch their prey gave stride to their never-ending jog.

My mind left me as I delved into the books I had read about soldiers. Many were trained to build stamina—never-ending stamina. As I pondered the thought, the book Raw Teachings of Willpower, Techniques and Skills Vol. 1 crept into my head. Soldiers and knights rely on Willpower, a type of Magik that drains stamina.

I allowed the thoughts to linger at the back of my head as I rose into the sky above the soldiers. They were utterly oblivious to my ghosts and me. But I glanced at them for a brief second and saw they each wore enchanted plated armor.

I let out a frustrated breath and soared further into the clear sky. The sharp, cold winds began to penetrate my robes as I continued on past the knights. I glanced down again and saw that they were insects at this height.

I wanted to lean off my sword and fall toward them. I wanted to crash into the ground in an explosion of earthly spikes and rip them to pieces. I clenched my jaws, remembering how I gave them little thought when I saw them vacate the Old Watchtower. But now I know they were vile tools of war, and their only desire was to kill.

They received no orders to attack them, and I extremely doubt the refugees decided to attack first.... or so I wanted to believe as I glimpsed at the assumed leader of the refugees, forcing his counterpart to abandon the wounded. He forcefully pushed the wounded bain off his counterpart's shoulders.

PAIN

Hmph...

Was the only thing I could utter as I leaned off my sword and fell toward them.

What more could I say after witnessing such selfishness? The others did not want to abandon their injured counterpart, but their empathy did not quell this pit of disgust within me. I continued to fall, piercing through the wind with my control over the elements. As I neared them, I began to question what I was about to do, but as I flipped and touched the ground with an eruption of wind between the ylguens and bains, my doubts faded.

I locked eyes with the cowering Sakura—shocked plagued her face, but just for a moment. I took in the other six—eyes widened with fear and confusion, but Sakura showed no fear. It was as if she was expecting me, and the soft tingling of my Petty Interference rooted my suspicions. I eyed the beaten sword in her hand. Each of them carried a weapon, and some also had a shield, and then I spotted Chance, Gent, Kinan/Ylguen, Twenty-nine, No Class. The bastard carried no weapons.

Chance certainly had hints of ylguen with red diamond-patterned pupils, but that was where his ylguen trait ended.

His kinan trait gave him long red hair and charcoal skin with light red lines flowing along the edges of his body. Rags of clothing they likely found within the tower covered his bottom, leaving his slim torso and legs bare in the moonlight.

I glanced at Kiefer, Gent, Bain, Twenty-one, Warrior—he stood protective of his injured comrade, Belknap, a bain of the same age and no class with a horrendous bloody gash in his upper left thigh.

CHANCE

You again!

Chance snarled at me as I approached. He backed away cautiously as I moved past him and materialized a Tiny Vial of Healing—my last tiny one. Kiefer eyed the potion in my hand before I suddenly tossed it to him. Despite my sudden act, Kiefer caught the potion with gentle hands and immediately fed it to his companion.

We watched silently as Belknap's wounds mended scarcely, and he sat up to eye me.

BELKNAP

By the gods—

Belknap attempted to thank me, but I was already shaking my head.

I materialized my staff and telekinetically ripped Chance off his feet, planting him face-first into the cragged lands before my feet.

PAIN

I will take his life as payment for your life.

I asserted. Chance attempted to stand, but I glued him to the ground with Telekinesis. Distraught haunted Belknap's face, but he failed to utter any words.

KIEFER

Why?

Kiefer whispered and stood to face me.

KIEFER

Why him?

I glared at him as I responded,

PAIN

You know why.

Kiefer took his attention past me as he shook his head.

KIEFER

I'm—we're not like that. We can't abandon him. Even if he wishes to abandon us.

I frowned deeply at Kiefer, but he readied himself to fight. He had no weapons, but he needed none. His hands were like my own, tipped with sharp claws.

KIEFER

We are one family.

PAIN

One family!? Are you sure?

I asked with a hint of rage and doubled my telekinetic force upon Chance.

PAIN

Because this one thinks differently.

Chance grunted in muffled pain, and Kiefer leaped at me,

KIEFER

Enough!

I forced Chance into the air and hurled his body at Kiefer, knocking him aside. Like a boomerang, I pulled Chance back and pinned him once more.

Kiefer rolled to his feet,

KIEFER

Sakura! Take them! Get out of here!

He ordered, but I could feel the ylguens' stares pelting the back of my skull—they refused to leave.

PAIN

Why save this fool's life?

I asked, tripling my force. Chance moaned out in agony.

SAKURA

Please!

Sakura cried from behind me, and I instinctively weakened my hold.

SAKURA

Please stop!

I lowered my staff in confusion. Why? I thought to myself before asking out loud,

PAIN

Why?

I asked, refusing to face her, for I knew her ylguen beauty would sway my actions.

Chance took advantage of the moment and started to crawl away from me. I glared at him—a little selfish bug demanding another to be abandoned. But as I watched him crawl away, I started unraveling the answer to my question. Maybe I was a monster. I found it foolish to spare the life of someone who sought to take my own life. Kiefer and Sakura... they were not like me.

SAKURA

Please, he's our older brother.

PAIN

An older brother demanding the death of an injured sibling?

I asked and felt her stare fall off me. I took in Kiefer's bewildered stare before I glanced down at the insect attempting to distance himself from me.

CHANCE

The bains are not family.

He painfully croaked and turned over to glare at me.

CHANCE

I will not sacrifice any more of my family and sibling for some damn bains! The only use they have is to be our personal bodyguards! They are sworn to die for us. But they refused to die for us when that mad gent slaved us away from our second home!

SAKURA

Chance, stop it!

Sakura wailed out, but Chance smiled in defiance.

CHANCE

Now, they can die for us rather than mourn the loss of their pathetic brothers.

Pathetic!? My mana erupted and crushed him in a blanket of Telekinesis, ripping the ground and flattening the pathetic bastard into it.

KIEFER

Take my life instead!

Kiefer bellowed, and I halted my mana as I scowled at Chance's convulsing, broken body. He was on the brink of death... why stop now? But I slowly looked up at Kiefer on all fours, emulating a form of submission. His eyes pleaded for compassion, and his face furled with sorrow. Then I saw something odd about him and squinted. Practically invisible, I could sense faint traces of mana seeping out of him, and for some unknown reason, I knew it was Willpower... I clenched my jaws—this gent truly wishes to die in Chance's place?

PAIN

Do you take your life for a joke?

I asked him.

PAIN

I saw your brothers and the others. I saw Dihn, in his last moments, pleading for the safety of Sakura. I respected the loss of their lives!

I roared furiously at him.

PAIN

Because nothing about that was a joke—was pathetic! But what you are doing now... giving your life to protect this piece of... giafullo shit! Pathetic! Why surround yourself with people that despise you? You should strive to get away from that!

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

KIEFER

But I swore on my life!

Kiefer argued, his gaze momentarily faltering as it shot past me at the ylguens behind me.

KIEFER

I swore to their parents to keep them safe!

SAKURA

To keep me safe.

Sakura clarified. I turned to face her, but she avoided my cursed gaze.

PAIN

So why save him?

I asked, pointing my staff at the crippled Chance.

SAKURA

He's our older brother.

She reminded me.

PAIN

Is that supposed to mean anything?

SAKURA

We can't... we can't simply cut him off!

PAIN

Says who!?

I bellowed.

PAIN

Can he fight!? Can he keep you safe!? No. He can not! He holds no weapons, but you, his sister, carry a sword! Belknap can fight! Kiefer is a Warrior! But you choose to save this shite over those that can help you live another day! What law exists amongst these plains that compels you to care for him!

I stopped myself and clenched my jaws. I was beyond furious. This was not what I planned. I did not come down here to rant and bicker... I figured they would just abandon Chance.

He was weak and calling for the death of others with a laugh. How could they defend such a useless person like him?

KIEFER

Please,

Kiefer pleaded.

KIEFER

If you can spare another potion for Chance, I offer you my life instead.

I turned and studied him. My cursed eyes burrowed deep into his own mournful eyes. Memories that existed before my immortality resurfaced, and I remembered the stories of those dauntless heroes risking their lives for the weak, the selfish, and the meek.

These few weeks in these wilds must have pushed away those hap-filled thoughts and plagued my mind with thoughts of savagery. Making it difficult to fathom people like Kiefer among these lands. I figured those books were tales of falsehoods because of my minute experience walking these plains.

But I suddenly understood those stories now—this very moment. It all became clear. Those tales were cherished because of people like them, people like Kiefer—they often die young. I felt an elated sensation as if I finally found the answer to a troubling problem. Their honor swayed their decision, allowing people like me to come along and snuff out their lives.

PAIN

Fine.

I uttered and raised my staff into the air. It was followed by a congregation of screams and whimpers from the ylguens.

SAKURA

Wait—!

Sakura shrilled as I slammed my staff into the land, causing a shallow ripple. I focused my mana, and a second later, a dense earthly wall erupted from behind Kiefer in time to barricade Kiefer and Belknap from a fiery assault.

PAIN

Get out of here.

I growled at the startled Kiefer as the leading Fire Kingdom soldier leaped over the wall. Kiefer held himself motionless as he gawked at the leaping soldier.

PAIN

Go!

I bellowed, reaching out to grab Sanguine, Gent, Kinan, Thirty-Eight, Warrior with Telekinesis. But I failed—Sanguine protected himself in Willpower as he set his eyes on Kiefer.

PAIN

Move!

Kiefer stood and instinctively raised his arms to parry the sword. But the blade sang cleanly through his left hand and down his torso. Kiefer screamed through gritted teeth. My blood boiled with rage, and I aimed my staff, cratering Sanguine into the earthly wall.

Another soldier Quickstepped around the wall from my right, Clarence—his right eye was bandaged. I turned slightly to face him, but another soldier, Joel, came at me from the left. I Quickstepped backward to evade, but I had no control over my cursed right arm, and it was nearly sliced in half.

I gave it no mind, swinging my staff to command a spiked slab of earth to ram into Joel's. He was sent hurling through the sky as Clarence charged at me with explosive force. Idiot, I thought as my sword flung out from its sheath and drove into Clarence's skull.

To my relief, Kiefer stood firm, but the pain was true as he huffed through spit and snot. Still, I was seething and annoyed at how my outlook diving into this had failed. All I had done was slow them down, and now I was about to get them killed.

Sanguine stood up, and Joel had recovered and was Quickstepping.

PAIN

Sakura!

I shouted, hurling a materialized Lesser Vial of Healing at her with Telekinesis. Belknap had already grabbed Kiefer and hobbled past me. Another Warrior, Syphius, leaped over the wall while the last one, Belmont, came around from the left.

I exploded Clarence's corpse, summoning forth a black arachnid to leap at Syphius while I withstood Joel's sword through my gut. A scream echoed into the night from behind me, and I glared back at Sakura and the others.

PAIN

Get out of here!

Joel tugged on his sword, but I grabbed the collar of his plated armor, holding him still so my sword could drive into his jugular. Hmph, he pulled back at the last minute, suffering only a deep gash alongside his neck.

Joel fled, Quickstepping out of reach with his hands, palming his wound. Syphius ripped the arms off my black arachnid—of course, he could. The arachnid was only in its first stage, but I noticed deep cuts within Syphius's armor.

I pulled Joel's sword from out my abdomen moments before a sudden force pummeled me, attempting to pin me in place. I glared at Belmont and could sense the mana emission pouring out from his hands: Telekinesis.

My Petty Danger Sense flared abruptly, and I ducked—

SANGUINE

Swallow!

A golden crescent blade of Willpower flew out of Sanguine's sword and soared inches above my head.

Dammit! I realized. The ylguens and bains were in the direct path! They will not survive. They can not survive that!

My mind—my Recall Memory—had gone rampant within my skull. Memories of those that I could not save echoed in my mind. I can not let them die!

Mac's bloody smile, Clifford's death, and Kiefer's selflessness echoed in my mind. Not after my ridiculous failure of a plan! And within such a fraction of time, I felt the surge of stamina and fed it all into my Quickstep. The memory of Kiefer offering his life lingered as I declared to myself, I am the biggest hypocrite I know.

I exploded with speed and intercepted the crescent blade, nullifying it with an eruption of uncontrolled Willpower.

PAIN

But I can not have their deaths on my conscience.

I exhaled, the memories of Locness echoing vividly in my mind. Yes, I felt the urge of Willpower stir like a wild storm within me. I will protect them. Thus, I forcibly tricked myself into believing each one of those hapless refugees behind me was Locness. Each one, afraid of the death that was marching towards them to take them away from me. Each one, wishing that I should have saved them!

The sensation of Willpower came exploding from within me, engulfing my body in a golden translucent flame.

SANGUINE

What!? Impossible!

He croaked in shock, grabbing my attention. Sudden fear painted his face, his hand half-lifted in sudden realization.

SANGUINE

You-you... you're that skeleton face... y-you're Ire Far—

I flicked my hand, commanding my sword to sing through his throat and fly into my hand. Joel, Syphius, and Belmont were frozen with fear or confusion—either way, I did not care.

I took off with my newfound speed—ripping Belmont in half with a single swing. Syphius wailed out in fear to flee, but I tore my blade through his back before beheading Joel, ending his fearful backpedal.

With Joel's death, my adrenaline began to fade as I recalled when learning a new Magik, it came out in an uncontrollable burst.

PAIN

It's kind of like when I first cast Fire...

I chuckled softly to myself. I was lightheaded and too weak to take a step. My sword fell out of my hand as I hung my head and nearly succumbed to the call of sleep.

KIEFER

What in damnation are you?

Kiefer asked carefully. Sakura was swift as I noticed Kiefer's torn hand was reattached and bandaged. Both he and Chance had recovered. I only gave her one potion, and she split it between the two without hesitation.

KIEFER

No person your age is that strong.

I postured myself, fighting against the screaming pain plaguing my muscles.

PAIN

You thunderhead...

I chuckled as I turned to give him a wide smile.

PAIN

Did you already forget I am a vampire?

I approached them, every step sending needles of pain through my torn muscles—I was practically moving myself with Telekinesis.

PAIN

As I told you before,

I stated between huffs of air.

PAIN

These wilds belong to me, and it is time for me to take it back.

I eyed Chance.

PAIN

Now take your trash and leave.

I locked eyes with Sakura, and she bowed at the waist.

SAKURA

Thank you.

My blood fluttered with heat, and I bit my tongue.

PAIN

Just... leave already.

Sakura rose and locked eyes with me once more. Those diamond pattern, rose-colored eyes seemed to know me, and my Petty Interference pushed back against her gaze. Her past shrill of 'Wait' was not directed toward me but to her sisters... she knew I was not going to harm Kiefer. She finally tore away, leaving me to ponder motionlessly. My eyes were glued to their quick amble up the slope of the land. I waited for them to disappear from sight while a part of me waited to confirm they were safe. So, I continued to watch as my body screamed for me to rest and eat.

And as Sakura and her party lowered over the mound, the thought of a griffin pouncing on them or blindinus ripping them to shreds immediately faded. I grabbed my cursed forearm and held it together. It began to heal, but I was spent.

I dropped my hand with a huff and fell face-first. Whatever that may happen to them now was beyond my control. Yet, deep down, I truly hoped to see them again—stronger, determined, and most of all, alive.