Vaela exchanged a glance with Adyr and pointed her stick at Hermit. “So, what? We get to attack you?” She tightened her grip and planted her feet in the grass. This would be fun.

Shadow danced behind Hermit’s eyes and he grinned. “You get to try.” A breeze danced through the field and his cloak billowed behind him.

A shiver of dread raced down Vaela’s spine. Hitting Hermit sounded plenty fun–but actually landing a blow? She circled around him to the left while Adyr crept to the right. They closed in on Hermit from both sides until they were each only a few steps away.

Vaela looked past Hermit and locked eyes with Adyr. Together. Adyr nodded and tensed her legs. Vaela’s heart pounded as she eyed Hermit’s staff. She’d seen him knock out the priests with blinding speed. The crack of the wood against Kaverlna’s temple echoed through Vaela’s mind and her palms sweated, making her grip on the shield slick. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt that much.

She charged Hermit, while peering over the rim of the shield, and drew back her stick. Adyr sprinted from his other side, holding her staff like a spear. She lunged, the tip blurring towards his face. Hermit tilted his head and the tip slid past his ear. He slammed the butt of his staff into Adyr’s ribs and pivoted to the side at the same time. Adyr cried out and Hermit kicked her back.

Vaela jumped at him, swinging her stick down. He raised his staff and wood cracked against wood. The impact jolted up her arm and before she could recover, he struck at her head. She raised her shield and a clang rang out. The strike knocked her off balance and she stumbled to the side. The tip of his staff caught her leg and swept her foot. Vaela tumbled to the ground and curled behind her shield. She waited, heart hammering, for another strike to rain down. When none did, she peeked out.

Hermit backed out of range of her and Adyr, a cocky smile on his face that made ire overrule Vaela’s fear. Adyr jumped up and prowled towards Hermit, but didn’t advance into striking range. Vaela rolled to her feet with a curse and tracked Hermit with her stick. He was fast! It had been one thing to see him fend off Kaverlna, but experiencing it was disorienting.

Hermit yawned at Adyr and shook his staff at her. “You’ll never win with all that fear. Makes you slow. Well, slower.”

Adyr inhaled sharply and lunged at him. She unleashed several jabs, all of which Hermit blocked with ease. His face was so relaxed, it looked like he had half-a-mind to let one of the strikes through. He knocked her staff to the side and jabbed her ribs again. She cried out and winced, dropping her guard. Hermit sighed and slammed his staff into her shoulder, spinning her. She dropped to one knee and covered her head with her arms.

Hermit circled around her and poked her unprotected body with his staff, earning another wince. “Too much fear, too much hesitation. Come on, what are you so afraid of?”

He was like a child, playing with his food. Vaela growled and forced herself towards him. “Leave her alone.”

Hermit pushed Adyr over with his foot and raised his staff at Vaela. His staff extended well beyond her stick and she skirted to the side. As she moved towards him, the staff stabbed towards her eyes. She raised her shield and it rang from the strike. She flinched from the loudness, the impact, the fear of pain.

Dammit, she couldn’t get close enough. Tension coiled through her body, like a branch bent almost to the breaking point. She smashed her stick into the shield. Come on!

Hermit scoffed and arched an eyebrow. “While you’re drumming up some courage, why don’t you relax and wait your turn? I’m trying to teach Blondie a lesson.”

Vaela, still out of range, swiped at him and he didn’t even flinch. To the side, Adyr pushed to her feet, one hand clutching her side. Fury pumped through Vaela. “You’re not teaching her. You’re just beating her.”

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He shrugged, his staff rising and falling with the motion. “Yeah, and she hasn’t even thanked me.” Vaela lunged forward and Hermit danced out of the way. His staff slid past her shield and rammed into her side. She gasped and cringed around the pain. Hermit thwacked his staff into her thigh and her leg reflexively buckled, sending her to the ground. “At least, you’re attacking.” He jerked his head towards Adyr. “This one’s too scared to do anything.”

Adyr grunted and pulled her hand from her ribs. She placed it back on her staff and edged towards Hermit. “I’m not scared.”

He pivoted to face her, staff swinging in a wide arc, and she flinched back. He wagged his staff at her. “Liar.” He lowered the butt of his staff to the ground with a soft thud and leaned on it. “You’re burning up with fear.”

She rushed him and stabbed at his chest. He merely tipped his staff and knocked hers off-target. The butt of his staff still nestled in the ground. She swiped for his head and he ducked and kicked her back for the third time. She stumbled with a shout and fell.

Hermit shook his head and tutted. “You’re not a bad fighter. But you’re just, I don’t know, weak. How do you ever expect to beat me without your Power?”

Adyr clambered to her feet, stooped over, shoulders heaving. She raised her staff, hands trembling. “I-I don’t want to hurt you. My Ice could cut something vital.”

Hermit burst out laughing and pounded his staff into the ground several times. “Hurt me? You haven’t even come close to hitting me. Please. I would love if you hurt me.”

Vaela rose to her feet and stared at Hermit. He was good, but to actually invite Adyr to summon an Ice Blade? An accidental nick and he might bleed out. Hermit nodded at Vaela. “And you. I know you can’t fight. The only thing you have is your Power. You’ve got your little snack belt on. Is it just for decoration?”

Vaela glared at him and brushed the vials on her right hip with her fingers. Sight, Fire, Healing, and Shadow. She’d already used Fire and Shadow in battle before. But she still had no idea how she’d done it. “Shouldn’t I save those for a real fight?”

“No need. You’ve got three sources of Power right here.” Hermit pointed across the field to the road where Surah was still scavenging for a stick. “Beginner Blood.” He pointed to Adyr. “Intermediate Blood.” Adyr drew back, fear flashing through her eyes as they darted over to Vaela. Hermit tapped his own chest. “And the good stuff.”

Vaela’s stomach twisted at the betrayal shining from Adyr’s face as she looked at Vaela. As if to say, is that all she was to her? Vaela jerked her hand away from the vials, raising her shield. “I’m not taking any of your blood.”

Hermit tilted his head. “Of course you are. You’re a Forger.” He held up his hands. “Sorry, sorry, a Charmer.” He assumed a fighting stance. “Don’t you want to be strong? Strong enough to protect yourself. Your friends.” He turned and closed the distance between himself and Adyr in two strides. She shouted and raised her staff. He batted it out of the way and smashed his staff into her abdomen. She doubled over, her weapon dropping to the ground.

Vaela took a step and Adyr held a palm up, eyes fierce. Vaela froze. She didn’t want Vaela’s help. Adyr wheezed and grabbed her staff, while Hermit calmly watched her. Her hands balled into fists around the metal and Ice crept up. It hardened up the length of the staff until it reached the tip. An Ice Shard formed into a wicked point, completing her Ice Spear.

She unleashed a battle cry and struck at Hermit. He parried her barrage of strikes, the deadly Ice Spear dancing towards his face over and over. Vaela didn’t dare approach. She could get struck just as easily as Hermit. And if she distracted him, even for a moment…

Hermit maneuvered in a circle while Adyr pivoted and kept stabbing. She lunged and he twisted, the Spear gliding past him. His palm struck her directly in the center of the chest. She reeled backwards and he ducked under her wild counter-swing. His staff swept her feet out from under her and she fell to the ground. Hermit stomped on the Ice Spear. It broke with a crack and he kicked the staff from Adyr’s hands.

He poked her arm with his staff. “Better.” Hermit took a step back and nodded at her. “Still not strong enough.”

Adyr rolled to her hands and knees, arms trembling underneath her. “I-I can’t do more.” Her fingers curled, raking grass and dirt. Vaela ran to her and knelt, dropping her stick.

Hermit rested his staff across one shoulder. “You’re far too afraid. Too soft and warm.”

Vaela touched Adyr’s shoulder, feeling blood pound through her body. It was wracked with fear, filled with pain. Vaela tore her stick from the grass and pointed it at Hermit. No more. This is exactly what she was training for. To protect her friends.

She pushed up and a hand caught her wrist.

Adyr pulled her back, eyes filled with defiance. She planted a foot into the ground and stood, pulling Vaela to the side. “I am afraid.” Vaela’s pulse quickened, anger fortifying her spine. Adyr released her wrist and scooped her staff up. She faced Hermit. “I am afraid.”

He slid back into his fighting stance and lowered his staff with a nod. “Then burn it away.”