As the first rays of light peeked through Gena’s room, she was already slipping out of bed. Excitement had been her alarm since Drake had said she could go running with them in the mornings. She hadn’t yet, but she was determined to. The first morning, she was too loud and woke up her twin brother, Grenn, starting an argument. She had missed the run that day. Today, she was as quiet as a cat as she got dressed and prepared to tag along with her big sister.

Gena had no shortage of older sisters; in total, the little goblin had four. However, something about her eldest sister, Gigi, just captivated Gena. Gigi was strong and fast; she didn’t let her other sisters push her around, and she could even stand up to their mother, an unthinkable act to Gena. Gena didn’t really remember their dad that well. She loved hearing Gigi’s stories of their adventures together when she was a little girl. Gena wished she could spend more time with her sister. She was always so busy, though.

It was the most exciting news she had ever heard when she found out that Gigi was going to fight a monster, a sea lizard, or whatever. Her hero was going to beat up a real-life villain. Gena wished so badly she could watch the fight, but there was no way her mother would let her.

Gena crept to the door and silently went into the hall. Then she got to work getting their waterskins ready. She went out to the well and began to haul up the precious cargo. She could hear her mother and sisters preparing for the day in the kitchen. Gena continued to get their running bag ready, making sure to include the granola her sister liked and towels. She looked at the packed bag with pride. It felt good to be helpful.

She slung the pack over her shoulder and nervously went to Gigi’s room. As much as she admired her sister, Gigi did scare Gena a little. Gigi was always running from one thing to another. It felt like she hardly noticed Gena existed. When she did, it was mostly to tell her to get out of her way. That was okay because she wouldn’t be in the way anymore. She would help.

Gena timidly knocked on Gigi’s door. Something was moving behind the door. Hurried footsteps came to the door. Then it unlocked and opened a crack. Drake's blonde stubble and blue eyes greeted her. He gave her a warm smile as he knelt to her level. She gave a fang-filled grin in response.

Gena liked Drake. She had liked him before knowing he was a Sword-Wizard or whatever he was. Gena had disliked the other men that Gigi had brought home before him. They had always acted annoyed at her presence or like she and her brother didn’t exist. They were always very interested in her older sisters until Gigi threw them out anyway.

Drake hadn’t been like that. From first arriving at the bakery, he had always been nice to her and Grenn. Even when the adults were mad at him over something, he always tried to make them smile. Her favorite game to play with him was simply to ask him to draw her whatever she could think of. The picture of Gena riding a fire-breathing pegasus he drew for her was glued to her wall.

“Is Gigi ready to run!” Gena asked excitedly. “I’ve been practicing to keep up!”

Drake laughed. “You’ll be faster than me soon.”

“Do you think I can keep up with Gigi?!” She put her tiny fists up.

“Not likely,” yawned Gigi in a nightdress from behind Drake. Gena was sure she saw Drake look annoyed for a second at her sister before his smile returned, and he took her hand.

“Let’s let Gigi finish getting ready. You and I will go stretch, okay?”

Gena frowned. She wanted to see Gigi. “Okay, but I can run with you guys, right?” Gena pleaded.

“Just go with Drake,” Gigi said, casually stretching. Drake sighed in frustration before closing the door behind him. He led her by the hand to the courtyard. Gena loved the brilliant blossoms the flower fox had left. How pretty they were distracted her momentarily before she realized Gigi still wasn’t with them.

“I’m going to get to run with Gigi, right?” she said with an edge of panic in her tiny voice.

Drake grimaced. “Well, your sister might want to run by herself this morning. She thought maybe you and I could run instead?” he offered tentatively.

Sadness exploded inside of Gena. NO THIS ISN’T FAIR! Gena rushed back to Gigi’s room, but she was gone. Her hero had left without her. She crumpled in the doorframe and began to weep softly to herself. Drake was only a step behind her.

“Gigi-” he stopped.

“She’s gone,” Gena whimpered. The window was conspicuously open. Drake cursed angrily.

“You said a bad word,” Gena mumbled.

“You’re right,” he laughed, sitting beside her on the floor. Gena continued to cry. Drake hugged her.

“But I practiced so hard…I wanted her to see,” she bawled into him.

“Gena, I’m sorry, that was a lousy thing your sister did to you.” Drake gave her a reassuring squeeze.

“I probably would have just gotten in the way anyway,” she sobbed.

Drake sighed. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. When Gigi gets back, I think we need to talk.”

“No!” Gena cried. “Don’t fight!” She stood up and wiped away her tears. “I’m just not fast enough yet. When I’m faster, Gigi won’t leave me behind!” Gena then rushed to her room, where she could cry in peace under the covers of her bed.

***

Drake was furious. He had told Gigi that pawning Gena off on him was a bad idea. That the little goblin wanted her big sister, not some guy she barely knew. He waited for her outside the bakery, stewing in his anger. He paced back and forth as patrons gave him sidelong glances coming in and out of the store.

Eventually, Gigi came back, huffing and puffing from her run. “Oh great, it’s just you. Did Gena get tuckered out? Hey, can I have some water?”

“Gigi, that was some cold-hearted garbage you pulled,” Drake said, crossing his arms.

“What did I do? I thought we agreed you would babysit her,” she said defensively.

“Gigi, you didn’t even say goodbye to her! You snuck out the window!” He yelled. A crowd was starting to gravitate toward the quarreling lovers. Gigi looked around and put her hands up to try to shush him. “She cried so hard when she realized you had just ditched her.”

“Okay, okay, I’m a shitty big sister. Can we do this inside?” she pleaded.

Drake opened his mouth to say more but shut it instead and motioned for her to follow him. They went inside, and he stormed up to the attic and over to his desk. She followed him with a hangdog expression. Drake snatched up the drawing he had done of her as champion.

“You want to be a champion, right?” he accused. She nodded guiltily. “Remember how we talked about that meaning more than being strong or fast, more than a belt?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Being a champion is about fighting for those that believe in you. Nobody above or below believes in you as much as Gena does. By the gods, Gigi, that girl worships you, and you don’t have a kind word to say to her.” Drake sighed and tossed the drawing back on the desk.

“Do you want to know why she thought you left her behind? Because she wasn’t fast enough, she blamed herself. She thought you would have cared about her if she had been faster.”

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Gigi stood and stared at the drawing. Her brown eyes became glassy as Drake watched his words take root. “What should I do? How can I fix this?” she asked finally.

“You know how you felt meeting Mai? Gena feels that way every time you give her the time of day.” Drake shook his head. “The good news is, you don’t need to do much. Just go to her, apologize, and maybe run a lap with her.” He smiled, “That’s all it takes, Gigi.”

She nodded with determination. “Where is she?”

“Pretty sure she’s still crying in her room.”

Gigi grimaced. “ Drake…”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“Go get 'em, champ,” he kissed her forehead.

***

Gigi lightly knocked on the door to the twins' room. She had thought that her mother had no equal in administering guilt trips, but she was finding Drake was no slouch. She knew she had been too wrapped up in her life to pay attention to Gena’s.

That didn’t mean she didn’t love her, but she realized that she had few precious memories of her telling Gena that. Gigi didn’t notice how large she loomed in her little sister’s mind. However, the sobs coming from the other side of the door were a cold reminder of that fact.

Gigi turned the knob and slowly pressed in. “Gena? Can I come in?”

“Gigi?!” Came a tiny shocked response. Gigi heard ruffling sounds as she opened the door. Gena sat in the middle of her bed, cheeks tear-stained, and covers around her ears. Gigi’s ears drooped at seeing her sister so distraught, all over her.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough to come with,” Gena bleated. “I promise I’ll get faster!”

The small goblin’s words felt like daggers in Gigi’s heart. She walked over to her sister and sat beside her. “No, I’m sorry, Gena, what I did was wrong. I was a shi…bad big sister.”

“No, you’re not!” Gena cried. Gigi could feel her throat tighten as she fought back tears.

“Gena…you’re an amazing little sister, the best I could have ever asked for, you know that?”

Gena’s eyes widened, and she slipped the covers off her head. “You mean it, Gigi?”

“I love you so much,” Gigi said, giving her sister a spine-shattering hug. Just then, an idea came to Gigi. “Gena, do you want to be my assistant coach? Help Drake get everything ready and cheer me on?” Gigi offered.

Gena’s mouth hit the floor. “Really?! By the gods, yes! You’re the best big sister ever!” She shouted, spearing her sister with a hug.

“Want to come with me while I train for the rest of the day?”

Gena nodded vigorously before jumping off the bed. “I think you should marry Drake,” Gena said out of nowhere.

Gigi’s eyes went wide. “What?!”

“Yeah, I like him, and that way, we can all be a family and live in the bakery together! Then, when you guys have kids, I can watch them!”

Gigi felt her face going red. “Why don't you show me how fast you’ve gotten!”

***

True to her word, Gigi brought Gena with her and Drake to the forest. Gena had taken to her new role as an assistant coach with relish. She packed twice as much as she had for their run. Drake offered to help her carry it all, but Gena ardently refused. They arrived at the clearing that had become their de facto training grounds.

“Want to do a few laps around with me?” Gigi offered to her sister. Gena dumped the bags and ran up to her sister.

“You mean it?!” Gena exclaimed, jumping up and down.

“Yeah, first to five laps around Drake wins,” she said, winking at her sister. Gigi and Gena took their positions on either side of Drake.

“On your mark, get set, go!” Drake brought his arm down. Gena took off in a whirlwind, the speed of which surprised Gigi. Damn, she’s fast! Gigi took off after her. Gena was already one lap around when Gigi started picking up speed. However, when she did, she didn’t stop, barreling through the grass until her feet kicked up tufts. As quick as her little sister was, Gigi’s longer and more powerful legs made up the distance. She whizzed past Gena in the middle of the second lap. Gena didn’t relent and appeared to redouble her efforts. The pair blazed a trail until the dirt began to poke through.

Gena collapsed face-first when she passed Drake for the fifth and final time. Gigi was waiting for her with a waterskin. “You’ve gotten so much better, Gena! I can’t believe it!” She really couldn’t. Her sister had grown up remarkably when she hadn’t been looking. A mistake she did not intend to make again.

“You mean it?” Gena panted into the dirt.

“Way faster than me,” Drake laughed.

“One day, you’ll leave me in the dust, I’m sure of it,” Gigi said, handing her sister the water. Gena took the waterskin with reverence. Gena was visibly still basking in the glow of her big sister’s praise as she began to gulp. Gigi smiled. He had been right. It hadn’t been hard, but it felt great.

“Are we ready to start practice?” Drake asked.

Gigi sighed. “Yeah, bring on that damned forsaken snake.” Gigi was growing frustrated; she had been training for almost two weeks to try and learn how to land clean hits on this wretched thing, but she just hadn’t been able to. Before she knew it, she was always tied up. Then she would look up at the sky, or worse, have her face covered by black fleshy coils.

This session proved the same. It didn’t seem to matter if her punches were like lightning; the snake would dodge and constrict her again and again. Gigi let loose a deep sigh as she was locked in a vice again, gazing up at the clouds.

“This isn’t working,” she declared, buried under the inky snake’s writhing body.

“Could you try biting it?” Gena then demonstrated on the air.

“Maybe, I like where your head’s at, assistant coach,” Gigi agreed, thinking it over. She didn’t want a mouthful of Jorg’s blood, but she was growing tired of this.

“I think you’re right,” Drake said, holding his chin as if working over the predicament in his mind.

“About the biting?” chirped Gena.

“No, Gigi’s right, this isn’t working.” He crossed his arms. “I think we need to try something else.” He dispersed the snake into smoke.

“Well, I’m all ears,” Gigi groaned, getting to her feet and brushing off dirt.

Drake nodded to himself. “I think we need to assume you’re going to get caught in the fight.”

“So just assume I lose?!”

Drake shook his head. “No, we need a way to attack even if you're tied up. Make him pay for every move he makes.”

“Can you punch him in the belly?” Gena asked.

“I would love to, but I can barely get my arm free an inch,” Gigi complained.

Drake’s eyes widened. “That’s it!” he exclaimed.

“What’s it?” Gigi asked.

“The poor man’s punch! That’s the answer.”

“You can’t throw a punch with only one inch, Drake. That’s impossible,” Gigi scoffed.

Drake shrugged. “It’s more like a body check through your fist, and more accurately, it’s more like a thing drunk soldiers do to each other to show off than an actual fighting…technique, let's say. I think it’s our best shot, though,” he said, raising his arms and shrugging.

Gigi’s shoulders stooped. This is what they had been reduced to? Resorting to a tavern trick? “Fine, how does it work?”

“Well, you stand like this.” He shifted his right foot forward and slightly bent his knees. Then, he raised his right arm with a slight bend in the elbow. “You keep your fingers loose and even with your palm.”

“Okay, I can do that,” Gigi said, mimicking his movement.

“Then you drive your hips and leading shoulder forward, extending your elbow and shooting your arm toward the target. At the last second, you snap your wrist into a fist, then-” he punched the air before him. “Then you pull your fist back right after to make the hit hurt worse.” He demonstrated.

Gigi tried it. She felt like it did nothing. “Drake, this is stupid,” she declared.

“Why don’t you practice on a tree before deciding it doesn’t work.”

Gigi grumbled, but she did it anyway, walking toward the nearest tree. She assumed the form and struck out at the tree a moment later. The strike felt weak, as if there was no power behind it. She tried again. The results were the same. Gigi kept trying, but each blow felt limp.

“It doesn’t work!” she roared.

Drake stepped beside her. “Calm down,” he soothed. “You need to put your whole body weight into it when you shift. The strength doesn’t come just from your wrist.” He lined up with the tree, knuckles an inch away from the bark. He snapped forward, and the tree let out a resounding THUNK.

Her ears twitched, and then she nodded. She could do that. Drake stepped aside, and she reclaimed her spot. She placed her knuckles where she had before. She took in a deep breath. Her entire form snapped forward, culminating in an electric jab. The bark splintered beneath her knuckles with a satisfying crunch. She pulled back her fist in disbelief and looked at the damage she had done.

“It works…”

Drake whistled. “Now, imagine when you get good at it.”