“Did you finish packing your things El?” Elis asks.

“Mhm. I finished a little while ago. There’s not much since most of my things were in the wagon. Since most of our things were in the wagon…” I mumble. “Though, it’s okay. Traveling light is much better, r-right?”

Iris chuckles, “Right. Though,” she sighs, “I really do wish we could have stayed here for at least another day. My feet could use a little rest.”

I look down at my own feet. They’re as smooth as ever, no callouses to be seen, but I can still imagine the throbbing I felt when I ran for my life. I still remember how my heart beat straight out of my chest as I gasped for air. I couldn’t stop running, I wasn’t allowed to stop running. I didn’t know what would happen if we stopped but I knew it was bad.

“How close do you think those goons are to finding this cabin too? If they come here I’m going to whack them over their heads!” Elis takes a seat on a bed, “But if we’re really talking here, I agree with you, Iris. It would be nice if we could stay for at least one more day. I don’t know what that joker is thinking. He seemed more than happy to stay when we first got here. Maybe if we talk to his sister she can convince him to stay.”

“That’s a great idea!” Iris beams. “...Rainen’s not completely wrong for wanting to leave. He has his heart in the right place but he needs to understand we’re not him.” Iris grabs my scarf and wraps it around me. “Aisha is outside, please have her convince Rainen for us El.”

“Wha-? M-me? Why me?”

“It has to be you,” they say in unison.

“Aisha may be nice to everyone in this group but she seems especially fond of you. So get out there and talk to her for a bit.” Iris pushes me out the door and shuts it behind me.

“Wait!” I try to open the door but it’s futile. “C-can you at least give me my socks?”

The door opens. Iris dangles a pair of socks in front of me and wishes me luck. After handing them over she closes the door again.

Aisha leans against the house lost in thought. She gazes up at the early morning sky hardly taking notice of me. Her nose and ears shine bright red like her hair. She brings her hands up to her face and exhales.

“A-Aisha.” I stammer. “C-could you… How’s the morning so far?” I ask as I chide myself for missing my opportunity.

Her face lights up as she notices me. “Good morning, Ellar! It’s going well so far, how about yours?”

“Ah, well… Good, I guess. There wasn’t much to pack. Um…” I force out the words. “B-but I wish we could stay here a little longer. I know it’s not safe but everyone seems down… Not that it’s your brother’s fault. I’m sure he’s just doing what’s best for all of us.”

“What he thinks is best,” she corrects.

“Ehehe…” I was too nervous to say it aloud.

“To be honest Ellar, I feel the same way.” she shakes her head, “Knowing my brother, he won’t budge to me. To him, I’m nothing but a kid. He treats me like a kid. To all of you, he has some modicum of respect but I have none of that… Sorry to get you caught up in my personal feelings. You seem like one of the only ones who actually listen.”

I bite my lip, “I-Iris and Elis would listen too!”

She nods. “Thank you for checking up on me, Ellar. I think we should go back inside now. My brother might be looking for me and I don’t want you getting in trouble on my behalf.”

She heads inside first. I hang my head as I follow, ashamed that I couldn’t even get to the question and ended up having Aisha reveal her true feelings to me. I pull the scarf tighter as if it would absolve me of weaknesses.

“Is something wrong, Miss?” Gideon asks as he walks up to me with a couple of books in hand. “You look quite glum this morning. Did you have a bad slumber, or was it because of the food I made this morning?”

I rush to take any guilty feelings away from our host, “No, no, no. It wasn’t because of the food or anything… It’s my own fault I’m feeling like this.”

“I see. Well, a little piece of advice from me, don’t worry about your faults. I do not encourage you to ignore them but rather, acknowledge them and strive for improvement.”

Rainen walks down with Axel and Istruan following close behind. Istruan pleads with Rainen for another day but he refuses. He calls the others down and tells us we’re leaving. Our host sighs and offers the cabin for another day but Rainen refuses again.

“Thank you for everything so far but we must leave.” With his sword and a pack on his back, Rainen leaves the cabin first.

Iris walks over as Gideon speaks with Istruan. “Am I safe to assume the talk with Aisha didn’t go as planned?”

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay, El. Elis and I knew it’d be hard either way. In the little while I’ve known Rainen, I could see where this was headed. Not even you, his partner, or Aisha, his sister, can do anything to persuade him. We just wanted to give it a try.”

“That guy is a good person,” Elis chimes in, “But I can’t say that I like him. Can’t say I like his decisions either.” she glances at me. “Well, we’ll bring all our stuff down. You just wait here, El. You’re looking a little glum. Hehe. My first time using that word.”

The two leave and Gideon returns. “It has been a pleasure having you all as guests in my house. Is there anything more that I can do for you before you leave?”

I shake my head, “No. Asking anything more of you is too much. Thank you.”

“Then may I ask something of you?”

“O-of course!” I hastily respond.

“These books in my arms, they are terribly heavy and I have nowhere to set them. Would you mind taking these with you?”

I’m shocked, “R-really?! Y-you would give these books to m-me?”

“Of course. They are much more useful to those who have not read them yet. Do with them what you will, I can assure you that I no longer have a need for them.”

I receive the books with shaking hands, “T-thank you!” I say once again. He chuckles and nods, handing me a pack to carry them with. Once Iris and Elis come down with our things we leave the cabin.

Istruan, who left right after us, calls me over. He asks to speak to me alone. Iris and Elis go on, but not without warning Istruan with their eyes. He waits for the pair to leave earshot before speaking. “Correct me if I’m wrong but were you and Rainen partners in the academy?”

“Huh?”

“Sorry, I was kind of eavesdropping on you back there,” he smiles as if not at all repentant. “So is it true? Were you partners with Rainen in the academy?”

I gaze at my right hand, “We were.”

“Really? That’s great! You should talk to him then.”

“W-what?! D-don’t ask me to do that! W-why is everyone expecting so much out of me today?” I’ll just end up disappointing you too. “I can’t. I can’t talk to him.”

“Why not? You two were partners. I’m sure he has some sort of soft spot for you.” Istruan replies clueless.

If only that were true… “He and I… we don’t get along well. Rainen doesn’t talk to me and I don’t talk to him.” More like I can’t work up the courage to try. “We’ve had some bad experiences with each other too.” Even though things were going so well at the start. I don’t hate him for letting me get beaten around but thinking back on Elis’s words, I should have said something to him.

“Ellar, I think now is a good chance to talk to him. If what you said is true, then you may not have noticed how much Rainen changed since waking yesterday. I won’t fight him any further on the matter of leaving, but I want to know why he changed so suddenly. Please try asking him, Ellar. I know you can do it.” He puts his hands together and comes uncomfortably close.

I give in, “O-okay.” I jog to catch up with Rainen staying a few feet behind first to catch my breath. Full of nerves but determined to make amends for my last mistake, I walk beside him. He continues to look forward, paying me no attention.

Did he not notice me? What do I do now?

“Blue Hair, if you want to say something you have to speak first,” he mocks. “I was wondering how long I’d have to wait. What is it?”

“N-nothing!” I blurt.

“You wouldn’t walk next to me if it was ‘nothing’. You haven’t walked next to me even once through this entire ordeal. We’ve only been this close when we were being chased. Though, I guess we still are.”

I gather my courage and say, “You’re right… I-I wanted to know about what happened y-yesterday. About why you changed.”

As the words leave my mouth he turns his eyes to me, “There’s nothing that changed. It’s everyone else who’s changed.” his words come out harsher than I expected. “We came here to help Sio, now that he’s better we’re going back to our original goal…”

“What is our original goal?”

He looks away, “To find someone who can help us.”

Despite my better judgment, I respond. “Gideon, Gideon can help us, can’t he?”

“We can’t trust him!” Rainen snaps. “We may have been ‘partners’  in the past but right now I make the decisions. I’m the leader of the group, whether I or anyone else likes it or not. It seems like no one understands what will happen to us if we’re caught. I liked it better when you were quiet, Blue Hair.”

I lose pace with Rainen. My heart races and I can hardly breathe. The scarf suddenly feels so loose, like it’s going to fall off if I don’t tighten it. I come to a complete stop while trying to keep it on… While I try to erase my voice.

“El, I think that’s tight enough,” Iris places a hand on my shoulder. “Anymore and you’re going to start feeling some pain in your mouth.”

“Sorry…” I reply. “I’m cold.”

“It was Rainen again wasn’t it?” Elis asks. Before I even say a word she nods, “I knew it was him. Hey-”

A loud scream comes from behind us. The metallic clang of swords echoes through the empty forest. Elis’s fury fades as the fighting continues. Men shout and horses whine in terror. Parts of the morning sky fill with misdirected spells. The others in the group listen on with bated breath. Soon, an uneasy silence dominates the forest.

Rainen throws down his pack and sprints toward the cabin. He yells for us to stay put. We watch him shrink into the distance, dumbfounded by his actions. Sio reacts first and chases after him setting off a chain reaction. We leave a trail of kicked up snow and overlapping footprints.

Soldiers lie scattered on the ground. Some press against their wounds and some apply magic while others cannot do anything as their minds drift somewhere else from the blows they sustained. Parts of the cabin are destroyed with the entire chunk of what used to be the door missing. Fire hangs from the roof and on nearby trees.

Rainen blows past the soldiers who attempt to stop him, knocking one flat and kicking over another. He disappears into the building as we near. A scream escapes from Sio as a soldier hidden in the snow trips him. He kicks at the man’s hand but he doesn’t let go. The soldier pulls out a knife. Istruan and Emile jump on him, wrestling the knife out of his hand and knocking him over the head.

Others charge the group. Sio, though afraid at first, confidently takes a step forward and hits them with lightning bolts. The men crumple to the ground. He looks at his hands as if they were hidden treasures.

More charge us and we fight back. Sio takes the frontline casting spell after spell with both glee and fear. However, before we know it, more men have risen than fallen. The ones knocked out by Gideon come to their senses. One soldier manages to punch the three boys in their guts, sending them to their knees.

The men who haven’t gone inside after Rainen, now face us with their swords drawn. Despite heavy panting and bleeding, the one who took the three down orders us to surrender. “You’re surrounded. Give yourselves up and we’ll be more lenient. Our orders were to take you all alive… if possible.”

If possible. They’ll kill us if we don’t… What’s the worst that could happen if we stop running? If we explain our case then they’d let us go, wouldn’t they?

I glance at Aisha.

They might let Iris, Elis, and me go but they weren’t after us in the first place.

“All right,” Iris says, raising her hands. “We surrender.”

“Huh?” I stare at Iris, trying to figure out the meaning behind her words. However, I come to a chilling realization as everyone else starts raising their hands. Mine instinctively go up as well.

Elis presses against me as a couple of the Empire's men lower their swords. “El, use that water spell back at the academy. You know, the one that whips around. They’re injured so you don’t need to use too much power.”

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“I don’t know how to control it,” I whisper. “I-I can’t!”

“Sorry, El. There’s no time to think. Just do it!”

“Hey!” one of the men points his sword at Elis, “What are you two talking about over there? Come over here.”

Elis reluctantly walks forward all the while throwing me sidelong glances. I bite my lip.  “Get away!” I scream. The words, although directed at Elis and the others, prompts a response from the soldier. He comes straight toward me.

He stops halfway when another person reminds him about our surrender. He snorts, “She spoke out against us, meaning she spoke out against the empire. I’m betting that the roluk isn’t even a citizen. What happens to her is of no concern.”

I conjure up the spell in my hands and before letting it loose, scream another warning. Iris and Elis, who are the closest to me, dive into the snow. I push the ball of water forward. The soldiers freeze and keep their eyes trained on the spell. The men talented in magic create a small barrier for themselves and nearby allies.

With everyone I know out of the way and the soldiers’ rising impatience, I start the second phase. The ball contorts as if someone is inside. It grows worse by the second. The contortions become more frequent and the water spikes are longer and sharper. It connects with its first barrier. The barrier holds with a minor crack. With their confidence bolstered by their superior defense, the Empire's men advance.

“Should we help?” Kat asks, looking to Istruan and Emile.

“N-no!” I reply. “Stay away.”

“I knew the roluk was trouble. That race always is.” the man from before charges without a barrier.

I will the spell to attack him. The ball stretches thin and, although I try to control it, stabs at the man. He dodges. It stabs at him again while I try to lower its lethality. He dodges and continues coming at me. My heart pounds against my chest, yearning for freedom. Let go of control and kill the man or hurt no one and die. My hands shake and my legs buckle.

Someone screams out my name. I look back as a yellow light engulfs me. Red. Red is all I see as I’m shocked back into reality. The tip of a sword sits just inches away from my neck. I follow the blade back to its wielder. Two almost transparent spikes go through his right arm and leg. They return to the ball and another soldier casts a barrier around the man. The barrier shatters in a single blow. He drops to the ground with veins popping out of his back. He holds his arm and lets out an animalistic death screech.

I stumble onto the ground as I wipe my face of his blood. I lose complete control of my spell. One man shoots an arrow and another launches a fireball. The ball lashes out, freezing the arrow and fireball before shattering both. Shock seizes them. The spell’s rampage begins. It lashes out once more.

Their barriers break underneath the force of the attacks. One hit cracks the defense and the second hit destroys it. At its peak, the spell has five whips going at a time. One man tries to parry an attack but his enchanted sword shatters and he’s flung into the snow. Their numbers dwindle one by one but the spell’s power amplifies.

Those hit by the ball’s lashes agonize on the ground with broken arms and ribs. I try to retake control but I can’t keep my hands steady. The men skilled in magic counter the water whips with barrier after barrier, barely keeping it at bay. But, before long, they tire. Desperate, they channel everything into one last ditch attack.

The magicians gather together and while some shield, the others combine their spells to create a massive fireball. “Now!” they yell. The ones holding the barrier up stop and casts their own smaller fireballs. My spell freezes and shatters the smaller ones while it tries to destroy the large one.

I lose myself to panic and stare straight into the fire. A wall of stone rises in front of me and a barrier covers me in a warm light, just like it did before when the man tried to cut me down. I brace for impact but it doesn’t come as expected. I hear various thuds against the stone wall and then it stops.

The wall crumbles and the barrier fades. Chunks of ice lie in the snow. The soldiers’ eyes are wide and filled with disbelief. “A spell that can freeze fireballs?”

The men fall to the ground tired out from their expense in mana and most likely from their fight against Gideon.

Iris and Elis rush to my aid. They lift me off the ground and wipe the rest of the blood off of me. Their faces are a mix of relief and concern. I look around the battlefield to see what destruction I caused. Men coddle their arms and chests, their armor dented beyond repair. Trees with white bark showing, caught in the stray lashes of my spell.

Fia holds her arm with a pained expression. My heart drops as I realize it hit everyone else too. I look at the man who was pierced in two places. I push Iris and Elis out of the way and begin to heal him with my unsteady hands.

No one says a word as I try to heal him. Iris puts her hand on my shoulder and ushers me away. “El, you’re no good like that. I’ll heal him.”

Elis pulls me away.

Something catches our eyes on the outskirts of the immediate area. Two more soldiers stumble upon the sight of the battle and turn heel. Axel sends a gust of wind at the two men but miss. Sio pushes him out the way, “Leave this to me,” he says as he casts a lightning bolt.

It hits the two men but a disturbing image reveals itself as I take a closer look. Blood drips from their nose and mouth. Their eyes are wide open with a blank stare. Sio lets out a belated yell and Istruan pats him on the back, either not realizing they’re dead or not caring.

Rainen and Gideon emerge from the cabin with Gideon sustaining heavy injuries.

“I did it!” Sio shouts, “I took those two down!”

Gideon looks over and says, “They’re dead.”

Sio’s smile flickers but he stays gleeful, touting that his magic has gotten stronger. Rainen walks over in silence. As soon as he’s within arm’s length of Sio, he grabs him by the collar. “What the hell do you think you’ve done?”

His smile fades into one of confusion. “What do you mean? I protected all of us! If those two had escaped then they would have called for reinforcements. What else was I supposed to do other than kill them?”

“What else?” Rainen jerks him around, “What else you could have done was incapacitate them. You didn’t have to kill them! You know what this means? This is the end for us. There won’t be anywhere that we can hide now!”

“That’s- You’re being ridiculous,” Sio replies.

“He’s right,” Istruan grabs ahold of Rainen’s hand, “You’re overreacting Rainen. Sio was just doing his best to protect us like you-”

“But unlike me he did something stupid! Now that they know we worked with a past war criminal and killed two of their men, the empire will stop at nothing to bring us to ‘justice’. Aisha was their target and now we’re all in their crosshairs. Word of this will spread like fire and our group will become branded as outlaws before we reach the next town!”

“Then we kill them all,” Sio responds, shaken. “Or we lock them up. It doesn’t matter to me. Right, Istruan? You’re willing to do what it takes to prevent us being hunted down.”

Istruan balls up his fists. Axel shakes his head, “Rainen is right but he’s also overreacting.” Axel throws his hands up as Rainen glares at him, “Hey, I’m not picking sides but Sio did what was necessary. Emile and I were the ones at the gathering that day. We know how big the group that that Saleac guy was leading. This is only half, maybe even less than half of what he had in the village.”

Gideon chimes in, “Yes, I agree. Though I would have preferred a bloodless battle, it stands to reason that with the given information and the situation at hand, the young man made the correct decision. The officer wasn’t among the fighters here. I imagine he is leading a second party, either searching for us as well or protecting the base camp. Had he been here, the outcome may have very well ended in their favor. The man in armor gave me much trouble.”

Rainen lets go of his collar. Sio snorts, “See, I was right.”

Rainen raises his fist and Sio flinches. “Be quiet. Wrong or right, we’re now going to be hunted like dogs.” he shakes his head and lowers his fist. “Make sure that one doesn’t die, Iris. And heal Fia too. Then start walking back, we’re leaving.”

“Ah, first I would like a word with you, Rainen,” Gideon says, turning away from the rest of us. “And young lady,” he says to Iris, “Use this herb on his wounds. It will stop the bleeding and, if he is lucky, that arm won’t have to come off. Come now.”

He and Rainen walk off behind the cabin with Rainen lending him his shoulder. Sio tries to control his breathing with Istruan consoling him on his actions. Fia sits down and Elis heals her. Kat watches Sio with Emile. She cleans the tip of her dagger with a piece of cloth and hits her glove against a tree. Aisha appears at my side with a downtrodden expression.

“I’m sorry about what my brother said to you before.” She glances at Sio and Istruan. “I… I hope you don’t come to hate him.”

“I-It’s okay,” I try to comfort her. “I-I… I’ll try not to.”

“Thank you,” her eyes well up. “Can you uh, go check on them?” Aisha gazes down at the man I almost killed. “I think it’s better if you don’t watch.”

I liked it better when you were quiet, Blue Hair.

The words ring in my ears. They still sting, but I nod. I walk over to the cabin, careful not to step on the unconscious men. Their voices clear as I near. I take cover inside of the cabin and freeze as Gideon asks his question.

“If I recall correctly, you were quite eager to leave this morning, yesterday as well after seeing the herbs take on no effects. So, if an old hermit like myself may ask, why did you come back? Your help against the armored man was greatly appreciated but I would have taken him down in time.” Gideon says.

“I know. Do you remember what I said when I woke up? When you asked me about my sword and… it?”

When he woke up? His sword? The thing he always carries around wrapped in sheets? It? So something did happen yesterday. They were talking as I came in.

“I told you that a man, a stranger saved me…”

“So because of that man you feel the need to save others?”

Silence overtakes the conversation. I almost look through the window but resist the urge. Rainen speaks, “I’m not saving anyone. I help them because I want to.”

“I see. I understand now. Forgive me for not recalling yesterday’s conversation and coming to this conclusion earlier. A foolish question on my part indeed. It is wasted time that you and your friends could have used for running.”

“What about you?” Rainen asks, “What will you do?”

“An old man like me? I will not run. This is my home. It has been this way for over a decade, ever since Alden fell at the hands of the empire. Saelac and his men will have a much more difficult time finding me this time. However, if they do, I shall not resist arrest. Please do not make such a face. I will not reveal your secret.”

Secret?

“It’s not about that.” he responds.

“I know. I simply wanted to reassure you. Truth be told, although my words yesterday were harsh, I believe you to be a kind person. Naive as well. As a leader, do your best to quell those two. Kindness is not a weakness unless a person possesses too much of it. Naivete coupled with too much kindness is nothing but a disaster waiting to happen. Think of it when you travel. Those nearest to you may die. How is your foot?”

“Huh? Oh… It’s fine. He only tore off my boot. Luckily the boot’s fine too.”

“Then I wish you well on your travels.”

I jolt back. They’re almost done talking and they’ll notice me if I don’t move. I start tip-toeing out of the cabin but something catches my eye. It gleams in the morning sun. I pick it up and hold it to the sky.

Stop. Don’t touch that!

Rainen’s words ring out once again. It’s the crystal from the cave.

“Blue Hair?”

“Huh?” I hide the crystal behind my back. “W-What?”

“Did you hear any of that?”

I shake my head. “A-Aisha… Your sister sent me for you!” I blurt.

He stares at me for a moment, narrowing his eyes.

“Hey!” Aisha shouts, “Are you coming?”

“Let’s go,” he says, walking off.

“R-Right,” I reply, slipping the crystal into my pocket.