“What’s up with you?”

Bjorn looked up from a crate he was sitting on, at Taya, who had seemingly appeared before him from nothing with Peng and Ruhak in tow.

He sat huddled outside the singular medical tent the Ascomanni had, staring down at the cobblestones as he waited.

“Taken a look around at all?” Bjorn asked, gesturing to their surroundings.

The refugees who knew him looked on with scornful glares. He didn’t even want to think about what they thought of him. But his mind didn’t really give him a choice.

“A couple of scary glares. So what?” Taya shrugged, “I saw lightning shoot into the sky. Which means you clearly did something cool.”

“I found out that I can...Stop plague deaths? Kind of.” Bjorn said, “I can absorb the light and the energy and redirect it somewhere else in the form of lightning.”

All three widened their eyes.

“Damn.” Ruhak muttered, “That is impressive.”

“Where’s Cecile?” Taya asked.

“She’s checking to see if I did more harm than good.” Bjorn said, “How were things on your end.”

Taya hissed, “See...we kind of have to go to Koinelia.”

Bjorn blinked, “To where?”

“See, the guilds here don’t have the ability to let us expand.” Taya said, “So if we want any more than five members, we’ll have to go to Koinelia. And I reckon we’ll need more than five to fight the Nikan or Sarfait.”

“Actually, funny story, the people that invaded my home weren’t the Sarfans. They’re giants. Frost giants. From fairy tales.” Bjorn said, “I know it sounds crazy, but…”

“Gods damnit. That’s the third.” Taya hissed.

“What?” Bjorn frowned.

“I believe you. But now we really need to get to Koinelia.” Taya assured him.

Bjorn paused for a minute, his jaw frozen, but he quickly regained control of himself.

“I...Alright. We can leave soon, then?” Bjorn asked.

Taya frowned, “Absolutely.”

The medical tent’s flaps burst open as Cecile walked out with a sigh, “Good news, Bjorn. She’s perfectly healthy. Aside from, you know, the injuries and whatnot.”

“Thank the gods.” Bjorn sighed.

“Oh. Afternoon.” Cecile nodded to Taya and the others.

“C’mon, you two. We have several things to discuss.” Taya ushered them to her. “And maybe we can do it in a place where Peng and Bjorn are getting fewer death glares.”

Bjorn was thankful to follow them out of the refugee camp as Cecile was caught up on the guild business.

As they walked through the city, following Taya’s lead, the Sklaveni abruptly stopped in the middle of the street and swiveled around to face them.

“Alright.” Taya said, “I want to know how everyone’s feeling. Because the trip to Koinelia is pretty long and in the opposite direction of where some of us want to go.”

“Thought about it a little. I’ve got nowhere to go.” Ruhak said, “Plus I’ve always wanted to see the capital of my home.”

“Bjorn, you’re on board, right?” Taya asked.

“No one as of right now is going to help me fight for my homeland. So yes. I’m on board.” Bjorn said.

“Cecile? Peng?”

Peng sighed, “Look...I don’t mind you all, but...I’m so far from home. I can’t just go to war with my homeland. I mean, there are tons of good people there. I know that wars tend not to care.”

Taya nodded, “Well, if you want to go home, we’ll be going east as well. We can travel together until we reach Koinelia. Can’t hurt to have some companions on the road these days.”

Peng nodded, “I suppose I can see the logic in that. Alright.”

They all looked at Cecile. She’d never seemed very intent on helping fight a war. She was a doctor, after all. But then again, Bjorn was still completely unaware of her motives for...well almost anything. At first, she was with them for mere survival, so Bjorn could brush it off. But now what?

“Well, it’s either I patch up people who accuse me of being a witch every few months or I patch up you morons.” Cecile said. “And I’d rather contribute an effort to actually put an end to all this chaos. Regardless of how idiotic I think it is.”

“Good enough for me.” Taya smiled.

“The trip will take at least two months.” Ruhak said, “We should stock up on suppl-”

Taya loudly sucked air through her teeth, “About that, remember when we left everything we wanted to sell on our boat down in the lowlands?”

Bjorn pinched the bridge of his nose, “Alright, so we have no money. And we’re supposed to make it all the way to Koinelia with zero funds.”

Bah! We’ll figure it out.” Taya grinned, “Now, the world awaits us! Let’s fight an empire!”

_____________________________________________________________________

Turns out all the plays lied when talking about epic quests that heroes took. They never bothered to mention how tedious travel was.

Ruhak collapsed next to the small fire Cecile had started as the sun began to set. These highlands were a bitch and a half to traverse.

Not only was there the forest of rock formations to maneuver around like an angry man’s papyrus farm, but the ground itself was so inconsistent in elevation, Ruhak swore he broke some kind of bone in his ankles with each step.

They’d been on the road for a week, heading east through the highlands. From there, it was Sklaveni forest and through the border into the city of Dimale. Then a ferry ride to Koinelia.

As with many things, it seemed simple in digestible steps. But in the back of Ruhak’s mind, he couldn’t shake the feeling that those geographical challenges weren’t the problems they should be worried about.

The world was going through a weird time and statistically, it would be wise to expect to encounter something completely foreign and unknown. According to Bjorn, his people had been brought low by fairy tale creatures. Then, there was that prince. Yes, they sunk his boat, but wouldn’t that give him all the more reason to persist in chasing them down? They hadn’t exactly covered all their tracks.

“Ruhak?” Cecile’s soft voice broke through his whirlwind of thoughts as she offered him a bowl of stew. Defeating bandits and looters had actually been rather lucrative, as many of them had bounties on their heads and their equipment could be sold off for a reasonable price. “You alright? You seem out of it.”

Ruhak nodded, accepting the bowl, “Just thinking.”

“You do that a lot.” Taya pointed out from a log she’d turned into a makeshift stool, “I’d argue a little too much.”

Ruhak shrugged, “I’m a thoughtful person. I feel like we’re bound to encounter something far more dangerous than bandits, whether it be that prince or something else weird. It doesn’t sit right with me that we’ve just been...walking all this time.”

Taya nodded, “That’s probably the case.”

“So what are we going to do about it?” he asked.

“When they come, we’ll stab them.” Taya said.

Ruhak sighed, “Taya...that’s just stupid.”

“Is it?” Taya pursed her lips, “Alright, what do you wanna do about it.”

“Cecile and I.” Ruhak showed his right hand, “We have Scars like you. And no symptoms. We should learn to do the same thing you and Bjorn can.”

Taya nodded, “Fair enough. Let’s see if you’ve got what it takes. I can’t promise you you’ll get it without spontaneously manifesting your powers first, since I haven’t exactly taught many. But if you have the capacity to be a Shedim Master then you should’ve already bonded with one. Bjorn, you come over here too.”

Bjorn glanced up from a conversation he was having with Peng, “Uh...alright.”

The Ascommani walked over.

“Take a seat with them. I’m going to teach you all some magic.” Taya rotated her wrists, cracking the joints.

Bjorn raised an eyebrow, “Thought you said it wasn’t magic.”

Taya threw her green flannel cloak aside, “Shedim Mastery, lesson one. In order to even start learning how to control a Shedim, you have to be able to manifest it first. This is done by sheer willpower. You may have powers, but no control or gain of your power can be exercised until you’ve seen your Shedim and spoken its name.”

“How are we supposed to know its name?” Cecile asked.

“You do that later. Channel your power first. Get your Scars glowing.” Taya said.

“Just willpower? What are we supposed to do or focus on?” Ruhak asked.

“Well, you should maybe focus on what you’re channeling your willpower into.” Taya said, “But other than that, it doesn’t matter.”

Ruhak took a deep breath. If you say so.

He closed his eyes and...tried to focus his will power. Whatever that meant. The concept was so abstract, how were they expected to follow it like a set of concrete instructions?

“How is this supposed to work? What actually is my willpower supposed to be?” Ruhak asked.

“Stop asking questions and figure it out for yourself.” Taya said.

“I did it!”

Ruhak looked over at Cecile. The Scar around her abdomen and right side of her chest glowed a bright bluish-green through her clothes.

“What? How?” Ruhak demanded an answer.

Cecile shrugged, “Well, all that went through my head is the fact that I knew I could do it, if those two could.”

“Wait…” Bjorn frowned.

“No offense.” Cecile half-smiled.

“Some taken.” Bjorn muttered.

Ruhak closed his eyes and put his focus back on manifesting his powers. He just had to know he could do it. And he could...couldn’t he?

Well, what if he was wrong and he didn’t have what it took? He didn’t know what exactly to do. There were no experts. Hell, there were no scholars he could turn to for wisdom period!

No, he told himself. You can at least do this. Trust in Taya.

The Sklaveni may not have been the smartest person in the world, but as far as he was concerned, she was the closest thing to an expert on this form of magic. And she believed they could do it...

Ruhak pushed himself, a wave of cold running across his body. He opened his eyes to find the Scars on his hands glowing a sort of off-white limestone color.

“Good.” Taya smiled, “Next thing hasn’t been done by anyone here. It’s a little more concrete. You feel that chill in your veins? Force it out. That’ll manifest your Shedim. I’ll demonstrate.”

Taya’s Scar glowed deep purple. Then her eyes were full of that same color. Dark violet fog streamed off her skin and coalesced behind her into a humanoid form that floated just above the ground.

Ruhak had seen her Shedim before, but never really got a good look at it. The figure was a woman that looked remarkably like Taya in facial structure. It had pale greyish white skin and long, ebony black hair that seemed to float as though it were submerged in the sea. It was draped in low cut, flowing black robes and its hands were caked in crimson blood. The phantom seemed to not be entirely there. Almost as though it took effort to even perceive her form.

Peng, whose mind had been elsewhere during this rest, yelped at the Shedim’s sudden appearance, like the both of them had the first time they saw it.

“This is the Phantom Queen of Crows. My Shedim.” Taya said, “Your turn.”

This step was far easier for Ruhak. He did feel the cold. So he pushed it out just by tensing his muscles. His was the first out.

He turned to find a dark skinned man far larger than him towering over his form. The only strange part about him, aside from the general glowing aura was the fact that he had a lion’s head.

“Look like any familiar gods to you?” Taya asked him.

“What?” Ruhak frowned.

“Elder Shedim are often portrayed as gods. There’s almost a guarantee your culture has a god similar to this Shedim in its pantheon. It’s the only way to figure its name out.” Taya said.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

He narrowed his eyes, trying to recall all the gods in the old Hikupti pantheon. It wasn’t easy, considering how the Koini had merged their pantheons together.

Ruhak snapped his fingers, “Of course! The Warrior King’s Faithful Companion!”

Upon speaking the name of the deity, the Shedim returned to his body in a flash of light, shocking him with a wave of coldness.

“Gods and demons!” Ruhak yelped.

“Once you say the name, the Shedim is bound to you permanently and you can start growing your mastery over its power.” Taya said.

Bjorn was the next to have a person pop out of his body. In a flash of lightning, a man materialized behind him. The man was as tall as Bjorn standing up and was covered in a far heavier, more concealing version of Ascomanni armor, with a bluish-grey cape. Through the eyeholes of the helmet, Ruhak swore there was nothing inside except electricity behind them.

“I just have to say its name?” Bjorn asked.

“Yep.” Taya nodded.

“The Weathering Storm of the White Sea.” Bjorn said. The Shedim vanished just like that.

After a minute or two more of trying, Cecile finally got her Shedim to manifest. Pristine blue water seemed to be drawn out from her skin, coalescing into the shape of a woman who had as much similarity to her Master as each of their Shedim

The Shedim’s flesh was made from that bright blue water, while its long, loose hair was formed from some kind of aquatic plant. Aside from its eyes, its face didn’t exist. It wore a white linen dress that billowed out at the bottom and jewelry made from plants and amber.

“Any gods?” Taya asked.

“Er...Sarfans are monotheistic, Taya.” Cecile said, “We don’t exactly have a pantheon.”

“Well did you used to?” Taya asked.

“There was some paganism there in the past, but it’s all been forgotten. Scrubbed out by monks and scribes.” Cecile muttered.

“Well, do you have other things that aren’t gods?”

Cecile thought for a moment, “We have patron saints. Actually…” she started talking to herself, running through a list of names until she reached one, “Gwendolyn, Patron Saint of Rivers?”

Nothing happened.

“Does she have another title?” Taya asked.

“Um, I think it was...Mother of Rivers atop the Mountain Peaks.”

The Shedim was sucked back into her body. Cecile shuddered before gasping with relief.

“There. Now you can all fight without yelling at me for help.” Taya said, “Now in exchange, I want double rations tonight.”

“Taya,” Bjorn muttered, his eyes glancing between Ruhak and Cecile, “What’s that pulse I hear? It’s like a heartbeat.”

“Oh. That’s how you know if other Elder Shedim are around. Elder Shedim become more and more...well, not intelligent, but active the deeper your bond is. The pulse gets louder the more active or powerful a nearby Shedim is.” Taya explained, “It’s odd you don’t have to focus to perceive it, though.”

Ruhak took a deep breath and focused, similar to when he got his Scars to light up. He could hear them too.

A loud and constant thumping came from Taya and Bjorn's direction, while a distinctly different, but much softer beat came from Cecile.

Ruhak chuckled, “Hey. I can hear it too.”

“Useful, right?” Taya asked, “It even helps you detect Elder Shedim who are being Banebended. Though, typically you’ll hear ear piercing screeches instead of a pulse while a Banebender’s Shedim is being used.”

“So this’ll help us detect the enemy?” Cecile asked.

Taya shrugged, “It’s certainly better than nothing, but...it’s not exactly reliable all the time. A more powerful pulse might intervene with your ability to hear a weaker one. Which is a problem because Bjorn and I have strong pulses.”

“I can hear Cecile’s just fine, though.” Ruhak said.

“Then you’re lucky today.” Taya said.

As conversation died down and Cecile returned to rationing out their supper, Ruhak leaned back and just let himself listen to the pulses of each of his companions again.

Except this time there was something else.

He glanced over towards Peng. Ruhak swore he could hear the faintest little pulse coming from...was it the man or was it the spear?

___________________________________________________________

Guanyu inhaled for four seconds. Then he held it for four. Then he released for another four. And repeat.

He focused on his breath, attempting to clear his mind during his meditation. Despite his short temper, Guanyu believed there was much value to be found in the art of meditation and philosophy.

Though, he found it hard to engage in either when someone interrupted him. Like whichever fool was at his door, having just slammed it open.

“Guanyu.”

It was his sister. He’d have to let it slide in that case.

Guanyu opened his eyes and turned to her, “I trust what you have to tell me is important.”

Yahui nodded, “The Scions have news for you.”

Guanyu sighed with exasperation, but stood to follow her anyway. He turned to face her, making a face of disgust at her clothing.

“Your disproportionate reaction is half the reason I do it.” Yahui scoffed, without Guanyu even needing to say anything, “Now come, let’s not keep the Scions waiting.”

After the unfortunate sinking of their junk, Guanyu had been blessed enough to receive the latest ironclad junk model, which ran entirely off steam power and Fire Shedim caught in the Al-Kubra desert.

His father was really adamant about investing into Guanyu’s mission, according to the six Bane Knights he sent with the ship. But the more likely story was not so palatable to Guanyu’s desires.

The boat’s interiors were dimly lit with Fire Shedim lamps and made almost entirely of metal. Almost nothing could sink this thing.

Guanyu stepped onto the bridge, where his Bane Knights and Scions waited for him around a briefing table. He had one Bane Knight for each type of common Shedim, those being air, water, earth and fire, as well as two others to act as his personal guards, who used their Banebending to control a shadow and sun Shedim.

Oddly, though, the shadow and sun Bane Knights, named Xiao Ning and Wei Hai if he remembered, were female. There were almost no female Bane Knights aside from those truly skilled. Which meant these two were the most capable for the job of guarding him.

Each Bane Knight wore black scale armor under their chest plates and pauldrons and wore wide-brimmed helmets with golden horns atop them and demonic black masks.

The Scions were priests of Eldrism, the national religion of Nikan that worshipped the Old Gods. The Scions Guanyu had with him were devotees of Zhao Bo, God of wisdom and intellect. They were dressed in bluish-gray robes and had shaved heads with intricate designs tattooed into their scalps.

“Your highness.” the Bane Knights and Scions bowed to him in unison.

“What is it, Scion Huang?” Guanyu asked.

“We found him, my lord.” The Scion said, “Our Shedim Tracker worked. We found the Adept.”

The Scion was a small man with a rat-like face. Guanyu always thought of Zhao Bo’s followers as cowards. Because, frankly, they were. If he had a choice, Yi Da Ge, god of loyalty and honor, would be the god whose followers accompanied him. But of course, there was something to be said about all the Shedemic technologies Zhao Bo’s people came up with.

“Our little accident is still close to them?”

From the fleet that had attacked the Avisilan quarantine island, one Nikan soldier had been captured. One who carried an Elder Shedim with him. Whether or not he was a Master was yet to be confirmed, but like everyone else who developed Shedemic bonds in Nikan, he had been Blanked. His mind was wiped and his Shedim was sedated. That spirit was useful for nothing aside from making tracking technology operational.

“From what our agents have said, he will remain with them until they leave Sklava.”

“So where are they?” Guanyu asked.

“They seem to have left the Highlands, your majesty, and are heading east.”

“To Koinelia…” Guanyu muttered.

“Yes, my lord. They intend on expanding their guild and building up a fighting force of Shedim Masters.”

Guanyu looked at a map of the continent splayed out on the table they surrounded, “We’ll dock here at Sevstra. My Bane Knights, my sister and I will chase them down on horseback. We’ll meet back up again in Dimale once the job is finished. Say...a month’s time at most.”

“Yes, your highness.” the Scion bowed.

“Go relay those instructions to the captain.” Guanyu said.

The Scion nodded and headed to the front of the bridge.

“Are you sure chasing after them is the best idea?” Yahui asked.

“We’re seven Banebenders and a Shedim Master. They’re two Masters and two Plague victims and a Blanked traitor. Even if they were to find another Master among them, they’d be a novice at best. What can they do?” Guanyu asked.

“All I’m saying is that since we can track the one, we could cut them off or ambush them instead of chasing them through half of Sklava.” Yahui said, “Cunning would be more effective.”

“I would rather we make haste than wait for them to act. Besides, following them doesn’t rule cunning out as an option,” Guanyu sighed, “If my way doesn’t work, we’ll do it your way.”

Yahui nodded, “Thank you, brother.”

“Let us not delay any longer.” Guanyu said authoritatively, “Bane Knights! Ready yourselves to disembark!”

“Yes, your highness!”

If chasing them through half of Sklava was what it took to subdue those damned Shedim Masters, he would do it. The humiliation he suffered at their hands wouldn’t go unpunished.

_______________________________________________________________________

Taya jerked up in the middle of the night, sweat soaking her bedroll.

She fell onto her bedroll with a sigh.

The nightmares were getting worse. Why? Why were they getting worse? Wasn’t she okay now?

She was supposed to have gotten better. Things were going right for once. So then why was it that she still was haunted by terrors in the night?

Was it Bás Síoraí? Or was it Despair weaseling its way back into her mind?

Stop blaming outside factors. You cannot sleep because you failed.

Taya sat up, hyperventilating. No. No, no, no, it was back!

She got up from her bedroll and leapt up into the trees to deal with this where she might not wake the others.

Taya settled in a crook between two thick branches and let out a sigh.

Unchecked, it had spread. Her heart ached with guilt and grief. Everyone she’d known and loved was dead. She could’ve stopped it. She knew she could’ve. The Nikan could fling hundreds at her and she still could’ve protected them. If only...

It’s not your fault. Taya tried to convince herself.

But you still feel guilty. Why is that, I wonder? Taya...no, that wasn’t Taya. Taya was the woman who knew what she wanted, how to get it and never gave up. The part of her that wallowed in sorrow and remained entrenched in grief? That was Despair’s seed.

Get out of my head, you wretch. She demanded.

Despair stopped speaking. It caused her to ask herself how that was supposed to happen. It was just as much a part of her as anything else.

NO! Stop trying to lie to me! I may have been born with it, but it has no place here in my heart!

Was she supposed to feel nothing for mother? Was her life really that worthless?

Grief, yes. But guilt…

She could’ve stopped it.

Stop focusing on the past. What’s done is…

She was alone. Nobody in the world was left to help her. Everyone wanted her to stop. Would it not be simpler to just give up this hopeless quest?

Stay aware. Separate yourself from it. Taya repeated in her head, Deny it. Deny it. Don’t let it bind itself to you.

Did she really plan on spending her whole life entrenched in suffering? She’d drag everyone into this swamp with her and drown them. Already, she was doing it with these four.

Taya huddled into a ball in the tree, her arms threatening to crush her own body.

Queen of Crows...please…

She was fooling herself. The Phantom Queen was not the type to help her work through her problems. Even her own Shedim had abandoned her.

Why was she even so obsessed with her people? They had cast her out and left her to die. She should hate them.

Yes. Hatred. She was isolated already. SHe couldn’t let people continue to hurt her.

NO! It’s attacking you through Cooperation. Remember the mantras! True Weakness is Isolation!

What good would telling herself that do?

Don’t let it out of your sight. Stay aware. Maintain your Conviction. True Weakness is Fear.

Fear? She wasn’t afraid. She was guilty. She had all this power and yet was unable to use it properly. Perhaps she should try.

Humility! Your power is worthless if you squander it on abuse.

Her mother and father were dead. Those of her village who survived turned on her. Clearly, she must be doing something wrong.

Going at Cooperation aga...no...not that...which one?

The only people she had were a ragtag band of nobodies and the Dusk Circle, who most considered crazy.

That one was...I...I don’t know. It’s true.

Taya strained herself to keep from breaking down, but failed. Hush sobs left her as she pressed her head to her knees, muscles eager to crush something in her impotent frustration. She was alone. She’d taken a stand against the true gods of this world and as a result, doomed all those around her. Those who didn’t submit to the Nikan would die. And what was she to do if she died? Better to live as a slave.

“Taya?” a whispered voice asked.

Father? Taya’s head perked up and looked down at the forest floor.

“Bjorn?” She sniffed.

“You...You alright?” he asked.

“Y-yeah. It’s nothing.” She muttered.

Bjorn sighed, “You think I’m going to believe that for a second?”

How could she bear to look at him? He had been dragged along by her into what was surely his death. She had killed him.

Taya grinned and whispered to herself, “Humility.”

How arrogant was she to think that she had led Bjorn by the nose? That he didn’t have enough sense to know the risks of fighting the Nikan?

“What was that?” Bjorn asked.

“Nothing.” Taya dropped from her place in the tree with a graceful landing. She stood up straight and sighed, “You’re right, Bjorn. I’m not as alright as I’d like to be. I...um, care to listen?”

Bjorn nodded, a hint of confusion on his face. Taya herself was confused. The confidence wasn’t an act most of the time, but for some reason she’d felt it necessary to put it on when she was supposed to be vulnerable. Taya did away with the facade and sat against the tree, patting the ground next to her.

As Bjorn sat, she stared up at the bright full moon. The dim light was brighter than usual, lighting up the night with a mystical aura.

“So...what’s got you...down? Afraid? I don’t know, how do you feel?” Bjorn asked, stumbling over his own mind, which was too quick for his tongue. Taya found that contrast rather endearing.

“I wholeheartedly believe that there’s a force of this world out to get us. Out to kill every single human.” Taya muttered, “A force so powerful it might be called the one true god.”

“What’s this force’s name?”

“Despair. Could also be called Apathy, Despondency, Devas-”

“I know what despair means.” Bjorn chuckled.

“I wasn’t finished.” Taya said, pouting, “You know, you’re not very good at this.”

Bjorn sighed, “Yeah. Sorry. Please continue.”

“Despair could also be called Complacence, Sloth, Cruelty, Purposelessness, and Fate.”

Bjorn blinked, “Fate? As in...destiny?”

“Precisely.”

“Well, I mean, it’s fate. There isn’t really anything you can do about it, no matter what you think of it.” Bjorn shrugged.

“Then you’ve already been killed.” Taya stared into his eyes.

“What?”

“There are eight ways in this world in which humans are weak, Bjorn. The weakness spirals and grows like a vile seed into Despair. Despair then kills you from the inside. It kills your care, your motivation, your courage. It won’t end your life. But it will end everything you could do with that life by convincing you preservation of what you have left is the most important thing after it takes everything from you.”

“That’s what you meant by kill?” Bjorn asked, “Not a physical death, but a death of the heart. Of the soul.”

Taya nodded, “It’s Fate that sows these seeds of weakness. Or whatever power made or controls the universe.” she glared up at the sky, “There is something out there, Bjorn. Whether or not it’s a god, I don’t know. All I know is that it’s frustrated. With us. It sees us succeed and ascend beyond what we were made to do and wants us to know our place. But we refuse.”

“If this being or force or whatever controls the universe, why not just kill us?”

“Because it knows that it must divide us to conquer us. It must first infect us with weakness. If I were in its shoe, I would say it’s doing the best it can.” Taya said, “It tries to divide us by having us be born different colors or putting us in different cultures. It tries to temper our will by making us face animals and natural disasters. It tries to cripple us with the fear of death. It tries to make us give in to our baser instincts when we feel hopeless.

“It gives us a false purpose by using good fortune to appear as a god. It tries to make us obsess over the past and convince our progeny to drag us with them after death through meaningless tradition. It tries to convince us that Conviction is wrath or that Complacence is Humility.”

“So what are we to do?” Bjorn asked.

“We frustrate Fate further. We become strong. Fate can do all it wants, Bjorn. It can influence and manipulate us. But ultimately, it can only control what happens to us. The decision we make of whether to be strong or weak in the face of it is still up to us. I don’t know why, but no matter what, that fact cannot change.”

“You seemed to have a tough time being strong yourself just now.” Bjorn said, “Is it all an act?”

“Ass,” Taya punched him in the arm. Not hard, but hard enough for him to feel it. “I learn what I can and try my hardest. It’s really all I can do. Fighting Despair is just like any fight. It’s a gamble. And one with low chances of success. But it’s worth it nevertheless.”

“How do we be strong, then?” Bjorn asked.

“That...is a long and hard road.” Taya said. “I could tell you about it all you want, but it’d be useless unless you figure it out on your own. Just know that it’s one big balancing act. We must maintain in equal amounts, idealism, conviction, evolution, remembrance, ambition, humility, cooperation and passion.”

“So did you come up with all this or is it part of a religion?” Bjorn asked.

“Neither.” Taya said, “It’s the way of the Shedim Master. A path to climb out of misery and into a life of joy molded by one’s own hands. Every one of us has something we struggle with. The Shedim are here to help us overcome our weakness and wield our strength as weapons against Bás Síoraí. I just thought the path was more linear than it appears to be.”

“Well, no matter the case, I’m certain you can push past whatever this is.” Bjorn said. “And that confidence isn’t unfounded. I’ve seen what you can do.”

Taya nodded, “Thanks, Bjorn. Having someone to talk to about all this stuff makes it seem less difficult and overwhelming.”

“Is...is there a way this path could help with something that…”

“There something plaguing you that you want to deal with?”

Bjorn shrugged, “I don’t know. I’m not sure I’ve gone through really accepting it as reality. Hell, I regret even bringing it up.”

“No, no, no, Bjorn.” Taya said, “it’s good to talk about it. If you’re not ready to tell me the story, that’s fine. But wanting to seek a solution is the most important thing you can do. Talking about it is the first step.”

The Ascommani sighed, “I...I did something. Something I regret. I don’t really wanna talk about it.”

“Well you aren’t the only one with big regrets.” Taya said, “Though, I guess in my case they aren’t really regrets anymore. Whatever, I suppose I’ll tell my story when you’re ready to tell yours. But I think we have quite a bit in common.”

“Maybe.” Bjorn sighed.

“Whatever it is, however mundane or extraordinary it may be, just as you had faith in me, I know you can get past it. I know you can be strong.” Taya put a hand on his shoulder.

He looked away, but she could see the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

“You know...now that I think about it, that’s the only time someone’s ever said they believe in me.” Bjorn said, “Well, said it and meant it.”

“Too often the only thing that drives us to do things we regret is the lack of faith people put in us. So, I think we ought to have faith in ourselves first. And from there, we need to put our faith in others so they too can find strength within themselves.” Taya mused.

Bjorn scoffed, “Sorry. I made this thing all about me.”

“No you didn’t.” Taya said, “We were done talking about my issues. It’s only fair you get a turn.”

“Have you ever thought about becoming a scholar?” Bjorn asked.

Taya scoffed, “I’m not too keen on people who use opaque language just to make themselves seem smarter.”

“Hm...maybe you should stick to public menace then.” Bjorn chuckled.

“That would work out much better for everyone.” Taya smiled.

“I’m not sure where I wanna go just yet, but...if you’re there, I think it’s as close to the right path as I can get.” Bjorn sighed.

“I’m not all that. But I won’t ever say no to the company of a friend.” Taya put a hand on Bjorn’s broad shoulder, “Whatever the world decides to throw at us, empire or frost giants, we’ll carry each other through, got that?”

Bjorn nodded, “I’ve got your back.”

Taya grinned smugly, “I know.”