Medb looked on down the treeline abyss she had sent Kieren into, offering little more than a faint yet jovial smirk. In her right hand was his coin that was being tossed and caught in a slow rhythm. She stood like this for a few minutes in thought. Would he come back? She had his coin, so he would eventually have to reach her, but would he second guess the decision immediately and come back for his coin? If he did, he would be hers. Like a twister invitation she stood there, mulling over their brief exchange in its entirety. Her small smirk grew. “You got lucky, Tarbh.” She muttered into the dark stormy air the second she heard the leaves rustling. She tossed the coin up, plucked out of the air, and then turned back to face the man as he returned. “Anything?”

“No.” He answered almost disappointingly. The titans' eyes darted around expecting Kieren, either alive or dead, to be somewhere here. After failing to find Kieren, his eyes darted to where Grian had been and was left confused at the disappearance of both.

“Calm down.” Her icey words came forth. “They’re gone, for now.”

“You let them go?”

“Perhaps.” Medb lifted her head. “Doubting my judgment?”

“Of course not, I just-”

“He piqued my interest. I want to see where he goes.” She took a few steps towards the man before giving his shoulder a playful slap. “Just like you.”

Tarbh looked down at her, but couldn’t shake this feeling of unease. He wanted to say so many different things, protest the entire decision. It didn’t make sense to him. But the only words that could escape were: “You believe he’ll come back?”

“Of course.” She gave a toothy grin while flipping the boy's coin into the air again.

“Thats-”

“There yah go. Now you’re putting it together. He has to find me.” After she caught the token she took a few steps past him. “If he doesn’t after a year, I’ll find him. It’d be rude to keep a lady waiting, don’t you think?”

“A year?” Tarbh turned to her. “Did you let Grian go?”

“Did I get your hopes up?” She teased. “I didn’t try to kill him when I sent him off. So I’d wager he’s alive and kicking.” Medb’s eyes watched as the worry vacated the man's features, allowing a flood of excitement to fill. “Perfect” she thought with a twisted sense of joy. “You’ll get another chance at him.”

He couldn’t hide his smile. Grian’s defiant eyes, his words, all of it was burned into Tarbh’s memory. 1 year, at most, until they would cross paths again. A realization crashed into him. “Wait-” Medb tilted her head to the side. “The preparations should be done by then, shouldn’t they?”

“Maybe. Maybe not?” Her voice shifted to a far more calming tone as if to suggest she had genuinely not considered it. “Maybe I’ll slow down a bit. Who knows?” She turned back. “Smell the flowers and all that. We’ll darken the skies sooner or later. Now c’mon, let’s head home.”

“What about the others?”

“The ones he took care of, or your old pals?” His lack of an answer forced a disappointed sigh from her lips. “Neither matter, Tarbh. The trash we brought were on their first trial, who cares if they made it? They clearly weren’t up to snuff.” She turned to face him, showing a look of genuine indifference. “Singers’ probably already got to them anyway. And it’s not like you're in any shape to see some half eaten mess of an old pal right now, are you?” Her chastising words drilled into him while her eyes looked him over. “I’ll figure out what to do with you when we get back. Let’s go.”

Tarbh’s vision narrowed and the thunder crackled overhead. That was right, no matter how happy she was with the turn the night took, he had still failed his end of the bargain. Before he thought about his reunion with Grian, he would have to survive whatever she had planned for him.

A deep chill ran down Kieren’s spine. He pushed his foot slightly out, earning the woman's intense crimson glare to shift momentarily to said foot before returning to his face. She pulled Grian’s body from the water, set him on the shore, and then turned to face the redhead. The sound of the downpour crashing into the ground wasn’t loud to silence the rapid beating of Kieren’s heart. Was he nervous or afraid? Why would he be either? He couldn’t quite figure it out. He could barely even see what she looked like, save for the crimson eyes. “That’s my friend.” He blurted out without taking a step forward.

“Really?” She answered in monotone. Her eyes quickly shot to the knives in his hands before returning. “That so?”

Kieren let out a deep breath and took a step forward. “Yeah. We have to get back some friends.” The woman slightly narrowed her eyes before momentarily looking him over again. She then proceeded to turn to look down at Grian. Kieren took a gulp.

Lighting cascaded across the sky and drowned the lake in light. Before his eyes could adjust his body instinctively moved on its own, lifting the knives to intercept a strike aimed at his throat. He stumbled backwards and she pulled her arm back into an immediate roundhouse kick at his head. He threw his left knife into the air and rammed his palm into his right arm as he shielded his head from the strike.

Kieren’s eyes shot to his makeshift arm shield and then to her, gritting his teeth. Without needing a second to think she hopped forward and into the direction of her outstretched leg, swinging her body like a clock and using the momentum and her own core strength to propel Kieren forward with the kick. He stumbled forward, holding himself up and turning to ready himself for another strike only for his eyes to widen in shock. The girl lifted her left hand and grabbed the descending knife perfectly by its blade tip and sent it flying at him.

Clang!

Kieren deflected the incoming bag knife with his gift in an explosion of spark. He had little time to compose himself before she lunged with a punch, missing his head by just a centimeter. The strike was followed by another, and another, all dodged by Kieren with clumsy precision. Her next strike was met with retaliation. Kieren kicked his right foot out, avoided her jab, and delivered a powerful elbow strike to her stomach. He then released the knife in his right hand, caught it by the loop with his middle finger to increase its range, and then swung in horizontally at her.

She leapt back to avoid the swing and Kieren watched as a small tear appeared in the lower part of her shirt. His strike was just shy of making it. Had he spun around and swung, he would have likely had the range needed to draw blood. Now that they were closer, and his eyes had a chance to process the exchange, and he got a better grasp at her appearance. It was wet, obviously, but she seemed to have shoulder length white hair with a single black highlight of some kind. She was slender and likely less muscle toned than Medb- but had a similar strength behind her strikes. “Why are you attacking me!?” He shouted in confusion amidst the momentary lull in combat.

The girl raised a brow and then let out a brief sigh. Kicking her forward foot out into the now disturbed soil, she raised her hands in a stance. “Simple.” She answered before launching off the ground at breakneck speed. Her balled fist carved its way through the rain, missing Kieren’s head by a mere centimeters as he jerked it away. She then carried that momentum to deliver a powerful kick thrusted at the boy's chest- intercepted by his crossed forearms. With her crimson eyes still trained on him, she finished her answer. “I don’t trust you.” Before he could process she leapt off the ground, pulled her leg back and swung her other in a powerful spin kick that connected with the side of his neck.

Mona slipped on the slippery stone shore and fell face first yet again. Rather than getting up she allowed herself a chance at respite. The rain was doing wonders in hiding her tears from the lightning lit sky. The image of Brea’s body was etched into her mind, and everywhere she looked she saw her friend's lifeless face. Her eyes tightly closed to quench the tears. “Why…” She muttered to the rocks. They had worked so hard, accomplished so much, and in a single night it was all taken away. She wanted to loath the people that took away that morning sun, but the overwhelming weight of her own grief refused to let her do anything except blame herself. Grian had saved them. And then Kieren, a complete stranger, had done the same right after.

“Why couldn’t I…”

Mona opened her eyes just enough to look at the rocks. So that was why Cerra stayed behind. When confronted by this feeling, she found an answer. “But what about me…” What could she do? Kieren, Grian, and Tarbh will all meet her at the lake and they’ll figure out a plan forward. But what if they leave her behind? What if they don’t come back? What if Kieren couldn’t bring them back?

The weight pressed down harder.

Without them, what was she? Had she always been like this? Was she always just deadweight to the group? Her mind raced to find something she provided that none of the others could. Hunting? No Cerra and the boys did that. Fishing? Brea and Tarbh. Scouting? Grian. Cooking? Cleaning? Sewing? Anything at all? Cerra or Brea were just as good or better than her, and Tarbh even did the sewing.

Her breathing grew more and more erratic.

The questions faded as the realization etched itself into her being. All she did was eat. All she did was take. No matter what she tried, she never brought anything of value to the table. Months upon months of surviving with her friends, believing she had made progress- only for the most useless one to escape with her life.

Lightning pulsed overhead at increasing intervals accompanied by powerful thunder. The rain continued to crash into Mona’s body. Once she closed her eyes. “I’m worthless…”

Kieren swung his head under her strike and intercepted the follow up with his folded left arm. The moment of impact Kieren pushed back and returned a broad right swing. Tossing his knife from one hand to the other he thrust his left forward. The girl jumped just enough back to avoid the thrust, then quickly struck his wrist with enough force to cause the boy to release the weapon. Kieren recoiled, and she took hold of his gifted knife.

Thunder roared in time with her first swing. The two entered a complex dance of dodges and swings. Every movement of Kieren’s foot sent a momentary wave of fear through him. Would he slip? What if he tripped? A single mistake and his blood would be on the ground. He steeled himself and dropped his body, swinging his leg out in a sweep kick aimed at her ankles, a strike she avoided with a perfectly timed leap. Kieren shot his attention up and was met by the chilling faint glow of her crimson gaze staring down at him as the lightning crackled overhead.

In an attempt to try and capitalize on the boy's shock she threw the knife, but he was able to pull his right arm in just enough to only suffer a shallow cut. Once she landed she sprang at him, grabbing him and slamming the boy into the ground. Pressing herself down on him, she pulled her right fist back and threw it at his jaw. The connection was sharp and strong, sending a painful wave through Kieren’s body. The sky crackled, and his eyes caught a glimpse. She struck again, and again, and again. One after another they came down fast and hard. His hand fumbled across the ground before taking hold of a rock. With everything he had he swung it like a hammer, crashing it into her skull with enough force to knock her off of him.

Kieren leapt back onto his feet and raced for his knife, slipping slightly on the rocks as he ran. He spat out some blood, took the knife from the ground, spun around, and took his stance. His breath was heavy and his body was growing tighter. Fatigue was starting to build up and, like always, seemed to be at the worst times. He momentarily looked to Grian, verifying he was still there and unharmed. Then looked back to the girl, who was now pulling herself from the ground. She was strong, that was for sure, and seemed revoltingly adaptable. But she was just like him, right? She had to be just a kid on their pilgrimage in the Scar. She would have to have something, anything, that he could use to get the upper hand.

Once she was on her feet she dabbed at the slow dripping wound on the side of her head and seemed to play with the blood in her fingers. Both had now drawn blood. No words escaped her lips, instead they simply curled into a faint smile that Kieren wouldn’t have seen. She lowered her hand and looked at her opponent. Lightning crackled and she took her stance. The faint red glow intensified slightly.

Kieren took a deep breath, and she was in front of him. His eyes widened in shock while his brain fired off multiple instructions to pull back. Her first strike met his gut with enough power to knock the air from his lungs. The next met his chest and then she immediately dropped, knocking him off the ground with a powerful sweep kick before connecting her fist with his falling jaw. As his body recoiled from her strike Kieren’s mind tried to process the assault.. He wasn’t able to make sense of the sudden increase in speed and power. In addition, his mind fired off in panic as the distinct pressure of a hand took hold of him. Having grabbed the boy by the ankle, she dug her feet into the ground and swung him like a bat, releasing him and sending him on a collision course with a large tree trunk.

Blood escaped his lips. His vision began to blur. The impact with the tree had been strong, so strong in fact it was enough to nearly knock him unconscious. He needed a second to catch his breath. But he was provided with no time. His blurred vision caught the outline of her fist and he pulled his head down with everything he had, narrowly avoiding her strike by mere moments.

Thud!

The girl's fist dug into the wood like a hatchet. The thunder and lightning overhead intensified. Knowing he had no time to think, the boy swung his blade and carved a wound across her right tricep. With a leap he brought his knees to his chest, locked eyes with her, and released his springtrap kick directly into chest while anchoring his back into the tree.

Kieren slammed his feet into the ground and leapt forward, charging the girl with a swing of his fist. The lightning let out a roar and she ducked below his strike, returning two direct hits to his chest and gut. As Kieren stumbled back the lightning overhead crashed into the rocky shore across the lake. She turned to look, to verify it wasn’t near the unconscious boy, and Kieren threw his fist at her jaw. The connection of his strike was commemorated by the sky overhead unleashing a hellish roar as the clouds were parted by force.

Medb stopped, lifted her hand in signal, and turned to look at the sky. Her lips curled into a wide open mouth smile before letting out a whistle. Raising a brow in confusion Tarbh followed his mentor's example and looked to the sky. Whereas Medb had been consumed by excitement, Tarbh was filled with terror.

Mona rolled to her side, eyes wide and teeth rattling. The terror had all but devoured her whole. From the distance the barefoot guardian from atop the hill stepped away from his mound of corpses to watch in awe. Any and all in the region would be caught in a myriad of emotions at the heavenly descent.

From the clouds a massive whale-like creature descended. The humongous beast possessed four total reptilian wings, two on each side, no legs, several bone-like fin protrusions along its spine and sides, three gash-like gills beneath bone shielding and a single tail sporting four total mini wings of its own. The monster’s two massive eyes were shimmering with an azure light, the same color as the electricity that surged between the gaps in its massive scale hide. Arcs of electricity began to intensify between its fins as shimmers of light emerged like mini explosions from beneath the scales. The creature's oversized forward protruding jaw opened and released a roar loud enough to shake the forest below. The roar was accompanied by the fins unleashing their payload. Massive waves of electrical energy shot out and crashed into the ground before carving their way across the landscape akin to violent whips of lightning.

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The girl vanished from where she stood, leaving Kieren to fall forward as his punches' momentum carried him to the ground. He shot his eyes to Grian, who had been taken by his opponent just in time to avoid a wave of the creatures furry. Kieren pushed himself up. “Again?” He questioned the save. The ground trembled and the boy quickly turned around to see another wave of power surging towards him. He had no time to react. He wouldn’t be able to avoid it. And yet as he blinked he felt someone pick him up. When his eyes opened he saw her over him. She had set him down and was now looking back at the electrical surges.

“It’s been a while since one of you has come down.” The overseer spoke from his balcony overlook. He pushed his wet hair back and laid his free palm on the banister. His voice grew cold and precise, shaving away any semblance of emotion for a single order. “My apologies, but you will not be permitted to leave the Holy Land. Repel it.”

From above multiple armor clad soldiers lept from the keeps ramparts to the beat of numerous blazing cannon rounds. The men twisted their spears and the blades shot out like harpoons and embedded the speartips into the cannon balls. Using these cannon balls like an aerial steed to the beast, they twisted and retracted their weapons after swinging up high before the artillery made final contact. From there the men did an aerial dance, using their spears to navigate the crackling sky and deliver gashes across the beats hide in passing through their various swings. All while more blazing cannon rounds pelted the creature’s body.

The goliath recoiled and let out a painful roar loud enough to deafen any close who were not wearing the aerial units helmets. From that screech various bolts of powerful lightning shot forth. Like a rehearsed play, each of the men evaded nature's mightiest strike while a single man swung high above, leaving faint green trails of ocular light in his wake.

He spun his spear once his altitude stabilized before taking an iron hold of it. The clouds began to pull apart and swirl into the tip of his weapon, crackling and pulsating with the same might the beast below wielded. He readied his body and then threw the spear down towards the creature's spine.

A thunderous boom roared throughout the sky and the massive behemoth buckled in agony. The man shot his arms and legs out and opened his hand wide. He wouldn’t have a safe way to descend without his spear, but he knew he wouldn’t need one. It only took a few seconds before another of his squad grabbed his hand and swung him back onto the creature. In a full sprint he ripped his spear from the deep wound it made in the creature's hide, and lept off. Each of them then navigated the incoming cannon fire like a sky bridge and swung from ball to ball on their way back to the ramparts.

Once he verified his men had returned he lifted his hand, allowed another volley on blazing rounds, and then clenched his fist. They only needed to repel it, not kill it. The creature gave one final roar and then ascended back above the clouds with powerful beats of its multiple wings.

Kieren was in awe. The two of them had a good view of the aerial battle above, and the final blow that seemingly ended it. “What… what was that?” He muttered before the feeling of rain against his bare skin snapped him back to reality. The girl had retreated a few feet after the sporadic and volatile lightning had subsided. She hadn’t just saved Grian, she had also saved him as well. But why? If she really wanted him gone, letting the lightning hit him would have given her just that. And saving Grian again?

A lone thought emerged to the surface of his mind. “She’s not a bad person.” He told himself. Once that thought materialized, another immediately followed: “Then why are we fighting?” If neither wanted to take the other's life, nor allow anything to happen to the unconscious Grian, why did their fists continue to meet?

Her words ran through his mind. Was it really trust? Was this entire fight because she couldn’t trust his heart? If that was the case, how could he prove himself? How could he earn that trust without spilling blood? His mind raced with possibilities and various arguments he could make.

The thunder roared above and his fist violently struck the mud accompanied by a scream. The girl raised a brow at the display. “Enough of that.” Kieren blurted out. He pushed himself off the ground and back onto his feet. “No more overthinking it.” He spun his knife and took his stance. In response she did as well. “My name's Kieren Albho, and if I can’t convince yah, I’ll just hafta beat yah.” His frustration manifested in his earnest accent and earned a very small smirk from the young woman at the display of taboo.

“What was that!?” Tarbh shouted at Medb.

“The monster, or what sent it packing?” She broke a branch and tossed it aside. “I’m more impressed you can get so worked up.” Medb gave a snide chuckle. “Pegged you for the brooding type.”

“Both.” He dismissed her remarks as the two climbed through the forest. “Creatures like that exist here?”

“Of course.” She answered. “You lot were in the tame part of the Scar.” Turning back she shot him a smirk. “That thing was a taste of what’s really here. As for that final strike…” She trailed off for a moment as the two made their way around a smoldering stump.

The clearing they found themselves in was lit with faint flickering flames desperately clinging to life under the rain. The area had clearly been hit by a stray bolt, resulting in multiple toppled and broken trees and the charred remains of various animals. Among the animals was a distinctly human shaped carcass that now hosted numerous black butterflies. “Powerful, wasn’t it?” She turned back to Tarbh.

He had clearly calmed from his initial explosive tone. His eyes wandered the natural carnage before returning to his master's lifeless eyes. “Yes, it was.”

“Do you know the difference between that… thing, and you?” Not a word left Tarbh’s lips. Medb leaned in, cupped his jaw in her hand, and lifted it. “Time.” Her answer was as confusing as it was ominous.

“Time…?”

She pulled her hands away and spun around with a playful snicker. “You’ll find out later. I still have to make sure you're worth the effort!” The two made their way through the clearing and Tarbh’s eyes lingered on the human corpse beneath the butterflies, and watched in horror as it seemingly began to dissolve.

Two distinct punches connect with Kieren’s jaw before a final open palm slammed into his chest, sending him tumbling through the mud and into the side of a rock. His tenacity was admirable, sure, but his actions had long since lost their sharpness. His movements were sluggish, his reactions were delayed, and overall the air of fatigue was suffocating. She lowered her arms. The fight had seemingly ended in favor of a one sided beat down, and the saddening site of her opponent was beginning to eat at her.

Fear. He couldn’t shake the sense of fear from his mind. But why? He had already established that she wasn’t like the others. She wouldn’t take a life she saves, at least that’s what he believed. So why couldn’t he shake this odd sense of fear? It wasn’t a fear of death, nor was it a simple fear of losing the fight. She wasn’t going to hurt Grian, right? He would be fine with her, right? Everytime he asked himself, as if pleading with his own survival instinct to justify giving into the fear and staying down, his heart answered without hesitation. A single answer that wouldn’t change no matter who or what it was, and the same one he gave when he was confronted by fear every other time this night.

A young Kieren pulled the branches back, allowing his childish eyes to scan the underbrush of Ley’s surrounding forest. It was another of his fathers routine ‘training trips'. He still had no idea what that meant, but they were always fun. Any chance to be around his father since his mothers passing was an incredibly welcomed one. On this particular outing he was looking for mushrooms to eat. It was a routine part of these trips in order to reinforce food options, or so he was told.

He pushed branches out of his way, stepped over brush, and moved between the trees in innocence. After what felt like hours he found himself at a grouping of flora that he knelt down to inspect. Plucking one free and giving a thorough once over he gave a wide smile and began to pick the rest. He’d found them. Once his hands were full he stood up, shot a glance around and made his way back.

On the way back he heard a rustle amidst the bushes. A small ivory rabbit emerged with a hop and a leaf in its mouth. The two looked at each other and exchanged a small smile. Upon taking another step he heard what faintly sounded like a snarl, and turned back. His body moved without input. He lunged back, released his cargo, and grabbed the rabbit moments before a wolf would have terminated its life. Without looking back the boy sprinted deeper into the forest.

His small legs moved one after another as fast as they could. His face was one of pure terror. Tears rolled down his cheeks as the sound of the approaching wolf grew closer. He wouldn’t be able to hold the lead forever. It would catch him. He looked down at the quivering creature in his arms, and bit tightly down on his lower lip. He was terrified, but he couldn’t stop.

The boy shot out of the treeline and continued to sprint closer to a cliff. His shoes dug into the grass and stopped him just shy of its horizon. The wolf, now joined by its pack, approached with drooling snarls. His eyes shot from each of them as he tried to take in his situation. His fear was boiling over, yet he felt a strikingly odd sense of… calm. He set the rabbit down behind him and turned to face the beasts. His lips did not quiver nor did his teeth rattle. His vision was steady, and his knees did not shake.

The first wolf lunged and Kieren caught it with his arm. The momentum spun him around, allowing another to carve a gash across his back with its claws. The boy carried the spin, swinging the first wolf into the second like a hammer. Both fell to the ground as the third leapt over the two. The boy's chillingly calm eyes guided his hands. Before the creature could seize the boy's throat, he took hold of its jaw and snout with his hands. The first two began to recover, and the rest began to move for him, all while he was preoccupied holding the third back. His life was nearing an inevitable end, until his hero came down like a meteor.

Killian stood from the kicked up dirt, his features laced in rage. The air he gave off alone was enough to terminate the wolves' hostility, but the site of the wounds on his son compelled him to act. His hand lifted and the ground parted under the wake of his strength, ripping the wolf Kieren held from the boy’s grip and through the air before finally entering his own hand. His fist tightened and the wolf's head fell to the ground. The rest stepped back. Feral eyes darted between the two before the pack made its retreat into the forest.

The father watched and confirmed their retreat before dropping the malice and moving to his son with urgency. “Oi!” He shouted as Kieren fell to his knees. Killian held out his hands and caught the boy before he landed.

“Sorry I didn’t get the mushrooms.” Kieren muttered.

“Mushrooms!?” Killian dismissed. “You think those matter!? You’re lucky to be alive, what the hell was that!?”

Kieren lifted the bloody right arm to point at the shivering rabbit. “It was going to get hurt.”

His fathers anger was starting to boil, but oddly enough when he saw the rabbit his eyes grew somber. “Just like your stupid mother…” He muttered. He set his son down and began to work on dressing the wounds. “Does it hurt?”

“No.”

“Were you scared?”

Kieren hesitated. “Yeah. But I didn’t want it to get eaten.”

The boy's father finished the back and moved to the arm in silence. His son's innocent answer was more than enough to quell any anger, but the fear of loss wouldn’t part so easily. The whirlwind of mixed emotions in Killian’s head parted by a lone memory of his wife- one where she held him, and her words slipped through his lips. “Everyone gets scared, even me.” He tightened the bandage across his son's dominant arm. “It doesn’t matter if you're afraid-” He looked his boy in the eyes. He formed a fake smile and placed his hand on Kieren’s head as a lone faint tear rolled down his cheek.

“What you do when you’re afraid, that’s what matters.”

It wasn’t a fear of losing a friend, nor was it a fear of dying. He knew both of those were nonfactors. What he had seen tonight: Medb, the beast above, that impossible strike, and now this girl. All of these things instilled and stoked a single irrefutable fact: he wasn’t good enough. Ever since he came to the Scar he believed he would be fine. The chance run ins aside, he had full faith in the skills and knowledge his father bestowed him. Yet when he was confronted by these people, and these creatures that resided in different planes of strength- his own weakness became all the more obvious.

He was afraid of failing to live up to those expectations.

The girl knelt down to check the boy's pulse. He was alive, and a small sigh left her lips. She stood back up and attempted to make her way back to Grian, only to feel a distinct tug from her ankle. The rain pelted the two. “Enough. It’s over-” Like a bullet the boy leapt up, and used the rock like a launch pad to ram his skull into her chest like a battering ram. The girl, for the first time, fell back and to the ground. Her legs pulled in and she leapt back onto her feet in disbelief.

Kieren found his footing, flourished his knife, pushed his bangs back, and allowed his worn and ragged body to take its stance. His opponent's gaze widened before she suddenly took an unfamiliar stance. Both gave off a very different air. The faint glow of her crimson gaze met by a faint flickering white glow from his.

She made the first move, and he countered. Each blow was traded with either a perfect match or a counter just strong enough to counter her. For every time her fist or foot connected with his body, he was in turn landing a strike of his own. The feeling creeping over her mind was a realization that, even though his body was on the verge of collapse, he was getting faster and more precise. He had adapted and dealt with her much better than most in their previous clashes, but this time it was as if she was fighting someone completely different. Whether he overcame the difference in strength and skill, or succumbed to fatigue, one thing was incredibly clear to her: this would be the final clash of the night.

Blood arced through the rain as Kieren’s knife carved a superficial cut through across the girl’s stomach. Her legs moved to create distance, and the knife swung back like a pendulum. The swing was just shy, and she retaliated in kind with her fist. Using the swing's own momentum, Kieren allowed it to carry his body, dropping along with it to deliver a surprisingly fast, and unexpected, disarming sweep kick.

She was in the air and Kieren was preparing another strike. Her world grew silent and she threw her weight forward. Her fingers carved through the mud as her body did a complete rotation in the air, using her weight, momentum, and gravity to deliver a drop kick that made contact with the boy's crown.

He froze for a moment, but then charged forward into her before she could land. With a flip she landed on her feet and immediately took her stance as the boy came forward. He swung his arms out and dug his boots into the mud on a skid. His knife flourished and juggled between his hands. He lowered his body. She expected another sweep. He pushed forward. She lept. As if to guide a bull she slammed her hand on his back as she hurdled over him. But he refused to stop. Drawing a trail through the air his faint glow tracked her instantly. His hand shot back as he turned and carved deep across her ankle with the blade.

The pain had no time to take root. She landed on her good foot and leapt back while he pursued in earnest. His mind was serene in its fear. The only thoughts that passed through were of the near endless possibilities of interactions his movements could yield. Every move he made, be it offensive or defensive, would force a reaction. He needed to follow those interactions to find the next action he would need to take. But more importantly: which paths he could force her down to yield the best results. A storm of calm foretelling guided his every action. His next path would be his last, but that would not matter, because it could only end in his victory.

Their faint glows met. His knife juggled between his hands. Her eyes concentrated on it. He released the grip after a flourish, allowing the knife to drop towards the ground. The side of his boot met the looped pommel with the grace of a dove, and with a single motion liftback and kicked it into the air. Her hand moved on instinct, cursing the knife for every chance it gave the boy, and refusing to allow him it any longer. So she took it.

But he wanted that.

A wide arc of white light followed his movements as her focus on him left for his aerial blade. He took hold of the bag knife that had been on the ground he was corralling the battle towards the whole time. The knife carved across her back. She bit down on her lip and swung around with her seized weapon in a bid to clash the steel against each other.

Blood once again arced through the air as Kieren sliced across her wrist followed by a small hop backward. The knife in her hand fell, and in turn she pushed forward with her remaining hand. Had she made a mistake? How had he managed to land this many successful strikes!? Her frustration was boiling, and just when she thought an obvious counter presented itself to her- reality, no, he came in.

He pushed her incoming punch away as he weaved beneath it. The pack knife was released from his hand in time with his knee bringing his own back to him. The boy's finger dove into the loop and flourished it into deadly thrust. Everything had led to this moment, this very strike. There was no way to beat her, so the cold calculating numbers forced his hand forward. This was his only chance to win, and his only chance to save Grian- to quell the fear.

The girl's eyes widened as the knife came closer. His eyes read like an open book. This strike was meant to kill. The edge of her lips curled and her demands to live answered in kind. Her left hand plunged itself onto the blade of the knife, taking hold of his fist and scabbard, before violently pulling it off the trajectory of her throat. The trial of white froze, and Kieren’s astonishment betrayed his calculated assault. He could move and finish the fight with his free hand, but the odd sense of relief that washed over him stopped his movements cold.

A narrow arc of crimson moved hastily through the rain. She wasted no time in using his brief spell of hesitation to seize victory. Her free hand came down for a thunderous strike on the back of his neck.

Kieren's vision cleared as his consciousness began to fade. Unsure if these were his final moments, he met Grian with his eyes and apologized. His thoughts momentarily wandered to the girl waiting for him to bring her friends back, and apologized. But his final thoughts were of the promise he made with his father. The redheads eyes closed as his body spun around due to his defiant grip of his knife. “Sorry… dad…”

The girl put out her bloody foot, wincing at the pain she took from catching Kieren’s head with it. Mud was no place for him. The rain's stern ambiance cooled their spirits with every crashing drop. Her eyes moved to his friend, then back to him. A small smile formed and the glow faded.

“Kieren Albho… eh?”