Destiny is inevitable. No matter what you do to change it, destiny always comes.

No matter how far I ran away from destiny, it always chased me and caught me. It had always been that way. Else, how could I explain my upbringing? I was born a girl, named Freya, and was someone who bear the title: Child of Light. I never asked for those, especially the title given to me. But, I grew to accept it, as no matter what I did, the result stayed the same regardless. That was just how it was… destiny.

Everyone was a main character to their own story, that was the truth. But another truth which people turn a blind eye to: was that if we were part of a story, then everything had already been scripted from start to finish. Everything was predetermined and only fate turned the gears forward.

My being here, in Avalon; a small island in the middle of the sea, was without a doubt a part of that great script.

A ship I was on was supposed to go to a direct route to Arkef; a city full of archive, but midway through, she encountered a violent storm and whether I liked it or not, the crew and the passengers had to make a stop to this small island called Avalon to restock on the lost supplies the ship had to let go to survive and to repair the damages which was caused by the storm. For having nothing to do, I’ve decided to take a stroll by myself.

The island of Avalon was always used as a place for transit for long sea travels. Henceforth, the diversity in races and cultures was not all that weird there. I could confidently show my amethyst eyes and my violet hair, without having the need to worry about stares from others as I roamed the place. Often times, I consider people’s gaze at me as annoying and I wear hoods to cover myself from staring eyes, but here in Avalon, that was not needed.

Honestly speaking, I find it mention-worthy that elves and dwarves who happened to be in Avalon could show their true self openly like that. In normal human settlements, they would immediately be discriminated for their race and had to be extra careful not to show their race’s quirk. Like elves' long ears for example.

Because of the diversity there, Avalon had itself a lot of varieties to offer. Other races like elves and dwarves would share a little about their culture and that ended up staying in Avalon. There was a shop I just passed through, that sold fire booze, a type of drink that was a specialty of dwarves. A booze so hot, that you would feel the burn inside right after drinking.

I would like to give that fire booze a try myself, but I was still too young to drink it. In my father’s culture, a person was only allowed to drink alcohol when he or she reached the age of 18. I was still 2 years short from the legal age to drink. And, assuming my ordeal was not dealt with, I would never be able to drink it. As tempted I was to break the rules, I had to exert discipline on myself and maintain the well-being of my health.

I spent the afternoon strolling around, looking at the products which had potentials to aid me in my travel, and often test tasting the foods the people there offered me. My allies all had their own agenda in this island of Avalon and I would say that spending time alone by myself was not a bad idea. When you were constantly surrounded by people being alone felt liberating. It was a transient tranquility after the chaos.

As I enjoyed my peaceful moments by looking up, I noticed that the sky had turned orange. I fetched my pocket watch from my skirt’s pocket and saw the hands pointing to five twenty-eight. The switch is close, I thought as I looked at the time.

Mayhap, it was my fault for being too much at ease, that I didn’t notice that I had walked to a running girl, or that I was too relaxed that I didn’t avoid a girl running at me. Regardless of which was true, the girl who was in haste had crashed into me hard enough that we both fell to the ground.

‘Ugh,’ I grunted as I fell on my bottom. I felt the pain on my stomach as her elbow had hit me.

The girl, I noticed, was a year or two younger than I was. She had fallen too, but had risen on fours, still in a hurry. In a hurry alone was not enough to describe her expression. She was sweating, her breath was rasping, and she had this horrified expression all over her face.

‘I’m.’ She inhaled deeply and rapidly. ‘Sorry.’ She had ignored the content of her backpack which had spilled everywhere, and immediately went for a wooden cane. In my opinion, the wooden stick could hardly be called a cane, but that was the best word to describe the object. She grabbed that and only that alone, and started running again. Her leg must have been injured because of the fall, because I noticed that she was limping.

She didn’t bother picking up the silver coins which had fallen from her backpack, nor a picture pendant which looked precious. The picture was of the girl when she was younger, she looked so happy in that picture, along with the dwarf beside her. If she had left something like that behind, it could only mean that there was a great reason as to why she was in a hurry right?

I looked at the direction from where the girl ran and saw 2 men running toward where the girl ran. From the looks of it, they didn’t seem like good people. They looked like a debt collector if anything with their scary faces. But then I looked at the silver coins again and those were an amount that could be called big. Was the girl running from thieves? Did she stole from them instead? Or was in great debt towards them? I couldn’t tell… One thing for sure though: she was going to get caught with her slow pace.

(Aren’t you going to help her?)

There was no guarantee that the girl was on the right side. She might look innocent and polite; especially since she apologized for hitting me, but the greatest liars were those who could feign innocence and behave believable. I didn’t want to get involved in troublesome matters, when I clearly didn’t know the whole situation. I might just be aiding a criminal.

(Or you might be helping an innocent.)

I considered it greatly in a short amount of time. I looked at the sky and noticed the sun was almost gone. If things did take a turn for the worst, at least I had my insurance.

Fine. I took the girl’s pendant, ignored the silver, and aided her run by lending my shoulder. The men who were chasing her should be close now.

She genuinely looked surprised when I aided her, but she then accepted my support without asking or complaining. Even if I aided her, so long as we kept on going straight, we were bound to get caught. I had to figure out a way to hide instead of running.

‘Aria,’ I called and she responded. I got her name right, I saw her name engraved in that picture pendant. ‘Is there any place here where we can hide?’ There was no time to talk. Hide first and the talking could come at a later time.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

‘I— I’m…’ she was bewildered from panic. Rust! I swore inside my mind.

I looked at her again, still no answer.

‘For Zenia’s sake…’ I muttered.

(There’s an alley to the left.)

At that point, there was no other choice. Either ran straight and get caught. Or take my chance by going inside the alley and made an attempt to hide there. Unless I wanted to get caught, there really was only one option. I turned left into the alley, went a little deeper so that both Aria and I won’t be seen from the outside, and hid there. I sincerely hoped that the chasing men passed through us.

We both sat on the ground with our backs leaning on a brick wall. After a minute, I added another extra minute of silence just to be cautious. The 2 men must have passed us and if we were to talk, it should be fine now.

‘You better talk,’ I immediately said. I wasn’t in the mood to get acquainted with her just yet. She could be in the wrong and if she was, I would leave her behind or turn her in. I already had so much trouble in my plate that I didn’t want more.

‘Ah… Um…’ she had gone mute on me. Her eyes told me that she was scared.

Not the best approach, I had to admit. Thus, I decided to start slow. ‘My name is Freya. I’m not with the guys who chased you,’ I explained. And as proof, I gave Aria her picture pendant which she had accidentally left behind. Her eyes still gave me doubt, but she was more open to me now.

‘My name is Aria.’ I know. Your picture pendant has your name on it. ‘Thank you for helping me. I really do. Um… you can leave me behind if you’d like. I’ll only trouble you.’

‘Why were you being chased?’ I immediately cut to the point.

‘That’s…’

‘Make. It. Quick.’ I was running out of patience. How could she be so slow in such situation?

‘They wanted swords that my great grandfather made! I told them I don’t know, then they accused me of lying and chased me!’

‘How do I know you’re not lying?’

(She’s not.)

I had to be extra sure. Didn’t want to aid a criminal.

‘I— I swear, by Zenia’s name.’ She revealed the back of the picture pendant, a symbol with a diagonal sword, and crossed her heart. That proves nothing! I shouted inside my mind. That kind of sentence get said by liars all the time! With all the useless information she had given me so far, I could not assess correctly whether or not she was in the good. I was tempted to leave her behind and not partake in this, but I guilt tripped myself by thinking that I might leave someone innocent who needed help.

‘I— really don’t mind if you leave be behind,’ she said with desperation in her voice. ‘Whichever it is, it’s just destiny. I’m… already tired of struggling.’ The girl looked emptily into the now blue sky. She was just like me. Fed up of this great script called destiny. Accepting that we were actors on a predetermined stage. She and I were similar. Just with… different conditions…

‘… Where were you hurt?’ I asked. ‘You were limping just now.’

Aria then pointed at her right knee. Maybe the fall tear up some muscles there, or a protective membrane that acted as cushion. I touched her left knee, closed my eyes, and focused my mana. Directing it from my body, and focusing it on my hand, into Aria’s knee. After that was done and I opened my eyes, Aria looked at me with surprise.

‘You just healed my knee,’ she said as she moved her leg to check. ‘You’re a Child of Light?’ Goodness, I hate that title.

‘Yes,’ I said laconically. ‘Let’s get going. If we get to my allies, your problem will be gone in no time.’ I stood up and she followed.

‘T— Thank you, Freya.’

‘Don’t mention it.’

Since her knee was fine now, I no longer had the need to support her and we both walked out of the alley. To appear more natural and friendly in other people’s eyes, I decided to initiate a conversation as we walked to where the others were supposed to be.

‘Your great grandfather, he’s a dwarf?’ I deduced from the picture I saw in the pendant.

‘Um… yes. He went away 2 weeks ago. He’s an infamous dwarf who was known for his skills in forging the blade. He had always been a dwarf who was devoted of his own craft. Whenever I see him doing his blacksmithery, it felt as if he breathed soul to his own creation. He’s a worshipper of Zen—’ Zen and Zenia was the same being. The God switched gender once in a while to promote equal rights, so male refer to him as Zen, while female refer to her as Zenia— ‘and absolutely loves the blade. He’d rather that his sword gets into a skilled swordsman’s hand rather than it being sold for plenty. The sword will be happy that way, he always said. Freya, are you a swordswoman?’

Aria asked because I had a sword hanging beside my waist. ‘Kind of. I don’t excel at it though, just for self-defense.’ If anything, Ann was way better than me. Figured, since she was the one who taught me after all. Also, I literally started swordship 2 weeks before. ‘The cane you’re carrying, a memento of your great grandfather?’

‘Yes, how do you know?’

‘You valued it more than the silver coins you dropped.’

‘Ah, I see. Well, before my grandfather went away, he assigned me to handle this beloved cane of his with care. I think great grandmother gave it to him, I’m not sure.’

(That wasn’t a bad deduction.)

‘Found you!’ Two men who had chased Aria shouted as they appeared in my sight. They had pulled out their swords, so I pulled mine. According to Aria’s story, they were aiming for her great grandfather’s swords. I assumed that they would get Aria by force and would question her in a rough manner. ‘Tell us where’s the black sword your grandfather made!’ One of them said.

Upon closer notice, I noticed that the both of them were wearing coats with the Sword religion emblem on it, the same as what Aria had shown me. Worshipper of that religion either worships Zen or the swords greatly. They probably had the motive to preserve the swords, by force if they have to. Due to them being a fanatic of the sword.

[Had a fight, somehow in the middle of the road without going noticed]

[Freya followed Ann’s instruction as she fought and was able to snatch a close victory]

[Fought against the second guy and her sword broke.]

‘Last chance, relent her and I will spare you your life.’

I looked at the sky, it was dark blue, almost close to being black. Not that it would ever be black, but navy blue was a lot similar to the color.

‘I—’ she said to me. ‘follow what the man said. It’s the best, it saves your life and gives me a reason to give up. I’m— tired of struggling. This must be destiny. It’s inevitable, and no matter what I did, I can not outrun it.’

My vision was fading, a moment that I was hoping for. The switch.

I’m counting on you Ann.

As I lost control over my body, my lips moved without my will. Ann had taken reign: ‘Then you fight. If destiny comes at you and you don’t like it, you fight. You struggle. That’s how it is.’

Long story short: I had an attempted suicide and pulled a random person’s soul into my body. Now, whenever the sun’s down and up, we switched reigns.

‘Say, can I borrow your sword?’ Ann, using my body, asked Aria.

(What sword?)

‘That cane looking sword right there.’

‘Um… it’s not a sword.’

(It’s not a sword, Ann.)

‘It is. How is it not? The length and width is that of a sword, the handle was made for a good grip, and it has a sheathe. Although I must admit the sheathe is barely visible, but that’s good craftsmanship right there.’ Ann asked for the cane, sword, and Aria handed it to her.

‘You’ve gone mad,’ the assailant remarked with a chuckle.

To which, Ann held the cane like a sword and unsheathed it. The cane really was a sword, a katana, made of black metal. The assailant’s jaw dropped.

‘Told you so,’ she said.

‘That… That’s the sword I’ve been aiming for! To think that it’s a cane!’ He laughed. ‘That dwarf really is persistent! That settles it, I no longer need that girl anymore, hand me the blade and I’ll spare both of you.’

‘Black like the night sky,’ Ann muttered, ‘with glimmers like that of stars. Your name…’ Ann looked at the bottom blade of the sword. ‘Celeste. Perfect. The swordstyle I’ll be using will be called Song of the Stars then.’

(You have such style?)

‘Nope. I’m going to make it.’ Ann held the sword with one hand and pointed it to the assailant.