“Finally.” Caesar spat the word in Maeve’s direction. “I’ve been waiting years for you to grow a spine.”

Two of the other three knights reached for Caesar, attempting to help him to his feet. He shoved them all away.

“Back off. This is now a duel between Favored. None of you get in the way of my satisfaction.”

A towering individual with flowers decorating her antlers pushed through the crowd. She stopped just short of interposing between Maeve and Caesar, speaking with a voice as flowery as her antlers. “I must request that we not sink to violence. I will permit this one duel, provided of course both knights consent.”

Caesar growled at the intervention. “Don’t you dare back out on me now, mutt.”

Maeve set her jaw. “Oh I consent. Don’t worry about me. I’m not worried about getting hurt or insulted. But I draw the line at belittling those I care about.”

“Fine.” Caesar shrugged his shoulders. “The redhead isn’t important to me anyway.”

The antler lady’s expression grew concerned before eyeing Soleil. She circled around to include the young demon in the discussion. “Do you have any complaints?”

Soleil wasn’t entirely sure of the full significance of this exchange. But the lady with the antlers still seemed poised to interpose herself between Maeve and Caesar.

Maeve had asked her to let her handle this. For now, Soleil considered that enough.

“No.” She decided. “If Maeve agrees to fight, it is not my place to stop her. Not unless she is in danger.”

That got an easy smile out of the mediator “Duels last until the first unguarded blow is landed, one side yields, or someone becomes incapable of continuing the duel.” She spoke slowly and clearly, as if Soleil’s understanding was important.

“This is just a test of opposed will, endurance, and discipline.” Maeve offered. “We’ll both be okay. Physically at least. I can’t account for Caesar’s pride.”

“This duel is sanctioned then. Although I must ask both of you to refrain from further insults and violence once this bout is concluded.”

“Good enough for me.” Caesar said with a scowl.

And then his eyes lit up too.

Curiously, this came as a shock to even the knights that had just tried to help him up.

Soleil examined them each in turn.

All of the assembled knights were level 1 or 2. Their classifications were mostly something called a Ranger. The knights that did not carry what Soleil now identified as Magitech Fusil, were few but split right down the middle as Guardians and Evokers.

“After this.” Maeve started, drawing her sword and sinking into a ready stance. “We’re through. I’m not your subordinate any longer.”

Caesar exchanged his shoulder slung Fusil for a spear from one of the Guardians. He did not even bother to face Maeve when he spoke his reply. “So long as you know your place.”

Maeve charged, readying another [Smash.]

Turning the gaze of her [Analyze] on Caesar mid-[parry] had been a mistake on Soleil’s part.

Suddenly she was standing in Caesar’s shoes. The air was now frigid. Gone was the mild weather and temperatures of the Grove’s valley. Someone was coming at her with a sword. Her knuckles ached with each deflected blow.

Drills were repeated relentlessly. Outside these walls, a single mistake would mean death.

Not just for Caesar, but everyone who was counting on him to hold the line. A new name sprang forth to her mind with each [parried] blow. Sixty names later, and Soleil slipped out of the memory and collapsed in the village street.

It took her a few moments for a point of Focus to recover and ground herself in the present.

Caesar had turned aside over seventy blows. She knew this instinctively, as she’d known his limits better than she knew her own.

She had no idea how old that memory was, but the Caesar that now stood before her had become a comparatively high level Ranger. His skills remained few in number and low in rank. Soul Level of forty three might have implied so much more than what [Analyze] had shown her. But now she had an idea of the at which Caesar had become familiar with them. The spear may have seemed uncomfortable in his hands in the memory, but Caesar that batted aside Maeve’s attacks like it was effortless fought with an easy confidence. Hardly more than a bead of sweat dripped from his brow.

This was little more than a warm up for him now.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

The sense of discomfort she detected came from somewhere else entirely. Caesar fought with purpose, carrying expectations that weighed on him constantly. In his eyes, the knights were only as strong as their weakest link.

Being support staff with no background in martial matters before joining the knights was no excuse. Why should Maeve get a pass when he did not?

When Caesar lunged with the spear, it was not to strike Maeve with intent to wound or win. He was harassing her with probing attacks, making sure she never felt comfortable or safe in the rhythm of their duel.

By the time Soleil turned her attention to Maeve, the knight had risen to Soul Level 5 before her eyes.

Caesar saw it too, his aquamarine eyes augmented by a perception skill watched Maeve like a hawk.

Maeve fought with her own purpose. Soleil could see it now. Gone were the practiced motions they had both learned in training. Maeve’s attacks almost seemed reckless, but drawing upon mana let her tap into new memories.

Soleil could no longer rely on her perception skills, but she had seen enough from both her own and Caesar’s eyes to know that Maeve was growing into something new entirely in this duel.

“You have always been insufferable. Always.” Maeve [Smashed] away at Caesar’s spear, harmlessly deflected off to the side by a well timed [parry.] Something told Soleil that there was no [defending] against Maeve’s new skill. Each redirected [Smash] dug into the earth with a force that could be felt by all nearby.

“You don’t belong in the Knights.” Caesar said with casual disdain. Another probing jab, this one more verbal than physical.

“What I’m doing finally makes sense. For once, I’m not letting you take that away from me.”

Suddenly, the look on Caesar’s face was very complicated. In that moment, he [defended] against an attack he shouldn’t have and Maeve [smashed] his spear in half.

Before the fight could be called, Caesar tossed the remains of his weapon aside. “I’ve had enough. I yield.”

Maeve stared in disbelief for a moment, before lowering her sword. She slowly looked like she was about to collapse as the exhaustion of the fight threatened to catch up with her. “Finally. I thought you’d never slip up.”

“And I thought you’d never amount to anything.”

Before Maeve could muster a response, Caesar held up both his hands.

“Pease Maeve. You are reckless and stubborn. Worse still, you have always been unsure of yourself. While I think that makes you a terrible knight, you could do worse than the company of demons. Keep at it, and you will likely be… fine.” The last word was hissed through gritted teeth. What had Caesar seen in Maeve?

Without another word, Caesar stalked away. Gesturing for the other knights to retrieve the broken spear almost seemed like an afterthought as they fell into step behind him.

Soleil was confident she could name each and every one of the knights. Caesar certainly could.

“Sorry about that, I’m not sure what just happened there.” Maeve said, suddenly at Soleil’s side.

“Yeah. I got to see some of it from his perspective and I’m still not entirely certain.” Soleil said. She was tired from straining herself with the [Analyze] skill, but Maeve seemed to be ready to accept whatever Soleil said. “I think he was testing himself as much as you.” Was it because she had announced that Maeve had begun to channel mana?

The look that Maeve gave Soleil was equal parts bewildered and frustrated. “He’s got a funny way of showing it.” The way she was examining her arms, one would think Maeve was expecting them to fall off.

“I don’t think it’s your fault.” Soleil offered.

Maeve sighed. “Either way, Caesar doesn’t matter. Not to me. He’s always kinda had issues that he takes out on the other knights.”

“I got to see you the way he does.” Soleil started. The implication caused Maeve to make a funny face. “I know. It doesn’t excuse him being unpleasant about it. But he takes every life seriously in his own way. As far as Caesar is concerned, each knight that falls is an ever greater risk to other knights and anyone who you are fighting to defend. I imagine that is why he focuses on the weakest links.”

“You… almost made him sound noble there for a second.”

“Well, my mothers went out of their way to impress upon me that I do not leave home carrying any obligations or expectations with me. I think turning out like Caesar is what my mothers hoped to avoid.”

“Oh.”

Soleil tried not to think about where having Calamity teach her troubling skills might lead.

Maeve looked like she had to force herself to relax. “Well. I for one am glad you’re not another Caesar. Even if I think you’d manage to make curly hair cute.”

Soleil offered Maeve her shoulder to lean on. In her armor, it took Soleil a few points of Intensity to support the knight. This was a price she was happy to pay. “Careful, you look like you’re about to collapse. I can’t tell if you are being sweet or too exhausted to think through your words.”

“I’m sure I’ll come up with sweeter things to say after we both get some rest. For now, just finding a place to sit down and eat is enough.”

“As much as I would like to sample some of the new places where we could grab a bite to eat, we should probably head to the nearest House of Healing. I can get some rest, you can finally train your [Heal] skill, and they always keep some local requests on a board.”

“Oh! We’d be able to take care of everything at once.”

The antlered mediator rejoined the two of them after giving them a questioning look. “Sorry. I could not help but overhear. I wanted to make sure both duelists were okay.”

“I bet Caesar appreciated it.” Maeve said with a bitter laugh. “I’ve got a free arm if you want to lead the way.”

“He expressed as much, in his own way.” The antlered lady looked like she wanted to ask something.

Soleil offered her a warm smile. “Oh! Introductions. I am Soleil. And this is Maeve.”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am called Aster the Blossom Knight. Welcome to Mender’s Crossing.”

"I hope it's not too much trouble." Maeve said.

"Oh not at all! I already intended to meet a pair of friends there once they conclude their responsibilities for the day. We also had our eye on accepting a request or two."

Aster offered her hand. Soleil shook it, before sensing a gentle strength not unlike Brigid’s. Once Aster began to shoulder the limping Maeve, Soleil began to feel inadequate.

She settled for holding Maeve’s hand instead.