Rushing to catch up to Lyra, Nasir felt indignation. How dare she presume to lead him! He was the experienced Ranger. Not her. What would a housewife know about surviving in the wilderness? She may not have a husband or child to worry about anymore, but that didn’t erase the time wasted on them instead of fighting by his side where she belonged.
The shadows will be the ones swallowing you now, my pretty little bird. It’s time you learned your place.
Hidden behind his mask, Nasir smiled and said, “Haera can be strict, but she means well. I found out she was on active duty when our classmates turned on us.” Glancing in his direction, Lyra looked at him with a blank expression. Flustered, he went on, “Who would have guessed what happened to us occurred elsewhere all at once? Do you think they ever caught who was responsible?”
Chuckling under her breath, Lyra glared at him. “How can you call yourself a Ranger if you don’t know simple facts about your organization? Is this just a game to you?”
His darkest thoughts fought to break free. Fueled by the god he now served; Nasir barely held on. Cracks formed over the mental wall he had built, and a snarl escaped. Words he could never take back released.
“Shut up. You’re still just a little bird who knows how to fly a little better than the others. Haera will crush this inflated ego of yours and bring you back down to reality.”
By the time his head snapped to the side, Nasir felt the pain. Lyra kept walking; her right hand clenched in a fist. Everyone else who saw them stared at him with disgust. A child pointed at Nasir and asked, “Momma, why did she slap him?”
Ignoring the chatter growing around him, he raced to catch up. This was not how it was supposed to go. This wall forming between them had to fall. If he couldn’t find a crack, he would make one.
When he caught up, she refused to look at him. Desperate to salvage his standing with her, he said, “Look, I’m sorry. My team got hurt in our last mission and I took my frustration out on you. Let's focus on the test so you can become a Ranger yourself and understand the responsibilities we have protecting everyone.”
Hand unclenching, Lyra turned around, blocking his path. Finger shoved into his chest, she said, “Call me little bird one more time and I will grab your little bird and cut it off. Do I make myself clear?”
Gritting his teeth, Nasir brushed her finger off and moved toward the gate. Not bothering to check if she followed, he said, “Hurry. I don’t want to keep Haera waiting.”
He heard her grumbling behind him, the only sign she still followed. Halfway to the Ranger compound, she caught up and matched his pace. Any grievance she had toward him fell behind the fierce, determined fighter of his childhood that threatened to cast a shadow over him once more.
“Already back, Nasir? Is this the mysterious Lyra I have been hearing about?”
Nasir glanced at Lyra, and said, “Yes,” then turned to the Ranger. “Haera is expecting us. She's taking the test.”
Hand up, they shook their head and said, “You know the rules. I can’t let her in without notifying Haera first.”
The smirk Nasir noticed in the corner of his eye from Lyra nearly broke his resolve again. He growled out, “Then get to it. Or do you want to be the reason Haera has to wait?”
Another Ranger who noticed the conversation, walked up and asked, “Hey, Camin. Need me to inform the boss?”
Lyra stood at attention, drawing the guards' and Nasir’s gaze, which interrupted Camin's reply. Nasir tracked where her eyes focused on a moment before Haera appeared. Did Lyra notice the mana from the teleportation spell before Haera appeared? He refused to believe she could do something he couldn’t.
Nasir stood in shock when Haera clapped. She never applauded anyone. Ever. Seeing her smile would be the closest most would get to any positive emotion from the elf until they realized why she was happy. Punishments always put a smile on her face.
Haera had an inquisitive expression. If he didn’t know better, Nasir would have assumed she had intentions of taking Lyra for herself.
“Well done, Nasir. We appear to have a warrior cut above the rest. Unlike all of you, she noticed my arrival and had time to present herself accordingly.” Stepping up to Lyra, she held out her hand. When Lyra took it, Haera continued, “I’m sure your father would have been proud of you. I may not have known him, but I knew all about his exploits.”
Even Nasir could feel the clash of magical energy between the two. Their hands gripped tight, neither giving ground. Feeling uncomfortable, Nasir coughed loudly, grabbing Haera’s ire, her energy pressing down on him till he stumbled back.
Quick to bow, he said, “My apologies.”
“You had to ruin my fun." She let go of Lyra's hand with a sigh. “Follow me. Time to see if you live up to all the hype.”
Spinning around, Haera walked away. Nasir saw the glint of excitement shine in Lyra’s eyes. He picked up what remained of his dignity and followed behind Lyra. He stepped on Camin's foot in irritation on his way past. The Ranger struggled to hold back his mirth at Nasir’s expense, even after Nasir made his displeasure known. That only drove the guard further into laughter.
All training and evaluations took place in the middle of the compound. A circular fence enclosed the large flat clearing. A Ranger who specialized in barrier magic made sure any spells tossed around didn’t leave the designated space.
Pointing inside, Haera directed Lyra inside by herself. Lyra hopped over and walked to the center. She composed herself. Hands resting by her sides, she gave off a confident aura that demanded respect. So similar to Haera that it sent chills down his spine.
“Show me the weapons you are proficient with.”
Two ice daggers appeared in her hands. Nasir noticed the balls of water pop up and freeze in her palms. A spell she perfected in her childhood. Settled in a defensive posture, Lyra began a practiced routine of attacking and defending against invisible targets. She finished by hurling both in Nasir’s direction, dispelling them a moment before reaching the barrier.
Flinching at the two splashes of water pissed him off. Lyra winked in his direction as she reached for the dagger on her hip, which confused him. She just showed off her dagger skills. Why would she need another one?
“Care to explain?”
Curious about an answer himself, his confusion left him speechless when the dagger transformed into a short sword. He dug through all his memories and came back at a loss for how she pulled it off.
Haera smiled at the display of magic and waved to continue. This time Lyra cast a wind spell, increasing her speed. Launching at an invisible foe, she stabbed, parried, and deflected blows aimed at her. Mid-swing, her short sword elongated to a longsword. Unfazed by the spectacle, Nasir resigned himself to watching Lyra dance around the training area.
Her weapon morphed into a long pole that she swung with both hands low to the ground for a leg sweep. Shifting her grip, Lyra smashed the end into the ground.
“Anything else?” Haera stood, her emotions locked behind her strict persona once more.
Spinning the staff over her head, she stomped it into the ground. A curved blade grew out the side of the top end. Confused, Nasir leaned in closer for a better look. When she saw his surprise, she laughed. Holding it out, a similar blade appeared on the other end, facing the opposite direction. As if that wasn’t surprising enough, Lyra set one blade on fire simultaneously with a wind spell vibrating along the other. Movements doubling her previous attack patterns, Lyra became a whirlwind of death to anyone within her reach.
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Slightly winded, Lyra shrunk back into a dagger and returned it to her hip.
Clapping for the second time, Haera laughed, which baffled Nasir and most of the onlookers who flocked to the training grounds throughout the performance. “I normally ask for a display of your offensive magic spells, but that won’t be necessary. You can tell me instead.”
Standing at attention, Lyra said, “I use Ice, wind, and fire spells for the most part.”
“Excellent. I will see you in action tomorrow when I take you on a hunt. Let me be the first to welcome you to the Rangers. Haera flipped a token in the air. Catching it with a current of air, Lyra guided it to her hand and snatched the token.
“Thank you.”
Envy at the way she interacted with everyone but him, ate away at his pride. The darkness entrenched in his mind tore at his defenses, leaving the worst of his personality intact. Haera’s voice broke him out of his thoughts.
“Guide our newest Ranger to meet with Gorre so Kellam can welcome her to the organization.”
Saluting on instinct, Nasir replied, “At once.” Waving Lyra over, he said, “Follow me. The main headquarters are within the inner settlement’s walls. Don’t lose the token. Haera doesn’t make it a habit of providing replacements.”
Too irritated to see if she would follow him or not, Nasir made his way out of the compound. His sour mood silenced any comment Camin might have had. Nearing the gate to Timberwood, Lyra caught up. Refusing to look at her, he pushed past the gate.
The trip to the inner gate left Nasir mentally exhausted. His desire to earn her respect clashed with the need to dominate her. Nasir closed his eyes and took a deep breath, centering his focus. He ignored the looks Lyra, and the inner gate guard gave him and instead leaned over and said, “Show him the token.”
She reached into a pocket, flipped it in the air, and caught it with a wind spell so the guard could view it.
“Congratulations. You may enter.” Moving to the side, the guard opened the way in for the pair, a grin breaking his stoic appearance for Lyra, but not for him. The stark contrast between the cheerful reception she received versus the ridicule and disrespect he endured fueled the darkness, burrowing further into his very being. Consuming who was as it shaped him into something useful.
Knocking on Gorre’s office inside the central building in the settlement, Nasir waited for permission to enter.
“Come in.”
Swinging the door open, Nasir stepped aside for Lyra as he said, “Nasir reporting in.” She stepped inside and saluted. “Presenting our newest Ranger, Lyra.”
Gorre looked her up and down with his critical eye. He must have found her satisfactory enough since he rose from behind his desk and walked around. Offering his hand, Lyra took it.
“My reports say you arrived with that elf who assisted a merchant on her way to visit Elora. I hope her rebellious nature hasn’t rubbed off on you. Rangers require obedience and discipline.” Their auras clashed similarly to her interaction with Haera, but instead of pressing the attack, Lyra held her ground. Neither giving ground nor pressing for an advantage. All the while, she held his gaze.
“I know how to follow orders, sir.”
Breaking contact, Gorre went past them as he said, “Follow me.”
Heading up a flight of stairs, Gorre stopped at a door and knocked. When nothing happened, he grumbled under his breath, knocked again, and said, “I know you’re in there, Kellam. Stop ignoring me and let us in. I have a recruit for you to meet.”
A chair scraped against the floor, followed by rushed steps that halted in front of the door. After a pulse of magic caused the door to unlock and swing open, Nasir could get a good look at their leader. The aloof retired Ranger preferred to run the show from behind the scenes, which forced Gorre to endure all the front-facing responsibilities.
Pushing Gorre out of the way, Kellam moved his fingers in an intricate pattern, causing a small wind spell to push Lyra closer. Nasir had the impression she could have avoided or countered the spell but chose not to.
Scars crisscrossed his face. The deepest left behind a visible scar over his left eye. Anyone who met the elf for the first time inevitably stared at it. Nasir did, and it appeared Lyra did too.
If the second-hand stories are to be believed, a fight against a horde of magical beasts earned him those scars, killing everyone in his squad but him. He refused to be healed beyond keeping himself alive. A reminder of his failure to protect his fellow Rangers.
The previous leader of their Ranger branch refused to let him go when he retired. Kellam agreed to help the organization from behind the scenes and when there was a vacancy in leadership, everyone pushed him into the role. That would explain his reluctance to be more public in his role as leader.
Because of his private life, his reputation among those who never met him varied from ruthless to an old fool who didn’t care. To the few like himself who met, Kellam knew he could be a cheerful prankster when he wanted, or a strict, demanding leader if lives were on the line.
Hands holding Lyra’s arms to her side, Kellam said, “Let me get a good look at you, girl. Yes! Excellent. I can sense a strong magical aura about you. Refined and razor-sharp. I trust Haera didn’t push you too hard, did she?”
“No, sir. I satisfied her enough with my prowess that she skipped the magical test.”
Eyebrow raised, Kellam looked over her shoulder at Nasir and asked, “Is that true?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Excellent. Most excellent indeed. I will work on fitting you with a team. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your day and prepare for the trial hunt tomorrow.” Seeing that glint in Kellam’s eye, Nasir backed out of the room a moment before another wind spell pushed Lyra back until the door closed.
Gorre placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. Used to his friend's antics, he had been waiting out in the hall. “He may not always act like it, but he cares about everyone under his command and takes his job seriously.” He guided them back down to his door and turned to face Nasir and Lyra. “This concludes our time together. Hand over Haera’s token and leave. I still have business to attend to.”
Around this time, his team usually met up to eat together after returning from a hunt. Nasir hoped he could introduce Lyra to the rest of his squad, so he asked, “Would you like to meet the rest of my team? We usually get something to eat together after coming back.”
The vulnerability he felt asking her made him feel sick. A feeling the darkness had no need for. Unclenching his fist, he forced himself to look her in the face. “I can show you where we sleep in the compound after.”
A hint of surprise melted away into scrutiny that Nasir felt try to pierce past his defenses. Afraid of breaking under her scrutiny, he held still, focused on giving her his best friendly smile.
“I don’t know what your deal is. One moment you’re the Nasir I grew up with and then you pull out this obsessive attitude that makes me want to punch you in the face. Like it or not, we are family, and I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but that will only get you so far."
She gripped his shoulder and smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Lead the way. I'm curious who got stuck with your sorry ass.”
Dumbstruck by her bluntness, Nasir could only nod and lead her back outside, past the inner gate to the most popular place in all of Timberland to eat and hang out. Remembering his manners, he opened the door for Lyra, who rewarded him with a genuine smile and a “Thanks” for his gesture.
The patrons inside glanced over at Lyra. Some took longer than Nasir felt comfortable with before looking away. He caught sight of Shaerwyn waving him over in their normal spot. Pointing her out to Lyra, he said, “That’s my team.”
Nasir guided Lyra over to his team and introduced them.
“Lyra, this is Shaerwyn, our leader. To her left is Elemalu, our healer, and to her right is Siranya.” Shaerwyn smiled and offered a hand to Lyra who accepted it. Siranya scowled at Nasir. She jerked her body away from Shaerwyn, hand rubbing her arm. Wilting against the raised eyebrow from Shaerwyn, Siranya put on a forced smile. Elemalu waved, not bothering to put his mug down mid-chug.
Nasir reached out to help Lyra sit down but gave up when she pulled the chair out herself and sat down. Not letting it get under his skin; he sat down next to her. Hands clasped together on the table, Shaerwyn leaned in and said, “It’s so nice to meet you. Too bad I couldn’t watch your test with Haera. The word spreading around tells me you have great potential.”
Reaching out for the offered drink from the waitress, Lyra took a sip and smiled. “I know how to kill magical beasts on my own. I helped kill a mage who was raising the dead not that long ago. Not to brag, but I doubt I will be surprised by anything you guys are tasked with hunting down.”
Fingers digging into his palms under the table, Nasir bit back his response. Siranya noticed his discomfort, grinned, and said, “So, is it true that you know Nasir?”
“Yes. We grew up in the same settlement and trained together along with his brother.”
“Brother? If he is as good as you, I’m sure the Rangers would accept him with open arms,” said Elemalu.
Shutting that down quickly, Lyra said, “If my husband was still alive, I wouldn’t be here.”
The joyful demeanor fell from Elemalu, his shoulders slumping. With a heartfelt, “Sorry,” he chugged the rest of his drink and raised it up for a refill.
Lyra acknowledged his apology with a nod, chugged the rest of her drink, and slammed the mug on the table. “Don’t worry. With the help of the Rangers, I will have a better chance of finding the beast that did it. Plus,” looking over at Nasir, “I can prove once and for all that I’m a better fighter.”
Grinding his teeth, Nasir forced a smile and said, “That remains to be seen. Try surviving the trial hunt tomorrow first.”
Patting him on the back, Lyra grinned and said, “Why don’t you ask to join the hunt? That way you can’t ignore the truth.”
The obvious tension between the two caused Siranya to laugh out loud, hands clutching her stomach. Soon everyone but Nasir found themselves laughing. He couldn’t find the humor in the clear disrespect to his superiority which only drove Siranya to laugh that much more.
At the end of the meal, Nasir walked back to the compound with Lyra in tow. Reaching the barracks, Shaerwyn grabbed Lyra’s hand and pulled her into the woman’s half of the resting quarters while Nasir and Elemalu headed off to the men’s area.
Nasir had to get Haera’s permission to join the hunt tomorrow for the trial. He couldn’t afford to lose face against a new member, no matter how special she may be. He had a reputation to uphold.