A Shadow in the Mist

“Wardens are not required to serve the church or crown, though most do so. Some Wardens for various reasons become independent, contracting out their services instead of receiving a stipend from the church or land from the crown. These Rogue Wardens often work as mercenary guards for merchants, private security or own their own businesses. Some look down on Rogue Wardens due to how many become independent in order to pursue borderline or full-on illegal action such as running brothels catering to Wardens, operating blood sports or trading with the fell.”

-Steven Gurren, The Warden with no Allegiance, 489 AB

Aranea- Sunday, September 8th, 564 AB

Cain and I woke and dressed for mass. I was still mad at him, but my anger had cooled somewhat. I had to trust that my husband would be faithful to me or that bitterness would overwhelm me. Besides, Cain had been honest with me and hadn’t hidden where he had been; if his intentions had been otherwise, he wouldn’t have told me where he had been.

We headed down to the great hall and took a seat in the middle of the pews. The sermon began and I took Cain’s hand in mine stroking the back of his palm as the bishop extorted the virtues of heroism, honor and duty.

The Ether Chalice was passed around as we began communion and the Voice’s Prayer was said.

“Voice of the Heavens, blessed be your words, thy words be heard, thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the strength to fight the djinn and courage to stand against all the terrors of the Mist and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Let us not fall to corruption but deliver us from the wrath of God.”

The chalice passed and I bowed my head over it, touching my brow to the Dragon Core set into the work of art made from finely wrought gold with the depictions of noble saints battling the djinn. I pushed on my ether; we hadn’t learned how to consciously pass on ether into a djinn core yet but the enchantments on the chalice took care of that. I opened myself up to the Voice and the wards engraved into the chalice extracted a tithe of ten percent of my ether in my core. It took longer than I felt comfortable with, and I flushed as I passed it to Cain. I felt as if everyone’s eyes were on me for taking so long but looking around no one was even looking in my direction.

Cain bowed his head over the chalice then passed it on after a flash of light showed he had given his tithe. He passed it on, and we continued to listen to the sermon. When it was done, we stood and began filling out of the assembly hall.

Hannah and Enoch wandered over to us, he and Cain clasped hands and I embraced Hannah. Hannah took a step back leaning against the massive form of Enoch while her right hand cupped the swell of her belly.

“If you would like, you’re welcome to join us for our family dinner tonight,” Enoch said.

Cain cast a glance my way then nodded. “We would like that.”

We continued to exchange pleasantries before parting ways. Cain accompanied me to the library for a few hours. He browsed some of the books, but I could tell he was just here to make me happy and not because he was interested in any of its contents. I curled up beside him in a corner of the library on a padded sofa. His hand ran through my hair as he listened to me read aloud.

After a few hours like this we left the library and rode to Rineer’s Settlement. The main hall was lit by candles and the hearth fire, making it warm if not brightly lit. We’d eaten with them before, and the chaos of the dinner was something I hadn’t realized how much I wanted until I’d seen it. Enoch’s younger siblings all talked at once and the backdrop of half a dozen conversations filled the air with a sense of…home. Even if this wasn’t Cain’s or my home, this is what I wanted.

As the dinner neared its end, I took Cain’s hand and placed it on my thigh. I could see his face redden and his eyes met mine. We made our excuses as we got up to leave. We rode out into the countryside and Cain spread a blanket on the ground. My dress slipped off my shoulders as Cain removed his shirt. Minutes later I was in Cain’s firm embrace as he ran kisses down my skin as our bodies moved together.

When it was done, I pulled my dress against me, the chilly autumn air cold against our sweat soaked skin.

“Would you play for me again?” I asked.

Cain took out his flute and I closed my eyes, listening to the haunting melody that sang from the span of carved ivory. I wasn’t sure how long we stayed in that field, but we barely made it back through the gates in time before they closed again.

Cain, Tuesday, September 10th, 564 AB

Enoch and I rode down a dirt trail to one of the settlements closer to the Mistwall. We had gone on a quest the day before as well. We’d fought a mix of Mist and Wind djinn and my relic and I had absorbed forty-five and eighty-four corruption respectively. I’d gained two-hundred-and-seventy-eight experience.

“You think we’re strong enough for this Quest?” I asked Enoch looking over the sheet of paper we’d taken from the Quest Hub.

“It’s just a couple of soldier djinn,” Enoch said.

“There is never ‘just a few’ when it comes to djinn,” I reminded him.

“We can handle any of the lesser djinn with them too,” Enoch said. “There is no gain without risk. These are Mist djinn, we were meant to fight them.”

I didn’t say anything else to naysay him but I was a bit trepidatious about our quest. There had been seven soldier djinn spotted by a farmer. There could have been more, but he’d hidden sensibly before reporting the sighting to the local guard who had given it to the academy.

Both Enoch and I dismounted and left our horses to graze. Hero was going to be too big to ride in the saddle soon and was around the size of a greyhound now. Enoch had been working hard on his training but despite the dog’s intelligence he was still an excited puppy, and prone to all the behaviors of a dog his age.

We stalked into the mist covered forest, staying low. Hero managed to keep his muzzle shut but a few low whines would still escape now and again.

Quest

Type:

Search

Difficulty:

Lethal

Search the Mist and find the Soul Forge to upgrade your interface.

Reward: Soul Anvil, 15,000 XP

Yes/No

I dismissed the forbidden quest as we kept moving. I froze as I came across large, clawed footprints. I examined them for a minute, determining they belonged to djinn and not some fell beast. My skill with tracking wasn’t good enough for me to get an accurate number of how many djinn it was but based on the number of prints it was quite a few.

Enoch crouched by me, and Hero came over snuffling the tracks. A deep growl, surprising for something so young, came from his throat and he pulled at his lead. Enoch looked at me and I nodded, and we started following the dog’s nose.

It took us about half an hour going down various animal trails and fording several streams until Hero stopped pulling Enoch along and stiffened. Enoch clamped a hand over his muzzle to keep him from giving us away and gestured with his chin for me to move forwards.

“Ghost Walk,” I whispered as I slipped forwards.

Noiselessly I moved through the dense forest, coming across the sight of a bloody massacre. Flies buzzed over the festering corpses of a pack of dire wolves. I gagged as I breathed in the stench. The opening for a cave, which had likely been their den, lay beyond them. I moved closer, doing my best to ignore the stench of death as I scouted ahead.

The cave was large and more corpses of the pack could be seen, as well as the bodies of their young. Djinn crouched over them, the fangs of their masks stained red as they feasted on them. Djinn don’t eat, but like the stories of the vampire they drain their victims of the ether and corruption in their bodies.

Nine Soldier djinn, twelve beasts, thirteen imps and a single hulking Jotunn. For a moment I was frozen as my silhouette blocked the sunlight from outside the cave. A single beast looked up and the black pits of its mask’s eye sockets met my eyes.

Quest

Type:

Hunt

Difficulty:

Lethal

A large pack of djinn led by a Jotunn class djinn is in your immediate area. Kill all the djinn to keep them from attacking civilization.

Reward: Ether Blueprint (Targe, A Grade), 500 XP

I teleported back to Enoch, deactivating Ghost Walk.

“There's a Jotunn, run!” I shouted at him.

We took off running as the djinn let out a hunting cry. Our feet pounded down the animal trails we’d just been following as the djinn streamed out of the cave and raced after us. I nocked an arrow to my string, came to halt, turned and fired. The arrow hit a soldier djinn directly in the chest, exploding into a fireball.

39 XP gained

I took off running again and Enoch stopped, swiveled around and blasted off with his musket, taking out another Mist soldier. Hero tried to rush them like a suicidal maniac, but Enoch yanked him along and the dog chased my heels as we fled. Pulling to a stop again I whipped about and let loose another arrow. A gout of fire burned through the false bones and leaves, ripping off the mask of the soldier djinn and it collapsed into another pile of corrupted ether.

45 XP gained

I dropped to the ground and rolled as a spear of compressed ether passed right where I had been standing. Scrambling to my feet I pushed off and ran after Enoch. Enoch reloaded his musket as we ran, turned and fired it again. I ducked behind a tree and pivoted around its trunk, loosing another arrow. The arrow struck its gut and spine, blasting its legs and chest apart.

35 XP gained

The Jotunn leapt forwards and I rolled as the twin axes it carried smashed into the trunk of the tree showering me with splintered shrapnel. I dove forwards scrambling across the ground and dodging to the side as a downward chop struck the ground beside me the force of the impact rocking the world beneath my feet.

The Jotunn roared and speared the ground narrowly missing me. I teleported away and the thunder of lighting echoed through the ravine as Enoch turned and fired again taking down another soldier djinn. A Mist Soldier appeared behind me with its own teleportation skill I barely caught its spear on the edge of Achlys and twisted up and under getting inside its guard. I drove my dagger up through its ribcage and it collapsed into a pile of leaves and bones.

42 XP gained, 1 Corruption absorbed into your Core

Level Up! You have reached level 14! 15 Stat points are available to spend, Ether core increased by 5.

I drove my dagger into djinn’s pile of corruption, I needed a stat boost to survive this.

17 Corruption absorbed by your Relic, 17 Corruption absorbed by your Core

The djinn were closing in and I took off running after Enoch again my feet noticeably faster now. We kept running getting to the top of the ridge our breathing heavy but our training with Rinner had prepared us for this with the stress of the obstacle course we had to run.

I turned, notched an arrow as Enoch turned and shouldered his musket aiming down its barrel. We fired at the same time. Both our shots took out another soldier eliminating the last of them. Now only the imps, beasts and Jotunn remained. We couldn’t run forever and we would likely lead these djinn towards base humans who couldn’t defend themselves if we went towards civilization.

My body tensed up, but I pushed the fear and the urge to freeze down.

“Can you handle the imps and beasts?” I asked panting.

Enoch looked over the large horde of the lesser djinn uncertainly but nodded with resolve.

“I can,” he said.

“Hurricane Step,” I said appearing behind the Jotunn. “Mist Blade, Lunar Smite!”

The extended brilliant etheric blade tore into the back of its leg, and it whirled around to face me, but I was already running back the way we had come. I threw myself to the ground and a ‘whoosh’ of air exploded around me as the Jotunn threw one of its spears as it charged after me shouldering aside small trees and trampling several imps in its way.

My hands pushed off the ground and I dove to one of the piles of the soldier djinn we had taken out was and drove Achlys into it.

25 Corruption absorbed by your Relic, 25 Corruption absorbed by your Core

I rolled across the ground as one of the hatchet-like axes buried itself in the ground as the Jotunn threw it at me. I ran to the next soldier we’d killed and drove my dagger into the pile of corrupted ether.

33 Corruption absorbed by your Relic, 33 Corruption absorbed by your Core

A Mist Beast jabbed at me with its spear. I effortlessly slid to the side and ripped my dagger through it as I ran past.

15 XP gained, 1 Corruption absorbed into your Core

“Hurricane Step,” I said.

I disappeared as the Jotunn rushed after me. Appearing on the edge of the ravine, I nocked an arrow and loosed it. I didn’t charge it with ether, I was already running dangerously low on that. The arrow hit the Jotunn in its face but bounced off the yellow-white plating of its mask. Even if it didn’t do damage, it did keep its attention and it continued to pursue me leaving Enoch behind us.

I took a glance at my character sheet; I was at seventy-eight out of a hundred-and-four corruption. I couldn’t afford to risk trying to absorb the corruption from another soldier or I might oversaturate my core. Branches and tree limbs snapped, sounding like breaking bones, and the Jotunn crashed through them as it chased after me.

The sound of Hero snarling and barking and Enoch fighting became too distant to make out properly as I moved farther away. Not all the imps and beasts had gone after Enoch and Hero. An imp hurled itself at me, its teeth snapping as it came at me spear tip first. It was moving at its full speed, but I had the speed of someone twice my level right now and twisted to the side and under it. I thrust up and ripped apart the imp.

5 XP gained; 1 Corruption absorbed into your Core

I pulled out the remaining corruption from its corpse.

1 Corruption absorbed by your Relic, 1 Corruption absorbed by your Core

It was barely worth the effort as I ducked behind a tree for cover then dived away as its trunk splintered under the force of the Jotunn’s axe.

‘That spear has reach but that’s also its weakness, don’t let them use it and that strength is wasted’ Solomon’s words came back to me as I dodged another thrust from one of the Jotunn’s spears.

Racing forwards, I leapt into the air. The Jotunn stabbed forward with its spear and slashed at me with its twin axes. I teleported forwards past its attacks, landing on its shoulder. My footing was unstable but I took my dagger in a two-handed grip and swung.

“Lunar Smite, Mist Blade!” I shouted.

The Jotunn twitched, but my etheric blade bypassed its thick bone plating and ripped through the ether that composed it. I dropped down, rolling as I took a massive chunk out of its health. Even though my strike had been right to its neck, unless I had the strength to destroy its spine and disconnect its head from its body, there was no way for me to instantly kill something like it.

Lunar Smite was still active so I laid into its left leg. The Jotunn staggered but didn’t fall as it whirled around, taking a step back. I moved with it, keeping close so it couldn’t use the reach of its weapons or attack me at ground level easily. It awkwardly tried to stick me with its spear and slash at me with its axes, but I kept weaving in and out between its legs.

My trait and my focus on my Agility stat combined with the eighty percent boost to my stats meant I was three times as fast as the Jotunn was. It kept at its attacks as I slashed into the moss and leaves that made up its form, chipping away at the yellow bones that formed its armor and outer shell. I was getting tired, but I had to keep at it.

I ducked, dodged, and twisted out of the way of its two spears and axes. I pushed off its spear with my left leg and drove my relic into its chest as I shouted the activation phrases for Lunar Smite and Mist Blade. Another critical strike, but it was still up and at this point I was running on fumes. The Jotunn snarled and its form blurred as it activated one of its abilities. Bones spikes appeared all around me and shot in towards me.

“Fog Form,” I responded, letting the spikes pass through me harmlessly.

I ducked around the swing of its right axe and hacked into its leg. My attacks had weakened this limb severely already and the Jotunn staggered, having to lean on one of its spears like a walking stick to remain standing. It activated another skill and its body began to repair itself. I squinted, looking above it, but its health bar wasn’t going back up. The Jotunn was just fixing the damage I’d done to its body.

The edges of its spears and axes glowed as it swung them at me. I rolled to the side as they hit the ground, poisonous green fog exploding where they impacted. I coughed as I took a small breath of the stuff. Instantly my throat felt congested, and the sharp tang of blood filled my mouth and throat.

“Fog Form,” I gasped out as the Jotunn struck at me again.

I moved away and the glow surrounding its weapons faded. I was less cocky now but I still moved, even as I felt my own health bar tick down. I could heal myself, if I still had ether, but I couldn’t remove the Poisoned condition affecting me.

I slid between its legs, continuing my work of slowly chipping away at its suit of carapace and constantly chipping away at its hit points. The Jotunn’s health bar only had a quarter left, but I didn’t know if I had much more in me. An explosion of thunder rocked the clearing the Jotunn had created during our battle and its head rocked to the side as a blast from Enoch’s musket hit it squarely in the forehead, cracking its mask.

Hero rushed forward, jumping up and latching onto the Jotunn’s crotch. While this would have been very effective on a living creature, djinn didn’t have privates, so it didn’t have much effect. The Jotunn swung at Hero with his axes but I jumped up kicking off its axe and spoiling its aim. Hero dropped down to the ground and dug his teeth into the Jotunn’s ankle. I used the momentum from my leap to propel myself towards the emotionless visage of the djinn’s mask.

“Lunar Smite!” I shouted, using the last of my Ether.

I drove the etheric length of my sword through the crack Enoch had created. When the dagger section of my relic hit the yellowed bone, it shattered. Its hit points reached zero and the Jotunn’s body collapsed into nothing but leaves, bones and corrupted ether.

89 XP gained, 1 Corruption absorbed into your Core

Quest Succeeded

You have successfully completed the Quest, Hunt, Lethal and exterminated all the djinn in the area.

Reward: Ether Blueprint (Targe, A Grade) has been added to your inventory, 500 XP gained

“Purifying Light,” Enoch said, laying his hand on my shoulder.

The Poisoned condition ended and I breathed easier.

“Thanks,” I said.

Enoch looked at the djinn. “What’s your core at now?”

I checked. “Eighty-one out of one-hundred-and-four,” I said.

“No way you can absorb this then,” Enoch said. “My core’s still empty, I’ll take this then get some of the imps and beasts. You can fill up on some of the imps, we won’t be able to get them all but it should cut down heavily on the amount of corruption and we can send a clean-up crew to fix the rest.”

“Agreed,” I said.

I went around absorbing the imps, I only got around seven until I stopped. I was at one-hundred corruption and going any farther would have been irresponsible. It was the first time I had my stats doubled and my body felt… alive. I felt a sudden worry that this feeling from my trait could become addictive, it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The rush I felt could only be compared to sex, but instead of brief high it was a constant exuberance.

My relic had absorbed an extra twenty corruption. Enoch came over and laid a core the size of a robin's egg in my hand.

“That’s the Jotunn’s core,” Enoch said. “You should keep it, use it to store ether. You made the kill and I already got several so, seems fair you take it.”

I nodded and took it. We raked up the rest of the remaining corrupted remains, keeping Hero off them. We left the forest and rode back to Mistwall.

Aranea

I handed Constence the screwdriver as she rolled under the apparatus.

“How do you know when it works?” Aranea asked.

Constence waved her hand out from under the machine, and it sparked with volts of electricity.

“I just use a bit of this, I wouldn’t even be able to do this if I didn’t have Storm skills,” I said.

I looked at my own hands. My skills were good. Powerful even. But no bard would ever sing of me and Cain because of them. I remembered the Mother Superior's words and pushed down that jealousy. If my skills weren’t what made me special, then we would just have to become known for something on our own.

“Tighten the left ventricle valve,” Constence instructed me.

I took a wrench and tightened the valve as instructed. I glanced at the various manuscripts the ether generator was being based off. We could make electricity, but such practices were forbidden. Djinn hated generators and would be drawn for miles to destroy it. Even this ether generator was pushing the bounds of legality, but it was its reliance on and creation of ether that made it fall outside the bounds of the law.

I helped her for several more minutes before Lady Constence rolled out on her cart. Her nose was stained with black grease along with her leather gloves.

“Thank you for assistance, that will be all for the day,” she said. “Madam Layrora said you were working on some new wards, have you had any success?”

I was a bit stunned and embarrassed. I knew Madam Layrora had seen my work but I hadn’t known she’d seen so much of it or talked with Lady Constence about it.

“Yes,” I said. “I was able to create a new ward based off several advanced ones.”

“Do you have a diagram to show me?” she asked.

“Um,” I took my journal from my basket on the desk and opened it showing her the research and finished sketch that I created.

Lady Constence took my journal, examined the page and flipped through examining my older and more recent work.

“This is very good, you have natural talent, beyond talent even,” Lady Constence said.

“Thank you,” I said, a flush coming to my cheeks at the praise.

Lady Constence went over to her desk, took a key from her waist and unlocked one of the drawers. She withdrew a thick tome and placed it in my hands alongside my journal.

“This is a copy of the Codex of the Easter Tower,” she said. “This is the only copy in the academy so I’m trusting you to bring it back in a few days in the exact same condition. Can I trust you Aranea?”

“Yes ma’am,” I said.

I held the tome reverently, placing it in my carry basket. I left the room. Heading to the library, I sat down and opened the tome, looking over the wards as I started taking notes and reading the research and anecdotes. The reading was a bit hard as it had been translated when it was brought from the far east.

“Reading anything fun?”

I looked up to see Noah taking a seat across from me, kicking his boots up on a nearby chair as he opened up a book.

“It’s a tome of wards from the east,” I said. “It’s fascinating their different thoughts on it.”

“The heresy doesn’t bother you?” Noah asked, a twinkle in his eyes.

“Just because they don’t understand the Voice the same as we do doesn’t make their understanding of wards any less useful,” I said.

“The Church might have a few different thoughts on that,” Noah said with a shrug.

“They’re wards, not religious doctrine,” I said. “But, let me guess, you don’t approve?”

“I’m all for personal choice,” Noah said. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with the safety of others.”

“And who decides what is and isn’t safe?” I asked.

“The Church,” Noah conceded with a nod. “Don’t tell me you’re a Reformationist?”

“I’m not, but I’m surprised you imply that you aren’t. You are in favor of the use of Companions,” I said pointedly. “I read up on them recently, Companions were pushed by the Reformationists, and one of the few cases when the Church actually listened and changed their stance on something.”

“I might agree with some of their principles,” Noah said with a noncommittal gesture of his head and hand. “But their broad aim and goal of decentralization of the Church’s authority, and allowing contact with the fell tribes… They are the ideas of the romantics and fools. However noble they might seem, they fall apart when subjected to reality.”

“I still disagree with you on Companions,” I said. “I think that also falls apart when subjected to reality.”

Noah set down his book and spread out his arms. “Seems to be working for me.”

“How many children do you have?” I asked.

“I don’t see how that’s relevant…” Noah began.

“Wardens and Weavers who aren’t bonded at their initiation are twice as likely to split apart,” I said. “The more sexual partners either side has, the less likely they stay together. How many partners have you had?”

“One,” Noah said curtly. “What does this have to do with me not having children? And of course I don’t have any.”

“Because Companions are forbidden by law from having children,” I said, giving him a pointed look. “That’s my point, you can have children, I’ve wanted children since I was old enough to understand I could have them. The practice you support locks women into a life where they are forever denied that joy just because people like you don’t trust the Voice to assign you a good wife.”

“I trust the Voice not people,” Noah said.

“And yet you're not a Reformationist,” I said, turning back to my book. “My point is this, the system you support leads to women who may be forced by circumstances to take lifelong oaths of childlessness, increasing the fragility of the bonds between Wardens and Weavers.”

“Arguments straight out of Lady Marrian Tredel’s letters to the church,” Noah said. “You’ll find many who agree with you, but not every woman wants to have children.”

“Have you asked your Companion about that?” I asked, turning the page of the codex as I scribbled a few notes.

Noah was silent after that.

Cain, Wednesday, September 11th, 564 AB

I slid out of bed, shivering as the cold air touched my naked skin. I slipped on my clothes and leaned over, kissing Aranea on the lips and forehead. Her lips turned up and she snuggled deeper under the covers, but she didn’t wake up. I went down to the mess hall and got a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, and thick bread.

I headed out to the marshal field and lined up. We weren’t actually required to take any attendance, completing Quests was what mattered, but access to higher tier Quests was locked behind our teacher’s approval. I went through the motions of the warmup kata. We grabbed iron weights, strapping them to our arms, legs and back and started running. The thing about being Wardens is that we’re stronger than base humans and so we have to train like super humans.

After about two hours of weighted combat training, we hit the showers. Water poured down on us and I let the sweat rinse off before grabbing another set of clothes and leaving. Enoch met up with me as I was strapping on my armor near the gates to the Academy.

“You wanted to do another quest today?” he asked.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I need to go do some extra training today with Solomon, there’s an examination for dueling proficiency coming up soon. If I do better this time, hopefully I can get out of the mandatory extra training.”

“Is that all you want?” Enoch asked. “To just be good enough to get by?”

“I want to get good at being a Warden,” I said, tightening the straps on my greaves and bracers. “Not fighting other Wardens for sport.”

“What if you have to duel someone like your father?” Enoch asked. “It was your father’s ability to duel that ended the war.”

“My father won a duel,” I said. “Towards the end everyone wanted the war to end, they just used his defeat of their crown prince as an excuse to sue for peace.”

“I’m not saying keep up your training here,” Enoch said, raising his hand placatingly. “I’m saying if this Solomon gets you good enough to get out of this training, maybe keep training with Solomon.”

“I thought you were against me associating with him,” I said.

“You’re already associated,” Enoch said with a shrug. “Might as well get the full benefit.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said.

Cain

The heavy club of the Earth Soldier swung for my head. I dodged to the side and rolled forwards trying to get behind its shield.

“You’re more aggressive, good,” Solomon said. “But speed is just as important, you moved faster last time, why?”

Because I had a few points of corruption in my core, but I couldn’t tell him that. I pushed myself now to make up for my lack. Spikes of earth shot out The club of an earth djinn looked like a stalagmite shaped into tapered bludgeon and a claws at the end. My body spun as I kicked off the ground I grabbed the top of his shield with my free hand and pulled my self up and over somersaulting over it. I drove Achlys into its back.

“Good use of movement and using your enemies strengths against them,” Solomon said, clapping.

“It’s a bit different when they’re people,” I said panting.

“Why?” Solomon asked.

“All djinn are the same,” I said. “An earth soldier will always have a shield like that and a club like that, maybe some minor cosmetic differences, an inch or two in difference.”

“They have different skills,” Solomon said. “There’s a difference.”

“Even skills have replications,” I said. “I’m not saying I’ll remember the thousands on record but last I heard a djinn with a unique skill hasn’t been spotted in over a century.”

“True,” Solomon agreed. “But what about Wardens, new skills are found every ten years and there are twice as many of them as for djinn. You going to memorize every one of those?”

“What do you want?” I asked exasperated. “I went aggressive, kept in close, and I beat it; what else is there?”

“I need you to find your battle rhythm,” Solomon said.

“My what?” I asked, whipping the perspiration from my face.

“Your battle rhythm,” Solomon said again. “The part of you that can just relax into a fight and enjoy it.”

“You enjoy fighting?” I asked, spitting out some phlegm.

“All men enjoy it,” Solomon said, entering the arena. “You do too, you just don’t know it yet.” He drew his dagger from behind his back. “Now let's see how much you remember from your last time training.”

An hour later I was coughing up bits of blood with my spit but Solomon seemed satisfied. He tossed me a clean wet rag and a towel.

“Clean yourself up before your wife sees you,” he said.

“She doesn’t like that I’m here,” I said.

“Women don’t like a lot of things,” Solomon said with a shrug. “You can either do all the things they want from you, still not measure up to their expectations, and have them leave you for better prospects, or you can be who you want to be and take the women who will accept you.”

“That work out for you?” I asked, looking around.

Solomon smiled. “I enjoy it more than the first.”

“You were married?” I asked.

“I’m like you,” Solomon said. “I was a provincial. Married when I was seventeen, always loyal to my wife and did everything I could to make her happy but it wasn’t enough.”

I hesitated before asking. “What happened?”

“She left me to be the mistress of a royal brat,” Solomon said. “Apparently all of my affection and loyalty wasn’t worth as much as the scraps he gave her. Remember this Cain, women are loyal to their feelings first before their men.”

“Aranea isn’t like that,” I said, shaking my head. “And even if you're right, I don’t want to live in a world where that’s how people operate.”

“As long as you're happy you can live in whatever reality you want,” Solomon said with a shrug. “Take a quick minute to get a drink and catch your breath then I want you to push yourself even farther.”

Ten minutes later the blood was pounding in my ears as Solomon whirled around me. Even with one wooden leg I could barely keep track of him. As far as I could tell he wasn’t using any skills, but he was like a leaf in a hurricane. In one spot, then another. I kept my focus up and tried to use Fog Form non-verbally. Even if I wasn’t supposed to be using any skills, I figured if I could get it to work it would be worth the tongue lashing I’d get.

Solomon’s foot came out and tripped me, and I went sprawling. I rolled, jumping to my feet but the peg of his wooden stump hit me in the chest, knocking me back to the sand again.

“You’re getting better,” Solomon said with a nod. “But you’re not feeling it. Where is your rage, your passion? All I see is a glimmer of fear now and then, but you push even that down.”

“Emotions cloud your judgment,” I said, pushing his wooden leg off my chest. “Anger makes you do things you regret, passion makes you behave recklessly, fear makes you freeze.”

“Are you a hermit living in the Mist, or a Warden?” Solomon asked, pulling me to my feet. “Life is short, experience it. Feel those emotions run through you. I’m not saying to let them rule you. A man who is not the master of his emotions is no man at all; I’m saying let them empower you.”

“Yes sir,” I said.

“We’re done for the day,” Solomon said. “Go home before your wife starts wondering about you.”

I headed through the streets. The sun had yet to set, but our proximity to the Mistwall Mountains made everything get darker a lot faster here. I walked through the academy gates and up to our apartment. Aranea wasn’t back so I stripped out of my armor, washed, and began to practice on strengthening the bond with my Relic.

Aranea

I stepped into our apartment and found Cain sitting in meditation, sliding his dagger across the kitchen table over and over and calling it back into his hand.

“Did your training go well?” I asked him.

“I think so,” he said, opening his eyes and sheathing his Relic on his arm. “It was a serious workout at least, I had to heal myself several times. How was your day?”

“Good,” I said. “You didn’t go on another quest yet, right? I haven’t had time to purify my core yet from last night.”

Cain smiled at that, and it still made me blush the way he smirked. “No, I wanted to get more dueling practice in so I can hopefully get out of this mandatory training.”

“You should stick with it,” I encouraged him. “Don’t let others look down on you for your element or weapon.”

“I don’t like dueling,” Cain said. “It's so pointless and pretentious.”

“Your father…”I said.

“My father was in the wrong place at the right time,” Cain said, interrupting me. “I’ve heard that story a thousand times growing up. I was conceived just a few days prior to that battle, I know all about how my father dueled the crown prince of Carsway. But since then my father has only been in three duels; that’s a total of four duels in eighteen years. But everyone brings it up and trains like they’re going to duel every single day!”

I bit my lip surprised at Cain’s outburst and the note of anger behind it.

Cain’s shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have responded like that to you.”

“It’s fine,” I assured him. I walked over and ran my fingers along his neck, I bent down kissing his neck and along his chest. “You’re just stressed after training.”

“Yeah,” Cain agreed.

“Just tell me you’ll think about it,” I urged him. “I know duels are rare, but they still happen, and so much of your advancement here is tied up in how good you are at them. I’m not asking for you to beat the prince in the dueling ring, but to just push yourself.”

“Aranea I…” Cain said.

“Please?” I pressured him. “I just want to be proud of you.”

“Fine,” Cain said with a tired nod.