ã€ŠWorld Domination Societyã€‹


 Chapter 1

    CHAPTER ONE

    The fishbones hanging around the bears¡¯ thick, black neck clattered against one another as it walked down the wooded path. The sound carried with the passing breeze, a hollow, pretty noise that would¡¯ve sounded prettier without the constant grunting and groaning of the creature. Little specks of blood dribbled down its snout, leaving a breadcrumb trail of gore behind.

    Ukon squatted in the bushes ahead, patiently listening as the bear trudged in his direction. With one white-gloved hand gripping at the knotted root of a nearby tree and the other tightly balled into a fist against his knee, he could feel his anxiety eating at him. It¡¯s big, he thought dumbly, sweat beading under the blue rim of his uniform cap. The report never said it was big.

    The plan was not a complicated one. Ukon had drafted it himself days before, standing in the dimly lit barracks of Fable¡¯s Southern Cadet Institute. He had traced the bear¡¯s likeliest path through the western zone of the map, calculated possible stop-offs along the route, and painstakingly picked the best choke-point in the woods to subdue the creature.

    But in the thirty-six page report he had been assigned, the hearty manila folder he had memorized front to back well over a week ago now, there was only one mention of the bear¡¯s size-- ¡°Mid-size breed, ursine.¡± That was it. It prattled on and on about the importance of the operation, how to dispose of the body and who to speak with when the mission was over, but it spent very few words on what the wretched thing actually looked like.

    Not that he really needed that information now, though. The hulking mass of black fur was a few feet away, grunting down the trail. Ukon reached down and picked up his staff. The smooth white end extended from the navy blue hilt with a soft swish, and as he concentrated on the hilt, he could feel it start to bloom with the familiar warmth of his magic. Just like we practiced, he thought, taking in a deep breath. I¡¯ll isolate it, and the others will do the rest.

    A sudden snap echoed across from him, and Ukon jolted to attention. His olive eyes flicked up into the treeline, scanning for the source. There, in the cradle of thick branches hanging across and above him, he could just barely make out someone crouching precariously in the center. He squinted hard, fighting with the sunlight to make out the person¡¯s matching white and blue uniform. The figure was small and stout, a shock of short chestnut hair framing his panicked face. It¡¯s Kendric, Ukon thought flatly, letting a sigh of disappointment escape his nose as the branch creaked under his fellow soldier¡¯s weight. He couldn¡¯t make out the rest of their team in the vicinity. Isa and Clark were most likely still in position behind, probably watching Kendric¡¯s struggle with the same exasperation he was.

    In an instant, Kendric fell flat on his rear. The thwunk of the impact was painfully loud, and even the bear seemed to show pity as Kendric yelped in pain. The clumsy soldier looked up, making sheepish eye contact with the creature. The bear snarled.

    Kendric nervously uttered, ¡°Uh, Ukon? I think I could use a hand here...¡±

    The bear lunged forward, its paws shaking the ground as it pounced. On instinct, Ukon shot up from his position, pointing the end of his staff out towards the slowly shrinking space between Kendric and the bear. An orange light burst out from the tip, tracing a line of fire through the air. The bear¡¯s entire body was thrown off its course as the fireball made direct contact with the side of its face.

    Kendric scuttled back on his legs, quickly hopping up and leaping into the brush behind Ukon. As the bear frantically rolled around in the dirt to put out the flames, Ukon glared at Kendric.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kendric said, reaching into his pockets to pull out a pair of white brass knuckles. He fiddled with them, stray sparks of yellow bursting as he slid his fingers through the handles.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you have those on sooner?¡± Ukon hissed through gritted teeth.

    ¡°They were making my hands sore!¡± Kendric whined.

    Before Ukon could set his staff down to strangle Kendric properly, the bear shook itself off and turned to face its attackers. It slammed against the ground with its paws, once, twice, then three times, all while locking eyes with Ukon. Then, water began to trickle out from between its claws. It pooled out of its mouth, leaking from its eye sockets and dripping to the ground, forming a massive, rippling puddle.

    Ukon readied his staff once more, Kendric raising his right fist in unison. Then, a crackling shot of bright light burst through the air, striking the bear from the left. The shot passed through the left side of the skull, exiting the right with a spray of viscera, and the bear fell.

    ¡°Really great job guys,¡± Isa said, clapping as she approached. Her silver rifle was already strapped to her back again, the barrel smoking lightly and trailing in the air behind her. She flipped her green-dyed box braids over her shoulder, placing both hands on her hips as she stared the two baffled privates down. ¡°Honestly, I couldn¡¯t have done it better on my own. Oh, wait! I did do it on my own.¡±

    ¡°Isa--¡± Kendric cooed, arms outstretched with a grin. Isa stepped forward, reaching up to flick his forehead hard. ¡°Ow!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot. A mistake like that could have cost us this entire operation! Any sergeant watching that would¡¯ve thought you were trying to sabotage us on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should send you in for treason, Kendric,¡± Clark chirped, stepping into the clearing. He moved towards the bear, squatting next to the corpse as he said over his shoulder, ¡°Might get you to take things a little more seriously if you¡¯re on death row for it.¡±

    ¡°Look, clearly it turned out fine, guys. I feel like we can just call this a win without playing pin-the-tail-on-Kendric, okay?¡± Kendric huffed.

    While Isa continued to chew out Kendric, Ukon noticed the sudden tension in Clark¡¯s shoulders as he examined the bear¡¯s body. Ukon wandered over, still holding the hilt of his staff tightly. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Clark reached for the fishbone necklace still hanging from the bear¡¯s neck. The braid of twine snapped free with ease as he pried it off. The bones were thin, almost translucent against his palm, with the sunlight catching on them as he turned them over. He frowned up at Ukon. ¡°There¡¯s only one skull here. The rest are all ribs.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ukon knelt down, reaching for the necklace himself. Sure enough, only a single skull sat in the middle, clacking against the ribs strung beside it.

    ¡°Captain,¡± Clark said, his voice low. ¡°The bear we were chasing--¡±

    ¡°--Was reported with four, I know,¡± Ukon finished. ¡°Maybe it lost the other three.¡±

    Clark shook his head. ¡°Bosque is super stingy about bone count, it¡¯s a huge deal in their culture. There¡¯s no way it¡¯d travel this far without them. Not to mention¡­¡±

    Clark reached a steady hand under the massive, black-furred thigh of the beast. As he pulled it up, he revealed a long, crooked slit running from the bottom of the bear¡¯s jaw all the way down the middle of its stomach. Patches of new skin and fur were growing over the wound, but there were still leaves and sticks jutting out from inside the bear.

    Ukon narrowed his eyes on a small bulge protruding from the wound, just under the newly healed flesh. He poked it.

    ¡°What¡­ Is this?¡± Ukon murmured, grimacing as the hard mass moved with his touch. ¡°Looks like a rock.¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± Clark pulled a hunting knife from his belt. He carved into the bear, pushing his hand inside to pull out the object. With a disgusted look, he offered the bloody lump to Ukon.

    Ukon stared in disbelief. ¡°...A potato?¡±

    ¡°A potato,¡± Clark repeated, dropping it on the ground and wiping his hand off on his pants. ¡°Looks like it got caught in some weird Blem ritual.¡±

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    Ukon shuddered at the thought. Blems were the vagrants who lived in the outskirts of Fable, people who had renounced their dedication to the country and wandered between territories. Growing up he had heard all sorts of horror stories about them, how they had silver skin, and they danced in the blood of the elk and the wolves at midnight, luring men and bears to slaughter for their dark magic. He shook the haunting thought away, returning to the scene at hand.

    Something was wrong here, Blems or not. If this wasn¡¯t the bear they were looking for, where was it? And who had attacked this bear first? Thousands of questions raced through Ukon¡¯s mind, his stomach churning with dread. As he turned to call Kendric and Isa over, a rhythmic thudding echoed out from the northern end of the path. The forest seemed to fall silent around it.

    The two approaching figures were lanky and thin. Both wore tweed rags that hung loose on their figures. The taller one was a young man, no older than Ukon, with a sharp nose and a pale face. His hair was an odd pink color, framing his face and hanging down his back in scraggy, dirty locks. The shorter was a girl, with matching hair and bright pink eyes. Her rags, arm and face covered in what Ukon could only guess was blood.

    The two stepped into the clearing, stopping as they finally saw the other four. The girl tilted her head, wild eyes moving from one private to another, before settling on the bear. She let out a loud, irritated groan.

    ¡°Aww, you guys caught it! That¡¯s no fair, we saw it first!¡±

    Her partner was silent, but his gaze settled on Ukon¡¯s staff in a way that sent chills up his spine. Kendric stepped forward with a snort.

    ¡°These woods aren¡¯t for hunting, little lady,¡± then, crossing his arms. ¡°They¡¯re not really for beggars either.¡±

    ¡°What my friend means to say is these grounds are under Fable¡¯s private jurisdiction,¡± Isa added, elbowing Kendric hard in the gut as she passed him. ¡°Civilians aren¡¯t meant to be out this far into the woods.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d be happy to escort you back to town, though,¡± Clark offered.

    The girl cackled, revealing a pair of long, yellowed fangs. She nudged her companion and pointed to Ukon. ¡°Look at that one¡¯s face, Norok-- It¡¯s all wrinkled.¡±

    Norok nodded, giving a sly smirk. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s probably the smart one. Doesn¡¯t say much, though, they all look pretty stupid.¡±

    ¡°Like dinner, you mean,¡± the girl said, licking her lips. Then, with her eyes darting from each of the four, she finished with a low, hungry voice, ¡°They all look like dinner.¡±

    In an instant, the girl surged forward, her hands outstretched for Kendric. Kendric stepped back, his leg faltering for a moment as she leapt into the air, her knees colliding with his chest. He cried out as she dug her nails into the sides of his face. Her mouth opened wider and wider, the yellowed-fangs protruding from her mouth jutting out now as she drove them deep into his right cheek. Kendric screamed.

    Isa sprinted at the girl and tackled her to the ground. The girl gurgled, choking on a half-chewed hunk of Kendric¡¯s face. Clark ran to Kendric, his healing magic ready at his fingertips.

    The girl rolled her head to the left and spat out the chunk, sticking her tongue out with disgust. ¡°Pweh! Salty!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be picky, Daimona,¡± Norok chided, clicking his tongue as he began to lurk forward. He grinned at Kendric¡¯s flailing body in Clark¡¯s arms. ¡°Beggars can¡¯t be choosers.¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± Ukon shouted, raising his staff. The end began to spark violently, a circle of fire forming at Norok¡¯s feet and trapping him where he stood. Norok raised his hand, and with his index finger and his middle finger, he swiftly pointed up at the sky.

    ¡°Up,¡± he said with a sigh, and with immense force, Ukon¡¯s staff immediately flew into the air above the treeline. As Norok dropped his hand, watching the fire circle dissipate, a loud snap rang out in the woods, and Ukon¡¯s staff came crashing back down in two pieces, taking with it several branches and twigs.

    Taking Isa¡¯s shock and confusion as the opportunity it was, Daimona reached up, wrapping her hands around Isa¡¯s throat. She rolled up and forward, until she was hunched over Isa¡¯s body and strangling the life out of the young cadet. Isa clawed desperately at Daimona¡¯s chest, attempting to push her off, but Daimona slunk forward, pressing her full weight down and nudging her forehead against Isa¡¯s.

    ¡°It was you, right?¡± Daimona cooed, her tone mocking and bitter. ¡°You shot my bear, I can smell it off you. You stink of death.¡±

    Isa choked for air as Daimona pulled Isa¡¯s head up and slammed it violently into the ground again. Blood leaked from the corners of Isa¡¯s mouth, her green eyes rolling back into her head.

    ¡°Go on then. Shoot me. Shoot me like the bear.¡± Daimona¡¯s fingers tightened around Isa¡¯s throat. ¡°Grab your gun and shoot me.¡±

    The ground rumbled, and rising from the ground was a stone-carved dog. The long snout jutted forward suddenly, and rammed into the side of Daimona¡¯s face, knocking her off Isa and sending her tumbling into the bear corpse.

    Kendric huffed, pulling his fist back. His face was still worse for wear, with blood trailing down his neck, but Clark¡¯s magic was visibly repairing the wound at a rapid pace. Another pair of stone dogs emerged from the ground, dragging Isa by each shoulder and pulling her to Clark. Kendric stood protectively in front, glaring down Norok.

    But Norok didn¡¯t return the look. Instead, he rushed to Daimona, pulling her to her feet. Daimona patted his shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± she said with a soft laugh, stretching her arms high above her before repeating, ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to start acting like a real captain, or what?!¡± Kendric shouted at Ukon. Previously paralyzed by the loss of his staff, Ukon felt a jolt of inspiration surge through him with Kendric¡¯s words. He was up against two vicious assailants, with no thirty-six page report to tell him what to expect. But I didn¡¯t enlist to fight the expected, Ukon thought, heat blossoming in the center of his palms. I did it for my people. For my home. For Fable.

    Ukon clapped his hands together. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the air. All around him, it grew thick and heavy, snaking into his lungs and sitting in his chest. He breathed through the pain, slow and steady, until he could feel the searing heat of his efforts materializing.

    As he opened his eyes, Ukon could see the hot white rod of fire tearing its way through the sky above Daimona and Norok. It blazed and crackled loudly, before finally dropping an impenetrable wall of flames and encasing his opponents in the fire. On the other side, he could hear the two shuffling and coughing, their hands reaching through the wall only to be pulled back with hisses of pain and frustration.

    ¡°Hell¡¯s Curtain will buy us some time,¡± Ukon said, snapping his attention to Kendric. He kept his hands clasped tightly together, holding the spell in place. ¡°You and Isa rush in and put them down before they can recover.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t we get like¡­¡± Kendric gestured helpless to the blazing wall. ¡°Burned?¡±

    Isa dusted herself off, giving Clark a grateful pat on the back as she stood up. She rubbed at her throat, her voice coming out hoarse. ¡°Ukon won¡¯t let that happen. Right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Ukon replied. ¡°But you have to hurry, I can¡¯t hold it for long without my staff.¡±

    With that, Kendric and Isa looked to one another, gave a resolute nod, and charged the curtain. Isa kept her gun aimed at the ground, her back the last thing Ukon saw as they disappeared into the flames.

    He couldn¡¯t hear much over the sound of the curtain. There was the sound of feet moving, a few stray grunts, and then nothing.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re okay?¡± Clark asked quietly, shuffling closer to Ukon.

    ¡°We trained for this,¡± Ukon said, then offering a sheepish smile. ¡°Just be ready to heal them up, okay? That¡¯s all I need from you.¡±

    After another tense bout of quiet, Kendric¡¯s voice piped up over the fire. ¡°It¡¯s over! Drop the wall!¡±

    Relief washed over Ukon. He slowly pulled his hands apart, causing Hell¡¯s Curtain to dissipate. The flames billowed, falling to the ground like fabric.

    But in the scorched clearing, a horrific sight awaited him. Ukon could see Isa¡¯s body on the ground, her face down in the dirt. Her back was slashed to ribbons. Her right arm looked broken, the bone jutting out of her forearm, but her gun was lying just a few inches away from her hand outside the circle. She was reaching for it, Ukon realized, with a helpless sense of dread.

    Standing in the center was Daimona, with Kendric in her arms. Her hands were hooked around his waist in a way that almost made it look like they were dancing, only her mouth was lodged firmly to his throat. With a sicking crunch, she pulled away, taking his trachea with her. Kendric¡¯s head hung limply for a moment, until she dropped his body completely. Her eyes flicked up to meet Ukon¡¯s.

    She opened her mouth to speak, but it wasn¡¯t her voice that came out. Instead, Ukon heard Kendric¡¯s laugh spill out of her, as she said, ¡°Sorry about that, chief.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear them earlier? It¡¯s captain, Daimona,¡± Ukon heard from behind.

    He whirled around to Clark, just in time to see Norok step forth from the shadows. Clark¡¯s eyes widened as Norok¡¯s hands overtook his face, brutally snapping his neck. Clark fell first to his knees, then doubled over right before Ukon¡¯s feet.

    Nausea and fear overwhelmed Ukon¡¯s senses. He stumbled back. Norok closed the distance between them, grabbing Ukon¡¯s right arm roughly.

    With one hand on Ukon¡¯s shoulder and the other gripping his elbow, Norok grunted, ¡°Down.¡±

    For a moment, there was nothing. The breeze blew through the space between them. Then Ukon¡¯s arm began to tremble, straining under an impossibly heavy invisible weight. The bone snapped, blood spurting out as what was left of his arm twisted and tore, slamming into the ground beneath him.

    The pain was blinding. Ukon screamed, but he couldn¡¯t hear it over the terrible ringing of his ears. He fell, twitching and howling, nothing more than a wounded animal now.

    Daimona grinned, skipping over to him. As her foot came crashing down into Ukon¡¯s skull, everything went black.

 Chapter 2

    CHAPTER TWO

    There was nothing Norok hated more than hunting with his sister. He loved her-- obviously he loved her-- but watching the way she played with her food made his blood pressure rise like nothing else.

    ¡°Daimona,¡± he said sternly. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±

    She remained hunched over the girl¡¯s corpse, her fingernails digging into the skin as she twisted the arm backwards. She paused to pout at Norok.

    ¡°But I¡¯m starving,¡± she whined.

    ¡°So am I,¡± Norok argued.

    Daimona rolled her eyes. She pulled the arm off with a sickening snap, then threw it to the side. It thumped against the remains of the rock-summoning boy, who Daimona had already reduced to a pile. Norok glared at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re making a mess,¡± he sighed.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be easier to roast this way!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not roasting shit,¡± Norok said, kicking aside the lifeless body of the staff-boy. ¡°We are packing up and leaving, before anyone else gets in our way.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Daimona groaned. ¡°But you said we could stop for the night!¡±

    ¡°That was before, when we were cooking the bear,¡± Norok huffed.

    ¡°But it ran away!¡±

    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡±

    Daimona stood up, crossing her arms indignantly. Even with her emaciated cheeks and the heavy, dark eyebags, Norok could see her usual stubborn resolve, the way she clenched her jaw whenever she put her foot down. But he could also see the way she swayed slightly on her feet, the hunger eating at her senses from the inside out.

    ¡°Be honest,¡± he chided quietly. ¡°How bad is it?¡±

    ¡°Not that bad,¡± she replied. ¡°But I can¡¯t run on empty.¡±

    Norok felt uneasy hearing that. Daimona¡¯s appetite had been increasingly difficult to manage over the last several weeks. At the beginning of their journey, she had made do with birds and rabbits, swallowing them whole and spitting out bones, beaks and feathers as they trudged through the woods. But now, a bear couldn¡¯t tide her over for more than a few hours. How much longer before her hunger grew out of their control? Days? Norok couldn¡¯t be sure.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he sighed. ¡°But we¡¯re not staying the night.¡±

    Daimona grinned, baring her fangs. She pumped her fist high, jumping on to the back of the girl-corpse as she exclaimed, ¡°Woohoo!¡±

    They spent the rest of the evening clearing out the area. They pushed the other two corpses together, rolling them to the far side of the space. Norok made them face one another, twisting back the broken neck of the healer boy. He smiled at his handiwork, amused by the wide-eyed look of fear still frozen on the staff-boy¡¯s face, but then he paused. Can healers heal themselves after death? Norok wondered. Come to think of it, he wasn¡¯t sure how healing magic really worked in the first place. He knelt, touching the boy¡¯s face again.

    ¡°Down,¡± he said quietly. The boy¡¯s face sunk into itself, melting into the ground and flattening out like a puddle. Daimona shook her head as she walked past him, carrying with her a pile of wood and leaves for the fire.

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    ¡°And you told me no,¡± she chided. Norok ignored her. At least now, if the healer boy could fix his neck, he¡¯d have to fix his face first. That¡¯d give Norok enough time to deal with him more permanently then.

    While Norok built the fire, he occasionally glanced up to watch Daimona sever the girl¡¯s body into smaller pieces. She hummed softly as she skewered the chunks on sharpened branches. It was an old song, one she made up when they were ten years younger, less siblings and more roommates. Back then, the four concrete walls of their containment cell was all either of them knew. Daimona would sit for hours, leaning against the glass door and singing at the top of her lungs, until someone in a labcoat would come in and muzzle her for the night. They were convinced she was trying to use her sound magic to set them free. ¡°Little Siren,¡± they called her.

    One night, as Daimona was rubbing at her face, still teary-eyed from the sting of the muzzle¡¯s unrelenting straps, Norok asked her why she didn¡¯t actually use her magic like that. ¡°It¡¯d be easy,¡± Norok whispered. ¡°You could make them walk us out the door themselves.¡±

    ¡°You could smush them all like bugs, Norok,¡± she replied, shooting him a bitter look. ¡°Why don¡¯t you?¡±

    But even as a child, Norok couldn¡¯t admit to being afraid. So he didn¡¯t, and they didn¡¯t talk about running away again, not even when they were vaulting over concaved corpses, fighting tooth and nail under the blaring red lights of the facility for a chance at freedom. It was as if admitting to what they were doing made it impossible to do, Norok thought. So long as they did it, and didn¡¯t look back, everything would work out, and the things that they¡¯d lost along the way would be rewarded.

    ¡°That one¡¯s Birdchirp, right?¡±

    Norok straightened up over the blaze, Daimona¡¯s voice taking him by surprise. She settled down beside him. In her arms was a bundle of filled skewers, wrapped up in one of the white-blue torn jackets the group had proudly worn before. It hit the ground between them with a sturdy thwump.

    ¡°The song,¡± Daimona said. She pulled two skewers from the pile, holding one out to him.

    Norok took it, adjusting the single finger hanging precariously at the top of his. ¡°No, that one was Featherflap.¡±

    Daimona laughed, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you remember them all, they all sound the exact same to me!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in the high notes,¡± Norok replied with a smile. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what the composer told me.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Daimona turned the skewer over in her hand. ¡°Well, if you ever see him again, tell him to come up with better titles.¡±

    Norok chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll let him know,¡± he said softly.

    The sky moved from a golden orange to a murky magenta-blue, and soon the night hung above them. The stars twinkled over the forest, the fire¡¯s embers crackling up to meet them. Norok looked to Daimona. Her head was resting against his shoulder, snoring loudly with a skewer still hanging from her mouth. He reached over, gently tossing it to the side and interrupting her exhale. She looked up at him with bleary eyes.

    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, pushing her off him. ¡°Time to go.¡±

    ¡°Aw, lay off, Norok, it wouldn¡¯t kill us to--¡± Daimona stopped. She suddenly scrambled to her feet. She sprinted to where they had left the last two bodies, her eyes locked on the woods just ahead of them.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Norok asked, cautiously taking a few steps behind her.

    ¡°I heard something,¡± Daimona said. She held her arm out for him to stop moving. For a moment, there was nothing but the sounds of the fire crackling behind them. The night carried on as they stood frozen in place. Then, Norok heard a distinct tapping noise. It was too faint to place what it was, but it was undeniably close.

    Tap-tap, tap. Tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap. Tap, tap-tap.

    Then, it stopped. Norok scanned the treeline, looking for any signs of life, but nothing appeared. Daimona turned to Norok with a shrug.

    ¡°Maybe it was nothing,¡± she said with a sigh.

    Before Norok could reply, a green bolt of light whizzed through the treeline, piercing Daimona in the neck. Her eyes immediately rolled back into her skull. Norok rushed to catch her as she fell, feeling her body violently shake in his arms. Her saliva foamed, bubbling up out of her mouth.

    Norok turned to catch their attacker, his magic sitting on the tip of his tongue, but another shot rang out from the opposite side of the clearing, jabbing him just between the shoulderblades.

    He fell over, twitching and spasming on the forest floor, as a pair of dark boots approached.

    ¡°Operatives recovered,¡± a low voice said from above. ¡°Let¡¯s get ¡®em home.¡±

 Chapter 3

    <h5>CHAPTER THREE</h5>

    The room was warm. It was the first thing Daimona noticed as she came to. Her whole life she had lived in and out of containment cells, thrown into one frigid room after another, and when she did escape, it was only to trade in her cot for piles of leaves and twigs under the night sky. The atmosphere here-- wherever here was-- was different.

    The walls around her were painted a soft mint-green. There was a fully stocked medicine cabinet on one side, with a sink stationed to the right. A curtain separated Daimona¡¯s bed from the only other one in the room, revealing itself to be empty as she tore the curtain aside. The white sheets were thrown off the side haphazardly, and there were small droplets of blood staining the pillow.

    Daimona yawned, swinging her legs over the side. She stood up, arms stretched high as she made her way to the cabinet. She yanked open the drawers one by one, emptying their contents onto the floor in a pile. Bandages, rubber gloves, needles and thread spools all came crashing down. Once they were all empty, she threw them over her shoulder, listening intently for the crash each one made against the floor.

    Daimona turned her attention to the sink. It was a shame, really. It looked like such a nice sink. The faucet was a bright, untarnished silver, with white handles that turned easily. Daimona wrapped her fingers around the right handle and pried it upwards. The metal groaned, fighting against her for only a moment before it gave. She tossed the handle with the pile of cabinets, then broke the left one off to join it.

    As she twisted the faucet off, admiring the sharp end she had created with it, Daimona recognized that this was probably not what Norok would have done. Norok would have investigated the room, searched for clues regarding their whereabouts or their captor¡¯s identity. Norok would have looked for her.

    But, Daimona thought as she gave the sink basin one solid kick, bringing it crashing down to the floor triumphantly, Norok never has any fun.

    ¡°St--stand down!¡± A shaky voice called out from behind. Daimona pivoted on her heel, spinning around to face her visitor. A nervous, twenty-something year-old man stood in the open doorway. His silver and blue uniform elicited a good giggle out of Daimona.

    ¡°You must be related to rock boy,¡± Daimona said, then eyed the staff he had pointed towards her. ¡°Or maybe fire boy? Which one is it, then?¡±

    ¡°By the-- By order of the Sword, I command you to-- To--¡±

    ¡°To what?¡± Daimona tilted her head, holding out the broken faucet. ¡°If you didn¡¯t want me to break your junk,, you shouldn¡¯t have left me here in the first place. That was your mistake.¡±

    The man¡¯s staff glowed, green light sparking from the tip. But the flow was erratic, buzzing with a chaotic hum. He hissed in pain, shifting his grip around the staff. ¡°I¡¯ll-- I¡¯m not afraid to shoot! So just¡­ Just don¡¯t move!¡±

    Daimona rolled her eyes. ¡°Tell me where my brother is.¡±

    His mouth was a firm line, sweat beading down from the line of his cap. ¡°He¡¯s safe.¡±

    ¡°Tell me where,¡± Daimona repeated, this time feeling her magic bubble in her throat with the words.

    His eyes clouded over, his mouth falling open. ¡°He¡¯s with Sergeant Cowell, in Interrogation Room B.¡±

    ¡°Which is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Down the hall, three doors down,¡± he chirped, then with a throaty noise he choked out, ¡°It¡¯ll be on your left.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Daimona replied, clapping her hand on his shoulder as she passed him. She pushed the sharpened faucet into his hands. ¡°Choke on this for me, would you? Thanks.¡±

    Daimona skipped down the hall, the sounds of the man¡¯s excruciating gurgles echoing out behind her. She waved to the cameras protruding from the ceiling. It was an impressive feat, taking her and Norok down in the woods. Daimona had to give them credit for that. But then, on top of leaving them alive, their captors had separated them, pulling Daimona away from the closest thing she had to a conscience. In short, they had made two mistakes that they were now going to pay dearly for. Daimona was going to make sure of it.

    The door to Interrogation Room B, as the plaque read, was unlocked. As Daimona pushed into the room, a wave of relief washed over her. There was Norok, sitting on one side of the dark wooden table. His eyes widened as he saw her.

    The other figure in the room was a tall man, with broad shoulders and rich brown skin. His uniform was almost the same as all the others, only with a delicately embroidered sword on his shoulder. His gray-white hair was neatly cut, every part of him clean and stern. He looked at Daimona through a pair of dark sunglasses, his gaze unreadable. This must have been the Sergeant Cowell the weakling from before had mentioned, Daimona guessed.

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°Perfect timing. We were just talking about you.¡±

    Something was off about the scene. If this man was a problem, Norok would have taken care of him himself, and the man would be a pile of flesh smashed against the floor. Daimona studied Norok¡¯s face. Her brother stared back at her, a tinge of unease written in his eyes.

    ¡°Mona,¡± Norok called out. His voice was low, barely a breath. ¡°Come sit.¡±

    Slowly, Daimona took the seat next to him, folding her hands on the table.

    ¡°We were just discussing the terms of your enlisting,¡± Cowell said lightly. ¡°There¡¯s a couple papers to sign, measurements to be taken, all standard regulations.¡±

    Daimona turned her nose up at the papers the man pushed in front of her. She refused to reach for the pen he offered, instead focusing her attention on Norok¡¯s scrawled signature.

    ¡°Why?¡± She asked, snapping her head to face Norok. He avoided her gaze, swallowing dryly. Daimona urged, ¡°This wasn¡¯t the plan.¡±

    ¡°Respectfully, miss, this is the best you¡¯re going to get. Fable doesn¡¯t take well to those who mutilate her own, especially outsiders like yourselves. If you decline, I¡¯m afraid the life that awaits you will be a rather short and unpleasant one.¡±

    Daimona sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t make threats you can¡¯t hold to, old man.¡±

    Norok elbowed her, clearing his throat. Daimona elbowed him back.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find you¡¯re in stronger company here,¡± Cowell replied, adjusting his glasses. Daimona rolled her eyes, but the tension oozing from Norok¡¯s body unnerved her. He was scared, Daimona realized, but of what? What had this sergeant done to make her brother of all people fall in line?

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    ¡°Tell her what you told me,¡± Norok said. ¡°About the benefits of enlisting.¡±

    ¡°Our new recruits can look forward to free room and board,¡± Cowell replied, straightening out his shoulders, ¡°free travel between Fable borders, free food¡­¡±

    Almost on cue, Daimona¡¯s stomach gave out a hollow gurgle. She frowned, eyes shifting back from Cowell to Norok again. ¡°I still don¡¯t like it.¡±

    Norok sighed, then held out his fist. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Play me for it. If I win, you sign the damn paper. If you win, we make a break for it.¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡± Daimona held her fist out in return. ¡°On shoot?¡±

    ¡°On shoot.¡±

    ¡°Rock, paper--¡±

    Just as Daimona formed paper, Norok played scissors, and the game was done.

    ¡­

    Cowell strode through the pristine white halls of the base as Daimona and Norok lagged behind. The pair had undergone an intensive afternoon of grooming. The burlap scrap-rags they had fashioned were a thing of the past. Now, they wore matching white and blue uniforms, with freshly pressed collars and cuffs. Their hair had been combed, cleaned and clipped, much to Daimona¡¯s excitement. Every few seconds she would shake her head and feel the short pink locks move with her.

    Norok was less excited by the change. He refused to button his uniform, going so far as to threaten to feed the silver buttons to Daimona when the tailor tried to argue against it. As they passed by windows looking into the facility¡¯s offices and communal rooms, Norok scanned the faces of each individual, looking for any signs of hostility in anyone just passing by. But no one seemed to pay the duo much mind.

    ¡°So where¡¯re we headed, Sarge?¡± Daimona asked, bounding up to match the sergeant¡¯s pace. Cowell grunted, flicking his chin up as the hallway gave way to a grand marble clearing. The room was a perfect circle, with four stark pillars positioned symmetrically on all sides. Rings of silver and blue were braided in the floor tiles. Daimona raised her head, gasping at the incredible domed roof.

    Though other people were passing through the aperture, there was one figure who stood in the center of the room, surveying Daimona and Norok with a look of irritation. The man looked no older than twenty, with a short build and a pale, baby-faced complexion that made it look as though he had rarely seen the sun. His straw blond hair was cropped stylishly close to his head, and a pair of silver, rectangular glasses sat firmly on his nose. He narrowed his cold gray eyes as Cowell gestured for Daimona and Norok to stand in front.

    ¡°Private Will Saint, I¡¯d like you to meet your squadron¡¯s latest recruits--¡±

    Daimona suddenly let out a loud cackle, pointing to Will¡¯s face and holding her stomach. She nudged Norok with her shoulder, leaning into him as she said, ¡°Look at the specs on this dweeb, Norok he-- He looks like a--¡± She doubled over, holding her stomach as she gasped for air between hysterical giggles. Norok patted her back with a gleeful smirk of his own.

    Will struggled to compose himself, his face flushing bright red. He gritted his teeth, straightened out his shoulders and turned his attention to Cowell. ¡°Where are the others, sir? I was told I¡¯d have four.¡±

    Cowell shook his head. ¡°Just these two will be joining you, Private. The original group we were sending you have been repurposed elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°Repurposed as fertilizer, yeah,¡± Norok said under his breath, earning another amused outburst from Daimona. Will glared at the two.

    ¡°It is terribly disheartening to see how little respect the academy instills in recruits these days,¡± he said, crossing his arms. ¡°Seems like we¡¯re just taking in anyone these days.¡±

    ¡°No kidding,¡± Norok replied, sizing up Will with an unimpressed glance.

    ¡°You¡¯d think they¡¯d care if their soldiers can see good or not,¡± Daimona added.

    ¡°My eyesight is perfectly fine,¡± Will countered, then speaking more to Cowell than the pair of pink tyrants, ¡°and I¡¯ve proven myself as a soldier worthy of my rank and worthy of leading a strong squadron. I don¡¯t understand why time and time again you¡¯ve put me with-- with incompetence!¡±

    Cowell¡¯s face was a stone wall in response. Daimona cocked her head at Will, frowning hard.

    ¡°Okay big guy,¡± she said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do when you¡¯re inna fight and you get hit in the face? How good¡¯s your eyesight gonna be when your glasses are knocked off?¡±

    Will scoffed. ¡°No enemy of mine has ever or will ever get that close.¡±

    Just as the words left his mouth, Daimona¡¯s tightly curled fist came crashing into Will¡¯s nose, sending him flying into the pillar behind him. The impact of his body against the stone echoed throughout the room, startling several passerbys. Cowell opened his mouth to say something, then closed it as Will groaned with pain, his left hand covering his face. Small drops of blood dripped from the gaps between his fingers as he staggered to his feet.

    ¡°You--!!¡± Will started, but his rage quickly gave way to confusion as he pulled his hand away from his face, his glasses missing. He whirled around, his bleary eyes scanning the floor by the pillar, but there was nothing.

    ¡°You kinda had it coming, dude,¡± Norok said, kicking out Will¡¯s knee with his heel and causing the private to drop to the floor again. Once he got to the pillar, Norok turned around and stuck both of his hands out palm up. Then, staring directly at Will, Norok flipped his right hand over and pointed to the ground. ¡°Down.¡±

    Will¡¯s glasses, which had been suspended high in the air, dropped down into Norok¡¯s left hand. Will¡¯s eyes widened with bewilderment and rage, watching as Norok placed the silver spectacles on his own face. Norok hummed with satisfaction.

    ¡°Actually, these are kinda nice¡­ What do you think, Mona? Keepers?¡±

    Daimona shot him a disgusted look as he pushed the bridge further up on his nose. ¡°Makes you look punchable.¡±

    ¡°More or less than the military dog over there?¡±

    ¡°More,¡± Daimona said with a grimace. ¡°Definitely, definitely more.¡±

    Will stood up again, dusting himself off with shaky hands. He turned to Cowell. ¡°Permission to discipline my recruits as I see fit, sir?¡±

    Cowell gave a half nod, then to Daimona and Norok, said, ¡°Consider this your first lesson in hierarchy, you two.¡±

    Before either of them could reply, a circle of blue-white light appeared just to the right of Will¡¯s body. He reached into it, pulling forth a silver pistol. Delicate wings were carved into the slide, the lines glowing  as Will raised the gun. Without a second thought, he took aim, and fired.

    For a moment, there was nothing. Then, Daimona crumpled over, holding her stomach as she fell to the ground. The pain seemed to erupt from the inside, rolling out in waves of agony. Blood bubbled up from her throat, dribbling down her chin and falling onto her new uniform. She looked up, wiping at her mouth with her hand, only to see Will close the distance between himself and Norok. Will quickly twisted Norok¡¯s right arm behind him, threatening to break it as he kicked out Norok¡¯s knees. Norok yelped at the strain, cursing at the ground. Daimona snarled.

    Will pressed the gun against Norok¡¯s throat, locking eyes with Daimona. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to say this, but if you so much as breathe before I say so I¡¯ll fire every round of my magic into your friend¡¯s neck.¡±

    Daimona tensed. Every nerve in her body screamed to run at the man and tear him to shreds, but the stern look on Norok¡¯s face told her not to. Slowly, she nodded, and remained completely still.

    ¡°Good,¡± Will said approvingly. ¡°You¡¯re strong, I¡¯ll give you that. But that¡¯s all you are.¡± He trailed the gun up from Norok¡¯s throat to press it against his temple, earning a frustrated grunt from Norok. ¡°As for you, I can tell you have a strong affinity for magic. But your casting is rudimentary. The fact that you¡¯re helpless without this,¡± Will twisted Norok¡¯s arm further, causing Norok¡¯s eyes to water as he finished, ¡°says everything I need to know about you.¡±

    Will shoved Norok away, tossing his gun aside. The circle of light from before reappeared before it hit the ground, swallowing up the gun and disappearing once more. He clapped his hands, stepping over Norok and moving to stand by Cowell. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, dabbing up the blood still gushing from his nose, then offered a calculated, cold smile to the bitter pink duo on the ground.

    ¡°Now that lesson one is over, why don¡¯t we move on to lesson two?¡±

 Chapter 4

    Norok gazed up at the dark blue tapestries hung all around the mess hall. While hoards of bright-eyed cadets scarfed down their plates of dried meats and potatoes, the Fable insignia bore down upon them, a silver blade rising from a stone and bordered off by a thin circle. Norok adjusted his stolen glasses with a reserved sigh.

    ¡°Can you not?¡± Will chided, glaring at Norok from the side.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want them back,¡± Norok replied with a sneer. Will may have had the upper hand before, a fluke even Norok was impressed by, but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t itching for a round two.

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Will said, eyes looking out over the sea of figures hunched over tables. ¡°But watching you flaunt them around like you won them off me is pathetic, given that we both know how that little exchange ended. Or do you need a reminder?¡±

    Norok¡¯s hand twitched at his side. ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound much like discipline when you put it that way, sir.¡±

    Will huffed, crossing his arms and looking over his shoulder at the buffet line. There was Daimona, darting back and forth between each silver pot, ignoring the distressed servers as she piled on more and more food onto her plate.

    ¡°Merlin¡¯s teeth, does she always eat like that?!¡±

    Norok shrugged. ¡°Not always. Usually she eats more.¡±

    Will groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. After several more minutes of awkwardly standing around, Daimona finally emerged victorious from the line, her eyes the only thing visible above her heaping mountain of potatoes, stewed carrots and endless layers of roast beef.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t wanna eat?¡± Daimona asked, following steadily behind Will as he began to lead them to the back of the room.

    ¡°Not hungry,¡± Norok answered, shaking his head. Then, with a quieter voice, ¡°Do you think that¡¯ll be enough for you?¡±

    Daimona nodded, her food shaking with the vigorous movement. Norok rubbed at the back of his neck, and thought wearily, That¡¯s all I can really ask for.

    Will came to a stop in front of the furthest left table in the mess hall. There sat two figures; the first was a young man, with a shock of scruffy brown hair protruding from his cap. He jumped up, his hand already outstretched to Norok. The freckles on his peach-pink skin stuck out wildly as he grinned.

    ¡°Hi! You must be Ukon, right? I¡¯m Kell, I¡¯m your new bunkmate.¡± Before Norok could reply, Kell had already taken his hand in his own, squeezing firmly. For a moment, it seemed as though Kell¡¯s palm was buzzing with warmth, a strange static feeling overtaking Norok¡¯s arm. ¡°Oh, uh, I¡¯m also a fire specialist, just like you! Though, I¡¯m more on the offensive side, with Irina. Irina, say hi!¡±

    The woman still sitting at the table was tall, that much Norok could gather. Her pale white-blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun, her uniform easily the most immaculate he had seen so far. Despite Kell¡¯s call, she remained silently hunched over, her attention solely on a pair of long daggers in her hands. She sharpened them slowly against one another as she glanced up to briefly glare at Kell.

    Kell, however, did not seem put off by this. Instead, he offered an even warmer smile to Norok. ¡°She¡¯s just shy.¡±

    Will cleared his throat, patting Kell on the shoulder. ¡°Actually Private Prodikor, there¡¯s been a¡­ Change in recruitment. Private Ankh will be joining a different squad. Instead, we have¡­¡±

    Will gestured for Norok to introduce himself. Norok slowly shook Kell¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s Norok. And this is my sister, Daimona.¡±

    Daimona had already begun shoveling food into her mouth, balancing the plate with one hand and plowing into her meal with the other. Oblivious to the introduction, Daimona sat herself at the table without a word to the rest, focusing all of her attention on the meal.

    Norok moved to sit next to her, with Will and Kell settling back across from him. Irina¡¯s eyes were eerily locked on to Daimona, her hooked nose angled down much like the birds of prey they had seen cavorting about the woods.

    Will folded his arms, leaning forward. ¡°Now that we are all officially together, I¡¯d like to go over our expectations.¡±

    Irina made a low groan, while Kell whined, ¡°Aww c¡¯mon Will, we just sat down!¡±

    ¡°And no time like the present,¡± Will lectured. ¡°Let¡¯s set a good example for the new recruits and show a little respect for our squad leader.¡±

    ¡°A meaningless title,¡± Irina muttered. A thick accent Norok couldn¡¯t place clung to her words, making her t¡¯s sound harsh and definite. She used the end of one of her knives to start carving into the table, eyes following the blade. ¡°Earned by your name and nothing more.¡±

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    ¡°The board still disagrees with that observation, Private Smirnov,¡± Will replied through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Hard to disagree with Daddy¡¯s money in the pocket, no? Tch,¡± Irina clicked her tongue, digging her blade deeper into the wood. ¡°It is a sick joke, this institution--¡±

    ¡°--Sorry, she¡¯s uh, cynical,¡± Kell interjected, elbowing Irina.

    ¡°Thought she was shy,¡± Norok snorted.

    ¡°She can be both!¡±

    ¡°She can hear you both,¡± Irina hissed. Then, motioning bitterly at Will she added, ¡°Get on with it then.¡±

    Will straightened up. ¡°Thank you. Now, as we all know, we are a Foreign Counter Operations team--¡±

    ¡°--Technically not officially, but we will be,¡± Kell whispered to Norok.

    ¡°--And that means it is essential that we do well in this upcoming bootcamp so that we can--¡±

    ¡°--Beat Squadron 57--¡± Irina sighed.

    ¡°--Cement our standing as a top-ranked squadron and use first place as a stepping stone, could you two please,¡± Will huffed, ¡°Please not talk over me? You said I could get on with it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you bore me,¡± Irina replied. ¡°You tell me and Sparkboy every day how we are to climb the mountain, best our enemy, and here we are. Shoved in the corner like rats.¡±

    ¡°Irina, I asked if you wanted to sit somewhere else,¡± Kell argued. ¡°You said this was your favorite spot!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Irina plunged her second dagger into the table. ¡°The point is, Mr. Leader sir, two newbies will not change our odds. No matter how¡­ Pink they are.¡±

    Daimona pushed her empty plate forward with a satisfied sigh, wiping her hand on her pants. Her eyes moved from Irina to Will, then to Norok.

    ¡°What¡¯re we talking about?¡±

    ¡°Camping, I think,¡± Norok replied. ¡°Or how we¡¯re ¡®pink.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Daimona stood, patting her stomach thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get more.¡±

    ¡°Girl,¡± Irina barked. ¡°Hold on.¡±

    Daimona tilted her head at her. ¡°Yeah?¡±

    Norok felt slightly anxious watching Irina look over his sister. Before when they had approached, Irina was predatory, something feral and natural in her gaze. But now, there was something softer. Something curious.

    ¡°I have seen bears that eat less than you,¡± Irina said simply.

    ¡°I¡¯ve probably eaten them,¡± Daimona replied.

    ¡°Do you have the strength to back it up? Your appetite, that is.¡±

    Daimona grinned. ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±

    Irina grabbed Kell¡¯s arm, slamming it down into the table before him. He yelped, glaring at Irina with his mouth open in shock. ¡°Wrestle Sparkboy.¡±

    Both Will and Kell began to protest. ¡°Smirnov, please, we have more important matters to discuss¡­¡±

    ¡°Irina, I don¡¯t really wanna arm wrestle in the middle of the cafeteria, that seems very¡­ Childish¡­¡±

    Irina pinched Kell¡¯s wrist, getting another yelp from him as she held it out for Daimona to take. Daimona looked to Norok. He shrugged back.

    ¡°Go easy on him,¡± Norok said.

    She pouted at that, but settled into the space across from him anyways. She took Kell¡¯s hand, nodding intently.

    ¡°Count us off, lady.¡±

    Irina nodded, letting go of Kell¡¯s arm. A trail of red sparks followed her hand, causing him to shoot her a confused look. She gave him a cold, thin smile.

    ¡°Make your squadron proud now.¡±

    ¡°But--¡±

    ¡°Go,¡± Irina interrupted, clapping her hands. At first, Kell and Daimona were locked at the hand, neither tipping in either direction. Though he was apprehensive at first, Norok could see a strong determination in Kell¡¯s eyes. Norok wondered if the friendly, easygoing man from before was another facade hiding another difficult opponent. Could he best them like Will and Sergeant Cowell did? Was this another hurdle he¡¯d have to deal with during his time here?

    Then, as if answering his question, Daimona pushed Kell¡¯s hand back with such force, the table cracking under. As she pulled her hand away, Kell¡¯s arm remained motionless below, as he rubbed at his elbow trying to get the feeling back. He offered her a pained smile.

    ¡°G-good one,¡± he said shakily.

    Daimona shrugged. ¡°If you say so.¡±

    ¡°Me next,¡± Irina said, almost shoving Kell off of the bench entirely. The wild look in her eye mirrored Daimona¡¯s own, Norok thought, and the longer they looked at each other like that the more it made his stomach churn with brotherly dread.

    ¡°No!¡± Will shouted, rising to his feet. Irina and Daimona flicked their heads towards him, in a sort of perfect predatory unison. Will grimaced at the sight, shuddering lightly. ¡°I mean, no. There are better places to do¡­ Whatever this is.¡±

    Irina jumped up, her face lit up with excitement. ¡°For once, you¡¯ve said something worth my time, Mr. Leader. Come, girl. I will take you.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± Daimona asked, watching with giddy eyes as Irina twisted her palm over in Daimona¡¯s and pulling her around the table with a more friendly tug.

    Will started to speak, ¡°Outside, to our grounds--¡±

    ¡°--Simulation room,¡± Irina interrupted. ¡°We will test you there. Fight fake elk and punch sharks. Whoever can kill more wins.¡±

    Daimona gasped, bouncing on her heels as they walked. ¡°Wins what? And what¡¯s a simulation? Or a shark?¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait! Irina!¡± Will clambered off the bench, chasing after them.

    Kell gave a solemn nod to Norok as he stood, gesturing to the two girls weaving through the leaving lunch crowd. ¡°Well. Guess we should follow.¡±

    Norok returned an awkward smile before turning to watch Daimona¡¯s retreating back. ¡°I guess so.¡±

 Chapter 5

    The simulation chamber was a massive gray-white dome, arcing over Daimona¡¯s head. In the center, hanging high above, was a sculpted white sword, the bladed end disappearing into the top. The hilt glowed with a soft, blue light as Irina stepped forward.

    ¡°What did you say your name was again?¡± Irina asked. A holographic screen appeared before her, rising to her hip level. Daimona watched with fascination as she turned dials in the air, dragging animal silhouettes to different sections of the illuminated map on the screen.

    ¡°Daimona,¡± she answered, reaching a hand over to twist one of the knobs over to say ¡°MAX.¡± Irina smirked, giving a flippant shrug before leaving it.

    ¡°Daimona. Pretty.¡± The hologram flashed a violent red, a series of windows screaming ¡°WARNING!¡±, only to vanish as Irina waved her hand across the surface. ¡°Did your mother name you?¡±

    Daimona looked to Norok. He stared back at her blankly. It had been a long time since they stopped asking questions like that. Where am I? Who made me? Why am I here? The facilitators of their birthplace never answered in more than a few words. But, then again, Daimona figured they weren¡¯t owed anything. They left the whole building on fire anyways.

    ¡°I guess,¡± Daimona finally replied. Irina looked her over with a curious eye before turning away. In an instant, the floor rippled to life under Daimona¡¯s feet. The black tiles lit up with a vibrant blue, pushing forward like a river and creating textile hills and trees. The sword hanging from the center glowed, shooting beams of light down below. It gave verdant leaves to the empty black branches, blades of grass to the ground, mounds of life to the once empty dome. Daimona kneeled, dragging her fingers through the simulated dirt. It felt thinner than real grass, and the individual blades clung to her fingertips as she passed them by. An odd pulsating chill emanated from the ground below, causing a shiver to run up her forearm.

    ¡°Eww! Why does it feel like hair?¡± Daimona asked, quickly reeling her hand back and shaking off the sensation.

    ¡°That¡¯s just what bundled light feels like,¡± Kell replied. He reached down and pulled the grass up, watching as a non-existent breeze took the blades from his hand. He grinned at Norok. ¡°Kinda cool, right?¡±

    Norok surveyed the room with a look of indifference, but Daimona could see the flush rising in his cheeks, the childlike wonder plain in his red-tinted eyes. He was just as impressed as she was, even if he didn¡¯t want the others to know.

    ¡°Kind of,¡± he said quietly. Daimona chuckled.

    ¡°Private Smirnov,¡± Will huffed from the back. ¡°If we are to do a combat demonstration, I really feel--¡±

    His words were cut off as a throaty, deep scream echoed throughout the room.

    Forming on the ground below the hilt was a magnificent elk, with thousands of yellow light particles defining its shape. Daimona watched in wonder as it raised its head, two bright pupiless eyes settling on her.

    ¡°The room knows how strong you are from the moment you enter,¡± Irina explained. ¡°Every action you take, it shows you the results. Watch.¡±

    Irina pulled her right hand up, revealing one of the daggers. The blade shook in her hand, and Daimona winced as a low-pitched hum rang out. Slivers of metal floated up from Irina¡¯s clothes, a plethora of hidden needles and shards all pulling towards the dagger. They began to fit themselves together, forming a much longer double-edged blade that curved the length of Irina¡¯s forearm.

    As soon as the last piece of silver joined the rest, Irina hurled the blade through the air, sinking it right into the raised throat of the elk. It gave out a pained shriek before falling to the ground. It broke down into the grass below, light melding in with light once more.

    ` Irina flicked her wrist back, and the hilt of the blade came flying back into her grasp. Stepping out of the brusque came another elk, then a second, then a third, all leering over the spot where the first had died. Irina pointed to the entreating space between them.

    ¡°Now you,¡± she said to Daimona.

    Daimona took a running start towards the clearing. She vaulted over the hill, rolling through the grass and launching herself into one of the elk. She wrapped herself around its thick, hairy neck, digging her fingers into its skin and prying upwards with all her might. The elk¡¯s head twisted violently in her grasp, and as it fell, Daimona flipped over and turned just in time to see the other two rushing towards her.

    The elk¡¯s antler¡¯s jabbed into Daimona¡¯s front, knocking the wind out of her for just a moment before she drove her fists down into its skull. Before the body dropped completely, Daimona hoisted it up and flung it at the third.

    Just as she turned to give Irina a triumphant look, another group elk began stepping forward, each one increasingly larger than the last. A flash of blonde, blue and silver whizzed past, the sound of slicing and screaming filling the air as Irina disposed of another four.

    ¡° I like the sword!¡± Daimona shouted, pulling her fist out of another elk¡¯s unrendered skull.

    ¡°This?¡± Irina grunted, twirling her blade lightly. ¡°It is a kindjal. I have held many blades in my time, but the shape of this one in particular¡­¡±

    She pivoted on her heel just in time to behead another elk just as it was rising to trample her. She pulled her kindjal down the midsection, diving under the hind legs and emerging victorious on the other side. ¡°This one pleases me greatly.¡±

    ¡°D¡¯you think you could teach me how to use one?¡± Daimona asked giddily, clapping her hands together.

    ¡°Why? You seem comfortable with your hands.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but that gets boring sometimes!¡±

    ¡°Boring,¡± Irina repeated with a soft smile. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll solve that boredom, then.¡±

    Before Daimona could respond, the ground began to shake violently. Daimona fell to her feet as grass and trees began to shrink, the leftover elk melting down with them. The tiles rippled from green to blue.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening now?¡± Daimona shouted. Irina shot a venomous look over her shoulder, and as Daimona followed her gaze, she saw Will hovering over the holographic screen, prodding at the settings. He returned Irina¡¯s stare with an indifferent look of his own.

    ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, we¡¯re going to do it right,¡± he said stoically. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s no glory in killing a bunch of elk.¡±

    Kell scratched the back of his neck. ¡°Sure, but it was kinda fun watching them go at it¡­¡±

    ¡°Then here¡¯s your chance for a front row seat,¡± Will replied. The room began to tilt forward, sending Kell and Norok stumbling towards Irina and Daimona. As the tiles began to merge and form wooden planks, Will stepped forward to join them.

    ¡°We need to work together as a squad,¡± Will said, moving confidently as the swiftly forming boat began to rise and rock atop a simulated sea. ¡°If we¡¯re in the mood for combat, we may as well do it together. All of us.¡±

    Daimona quickly threw herself to the edge, staring down at the bright blue water.

    ¡°Norok, look!¡± She gasped. Norok joined her, crossing his arms over the bow.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± he murmured quietly.

    A loud thrumming noise echoed up. A massive bubble of water began to float upwards, moving slowly through the air before finding the center of the boat. A massive shadow swam violently inside, thrashing against the confines. Once the bubble touched the ground, the outer layer popped.

    Inside was a great white shark, snapping its massive jaw at Irina, Kell and Will. The water around it formed a large bipedal form, allowing the great beast to stagger forward.

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    ¡°Irina, Daimona!¡± Will called. A blue portal was materializing to his right, his hand already outstretched for his gun. ¡°You two will take the sides.¡±

    Irina clicked her tongue, but she held her kindjal up and outwards, already rushing towards the left. Daimona was about to complain-- why did she have to take the side if all the fun was going to be had in the middle? -- but she quickly shut her mouth as seven more bubbles started to float from deep below.

    ¡°Kell, Norok, you two behind me,¡± Will finished, aiming his weapon at the shark before him. It flicked its arm out, a greataxe forming from the water as it charged forward. Will shot once, aiming for the flailing shark at the core. The bullet whizzed through the water, blood blooming and crowding the center as the body hit the deck.

    Daimona watched the bubbles with a perplexed frown. She could hear Irina sending her kindjal through the air, decimating the bubbles on her side before they could even hit the ground.

    ¡°Pop!¡± Daimona shouted impatiently. But the water rippled, unaffected by her demand and continuing its infuriatingly slow descent. Before it even hit the ground, Daimona watched with irritation as the bubbles began to boil violently, the three of the sharks inside ceasing their movements completely and flipping belly-up inside. She whirled around, eyes deadly.

    Kell, with his outstretched hand, quickly lowered it and offered her an apologetic smile. ¡°Sorry! Got a bit overeager.¡±

    Daimona grumbled bitterly, ¡°Stealing my fun,¡± before dropping to all fours. She stretched one leg back, then took a running start towards the edge of the ship. Leaping up and over, she sucked in a deep breath as she threw herself into the nearest bubble. Inside, she could barely hear the shouts from outside, everything overtaken by the gurgling inside the water. She opened her eyes just in time to see the jaws of the beast reaching out to her. She threw her hands out, forcing the shark¡¯s mouth to stay open. Her lungs began to quake with pain, the beast struggling forward.

    With a defiant yelp, Daimona ripped the creature¡¯s jaw apart, tearing it down the center. The bubble burst, and Daimona was gasping for air and falling, her back slamming into the watery tiles below. She groaned loudly.

    ¡°That was stupid!¡± Will shouted, glaring at her from above. Daimona rolled her eyes, turning on to her side.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just climb back up,¡± she huffed.

    ¡°If this were a real operation, you would be dead right now. Sharks have the advantage in marine combat, within seconds of you falling you would already be swallowed whole!¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s fine!¡± Daimona hissed, approaching the bottom of the boat.

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Will shouted again, not taking his eyes off of her for a second as he shot an approaching shark. ¡°You will stay down there until you can be rescued by one of your members, because as of right now, you are drowning.¡±

    Daimona crossed her arms. This guy was seriously annoying. She cupped both hands around her mouth and yelled, ¡°Norok! Get me back up!¡±

    Everything in the room stopped moving. Daimona could feel Norok¡¯s magic entangle around her body, taking her weight from her as she began to float. As she looked down, she could see pieces of the boat floating with her, a crack growing down the middle as the wood groaned. Irina, Kell and Will were all sent in the air with her, the sharks and their bubbles stuck with the rest of them.

    Norok lost his footing, tripping over himself and sending everything crashing down. The boat ruptured into planks and pieces. Kell had his arms crossed over his face, and Daimona could see his hands come to life as sparks shot from his palms. Within seconds, his sparks landed on the falling sails, a steadily growing blaze overtaking the ship.

    Irina cackled, watching the fire as she sat on a drifting piece of the deck. ¡°Good going, Sparkboy.¡±

    ¡°It was an accident!¡± Kell whined.

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Norok replied, stifling a laugh. ¡°Mine was too.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Will groaned, rubbing his face. He turned his face up to the hilt and shouted, ¡°Butterpie!¡±

    In an instant, the simulation dissipated. Everyone was sitting on the black tiled ground, save for Will, who was already pacing in circles.

    ¡°That was a disaster,¡± he huffed. ¡°But that¡¯s better than it could have been.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Daimona sighed. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t distracted me--¡±

    ¡°--If I? If I, Daimona?!¡± Will¡¯s face flared red. ¡°You act like-- like a wild animal out there, punching like a feral monkey!!¡±

    ¡°We are fighting wild animals,¡± Irina chimed in, giving Daimona a look of satisfaction. ¡°It suits us to have some in our pocket, no?¡±

    ¡°And you!¡± Will whirled around to Norok. ¡°Acting without-- without any consideration for your squad! What do you have to say for yourself?¡±

    Norok shrugged. ¡°She needed rescue, and you said one of us had to save her.¡±

    ¡°You did say that, Will¡­¡± Kell agreed quietly. Will shot him a deathly glare.

    ¡°The other two I get, but you, Kell? Still shooting off the hand like a rookie? I¡¯m embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°We all are,¡± Irina nodded, elbowing Kell. He pouted at her, but said nothing. She rose to her feet, continuing as she reached an arm around Will. ¡°Leader, I have a few suggestions. I think we should speak about our tactics, now knowing what our newbies are capable of.¡±

    Will made a baffled string of angry noises as Irina ushered him along. She gave Daimona a warm grin before leaving. ¡°We will discuss our one-on-one training in the morning. Until then, rest well, my friend.¡±

    Daimona waved vigorously to her retreating back. Kell¡¯s eyes moved from Norok to Daimona, and once Irina and Will had fully disappeared from sight, he leaned forward and said, ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, that was the best time I¡¯ve ever had in this room.¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡± Daimona chirped.

    Norok didn¡¯t reply, eyeing the doorway with a dark look.

    ¡­

    That night, Daimona beamed up at the dark ceiling with a look of pride. She stretched her arms out, feeling out the limits of the top bunk. Everything felt soft here. Her pillow, her blanket, even the thinning mattress under body was a comfort.

    ¡°This was such a good idea,¡± she sighed, rolling over to talk over the edge. ¡°There¡¯s food, cool light animals¡­ New friends, too! That Irina chick was really something else, wasn¡¯t she?¡±

    From the bottom bunk, she heard a resigned hum of acknowledgement. The only thing visible of her brother¡¯s was a sliver of his left knee, which remained stiffly arched towards her. Daimona frowned.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she?¡± she repeated loudly.

    ¡°...I already said yeah,¡± Norok muttered, nudging the wooden planks below and pushing up at her. ¡°Let¡¯s just go to sleep, okay? I don¡¯t wanna talk about her anymore.¡±

    Daimona quickly grabbed the railing with both hands, flipping herself over to look at her brother. He had placed his glasses on his chest, tracing the frame idly with one finger while his other hand cradled the back of his head. He gave her an irritated glare.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Daimona asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he answered, rolling over and cutting their eye contact short. ¡°I¡¯m just tired.¡±

    Daimona rolled her eyes, swinging her legs over and hopping to the floor. She sat at the edge of his bunk, leaning her back against his. Her eyes wandered out the window, the moonlight wafting in silver streaks.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± she urged in a low voice, elbowing him lightly. ¡°I can¡¯t fix it if you don¡¯t tell me.¡±

    ¡°I never asked you to fix anything,¡± Norok grumbled. But slowly, he sat up, pulling his legs into his chest and resting his head against her back. ¡°I¡¯m worried we¡¯ll stay here for too long.¡±

    ¡°We just got here, though!¡±

    ¡°I know, but,¡± Norok seemed to choke on his words, and Daimona could feel him clenching and unclenching his fists. ¡°I can already feel us forgetting why we left.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to forget,¡± Daimona replied. But Norok didn¡¯t say anything back. A tense silence overtook the space between them, and Daimona could feel him pulling away. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, mouth drawn in a firm line. ¡°We¡¯re not. And if you forget, I¡¯ll remind you. And if I forget, you¡¯ll remind me.¡±

    ¡°What if we both forget?¡±

    Daimona pulled his hands away from his knees, holding them in her own. ¡°We can¡¯t. If we could, we would¡¯ve done it already, and you and I would be living it up in some cave far, far away from here, eating trees and waiting until we die in our sleep. But we¡¯re here, Norok. Alive. Strong. Getting stronger.¡±

    Norok looked back at her. The moon reflected low in his eyes, and in the dark of their room, he looked just as hungry for it as she felt. Quietly, he trembled as he said, ¡°I want to go back. I want to make them pay.¡±

    ¡°And we will,¡± Daimona said, embracing him warmly with a smile. ¡°Soon. I promise.¡±

 Chapter 6

    Norok lingered over the bathroom sink. He watched the water pool around the bottom of the basin, pouring down the drain slowly. He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of his own frantic breathing echoing off the walls.

    When did I become scared? Norok thought distantly. Images of Cowell¡¯s smirking face flashed through his mind, the feeling of Will¡¯s gun now a throbbing bruise on his temple. Daimona was eager to find Irina, darting out of their dormitory to find the blade-wielding blonde without so much as a good morning to her brother. But the thought of the bloodthirsty woman braided Norok¡¯s stomach in knots. Here, Daimona fit in just fine. Another unstoppable force joining the rest of her kind. But where did that leave Norok?

    Enough. Norok rose to face his reflection. The pink-haired reflection staring back at him was becoming less and less recognizable, but the warm voice in his head remained just as steady as it had always been. You¡¯re wasting time talking yourself in circles.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± Norok muttered, wrapping his fingers around the edges of the sink. ¡°There¡¯s too many of them. It would be impossible to kill them all.¡±

    So don¡¯t. You don¡¯t need to. Remember what Mona said?

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t remember it like we do.¡±

    But you still trust her judgment.

    ¡°I guess,¡± Norok sighed. ¡°There¡¯s just too many variables in motion here. Everything¡¯s out of my control.¡±

    What¡¯s new? You couldn¡¯t control anything before either. Norok felt every bone in his body grow cold as the words passed through his mind. His eyes searched his reflection¡¯s desperately, his mouth pulled into a tight frown.  If you can¡¯t leave this place, then use it to get what you want. It¡¯s that simple, Norok.

    Norok pressed his forehead against the glass, watching his breath fog over the image peering back at him. ¡°I know. You¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Oh, morning Norok,¡± a voice awkwardly called from behind. Norok reeled back from the mirror, turning off the water before snapping his head to the doorway. There stood Kell, his uniform jacket slung casually over his shoulder and his scraggly brown hair sticking out in all directions.

    With a yawn, he took up the sink next to Norok, running the faucet to splash water in his face. ¡°I saw Daimona and Irina heading out to the yard, I kinda figured you¡¯d be around.¡±

    Norok judged Kell silently for a moment. So far, Norok had met a fairly small roster of militarized caricatures-- the mysterious sergeant, the stick-up-ass leader, the brutal foreigner-- but this chirpy, bright-eyed boy somehow fell into a different category entirely.

    ¡°...your sister, right?¡±

    Norok blinked, finally registering Kell was still speaking to him. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Daimona,¡± Kell said, straightening out his shoulders and pulling his arms through his jacket sleeves. ¡°She¡¯s your sister, right? I meant to ask yesterday, but we got so caught up with the sim chamber, and Irina, and well¡­ It just slipped my mind.¡±

    ¡°What, the looks didn¡¯t clue you in?¡± Norok snorted.

    Kell chuckled, reaching up to tie his hair back. ¡°I mean, I figured, obviously, but you never know. Families are weird¡­ You never know who¡¯s whose these days.¡±

    Something somber in his tone resonated with Norok. ¡°Do you have family?¡±

    Kell pulled a wrinkled silver cap out of his pocket. His eyes met Norok¡¯s in the mirror, flashing with hesitance for a moment, before he smiled softly. ¡°Just my big brother.¡±

    ¡°Does he live here too?¡±

    Kell shook his head, adjusting his cap. ¡°No, he¡¯s¡­ I guess, technically you¡¯d call us Blems.¡±

    Norok narrowed his eyes cautiously at Kell. The word had been tossed around a few times back in the facility-- ¡°Why don¡¯t we throw some Blems at ¡®em? Maybe that¡¯ll shut them up,¡± or ¡°Keep it up boy and we¡¯ll feed you to the Blems.¡± They were shapeless monsters lurking just outside the barred windows of their cell, the enemies Norok expected to face upon their escape.

    But here Kell was, a self-proclaimed Blem and easily the most pathetic of the bunch. It had Norok confused more than anything. Kell offered him a sheepish look.

    ¡°You were gonna hear it one way or another, so I thought I¡¯d just come clean about it,¡± he said. ¡°My parents, they came from the West. Left us just outside Fable after some ritual. I was just a kid, so I don¡¯t remember much before Cowell found us, but Prim took care of us before that. He¡¯s too stubborn for military life, though, so he¡¯s off traveling the world, doing his own thing.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Norok replied. He wasn¡¯t sure what else to say. Kell wrung his hands, fidgeting in place as Norok weighed his options.

    ¡°I guess-- I just wanted you to know that I get it,¡± Kell said quietly.

    ¡°Get what?¡±

    ¡°Not being from here,¡± Kell replied, gesturing to the room with his hand. ¡°I mean, there are good people here, people who understand, like Will. Will¡¯s always looked out for me, and when it comes down to it, I owe him everything.¡±

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    Norok snorted, finding it hard to put Will and good in the same sentence, but Kell continued. He stepped forward, clapping a hand on to Norok¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But it¡¯s not easy settling in when everyone¡¯s telling you what to do and where to be. So, I get it, and I¡¯m here for you.¡±

    Norok blinked. This guy was weird. ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t say it if I wasn¡¯t,¡± Kell chirped, patting Norok on the shoulder and whipping back around. ¡°I¡¯m off to join Will for Meditation-- You wanna join? We¡¯ve got a couple hours before our briefing.¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure,¡± Norok replied, glancing in the mirror one last time before following Kell out the door.

    ¡­

    ¡°Magic comes in two parts,¡± Will lectured, pacing in front of Kell and Norok. They were sitting in the pillared atrium where Norok had first met Will, the cracked pillar still being tended to by a group of silver-wearing workers. Every so often, they would shoot Will and Norok a dirty look, causing Norok to grin deviously.

    ¡°Will, do we have to do this here? It¡¯s really¡­ Public¡­¡± Kell said, shifting uncomfortably as he pulled his legs under him.

    ¡°Discipline, Private Prodikor,¡± Will said resolutely. Then, more apologetically, ¡°Someone rented out the sim chamber and both the training rooms today, so this is pretty much the best we¡¯ve got.¡±

    The passerbys whispered to one another, some giggling at the sight. Will cleared his throat and resumed. ¡°Magic, at its core, is knowledge-- if you know how to do it, you can do it, no questions asked.¡±

    He snapped his fingers, a small orb of fire lighting just above his index finger. ¡°Fire magic is one of the most common. Most recruitment facilities will make sure you graduate having mastered fire magic before fully enlisting. However--¡±

    The flame flickered out. Norok chuckled, elbowing Kell.

    ¡°Look, even you can do better than that.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Will said, then motioned for Kell. Slowly, Kell raised his left hand, snapping his fingers together and igniting a spark of his own. Where Will¡¯s was a dimly lit match, Kell¡¯s was a vibrant flame moving from blue to yellow to orange, a perfect symphony of fire.

    ¡°Kell¡¯s naturally gifted when it comes to fire magic because his body is genetically geared towards it. The mana nerves in his body are essentially wired for it. This is what we call true magic, magic you were born to do.¡±

    Kell extinguished the flame with a bashful look. ¡°You really think so, Will?¡±

    Will ignored him, circling his finger in the air and tracing the now-familiar blue portal. As he pulled his hand back, he revealed a golden bullet, tossing it to Norok.

    ¡°My true magic is pocket magic,¡± Will explained. ¡°I can store a certain number of items inside these portals and pull them out at any time.¡±

    ¡°Like Sarah,¡± Kell said with a nod.

    ¡°You can keep people in there?¡± Norok asked, leaning forward with intrigue.

    Will frowned, reaching down to take the bullet back. ¡°No, Sarah¡¯s a gun, obviously... There¡¯s no air inside the pocket, so nothing living could live for long.¡±

    ¡°So you could suffocate people in there,¡± Norok replied. Now that was impressive.

    Kell shook his head, leaning over to whisper, ¡°No, Will¡¯s pocket magic is probably too small. A lot of pocket magic comes with a cost-- He can keep things in there indefinitely, but in order to reduce the mana it takes, he basically has to vacuum-seal it closed, so nothing can be too big, really.¡±

    Norok nodded, giving Will a pitying look. ¡°Size isn¡¯t everything, Will.¡±

    Will scowled back. ¡°In any case, that brings me to my next point-- performing general magic will always take up more of your mana than your true magic does, in the same way that doing a sport you haven¡¯t trained for will need more effort than doing one that you have.¡±

    ¡°Mana is a harder thing to gauge,¡± Kell added, ¡°And we¡¯re still doing research on how to actually measure it. Right now, though, you basically just know when it¡¯s out when you can¡¯t use magic. Some people can go on for a while, and some people can¡¯t.¡±

    This was a concept Norok was familiar with. Most of the tests he had endured as a child was for this, seeing how long he could hold an object in the air, or keep a fellow subject down on their knees. In the beginning, he couldn¡¯t hold it for more than a few minutes, but now he could do it for a week. It was the only useful thing being in that place really taught him.

    ¡°I definitely have a lot, then,¡± Norok said proudly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you do,¡± Will huffed. ¡°But that¡¯s not really the point. Even if you do have massive mana reserves, that means nothing if you don¡¯t know how to regain it.¡±

    ¡°I get it back when I sleep don¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Right, resting recovers,¡± Will replied. ¡°But sleep only recovers a small amount. Mindful resting, or meditation, will help you recover faster and exercise your nerves to pump and pull more.¡±

    Will sat on the ground across from Kell and Norok. He crossed his legs, resting his forearms on his thighs. He curled his fingers inwards, forming fists, and held them atop one another in front of his chest. Kell mirrored him, and slowly, Norok moved to do the same.

    This is dumb, he thought dully. But his breathing seemed to flow through him in this position. For years, he had forced himself to breathe through torture and agony, but now it seemed to happen without his choosing.

    ¡°Feel it move through your skull, Norok. Trace the movements through your spine, then summon it through your wrist. Let it move through you,¡± Will said softly.

    For a moment, there was nothing, the usual stall that always led to his magic. That agonizing pause made Norok feel weak. Daimona could use her strength or her voice at her discretion, but Norok was always lying in wait for his own. It wasn¡¯t fair. Everyone seemed to move faster, breathe faster--

    A steady warmth pulsed from the back of his skull. It trickled down the curve of his spine, twisting around the shape of his arms and beading up his wrists. Norok tried to hold it there, but remembering Will¡¯s word¡¯s, he relaxed his grip and eased into the sensation.

    The more it moved around Norok¡¯s body, the more at peace he felt. His frustrations with his magic ebbed, falling to a dull rise to be better in the back of his mind. When he opened his eyes again, he felt refreshed, a light tingling in his fingertips left behind.

    Will smiled. ¡°Here, catch.¡±

    He tossed the bullet towards Norok. Without raising his hand, Norok locked on to the object and suspended the bullet in the air before him. As he tilted his head, he watched the bullet spin slowly, all without him lifting a finger.

    ¡°There¡¯s more I can teach you,¡± Will said. ¡°About magic, its capabilities, and how to hone what you¡¯ve got. Give me your patience, and I¡¯ll give you all I¡¯ve got.¡±

    Norok reached for the bullet, plucking it from his magic¡¯s grasp and feeling it roll in the palm of his hand. He raised his eyes to meet Will¡¯s. ¡°Tell me more.¡±

 Chapter 7

    ¡°The men of this world are frogs,¡± Irina declared. Daimona toddled along behind her, carrying a pile of dirty, orange handkerchiefs in her hand. The forest just outside the base was overgrown and rocky. Thick brambles of blackberry bushes grew everywhere, covering the forest floor in thorns and black mush. Irina turned back, pulling a handkerchief from Daimona¡¯s hands to tie around a nearby tree branch.

    ¡°They are skin and warts. Leap first, leap higher if bigger frog says so. Swallow fly, shit in pond,¡± Irina pulled the knot tight, dusting her hands off on her pants. ¡°That is what a man does.¡±

    Daimona¡¯s eyes wandered up to the sky. The evergreen tops of the trees shrouded her from the view, but between the leaves she could see gray clouds gathering on high. ¡°What does that make us, then?¡± she asked idly. ¡°Hawks?¡±

    Irina grunted, stepping over a decaying log. ¡°Mice.¡±

    Daimona paused. She scrunched up her nose as they trudged deeper. ¡°Mice? Isn¡¯t that like, way, way, way worse than being a frog?¡±

    ¡°That is an opinion,¡± Irina chuckled. ¡°We are speaking of facts now.¡±

    Irina reached down, prying apart a tangle of blackberry stems to pull a wet handkerchief from the dirt. She held it out to Daimona.

    ¡°Okay¡­ Well what makes us mice, then?¡± Daimona asked, taking the rag and adding it to her pile.

    ¡°Many things,¡± Irina replied. ¡°We are plague and teeth. Blood, fur, bone. We run when we are scared, and bite when we are caught.¡±

    ¡°But mice are weak!¡±

    ¡°Mice are prey,¡± Irina said. She ducked under a low-hanging branch, looking over her shoulder to watch Daimona do the same. Her eyes glinted like steel in the light of the woods. ¡°That is my point. We are not the predators of this world. Not anymore.¡±

    Something about the way Irina said things amused Daimona. Maybe it was the way her tongue seemed to roll around r¡¯s and skip through t¡¯s. Or maybe it was her strange metaphors. Either way, no one had really spoken to Daimona like an equal before. There was Norok, of course, but his mind had a way of wandering away from her in the middle of conversations. Plus, he was family. It just wasn¡¯t the same.

    ¡°I kinda get it,¡± Daimona finally replied. ¡°But why does it matter what prey we are?¡±

    ¡°Because,¡± Irina said with a sly smirk, ¡°frogs are worthless.¡±

    As Irina stopped to stretch, Daimona took in the view around them. To her right was a rising cliffside, with rocks and tree roots protruding from the muddy surface. To her left was a steep edge, a massive canyon looming below. The trail ahead of them seemed to clear finally, and as Daimona shot a look behind her, realization began to creep over her mind.

    ¡°Hey! You made us go the long way,¡± Daimona shouted. ¡°Why¡¯d we go through the woods if we coulda taken the trail?¡±

    Irina stepped towards Daimona, gently reaching for the orange handkerchiefs in her hands. She pulled one upwards, raising it in front of Daimona¡¯s face.

    ¡°The frogs of Fable think they are smart. They go the hard way and hide their flags there.¡± Daimona watched in awe as Irina began to pull the handkerchiefs out of her grasp, tying them together in bright knots. She led Daimona to the edge, and as they peered over, Daimona could see hundreds of braided flags strewn down the side.

    Irina tossed the line down, sending the handkerchiefs to join the rest.

    ¡°How long have you been doing this?¡± Daimona whispered.

    ¡°Too long,¡± Irina sighed. She turned back, walking down the trail. ¡°And they never realize. They send me on these ridiculous survival tests everyday. Tracking your fellows, they call it. Then they say hide them again. Over and over, it is the same. I find the frogs, and the frogs never find me.¡±

    Her tone was unyielding, but Daimona could hear the loneliness in it too. She leaned into Irina¡¯s shoulder as they walked. ¡°So it¡¯s a secret spot, then.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But you showed me,¡± Daimona said, raising her eyebrows. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Because now, we will hide them together.¡±

    Daimona¡¯s heart jumped with excitement at that. They continued down the trail, listening to the birds chirping above and chatting idly. Irina pulled her kindjal out of hiding, passing it to Daimona for her to admire.

    ¡°My true magic is magnetism,¡± Irina explained. ¡°My focus is singular, though. I do not care to stretch myself thin.¡±

    Daimona raised the blade high above her, swinging it down through the air in front of her and listening to the satisfying fwip noise it made. ¡°Wow¡­ That¡¯s amazing! And it doesn¡¯t break?¡±

    ¡°Only if I want it to,¡± Irina chuckled. ¡°What is yours?¡±

    Daimona performed a perfect, diagonal slice. ¡°My what?¡±

    ¡°Your true magic.¡±

    Daimona scowled, handing the kindjal back to Irina. ¡°Sound stuff, I guess. I do voices. Make people listen to me. Stuff like that.¡±

    ¡°You look unhappy,¡± Irina tilted her head. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Cause it¡¯s not cool!¡± Daimona huffed. ¡°You can do sword things, Norok can move things in the air, and all I can do is,¡± she cleared her throat, giving Irina a deadpan stare as she took on Will¡¯s voice, ¡°Sound like someone else.¡±

    Irina shook her head with a chuckle, cleanly sliding her kindjal back into its sheath. ¡°Just because it is not cool as you say does not mean it is bad to have. Sparkboy has great fireballs of magic, but his is useless because he is useless. He cannot control what he does. Can you control yours?¡±

    ¡°I mean, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then you are already far from the worst,¡± Irina said with a solemn nod. Daimona laughed, her cheeks warm as she turned her attention back to the path at hand.

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    A flicker of light caught her eye. She froze instantly, swinging her arm out in front of Irina. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±

    Daimona¡¯s eyes followed the movement. It was a line of wire, barely visible just above the trail. Slowly, Daimona leaned down, prying up a pebble from the dirt and flinging it into the wire. As the pebble caught, a sudden crack thundered out from all sides, and Daimona was blinded by a burning white light. Her ears rang violently.

    The light subsided, and once Daimona¡¯s eyes adjusted, she could see a figure approaching. Stepping over the wire was a teenage girl, donning the familiar silver and blue uniform. Her skin was a rich sepia color, and her thick black hair was pulled back in three tight bantu knots. Her eyes were a bright violet, brimming with self-satisfaction.

    ¡°My bad,¡± the girl called. ¡°Thought I¡¯d catch something big with that one.¡±

    ¡°Leka,¡± Irina hissed. Daimona watched as Irina¡¯s hand flicked to her side, but a small bead of yellow-white light shot at her feet startled her backwards. Irina fell, cursing in her mother tongue as the stranger laughed.

    She wasn¡¯t holding a gun like Daimona had assumed. Instead, she was pointing, just like Norok did when he used his magic. The stranger turned her attention to Daimona.

    ¡°You must be the new girl,¡± she said, stepping towards Daimona and extending her right hand. Her index finger was still smoking, and Daimona could see a crackle of electricity running up her palm. ¡°I¡¯m Leka H?yh?, Squadron 57.¡±

    Irina grunted, rising to her knees in the dirt, but Leka quickly formed another finger-pistol with her left hand and aimed it at Irina¡¯s forehead. Still locking eyes with Daimona, Leka clicked her tongue. ¡°Stay down, Smirnov. I¡¯ll get to you.¡±

    Hesitantly, Daimona took Leka¡¯s hand. She flinched at the static shock, but tried to keep a straight face. ¡°Nice to meet you, I guess.¡±

    Leka smiled, playfully blowing out her fingertips and placing her hands evenly on her hips. ¡°Rumor has it you¡¯re some kind of prodigy scouted by Cowell himself. That true?¡±

    Daimona snorted, giving a somewhat arrogant shrug. ¡°You could say that.¡±

    ¡°Good, good,¡± Leka approved. ¡°We really needed some new blood around here.¡±

    Her tone was cheery, all sunshine and rainbows as far as Daimona could tell. Despite the sudden and somewhat hostile appearance, Leka didn¡¯t seem like she had any intention of actually killing either of them, and Daimona was sure that even if she did, she could jump her faster than any lightning bolt Leka could throw. But the way Leka was staring at her was unnerving. It was as if those purple eyes were appraising every fiber of Daimona¡¯s body, and were unimpressed by the results.

    It made Daimona think that there were things worse than death.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you here?¡± Irina snapped.

    ¡°I heard you were out here hiding flags again. Figured you¡¯d wanna shake things up a bit,¡± Leka replied. She tapped one hand against her hip, and with a clap of bright light, a yellow rod began to form before her. It bent inwards, stringing itself and forming a bow. Leka held it over her shoulder, pivoting on her heel and motioning for them to follow. Before Daimona could say anything, Irina was marching after Leka, muttering something bitter under her breath. The only words Daimona could make out were ¡°thundering traitor¡± and ¡°never again.¡±

    Leka led them to the field just outside the base, where Irina and Daimona had left hours prior. She came to a stop in front of five large target posts, each heavily studded to the ground and littered with holes. Irina glared silently at Leka.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you have better things to do?¡± Leka asked mockingly. ¡°I just thought I¡¯d give you some target practice. Since, you know¡­¡±

    Leka leaned over, grabbing Irina¡¯s shoulder tightly. In a low, lethal voice, she said, ¡°...You missed so much last year.¡±

    ¡°What happened last year?¡± Daimona interjected.

    Irina pulled her kindjal. The blade came apart in her hand, floating in front of her as the pieces shifted and reshaped the weapon into a short dagger. ¡°Mr. Leader thought we were ready,¡± she said bluntly. ¡°We were not.¡±

    ¡°You should¡¯ve seen it. It was an incredible display of what not to do during combat. Saint dropped his gun, Prodikor flubbed his shots, and Smirnov here? She tripped.¡±

    Will and Kell being failures was predictable, but Daimona couldn¡¯t imagine Irina losing with them. The confidence she walked with alone echoed her sharp precision. It was a disappointing thought, to say the least.

    ¡°Your filthy vedma cheated,¡± Irina spat.

    Leka¡¯s carefree demeanor suddenly evaporated. Her hand tightened around the center of her bow. With a hateful look, she replied darkly, ¡°Run your mouth about my captain again, Smirnov, and I¡¯ll send the new girl back with nothing but parts.¡±

    Irina scoffed, turning her nose up at the threat. ¡°Empty promises from a cheap shot¡­ Whatever. Name your rules so I can stop wasting my time.¡±

    ¡°Thirty paces, one shot,¡± Leka declared. ¡°Closest to bullseye wins.¡±

    ¡°Easy.¡±

    Irina took her position, eyeing the target ahead of her with a steady hand on her dagger. With one swift motion, she sent it flying ahead of her, sinking the blade deep into the target. The throw was mere millimeters off, sinking into the edge of the white circle at the center. She cursed, turning her back to the targets as Leka stepped forward.

    Leka held her bow out in front of her, planting both feet firmly. As she drew her right hand back, an arrow began to materialize in the air. It pulsated erratically, buzzing in her hand as she pulled it taut against the string. Before releasing the shot, Leka leaned back. Instead of looking towards the target, she made direct eye contact with Daimona, and winked as she released the shot.

    A thunderous boom erupted from her hands as the bolt soared through the air, nailing the target. The sizzling hole left in the target looked to be almost exactly where Irina¡¯s dagger had landed, but the smoke made it hard to tell.

    ¡°Daimona,¡± Irina called. ¡°Go see who¡¯s closer.¡±

    Leka quirked an eyebrow. ¡°What, can¡¯t take the loss?¡±

    ¡°Yours looks further to the right,¡± Irina huffed. ¡°I am trying to be fair to you.¡±

    As the two began to argue, Daimona trudged forward through the field. Upon standing before the two targets, Daimona could see Leka¡¯s shot was slightly more on center than Irina¡¯s, causing her to pause and consider her options carefully. She really didn¡¯t gain much here. Leka was intriguing with her lightning and her threats, but she had nothing to teach Daimona. Irina did.

    Daimona took slow steps back as she plotted her next move. Irina gave her an inquisitive look, visibly concerned.

    ¡°So?¡± Leka said.

    Daimona tilted her head, staring blankly at Leka. Methodically, Daimona whispered, ¡°You missed.¡±

    Leka¡¯s mouth dropped, scoffing incredulously. ¡°What? I made that shot, you both saw it!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Daimona replied firmly. Her words buzzed with determination, each syllable carrying the weight of her magic. ¡°You missed that shot. And when you tell people about today, you¡¯re going to say ¡®I lost to Irina Smirnov.¡¯ In fact, that¡¯s all you¡¯re going to be able to say for the rest of the day. Okay?¡±

    Leka¡¯s body twitched. It was clear in her eyes that she wanted to argue, but all that came out of her mouth was a forced, ¡°I lost to Irina Smirnov.¡±

    Irina¡¯s face brightened immediately. ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°I lost to Irina Smirnov!¡± Leka shouted. Her bow disappeared in a bloom of yellow orbs as she reached for her throat, choking out the words. ¡°I lost to Irina Smirnov?¡±

    ¡°No need to sound so proud of it,¡± Irina cackled.

    Leka shot a deathly glare at Daimona and Irina, clenching both her fists as she turned her back and began angrily walking back to base. While the two watched, Irina gave Daimona a shy look.

    ¡°Be honest,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I was off, wasn¡¯t I?¡±

    Daimona grinned, throwing an arm around Irina¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear Leka say that. Did you?¡±

    Irina smiled back. ¡°I suppose not.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Norok strode through the facility library proudly. He felt good. In top condition really. If Will wanted to get into it right now, Norok was sure he could demolish his squad leader in twenty seconds flat. He could keep Will suspended in midair for months, maybe shake his bullets right out of his portals. Lucky for Will, he had proven himself indispensable today, and was now removed from Norok¡¯s hit list. Or at least, he was for the afternoon. Norok was never sure what tomorrow would bring, after all.

    The library was a massive tower, a cylinder of bookshelves rising to the sky. A spiral staircase wound around the room, with scattered people in uniform reading books on its steps. On the ground floor was a series of desks and tables, covered in Fable¡¯s oldest records and maps.

    Kell had told Norok if he wanted to know more about the anatomy of magic, this was where to go. But as Norok scrunched his nose at the smell of aged paper and dust, he concluded that he didn¡¯t care enough to spend the afternoon in a silent, stuffy room. He scanned the room, looking over the inhabitants for someone who looked weak enough to work for him.

    Towards the back of the room stood a young recruit. Her uniform was haphazardly buttoned, and her black hair was a tangled curly mess rolling down her shoulders. She bit her fingernails, practically trembling as her eyes searched the lower shelves. Norok could see her chattering to herself between bites, her voice wrought with anxious squeaks. A silver sword sewn into the shoulder caught Norok¡¯s eye. Mark of a nerd, he thought, recalling a similar sigil on Will¡¯s uniform.

    Norok strolled casually forward. He shoved his left hand into his pocket, pushing up his glasses with his right to look down at her more properly. ¡°Yo.¡±

    The girl jumped. A slew of short, unintelligible noises flew from her mouth before she finally managed, ¡°D-d-do I kn-know you?¡±

    ¡°Name¡¯s Norok,¡± he said. He tilted his head up, pretending to look thoughtfully over the bookshelves above. ¡°I¡¯m new here.¡±

    ¡°O-oh!¡± She straightened up. While her eyes remained lowered, twitching sporadically, she extended one incredibly sweaty palm out to Norok. ¡°Eleanora. B-but you can call me Bash.¡±

    Norok nodded. He took her hand with a devious grin before abruptly pulling her closer to him. ¡°How would you like to help me out, Bash?¡±

    Her face flushed a bright crimson. ¡°W-w-with what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for information,¡± Norok said in a low voice. ¡°Information on magic stuff. Where it comes from, how to use it, that sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sure the lady at the circulation desk could--¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want her,¡± Norok interrupted. ¡°I want you. To help me, that is.¡±

    Bash uttered another slew of noises. It wasn¡¯t his best tactic. Norok certainly didn¡¯t feel the greatest about flirting his way into her good graces, but he¡¯d feel worse threatening her. At least this way, she¡¯d leave with something to dream about. He would simply give her another line or two, then leave the library with enough books to never have to come back.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t know where anything is here,¡± Norok explained. He kept his tone low, gentle, staring intently at her. ¡°And I don¡¯t really have a whole lot of time today. If you could just put all of the books on magic aside for me, I¡¯d really appreciate it.¡±

    Bash took a deep breath, pulling her hand out of Norok¡¯s grasp. She steadied herself, raising her eyes to meet his. ¡°I-I could help you, but given that I don¡¯t know you, it¡¯s only fair th-that we help each other.¡±

    Norok shrugged. A catch in his plan, sure, but Bash was still shaking like a wounded dog. Whatever it was, it couldn¡¯t be more than Norok could handle. ¡°Sure, whatever. Let¡¯s do my thing first, then we can do yours.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Bash shouted firmly. A chorus of irritated hushes quickly followed, causing Norok to wince. ¡°I mean, no. We do my thing first.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Norok sighed. He furrowed his brow. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I want¡­¡± Bash swallowed, and Norok could see the sweat beading down the right side of her face. She curled her hands into fists, planting herself firmly. ¡°I want Will¡¯s plans for bootcamp.¡±

    Norok blinked. ¡°You want Will¡¯s what?¡±

    ¡°H-he writes them down every year,¡± Bash said carefully. ¡°Leather journal, b-bottom right drawer of his desk. I want you to give it to me.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re already here,¡± Norok argued. ¡°Why would I go steal Will¡¯s diary when my books are here?¡±

    Bash frowned, visibly mulling the thought over. She quickly replied, ¡°Th-then you can tell me the plans yourself!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the plans. We haven¡¯t gone over them yet.¡±

    ¡°W-w-well¡­¡± Bash bit her lip. ¡°What have you been tr-training for?¡±

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    Norok thought back to the simulation chamber. ¡°Sharks, I guess?¡±

    ¡°Sharks¡­ He¡¯s thinking marine combat¡­¡± Bash murmured. She pulled a small notepad from her inner pocket, scrambling to write it down. ¡°Where does he have you all placement wise?¡±

    ¡°Irina and my sister on the sides, Will in the center, and Kell and I behind,¡± Norok said. The whole bootcamp thing didn¡¯t really matter to him anyways. It sounded like another military tradition Will was going to be annoying about, and it was way easier to answer Bash¡¯s questions than comb through the book-ridden maze.

    Bash nodded vigorously. She closed the notebook with a triumphant slam, wincing at the repeated hushes from the other visitors. She gave Norok an uncharacteristically confident smile.

    ¡°Thank you, Norok. You¡¯ve been very helpful.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no problem,¡± Norok grumbled with a shrug. ¡°So, magic stuff?¡±

    Bash laughed awkwardly, her face nearly as pink as Norok¡¯s hair. ¡°O-oh, um¡­ I¡¯m actually not sure where everything is here either¡­ This is m-my first time in the library.¡±

    Norok narrowed his eyes. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°B-b-but I¡¯m sure if we just a-ask--¡±

    ¡°I thought,¡± Norok said pointedly. ¡°You worked here. You look like you work here.¡±

    Bash gave an offended squeak. ¡°I-I-I¡¯m wearing the same uniform as you!¡±

    Norok scowled at her. ¡°You have the thing, though, the same thing that Will has and you know him.¡± He pointed bitterly at her shoulder sigil.

    Bash fidgeted uncomfortably on the spot, twiddling her fingers. ¡°Well that¡¯s because I¡¯m--¡±

    A sudden slam echoed out from behind, as the doors to the library were thrown open. Norok looked over his shoulders at the commotion just in time to see a young girl striding directly towards their aisle.

    She fully grabbed Norok¡¯s chest, shoving him aside without another word and throwing her arms around Bash¡¯s neck. She began sobbing hysterically into Bash¡¯s collar, as Bash awkwardly raised her arms to pat her gently on the back.

    ¡°There, there,¡± Bash said. ¡°What happened?¡±

    The girl pulled back, shouting at the top of her lungs, ¡°I lost to Irina Smirnov!¡±

    Bash sighed. She pulled the girl out of the aisle by the arm, ignoring Norok¡¯s protests as she left the library.

    Norok crossed his arms, looking over the hordes of shelves and dusty books everywhere. ¡°I¡¯ll just ask Kell,¡± he finally sighed, and shuffled out.

    ¡­

    In the conference room, Will jabbed at the map on the projector screen with his finger firmly. ¡°We¡¯ll take the path through Halltown, around Linnstan and cut to Bootcamp through here.¡±

    Irina clicked her tongue dismissively, her legs thrown up on the table before her. Daimona snored loudly next to her, drooling on Norok¡¯s shoulder. Kell raised his hand slowly. ¡°Won¡¯t that take longer, though?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve calculated the pace we need to maintain to get there in a week. It¡¯ll be brutal, but it¡¯ll build our endurance, and it¡¯ll give us time to practice our positions in the field.¡±

    ¡°Halltown is middle of nowhere, no?¡± Irina replied. ¡°Why stop there?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be the best point to restock our supplies before moving through the wilds,¡± Will answered.

    ¡°Then why not stop in Linnstan?¡± Irina asked flatly. Norok snorted at her brutal eye-roll, startling Daimona.

    Daimona wiped her mouth, eyes bleary with sleep. ¡°What¡¯s Linnstan?¡±

    ¡°The capital,¡± Kell whispered.

    ¡°The only interesting place in this useless country,¡± Irina added. ¡°We stop in Linnstan. That route suits me.¡±

    Will glared at her. ¡°And if you were the squad leader, I¡¯d respect that call. But you didn¡¯t pass your exams, did you Smirnov?¡±

    Irina grumbled, picking at her cuticles with the very tip of her kindjal. Kell gave her a solemn pat on the back. She elbowed him in return.

    The projector clicked, and a new slide appeared on the screen. It was a bird¡¯s-eye shot of a massive, dense forest, with six man-made clearings placed parallel to one another. Will cleared his throat before continuing.

    ¡°This is what we call bootcamp,¡± Will explained. ¡°Here, we will face off against our assigned rival squad in front of our respective sergeants to determine growth, strength and capability.¡±

    The projector clicked again, this time showing a grainy image of two battling recruits. The first had her legs locked around her opponent¡¯s torso from behind, holding a silver dagger angled towards his terrified left eye. The other had his baton outstretched, a great blaze billowing from the end.

    ¡°While it¡¯s hard to say which rules the sergeants will employ for bootcamp, it is expected that we will be engaging in direct combat with our fellows.¡±

    The final slide featured the man with the baton again, only this time he stood victorious, a silver and blue medal hanging from his neck.

    ¡°Glory is the obvious motivator here. This year, I intend to crush them viciously,¡± Will paused, his gaze shifting from Norok to Daimona. ¡°...That¡¯s almost not impossible.¡±

    ¡°Aw, thanks,¡± Norok replied sarcastically.

    Daimona snored again, as if on cue.

    ¡°On top of glory, though, there¡¯s also the fact that if we perform well here, we will have access to the first round of mission assignments. In the past, winners have taken the operations that bring the most pride to Fable, leaving the losers with diplomatic slop.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been stuck on base for a while now,¡± Kell said, giving Norok a bashful look. ¡°You could say we¡¯re pretty tired of it.¡±

    ¡°Exhausted,¡± Irina replied bluntly.

    ¡°Now,¡± Will carried on, pulling out a leather journal and placing it on the table, ¡°I¡¯ve called in a few favors to get some further information on Squad 57¡¯s roster. For the most part, there¡¯s been no changes, but that just means we¡¯ll be facing the same major threats from before.¡±

    As he opened his journal, he revealed a single, black and white photo, featuring a familiar face. Norok¡¯s eyes widened, his mouth falling open as Will¡¯s final words began to sink in.

    ¡°Their captain, Bash Lotsvatinus, is our greatest enemy here. It will take all of us-- and I mean all of us-- to take this woman down.¡±

 Chapter 9

    <h5> </h5>

    The morning sun beamed down upon the five as they traveled through the endless fields of yellow-green grass. Daimona curled her fingers around the straps of her backpack, eagerly taking in the sight of the westward reaches.

    ¡°Irina said there¡¯s plenty of cool stuff to hunt along the way,¡± she said, nudging Norok with a grin. ¡°It¡¯ll be just like old times, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Norok simply grunted in return. He had been moody and distant for almost a week now, muttering rapidly to himself after the big bootcamp meeting and barely following along in the simulated combats Will was running. Daimona interrogated him every night for the cause, but he shrugged her off each time.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just got a lot on my mind,¡± he said, his eyes laser-focused on his shoes. ¡°Bootcamp stuff and all that.¡±

    ¡°Since when do you care about bootcamp?¡± Daimona whined, smacking their bunk with frustration. But Norok quickly rolled over, his fake-snores only increasing in volume every time Daimona tried to shake him.

    Norok was usually a secretive nerd, sure. Daimona was certain his poorly-hidden anxiety would tear through that cool-guy facade, and he''d come running straight to her to confess whatever newfound worry was eating at him. When they were kids, he couldn''t last more than a week before he''d wind up bawling into her shoulders, crying ¡°What if I don''t survive tomorrow''s test? What if I forget how to use my magic? What if Doctor hates me?¡±

    And Daimona, the perfect sister she was, would pinch the bridge of his nose until he stopped crying and make him laugh so hard, the facilitators outside would pound on the door and tell them to knock it off. Nowadays, it was a little harder to do, given that it was significantly more difficult to control her own strength, but the idea was the same-- Norok would cry, and Daimona would make it better. That was her job, as his sister and his confidant, and as annoying as he was going to be about it, Daimona didn¡¯t mind waiting a little longer.

    What she did mind was how attached Norok suddenly was to Will. Overnight her brother had apparently abandoned all of his talk about ¡°staying here too long¡± and ¡°forgetting who we are,¡± and was now obsessed with playing lapdog to their egomaniac leader. ¡°I agree with Will¡± and ¡°I think we should do what Will says, guys,¡± seemed to be his new catchphrase, and it was really starting to get on Daimona¡¯s nerves.

    ¡°Tiny Tadpole,¡± Irina had started calling him, since he wasn¡¯t big enough to be a real frog just yet. Seeing him physically jump at the chance just to bring Will coffee, Daimona was inclined to agree.

    ¡°Norok told me you guys used to live out in the southern forests,¡± Kell said cheerily, shaking Daimona from her thoughts. ¡°Is this your first time traveling into Fable?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Daimona answered, watching Norok trot up to walk alongside Will. She turned to Kell, disappointed by her brother, but eager for conversation. ¡°Are there bears here too?¡±

    Kell shook his head with a chuckle. ¡°No, it¡¯s illegal for bears to trespass within Fable grounds. Same with elk, wolves, tigers, snakes¡­ Anything thats got true magic and a pulse has to be vetted thoroughly before coming through, since this is the human territory.¡±

    ¡°Do bears get their own territory?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re one of the major ones!¡± Kell listed them off on his fingers. ¡°Callistus is bears, Herald¡¯s sort of a big jungle, uh¡­ Oh, Lupine is wolves--¡±

    Irina barked a laugh, interrupting Kell. ¡°Lupine isn¡¯t real.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? Of course it¡¯s real, it¡¯s on every map,¡± Kell replied. Irina trotted forward, linking her arm through Daimona¡¯s. She shot Kell a condescending look.

    ¡°If only your brain could spark as much as your hands,¡± she quipped, sticking her nose up. ¡°Everyone knows the wolves are gone. They died with their leader a decade ago.¡±

    Kell furrowed his eyebrows, pouting as his cheeks began to flush with frustration. ¡°That hasn¡¯t been confirmed, Irina.¡±

    ¡°Sparkboy has a soft spot for the animal nations,¡± Irina said, ignoring Kell to whisper to Daimona. ¡°That is why he pretends to know so much.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t pretend!¡± Kell huffed. ¡°I just¡­ I do a lot of research in my free time.¡±

    ¡°Ask me about the wolves,¡± Irina said, her eyes shining with pride.

    Kell uttered a noise in disbelief, but Daimona held Irina¡¯s stare and obliged. ¡°What do you know about them?¡±

    ¡°I saw her,¡± Irina said softly. ¡°The Alpha.¡±

    The title meant nothing to Daimona, but Kell¡¯s body language shifted immediately. He glared at Irina as she continued.

    ¡°She passed through my village when I was small. This great beast with a pitch black coat and snarling jaw¡­ Her pack followed, but not one was even half her size. Half her might. She was beautiful.¡±

    ¡°That could¡¯ve been any wolf,¡± Kell interjected flatly. ¡°Why would the leader of the entire wolf territory be on the move? That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±

    ¡°The men in my village-- violent bastards-- they refused to attack her. I clung to Mama¡¯s legs and asked her why they would not fight, and you know what she told me?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Daimona asked with fascination.

    ¡°She said, ¡®That is a legendary warrior. We honor those who pass through.¡¯ And we did. We bowed as she passed, and we did not rise until her pack was out of sight.¡±

    ¡°If you believe the wolves were great, why do you think they¡¯re dead?¡± Kell argued. ¡°Don¡¯t you think they could¡¯ve survived the loss of one leader?¡±

    Irina shook her head with a stern look. ¡°I was there when they sent out the news. With the death of their most precious legend, no species could survive. No species is meant to. And that is why no one has seen wolves since.¡±

    They walked in silence after that. Daimona mulled her thoughts over, imagining the magnificent creature Irina described. Then, she looked to Kell¡¯s dejected expression, watching him shuffle with his jacket straps for a moment.

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    She leaned over and whispered, ¡°I think they¡¯re still around.¡±

    Kell¡¯s expression brightened. ¡°You too?¡±

    Daimona nodded, glancing over to make sure Irina wasn¡¯t looking. She was busying herself with tormenting Will, complaining about their route again as Norok tried to argue over her.

    ¡°I mean, why not? If they could have one strong wolf, they could have another. Right?¡±

    Kell offered her a warm smile. ¡°I think so too. I just don¡¯t like the idea of a whole race of creatures just up and vanishing, you know? Just because they¡¯re not human doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t deserve to live their lives too.¡±

    ¡°A lot of animals are better than humans anyways,¡± Daimona added.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Kell replied. ¡°It¡¯s nice to know I¡¯m not the only one.¡±

    As the day continued on, the trek weighed on Daimona. Walking was boring. Hours and hours of moving in the same direction, with nothing new to look except for more grass, a few trees and an afternoon sky that couldn¡¯t even offer her a cloud to ponder. Walking was more than boring-- walking was torture.

    ¡°Where are we going again?¡± Daimona sighed.

    ¡°Halltown,¡± Will replied shortly, offering her an annoying smirk over his shoulder. ¡°Need to rest your legs already, Private?¡±

    Daimona puffed her cheeks, sticking her tongue out at him and blowing a curt raspberry. ¡°Pbbbft, no! I can go on forever.¡±

    Will chuckled. ¡°Well, thankfully you won¡¯t have to. It¡¯s just over the hill.¡±

    Daimona followed where he pointed. In the distance appeared to be a small town, sprouting from the fields below like a cluster of brown-capped mushrooms. The ant-sized silhouettes of people moved between the little buildings, some tugging animals along, others pulling children and carts. As the squad neared the entrance, a grand fenced gate with the town name painted neatly in white on the hanging signpost, Daimona felt a change in the air.

    Now closer, she could see the majority of the people were migrating to the right side of the town. Families marched on, silent to their children¡¯s frantic questions as a handful of soldiers in silver gas masks appeared to be boarding up the windows on every building.

    An older woman stopped them before they could step foot inside the town. She was tall, her face wrinkled with age and littered with tiny, white scars that shone like constellations against her skin. A navy blue gas mask hung low around her neck, the goggles reflecting the grand silver-sword pinned to her breast pocket. As she cocked her head, her topaz eyes surveyed the group, moving from one face to another with a curious expression.

    ¡°Which one of you is Saint?¡± she asked. Despite her intimidating demeanor, her voice remained warm and light. Will stepped forward, offering his hand.

    ¡°Right here, ma¡¯am,¡± he replied politely, reaching into his jacket to pull out his ID to offer her. Daimona fought the urge to mimic him mockingly, amused by the sudden humility in his tone. But something about this strange woman reminded her of the cold Sergeant Cowell. Maybe it was in her stare, or just the authority she seemed to hold, but Daimona got the distinct feeling that this woman powerful, and was the key to more food. Her stomach gurgled at the thought.

    The woman looked from his ID back to him. ¡°When Cowell said you were taking the scenic route, I assumed he meant you wouldn¡¯t get here for another couple days. You¡¯re not being chased, are you?¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± Will said, letting out a charming, breathy laugh that made Daimona cringe. ¡°We¡¯re just ready to win.¡±

    The woman handed Will¡¯s ID back with a thoughtful nod. ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯ll have my men direct you through to the end of town. You¡¯ll follow that route through to Linnstan.¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh-- We--¡± Will cleared his throat. ¡°I was intending to stay here in Halltown for the night, so my squad and I could restock before our route. We¡¯re not going to Linnstan, as I¡¯m sure Sergeant Cowell mentioned.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be possible,¡± the woman replied. She gestured to the scene behind her. ¡°Halltown is under an inspection for the next twenty-four hours. No one stays besides the registered citizens and my personnel.¡±

    Will tilted his head, and Daimona could see the forced smile waning thin on his face. ¡°Listen, ma¡¯am, with all due respect--¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, Private Saint,¡± the woman interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s not ma¡¯am. It¡¯s Captain Wildewood. The first thing you can respect is my authority here. We¡¯re in the middle of our operation here, and you¡¯re impeding it.¡±

    ¡°But--¡±

    ¡°--And the next thing you can do with that respect of yours is walk it right on out of here and drop it off at the capital.¡± Before Will could argue, she clapped her hands, and four gas-mask wearing soldiers arrived promptly at her side. ¡°Take these five to the North gate,¡± she ordered, then with a final nod to Will, she said, ¡°And make sure they know how grateful we are for their understanding.¡±

    ¡°Merlin¡¯s teeth,¡± Will grumbled bitterly, ignoring Irina¡¯s snide smile as he stomped his way forward. Daimona walked wide, every step on her toes as she gawked at the moving townspeople. None of them would get within five feet of the group as the soldiers escorted them.

    ¡°Hey Kell,¡± she said, throwing an arm around his shoulders and pulling him into her suddenly. She whispered, ¡°What¡¯s an inspection?¡±

    For the first time since they arrived, Daimona realized Kell was trembling. His face had gone stark white, his fingers clenched into such tight fists that small beads of blood were beginning to escape his palms. Through gritted teeth, he said in a low voice, ¡°They¡¯re looking for Blems here. It¡¯s not an inspection¡­ It¡¯s a Cleansing.¡±

    Just as Daimona was about to ask what he meant, they came to a stop in the center of the town. A cobblestone pavement expanded before them, with abandoned vegetable carts and merchant tents standing all around the sides. The soldier leading had an arm thrown out, as a shrill scream broke the air ahead.

    While Kell looked down, his cap hiding his expression, Daimona moved to stand closer to Norok. She grabbed his arm as she leaned forward, looking to locate the noise.

    A group of soldiers were dragging what looked to be a child out of a nearby building. As they threw the boy in the center of the square, Daimona could see a series of abnormalities in his appearance. From his head rose the quivering gray ears of a donkey, a matching tail tucked under and wrapped around his left leg. There were no whites to his eyes. Instead, they were black pearls, dribbling over with floods of tears that mingled with his snot.

    A woman chased them out of the house, sobbing in a language Daimona couldn¡¯t recognize. She appeared to be just another run-of-the-mill human, but her ragged clothing and stubby nose matched the boy¡¯s. She grabbed the soldier¡¯s arm and shook it desperately.

    ¡°Crila,¡± she wept, reaching for the boy. ¡°Crila!¡±

    In an instant, the soldier she was latched onto dropped the boy¡¯s arm and whirled around to her. She was knocked to the ground, and before she could even raise her head to look up at the soldier, a bolt of fire came crashing down towards her. In a ball of hot, white light, the woman¡¯s figure vanished, leaving the smell of burning viscera and ash in her wake. The child howled, hysterically clawing at the ash with his free hand. As he examined the meager palmful, a great ball of water formed over his head. It engulfed his face, sending him into a confused panic as he threw his hands up to his mouth only to realize he couldn¡¯t pull them out of the sphere. As he fell lifeless to the cobble, the water bubble popped, revealing his agonized, bloated face.

    The soldier in front of Will pulled their arm up once the others had begun to drag the body off. Irina and Will marched forward, with little more than a glance at the stains. Norok gave her hand a soft pat, silently signaling to her that this was something they¡¯d have to talk about later before he moved to join the other two.

    Daimona turned to Kell. She had expected to find him still frozen to the spot with the same gloomy look from before. But Kell was already looking at her, a stoic, hardened look on his face.

    Quietly, she asked, ¡°What did they do?¡±

    Kell simply shook his head. He stalked past her, his face unreadable. Silently, the soldiers ushered them to the North gate, and Daimona gave the horizon of Halltown one final glance. Several black trails of smoke twisted from between the buildings, reaching to the sky like a final cry for help. Before Daimona could think anything more of it, her stomach churned with hunger again, and she turned to follow the rest of her squad onto the road.

 Chapter 10

    <h5>CHAPTER TEN</h5>

    The capital of Fable hid itself behind a series of silver arches, the sharp ends staked into the ground and disappearing beneath the old cobble. Inside, the buildings sprouted like mushrooms, beginning with bulbous stalks that grew into steel spheres. Steam poured out of iron chimneys and half-circle cutouts in each roof. Even with the sun setting rapidly behind, the bright glow from each bubbled home was enough to keep the city in sight.

    Norok gawked at the new world around him. There were swarms of people walking past, donning pristine white clothes and silver robes. There were merchants shouting for him to look their way in the streets, holding out arms of jewelry and gold. The ones who stood back let their work speak for them, levitating whole stands of trinkets in the air. An artist sat at the front of a long line of people, sketching a young woman in a gold robe. She played with her red hair nervously. Norok watched as the artist raised a hand, and six bright glowing lights formed in the air and buzzed around her, lighting her features from all angles.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± Norok asked, raising his voice over the city.

    ¡°Nothing that won¡¯t outlive us all. Let¡¯s keep going,¡± Will chirped back. His pace seemed to quicken with the answer.

    In his peripherals, Norok could see Irina stop and pull Daimona off towards what looked to be a food cart. A large woman on the other side slammed her butcher knife down into the counter, emitting a loud slop as the mystery meat sunk in two. The counter began to glow bright red with heat. Daimona cheered and clapped as the meat sizzled.

    He turned to tell Will-- it was part of his new good soldier routine, to make up for handing secrets directly to the enemy-- but Will¡¯s head had already disappeared into the horde coming down the street. Norok turned, expecting to give Kell a shrug and a What now? look, but the brunette boy had disappeared too, probably wandering off somewhere like the other two. It was just Norok now, alone.

    He raised his head to the sky, peering above the city lights and the rolling gusts of gray. Somewhere above the cacophony, there had to be stars. Norok had seen them on the journey there. They seemed to glitter above him wherever he went, the only thing in this world as seemingly constant as his sister¡¯s hunger. But the darkened sky hovered above him, the city smog keeping it shrouded in black.

    Norok closed his eyes. Are you there? Are you watching?

    His thoughts echoed inside his skull. He could feel people brushing by him on all sides, but he remained planted firmly where he stood. Say something, he urged, searching for that second voice inside him. Images of what he¡¯d seen-- the child in Halltown, the mother set ablaze before him-- raced through his mind.

    The silence left a bitter taste in Norok¡¯s mouth. ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t need your input anyways.¡±

    The sound of steel sparking against itself caused Norok to jump. His eyes snapped open as he whirled around. Several feet ahead, a stage appeared to be moving towards him. Smoke poured from beneath as it slowly lurched forward, eliciting gasps of awe from all sides as the metal floor melted and rose, forming a figure hunched on four legs. As the creature rose, tufts of silver fur emerged from its back, a pointed snout pulled from the head like a stick of taffy. The metal wolf howled, a canned, garbled sound that bounced off the buildings. From behind, another figure rose, this time human. A sword extended from a pair of rugged hands, rising above the wolf¡¯s neck from behind. Norok watched as the blade came down, cutting into the wolf and sending a shiny splatter of blood up. Both figures melted and reformed, only the wolf was gone. In its place was a bear, then a tiger, then a gathering of snakes and birds, each creature more intricate and monstrous than the last. But the man and the sword remained the same. Norok snorted at the exaggerated breastplate and feather-adorned helmet, a theatrical show of heroism he¡¯d only seen in his childhood facility¡¯s books.

    ¡°What a joke,¡± Norok muttered.

    ¡°I know,¡± a voice next to him agreed. ¡°The feather¡¯s not that big.¡±

    Norok eyed the stranger carefully. The woman standing next to him was tall and broad, a familiar suit of silver-plated armor adding to her intimidating figure. Short black curls framed her brown-red face, bouncing lightly as she offered Norok a gap-toothed smile.

    ¡°Everyone really loves it, though,¡± she added, her gaze softening on the shifting stage as the people cheered. ¡°So I don¡¯t mind it as much.¡±

    Norok opened his mouth, preparing another snide remark before thinking back to Bash. Last time he had written someone off as unimportant, they turned out to be an obstacle. He wouldn¡¯t be making that mistake again.

    ¡°Piece of advice, rookie,¡± the woman said, clapping a hand on Norok¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Never doubt yourself when you''re doing the right thing.¡±

    Norok scoffed. ¡°I never do, lady. But thanks.¡±

    The woman laughed heartily. ¡°What''s your name, kid?¡±

    ¡°Norok,¡± he replied. The woman nodded, repeating his name with a reverent look.

    ¡°Norok, huh? That''s a new one¡­ I''ll probably forget it anyways.¡±

    ¡°Then why ask?¡±

    ¡°Cause you''ve got the look of a knight, Norok. A knight like me,¡± she answered proudly. ¡°Ser Gawain.¡±

    ¡°...Okay,¡± Norok said slowly. The hierarchy of the world''s power was still a mystery to him. Knights didn''t really mix with sergeants and privates in his mind. What were the knights even for, anyway? There wasn''t a king.

    Or, actually, maybe there was. Come to think of it, Norok didn''t really know. He set the pinned notion to the back of his mind, adding it to the list of things to ask Kell. Gawain could probably answer all of his questions too, but the longer the arrogant woman spoke, the more Norok started to tune her out.

    A hand reached out, yanking Norok to the side. Will¡¯s red face glared at him, standing in the smoky trail of Gawain¡¯s parade.

    ¡°I thought I ordered you to keep up,¡± he seethed through gritted teeth. His head darted to the left and right. ¡°And where are the others?!¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Norok shrugged. ¡°Everyone got kinda lost, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Merlin¡¯s teeth--¡± Will swore violently. Then his eyes fell on Gawain. His posture changed immediately, snapping to attention as his hand dropped from Norok¡¯s arm.

    So the knights do rank higher than privates and captains, Norok thought, watching Will fumble over his words.

    ¡°S-Ser Gawain, it¡¯s an honor to see you again!¡±

    Gawain rubbed her jaw indifferently. ¡°Yes, yes, an honor as always to meet a rookie in training.¡±

    Will¡¯s face fell. He stepped nearer to her, and Norok could practically smell the desperation for approval. Will placed one hand over his chest, offering his civil and polite smile. ¡°Actually, we met before I enlisted. On my family¡¯s estate? You came to ask my father for a sword-- the sword, Galatine?¡±

    Her face lit up, a loud thunderous gasp erupting from the pit of her massive chest. She pulled Will into a bear hug, swinging him around like a dead fish.

    ¡°You¡¯re one of the Saint boys, yes! I do remember you, you¡¯re-- Warren? No, Wyatt! Wyatt yes, hi!¡±

    The corners of Will¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Will. Ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°What did I say?¡± Gawain waived her hand in the air, moving on without another word from Will. ¡°Nevermind that, how¡¯s your big brother Dean?¡±

    Will¡¯s expression immediately turned sour. Norok stifled a laugh as the bitter captain muttered under his breath, ¡°We¡¯re twins.¡±

    ¡°Really? He just seemed so much older to me,¡± Gawain chuckled. ¡°Always standing in front, chasing off the made-up monsters in the yard and hiding you in the bushes¡­ I remember he asked me for lessons once, saying he had to protect you from the stags and sharks. He was such a cute kid... Is he here too?¡±

    She looked over the crowd behind him, her eyes roaming everywhere but Will¡¯s stern, darkened face. ¡°He died a couple years ago. Accident in the forge.¡±

    Gawain turned back. Her gaze softened. She reached out and placed a firm hand on Will¡¯s head, patting lightly. ¡°My condolences. I didn¡¯t realize.¡±

    There was a peculiar apathy in Will¡¯s tone as he thanked her. Norok could see the tension in his balled up fists, the straight-laced anger in his rigid back. Norok knew grief-- it was something he had to carry, for both himself and Daimona-- but this was different. It was as if Will was telling a story that had to be true, but not one that necessarily was.

    Norok sighed. Baggage, he thought. This team¡¯s full of it.

    A shrill scream pierced the air, interrupting the sounds of cheering and laughter for Gawain¡¯s glory. Norok could see people beginning to back away from the entrance to an alleyway, a man scuffling back on his feet and pointing wildly into the dark.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s a--!!¡±

    A great beast emerged from the alley. It had the form of a lion, with a muscular build and a bulky mane flowing from its head. But the body itself was pitch black, dripping like tar as it moved. It sauntered from the dark with pupiless, white eyes.

    Norok heard Will¡¯s gun click behind him, the portal closing with a soft whir.

    ¡°Ser Gawain, if you can handle crowd control--¡±

    ¡°--I leave the beast to you, lads!¡± Gawain shouted, already running off in the direction of the fleeing civilians. She winked at Norok as she looked back over her shoulder one final time. ¡°Do the right thing!¡±

    ¡°Norok, deal with the lion,¡± Will ordered, taking a running start in the opposite direction. ¡°I¡¯ll do the rest.¡±

    ¡°Rest of what?! It¡¯s one guy!¡± Norok yelled at Will¡¯s retreating back. He threw his hands in his pockets, strolling towards the beast. It growled as he neared, more black ooze dripping from its mouth. The lion backed into the alley, obscuring itself in the shadows.

    Don¡¯t let it lure you in.

    Norok rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh, now you wanna talk? Get off my ass, dude.¡± He drew his right hand out, pointing towards the ground. ¡°Down, kitty.¡±

    The lion splat into the ground, the form melting immediately. Then, it drew into itself again, straining under Norok¡¯s magic and pulling itself deeper and deeper into the shadows. A string of black shot out, wrapping around Norok¡¯s leg and knocking him on his back.

    Norok quickly pointed to the right. The monster let out a shriek as its mass was thrown into the wall, flattening out until it formed a circle five times Norok¡¯s size. It tightened its grip, pulling Norok with it and dragging him into the ebony center of the puddle. Small tendrils spiraled from beneath his ribcage, twisting up and puncturing through his skin. Norok hissed in pain.

    Suddenly, a flash of silver soared through the air, sinking into the creature and just barely nicking Norok¡¯s left arm. Once it made contact, it began to blaze with fire, startling the wretched monster and causing it to squeal with shock. It dropped Norok, dripping down the wall and rolling into itself to put out the flames.

    Norok was pulled to his feet, Kell yanking him backwards and causing them both to fall behind Irina. Kell offered him an apologetic smile from below. ¡°Better late than never, right?¡±

    From the other side of the alleyway, Norok could see Will standing in front of Daimona. His gun was raised, one eye closed as he aimed.

    ¡°Now, Daimona!¡±

    She took in a massive breath, puffing out her chest before leaning over to scream, ¡°Come here, goo boy!¡±

    The creature twisted up, shooting from the ground like a geyser as it rushed towards the two. Will fired six shots, each bullet causing a silver ripple as it made contact with the beast. Irina flung her kindjal, as Kell snapped his fingers together and bathed the blade in flames.

    ¡°Norok,¡± Will shouted. ¡°Contain it!!¡±

    Contain it? Norok couldn¡¯t do that. He could move it, but he couldn¡¯t keep the damn thing pinned. He tried that, and he had gotten his rib cage smashed for his troubles.

    Just do it, the voice urged. Norok bit his lip, his nerves getting the better of him.

    Kell reached out suddenly, grabbing Norok¡¯s hands. He looked sternly at Norok, forcing Norok to clap them together and dig his fingers into the opposing knuckles.

    ¡°Hold it together,¡± Kell said, giving Norok a reassuring grin. ¡°That¡¯s all you have to do.¡±

    Something surged inside of Norok, a spark of inspiration. He snapped his attention to the creature, and before the words even left his mouth, he could feel his magic strangling its form. The bubbling ooze was forced from the ground, floating in the air and writhing against itself. Norok squeezed his palms closer and closer, watching with wonder as the body seemed to shrink in his grasp. It screeched one final time before popping viscerally under the pressure, suffocating under Norok¡¯s triumphant touch.

    For a moment, everyone was stark silent. Then, Will grinned wildly. ¡°Good work, everyone. We just averted our first crisis.¡±

 Chapter 11

    <h5>CHAPTER ELEVEN</h5>

    Daimona stared up at the flayed dog. Impaled on a steel spike in the middle of the street, its blue-pink tongue lolled from its open mouth, entrails swaying in unison with the wind. Blood-stained patches of fur littered the ground below like breadcrumbs.

    Norok stood next to her with an equally blank expression. He whistled at the sight. ¡°Guess that knight lady¡¯s no joke.¡±

    Images of the night before flashed through Daimona¡¯s mind; after Will led them out of the alleyway, they found the people of Linnstan crowding around the armored woman. She raised her arm, revealing the small, brown mutt dangling by its scruff in her hand. It whimpered as she showed it off, inciting a flood of shouts and screams from the crowd.

    ¡°Kill it!!¡±

    ¡°Kill the beast!¡±

    All the while, the dog whimpered with bulging brown eyes. Daimona could see dribbles of the same black liquid ebbing at the edges of its mouth. The armored woman ran her sword through it mercilessly right then and there. Sergeant Cowell¡¯s voice rang in Daimona¡¯s mind as she watched the brutal scene. Consider this your first lesson in hierarchy.

    ¡°Will was saying that it prolly wandered in from the fields,¡± she said. ¡°We might see more on our way to bootcamp.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll catch one,¡± Norok replied with a smirk. ¡°Chop it up, roast it on some skewers¡­ I¡¯m sure Irina would be down for some dog food.¡±

    But Daimona wasn¡¯t listening to her brother. Instead, she had turned her attention to the two strangers who had come to visit the macabre shrine. They were both young, a pair of redheaded twins no older than ten. The first stepped forward, her puffy red face framed by two thickly braided pigtails. She fell to her knees and began sobbing loudly. Her sister pulled a neat, white handkerchief from her dress pocket and shoved it towards her with a loud shush.

    ¡°He was a criminal, Delilah!¡±

    The crying girl wailed. ¡°H-h-he w-was not!! He was soft, and kind, and he was the nicest dog and I loved him, Nelly!!¡±

    Nelly clamped her hand over her sister¡¯s mouth. She quickly scanned the street around them, head spinning from side to side until she locked eyes with Daimona. Nervously, she smiled.

    ¡°Sorry, she¡¯s-- She¡¯s confused,¡± Nelly offered.

    Delilah shoved her sister aside, staring up at Daimona indignantly. ¡°Jelly was a good dog, and he wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone! I swear!¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Norok snorted. ¡°That thing threw me against a wall.¡±

    ¡°Only because he was scared!!¡±

    Norok rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he glowered down at the little girl. ¡°Scared things don¡¯t bite the good guys. Not to mention, I heard it injured five random people before we got to it. Trust me kid, you¡¯re better off with a pet rock.¡±

    Nelly reached out, pulling Delilah up by the hand with a sympathetic look. ¡°The pink man¡¯s right, Delilah. Jelly was a bad boy, and he hurt a lot of people¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Delilah stomped her foot, sneering at Norok. ¡°You didn¡¯t know him! He was protecting me from the wolf!¡±

    For a moment, it was as if the whole city went silent. The words echoed distantly in Daimona¡¯s mind, a picture of black fur and yellowed fangs rushing towards her illuminating her thoughts. Then the wind came flowing by, and Nelly¡¯s sighs sent the image up in smoke.

    ¡°Enough, Delilah,¡± she said quietly, tugging her indignant twin along. ¡°Father¡¯s waiting for us.¡±

    The two hurried around the impaled dog. Delilah shot one final glare at Norok before they scuttled off, joining Linnstan¡¯s faceless crowds again. Daimona turned to her brother with an unamused frown.

    ¡°¡®Scared things don¡¯t bite the good guys¡¯?¡± she repeated flatly. ¡°Where¡¯d you get that? Captain Four-Eyes?¡±

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Norok shrugged. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s true. We¡¯re supposed to help people and stuff, that¡¯s what we¡¯re training for.¡±

    Daimona¡¯s stomach curdled. She punched Norok in the shoulder. ¡°Name one person we¡¯ve helped, dumbass.¡±

    ¡°Ow!¡± Norok whined. ¡°No one yet, but that¡¯s what bootcamp¡¯s for.¡±

    ¡°Going to bootcamp won¡¯t make us better people, Norok,¡± Daimona replied harshly. ¡°It hasn¡¯t done any good for anyone we¡¯ve met. They all just kill and kill, pretending that it means something when it just doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What, and we were doing something different on our own?¡±

    Daimona gazed up at the dog. Her stomach lurched, but she bit her lip hard to suppress the feeling. Through gritted teeth, she replied in a low voice. ¡°They¡¯re not going to eat that. They¡¯re going to leave that creature up there and dance around it until it rots. At least when we kill, it¡¯s on an empty stomach.¡±

    Norok huffed, rubbing at the back of his neck indifferently. ¡°When did you get so gloomy?¡±

    ¡°Probably when you went and stole the stick out of Will¡¯s ass to shove up your own,¡± Daimona muttered back. She whirled on her foot, heading back in the direction of the inn they had spent the night in. Norok chased after her.

    ¡°Daimona--¡±

    ¡°--Can it,¡± Daimona waived him off. She didn¡¯t even feel like looking at him. All this talk about forgetting who they were, losing track of what they came for, only for Norok to end up a carbon copy of the Fable filth.

    ¡°Mona,¡± Norok pleaded. He grabbed her arm. She could have thrown him off, tossed him through the stem-shaped foundation of the nearest building with such ease. But the regretful, shameful look in his eyes caught her off guard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Daimona searched his face very carefully. Norok was a good liar, but he had his tells-- a twitchy right eye, a left-leaning smirk-- and if she caught any of them, any of them, she¡¯d kick his ass right here in the middle of the street. But his face remained completely earnest, his eyebrows even furrowed with concern.

    ¡°I know we haven¡¯t been talking much,¡± he added slowly. ¡°And that¡¯s my fault. I guess¡­ I¡¯ve gotten pretty caught up in doing all this stuff that I kinda left you on your own.¡±

    Well, with Irina, Daimona corrected mentally, but nodded along all the same.

    ¡°And that¡¯s kinda shitty on my part¡­¡± Norok¡¯s eyes dodged hers, plummeting to the ground. ¡°So¡­ My bad.¡±

    Daimona planted her hands on her hips, feeling a sudden pride watching her brother grovel pathetically. Chest puffed out, she raised her head high. ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you, brother.¡±

    ¡°...Cool--¡±

    ¡°If,¡± she jabbed a finger into his chest, punctuating every word with another pointed push. ¡°You tell me why you¡¯ve actually been sucking up to Will.¡±

    Norok¡¯s cheeks flared. He tried to form a nonchalant expression, but Daimona could already see his lips curling harder to the left. She immediately crossed her arms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie,¡± she said sternly. His shoulders sank.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Norok sighed. ¡°I sort of screwed up¡­¡±

    ¡­

    A few days later, Daimona pushed through the final stretches of the wilds. Irina quickly emerged from the thicket, with Will, Kell and Norok huffing and puffing not far behind. Before them appeared to be a massive dirt clearing, gated by a pair of gargantuan trees. They mirrored one another, perfectly symmetrical as they angled upwards and wove their branches into intricate wooden knots. Two swords were planted at the foot of each tree, embedded so deep into the roots that Daimona could only make out their hilts.

    Will stepped forward, clearing his throat before pushing ahead. He turned his head up to the sky, and shouted, ¡°Butterpie!¡±

    Daimona crinkled her nose, turning to Irina inquisitively. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what he always says in the simulation chamber too?¡±

    Irina nodded. ¡°It is the dumb catchphrase Fable uses for everything. Apparently the language magic of the animals is, eh¡­ Not good at pronouncing that one.¡±

    Before she could point out how ridiculous that explanation was, the circular entrance formed by the trees rippled with a soft chime. As it peeled away like vines falling to the ground, Daimona watched in awe as a grand tower was revealed in the center of the clearing. Made of black-stone bricks, it climbed high into the treetops and branched out into floating islands. Each segment was linked by bridges made of levitating step stones, each dangerously moving with the wind.

    Standing before the entrance to the tower were two men. The first Daimona recognized immediately-- the stoic Sergeant Cowell, still wearing his unrevealing sunglasses. He regarded them with a solemn nod as they made their way closer. The other was scruffy, a short thin man with a sallow face. His wiry, greying hair stuck out in waves from under his rumpled hat.

    Slowly, a white fog began rushing towards the group, emanating from the shoes of the disheveled stranger. For a moment, Daimona swore she could see Cowell frown, but quickly felt an encroaching chill crawling up her legs. Her body stiffened, her fingers becoming raw and rapidly turning blue.

    ¡°Sorry kiddos,¡± the man chirped. He raised his hand, revealing a glistening gauntlet of ice encasing it. ¡°You already lost.¡±

 Chapter 11.5

    <h5>CHAPTER ELEVEN POINT FIVE</h5>

    Daimona felt her body drifting away from her in the frost. Pieces of her were falling numb-- her feet, her hands, even her chest seemed like it was struggling to squeeze out every breath.

    ¡°Pultz,¡± Sergeant Cowell said sternly. ¡°Knock it off.¡±

    The iceman heaved a great sigh, lowering his mighty gauntlet. The temperature slowly began to rise, giving Daimona some freedom in her upper body, but her lower half seemed to still be thawing.

    She couldn''t see Will¡¯s sour face behind her, but she could him seething as he spat violently between shivers, ¡°W-what th-th-the hell is he doing here?!¡±

    ¡°Big Man didn''t tell you either, huh?¡± Pultz watched indifferently as his ice gauntlet began to melt, dripping to the ground. The puddle below lasted only for a moment, before it froze over at his feet and shifted upward, forming a cartoonish ice imp with short horns and wings pointing excitedly at Pultz. ¡°I''m your proctor this year. Sergeant Hogan Pultz, at your service.¡±

    Irina erupted into a maniacal cackle. Kell began murmuring to himself, and Daimona could only catch pieces of his nervous monologue before Will groaned and shouted, ¡°Sergeant Cowell, please, there has to be someone else!¡±

    Cowell shook his head. He turned his back on them, and Daimona swore she caught a slight chuckle leave him before disappearing into the tower. Pultz walked closer to the group.

    ¡°So are you bootcamp?¡± Daimona asked, turning her attention to Pultz once Irina¡¯s laughter had died down.

    ¡°Nah, I''m just one of the guys who runs it when they make me,¡± Pultz replied dully. Then, looking at her inquisitively, ¡°Does the hair give you some kind of advantage, or is it just to distract from another lackluster skillset?¡±

    A flash of silver flew through the air from behind Daimona. The ice imp jumped in front of Pultz, catching Irina¡¯s fragment. It twirled on one foot, performing a mocking victory dance.

    ¡°Easy, Miss Smirnov,¡± Pultz chuckled. ¡°Just a little harmless teasing.¡±

    ¡°Tease the frogs, Pultz,¡± Irina said. ¡°Not her.¡±

    Pultz raised his eyebrows, giving Irina an amused grin. ¡°In any case, Saint, you''ve brought a major gaggle of rookies this year. What''s the big plan? Pack tactics?¡±

    Will stormed forward, limping slightly against the cold as he grabbed Pultz by his collar. ¡°As if I''d ever tell you, after the bullshit you pulled on us last year.¡±

    A chill rolled through the air as Pultz gently pushed Will¡¯s trembling, frostbitten hands away. ¡°Aww, come on kiddo, I said I was sorry. I thought you all knew about Hayha¡¯s transfer, honest!¡±

    ¡°If we knew,¡± Will hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°Then why would we still have her on our side of the field?¡±

    Pultz shrugged. ¡°Camaraderie?¡±

    Will shoved Pultz, reeling up to punch him. Kell surged forward, wrapping his arms around Will¡¯s torso.

    ¡°Will, you''ll get us disqualified!¡±

    Will steadied himself, breathing hard as he calmed down. ¡°We''re winning this year, damn it. And your incompetence will not get in my way again. Do you understand, Pultz?¡±

    ¡°About that, kiddos¡­¡± Pultz stretched high, yawning as ice figures began to form from the frosty ground all around them. ¡°Daddy''s a little sick of watching you fall off the monkey bars. I''ve got better things to do. So, I''m just gonna go ahead and end this early. Sound good?¡±

    The ice figures lurched forward, reaching towards Daimona with grubby, crystal hands.

    She raised one stiff leg, kicking a hole through the creepy, wide-smiling face of the first. It melted instantly, just in time for Daimona to see three more sprinting towards her. She grabbed the two on the outside, bashing them both into the middle figure and shattering all three. Again, they melted, but the next wave was closer. An ice figure tackled Daimona, digging its rounded fingers into her side and causing an immediate shock of icy pain to travel up her spine to the back of her skull. She yelped, eyes darting around for help as the figures began to climb on top of her. Will was chasing an ice imp in circles, as it waived his prized pistol in the air. Kell was surrounded by another hoard, shooting off stray sparks of fire and missing every target. She couldn''t even see Norok-- a gaggle of the sprites had formed a massive dogpile on top of him, one keeping his hands locked in place.

    Irina came rushing forward. Her kindjal sliced through one ice form after another, splintering off at the hilt to spread and pierce the others. Daimona shivered as she was freed from their grasp. She gave Irina a grateful nod before sprinting at Pultz.

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    In a matter of seconds, Daimona charged the scruffy man. He staggered back, eyes wide at her approach. From underneath, Daimona could feel the ground rise, a wave of ice forming under every step and pushing her high into the air. She tried to leap off, but another geyser shot up from below, slamming into her stomach and forming a frigid ring around her midsection. She growled, slamming her fists against the ice. It cracked with every hit, but Pultz only raised both his hands to seal them again.

    ¡°Stop!!¡± Daimona screamed. Her throat burned as she focused her magic on Pultz. For a moment, the ice figures froze in place, and everything in the forest clearing went still. Then Pultz cupped his right ear with his hand, squinting at Daimona.

    ¡°What was that, sweetheart? You''ll have to speak up. My hearing isn''t what it used to be.¡±

    Daimona struggled against her confines, finally breaking through the ice bind as she flexed her shoulders. She came hurtling down to the ground, pushing out her hands to catch herself. Only, she never felt the dirt beneath her.

    Instead, a cocoon of ice formed around her body, locking her limbs inwards and forcing her into an upright fetal position. Pultz kicked the bottom, watching the sphere rock for a moment before clicking his tongue.

    ¡°I remember you,¡± Pultz said. ¡°You''re the sound girl who told an officer to kill himself in the infirmary.¡±

    Pultz pushed the cocoon over with one finger. It crashed into the ground, leaving Daimona in a freezing puddle. The cold had seeped deep into her bones. She couldn''t bring herself to move.

    Pultz raised his eyes. Daimona slowly followed his gaze, watching as several of his ice imps were sent flying upwards. Norok stood victorious, panting and shivering. He opened his mouth, but before any words could leave it, a whirlpool of frozen hands emerged at his feet and knocked him over again.

    ¡°That must be Gravity Boy. Your brother,¡± Pultz continued. ¡°The two of you have quite a reputation with the higher ups.¡±

    Daimona sat up, glaring at Pultz as her teeth clattered against one another. Pultz cocked his head.

    ¡°You''re a handy bag of tricks, I''ll give you that. But those commands of yours aren''t going to fly with your smarter enemies,¡± he said, tapping the side of his lopsided cap. ¡°Good fighters know when to not listen.¡±

    Daimona snarled, trying to force herself upwards but unable to find the strength to do so. Pultz reached out, tapping her on the nose condescendingly. ¡°If I were you, I''d stop bossing everyone around. Maybe you''ll find a better use of your magic then.¡±

    He stepped over her, glancing at Kell. The ice imps were now dancing around him in a circle, having frozen him to a tree. ¡°Still working on your aim I see, Prodikor. Keep it up, I''m sure you''ll hit something in a couple years.¡±

    The ice imps carrying Norok¡¯s arms and legs stopped swinging him as Pultz passed by. He didn''t even look down as he said, ¡°That wide range of yours is worthless if you can''t control what you hit. Maybe use those glasses to actually see what you''re targeting. Just a thought.¡±

    Finally, Pultz stopped in front of Will. The ice imp parading his stolen gun kneeled and offered it to Pultz, as Will panted and gasped for air. Pultz threw the gun to the side. It vanished into the portal instantaneously. Will quickly threw his hand out, summoning the portal at his side, but Pultz¡¯s ice gauntlet materialized faster, and as he struck Will¡¯s outstretched arm and threw the captain back down, the portal disappeared with a pathetic pop.

    ¡°Saint,¡± Pultz said, shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°You pull your gun out the same way every time! It''s been years, and you haven''t changed once!¡±

    He knelt down over Will, slamming the gauntlet down near his head. ¡°Be honest with yourself. You weren''t gonna win shit this year, and I''m doing you a favor by saving you the trouble. Just say you surrender, and we can forget you ever came here.¡±

    Suddenly, Pultz was yanked backwards, as Irina wrestled herself onto his back and used her blade to bar him at the neck. A hot, burning sensation shot through Daimona¡¯s body. She hadn¡¯t even seen Kell make his way to her, but there he was, hands on her shoulders and pulsating with warmth. He kept his eyes squeezed shut.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kell whispered. ¡°I''m pretty bad at this part too.¡±

    As Daimona opened her mouth to reply, a gust of steam billowed out. Kell winced. She just smiled in return.

    Meanwhile, Will pulled his gun, muttering something bitter about routine. With four precise shots, he shattered the ice imps holding Norok. Norok leapt up, directing himself towards Pultz. Instantly, he pointed directly at the man, who was still struggling against Irina.

    ¡°Back.¡±

    Pultz and Irina flew through the air. Kell ducked as they soared by, crashing into the black base of the tower. Irina cried out, her body slinking to the ground. Pultz stood up, spitting blood before giving the rest of the squad a grim look. ¡°Alright, enough¡¯s enough.¡±

    The ice gauntlet grew shards of black, creeping up Pultz''s arm like a spider. A crystal white light formed at the center of his palm. He aimed it down the center of the field.

    Daimona reached up to clutch her throat. She closed her eyes, racking her brain carefully. Lines of sound played in her mind, songs she had written as a child, her brother''s sarcastic tone, the sounds of birds and knives zipping through the air. Then, she focused on the noise she wanted to make, the low, yellowed tone a warbled strand in her mind¡¯s eye.

    The words left her, shooting out into the air and wrapping around the back of Pultz.

    ¡°Knock it off.¡±

    Pultz startled at the sound of Sergeant Cowell¡¯s voice, whipping around to see the source. Seeing the doors to the tower still untouched, Pultz turned back just in time for Norok to pull him to his knees. Will stood proudly in front, his gun raised to Pultz¡¯s temple.

    With a heavy sigh, but an impressed twinkle in his eyes, Pultz dismantled his gauntlet and gave a light nod. ¡°Fine, fine. Maybe you have a chance after all.¡±

 Chapter 12

    <h5>CHAPTER TWELVE</h5>

    The banquet hall was an echo chamber made of dusty black bricks. There were no windows to the outside, leaving it grim and musty inside, with only torches to direct Norok to one of the long dining tables.

    His bones continued to ache from Pultz¡¯s chill as he sat down. He could still feel the imp¡¯s icy hands on his skin, pushing and grating him into the dirt as they gnawed his warmth away. Norok shuddered. It wasn¡¯t enough to see Sergeant Hogan Pultz surrender, he thought, glancing ahead at the man. If Pultz minded Norok¡¯s glare, he didn¡¯t show it, the old man¡¯s eyes glazing over towards the ceiling as the rest of the squad huddled around the table.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the other squad?¡± Will asked.

    Pultz shrugged.

    ¡°What about Sergeant Cowell? Is he around?¡± Kell asked meekly.

    Pultz shrugged again, cleared his throat as though he were about to say something, then yawned instead. Norok would have laughed if he could stop shivering.

    ¡°Who¡¯s--¡± Will started, then Irina reached up and clamped her hand over his mouth with an annoyed look.

    ¡°It is clear the man knows nothing. Let us sit,¡± Irina hissed. Then, she turned to Daimona with a smile so wide, it looked like it hurt. ¡°You did wonderful.¡±

    Daimona blushed. ¡°Aww, thanks! It was nothing really¡­¡±

    ¡°It was nothing,¡± Norok grumbled. ¡°You took forever.¡±

    Irina snapped her head towards Norok. Will caught the movement, throwing his arm out in front of Norok protectively, but Irina simply smacked him away. She grabbed Norok by the collar of his uniform jacket, snapping the silver buttons as she dragged him over the table.

    ¡°You,¡± she seethed. ¡°Do not get to speak.¡±

    Norok scoffed. He cooed mockingly, ¡°What, you¡¯re mad you got tossed around a little?¡±

    He felt something sharp pressing into the back of his skull. It needled into his nape, causing a sharp, intense pain to bloom down his spine. Irina¡¯s knuckles whitened around his lapel.

    ¡°If you ever use your magic on me again, Tadpole, I will gut you and leave your slime for the sun to dry.¡±

    Norok tried to say something, but his tongue was starting to swell, his mouth cotton-dry around the bruising sensation. His vision started flickering, and as he began to panic, he realized the piercing sensation was slowly becoming further and further away. He was losing consciousness.

    ¡°Irina!¡± Norok heard Kell shout, echoing off the walls. A warmth flooded his body, and as he felt himself settling back into his body, he realized Kell¡¯s hand was on his shoulder.

    ¡°Norok can¡¯t control it yet,¡± Kell explained, dark eyebrows furrowed. ¡°He was trying to fight, just like the rest of us.¡±

    Irina rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she sat down with an audible huff. ¡°Two frogs of a pond. Pathetic, both of you.¡±

    Kell leaned forward, looking hopelessly at Will. ¡°Captain, a little help? Please?¡±

    But Will was still staring at the empty table. His hands were folded, and he was pressing his nose against them as he sat silently. His eyes flicked back to Pultz. ¡°Seriously. You have to know where Lotsvatinus is. You¡¯re not that disconnected from the world.¡±

    Pultz slouched in his chair. ¡°Think she said she¡¯d be late.¡±

    ¡°How late?¡±

    ¡°Couple hours¡­ Or days. Maybe a week,¡± Pultz replied. Will scowled.

    ¡°Three days,¡± a voice answered warmly, and everyone looked towards the door at the same time to see the newcomer. It was a woman, wearing the same style of uniform as Pultz and Cowell. A silk green scarf was tied around her dainty neck, revealing itself as she pushed her jet black hair off her shoulder. The mole beneath her right eye was stark under the candlelight.

    ¡°They took the scenic route, it sounds like. They send their apologies.¡±

    Will stood up, graciously offering his hand to the woman. ¡°Sergeant Judith, I had no idea you would be attending this year!¡±

    She nodded courteously, giving Will a syrupy sweet smile. ¡°It''s a pleasure to see you, Private Saint.¡±

    As Judith joined them at the table, Norok noticed Daimona twitch violently. Her eyes were trained on the long rifle strapped to Judith¡¯s back. Judith sat poised and proper next to Kell.

    ¡°I''ll be proctoring for Squadron 57,¡± she said warmly. ¡°Though I hope you''ll count me as a resource for your squad too.¡±

    Pultz snorted. ¡°Just take ¡®em, Judy. Merlin knows I don''t want them.¡±

    Judith shot Pultz a sly smirk. ¡°That''d be tipping the odds, don''t you think?¡±

    ¡°Odds of their success? Doubtful,¡± Pultz scoffed.

    ¡°Odds of our bet,¡± Judith replied in a sing-song voice. ¡°Did you forget? You have money on this, Pultz.¡±

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    Pultz''s eyes grew so wide, Norok thought they might pop out of his head. He jumped up so fast, he knocked over his chair, racing over to yank Kell up from his spot. Kell yelped helplessly as Pultz hauled him over his shoulder.

    ¡°Alright kiddos! We''re off to train. Immediately. We have three days to make something of you and I''m not wasting another second sitting. Let''s go!¡±

    Will barked an incredulous laugh. ¡°As if we''d need your help. You surrendered to us.¡±

    ¡°A good man knows when to quit,¡± Pultz replied.

    ¡°Sir, can you please let me go now¡­?¡± Kell whimpered.

    ¡°No can do Prodikor, you''re our weakest link. First one to go through the old Hogan Roundabout is you. After that, we''re going to work on some better battle formations as a team.¡±

    ¡°Our battle strategy is flawless!¡± Will interjected properly. ¡°Our formation is impenetrable, I''ve laid it out myself.¡±

    ¡°Nah, we should definitely get a new one,¡± Daimona said. Norok instantly glared at her, mouthing a silent don''t, but his sister gave him an evil, mischievous look. ¡°Norok snitched.¡±

    ¡°You did what?¡± Will slowly turned to narrow his eyes on Norok.

    ¡°He told the captain lady everything,¡± Daimona added, playing with her hair. ¡°Why do you think he''s been sucking up so much?¡±

    Irina cackled. She stood up, still laughing too herself as she walked to the door.

    ¡°Smirnov!¡± Pultz called.

    She looked over her shoulder, cheeks rosy with amusement. ¡°Look at Tadpole''s face. It says it all. He ruined us.¡±

    Norok would''ve preferred she threaten to kill him again. Instead, she left, shaking her head and giggling to herself.

    Pultz chased after her, shouting about training with Kell still swinging over his shoulder.

    Judith patted Will on the shoulder. ¡°Come, Private Saint. I''ll make you some tea, and we can come up with a new strategy.¡±

    Will took in a deep breath, looking at Norok one last time. ¡°I will have orders for you later. For now, stay here.¡±

    As they left, Daimona stuck her tongue out at Norok. ¡°How''s that for ¡®nothing¡¯?¡±

    Norok just sighed.

    ¡­

    That night, Norok pushed a mop lazily from one end of the entry way to the other. Will had told him if he tried using magic to finish his assignment, he''d shoot him in his sleep, then report his corpse to Cowell for insubordination. Norok doubted Will would actually go that far, but he felt bad enough to comply.

    ¡°I''m surprised he really went through with punishing you,¡± Kell said. He was sitting on one of the lavish armchairs in the room, a torch blazing from the wall above him. ¡°Bash would''ve found out one way or another.¡±

    ¡°How was I supposed to know she was an enemy?¡± Norok grumbled. The mop water slopped in the bucket as he moved it to the other side. ¡°She was wearing the same uniform as everybody else¡­¡±

    ¡°Her asking about boot camp plans should''ve been a red flag,¡± Kell chuckled. ¡°I kinda thought a smart guy like you would''ve picked up on that.¡±

    ¡°You can go, actually,¡± Norok muttered. ¡°No one asked you to stay.¡±

    ¡°Yeah but I want to,¡± Kell replied, and the earnest sparkle in his eyes made Norok soften. Until he added, ¡°It''s kind of funny watching you with the mop.¡±

    ¡°Keep it up and I''ll tell Pultz where you are,¡± Norok threatened.

    Kell grimaced, raising his hands in surrender. ¡°Please don''t, my legs hurt so bad¡­ Being the weakest link is the worst.¡±

    ¡°Can''t imagine.¡±

    ¡°Playing maid doesn''t give you a clue?¡±

    They laughed, bantering into a comfortable silence for a while as Norok continued his task. When he could no longer see his reflection in the murky bucket water, Kell spoke up again.

    ¡°This is already a lot better than last year,¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°How so?¡±

    Kell shifted his legs under him, sitting criss-crossed on the chair. He folded his hands, looking down at them as he spoke. ¡°It was¡­ A massive disaster.¡±

    ¡°Right, and it¡¯s not this year,¡± Norok replied sarcastically.

    ¡°No, I mean¡­¡± Kell¡¯s shoulders sunk with his smile. ¡°Last year, we had this girl. Leka. Super talented shooter, best of the best¡­ Way better than the rest of us. Even gave Irina a run for her money.¡±

    Norok faintly remembered Daimona mentioning the name, but he couldn¡¯t really picture anyone giving Irina competition besides his own sister. He imagined an amalgamation of creatures, the body of a bear with the grace of a cat, and the vicious jaw of a shark. Even then, it¡¯d have to be tougher than steel for Irina not to trump it.

    ¡°I guess, Will wasn¡¯t really sure what to expect since it was our first year, so he was pretty off his game when we arrived. We were nervous, and Leka decided to transfer to Bash¡¯s team before the last event.¡±

    ¡°They let her do that?¡± Norok raised an eyebrow in disbelief. ¡°Seems pretty unregulated for this place.¡±

    ¡°Pultz signed off on it,¡± Kell replied. ¡°He was just tired of watching us lose, I think.¡±

    He stood up, half limping to pick up the bucket. He motioned for Norok to follow him to the window, and they stood next to one another before the view. Though they were only on the first floor, there was a beauty to being so close to the ground-- the night breeze rustled through the grass, and Norok was sure that somewhere in the brusque there had to be wildlife, birds or squirrels, all tucked away safe from human sight.

    Kell tossed the bucket water out the window. It splattered against the ground. Norok wanted to ask if that was allowed, but watching Kell¡¯s face shift under the pale moonlight made him quiet. There was something stronger about him here, a seriousness Norok had missed in all their prior conversations.

    ¡°What you did is a pretty big deal,¡± Kell said softly. He pulled the bucket back, balancing it on the windowsill. ¡°And Will¡¯s probably going to hold it against you for a little while. But if you show him you¡¯re here to stay, I think you can get off his hit list.¡±

    Norok snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t really care that much. I¡¯m just here to keep my sister fed.¡±

    But Kell shook his head. His eyes fell on Norok with a knowing gaze, and as he turned to walk away, he reached up to ruffle Norok¡¯s hair.

    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar.¡±.

    As he left the room, Norok looked up at the moon, mop still in hand.

    What the hell was that about?

    Norok shrugged, but the calmness that overtook him was enough of an answer.

 Chapter 13

    <h5>CHAPTER THIRTEEN</h5>

    The rival team consisted of a bunch of weirdos. As they all stood out in the field, stretching before the line in the dirt Pultz had drawn, Daimona stared at each member carefully. There was Leka, carefully adjusting the straps of her boots next to a mousey, short girl biting her nails. This was the infamous Bash, the girl whose very name could set Will off on a devastating temper tantrum. The vedma, as Irina called her, another word for witch in her mother tongue.

    ¡°She summons monsters,¡± Irina had whispered nights prior, spinning tales of gruesome creatures that towered in size and consumed twice as much as Daimona. No one knew where Bash¡¯s monsters came from-- just that when she called, they came in tens and hundreds to do her bidding.

    Bash sneezed, a long string of snot rocketing from her nose. A young man behind her, a few years older than the rest, bent down to lend her a handkerchief. His skin was a gentle bronze color, a bold beauty mark along the right side of his jaw. He threw his head back under the sun, his black, tousled curls shining.

    ¡°Th-th-thank you, Rik,¡± Bash stuttered gratefully.

    Rik, or Erik Avsten as he was listed in the terribly long and boring report Will made her sit through, gave his captain a regal smile back. He was the son of some nobleman from what she remembered, but he was kicked out on account of being dead weight to the name. Looking at him now, though, Daimona couldn¡¯t see an ounce of discontent in his eyes, not even as he took back the snotty rag.

    There was a boy with wild tufts of stark white hair, bristling like a dandelion as he shook his head to a rhythm only he could hear. His uncanny yellow eyes made him Frode Leifson, or ¡°Fro the Trickster.¡± He performed graceful pirouettes around a thin figure wrapped in bandages, every trace of skin hidden by the aged fabric and the standard uniform. They straightened out their wrist beneath an opaque white gauntlet. It fitted to their hand tightly, each knuckle adorned with a trace of gold. A matching mask was tied around their face, a placid marble expression that exposed nothing of its wearer. The figure raised one hand to waive slowly towards her, sending a chill up Daimona¡¯s spine.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Kell said, nudging her from behind. Daimona jolted at his touch, causing him to chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s Zia. She¡¯s the nice one of the bunch.¡±

    Something curdled in Daimona as she watched him waive back. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ Wrong with her?¡±

    ¡°She was in a town fire when she was a kid. The place burned for days and days,¡± Kell explained softly. ¡°Everyone just figured there were no survivors because of how bad it was, so they let the whole thing go down to ash. No one even went in to check.¡±

    They watched as Frode offered a hand to Zia. Together they spun in place, Frode¡¯s tumble of white and yellow reflecting off of Zia¡¯s face like sunshine.

    ¡°Then someone finally went inside, just trying to pick up the pieces. They found the whole family, her parents, her sisters and brothers, even the staff all there, lying completely intact on the living room floor. Not a single burn on any of them.¡±

    ¡°They lived?!¡±

    Kell nodded, taking a hesitant pause before continuing. ¡°They did. She kept them alive for days, repairing their bodies down to the cellular level. She didn¡¯t spare a single second for herself.¡±

    Frode dipped Zia, tripping over himself and dropping her mid-sway. She laughed, a raspy sound that she quickly covered with her gauntlets. Frode pulled her back up, immediately singing his apologies.

    ¡°After they recovered fully, they cast her out,¡± Kell finished.

    ¡°But she saved them!¡± Daimona shouted. Kell quickly looped his arm through hers and spun her around so their backs were to the rival squad. ¡°But she saved them¡­¡±

    ¡°But she lost her face in doing so,¡± he whispered, tapping his chin in demonstration. ¡°And a pretty face is important for the eldest daughter of a noble to have.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s dumb,¡± Daimona replied.

    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Kell sighed. ¡°But for what it¡¯s worth, I think she¡¯s happy here.¡±

    Daimona glanced back over her shoulder. Zia was still emitting her squeaky laughs, patting Fro on the head as he bowed to her. The others had huddled around them, Leka shaking her head and wagging her finger at Fro, as Bash and Rik watched on in amusement. ¡°I guess they all are.¡±

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    ¡°Daimona, Kell,¡± Norok interrupted, jogging up to them. ¡°Will says we¡¯re just about ready to start. Are you good?¡±

    She looked to Kell. He grinned back. ¡°I think we are.¡±

    A few minutes later, they were lined up in front of the line, with Pultz and Judith standing just on the other side mirroring their respective squads.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relay race, folks,¡± Pultz said flatly. An ice imp summoned next to him started to dance vigorously, shaking its rear at Judith with a baton in its hand. Pultz took the baton, causing the imp to dance harder. Judith ignored it very pointedly.

    Daimona raised her hand. ¡°What¡¯s a relay race?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a relay race¡­ Like the kind you did in school¡­ C¡¯mon, don¡¯t actually make me explain this shit,¡± Pultz replied.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t do relay races in our school,¡± Norok said, raising his hand with a smirk. Daimona agreed, giving Pultz a performative pout.

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±

    Pultz rubbed his temples, groaning loudly. Judith stepped forward, holding her head high. ¡°It¡¯s an on-foot race, from this line to the end of the eastern quadrant of the woods. You will navigate the terrain, pass the baton from one party member to another without dropping it, and reach the goal post. Your opponents will be allowed to disrupt you however they see fit, so it¡¯ll be up to you to defend yourselves as a squad and keep the pace.¡±

    ¡°And no going backwards,¡± Pultz added lazily. ¡°You can¡¯t toss the baton to someone who''s already had it, and you can¡¯t fight behind your starting point.¡±

    ¡°Sergeant Judith,¡± Rik purred, placing one hand on his chest as he spoke. ¡°Where¡¯s our baton?¡±

    ¡°Merlin¡¯s teeth, pretty boy,¡± Will grumbled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? There¡¯s just one.¡±

    ¡°Always taking the mage¡¯s name in vain,¡± Rik replied airily. ¡°Perhaps someone ought to cut that tongue out of you for good, Saint.¡±

    He held his hand out, and the ground trembled beneath him. The dirt cracked, and a long pole extended from below. As Rik grabbed it, the end shaped itself into a smooth, dark spearhead. He pointed it at Will, as simultaneously, Will aimed his pistol at Rik¡¯s head. The movement had been so clean, Daimona had barely caught his portal closing at his side.

    ¡°Save it for the finale, gentlemen,¡± Pultz barked. Both privates lowered their weapons, but did not cast them aside. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with. Converse amongst yourselves who¡¯s going in what order-- keep in mind whoever¡¯s going last is going to travel the farthest. Judy and I¡¯ll decide how to toss the baton.¡±

    The sergeants turned their backs on the teams. Quickly, they huddled up, Will drawing them all in with his low, demanding tone.

    ¡°Daimona,¡± he said. ¡°Do you know which way East is?¡±

    Daimona took a guess and pointed in a direction. Will nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Good. Perfect, even, glad to see training paid off. I need you to be our last. Rush off in that direction and don¡¯t stop until you see the gates. Irina will meet you with the baton there.¡±

    Irina locked eyes with Daimona, giving her a confident, prideful smirk. ¡°We can take care of this.¡±

    ¡°Kell, I want you behind me,¡± Will continued. ¡°We¡¯re going to tag in Irina together, and watch her from behind. Understood?¡±

    Kell saluted. ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Norok, you¡¯re going to be the first to handle the baton.¡±

    Norok brightened. ¡°Really?¡±

    Will shot him a deathly serious look. ¡°Yes really. I¡¯m putting you the furthest behind the rest of us because I¡¯m trusting you to cause issues with your magic.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a little better,¡± Norok said sheepishly, then seeing the dark look in Will¡¯s eyes quickly doubled back. ¡°I mean, yes sir.¡±

    ¡°You need to use that reckless range of yours on the enemy,¡± Will enunciated every word with venom. ¡°Not us. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Norok replied, then mimicking Kell¡¯s salute, ¡°yes Captain Saint.¡±

    As they pulled from the huddle, Daimona could see a touch of pink in Will¡¯s cheeks. She threw an arm around him, ruffling his hair violently before shoving him away.

    ¡°Won¡¯t let you down,¡± she shouted, trotting back to the line. Pultz and Judith stood on both sides of a massive, round ice imp. The baton was inside the belly of the beast, gleaming through its translucent body. Pultz stepped back as Judith kneeled, a gust of wind swirling around her as she took aim at the creature.

    A shot sounded off, and with a bright burst of green light, the creature was sent flying off with the baton. Daimona vaulted forward, not waiting another second for Pultz¡¯s signal.

 Chapter 13.5

    <h5>CHAPTER THIRTEEN AND A HALF</h5>

    Daimona surged through the woods, shoving her way past tree trunks and branches to catapult herself further and further. In the distance, she could hear shouting, the sound of fighting and gunshots overpowering the serenity of the forest.

    But that was all behind Daimona. Racing ahead, she was alone, leaping over bushes of purple flowers and thorny berries, trouncing through trickling streams of water framed by rich, dark dirt. The air was as cold and crisp as the day she and Norok escaped the white-walled confines of their birthplace. She took it in greedy inhales, savoring the taste of her freedom.

    A blue bolt of fire shot down from the sky. It sheathed itself in the dirt just before Daimona¡¯s feet. She startled, the reverie broken as it came to a halt.

    Flying high above her was Zia, the bandaged tragedy. From her back sprung two, blazing wings of fire, carrying her as she soared down. Daimona ducked, rolling over to avoid the trailing paths of fire Zia left in her wake.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Daimona shouted, shielding her face from another blue bolt. The collision seared her arms. Zia slung another, forcing Daimona backwards.

    ¡°I said stop,¡± Daimona repeated, focusing all of her energy on Zia¡¯s form. But she could feel her magic sizzling away, unable to penetrate Zia¡¯s stark white facade.

    Zia tilted her head. A bolt remained poised in her hand, teetering on the palm of her gauntlet. Daimona could feel those cold eyes surveying her from behind the mask.

    ¡°Oh,¡± the dry, hoarse voice uttered. ¡°You''re not actually asking, are you? You''re trying to make me.¡± Zia hurled the bolt down, piercing Daimona¡¯s shin. Daimona dropped to one knee as the fire vanished, leaving a perfect burn mark in her uniform pants.

    ¡°Zia, w-w-wait!¡± Daimona''s mouth fell open as she imitated Bash¡¯s voice. She locked the sound to a knotted branch behind Zia, hoping to distract her enemy long enough to close the distance between them.

    The bolt in Zia¡¯s hand fizzled, but she didn¡¯t turn around. Instead, she stepped closer to Daimona, the slow careful movement of a predator closing in. Daimona tried to stand, but her vision began to tilt and waiver as Zia came closer. Her whole body felt like it was melting from the inside, the heat inside her rocking back and forth like the waves of the sea. Zia stretched her hand out, and as Daimona looked down, she could see something emerging from her chest.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Zia said softly, and her tone was so genuine, Daimona felt inclined to believe her. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you anymore.¡±

    She reached down, pulling the bolt from Daimona¡¯s chest. There was no pain to the motion. It was like falling asleep; all of the momentum, the adrenaline pumping through her to win this race, was suddenly pulled from her. Zia cupped the back of her head, pulling it into her chest.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you¡­¡± Daimona murmured. Her nose was flooded with the scent of daffodils and linen, a soothing warmth resonating from Zia¡¯s body to her own.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell them you did very well,¡± Zia replied, hovering over Daimona as she drifted off.

    In the dark behind her eyelids, Daimona¡¯s thoughts stirred. She pictured herself being carried, someone¡¯s arms cradling her close. She was small now, a child with ratty pink hair and a growling stomach. She whined, her fingers digging into the shirt of her caretaker.

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    ¡°Shh,¡± a boy¡¯s voice came from above. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ve got you.¡±

    She wanted to push him away, walk with her own two feet, but the exhaustion overwhelmed her. The boy drew her closer, squeezing her tight.

    ¡°Mona, you have to wake up now. This is really important,¡± he said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do,¡± Daimona grumbled back. The boy chuckled.

    ¡°Stubborn as always¡­ Listen to my voice. Hear the sound I make,¡± he said. The boy began to hum a familiar tune. The melody wrapped around Daimona, rushing through her ears and melding with her bones. Her eyelashes began to flutter open.

    ¡°...Norok?¡± she asked, throat sore with sleep. But the mirage disappeared, and she was looking back at Zia¡¯s mask. Zia¡¯s arm tensed under her.

    ¡°How did you--¡±

    Daimona cut Zia off, brutally toppling the smaller girl with her strength. She shoved Zia to the ground, ramming her knee into Zia¡¯s chest as they both rolled over. Daimona slammed her head into Zia¡¯s, the mask cracking at the impact. Sparks of fire began to shoot off from her fingertips. Before she could move, Daimona punched her in the jaw, causing a loud snap.

    Zia lay motionless under her. Daimona scooted down, placing her ear against Zia¡¯s chest. The heartbeat beneath was low, but undeniably present. Not that Judith had banned killing.

    The thought began to spiral inside Daimona¡¯s mind. She could kill Zia. Would anyone stop her? She looked around. Closing her eyes, she could hear footsteps not too far off. Five, ten minutes behind maybe. That was more than enough time.

    Looking down at Zia¡¯s unconscious form, something bubbled inside her. Before, yes, she was hungry, for bears and rabbits and weaklings. But this hunger was ancient, a bellow from the deepest parts of her soul.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been hungry since before you were born,¡± Norok once joked. Now, Daimona was sure that was true. She crouched over, pushing Zia¡¯s head to the side. Her fingernails began to transform before her eyes, growing and sharpening to a visceral point. Fascinated, she used them to cut the bandages covering Zia¡¯s throat. The fabric sliced cleanly. Carefully, she tucked a lock of pink hair behind her right ear, and leaned over Zia. The pounding in her mind came to a climactic swell, when suddenly--

    ¡°Daimona? Are you okay?¡±

    It was Will, silver-soaked baton in hand. Daimona was breathing heavily, eyes darting from Will to Zia and back again. He waived the baton at her impatiently.

    ¡°Hello? You all good there?¡±

    ¡°Uh--¡± Daimona scrambled. Her mind was sobered now, the ancient hunger subsiding. ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Were you about to bite her?¡± Will asked, eyes wide. ¡°That¡¯s--¡±

    ¡°Going above and beyond orders,¡± Norok finished, frantically shoving past Will. ¡°A model private really.¡±

    Norok jogged past Daimona, narrowly avoiding a rock-spear emerging from the ground. ¡°Can we go? They¡¯re really close.¡±

    Will snapped to attention, bolting forward. He shouted over his shoulder, ¡°Get going, Daimona, we don¡¯t have time for you to be back here!!¡±

    Daimona picked herself up, glancing one more time at Zia before sprinting on.

 Chapter 14

    <h5>CHAPTER FOURTEEN</h5>

    Norok hated racing. He hated running, jogging, sprinting; every word for moving any faster than he absolutely had to. If it weren''t for Kell¡¯s stupid puppy-dog eyes and his pitiful ¡°Show Will you''re here to stay¡± speech, Norok would have happily grabbed Daimona by the collar and taken her far, far away the minute Pultz announced the relay.

    But no. Here Norok was, panting desperately. It was bad enough his chest was already injured-- the moment the race had started, that asshole Rik summoned a post right in front of him, and he slammed right into it. His glasses had cracked at the bridge. Begrudgingly, he left them behind, determined to steal another pair from Will later, after he had proven himself.

    Taking down the ice golem hopefully helped that. He had spotted the creature far up ahead, wobbling slightly as Daimona had run past it. He focused in on the golem¡¯s head, bringing it down backwards with an astounding crash.

    Leka jumped forward, springing over Norok to grab the baton protruding from the shattered ice first. She shot him an egotistical smirk.

    ¡°Th--¡±

    Her wisecrack died in her throat. Irina sailed boot first through the air, making direct contact with Leka¡¯s face. Leka¡¯s nose bled profusely, squealing insults and curses as she picked a few teeth out of the dirt.

    ¡°Tadpole,¡± Irina spat. ¡°I''m going ahead.¡±

    She ran off before Norok could respond. Leka struggled to stand, but Norok weighed her legs down and kept her on the ground. The silver baton felt cool and wet in his hand, his flesh sticking to the rod. He wrapped his fingers around it tightly.

    Will and Kell were only a few feet ahead, fending off Rik. Norok quickly intervened, sending Rik up into the air screaming before slamming the baton into Will¡¯s outstretched hand. They ran on, finding Daimona on top of Zia¡¯s defeated form, a situation Norok knew he''d have to inquire about later, and now they were running. Again. Which Norok hated.

    Just as he was grumbling to himself, he felt something bite his shin. He looked down to see a round, pink ball of flesh, naked and glistening under the sun. It had no legs, just a pair of spindly arms that had attached its body to Norok''s. A wide mouth of perfectly square teeth grinned at Norok from beneath the flaps of skin.

    A bullet pierced the monster¡¯s side, sending it flying behind Norok.

    ¡°That was one of Bash¡¯s!¡± Will shouted, keeping his smoking pistol aimed towards the ground. The silver baton shone bright from Kell¡¯s curled fist. ¡°Keep your eyes up-- she can''t be too far from here.¡±

    A blood-curdling scream rang out from the front, as a hoard of the flesh monsters lunged down the path towards of them. Will shot the first six, as Kell used his open hand to shoot streaks of fire from his palm. Norok clapped his hands, containing and squishing five more together before tossing the amalgamated flesh out of his sight.

    But more and more of Bash''s creatures kept appearing, forming a tunnel of grasping hands and gnawing mouths all around the three as they struggled forward.

    ¡°There''s too many!!¡± Kell cried out. His flames were sparking again, becoming weaker and weaker the more he shot. A monster wiggled out of its place in the tunnel wall, trying to yank the baton out of Kell¡¯s grip.

    Norok cupped his hands together, interlocking his fingers. ¡°Up!¡±

    Everything lifted into the air. Will, Kell, Norok and the tunnel of monsters flew into the sky, taking patches of the dirt with them. Norok loosened his magical grip around the monsters, letting them fall one by one to splatter apart on the ground. Nearby, Will and Kell kicked the air.

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    ¡°N-Norok!¡± Will shouted. ¡°How long can you hold us up like this?¡±

    Norok could feel his body giving out, his vision flickering. ¡°Not long, Captain.¡±

    Will nodded, closing his eyes for a moment. They floated, slowly drifting towards the ground. Before they dropped, Will¡¯s head snapped up. He thrusted his arm out right, summoning a portal and leaning in. He pulled out a beautiful sniper rifle, adorned with the same white and silver plating as his pistol. A pair of ornate silver wings held the scope in place. Will leaned forward, firing off a single shot just up ahead of them into the trees.

    Norok was confused, until he heard Bash¡¯s shrill yelp followed by the sound of her body thudding through the branches. When they finally made it back to the ground, they found Bash face down in the mud, body twitching as one of her monsters pulled helplessly at her hair to move her.

    They moved on, trotting down the path. Irina waited up ahead, tapping her foot impatiently. She grabbed the baton from Kell thanklessly.

    ¡°We took down the main priorities,¡± Will said, proudly nodding as they ran behind Irina. ¡°The rest should be a matter of time.¡±

    ¡°Norok really saved us back there, huh, Will?¡± Kell replied loudly, waggling his eyebrows at Norok. Norok mouthed the word stop, but Kell ignored him. ¡°He''s really come a long way.¡±

    ¡°He''s done fine enough,¡± Will said cautiously. He didn''t look back at Norok, but Norok could tell he was smiling.

    Up ahead, Daimona stood in the clearing, with Judith and Pultz on the other side of another line in the dirt. Pultz''s jaw dropped as they emerged, Irina tossing the baton cleanly to Daimona. Judith wore a calm, curious expression, her hands folded neatly.

    Just as Daimona turned her back, Norok felt something soft and cold brush against him.

    ¡°Pardon me,¡± a soft voice said.

    And suddenly, it wasn''t Daimona crossing the finish line. There was Frode in front of her, leaping across with the baton in his hand. Daimona skidded to a halt, turning to look at her hand. She scrunched up her nose, mouth open with confusion as she looked back to her team.

    From the other side, Frode smiled at them, his eery yellow eyes bright with glee. He tapped the baton against the side of his head. ¡°That''s one down.¡±

    Pultz cleared his throat, regaining his usual, unimpressed stature. He took the baton from Judith, allowing her to inspect it.

    ¡°But!¡± Will interjected with a disbelieving laugh. ¡°But they didn''t pass the baton within their squad! Only Frode got his hands on it, so--¡±

    ¡°If you want to play technicalities,¡± Rik said, approaching from behind. ¡°We all touched it once. You should find traces of each of us on the baton, Sergeant Judith.¡±

    ¡°It''s true,¡± Judith remarked. Her eyes were glowing with green light. ¡°Each member of Squad 57 held this baton. I can see their fingerprints here.¡±

    ¡°That''s impossible, we had it the whole time!!¡± Will argued. His face immediately dropped as Bash stepped forward, helping Leka walk.

    ¡°Vedma,¡± Irina sneered.

    Bash¡¯s eyes nervously rolled to the side, avoiding Will¡¯s glare as he stormed towards her. He jabbed her in the chest with his finger.

    ¡°You cheated,¡± he said darkly. ¡°You planted your team''s prints on the baton.¡±

    ¡°I-I-I--¡± Bash stuttered. ¡°Um, no, I-- I didn''t--¡±

    Kell gasped. ¡°It was in the tunnel! One of her monsters grabbed it, for just a second!¡±

    ¡°We crossed the finish line,¡± Leka hissed, her nose still dripping blood, ¡°not you. They''re not going to give you a win on a hypothetical, Saint. Just give it up.¡±

    Will looked helplessly to Judith. She gave him an apologetic smile. ¡°Given the evidence, I believe this is a victory for Squad 57. What say you, Pultz?¡±

    Pultz sighed. ¡°Yeah, I think it''s 57 too¡­¡±

    The rival squad gave an excited cheer, all grouping around Frode in celebration. As they chattered among themselves, Will looked on with a bitter look.

    ¡°It''s alright,¡± Norok said, reaching out to put a hand on Will¡¯s shoulder. Will gently pushed him off.

    ¡°You''re definitely back on mop duty tonight,¡± he scoffed, before walking away.

 Chapter 15

    <h5>CHAPTER FIFTEEN</h5>

    The night air was cold, swirling around Daimona in an unrelenting embrace. She shivered, pulling her uniform jacket tighter around her sides.

    On the other side of the wall she could hear the distant sound of a lively gathering. Irina¡¯s unyielding tone was smothered by Leka¡¯s boasts, and Rik¡¯s smooth commentary was bleeding into Norok¡¯s snarky jabs.

    People sound the same, she thought. Like the cawing of birds and the howls of dogs, they blended together into a cacophony she couldn''t understand.

    The incident with Zia earlier in the day had Daimona making a mental list; ¡®Food¡¯ and ¡®Not Food¡¯. Norok was her brother, her conscience and her companion. He was the only one who understood the life they led and why. Deeming him ¡®Not Food,¡¯ was an easy choice. Irina was another easy choice. She was strong. That alone meant she deserved to live. Kell wasn''t strong by any means, but he had grown on Daimona, and despite Will¡¯s annoying, arrogant nature, she had decided both of them were good enough to keep around.

    But all night long, she had watched Zia. Frode sang to her at the top of his lungs, until Rik had reached over and clamped his hand over Frode¡¯s mouth. Bash sat next to her, smiling shakily as she applauded their success. There wasn''t a single moment where Zia was left unattended. She was loved, from the top of her white stagnant face to the bottom of her bandaged feet.

    If Will hadn''t shown up, most of Zia would be flushed down a toilet by now. That much was undeniably true. Daimona''s stomach wouldn''t be growling, her monstrous appetite carving out a grand, black pit inside of her. She''d be full for once. But what about Zia''s squadmates? What would they be doing right now if Zia had died?

    Daimona''s thoughts spiraled. Visions of the rival team all lunging towards her, tear-stained faces and screams of rage flooding her mind. The bloodbath that followed only seemed to make her feel hollow.

    She startled at the sound of the large door being pushed open behind her. Whipping around, she expected to see her brother, but standing in the doorway was Will. He shut the door behind him before revealing a white plate of precariously stacked breads.

    ¡°You''ve been gone for a while. Didn''t want you to miss out on these before curfew,¡± he said. He slunk to the ground, sitting up against the black stone wall. He patted the empty space next to him. Slowly, she trudged over, plopping down and snatching the plate, taking one of the miniature loaves from the top. She sank her teeth into it ravenously, the bread airy and sweet in her mouth.

    Daimona swallowed, grabbing another. She eyed Will, pausing before taking another bite. ¡°Kinda thought you''d be sulking right now.¡±

    Will shrugged, tilting his head up to the sky with a soft frown. ¡°I''m disappointed for sure. But only because we showed real grit today, and both Pultz and Judith didn''t recognize that.¡±

    ¡°Story of your life,¡± Daimona snorted, reaching for her third loaf.

    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Every time you ask for something, you get told no,¡± Daimona said. ¡°Cowell, the lady in Halltown, Pultz, Judith. Everywhere we go, there''s always someone who thinks you''re nothing. It''s pretty sad.¡±

    Will didn''t reply. Instead, he took a deep breath through his nose, releasing it slowly.

    ¡°Honestly,¡± Daimona said, licking her fingers as she finished the plate. ¡°I''m surprised you haven''t given up yet. Why haven''t you given up yet?¡±

    He thought for a moment. Then, quietly he answered, ¡°I''ve just never thought about it.¡±

    ¡°You''ve never thought about quitting before? Not even when I punched you the first time we met?¡± Daimona punched the air in demonstration, and Will chuckled softly.

    ¡°No, not even then. It makes sense, I guess-- I mean, you''re right. I''ve never had the respect of the higher ups. Hell, I can''t even get Irina and Kell to call me captain half the time.¡±

    Daimona nodded vigorously.

    ¡°But I know my worth,¡± Will continued, firmly placing a hand against his chest. He clutched at the pocket, fingering at the sword emblem stitched into his uniform. ¡°And one day, everyone who doubted me will know it too.¡±

    Daimona''s eyes widened. For the first time, she could see the determination in his gaze, feel the raw intent behind his words. Will wasn''t just an inconvenience-- now, he was interesting.

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    She lurched forward, grabbing his hands and squeezing them tightly. ¡°You should take what you want, then!¡±

    He tried to pull away from her, clearly in shock from her sudden enthusiasm, but Daimona refused to let him go.

    ¡°You don''t need permission from anyone, Will,¡± she added. ¡°If Bash wants to play dirty, we''ll bring out the mud. We''ll destroy them, and we''ll shove those medals in everyone''s faces when we do.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Daimona, that''s a little much--¡±

    ¡°Aren''t you hungry, Will?¡± Her voice sounded low, almost foreign to her tongue. It was almost as if someone else were asking entirely. ¡°Aren''t you hungry for gold?¡±

    Will¡¯s eyes reflected Daimona''s. The sharp blue was completely overtaken by a bright red, almost glowing under the moonlight.

    ¡°I am,¡± he said firmly.

    ¡°Good!¡± Daimona chirped, finally releasing her grip on his hands. Will blinked, pushing up his glasses to rub his eyes. ¡°Cause I have an idea.¡±

    ¡°Is it going to get us disqualified?¡± Will asked skeptically.

    ¡°Only if we''re caught!¡±

    ¡°Fair enough. What have you got?¡±

    ¡­

    Later, Daimona crawled up the outside of one of the connecting towers, prying herself up brick by brick. Will clung to her back, jaw clenched tightly.

    ¡°This is stupid,¡± he muttered through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Shh!! We''re almost there!¡±

    Near the top of the tower was a circular window, with a steel rim. She readied herself over the top of it, then slammed it with her foot before pulling her body up again. A light illuminated the room, and a figure came stumbling to the window.

    Yawning, Leka pushed the window outwards. She looked left and right before leaning down. ¡°I think it was just a bird or something,¡± she hollered back.

    ¡°You''re going to leave the window cracked,¡± Daimona whispered her demand. ¡°The breeze feels nice tonight.¡±

    Leka nodded, dazed and unaware of Daimona''s magic as it crept into her ears. Dreamily, Leka said, ¡°I think I''m gonna leave the window cracked. The breeze feels nice tonight.¡±

    She left the windowsill, snuffing out the light. After Daimona heard the sound of the cot creaking, she waited a few minutes for the room to settle. Then, she whispered, ¡°Now.¡±

    A small flash of silver appeared to her right. Will quickly snapped his hand into the small portal, pulling out an equally tiny handgun. He yelped, frantically regaining his hold on her. Nervously, he whispered back, ¡°Okay. Ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready.¡±

    Daimona used her foot to pry open the window. She lowered them in slowly, allowing Will ample room to get down. The sound of his boots hitting the floor were soft, but not soft enough to avoid waking Bash. She sat up with a groan, rubbing at her bleary eyes.

    ¡°Hwhaaa¡­?¡± She murmured, squinting at the figures in the dark. Without a moment of hesitation, Will fired a silver shot off. The bullet was bright, embedding itself in Bash¡¯s forehead and disappearing without a trace. In an instant, Bash slumped backwards, snoring. He shot at the other two beds, rendering Leka and Zia completely unconscious before they had a chance to wake up and react.

    ¡°Are you sure this will work?¡± He asked Daimona. Daimona grinned.

    ¡°Oh for sure. I used to do this to Norok all the time. Watch.¡± She leaned in, pulling up a thick raven lock of Bash''s hair to speak directly into her ear. ¡°You''re having a terrible dream. It''s the worst you''ve ever had, and it''s going to keep you awake all night. You''re going to feel terrible all day tomorrow.¡±

    Bash''s face twitched, her nose scrunched up in misery. She began to whimper helplessly in her sleep. Daimona did the same for Leka and Zia, then crept into the hall to do the same for Rik and Frode. Once the deed was done, and all the members of Squad 57 were shifting in agony in their cots, Will and Daimona silently snuck back down through the tower.

    ¡°I still think we should''ve told them to surrender tomorrow,¡± Daimona said, but Will shook his head.

    ¡°This will be plenty, I promise,¡± Will replied lightly, and it was the happiest he had sounded in the time she had known him.

    Just as they were rounding the corner, Pultz emerged from the communal bathroom, steam trailing from his body. He was half naked, with a blue towel tied around his waist and a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth. He pulled it out to frown at Will and Daimona.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you coming from 57¡¯s quarters at this time of night?¡± He asked disapprovingly.

    ¡°Why''re you showering with company?¡± Will countered, pointing to the ice imp that toddled out of the bathroom after Pultz. It had its own towel, pulling it up and shooting Will an offended look. Pultz stepped out of the way, gesturing down the hall with his toothbrush.

    ¡°Just get out of here,¡± he gave a defeated huff. ¡°Don''t let me catch you again.¡±

    They sprinted off, quietly laughing to themselves as they raced to their bunks.

 Chapter 16

    <h5>CHAPTER SIXTEEN</h5>

    The following morning, Norok and the rest of his squadron stood in front of a crystal blue lake. The glistening water lapped at his boots. The clear sunny sky hung over him like a warm blanket, comforting with its soft blues.

    Pultz and Judith stood between the two squads, locked in a deep conversation just out of Norok''s range. On the other side, the rival team looked abysmal. Bash struggled to keep her eyes open, slumped on the ground next to Frode, who was passed out entirely in Leka''s lap. Zia leaned on Rik¡¯s shoulder, while Rik gave the longest stare across the lake.

    Something about their sleep deprivation felt eerily familiar. Anyone else would chalk up to poor sleep-- who wouldn''t sleep horribly in a cold, drafty tower-- but Norok recognized the signs of his sister''s magic at play. The eyes forced open until they physically couldn''t hold it anymore, the profuse sweating, the traumatized looks-- he had endured the same torment every time he had offended Daimona growing up. He glanced at her suspiciously. Daimona was in the middle of some arbitrary contest with Irina, kicking the water back towards the lake and laughing hysterically. Noticing her brother''s stare, she shrugged innocently.

    ¡°Don''t be nervous,¡± Kell said cheerily. ¡°You''re probably sitting this one out.¡±

    ¡°You really think Will¡¯s that pissed about the relay?¡± Norok sighed.

    ¡°No! No,¡± Kell laughed. ¡°This is the Weakest Link Exchange. Each team picks one person from the other side to face off. Obviously you don''t want your guy to lose, so¡­¡±

    ¡°You pick the weakest link,¡± Norok finished. ¡°That''s kinda funny. So who¡¯re we picking?¡±

    ¡°Avsten,¡± Will replied, stepping forward. He crossed his arms with a newfound confidence, staring down the rival squad. Kell¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°You wanna pick Rik?!¡± he squeaked. ¡°Why? He''s their strongest defense right now!¡±

    ¡°Because it''s pretty obvious who they''re picking,¡± Will said. ¡°All of my weapons are ranged, I have no experience with healing magic and I¡¯m primarily a backline fighter. It makes the most sense to choose me.¡±

    ¡°Big of you to admit you suck,¡± Norok chided. ¡°But then, why pick someone who''d beat the shit out of you up close?¡±

    ¡°Rik¡¯s magical range is short,¡± Will explained. ¡°The most he can do from afar is summoning those spears, and even that has a delay. I''ll use the difference in our speed to knock him out before he closes the distance between us.¡±

    Norok nodded, turning his attention to Rik. He was still gazing far off, and Norok saw the faintest trail of drool seeping down his chin. Limited and vulnerable, surely Rik¡¯s state alone could give Will a chance at victory. But something still sagged with doubt in Norok''s mind.

    ¡°Don''t look so skeptical,¡± Will said with a scowl. ¡°I''ve got this. Have some faith in your captain, both of you.¡±

    Kell offered a bashful smile. ¡°Sure thing, Captain. Whatever you say.¡±

    ¡°That''s more like it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Pultz called. ¡°Gather in, kiddos. We''re gonna get started.¡±

    An ice imp stood in the center now, closer to human height than the others Norok had seen before. This one appeared to be carved in a suit and tie, with a tablet of ice being offered in both hands. Will and Bash took each one respectively, with Bash almost dropping hers immediately. They both began tracing names with their pointer fingers into the surface of the tablet. Finally, when they finished, Judith nodded to Will to announce his choice.

    ¡°We choose Erik Avsten,¡± Will said. His eyes exuded nothing but pride as Rik stepped forward with a yawn. Pultz raised his eyebrows, but didn''t comment on the choice.

    ¡°F-f-for Squad 57, w-we choose¡­¡± Bash stumbled, the ice tablet almost slipping from her sweaty palms. She caught it roughly, before turning it around to reveal the name. ¡°We choose K-Kell Prodikor.¡±

    Will¡¯s jaw dropped. Norok tried not to laugh as he watched the blood drain from Kell¡¯s face, turning him a ghostly white that shone brighter than his uniform collar.

    ¡°But, but I thought--? I was under the impression that-- Really?¡± Will uttered in disbelief. Bash''s eyes widened.

    ¡°D-did you really think I was going to pick y-you again? After l-l-last year?¡±

    ¡°I mean, yeah I,¡± Will¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment. ¡°Yeah I did.¡±

    ¡°I underestim-m-mated you back then,¡± Bash replied thoughtfully. ¡°Y-you¡¯re an incredibly skilled and ad-adaptive fighter. That''s not something I''ll f-f-forget ever again.¡±

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    ¡°Wow, I didn''t know you thought about me like that,¡± Will replied sheepishly. ¡°Thanks, Lotsvatinus.¡±

    ¡°O-of course!¡±

    Norok turned to Kell. ¡°You''re going to die.¡±

    ¡°We don''t know that,¡± Kell replied shakily. Rik dunked his face into the lake water, bloodshot eyes lasering in on Kell.

    ¡°You''re definitely going to die.¡±

    Kell didn''t reply, giving Norok a very resigned pat on the shoulder before stepping forward.

    Pultz clapped his hands, and the lake began to shake violently. An iceberg began to emerge from the depths, with a matching bridge floating up to connect to it from the shore. He led them across the slippery terrain, and Norok held to the frigid rail for dear life as he took each step.

    ¡°Does everything have to be ice themed?¡± Daimona shouted from the back.

    ¡°It''s cheap,¡± Pultz retorted flatly.

    ¡°You mean it is easy,¡± Irina added with a snort.

    ¡°Tell you what, next time, you two can proctor and I''ll complain about your methods,¡± Pultz huffed. He ushered them onto the iceberg, then summoned a set of connecting bleachers. Once everyone else was seated, the bridge collapsed back into the lake, and Pultz severed the connection between the seating and the stage.

    Rik and Kell stood alone on the iceberg, each near the edge opposite from one another.

    ¡°Keep it short, Rik!¡± Frode shouted from the sidelines. ¡°My ass is cold up here.¡±

    Rik laughed, a velvety embellished noise. He bowed gracefully towards his team. Then, he bowed again to Bash. ¡°For you, my liege.¡±

    Bash bowed her head back respectfully. Daimona stood up, shouting at the top of her lungs, ¡°Woooo, go Kell!! Make him eat shit!¡±

    Irina screamed with her, and even Will joined in on the cheering. Kell still looked incredibly miserable, wearing his cap low to hide his dismayed expression, but his face brightened ever so slightly as Norok shot him a silent thumbs-up.

    ¡°The rules of this exchange are simple,¡± Judith announced. ¡°This is a combat with no barred weapons or forms of magic. Victory will be determined by knock out or knock off.¡±

    ¡°Either beat him up or throw him in the water,¡± Pultz clarified, leaning back. Judith nodded along, as though he had said something useful.

    Rik shrugged off his uniform jacket, launching it into the empty bleachers. Standing in the navy undershirt, he shouted across to Kell. ¡°I don''t have any questions. Do you?¡±

    Awkwardly, Kell followed suit. ¡°No, I don''t think so.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like we''re good to go, Sergeant Judith.¡±

    ¡°Then let the battle commence.¡±

    In an instant, the iceberg rumbled, and great, jagged stone spears came shooting up from the water. They formed a barrier around the ice, locking it in place. Norok had to stand to see over the sides.

    On the inside of the stage, Rik stood, pressing his right fist into his left hand. Kell tried to surge forward, revealing an unsheathed hunting knife in his right hand, but the stone formed a maze of walls preventing him from moving forward.

    Rik''s voice began to echo out from his corner. There was a melodic tint to it, and Norok felt chills crawling up his spine as he spoke. ¡°The Stone which confines all without direction beckons. The Stone which covers the Earth beckons you.¡±

    ¡°That''s ¡­ Some kind of incantation?¡± Will murmured. The stones around Rik began to glow, a golden hue emanating off the rock.

    ¡°What''s an incantation?¡± Norok asked in a hushed whisper.

    ¡°It is trait of species,¡± Irina answered sharply. ¡°Bears have one thing, elk have another. We have incantations. When we speak our magic it becomes strong.¡±

    ¡°It''s a little more complicated than that,¡± Will lectured. ¡°But¡­ Basically, yeah. It''s an advanced form of casting. Something way out of our league¡­ or so I thought.¡±

    ¡°A-a-actually, incantations are a common standard for any p-potential Foreign Operations squadron,¡± Bash corrected. ¡°Th-that''s why we practice them.¡±

    Will cursed under his breath. Pultz chuckled. ¡°So much for all that camaraderie from earlier.¡±

    Back on the iceberg, Kell was stuck scaling one of the walls, coming to the top just in time for Rik to finish the incantation.

    ¡°All is equal under the authority of the Stone. Under the Stone we are one and the same,¡± he opened his eyes, stretching out his hand toward Kell. ¡°Stone Shackle, Equivalent Burden!¡±

    A chain of golden light shot out from his hand. It moved through the air, until finally, it swung around Kell¡¯s neck and disappeared into his skin. The maze of stone walls crumbled, leaving a new field of rubble under their feet.

    Kell shouted in agony. His hunting knife fell out of his hand with a loud clatter, and he was clutching at his wrist desperately. Looking more closely, Norok caught a flash of bone and blood.

    Rik walked across the ice, kneeling down to Kell¡¯s level. Kell looked up at him with venomous eyes, but Rik only smiled benevolently in return.

    ¡°Now,¡± he said deviously. ¡°We play by my rules.¡±

 Chapter 16.5

    ¡°Man, this guy''s a total loser,¡± Norok remarked. ¡°Pulling off all that flashy rock stuff just to get rid of it.¡±

    ¡°Kell only needs one hand anyways!¡± Daimona agreed vigorously. ¡°He''ll just burn him up.¡±

    But the air around them in the bleachers was thick with sudden tension. As soon as Rik finished his incantation, Pultz jumped up with an urgency unbefitting of his nature.

    ¡°Did you know he could do this?¡± he growled, angrily looking over at Judith. The other sergeant shook her head silently. Her mouth was drawn in a firm line, eyes still locked on the ice. Pultz threw his hand out, pulling the iceberg closer to the bleachers.

    ¡°Avsten!¡± Pultz barked sharply, startling Norok. ¡°That was an illegal move!!¡±

    ¡°I don''t get it,¡± Norok whispered to Will. ¡°Why''s everyone freaking out?¡±

    Will leaned forward in his seat. His fingers dug into his knees, and Norok could see sweat beading down the side of his face. ¡°Rik just cursed Kell.¡±

    On the iceberg, Kell rose to his feet. He reached down to pick his knife back up. But as his right hand wrapped around the hilt to pull it towards him, the chain shone faintly around his neck, and the knife sank to the ground cracking the ice under it. He stared at it in disbelief.

    ¡°A curse isn''t like other kinds of magic,¡± Will explained in a low tone, watching Kell suffer with a pensive frown. ¡°It''s an outlawed practice that binds an incantation directly to the target¡¯s body. The only thing that can undo it is death.¡±

    ¡°Disqualify him,¡± Pultz turned to Judith with a dark, threatening look. ¡°He''s your responsibility. Deal with him accordingly or I will.¡±

    Judith opened her mouth to reply, but Bash stumbled forward and interrupted. ¡°R-Rik¡¯s ability is t-t-temporary. It''s not a f-full curse, just a form that looks like one, s-so you can''t disqualify him.¡±

    ¡°The vedma would know her curses,¡± Irina spat viciously. ¡°You bring famine to our cattle and call it diet. Disgusting.¡±

    Bash flinched at Irina''s words, but held her resolve. She looked earnestly at Judith, wringing her hands frantically. ¡°H-he can undo it. I''ve seen him use this b-b-before.¡±

    Judith turned to Rik. ¡°Is this true?¡±

    ¡°True as the sword, Sergeant Judith,¡± Rik grinned. ¡°And, if it''s any consolation Prodikor, I''ve got the same problems. All I can do is share the burden I''ve been given.¡±

    He reached down into the space before Kell, picking up the knife delicately and sending it flying over his shoulder. The impact sent tremors through the iceberg, leaving behind a massive hole in the cracked surface as it sunk below.

    ¡°First is Curse of Sloth,¡± Rik said airily. ¡°Any weapon I bear gains its weight a hundred times over. Hope you weren''t too attached to that knife, by the way-- since we both touched it, that thing is definitely long gone.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like it was going to be useless against you anyways,¡± Kell grunted.

    ¡°True,¡± Rik chuckled. ¡°You''ll get used to it.¡±

    ¡°Hey!!¡± Daimona shouted, eyebrows furrowed. ¡°You said first-- does that mean you gave him more?¡±

    ¡°Sit down, loud mouth, I''m getting there,¡± Rik yelled back. He raised three fingers. ¡°There''s three in total. Sloth, Avarice and Pride. Avarice doesn''t really matter here but,¡± Rik paused, looking to Frode as he held out his empty hand. Frode reached out in perfect sync, and a small pouch appeared in his hand. Norok could just barely make out the distinct face of an ice imp sewn into the front, stifling a laugh as Pultz''s hands immediately flew to his pockets. The scruffy sergeant glared at Frode. Frode quickly ducked behind a snickering Zia.

    Rik dumped the silver pieces out, a chorus of succinct plinks following Pultz''s agonized groans. He caught the last one, and as his bare fingertips made contact with the piece, it dulled to a gray, worthless rock instantly. ¡°No currency that passes through your fingers holds value.¡±

    Kell''s eyes followed the former coin¡¯s descent as it plummeted to the ground. ¡°What does Pride do?¡±

    ¡°You''ll like this one, Prodikor. You already fight like you bear it,¡± Rik replied. A rock spear pierced the ice from below. He wrapped an arm around it, patting the stone lightly. ¡°All magic you cast must come from within-- that means nothing but true magic for us.¡±

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    ¡°So Sparkboy¡¯s only weapon is his worst feature,¡± Irina lamented. ¡°Wonderful.¡±

    ¡°See, Sergeant Judith?¡± Rik turned with a flourish, tossing his hair elegantly. ¡°It''s nothing my good friend here can''t overcome.¡±

    Judith rolled her head from side to side, clearly weighing the decision. Her eyes lowered to Kell. ¡°If I disqualify your opponent it won''t count as a win. Both teams will have a neutral score this round. Far from a loss, but just as far from victory.¡±

    ¡°I understand, ma''am,¡± Kell replied with a thoughtful nod.

    ¡°Good, because I''m leaving the decision to you,¡± Judith said sternly. ¡°A real soldier is built by his choices. Turn away and leave intact, or risk the fight for glory.¡±

    Kell¡¯s face paled, the perfect portrait of uncertainty. His gaze helplessly flicked to meet Norok''s. Here he was, propped against odds he couldn''t compete with and an enemy with the ego that had already won, looking to Norok for guidance. Norok wanted to laugh. He wanted to point to Rik and shout, ¡°Look at the monster you''re facing, not me!¡±

    Even worse, Norok realized, was that he didn''t just want Kell to stop looking at him for an answer. He wanted Kell to run, before he got hurt. Before Norok would have to watch him get hurt.

    But that second voice inside his mind lingered, pressing against Norok''s temples with a glimmer of hope. Looking back at Kell, all he could think was, if I were you, I''d run. But I''m not you, am I?

    ¡°If it''s up to me, then I''d like to fight,¡± Kell finally said. Pultz shook his head, slumping back in his seat. Judith gave a solemn nod.

    ¡°In that case, gentlemen, you may continue. But proceed with caution, Private Avsten. We''ll be watching.¡±

    Rik bowed deeply in response. Kell tore a strip of fabric from the bottom of his left pant leg, pulling it taut around his wrist with his teeth.

    As soon as Kell looked back, Rik had closed the distance between them, his fist slamming into Kell¡¯s gut with enough force to lift him off his feet. Kell staggered back, trying to get his footing, but Rik pulled him in by the collar and landed another devastating blow.

    Kell shoved his boots into Rik¡¯s chest, pushing with all his might and launching himself out of Rik¡¯s reach. He slid backwards on the ice. Rik came barreling towards him, summoning a stone pillar through the ice behind Kell. Kell slammed against it, but ducked as Rik threw another punch. Rik¡¯s fist left a brutal crack just above where Kell¡¯s chest would''ve been.

    ¡°Punch him back Kell!!¡± Daimona screamed.

    ¡°He can''t,¡± Will chided, pulling her back into her seat by the shoulder. ¡°Rik¡¯s range is deadly up close. He''ll lose for sure if he doesn''t get some distance between them.¡±

    Kell skidded across the ice, kicking aside Pultz''s emptied pouch. Rik chased after him.

    ¡°You said you wanted to fight, Prodikor!!¡± Rik taunted. More rock structures emerged. Now, the incredibly dense ice was starting to break apart, creating an uneven surface littered with holes and cracks. Kell hopped from one raised ice float to another, narrowly dodging Rik¡¯s onslaught. Norok watched closely.

    ¡°Well just blast him, then!!¡± Daimona shouted again. This time Leka leaned forward to interject, scowling at Daimona.

    ¡°Obviously,¡± she seethed, ¡°Rik will obliterate him if he stops moving, which Kell has to in order to aim.¡±

    ¡°But Zia doesn''t do that with her shots,¡± Frode yawned, nestling his head into the crook of Zia''s shoulder.

    ¡°Well--¡±

    ¡°--Sparkboy stops to think,¡± Irina interjected. She didn''t say it with the usual malice, Norok realized. Her tone was soft, her eyes still following Kell¡¯s every movement. ¡°He is tactical. Poor shot, yes, but good head on shoulders.¡±

    Leka snorted. ¡°Now you''re giving him too much credit.¡±

    Irina smirked, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her seat. ¡°Look. The battle is over.¡±

    As Kell rounded a newly formed pillar, something caught Norok''s eye. On Kell¡¯s arm, in the folds of his wrappings, a collection of silver pieces gleamed. Gingerly, he plucked one with his ungloved hand, and with a loud crack, he sent it shooting across the space. It ricochetted off of Rik¡¯s formations before finally hitting Rik at the base of his neck.

    Rik hissed in pain. He tried to run towards Kell, but another silver piece was already slotted between his fingers. He threw it, this time hitting Rik directly in his left eye. Rik stumbled, clutching at his bloodied face. Kell took the opportunity to throw two more rocks, the last of his silver pieces, towards Rik¡¯s knees. Rik fell, hunched over the ice.

    Kell strolled over, standing just a few feet in front of Rik. They were both breathing heavily, and the ice float they shared rocked with their slight movements.

    Kell struggled to speak between breaths, clutching his broken wrist again. Slowly, he managed, ¡°Was¡­ Was that enough of a fight for you?¡±

    ¡°Not nearly,¡± Rik laughed. He raised his fists, revealing his gouged eye with a toothy grin, then slamming them into the ground. Cracks spiraled beneath him, and in an instant, stone spears began violently piercing the ice all around them. The lake shot up like a geyser as the spears moved up and down, shaking the ice bleachers and completely concealing Kell and Rik.

    Suddenly, a white flash from the iceberg blinded Norok. It lasted for only a moment, but by the time he was blinking back the present, the lake had started to settle back. He squinted at the remnants of the arena.

    He could see someone floating in the water, face down, obscured by dark, wet hair. His heart sank at the sight. But as the second figure staggered forward, Norok''s eyes widened with shock and awe.

    Kell appeared before the silent crowd. His uniform was damp with water, but most of him was dry with victory. With a nervous grin, he called out, ¡°Does someone want to come get Rik? I''d do it, but uh¡­ One hand and all.¡±

 Chapter 17

    <h5>CHAPTER SEVENTEEN</h5>

    Shortly after Kell was declared the winner, he collapsed into Will''s arms. Daimona proudly hoisted him on her back.

    ¡°Champions shouldn''t have to walk anyways!!¡± she exclaimed. Norok pat Kell on the back, smiling with a relief Daimona had never seen her brother have before.

    ¡°Were you really worried?¡± Daimona cooed mockingly.

    Norok¡¯s face flushed. He coughed, clearing his throat and gesturing behind them. ¡°How could I not worry? Even you would''ve had a hard time with that¡­¡±

    Behind them, the rival team was pulling Rik¡¯s body out of the water. Daimona could hear Bash say, ¡°I-i-it¡¯s alright! He''s breathing!¡±

    ¡°Of course he''s alive--¡± Will¡¯s annoyed voice interjected, but he was quickly interrupted by Leka''s wail.

    ¡°I''M SO GLAD HE''S OKAY!¡± she blubbered.

    Their chatter began to fade the further Daimona, Norok and Kell got away. Soon, the three of them were passing under quiet trees again, the black tower rising ways ahead of them.

    Kell¡¯s chin slumped over her shoulder. His breath came out in long, exhausted puffs next to her ear. ¡°Thanks for the lift, Daimona.¡±

    ¡°Don''t mention it,¡± Daimona replied, pressing her cheek into his. ¡°I''ll let you carry me next time.¡±

    Norok asked, ¡°Hey, what happened at the very end there? All I caught was a big light¡­ That was you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kell replied. ¡°Rik tried to grab me after his last move. I guess he was trying to use the tremors to throw me off balance. I freaked out and ended up blasting us both. I didn''t even know where I ended up till after.¡±

    ¡°It was pretty smart not to use your magic till the very end! You really beat him with what he gave you,¡± Daimona said excitedly. Kell clung to her tightly as she swayed, mimicking Rik¡¯s punches.

    ¡°It wasn''t much of a strategy, but thank you,¡± Kell said. He pulled his cap down low, hiding his eyes.

    ¡°Honestly dude, you''re probably better off not using your fire magic,¡± Norok pointed out. ¡°Even Irina seemed impressed by what you could do without it.¡±

    Kell shook his head, and as he answered, his voice sounded far off. ¡°It''s my true magic, though. I can''t give it up just like that.¡±

    ¡°You can''t give up missing every fireball?¡± Daimona chimed in, confused by the sudden severity in his tone.

    Kell kept his eyes trained to the ground as he replied simply, ¡°I can''t give up what I am.¡±

    Later that night, Daimona mused on his words, roaming the halls after dinner. Wasn''t it giving up what he was that made him stronger? Isn''t that how he won? Daimona didn''t really get it.

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    A pair of voices up ahead in the corridor made her pause. ¡°... I''m telling you, I did it right, you saw what happened with the coins.¡±

    ¡°R-Rik, you should focus on recovery¡­¡± Daimona heard Bash timidly reply. They were tucked in one of the tower¡¯s many alcoves, unable to see Daimona''s approach. Slowly, she pressed herself against the wall, listening in.

    ¡°We can discuss th-this after boot camp is over,¡± Bash said softly. ¡°I''m not mad at you f-for losing. You were great out there.¡±

    ¡°This isn''t about me! I''m saying he shouldn''t have been able to escape that, Captain,¡± Rik replied. There was a low thud after that, the sound of someone slinking against the wall. Daimona tried not to snicker at the mental image of his pouting face. ¡°There''s something up with Prodikor.¡±

    Daimona was closer to the entryway now. From the corner of her eye, she could see their backs turned to her, as they were looking out into the dark beyond the window. It wasn''t just Bash and Rik, she realized-- Zia was there too, standing in front of Rik with her hands pressed to his eyes.

    After a long pause, Bash finally said, ¡°I b-believe you, Rik. I do. I''ll look into it--¡±

    ¡°--thank you, Captain, I''ll--¡±

    ¡°On my own,¡± Bash interrupted. She reached out to place a light hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him. ¡°But I n-need you to focus on recuperating. I can''t h-h-have you out of the next trial.¡±

    ¡°You should be just about done,¡± Zia added gently. Rik sighed, leaning into her hands.

    ¡°Why do I still feel like trash?¡±

    ¡°Because you''re too hard on yourself,¡± Zia said, pinching his cheek. ¡°And because I heal wounds, not fatigue.¡±

    The touching moment was ruined as Daimona felt a sharp pain in her leg. Another one of Bash¡¯s meaty gremlins was pulling back from her, tongue hanging out with pride. Bash, Rik and Zia all turned to the corner, where Daimona had stepped out to kick the creature for giving her away.

    Bash clapped her hands, and her monster scampered towards her, climbing up into her arms. ¡°S-s-sorry!! This one''s new.¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh--¡± Daimona tried to look more casual, emulating her brother as she shoved her hands in her pockets and scrunched her face up in an indifferent fashion. ¡°It''s whatever.¡±

    Zia pulled her hands away from Rik, folding them respectfully over her chest. ¡°Was there something you needed, Lady Daimona?¡±

    ¡°That chick¡¯s hardly a lady,¡± Rik muttered. ¡°I heard her screaming in the stands. Sounded like a wild animal to me.¡±

    ¡°Sounded like a real wuss in the arena to me,¡± Daimona shot back, sticking her tongue out at Rik. ¡°Explaining your lame curse just for you to lose is pathetic.¡±

    Rik''s nose flared, and he turned away from her with clenched fists. Zia chuckled under her mask.

    ¡°You have more of a spine than your b-b-brother,¡± Bash noted. It wasn''t an insult; Daimona could see it in those violet eyes. Bash didn''t have it in her to antagonize, to taunt as others in the military did. No, Bash just called it as she saw it. Which was, in Daimona''s opinion, so much worse.

    ¡°If you''re gonna stutter like that, maybe you should just stop talking,¡± Daimona countered. ¡°Must be really annoying for your team to hear you choke on every command.¡±

    ¡°Hey, watch it--!!¡± Rik stepped forward, reaching out to grab Daimona by the collar. She just stood and smirked at him.

    ¡°Please, you couldn''t even beat Kell. You really think you can take me, pretty boy?¡±

    Rik shook with rage. But before he could do anything, Bash placed a hand on his arm.

    ¡°It''s alright, Rik,¡± she said. ¡°L-let her go.¡±

    Begrudgingly, he let Daimona go. Bash motioned for them to leave, leaning into Daimona''s space to say softly, ¡°Celebrate while you can. We never lose twice.¡±

 Chapter 17.5

    <h5>CHAPTER SEVENTEEN AND THREE-SIXTHS</h5>

    In the center of Daimona and Irina¡¯s sleeping quarters, Daimona and the rest of Squad 46 huddled around Kell''s flaming open hand. His fingers flickered like five candles. Will unrolled a thin, ratty piece of canvas on the floor before then.

    ¡°Why do this here?¡± Irina whispered impatiently.

    ¡°Because Pultz is still floating around our wing,¡± Will replied. ¡°And I can''t trust him to keep his mouth shut if he barges in and hears anything.¡±

    Will pulled out a black marker from his pocket. With it, he wrote the words New Plan in big, bold letters at the top. He looked up, focusing in on each member. When his eyes landed on Norok, Daimona noticed a moment of hesitation, before finally Will¡¯s gaze landed on her. His eyes softened, shoulders relaxing as she returned his stoic expression with a bright grin.

    ¡°What''s the deal, Captain?¡± she asked eagerly.

    ¡°Our opponents played their hand too early,¡± Will said. He wrote each of the rival squad¡¯s names down the left-hand side, each accompanied by a small, poorly drawn portrait. ¡°In trying to rush the Weakest Link Exchange, they revealed our two real threats in this competition.¡±

    ¡°Rik''s curses,¡± Kell said, tapping Rik¡¯s widely-drawn smirk.

    ¡°And the incantation stuff,¡± Norok added.

    ¡°Incantation stuff that they can all do,¡± Will reminded gravely. ¡°We have to assume that every member of Squad 57 has some kind of advanced restraining or self-enhancing magic.¡±

    ¡°Zia almost knocked me out by herself without saying anything at all,¡± Daimona said. She remembered the heat overpowering her senses from the inside, her body slowly losing consciousness as Zia cradled her. The image of that mask looking over her made Daimona shudder. ¡°It was creepy.¡±

    ¡°How''d you avoid it?¡± Kell asked.

    Daimona shrugged. ¡°Norok sang to me? I guess?¡±

    Her brother quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. He seemed to ignore the comment entirely as he turned to Will and said, ¡°So why don''t you just teach us incantation stuff too? Even the odds?¡±

    ¡°Incantations are unique to the users and the purpose,¡± Will explained. ¡°It could take months to develop the right set for each of us, and that¡¯s not taking into account how long we''d have to practice to make them actually work.¡±

    ¡°He does not know how to do it either, Tadpole,¡± Irina interrupted, rolling her eyes. ¡°Otherwise, his chatter would be worthwhile.¡±

    Will begrudgingly nodded. ¡°...That too, yes. Lotsvatinus must¡¯ve used her family connections to get them a mentor¡­ Normally, it''s impossible to pin down an incantation teacher before moving through team initiation.¡±

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    Daimona tilted her head with a confused look. ¡°Shouldn''t they already be a team? I thought you guys already lost to them last year.¡±

    ¡°Last year was more of a general bootcamp,¡± Kell replied. ¡°It was more training oriented, ending with the relay race. Will beat Frode in the Weakest Link Exchange, which showed we had enough promise to come back.¡±

    ¡°Which brings me to my next point,¡± Will announced. When Daimona looked back at the canvas, he had already written all of their names across from Squad 57¡¯s, a tangle of diagonal lines linking each one. ¡°At this point, we''ve seen their abilities, and incantations aside, we know what they''re likely to start each skirmish with.¡±

    ¡°Going forward, Smirnov, I want you to handle Avsten. Your precision and your speed should be exactly what we need to counter his, and your fighting style will make it much harder for him to drop his curses.¡±

    Irina bristled with excitement, quickly trying to hide her interest as Will looked back up at her. She let out a curt hum of affirmation.

    ¡°Norok, Prodikor, you two will work together to take out their backline, H?yh? and Bartimeaus. Which leaves myself with Lotsvatinus, and Daimona with Leifson.¡±

    ¡°The dancing boy?¡± Daimona whined. ¡°Put me in charge of Bash!! I can take her!¡±

    ¡°That wasn''t a request,¡± Will said sternly.

    ¡°But Kell said you beat him last year. You can definitely take him again!¡±

    ¡°I only beat him because he wasn''t taking me seriously,¡± and as he said it, he capped the black marker with a loud snap. ¡°His true magic is Teleportation. He can move anywhere he can see, and he can move small objects within the same parameters. If I go up against him this time, he''ll know what to expect and disarm me immediately.¡±

    Daimona''s shoulders sagged. She crossed her arms, glaring at the ground. If she had to fight someone, she had at least wanted it to be worthwhile. Even her stomach seemed to growl with disappointment.

    Suddenly, the door slammed open. On the other side, gasping desperately for air, stood Leka. Her eyes were wide with panic as she uttered, ¡°The sergeants¡­ They''re gone.¡±

    ¡­

    As both squads stood in the banquet hall, a beheaded ice imp sat in the center of the room, melting quickly into the carpet. Two of Bash¡¯s creatures were hunched on both sides of it, licking the imp''s legs.

    ¡°I-I heard a scream, and when I came out, I f-f-found this outside,¡± Bash explained.

    ¡°And no one can find Sergeant Judith either?¡± Will asked.

    ¡°Her quarters are empty,¡± Zia said softly. ¡°It looked like her room was torn apart.¡±

    ¡°Could¡¯ve been Blems,¡± Rik added airily.

    ¡°Not likely,¡± Kell replied. ¡°We''re too close to the Northern edge of Fable. They wouldn''t come this close.¡±

    ¡°Suppose you''d know, wouldn''t you?¡± Rik snidely remarked.

    Kell rolled his eyes, ignoring Rik with a firm frown. He turned to Will. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°No enemy of Fable would waste their time doing something as minimal as kidnapping two proctoring sergeants,¡± Will said carefully. ¡°Which makes this another bootcamp trial.¡±

    ¡°With n-no rules,¡± Bash added. ¡°Th-they probably want us to work together¡­ It''s expected that Foreign O-Operations teams communicate and c-c-collaborate on missions.¡±

    Will eyed her suspiciously. Slowly, he raised his head, looking over to the rest of his squad. Finally, he said, ¡°Sure. Why not. Let''s pair off.¡±

 Chapter 18

    <h5>CHAPTER EIGHTEEN</h5>

    Norok peered into the dark woods before him. The dark silhouettes of trees loomed high above him, all rising in the shadow of the tower.

    Before they had separated, Will had gathered his squad close and given a low warning-- ¡°I don''t trust that this is as cut and dry as Lotsvatinus says. Be on your guard, and don''t let your partners out of sight.¡±

    Norok''s partner, in this case, was the infamous traitor Leka. Her uniform was haphazardly thrown on over a set of yellow silk pajamas, with a matching bonnet keeping her hair secure. She clutched her bow tightly with both hands, hugging it closer to her chest every time she nearly tripped over an exposed tree root.

    ¡°We can go back,¡± Norok offered. ¡°Give you some time to change.¡±

    ¡°If the sergeants were really in danger, we wouldn''t have time for that,¡± Leka said stoically. Norok rolled his eyes, groaning as she tip-toed daintily over a fallen log.

    ¡°It''s not like we know where we''re going anyways,¡± he argued. ¡°Everyone just picked a direction and ran. No one would notice if we doubled back.¡±

    Leka stopped, turning on her foot to face Norok. ¡°Look, I get it. I was a big-time recruit too. I know you think you''re the greatest, you''re the biggest mouse in the den and nothing''s ever gonna bring you down. But this shit is serious. This bootcamp determines the rest of your life. So stop acting like you''re above it.¡±

    Norok scoffed. ¡°You''re the one tripping over your own pants here. I was just trying to help you out.¡±

    ¡°Well, do us both a favor and stop.¡± Leka shivered, continuing to move through the winding wood. They walked in annoyed silence, the occasional sigh shared between them. The air grew colder the longer they walked, but the ground below remained unfrozen. Instead, Norok found himself beginning to sink lower with each step, trudging through a downward muddied slope.

    ¡°Leka, I--¡± Norok suddenly yelped, something coiling around his right foot and yanking him through the mud. His arms and legs were completely submerged. He lifted his chin high, his chest quickly sinking with the rest of him.

    Leka held her arms high above her head, her bow raised with them. ¡°Can you lift us out of this?!¡±

    Norok grunted, trying to move his arms. But the dirt seemed to be beginning to solidify, keeping them locked in place at his sides. Up, he thought desperately, get out of here!!

    His magic fizzled inside of his gut. He felt suffocated by his own panic. Norok knew he wouldn''t die here-- someone, Pultz, Judith or maybe even Cowell would surely come and pull them out once the trial was over. But the thought of his squad leering at him, covered in the dirt of failure, that was worse than death. He could already hear Irina''s grating voice, calling ¡°Aww look. Tadpole plays in mud, like real frog.¡±

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    Leka fumbled with her bow. It strung itself with a crackling, golden light. Quickly, she fired off a white-hot shot into the trunk of the closest tree. Once the arrow burst through, it left a braided rope of metal wire connecting to the center of her bow. She plunged her left arm into the mud, worming her way towards Norok''s waist.

    ¡°What''re you doing?!¡± He shouted, feeling her arm slowly wrap around him.

    ¡°Getting us out of here,¡± Leka replied. She pulled Norok close, her eyes sparking with electricity as she tried to pull them forward. Slowly, the ground began to give, allowing her to inch them closer and closer to the side.

    But Norok felt something below him surge upwards. Leka cried out, her arm tugged away from Norok and pulled her shoulder downwards. The bow sank with her, the side of Leka''s face the only part above ground.

    In an instant, Norok''s mind cleared. The thought came to him like a song, slipping past his lips before he fully processed the notion. ¡°Your burdens are mine to vanquish. Your weight is mine to lift.¡±

    Leka''s body began to slowly push itself from the mud. The incantation was incomplete, and rudimentary to boot. Leka wasn''t even able to fully free herself; the mud still claimed her legs, but her upper body was free, giving her the leverage she needed. She lurched upwards, staggering out of the mud¡¯s reach.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she gasped.

    ¡°No problem,¡± Norok replied. Then, he tilted his head forward. ¡°Do you think you could--?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Oh,¡± Leka quickly scrambled over, carefully pulling him out with all her strength. Once they were safely on the side, Norok gave her a curious look.

    ¡°No offense,¡± he started, ¡°but why are you always in the back if you''re that strong? I''m a pretty heavy guy, and you just pulled me along like I was nothing.¡±

    Leka gingerly tucked her stray curls back into her bonnet. ¡°Just because I''m in the back doesn''t mean I always will be. I have to keep my body as versatile as my magic.¡±

    Norok tried to hide how impressed he was, but Leka smirked at him knowingly. ¡°Don''t worry, big guy. I won''t carry you back or anything.¡±

    ¡°No one said you were going to,¡± Norok grumbled, then turned to look at the ravenous path. The mud showed no signs of change. ¡°What was that, anyways? Judith''s magic?¡±

    Leka shook her head with a frown. ¡°No, definitely not. This is way too messy for her. If anything, it''s probably the tower.¡±

    ¡°But the tower¡¯s an object,¡± Norok replied, raising an eyebrow. Leka put her hands on her hips, staring at him in disbelief.

    ¡°Objects can carry magic too. It''s called residual magic. If enough mana is used in one location, sometimes it creates environmental anomalies.¡±

    ¡°Great. So more traps.¡±

    ¡°More traps,¡± Leka confirmed. ¡°But that means we''re probably getting closer to the sergeants.¡±

    Norok let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I''m so going to push Pultz and his damn ice things into the biggest mud pit I can find.¡±

    ¡°Cheer up,¡± Leka said, shooting him a condescending grin. ¡°I got us out of this one. You keep doing your thing, and I''ll keep saving us.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Norok replied sharply, glaring at her back as they continued on. It was going to be a very long night.

 Chapter 19

    <h5>CHAPTER NINETEEN</h5>

    ¡°So where¡¯re you from, Daimona?¡± Frode asked, his back to the trail ahead of them. His tone was slow and sweet like a thick glob of honey. Daimona felt that if she let him talk long enough, he''d put her to sleep.

    ¡°Around,¡± she responded shortly. She tried to focus on the sounds around her, the bristling of the trees and the quiet hum of the night. Someone in the distance was whistling, shaky and stilted-- Bash, maybe?

    ¡°Don''t think I''ve ever seen a girl like you from around here,¡± Frode said, leaning his head back to look up at the sky. ¡°With all the pink, I mean.¡±

    Daimona groaned. ¡°You guys are all really hung up on that. I just look how I look!!¡±

    Frode quickly raised his hands up, waiving them like a pair of white flags. ¡°Hey, hey, I didn''t mean to offend you. Everyone''s dying to know what the deal is with the mystery rookies. Myself included.¡±

    ¡°Yeah well,¡± Daimona paused, eyeing Frode. Even in the dark, his yellow eyes seemed to glow, boring into her unnervingly. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty big mystery too. Maybe you shouldn''t ask so many questions if you''re just gonna raise more yourself.¡±

    ¡°Aw c¡¯mon, I''m an open book!¡± Frode laughed. ¡°Look, we''ll trade. I''ll tell you about me, and you tell me about you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d just lie to me,¡± Daimona replied.

    Frode placed a hand over his heart. It was a noble, exaggerated motion, the same kind Daimona saw Rik do. Reverently and dramatically, he whispered, ¡°By the blade, I''d never lie to a pretty face like yours.¡±

    Daimona scoffed. She had heard Norok try this sort of stunt before, chatting up whoever he needed to in order to get whatever he wanted. But Frode looked deathly serious as he spoke. Even Norok couldn''t hold a face for that long, he''d always break and impatiently demand his reward.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Daimona started skeptically. ¡°What''s with the whistling? That''s your boss, right?¡±

    ¡°It''s our code,¡± Frode replied casually. ¡°It''s amplified with sound magic so it can reach all of us. You must be a pretty avid user if you can hear it too. Most people outside the squad can''t.¡±

    Frode whistled in demonstration, letting out four methodic notes. After he finished, three responses echoed him back, each calling out from different places in the forest. The last played out longer, ending in a furious flurry of short bursts.

    ¡°Leka says your brother''s driving her crazy,¡± Frode explained lightly, then after another melody rang out from further off he added, ¡°And Rik¡¯s calling for backup.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Bash''s long whistle seemed to query with Daimona, concern filling the air. Rik¡¯s short reply caused Frode to erupt with laughter.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Daimona asked impatiently. ¡°Did they find the sergeants?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Frode answered, wiping a tear from his eye as he caught his breath. ¡°He just wants witnesses around, cause he thinks Irina''s trying to kill him.¡±

    Daimona recalled Irina¡¯s devious grin after they had all paired up. She regarded Frode with a thoughtful nod. ¡°Probably. That makes sense.¡±

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    The wind changed, growing colder the further they traipsed through the woods. The ground began to shake as they entered a wide clearing, a geyser of water shooting up from the center.

    In an instant, Frode whirled around, pulling Daimona close to him. Before she could react, he held her hand in his and spun, and suddenly they were on the other side.

    Looking to where they once saw, Daimona watched in awe as a great meteor of ice came hurtling down on the spot. ¡°How did you know--?¡±

    They spun again, this time to the right of the geyser. Frode¡¯s gaze was raised up, and as Daimona followed it, she saw an ice imp riding atop the water. With a pitch fork in one hand, it summoned another meteor of ice, and flung it down at their previous spot.

    Frode and Daimona locked eyes. In a moment of unspoken determination, he gracefully dipped Daimona, and as she leaned back, she felt herself falling out of his grasp and into thin air. She hugged her knees to her chest, pulling herself into a ball to maneuver her feet back under her. Below, she could see the ice imp dancing, a small ice float beneath its feet. Quickly, she straightened her legs out, diving feet-first down the middle of the imp. It shattered as soon as she made contact.

    Daimona leapt off the ice float, feeling the geyser beginning to receed into the ground. Frode clapped approvingly as she landed.

    ¡°You are incredible,¡± he remarked.

    She grinned with pride. ¡°Thanks. Your teleportation stuff did most of the work though,¡± she said, then thought back to Will¡¯s comments from earlier. ¡°You saw the imp way before I did.¡±

    ¡°I''m just a pretty attentive guy,¡± Frode replied. But his stance changed as Daimona narrowed her eyes on him.

    ¡°Pretty fast too,¡± Daimona added, placing her hands on her hips. ¡°Way faster than Will.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you gotta give your captain some credit--¡±

    Daimona stepped forward, their faces mere inches apart as she examined him. He was still smiling, but she could see his casual facade beginning to waiver. She reached up, clamping her fingers and thumb on his cheeks to keep him close. ¡°You could beat Will in your sleep. So how''d you manage to lose to him?¡±

    For a moment, Frode appeared nervous, eyes wide and mouth closed in a firm line. Then, he swallowed, lowering his tone as he leaned into her touch with a mocking look. ¡°Sorry, but I''m pretty sure the next question was mine, actually.¡±

    Daimona was about to respond when a soft clawing noise came from the hole left by the geyser. An ice imp crawled out, this one larger than the last. It drove its hands into its chest with a violent crack, startling Frode. Before he could turn around, the imp exploded, sending shards of ice everywhere. Wherever the ice shards landed, pillars began to sprout, the ice spreading across the ground rapidly.

    Daimona jumped, launching herself far enough away to avoid being frozen to the spot. She expected to see Frode already next to her, but as she landed, she realized he hadn''t moved from the spot she left him in. Instead, he was blocked in by four ice pillars, his arms and legs sticking out between their sharply forming branches. His face was obscured by the ice, but Daimona could just barely make out the top of his head when she finally approached.

    ¡°Nevermind, I think I get it,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Your reaction time is garbage. That''s how he got you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Frode sighed, his voice muffled by the pillar. ¡°Could you just¡­ Get me out of this, please?¡±

    ¡°What, you can¡¯t teleport out of it?¡± Daimona replied. She reached out, wrapping her hand around the top of the front pillar and prying it up from the ground. She threw it aside with a crash, looking back to see Frode''s embarrassed face.

    Once his legs and arms were free, a burst of light emerged in the east part of the woods. It startled Daimona, but Frode seemed unsurprised. He rubbed his previously restrained arms, giving Daimona an earnest look.

    ¡°We''ll have to continue this some other time. Remember, my turn, okay?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± But Daimona blinked, and he was gone. A pebble dropped where he once stood. Daimona picked it up, frowning at it before tossing it behind her. The bright ball of light was still rising overhead. With no better lead, Daimona began to make her way towards it, cautiously keeping one eye out for Frode along the way.

 Chapter 20

    <h5>CHAPTER TWENTY</h5>

    Being closer to the blast, Norok could make out the details of the light. It wasn''t a just a ball of fire-- it was far more intricate, a ball of white hot feathers spinning and unfurling repeatedly. As the feathers fell, they disappeared into the trees below.

    ¡°That''s your wrapped friend¡¯s doing, yeah?¡± Norok asked. Leka hadn¡¯t even stopped to look at the beacon. Instead, she picked up her pace, steering them further and further off to the left of the light. ¡°Shouldn''t we go see what''s up?¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± Leka replied nonchalantly.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Norok said, jogging lightly to keep up behind her. As soon as he caught up to her side, he added, ¡°But isn''t that like, a distress signal or whatever? What if they''re in trouble?¡±

    ¡°You mean what if your little boy-toy is in trouble.¡± Leka gave him a very pointed look, eyeing him through her lashes with a knowing smirk. ¡°Don''t worry, Z¡¯ll look after him. Unless that''s what you''re worried about--¡±

    ¡°That''s not--¡±

    ¡°--in which case, don''t worry about that either,¡± Leka continued, completely ignoring Norok¡¯s embarrassed protests. ¡°Prodikor¡¯s not really her type. She''s more into--¡±

    A figure came sailing through the trees from the far left, slamming into the trunk and thudding through the branches. The body crumbled to the ground right before their feet.

    ¡°Taller guys,¡± Leka finished. She blinked, stunned until the person groaned. It was Rik, which meant to Norok''s dismay, the approaching evil laughter could only belong to his assigned partner.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Irina applauded, stepping into view. ¡°Your flight brings much joy, bullfrog. I could not be happier.¡±

    ¡°We''re supposed to-- ugh,¡± Rik sucked a breath in through his teeth, gripping at his chest as Leka helped him to his feet. ¡°We''re supposed to work together!¡±

    ¡°And together we worked! Me with brain, you with muscle,¡± Irina teased. ¡°Very effective teamwork. The leaders will be so proud.¡±

    ¡°You guys found another trap?¡± Norok interjected.

    ¡°Seventeen traps,¡± Rik hissed, sneering at Irina. ¡°And this monster shoved me face first into every single one.¡±

    ¡°Ehh. You would''ve done same to me,¡± Irina waived him off. ¡°If you were worthwhile opponent, that is.¡±

    ¡°You--!!¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± Irina barked. ¡°We have no time for whining. Come, bullfrog.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?! I''m not going anywhere with you, you tried to kill me!¡± Rik shouted. Irina clicked her tongue, glaring at Leka.

    ¡°Your vedma gave the order. Are you going to let him disobey?¡±

    Norok gawked in disbelief. Irina Smirnov, the poster child of insubordination and needless violence, wanted to harp on disobedience? Norok found that hilarious. But Leka''s silence left a palpable tension in the air hanging between them. Her stance was stiff, fingers wrapped tightly around her bow. And suddenly, Norok realized he wasn''t in the middle of another heated bootcamp trial, or a vicious trap cast by the old tower. He was in the middle of something far, far more deadly-- a true rivalry.

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    ¡°You know, Smirnov, they say this area has an infinite number of traps, with endless magic combinations,¡± Leka said coolly. Her bow crackled with electricity, illuminating Rik¡¯s surprised expression behind her. ¡°Who knows? Maybe you got yourself caught in one. Maybe you were too busy bitching from the lower ranks to see it. I''ll make sure the sergeants know all I could do was watch you get electrocuted.¡±

    ¡°Leka, are you serious right now?¡± Rik asked quietly. ¡°I don''t think picking a fight right here is a good idea¡­¡±

    Irina pointed to Norok, pouting theatrically. ¡°You would attack me in front of poor Tadpole here? He is a witness, no?¡±

    ¡°Guess he got caught in it, too,¡± Leka shrugged carelessly. ¡°Sorry Norok. Better luck next year.¡±

    ¡°Leka--¡± Rik tried again, but Leka raised a hand, silencing him with a stern look.

    ¡°How many of your fights have I cleaned up?¡± Leka said. ¡°Let me handle mine.¡±

    Irina turned to Norok. He expected her to tell him to run off, or stay out of her way. But Irina beamed with pride and excitement, an exhilarated flush in her cheeks. She darted off without another word.

    In an instant, Irina closed the distance between herself and Leka. Leka strung an arrow, firing it off immediately. The arrow whizzed through the air. It soared over Norok''s shoulder after Irina dodged it, ducking below to grab Leka by the leg.

    Leka squeaked with shock as Irina lifted her in the air, swinging her around before tossing her up into the forest line. Rik¡¯s jaw dropped. He jumped into action, rushing forward to tackle Irina. Norok raised his hand instinctively, sending Rik flying backwards.

    Irina dashed after where she had thrown Leka, kindjal extended from her right hand. Norok chased after her with a groan.

    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± he asked, lungs hurting.

    ¡°I do not see you running away,¡± Irina countered. Up ahead, Leka had recovered to her feet, aiming another shot at Irina. This time, it hit Irina directly in her chest. The impact echoed, a resounding crack shooting through Irina''s body. For a moment, her body trembled. Then, with gritted teeth, she dove towards Leka.

    A wall of stone rose in front of Irina just before she could stab into Leka. She plunged the kindjal brutally into the wall, puncturing it with her blade repeatedly. Norok whipped around just in time to meet Rik''s flying fist. The punch sent him staggering back.

    Norok could feel his nose gushing blood. Rik leered at him, rearing up for another attack as he spat, ¡°You won''t get rid of me again.¡±

    Rik charged, and Norok frantically raised his hand, this time pointing down. Rik yelped as he fell, arms and legs weighted to the ground. Norok tried not to laugh as he helplessly clawed at the dirt.

    From behind, an ear-splitting shriek erupted. Norok turned to see Irina stabbing deep into Leka¡¯s ribs, plunging the blade deep into her flesh. Leka¡¯s bow had been kicked aside, snapped in twain.

    As Leka lay trapped under Irina, Norok noticed her fingers circling in strange patterns. Thin metal wires were creeping out from under her fingertips, laying out a grid that was starting to surround both Irina and Norok''s feet.

    Focusing his attention on Irina, Norok shouted, ¡°Up!!¡±

    Together, the floated into the sky, looking down at Leka and Rik from the treeline. From above, Norok could see Leka¡¯s grid beginning to spark with life.

    Irina wobbled through the air, grabbing Norok by the collar. ¡°What did I tell you about using your magic on me?!¡±

    An electric shot pierced through the air, nicking Irina in the cheek. Leka raised a finger at them both.

    ¡°It''s over,¡± Leka shouted. ¡°Either you come down and take your loss here, or I shoot you out of the sky.¡±

    Irina whipped her kindjal through the air. It splintered off into a cloud of shrapnel, floating around Irina''s body as she raised her hand. ¡°As if I would give you the chance to shoot.¡±

    Suddenly, a red light blared through from the center of the forest, illuminating everything in its path. A loud siren followed it. The noise startled Norok, but Irina simply groaned, turning her back to Leka and floating through the branches dejectedly.

    Norok was about to question why, when Pultz''s weary voice cut over the siren. ¡°Trial¡¯s over everybody. Head back to base.¡±

 Chapter 21

    <h5>CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE</h5>

    By the time Daimona made it to where she had seen the big ball of light, it was already starting to dissipate in the sky. Underneath the scattering feathers, however, the whole forest seemed to be catching fire. Kell was in the middle of recovering to his feet as Daimona approached. From above, Zia remained steady in the air, throwing down bolts of fire at some unknown target ahead.

    ¡°Kell!!¡± Daimona shouted, rushing towards him to help him. His face lit up, eyes wide with relief as they fell on her.

    ¡°Daimona,¡± he said, urgently clasping her hands. ¡°Your timing couldn¡¯t be any better. I need your help.¡±

    ¡°Ah, good,¡± a voice called from across the woods. Daimona squinted into the distance, barely making out Judith¡¯s green scarf fluttering in the wind next to her. Her long rifle rested elegantly over her shoulder. ¡°Another member of Squad 46.¡±

    Zia grunted as she threw another bolt. It halted in the air before Judith, disintegrating into an array of sparks as it made contact with a warbling green force field. The shield vanished from sight as Judith snapped her fingers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Daimona said. ¡°I thought we were supposed to save you!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very sweet of you,¡± Judith replied gently. ¡°But unfortunately, your mission is to save your sergeant from me. Beat me, and I¡¯ll tell you where Pultz is waiting for you. Once he¡¯s tagged by your captain, you pass the trial. Does that make sense?¡±

    ¡°Plenty,¡± Daimona growled enthusiastically.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Judith said, raising her rifle. ¡°Let¡¯s continue, then.¡±

    Daimona rolled forward, dodging the first shot. The bullet left behind a trail of green, ribbon-like smoke in the air. Daimona sprang up, ready to sprint to Judith¡¯s position, but found herself caught in the gust caused by the bullet. The wind pushed Daimona back on her heels. It created a wall, she realized, one she couldn¡¯t break through by force alone.

    From behind, Kell cried out, and Daimona looked back just in time to see him picked up by the wind. Zia caught him, carrying him from under his arms. Her hands burst into bright blue flames. Daimona watched in horror as Kell¡¯s body was engulfed by the fire.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Daimona screamed. Zia¡¯s lifeless face stared back at her indifferently.

    ¡°Helping,¡± she said simply. Zia dropped Kell¡¯s helpless body a few feet above the ground. To Daimona¡¯s surprise, the flames went out just as his feet made contact, and Kell was standing before her in perfect condition. He seemed brighter now, a new vigor overtaking his form as he clenched his fists.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, reassuring Daimona with a wide grin. ¡°That¡¯s her specialty.¡±

    ¡°We trust her?¡± Daimona asked. Zia had already flown forward, avoiding the onslaught of wind-shots from Judith.

    ¡°We do for now,¡± Kell answered calmly. Part of Daimona wanted to take Zia down-- just in case, she thought, just in case the bandaged girl got any funny ideas like cursing them at the last minute or taking the glory for herself. But she knew there wasn¡¯t time for that. Bash¡¯s whistling was getting closer, and more confident by the minute. If she found Judith before they found Pultz, the trial would be lost, and all of her big talk to Will about bringing the mud would be for nothing. She couldn¡¯t let that happen.

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    ¡°We need to pull Judith away from here,¡± Daimona said. ¡°I¡¯ll draw her back, and beat her somewhere that¡¯ll make it harder for Bash to find.¡±

    ¡°But how? We can¡¯t even get close to her!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to make her get closer to us, then.¡± Daimona turned, taking a deep breath before slamming both fists in the ground before them. The dirt gave beneath the impact, flying up in great chunks and forming a short shelf in the ground. She pried up a hefty pile and launched it at Judith.

    Judith shot the mound. It exploded from the force, causing dirt the rain down from above. It landed in heaps on her shield, slowly sliding down the front. Judith awkwardly readjusted her aim, and Daimona could see the frustration on the sergeant¡¯s polite face as she threw another splintering pile in Judith¡¯s direction.

    ¡°That¡¯s genius,¡± Kell gasped. Quickly, he reached out and clapped a hand on Daimona¡¯s shoulder. The center of his palm scorched her skin for a moment, and when he pulled away, a small black mark was etched into her flesh. A burning sensation overtook her, as though every muscle in her body was suddenly sent into overdrive.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find Will,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m amping you up with the last of what I¡¯ve got. Can you handle this on your own?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t tell you if I couldn¡¯t,¡± Daimona beamed. Kell smiled sheepishly at her, before sprinting off into the night. Turning her attention back to Judith, she could feel her eyes hyperfocusing on the sergeant¡¯s form. She had become aware of every breath, every slight movement her enemy made. Judith stepped forward, tossing aside her dirtied shield with a perplexed look.

    Zia dove down. Her wings blazed, crackling as she swooped low to swipe at Judith with her hands. A nub of light was sticking from Judith¡¯s chest, just like the bolt Zia had pulled from Daimona during the relay. Gauntlet outstretched, Zia¡¯s fingers grazed the end of the bolt.

    Before she could pull it free, however, a single, ear-splitting shot rounded off. Zia¡¯s wings flickered out instantly, her unconscious body hitting the ground with a painful thud. Judith quirked an eyebrow at Daimona.

    ¡°Just you?¡±

    ¡°Just me.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Judith said approvingly. ¡°I could do with some easy target practice.¡±

    Jumping backwards, Daimona pounded her feet into the dirt, using her full weight to upheave more of the land from under her. Effortlessly, she kicked more of it at Judith, propelling herself backwards into the forest. Judith chased her slowly, keeping her rifle aimed vigilantly forward.

    Daimona listened to the sound of her feet as she landed against the ground. She listened to the rise and fall of each breath, noting every heartbeat. She evaded each of Judith¡¯s precise shots keenly, and once they were far, far away from where they had started, Daimona let her mouth hang open.

    She had mimicked plenty of voices before. She had picked up Cowell and Will¡¯s easily, the low bravado of military men easy enough to imitate. Norok¡¯s had been child¡¯s play, and even the dozens of facilitators they had known growing up came like instinct to her. But what left Daimona¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t a voice at all. It was the sound of her, the sound of her running and panting, diverging the left and ducking into the bushes.

    Drawn to the sound, Judith made her way towards the spot Daimona had set. Daimona clicked her tongue against her teeth, creating the sound of a snapping twig.

    ¡°Caught you,¡± Judith said proudly, firing off into the bushes. Daimona leapt at her from behind, knocking Judith down and landing a devastating blow to the back of her head.

    Daimona grinned wildly down at her capture. Judith thrashed violently below her, trying to shove Daimona off, but Daimona grabbed her by the throat and slammed her head back into the ground. Judith finally stopped, giving a defeated sigh.

    ¡°That was pretty impressive,¡± she conceded.

    ¡°I thought so too,¡± Daimona replied proudly. ¡°Now tell me where Pultz is--¡±

    A pale hand started Daimona, reaching past to tap Judith¡¯s forehead. Whirling behind, Daimona was met with the sight of Bash.

    ¡°Sergeant Judith, you¡¯ve been retrieved,¡± Bash announced softly. There was no stutter to her tone, no uncertainty in her brimming eyes. All Daimona could do was sit in complete and utter shock as the siren immediately sounded.

 Chapter 22

    <h5>CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO</h5>

    ¡°Let¡¯s debrief, shall we?¡± Judith announced cheerily. Both squads were sitting across from one another at the banquet table. No member was without their post-trial scars, Norok noticed; Will sported a massive bruise turning a grisly yellow on his right cheekbone. Kell¡¯s uniform jacket was torn to shreds, a series of small burn marks dotting his sleeves. Even Daimona was covered in bruises and scrapes along her arms. He wanted to ask what happened, but his sister seemed deep in thought, leering at Frode¡¯s giddy face across from her.

    ¡°Why rub it in our faces?¡± Irina muttered, bristling as Kell¡¯s hands hovered over her chest, slowly mending the impact Leka¡¯s arrow had left. ¡°We lost. What is there to say?¡±

    Pultz sighed, placing his hands on his hips. ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t be a poor sport. There was plenty to celebrate on both sides tonight. Even I¡¯m impressed.¡±

    Judith reached a hand out to the table. Green ribbons extended from her hand, creating a live map of the forested area. The trees parted, revealing miniature versions of each participant making their way through the woods. ¡°This year¡¯s rescue trial was beyond a success. Each of you exhibited an unprecedented level of skill, and you really proved yourselves worthy of your placement here.¡±

    She waved her hand over the ribbon diorama, and the view centered in on the miniatures of Will and Bash. Norok snorted as the Will figure tripped, falling face-first into an exposed root. Will rolled his eyes without a word.

    ¡°Private Lotsvatinus, your cunning during tonight¡¯s trial was without a doubt the most impressive feature,¡± Judith continued. ¡°You effectively isolated your opponents and relied on your team to communicate their whereabouts. You scouted further ahead without rushing in, the true mark of a wise leader.¡±

    Across the forest line up, red ribbons tied themselves in balls, rolling all across the scene. As they flashed their thin limbs and wagging tongues, Norok realized they signified Bash¡¯s monsters. He grimaced at the sight. There had to be at least fifty of them on the table, and Norok hadn¡¯t seen a single one. Her monsters could be anywhere, he thought, and no one would even know.

    ¡°Th-thank you,¡± Bash bowed her head gratefully.

    ¡°That being said, the distance you kept between yourself and your teammates was almost your downfall,¡± Pultz interjected. The diorama changed, showing Frode appearing from thin air before Bash and Will. The miniature Frode began chatting at Will, distracting him as Bash escaped to the side. There, Bash stalked behind Judith and Daimona.

    ¡°I-i-i-it¡¯s true,¡± Bash admitted. ¡°I couldn¡¯t h-have handled Daimona on m-m-my own.¡±

    Daimona didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she glared darkly at Bash, the faintest growl kicking up in the back of her throat. The look unsettled Norok; he had only seen it when they were children, when Daimona had to be muzzled for her teeth instead of her magic. He had watched in horror as she tore the throats of other subjects in the facility, clawing out the eyes of any ill-prepared caretaker. Norok shuddered.

    ¡°Which brings us to our praises for Squad 46,¡± Judith said warmly. Will perked up, visibly excited by the notion that he had done something right.

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    ¡°Over the course of the last three trials, we¡¯ve noticed a distinct difference in the combative output between your two squads,¡± Pultz continued stiffly. ¡°Before, everything could be thrown to luck. But after tonight, it¡¯s clear that despite their tactical ineptitude, Squad 46 gives nothing but their all for every task. Your dedication and loyalty to the cause make you all fearsome opponents.¡±

    ¡°Was that a compliment? It kind of sounds like he just called us strong but stupid,¡± Kell whispered to Irina.

    ¡°He did not call us weak, like usual,¡± Irina said with a shrug.

    ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing,¡± Will added.

    The diorama shifted again, this time showing Kell and Daimona holding off Judith.

    ¡°Both Prodikor and Daimona were excellent in warding off their attacker, immediately adapting to my range and coming up with a concise strategy that suited both of their techniques. Not many people can hold off a sergeant--¡±

    ¡°--not many people try,¡± Pultz snickered.

    Judith nodded approvingly. ¡°But you two did on both accounts. I have no doubts that you¡¯d do well in a real operation together.¡±

    Kell grinned at Daimona. She flashed him an eager thumbs-up in return.

    ¡°In short, I want to applaud both squads for their bravery tonight, and I¡¯ll be looking forward to seeing your results in the final trial,¡± Judith clapped her hands together, offering a curt smile to both captains. ¡°For now, get some rest. You¡¯ve earned it.¡±

    As everyone exited the room, Will motioned for the rest of his squad to join him in the lobby. They huddled together, with Irina keeping her stark posture a foot outside the circle.

    ¡°Great work tonight, team,¡± Will said excitedly.

    ¡°Yeah, we really killed it out there!¡± Kell agreed, nudging Daimona. She stuck her nose up, a proud, smug look on her face.

    ¡°I really did, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to say I¡¯m very proud of you all, and even though this wasn¡¯t a victory, earning the approval of the sergeants is a huge leap for us. Let¡¯s finish bootcamp just as strong, alright?¡±

    The group all echoed their affirmations, breaking off to go retire for the evening. Norok turned, ready to race after Kell, but Irina dug her fingernails into his shoulder and yanked him back. His blood ran cold.

    ¡°Tadpole,¡± she said sternly. ¡°You used your magic on me.¡±

    ¡°That was--¡±

    Irina¡¯s nails pierced through his shirt, piercing into his flesh as she forced him to look at her. ¡°I told you what would happen if you did that again.¡±

    Norok tried to focus his panicking mind. He¡¯d have to push her back to escape-- or push himself up? Could he even get out of her range in time? He had seen firsthand just how fast she was in the woods. She¡¯d tear him into pieces in seconds, no matter how far he tried to run.

    Irina¡¯s grip relented. To his surprise, Irina¡¯s face softened, and quietly, almost politely, she said, ¡°Next time, you give signal. So I know what is coming.¡±

    ¡°O-oh,¡± Norok stuttered. ¡°Yeah, I can do that.¡±

    ¡°We will practice,¡± Irina said sharply, brushing past him. ¡°But later. Tonight, we sleep.¡±

    As he watched her back disappear around the corner, Norok let out a long exhale. He had survived the rescue trial, Leka and Rik, and now Irina¡¯s wrath too. He could only hope he¡¯d survive whenever later was too.

 Chapter 22.5

    <h5>CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO AND A HALF</h5>

    The ice castle was stout and wide, sitting in the shadow of the black tower. Its architecture was cartoonishly rounded. The erie smiling face of a massive ice imp leered at Squad 46 from the front of the grand door.

    ¡°What¡­ Is this?¡± Norok asked.

    Will pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a proud smile. ¡°After thinking about it for a while last night, I realized that what Squad 57 really beats us in is camaraderie.¡±

    ¡°They are crazy good at communicating,¡± Daimona said, nodding profusely.

    ¡°Exactly, and we need to get better at that, spend more time together as a team. That''s why I figured we could use our free day to do some team bonding exercises.¡±

    Will turned to gesture to the castle. ¡°Pultz said he''d be happy to help out, so I asked him to build an escape room for us.¡±

    ¡°Escape room?¡± Irina raised an eyebrow.

    ¡®Pultz helped?¡± Kell uttered in disbelief.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Will frowned, scratching his chin. ¡°Pultz said he''d be happy to help if it meant we wouldn''t bother him today.¡±

    Norok chuckled. That sounded right. He looked at the castle, catching a flicker of movement in the windows of the tallest spire. ¡°So what do we get if we win?¡±

    ¡°I mean,¡± Will laughed awkwardly. ¡°It''s an exercise, so--¡±

    ¡°I want your glasses,¡± Norok interrupted.

    ¡°Ooh, I want a whole roasted bear!¡± Daimona jumped up and down excitedly. ¡°I haven''t had bear in forever!¡±

    ¡°Sparkboy and I will take riches,¡± Irina added. Kell shot her an offended look. Irina tilted her head as she softly asked, ¡°Do you not want riches?¡±

    Kell opened his mouth, then closed it as he weighed the option. Eventually he shrugged and nodded to Will. ¡°Riches sound good, actually.¡±

    ¡°Guys, no, there''s no prize!¡± Will shouted.

    ¡°Better beat us to the top then, Captain, otherwise you''ll have to pay up,¡± Kell said deviously. ¡°Come on everybody!!¡±

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    Norok dashed with the others, ignoring Will¡¯s protests from behind. Once they had all vaulted themselves through the doors, the ice fused into a wall, blocking their exit.

    ¡°We''re supposed to do this together,¡± Will panted, leaning over with his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. ¡°So no prize.¡±

    ¡°Says you,¡± Irina replied snarkily.

    The room before them was a glittering hall of ice. Snow-white tapestries depicting the sword in the stone sigil Norok had seen countless times before decorated the walls. In the middle of the room was a beautifully sculpted round table, with twelve seats evenly spaced around it. Behind the table was an empty throne of smooth stone.

    A projection of light shot up from the center of the table. In the same grainy, hair-like particles from the simulation chamber emerged Pultz''s floating bust.

    ¡°Testing, testing¡­ Alrighty,¡± Pultz¡¯s voice came in crackles, his projection pulsing with each syllable. ¡°Welcome to the King¡¯s Game, a uh¡­ What was it you wanted again, Saint?¡±

    ¡°An escape room?¡±

    ¡°Right, that,¡± Pultz said dully. ¡°Anyways, all you kids gotta do is uh¡­ Do the puzzles, bring the King his sword. You know. Team bonding. Alright, knock yourselves out.¡±

    The projection dissipated with a final yawn from Pultz. Kell frowned, looking around the room.

    ¡°What if we can¡¯t get out?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Of course we¡¯ll get out,¡± Will scoffed, investigating under the table. ¡°You heard Pultz, we just have to play the game. Everyone look for a sword.¡±

    Norok began examining the rest of the ice-sculpted furniture. The bookshelves were hyperrealistic, with each book uniquely bound. As he leaned in to look closer, however, he could see that the titles were all repeating strings of gibberish, random letters placed together to look like content enough for the undiscerning eye.

    ¡°Make up your mind, dude,¡± Norok mumbled under his breath. ¡°Put in the effort or don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s the deal with you guys and swords anyways?¡± Daimona asked. She tugged at one of the tapestries boredly, clearly uninterested in solving anything that didn¡¯t require brute force.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard the Legend of the King?¡± Kell replied, perking up. He looked to Norok eagerly. ¡°Have you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Norok said, shaking his head as he made his way back towards the table. Kell bounced excitedly, sprinting towards the throne and touching the armrests lightly.

    ¡°They say the First King of Fable was a real hero who never used magic! His strength was so intense, he could withstand the heat of a thousand suns, breathe twenty leagues under the sea and communicate with beasts in their own tongue. His sword-- the blade we swear by-- is the one that killed the evil mage Merlin.¡±

    Something about that name sent a shiver up Norok¡¯s spine. He had heard Will use the word before as a form of cursing, but there was an instinctive recoil in his gut at the mention of the person. He was about to ask more before Daimona suddenly gasped.

    ¡°Found something!¡± Daimona shouted, tearing a tapestry clean off the wall and tossing it to the side. The tapestry melted in an instant, and in its place was a gaping hole, winding out to an unknown, dark abyss. ¡°It¡¯s not a sword, but it¡¯s still cool.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish investigating here first, and then we¡¯ll--¡±

    Irina and Daimona were already gone before Will could finish his sentence. He groaned, jogging to catch up as Kell laughed behind.

    Norok stood at the entryway, looking back at the empty throne. The room was eerily silent, his vision starting to sway the longer he stared at it.

    ¡°Norok?¡± Kell said, stopping a few feet ahead. ¡°You coming?¡±

    Norok swallowed dryly. ¡°Yeah, sorry.¡±

    He turned away, following Kell into the dark.