The next morning, we stand in Bret’s home, the hearth once again greedily feeding on logs of wood. The smell of wisps of smoke escaping and being drawn up the chimney gives the kitchen its usual smell. In the corner, Jayne with the three other avian beastkin clump around Ela. They discuss among each other. Jayne seems conflicted. I can tell that she still wants to bundle Ela off to a safer place, but she moresely sits by her side.

“I knew a day like this would arrive,” Bret grumbles, poking at a spent log to reduce it to ashes before chucking a new atop. “... But I didn’t think that I’d see anything like this happen until after I was promoted in the guards. Everything was so peaceful, despite the Demon Baron coming to our world.”

“It was only a matter of time before he turned his eyes our way.” Jak nods.

“I know that,” Bret mutters. “I still hoped we had more time before… And now the beastkin are stirring up trouble, making things only worse. Addlebrained fools. We should be joining up.”

Stroking his beard, Jak places a hand on the mantle over the hearth. “People seldom act logically. Remember that beastkin are no less people than the people of Haldor’s Stand. They merely possess special gifts. Whether they were beasts blessed by Alvera to take the form of man or gifted with powers beyond that of a common man, no matter, all men are imperfect.”

Nodding in agreement, I step away from the hearth to Ela’s side. She looks up at me, her ears twitching slightly, but still wilted.

“Have you decided on what you’ll do?” I ask softly.

Jayne looks up at me with an indecipherable expression as the other three nod their heads respectfully.

“No… I-I’m sorry.” Ela whinnies softly, her arms curled around her knees. Reaching down, I stroke her ears softly.

Nothing more needs to be said. I hope her path doesn’t separate us. If she runs, I will stay to fight. Whether I die again doesn’t matter.

But what of the girl whose body you borrow~? What about me~?

Chewing my lip, I walk to the door, lift my rusty sword that will most likely get me killed in battle, yet it’s all I have. I have no answer for the question I asked myself. What of Halima, the Princess of Mulga? Is it fair to risk her life in battle? I gamble not only with my own life, but hers. The moral question leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Stepping outside, I close Bret’s front door behind me and walk out from his yard. Deep in my thoughts, I see little around me as I get a breath of fresh air. My breath steams as I exhale.

I walk in blessed quietude except for the chirping of birds. I listen to their songs and my heart feels lightened. The soft wind rattles the leaves in the trees. Aside from these noises, there’s no activity. I half-expected to find crows of people jostling to leave the town, but for the moment, there’s no sign of anyone fleeing.

Taking another deep breath, my eyes closed, I smile. I may die soon. Ela may as well. Santara is no small obstacle. The man with literal bear arms and strength. Goddess, or whoever you are, why are you testing us so much? Isn’t it a bit too early?

Wasn’t throwing you into the capture of a band of Goblins somewhat premature? Wasn’t that harsh? Doesn’t that prove that she doesn’t care about you? She just wants to torture you and everyone else in this damned world.

Rubbing my hands together for warmth, I shake my head. That might be true, but I’m determined to do what good I can here in Euphonia. No matter how hard things are getting, I won’t…

With a gasp, I run headlong into something. In startlement, my eyes open wide as I stumble away. A robed figure sprawls into the dust. Her cowl falls to her shoulders, baring dirty green hair to the weak morning light and luminous green eyes. Her hair is such a filthy nest that it clings to the sides of her face.

If she was cleaned up, I think she might be more fair and beautiful than…

She looks into my eyes and her eyes widen in terror. A strange power emanates from them and in that moment the white mists crash inward out of nowhere to implode around me. I fall to the ground, insensible, drawn to the world of dreams.

…

…

…

I walk quietly from the fringes of a beautiful forest, overlooking the large lake in the northern Heartlands. Off to the distance, there’s the faint outlines of a settlement. Even more faint wisps of smoke rise from it. Scanning my eyes over it and the lands to the south, the southern ranges cloaked in forestland rear their mighty heads high above these plains. It’s simply the northernmost ridges, far smaller and less proud than the great mountains once called the Alverazores.

Feeling a tug on the weak spell I cast using only bare magick ability, the filament draws my eyes to the north and then west. I shiver, feeling goosebumps raise on my arms. My skin pebbles uncomfortably. Wrapping my arms around each other, I draw my cowl tighter around my face.

A long and hard journey lay ahead of me. I must venture courageously where none have for millennia.

Consigned, I take halting steps, one before the next, pulled downhill towards hills fronting the Alverazores laying far ahead.

A faint suggestion of a thought tickles my mind. My mind translates the obscure concept to something far simpler, he awaits.

Rushing through the lovely green grass, my cloak flaps in the air as I extend my arms behind me, charging fast as my lithe legs can take me.

This mind is strange… almost alien… vacant of any real thought… a calm pool of undisturbed water, untouched by anything.

…

…

…

“Colorful crawfish spring anon! Not very. Flow me!” I yell loudly, begging the big and nasty-looking guard standing in my way. I gesture with my hands excitedly, pointing at the beasts filling the air above.

He nods, his lips pursed.

“Flow?” I ask softly.

The guard shakes his head negatively, looking anxious. “No. Leave. You’ll be safest if you flee far to the south to any community in the plains. Entering the town at this stage would be nothing but folly. Get away.” He raises his spear to push me away with its butt.

My eyes narrow and spreading my arms, I wait for him to thrust and knock me away as usual, but this time when his weapon nears me, I turn quickly, putting my hands on it and a surge of energy sparks along it, creeping up its length.

The man standing in my way gapes dumbly and tries to drop his weapon, but it’s too late. His eyes glaze and he lowers his spear as the energy sinks into his body.

“... Flow. Today brings pleasure and pain.” Gesturing with my arms, the guard nods and turns, slamming his spear against the gate. Moments later, it opens and as the opening widens enough to permit entrance, I pull my cowl around my face and sprint into the town.

…

…

…

With a gasp, I sit up as the white mists part and hear the sound of birds chirping once more in the trees above. Raising my head, I look around with bleary eyes, finding that strange girl gone. 

Wh-where did she go? Damn this curse! If you get me killed in my fight with Vayne with this ridiculous shit, I’ll haunt you forever, Goddess!

Coming to my feet, I rub my hands together and look at the ground, examining it kind of like how Vayne did in the mountains when he was looking for signs of any Goblin band’s passing. To my distress, there’s no discernible signs left in the dirt. No sign to find that she fell here, thought I witnessed it. Looking back, I clearly see the marks that I left in the dirt. Why aren’t hers present? I frown. There are even signs that other villagers walked this way overnight. Although I’m pretending to use Vayne’s skills these are plain enough.

With a sigh, I look towards Haldor’s statue, somewhat visible even from here, although the trees tend to block its sight.

With a sigh, I get moving again, putting one foot in front of the other. I have a duel to attend. My feet take me gradually towards the plaza where it will take place.

There’s no sense in waiting for Jak and Bret to come along. This fight is between myself and Vayne, the stakes, my future as an adventurer. I wonder whether Ela will follow soon for her own duel. 

A few hours later, my feet have taken me to the plaza to wait alone. A lonely wind breezes through the town, stirring the dust laying on its streets. Across the way, a little cyclone sparks into brief life, dancing northernward.

Gazing around, there’s no one to be seen here yet. Not a soul is attending. The Café that normally would have had its doors thrown open and the veranda somewhat filled with customers by now is currently closed. Even the state building across is deathly quiet.

Did everyone in this village slip away last night? Assuming they did, there’s no reason to defend this town. Feeling the air warm as I wait, I breathe calmly, working to dispel my idle distracting thoughts except for those about that strange green-haired woman.

She had such a strange mind. I couldn’t decipher anything about her intent. Going through the filter of my consciousness, I could understand where she was going, but nothing of why.

I’m usually at least able to glean something about the people I walk with in their minds, but her mind was like an unscalable wall. Who exactly was she? A demon? Shouldn’t I tell others that she’s inside the walls? But there’s no one to tell. Does it even matter? Things will be chaotic today, as-is if things go poorly.

Loud laughter shakes me from my private reverie. “Vayne?” I gasp, looking around, my heart pounding. Seeing no one, I frown. “Where are you?”

“Who might you be? Hahahaha… Some sort of an emissary that…” With a heavy thud and a cloud of dust scattering around the impact, something falls near me. I choke and cough, covering my face, waving my hands to disperse it until an unexpected face shows itself. Red hair becomes visible first.

“Santara…” I blink, putting a hand on my sword’s hilt.

“... that Delara sent to excuse herself from her impertinent challenge of my rule?” He laughs boisterously. The rest of the dust settles at his feet and he focuses his eyes on me.

“It seems the denizens of this towns are more cowardly than expected. Hahaha. Who might you be, courageous young woman? Human or not, I respect your courage to stand and await my arrival.”

Looking into his eyes, I’m grateful that there’s no sign that any other dreamwalking episode is likely to occur. I stare into his eyes for a long moment for good measure and no mists crash on me.

Lowering his eyes to inspect me, he grins, sizing up my sword in particular and smirks. “A farm girl found her father’s sword in some attic perhaps, decided that perhaps she has a chance against me? Haha… but your clothes, however, tell a different tale. Who exactly are you? That rusty toothpick won’t touch me.”

Grating my sword from its sheath, I pull it quickly out and extend it, Standing in Alvera’s Eyes.

Santara looks at me with a querious expression, tilting his head. “I suppose that must mean that you stand for your town, if not in the stead of Delara.”

“If she doesn’t show up to face you, that’s up to her, Santara.” I say calmly, extending my sword.  “I’m here for myself. There’s another man that I’m waiting for, but I suppose you’ll do to help me limber my body.”

My stomach clenches as I speak those reckless words.

“Foolish words.” Santara barks a loud laugh at me. “You think me a mere appetizer for some other battle you have planned today? I’m insulted that you think whatever paltry fight you had planned is anything compared with what I’ll put you through. Give up on fighting anyone else, because the moment we begin, you are DEAD.” He steps forward and extends a hand towards my sword.

“Water flows around the boulder,” I murmur, sliding around his arm, striking with the edge of my rusty sword. Rusty and dull as it is, the edge cuts into his arm and blood flies through the air.

“What?”! Santara blinks in shock, confused by my words first and surprised that I drew the first blood.

With a roar he draws his other arm back and thrusts his heavy fist my way. Seeing my peril, I raise my rusty weapon and raise it to defend myself. His fist strikes it, shaking rust off its length as blood drips from his other arm. 

“You have guts to attack me, woman. Die.” He puts more strength into his punch and my sword buckles and moments after it erupts into shards as he sends me sprawling across the ground away.

“Shit…” I mutter, rolling across the ground. Coming to my feet, I hold up the stump of what’s left of my ‘sword.’ I had a feeling it wouldn’t last long. Minne didn’t do me any real favors.

Wiping off the dust off my clothes, I stand my ground and shift my stance to Tree Basking in the Sunlight. My arms extend to either side and I swing, throwing the remnants of my sword at Santara as he charges at me. Contemptuously, he swats my sword out of the air and his heavy body collides with mine. 

At the moment of impact, I seize him, shifting him down and away, kicking his legs from beneath him. Santara sprawls into the dirt. Taming the Bull’s Charge.

I sigh as I think back on Jak’s hand to hand combat training.

If he comes at you, whether armed or not, make sure you keep an eye on his fists or the point of his weapon. Place yourself where he aims and step aside. It’s a technique not much different from Water Flows Around the Boulder. Unlike it, it combines with The River Washes Away. Instead of using your sword to cut at their legs, you use yours to bind their movement at a crucial moment. You become an immovable obstacle. Use their momentum against them. They become your weapon. The important thing is to remain completely calm. Always analyze how your enemy moves.“

I will throw a punch now. Divert my motion. I will do my best to anticipate where you move to avoid it.

Keep your eye on me, I said. Not just on where I intend to strike, but also how I move after you react. It’s an endless chain of actions and reactions. Whoever ends this chain becomes the loser. Sometimes there’s no way to evade, but as long as you keep thinking a few steps ahead, you’ll not be the one eating the turf.

Waiting for Santara to rise, I cast my eyes around and notice that a few villagers have wandered to the plaza. Plaza is still quiet, but it’s a relief to see that not everyone has forsaken Haldor’s Stand. More importantly, Vayne is still nowhere to be seen.

With a blink, I throw myself to the side in a heap as I narrowly evade a bear’s paw’s swipe at where I was.

Santara growls, obviously pissed off.

Jak didn’t tell me what to do if I ever faced an angry bear. He’d probably say run, but from what I can recall from my lessons in school, a bear’s pace might be shambles and the beast slow, when he runs he can outrun any man… or woman. They’re also exceptional climbers, not that there’s anything to climb up. Swallowing around a tight throat, I’m a Tree Basking in Sunlight, praying that I’m not out of my depth.

Santara charges at me, his maw gaping, sharp teeth bared at me. His ursine roar chills my blood. He comes to a skidding halt in front of me, and whatever might pass as a grin crosses his face as he drives his heavy arms down onto my head. 

Fuck Trees… there is no way! I yelp and throw myself to the side in a heap as his paws slam into the ground, sending dirt and stone flying around. A small crater opens where his mighty limbs struck.

Not waiting for me to rise, he lumbers the short distance to me and leans forward to seize my neck in his jaws.

…

TWANG! TWANG! TWANG!

With a roaring of pain, Santara sits up, clutching at his bulbous back end that bloomed a few branches.

Ela stands across the way, holding her bow. She swallows nervously as Santara’s expression turns her way.

“I’m here for our duel, Santara.” Ela says, drawing her bowstring back again with an arrow nocked. “Those wounds might hurt a bit, but they shouldn’t affect the outcome of our fight, right?”

“ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!” Santara roars and charges at Ela at an unbelievable pace. She fires into his face unhesitatingly. His fangs gnash and catch two arrows as he throws himself at Ela. Prior to the impact, Ela flashes and kicks away in a horse’s form. First striking the turf, the second time her hooves score a solid hit on Santara’s side, sending him flying with more force than I’d have anticipated.

A horse’s rear legs’ power is nothing to scoff at. Meanwhile, the plaza fills with villagers and a few of these start cheering.