Black Steel: A Tale of Fire and Mind

"Huh?" Maxwell got up only to start pacing. "He’s supposed to be…"

"In Dawnfield, I know, but Oris just told me he’s here. He thought that’s why we’ve come." Seraphina replied coming into the room and shut the door.

Vivienne sat up as well, unable to contain her yawns. "Is this a bad thing? I mean, it’s your father."

Seraphina scoffed shaking her head. "It’s always bad when he’s around. He’s a cold, judgemental, aggravating and heartless human being. He’ll probably blame us for Lombard and that coward, Derrick. Ugh!" With that, the previously low light of the lantern in the room shone more, responding to her outburst by a flare of itself.

Maxwell rolled his eyes at his sister’s reaction before he spoke. "You exaggerate. He’s not that bad. Maybe a little stern."

"A little stern? Really, Max?" Seraphina questioned and plopped down on an armchair. "Anyway, point is he’s here. We should go talk to him."

"Not tonight. You need to calm down and besides, you know him. He’s already gone to sleep." Maxwell tried to reason with her.

They got into an argument of what to do, so Vivienne yawning once again sighed. "Can you please decide already and stop debating? I really need to sleep if we’re going to test everyone here tomorrow."

"Another reason we shouldn’t talk to him now. Vivienne’s part of the team now and I doubt she’d agree to be left behind to sleep." Maxwell declared and Seraphina turned her head to Vivienne raising her eyebrow.

"Don’t I get a say in this?" She asked Vivienne.

"He doesn’t get a say either. Either you let me in or I follow you around. Your choice. I’m not starting over from scratch here or anywhere else, where I need to pretend like I have all my life. I’d rather come with you." Vivienne said confidently.

Seraphina twisted her mouth in thought and then with a look to her brother, she nodded. "Hmm, okay. You need to start some training though. We won’t be able to protect you and ourselves all the time."

"We’ve already agreed to start tomorrow." Maxwell confirmed and sat back down next to Vivienne. "Go cool off, get some sleep and let us do the same."

Seraphina stood and started pacing with crossed arms. "I’ll handle her marksmanship and stealth training, you do swords, small, don't think she can handle something bigger now.” She nodded to herself. “We can get some basic fighting done and set out again by summer for whatever they need us to do. It can work out in theory." With a new purpose at hand, she stopped pacing and went to the door. "Right. You two. Sleep, no funny business. We need to talk to dad and then we begin. We'll see how you fare, Vivienne. Goodnight."

She then exited the room as quickly as she’d come in. Her orders made Vivienne blush a little causing Maxwell to chuckle as he rubbed her arm. "Whatever you suggested is working quite well. She accepted me without question. Although… I’m a little worried of what she has in store for me."

"She told you?" Maxwell inquired with a brush of his lips on her shoulder.

"Not in detail. She only mentioned you telling her not to scare me. Did you really need to do that? I can hold my own…" she scolded pushing him down to lay her head on him.

"I know. I just can’t help it. I don’t know how I’ll cope when you can kick ass." He said with a sigh and she laughed. "As for her acceptance? There are two aspects."

"Oh? Do tell, oh wise one." She mocked leaning on her elbow and stared down at him.

"Well, from the cold assassin’s objective point of view, a mind reader’s an incredible tool." He paused to hook his fingers in her hair on the back of her head. "But see now, from the caring, don’t laugh, sister’s point of view, making her brother happy is always a plus. Especially if, although she’ll never admit it, she feels slightly guilty for keeping me trapped in this life."

With that, he pulled her down crashing their lips together as she smiled. She pulled back, much to his displeasure, and snuggled close to him after she pulled the blanket over them. "Drop the pout. You heard the commander, no funny business."

◊◊◊

In the morning she woke up due to a persistent shake. Obviously not one of the twins. She turned over to find Oris looking at her amused. "Good morning, milady. I’ve been tasked with your awakening no later than noon and providing any assistance you may need." He said and bowed.

She couldn’t help but laugh. "Good morning, but why so formal?"

"Maxwell’s orders. He told me and I quote ‘I’d better not hear you made any inappropriate comments, or else…’." He said trying to mimic Maxwell’s voice which only increased the intensity of her laughter. "Since I really don’t want to find out what ‘or else’ means, I thought formality was most appropriate."

"Don’t worry, I’ll let him know you were quite the gentleman." She replied finally getting up.

"Seraphina as well?" He asked hopeful.

She didn’t want to get in Seraphina’s business, so she didn’t tell him he had no chance. She opted to agree instead. "Her as well. Where are those two? We had plans."

He turned to the door as she got behind the caravan to change. "Brenton called them when he heard they’re here."

"Brenton?" She asked confused.

"Their father? Didn’t they tell you?" He inquired a little too interested. There was sudden change in Oris’s tone. Seraphina had been right. They did need to seem a tight group.

"That he was here? Yeah, I just didn’t know the name. They only referred to him as ‘father’ or ‘dad’." She said but already felt slightly left out. They’d said she would come with them. "Okay, I’m ready, you can turn around.” He did. “So, since you have to help me, how about we feed me?"

"Already ahead of you. We’ve arranged for a late breakfast in one of the balconies here. Maxwell thought you’d like the view." She smiled at his words. That big brute was surreal at times.

She grabbed a warm coat just in case and followed Oris to a small balcony overlooking the entire city. In the daylight she could even distinguish the mines to the west, Neverfall’s main means of income. She would have to thank Maxwell later.

They sat down and soon after a woman came to serve them. Oris didn’t bother making any introductions, but the girl didn’t mind. She was smitten with him. Only when they were left alone, did she start talking. "So you’ve known the twins for a long time…How come you didn’t follow in their footsteps?"

He seemed surprised she knew about their business. Looking into his mind, she saw that he thought she was just a passing infatuation of Maxwell’s. She tried with everything she had to keep a straight face at that thought as he compared her to other women he’d seen Maxwell with. By no means did she think they were it for life yet, it was too early, but she didn’t want to be just another girl. She had more self-respect than that.

"I’ve never really been interested in killing myself early.” He said chuckling. “So… Part of our little group, I see. How come I’ve never heard of you?" Oris asked a little suspiciously.

"I’d imagine it’s because I’m hardly a member." She confessed between bites. "I only recently joined the twins. They were supposed to start training me this morning."

"Yeah, well, things hardly go as they want when Brenton’s around." Oris told her seriously in a pitiful manner.

She figured she could learn a little more about them without their reliving sorrowful memories. It wasn’t like they were holding much back since the night of the attack. "Why’s that?"

"Well, he’s…hmm, umm." He mumbled to himself rubbing his chin. "Okay, let’s just say that if I didn’t know he was their father, I would’ve thought he had it in for them or something."

"What do you mean? Like, he wants to hurt them? He’s their father!" Vivienne exclaimed.

"Hey, I didn’t say he wants that, but it comes across that way. He’s almost cruel with them sometimes." He said quickly and shushed her.

She lowered her voice. "Sera implied something like that, but Max dismissed her. Has their father always been like that?" She questioned further.

Oris scrunched his face as he thought. "No, I don’t think so. Well actually, I don’t know. I was hardly more than three when the three of them came to… you know.” He didn’t want to mention Bandville by name. “All I remember is Brenton coming home once or twice a year and during that time he would give them hell."

"So Sera wasn’t exaggerating…" she thought. "Do you know anything about their story?"

"Why don’t you ask them?" He challenged.

She considered her answer for a short time. "It pains them. I don’t want to be the cause of it, but at the same time I want to understand them better."

"Well, it’s hardly a secret. They just hate talking about it. Seraphina a lot more than Maxwell." He finished with his food quickly and after the last swallow, he turned to her seriously. "So, it goes like this. The twins were born in Larcbust. Do you know where that is?"

"Not a clue." She replied intrigued.

"It was a mining village back in the day, but now it’s grown from what I’ve heard. Big military base near it. Anyway, it’s northwest of the capital, right at the western mountain, built much like Neverfall, with constructions up the mountain. North of it lies the wasteland, it’s that close they often have ash and dust swept in with the wind." Oris seemed to enjoy her full attention and made a show of his telling.

It only worked to annoy Vivienne, but considering she wanted to know, she simply urged him on. "That sounds fascinating. So why did they leave?"

"Well, they didn’t want to. Brenton was a miner and their mother stayed home with them. Thing is, the parents weren’t… normal." He was cut off.

"Not normal?" She wondered aloud and then leaned close to him to whisper. "You mean they were Elementals?"

The shock in his thoughts gave her quite the satisfaction. More so than the one in his expression. "You know about that too? Are you...?" She shook her head before he finished the question and motioned him to continue. "Um, okay, that changes things. But yeah, their parents were both… that. Fire and water."

"Like the twins…" she trailed off.

He nodded. "Only in reverse. So, when the kids were five, something happened and their mother was discovered, that part I mean. I don’t know the details as none of them really talk about it. Our records only mention her discovery, not even her name, and then the fact that she was captured before it’s presumed she was executed quietly. The kids and Brenton only managed to escape thanks to the roamers in the area who thankfully heard before the empire got to the rest of the family."

"So they weren’t Shepherds to begin with?" She asked confused. From their stories, she’d gathered that they were part of the families residing in Bandville.

"Nope. They were practically harboured away from Larcbust. It took Brenton a cycle or two after that to join. Maxwell and Seraphina were already under the care of their uncle by then, so when he officially joined, he hardly ever came back to see them. The fight became his life. The kids…Well, they didn’t seem that important to him." Oris concluded sadly.

"Yet, Max still defends him", she thought to herself. "There must be more to the story."

Oris didn’t say anything else, letting his words sink in for her. She’d finished her meal in the silence, all the while avoided to read him as she needed the moment of peace. The woman who’d served them came to collect their dishes and informed Oris he was needed elsewhere.

Before he went to attend to his business, he made certain to offer suggestions, directions and anything else she might want. He’d taken Maxwell’s order seriously. Vivienne reassured him she didn’t need anything, so he left, and she went to the stables where she found the only other living being she was familiar with. Her horse, as the twins’ ones were missing.

Maxwell and Seraphina had made a big point of emphasising the importance in the bond between rider and stead. So they’d taught her how to take care of her stallion, brushing his mane once a day, leading him to a grassy area where he could feed, reward him with an apple every now and then and clean his hooves after a trudge through a muddy area. She became fond of the horse and he seemed to respect his rider as well.

"The stallion seems to like you." A voice startled her as she was cleaning the horse’s hooves. She turned around to find a heavy old man looking at her seriously. "Sorry, if I startled you. It wasn’t my intention."

"Not your fault. I was too deep in my thoughts." She answered struggling to get a petrified piece of mud off the hoof she was working on.

The man looked around cautiously and then came closer. "Let me help with that." With a swiping movement of his fingers, the mud plucked itself away.

"Oris’s father, I presume?" She said extending her hand to him.

He took it. "Indeed, Vivienne. The name’s Clay."

"Thank you for the help, but you shouldn’t have. Not like that." She cautioned and read him, waiting for his reaction.

"Neverfallers hardly ever notice anything, don’t worry.” Like his son, while he felt the difference, he soon shrugged it off and turned his thoughts her way. He believed she was a spy who’d won over Maxwell through feminine manipulation. He kept a smile on his face and voiced none of these things though. “How’re you finding your stay so far?"

"Refreshing. Getting here was tough. Wrong time of the year to travel." She answered as kindly as she could. The hostility in his mind was making it hard for her to keep her composure.

"Heard Max and Sera will begin your training, huh? Are you sure about your choice of instructors? I could find someone to help with that. Maybe with more experience." Clay asked her. Again, he was looking into possible cracks between her and the siblings.

"No, I’ll take my chances with my people." She retorted. She was getting tired of that constant inspection. And she’d only met two people. “I appreciate the offer though.”

"As you wish, but if you ever need it, let me know." Clay got up from the stool he was using and headed inside.

Vivienne went back to her work, remembering to be more alert. A short while later, she looked up when she heard hooves approaching the stables. In stepped Maxwell, holding the reigns to three horses; His, Seraphina’s and presumably their father’s.

"There are stable boys for that, you know." He said smiling as he led the steads into their stalls where he stripped them of their saddles.

"I’m bonding with him." She said and got out of her horse’s stall. "I missed you this morning. Or rather noon."

"I know, sorry about that. Father came and requested me and Sera. You wouldn’t budge, so I let you sleep." He apologised and went to her standing in front of her. "You didn’t miss much. Just a briefing of what you already know and a scold from him. I can tell you all about it, if you want."

She was sure he would if she asked, but there was no need. "It’s fine. I don’t mind." She pulled him down and kissed his cheek. "Sera’s managed to cool off?"

"Hardly. They’re too much alike, so they fuel each other’s tempers. They’ve gone to the two opposite sides of the inn." He informed her rolling his eyes. "It would’ve been nice if you were there. We’d make great commentary."

"Shouldn’t have let me sleep then." She teased. "I liked the late breakfast idea though and you were right. I did enjoy the view."

He cackled and held her close. "Getting to know you well, huh?"

"You are." She said and kissed him deeply. "You’re doing so well, I might even let you in on some of my secrets."

"Is that so?" He asked and she nodded. "Should I worry? Is there a boyfriend somewhere I need to watch out for?"

She laughed then. "That’s the first thing you think of? Really?"

"Why not? Shouldn’t I know if the coast is clear?" He asked and she shook her head in disbelief. "I’ll assume I’m all by myself in the quest for your heart then. Now… Wanna learn how to kick my ass?"

◊◊◊

Several hours after, as dusk came, there wasn’t a single muscle in Vivienne’s body that didn’t hurt. Even some of her bones were sore. If training with Maxwell was that painful, she was a little worried about what awaited her when Seraphina took over.

It wasn’t just the intense physical exercise, which her body wasn’t accustomed to, but also the hits she took while learning how to block. Maxwell was watchful not to irreparably hurt her, but he was no gentle instructor. Whatever opening her still inexperienced attempts at blocking provided, he’d go for it without question.

She’d definitely bruise when morning came, but it was her choice so she never complained. Every hit she took only worked to increase her determination. By the time they were done for the day, Maxwell had to work a little more than when they started.

When she saw him start to sweat a few hours into their training, she felt proud of herself. He seemed to be as well. While they were gathering the training equipment, he couldn’t stop smiling or encouraging her whenever they made eye contact.

On their way back he’d tell her of everything he noticed her do, complimenting her on the good, suggesting tricks to improve the bad. They kept physical contact to minimal since she was sore all over, but they were hardly apart, always close.

He suggested the next day’s schedule be running to get her in better shape, so that both she could handle the training to come and her body could have a chance to heal slightly. She could hardly protest, her ribs screamed from his jabs.

When they reached the tavern, they went upstairs to the makeshift inn for the Shepherds, where like the day before, Vivienne took a long bath, with mostly cold water to give her muscles some relief. The door suddenly burst open and she tried to cover herself as best she could with her arms. Seraphina came inside with some fresh clothes for Vivienne in hand.

After she checked every corner of the room for eavesdroppers, she took a seat in a nearby armchair. "Oris mentioned you spoke."

Vivienne’s ears perked up at that in alarm. She tried to find any signs of malice in Seraphina’s voice, but came up empty. She didn’t dare read her in that moment. "Um, I was curious. I’m sorry if I…"

Seraphina cut her off by raising her hand. "Don’t fall into their trap. They’re just trying to disperse us. Bashers are the worst. Getting their noses in everyone’s business, much like dust finds its way everywhere."

"They know you though. They must know they can’t come between you?" Vivienne asked rubbing her calves under the cold water.

“You tell me. You’re the… know.” Seraphina said shaking her head. “Maybe it’s the only thing they know, maybe they just can’t help it.”

“I can check.” Vivienne said and dipped her head under the water.

When she came up, Seraphina had flames playing on her fingers. "We’re all Shepherds here, you now too, but this particular family loves creating drama." She said a little menacingly. “Always has.”

"I thought they were your friends…" Vivienne trailed off looking up at her companion.

"In a way. But let’s just say I’d be watching them closely, probably bow ready, if they weren’t bashers." She replied with a then soft tone.

Wanting to reassure the validity of the storyteller’s claims, Vivienne asked. "So… I shouldn’t believe everything Oris told me?"

"Actually, I doubt he lied about anything. But I’m sure he made some commentary you found odd. That would be where he embellished." Seraphina replied. Her fingers crept up her chest to the small, bright sapphire she wore. "Neither of us minds you asked. Maybe Max would want you to ask us instead, well him, but that’s about it. We’re curious about your past as well, so if we had someone offering to tell us, we’d definitely listen."

Vivienne looked away in shame. "I thought I’d save you the trouble of reliving it."

Seraphina snorted and let her hand drop. "My past never lets me be. Talking about it doesn’t make it any worse than my nightmares. The difference between now and say, two weeks ago is that now, I would tell you."

Vivienne would ask, had Seraphina not got up and gone to the window, where her sharp eyes swept the city. It didn’t seem like the time for the past, so she focused on the present. "Hiding from something?"

"My father. Have been all day." She replied without a trace of emotion. “Ready to meet him? I’m warning you, if he turns his attention on you, it could be tougher than all of today’s training with Max."

"How cheerful…" Vivienne uttered and reached for the towel she’d left on a stool right next to the tub.

"I had who to take it from." Seraphina said and came closer. "Need any help? I know how strained you must feel."

She didn’t give Vivienne a chance to protest. She grabbed her by the elbows to steady her as she came out of the tub. Showing weakness in front of either twin was making her uncomfortable, but even more so when it came to Seraphina. The excuse of Maxwell being huge and bulk didn’t apply in her case, as they were very similarly built, Seraphina being a little more lean.

Seraphina didn’t seem to think much of it, though she hardly ever showed any emotion other than anger. When Vivienne was ready, they went downstairs to the tavern, any dining had to happen there since the accommodations on the upper level were only for resting purposes. The late breakfast had been a treat.

They found Maxwell, Oris, Clay and who she presumed to be Brenton at a table in the corner, far away from the rest so they could easily discuss their business. The counter in between it and the rest of the tables also obscured them, so the only thing Vivienne could see was their heads. Before they walked to them, Seraphina turned to her. "Are you too tired to read them?"

Vivienne tried to gauge her state. Despite the physical strain, she was fully wired, so she shook her head. "I’m fine. But you want me to read your father as well?"

"Especially him. And when he asks, you can tell him everything you’ve told us, apart from the reading and just in case, where you’re from. Okay?" Seraphina practically commanded. She nodded and then they proceeded to the table.

"Here I thought you’d never crawl out of your hole, Seraphina." The only person she didn’t recognise mocked as Seraphina took a seat, leaving one open between her and Maxwell for Vivienne. "And you must be the new recruit. Vivienne, right?” Vivienne nodded. “I’m Brenton, their father."

The first thing she noticed about him was the difference between his thoughts and his words. The malice he directed out loud at Seraphina was nowhere in his mind, if anything, there was pride and some longing. She was perplexed.

But she needed to say something or the men at the table would get suspicious. "A pleasure. I owe your children my life." She said and sat down between the twins.

He laughed loudly catching the attention of the denizens, until Clay waved them to mind their own business. "From what I hear they’re the reason you were in any danger in the first place, yet you defend them?"

"I believe it’s the traitor in your ranks that’s to blame, reporting falsely I had any connection to your son." She challenged. Satisfaction radiated from Seraphina at her words.

“Careful, Viv. He won’t stand for much with the others around.” Maxwell thought to her while rubbing her back.

Brenton’s eyes were cold. "I see nothing false of that report. It couldn’t be more accurate." Yet, in his mind there was joy for Maxwell. A secret hope he’d then leave the League and live the rest of his life away from its dangers.

"At the time it was, father. Just a serving girl at the tavern Max spent some evenings. We told you that." Seraphina reported as coldly as her father.

"You should both know better than to involve civilians." Brenton chastised them.

"They didn’t involve me.” Brenton looked at her, eyebrow raised, much like Seraphina did when she was annoyed. “They found out I was in danger and harbored me out of Ashbourne. It’s worked out well for me, sir, I can’t complain." Vivienne couldn’t help the retort. She also scratched Maxwell’s chin for effect.

“Sassy and bold. I can see the intrigue.” He thought looking at her closely. There was a staring contest between them in that moment. Suddenly his demeanour changed and he softened. On the inside, because on his face he held up the reprimanding sneer. “Hmm… you… You can actually hear me, can’t you?”

That made her back up against Maxwell’s hand. Seraphina immediately moved closer to her and Maxwell, even if she had no clue what was happening. Clay then opted to break the silence. "How about we all relax here? I’m in no need of a renovation now."

"We’re calm, Clay, don’t worry. Could you please excuse us? I need to talk with these three in private." Brenton casually asked never averting his eyes from Vivienne’s.

Either Brenton was higher up the hierarchy than Clay, or the latter simply didn’t want to get into any arguments, since both he and his son soon left the table. The moment they did, a smile spread across Brenton’s mouth. She didn’t like it.

"Dad… What the hell is going on?" Maxwell asked confused.

“Do you want to tell them or shall I?” the father thought to her. “Though, I’d suggest you don’t disclose my thoughts about them.”

Vivienne clutched Maxwell’s hand and answered. "He knows. About me, I mean. Or rather the reading."

Vivienne felt a sharp pain on her right hand and smelled something burning before Seraphina spoke. "How would you? Unless… You’ve been hiding things from us."

"Stop that at once, Seraphina. You’re hurting her. She’s too valuable an asset." Brenton cautioned quickly. Vivienne hadn’t noticed the small flames playing around Seraphina’s fingers. She’d only felt the pain they caused since the scorcher had moved close to her.

"Dad, you either tell us what you mean or I’m taking them away from here right now." Maxwell threatened his father making him laugh again.

"And go where? For how long? Your sister can’t stay immobile, without something to do against our oppressors.” Maxwell fell back in his chair. “Never make empty threats, my boy."

Vivienne hated the smugness in the old man’s voice, even if it was simply an act as his mind showed. She considered telling the twins of the contradiction right then and there, but opted not to. Not then. "Speak. Please." Vivienne didn’t need to use any more words. A simple plead was much more effective than anything the twins had said.

"Very well. What part of the capital are you from, Vivienne?" He asked surprising the three of them.

"I’m not from the capital." She replied remembering Seraphina’s suggestion to avoid telling him of her birthplace and leaned on the table. "What do you know about people like me?"

Brenton looked at her closely, trying to decipher whether she was lying to him. "Honestly? Only that you exist. I’ve been trying to find out more about your kind." He turned to the twins. "That’s why I’m here this time of year. I’m on my way back to Bandville and our records to investigate."

"You knew she was reading you. You must know something more than you’re letting on." Seraphina said frustrated.

"Obviously." Brenton scoffed. "How do I know I can trust her though? You two have made costly mistakes before."

The image of a brunette, blue-eyed young man filled both of the twins’ minds while guilt flowed out of them. She figured that was their cousin, Emmery, though she knew not the story behind that tragedy.

Ignoring his last comment, Vivienne offered: "What is it you want to believe me?"

"Nice of you to ask.” Another sneer appeared on his face and brought out a cigar. He didn’t use a match to light it. Instead, he brought a toothpick close to it and Vivienne saw flames appear. Only someone who knew he was a Fire Elemental would notice. “I’ve already spent some bonding time with my kids this morning. I might as well do with you, don’t you think?"

Maxwell was the one to answer. "Absolutely not. I’m not leaving her alone with you."

"I wasn’t asking.” He said and brought the cigar to his mouth. “Even if I wasn’t your father, I’m your superior and you want to bring in new blood. Did you really think there was going to be no interrogation of some sort?" Brenton asked and exhaled some smoke before taking a sip from his wine.

Both Seraphina and Maxwell were seething inside, but like their father, they were experts at keeping a straight face. Only Vivienne knew what was really happening in the background. From what she saw, Brenton was constantly counting to keep information out of her reach. She wasn’t afraid for her life. He wanted to test her, not kill her. Though, surrounded by masters in disguise, being sure of their sayings or thoughts wasn’t advisable.

"Let’s go then." She said getting up. As the twins went to do so as well, she stopped them. "I’ll be fine. You know he’s right."

"Excellent.” He put the cigar down and got up. “Max, Sera, if you’ll excuse us." Brenton downed his drink with one try.

Vivienne followed him to the back of the tavern, Clay glanced all curious as they passed him, and down the basement, where he closed the bulkhead door behind them. As she turned to face him, the facade broke, leaving him only with a tired look in his eyes.

"Keeping things from you is rather tiresome, how do they do it?" He asked rubbing his temples.

"I don’t read them all the time." As a sign of faith, she stopped it right then. "Why are you so hard on them?"

"I don’t want them to have this life." Brenton confessed.

"Yet you pulled them into it." She accused.

"If by that, you mean I brought them to a safe place, away from the empire, and left them in the care of a couple able to provide them the family I could not, then yes." He said and sat down on a nearby stool. "This life…it’s not for young people, like you, like them. It’s for people like me, who’ve lost everything."

"So you thought if you distanced yourself from them, they wouldn’t follow in your footsteps?" Vivienne asked, trying to understand the man.

He nodded and sighed. "That was the plan. That and I couldn’t look at them. In them I saw my wife. I couldn’t bear it.”

“You abandoned them.”

“I know, but you don’t know what I became after…” Flames danced on his fingertips. “It’s the best thing I could’ve done for them.” He said and snuffed the fire. “But I drew my course without considering how much the League craved Elementals and I brought two of them right into their hands, so young, so fragile." He paused, lifting his hands up in desperation. "By the time Barkley and I realized Seraphina had been poisoned with the same…hunger for revenge, it was too late to change her views.”

“And Max wouldn’t let her go alone…” Vivienne added.

“Unfortunately. For all the love Mirabelle gave them, some of her teachings brought us here. I discouraged them, sabotaged their way up the ranks, but those two and their cousin were too determined. No matter what my brother or I told the council, their results were too impressive to overlook."

"You could’ve talked to them." Vivienne cut him off then, having had enough of that. "Reason with when they were young.” She said though she didn’t believe it herself. “Test me however you like, so I can go back upstairs."

Brenton got up from his seat and offered her his hand. "You don’t care for the cause, that much is obvious, but I can see you won’t betray my children. Sera would’ve killed you."

She shook his hand, getting irritated. "Then why did you pull me down here? If Seraphina’s judgement was enough?"

He smiled then. "It’s all about the show, my dear. My problem is that I can’t possibly fool you, so I needed to explain. Ever since I discovered someone like you, I’ve had to be on guard of my own mind all the time. The wine and belief mind readers were solely in the capital are the reasons it took me a little longer to realize your invasion."

"Sera asked me to. Especially you." She said.

"I’m hardly surprised. She’s annoyingly perceptive. Only in my case do her emotions blind her. But Max? I doubt he was ever fooled." He said and made for the stairs. "Ohh, also I’d prefer you not mention our conversation."

"I won’t lie to them. If they ask, I’ll tell them." Vivienne replied confidently.

"I didn’t expect anything else.” He said nodding. “Maybe you’ll manage what I couldn’t and get them to leave all this behind before it’s too late.”

“Perhaps.”

Brenton stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “One last thing. Be careful around Clay and Oris."

"Your daughter already told me. They’re meddlers, right?" She asked.

"They love creating drama. Well, Clay does. Didn’t tell you I was here right away, did he?” She shook her head. “Thought as much." Brenton finished and they went upstairs. Both Maxwell’s and Seraphina’s heads shot up when they reappeared, but Brenton led them first to Clay. "I accept her. Objections?"

Clay bowed his head slightly and spoke. "If you find her sound, it’s enough for me. Should I send a missive back to inform them?"

"That won’t be necessary. I’ll be taking the news back myself. I’ve had enough rest. Time to hit the road." Brenton replied and after Clay nodded, they went back to the twins’ table.

"That took long." Maxwell breathed inspecting all of Vivienne. The only injury he found was the slight burn Seraphina had caused.

Brenton noticed and restored his mask. "Only your temper hurt her, we just talked." Vivienne confirmed the latter and then he continued. "Now that’s done, I figured you should hear the rest of what I have to say."

Oris came that moment with some kind of oil and a small bandage. As Brenton scowled at the interruption, the young man explained himself. "I noticed the burn on her arm. May be small, but you’d better treat it."

Seraphina took the items from him and thanked him before he left. "Sorry about that. I didn’t realize the proximity…" She said as she went on to apply the oil and wrap her arm.

"Back to business." Brenton declared when Seraphina was done. "I do know a little something about people like Vivienne. I knew someone like her in the capital."

"So there are others. We expected that much, she can’t be the only one." Maxwell voiced with a nod.

"Oh, definitely and the empire must have at least one under their command." Brenton affirmed raising his hand towards Clay and showing him four fingers.

"How do you know that?" Seraphina asked cautiously.

"Because after I found the boy, I arranged for him a servant job to gather information right from the source. He needn’t wander in dangerous parts, so the risk was minimal. Yet, he disappeared within days. Just like our people when they get discovered." Brenton told them, but stopped as Oris came back again, but this time with four trays of food, like Brenton had ordered.

"Enjoy your meal." He wished them departing.

"So they’ve wiped every trace of the boy like they do with our kind? I’m guessing you found no body?" Maxwell inquired seriously.

"Nothing. I couldn’t ask around of course, because I’d be targeted as well, so I decided to return to Bandville. I hope either the council or the archives can help shine some light in this." Brenton replied starting on his food.

"Help with what? Figure out the mind reader business or how he got caught?" Seraphina asked that time.

"I know how he got caught. He wouldn’t wander anywhere he shouldn’t, he just had to listen, so someone used the same power on him. There’s no other explanation. So that’s not what I’m looking for in Bandville." Her father answered confidently.

"The archives don’t mention anything significant." Maxwell said out of the blue, making the old man turn to him interested. "I’ve read it all. You’re right to think the empire has mind readers. In the journals of about fifty cycles ago or so there were four cases of roamers reporting the feeling Vivienne’s reading causes us, or at least that’s what I think it is as they didn’t seem to know what it was. In all four cases, when the roamers returned to their post in the capital, we lost trace of them."

"Interesting. I’ll have to look at those records myself of course." Brenton said to himself mostly.

Vivienne had a random thought then. "Shouldn’t we inform Clay of this danger? I hardly had to spend more than a few moments to see in his mind. If I’d make him think of anything concerning the League, I’d know all about it."

"Not to mention that’s how we made certain of Lombard’s betrayal." Seraphina added. "We should inform them of the danger."

Brenton sat silent for a while, tapping on his chin. "You’re right. I’ll tell him before I leave for Bandville. I’ll keep Vivienne out of it though. He hardly trusts you now, no need to give him more reasons."

"That seems thoughtful of you…" Seraphina said looking at him closely. "What’s the catch?"

Brenton smiled. "There’s hardly a catch. You just need to train her properly if she’s to join you. She’ll be a liability otherwise."

"We were going to do that anyway. In fact, we’ve already started. What else do you have in mind?" Maxwell asked.

"Simple. You train her body and she trains your mind. For safety’s sake, let’s assume the empire’s infested with mind readers. You may not be able to prevent it, but you can at least avoid detection." Brenton replied with ease, as if it was obvious.

"They’ve found a way to keep things from me, what’s the point?" Vivienne asked then.

Maxwell turned to her. "Keeping things from you and avoiding detection are two completely different things, Viv. If we face someone like you and we start singing, reciting texts or counting, they’ll know and we’ll be hunted."

"Precisely. So it’s necessary you learn how to think normal when you feel that power. Vivienne, that includes you, though you can’t have possibly have anyone’s help as there’s no other like you in our ranks." Brenton warned.

"Not that we know of…" Seraphina trailed off.

"True." He replied and stood. “It’s late and this old man needs to sleep, so I’ll have to leave your company."

He left without another word.

Vivienne and the siblings exchanged looks before she started on her meal. They soon followed her example, figuring if she had anything to tell them, she would. Only when they were safe inside Maxwell’s and Vivienne’s room and they’d checked every corner, did they start asking questions about the time she’d spent with their father in the basement. Since their questions had more to do with how he’d treated her than his interrogation, she didn’t disclose of their father’s true thoughts.

Seraphina left them alone soon after, with a promise to return the next day at dawn to retrieve Vivienne for a run. Like in the morning, Vivienne changed behind the small caravan and when she came back to the bed, she found Maxwell with a fresh bandage and some ointment waiting for her, all changed himself in a fresh white nightshirt and black pants.

"It’s nothing, Max. Really." She told him, but still sat down next to him, giving him her arm.

"I know a scorcher’s fire. This can help." He replied while unwrapping the bandage.

"Speaking from experience?" She asked worried. She remembered the healed burn marks on his upper body.

"Yeah…" he trailed off. Vivienne saw the water in the basin of the room obviously responding to his manipulation as it came to circle her throbbing arm. "When we were young the only way she could regain control was to show her she was hurting me."

Vivienne was amazed by his show of power and the relief it brought to her inflammation. "It happened in Michael’s office as well…"

"That was a special case. She thought we were about to get caught and wanted to take as many of them down as she could." He said willing the water away and spreading some of the ointment across the red marks. "Tonight, she just played with fire like she always does when no one can see her. She just happened to come close to you in alarm too quick."

It was true. Since they’d left Ashbourne, Seraphina hardly ever didn’t play with fire, whether it was making it slip along her fingers or arms, making shapes or simply igniting and snuffing some.

"Unfortunate mistake then." She said wincing as the bandage touched her skin. "You hardly ever mess with water…"

He chuckled a little at that. " Our element calms us. I don’t have anger issues, she does.”

“True.” She giggled. “Can you make water out of nothing, though?”

“She doesn’t make fire appear out of nothing, Viv.” He said and had the water brush her cheek. “She’s like a match. She’s the spark the air needs to ignite itself, then she manipulates it."

"All fire Elementals are like that?" She asked curious.

"If they’re attune enough and they practice? I believe so." He explained finishing his treatment. "All done. Ready for bed?"

Instead of answering, she got under the covers and so did he. He lied on his back, waiting for her to settle at his side, which she did after she kissed his cheek. "You didn’t answer my question about you."

"I was going to. Look.” He said and raised his hand. At the tip of his finger, droplets seem to come together until there was a water ball the size of his fist suspended on his finger. He lowered his arm and the waterball became a string, rotating above them. “In my case, if it’s humid enough, I can pull water of the air. If it’s dry, all I can do is manipulate existing water.” He explained and yawned. “But again, it depends on attunement and training.”

“Seems remarkable.”

“Mind reading too.” He said and kissed her forehead. “What did you think of my father?”

"Can we please not do this?" She pleaded with him, turning away from him toward the door.

"So whatever you saw, you don’t want to share, huh?” He said. She felt him lift himself up on his elbow to look at her. “I don’t mind if it’s what you want, but don’t abide to my father’s wishes."

She didn’t answer. She grabbed his hand and hugged it to herself, closing her eyes. He settled down and hugged her close to him. He sighed, but didn’t push her. No matter his own thoughts on the matter, he tried to sleep.

Deep within the dungeons of Threne Keep in Dawnfield, a young, bloodied lad laid strapped on a torture table. His body was missing his arms and his legs. Chunks of them were laying in pieces next to the table. The stench of the rotted flesh hit Damien’s nose, but he didn’t react. The torturers stood aside as he walked to the boy. He tried to find something in the boy that would explain why his servants had asked him to come see the boy. He could see nothing significant in the unconscious lad.

“Why am I here?”

The lead torturer stepped closer and bowed. “My liege, we’ve burned him. Crushed him. Tried to drown him. Cut his air. Everything we should to detect his abomination, but we can’t find what it is.”

“Sure he has one?”

“My liege, he’s still alive…” the torturer paused to keep his head down. “…we’ve been torturing him since spring.”

“Spring you say?” Damien asked surprised. He looked at the boy in a new light. “Wake him up.”

Once the lad was awake, barely, the torturers stood at the walls. Damien stepped closer to the boy and grabbed him by the jaw. "You’re brave, little one. Foolish, but brave. What was the point though? It’s only brought you suffering. Tell me what you are."

The boy grunted however he could, but held strong. There was a hint of a smile on his lips, which disappeared as soon as Damien struck him across the face. As his head bounced against the table, Damien felt a familiar invasion in his mind. Though he didn’t let it show, he was surprised and reciprocated. The boy’s eyes went wide and he looked up to the emperor only to find him smiling. ‘No… it cannot be.’ He thought.

"Ohh, but it is, little one." Damien replied to the unspoken thought.

The lad knew not how to protect his mind, since he only invaded others’. Damien had no trouble getting the information he wanted. The boy, in full panic, tried desperately to stop thinking, but given time, he grew weary and little bits passed by his thoughts. Damien easily caught them.

Forest in the southeast, a fire Elemental, a feeble resistance. Those were the words that attracted his attention. He had to change how his torturers reported to him. He had to exterminate his kind as soon as one appeared before they’d infest the land again.

"You’re alone. You know nothing. Only what you found in that scalder is of any value." He breathed deeply, annoyed. "No matter. I’ll do something about it." He touched the boy’s charred head. “It’s not your fault you were born this way, but… time to die, little one.”

Damien snuffed out whatever life the boy had in him, feeling slightly rejuvenated himself, and walked out of the cell. Four of his servants, watchdogs for the other four cells, were waiting with their hands over their hearts. “My liege.” They said in unison when they saw him. Behind each of the other four doors, there were screams and cries, but he didn’t pity them.

He returned to his throne room and sat on the marble steps. He had his servants fetch the commander of his army. One didn’t live as long as he had without patience.

The commander of his army hurried in worried, as it was the first time in his career he’d been called since everything had been quiet in his time. "You asked for me, my liege?" He asked kneeling before him.

"Yes. What do you know about a resistance? Any trouble?" Damien inquired lightly.

"There are no reports of a resistance, my liege. There are bandits here and there, but no true resistance, no rebels against your empire.” The commander gulped, uneasy. His mind revealed he was telling the truth.

“Nothing in the southeast then? Close to the sea?” The commander started sweating. “Ahh, there is something…”

“The southeast, my liege?” He fidgeted. “Um, there have been reports of bandits in the woodland, but nothing organized. Just bandits, my liege.”

Damien had heard of that woodland before. Forty, fifty cycles ago, he couldn’t recollect. The people whose minds hosted information on that community had managed to kill themselves before he or his torturers had plucked any information out of them.

"Have you done anything about it?" He asked the terrified military man.

"Done anything, sir? They’re bandits." The commander replied sheepishly. “The realms ought to take care of bandits, not your armies.”

The emperor sighed loudly, causing the kneeling man to gulp. "Yes, of course. But now I want them eliminated, commander. See to it at once."

"We don’t know where their camp lies in the wide forest, my liege." The commander said.

Damien looked straight into the eyes of his subject and ordered him in an even, emotionless tone. "Then burn the entire thing down…"

On the south side of the Dark Highlands, in the confines of Neverfall, Maxwell and Seraphina fully integrated Vivienne in the League of Shepherds. They trained her in physical combat, marksmanship and stealth. It was clear from the very start that she could successfully make it only as a rogue, using her small frame, her light feet and incredible speed to fight.

They told her about everything that had to do with the League, whether it was hierarchy, hives and established guilds or names and physical descriptions of roamers they knew. Clay had provided maps of the land so she could have a visual of every place she was learning about.

Her body became slenderer, ripped, and her mind got infused with information. Her progress made her feel closer to the twins’ equal and less of a burden they had to carry around, potentially slowing them down on their next job, which had yet to come.

For her part, she helped them avoid mind detection. Or rather she used her reading on them at random times and told them if they had managed to think normally later. The first few days had been tough for them, failing almost every time, Maxwell often slipped to tease her, while Seraphina mostly failed because after a certain amount of time she’d get irritated and ask Vivienne to stop. But Vivienne was as relentless with their training as they were with hers, even without Brenton’s parting advice to push them. At the end of each day, all three would be tired and in pain; Vivienne’s maladies covered her body, while the twins were bothered with headaches.

In the little spare time they had, they helped Clay and his people in the area. He often used them as messengers to close by villages or to whoever needed assistance around the city. But never too far out, in case news came from Bandville giving them their next assignment.

Until late spring, no news came. No messenger, no birds, nothing. Only occasional roamers passed through, but no one from Bandville showed up even for the winter debriefing. At that point, Clay decided to send out a team of messengers to Bandville.

It was a trip that should’ve brought the team back no earlier than early autumn, but barely a fortnight after the harvesting season began, the team returned augmented. As Clay’s team made its way to Ashbourne and Michael’s tavern, at Vivienne’s suggestion, for a quick rest and resupply, they met up with messengers from the southern city.

Upon their arrival, Clay, as guild leader of Neverfall, brought every Shepherd in his city to the basement of his tavern. The two messengers he’d sent along with the roamer they found on their way sat around the table, while the twins and Vivienne stood, waiting for the report. "Okay folks…” Clay said once he shut the bulkhead door. “…now that we’re safe from prying eyes and ears, tell us everything you know." Oris was on the other side, keeping an eye.

"We’ve wasted too much time already with niceties. We need to move!" The roamer said. By the looks of it, he was the oldest of the three and seemed to be the one who’d do all the talking. "The rest of the League needs to learn that it’s not safe to send anyone back to Bandville."

"What? Why’s that?" Clay asked worried.

"There’s no more Bandville. Or even Crookwood. They destroyed everything, burnt to the ground." The man told them and none could contain their gasps, not even Vivienne. She read him and in his mind all she found was ash. She could almost smell the stench of charred flesh of the bodies he was bringing to mind.

“Dear elements…” Clay trailed off and rubbed his forehead.

"They’re all dead. Even if anyone survived the fire, the soldiers advanced when the woods flattened, I don’t think they survived them.” The roamer banged the table. “Something crossed the line with the emperor and he ordered our destruction. We have to go, warn others, there are still soldiers in the area, waiting to prey on our people."

The room was quiet as the three men got up to leave. Clay stopped them. "If hardly anyone could make it out, how do you know all that?"

"I saw the army pass by Ashbourne. They stayed there a few days. I happened to be in the Sweet Ale at the time, so I followed them, curious of their business. I witnessed the burning…" came the grief-stricken reply. "I found others in Ashbourne, at Michael’s tavern, where he told us of Lombard’s betrayal too. He gave us all supplies to spread in the land and inform everyone of Bandville’s destruction. Your messengers found me on my way here, others were sent elsewhere. My next stop is Oremart."

Seraphina stepped forward then. "Inform the south. We’ll go north of the mountain. If you authorize us, of course, Clay."

The roamer nodded and only then were he and the messengers allowed to go back upstairs. Clay turned to Vivienne and the twins. "You are authorized, but are you sure? Maybe you’ll need some time."

"We’re fine. People need to be warned and we know the maps well." Maxwell replied and the women nodded. "If you’ll excuse us…"

Maxwell led the way to their own little headquarters, his and Vivienne’s room, where they’d all spent quite some time when they wanted a moment of peace, away from Clay or his son.

The moment the door closed behind Vivienne, Maxwell had his arms wrapped around Seraphina tight. His intention was to stop any possible outbursts rather than comfort her and she knew that well. "I’m fine. He might’ve gotten out. He’s a scorcher, he could’ve…"

"Sera… You heard the men. You know the chances." Maxwell told her in a soft tone. "Dad, Mirabelle and Barkley, our friends… They’re all gone."

"I refuse to believe it." She stated furious. The lanterns in the room flared and their flames seemed to reach for her. "I can’t do this right now. You two can figure things out and let me know. Let me go, Max. I need to be alone."

Maxwell wouldn’t have, but Vivienne touched his back lightly to signal him to comply. He did and Seraphina composed herself before she left the room. Maxwell fell to his knees helpless. Vivienne, tears running down her cheeks, went behind him and wrapped her arms around him as he leaned back on her, his chest heaving, but he made no sound.

"It was all an act, you know." He breathed, his voice breaking at the end. "All that badgering... It only started when Sera showed interest in joining like him. He wasn’t like that before…" She rested her head on his shoulder, allowing him to let it out. "When we lived in Larcbust, he would go to the mine way before Sera or I woke up, work and even though he could hardly move from the exhaustion at the end of the day, he never missed a day of playing with us. We were just a happy little family back then. If we hadn’t lost mom…Then Emmery. Now dad, Barkley, Mirabelle and all the others... There’s no one left."

His silent tears soaked her arms, still around his neck, but she never pulled back. He turned around, only to bury his face in the crook of her neck as she held him. "You still have Sera." She whispered in his ear. Then she placed a hand under his chin to make him look at her. "I’m here too."

Up on the roof of the Tricky Slopes, Seraphina sprawled out on the tiles looking up the night sky. Her tears had long dried, her inner fire had quelled and her mind had emptied. She had felt Vivienne look for her mind, so she wasn’t surprised when the young woman cleared her throat to make her presence known. They had taught her well. Seraphina never heard her come.

Neither woman uttered any words for a while. Vivienne waited for Seraphina to break the silence, which took quite some time. "Did I ever tell you how I reacted to Emmery’s death?"

"Nope, just the story." Vivienne replied. They’d told her of their every job, whether successful or not, so she could absorb any knowledge she could from their experiences.

"I froze." Seraphina said simply. "I stood frozen in place as he let out his last breaths. Only when he fell, did I run back. I never cried. We had been companions for fourteen cycles… Fourteen freaking cycling and I didn’t shed a single tear at the time. Now, I think of the people that raised me, stood by me, and no tears come." She gave a humourless laugh. "Yet for the man who’s been bringing me down for twenty cycles, I could’ve burned this place down. Funny, isn’t it?"

Vivienne didn’t think so. "He was your father. No one can blame you." she tried to comfort.

"Is. He is my father. I won’t believe he didn’t get away until someone tells me they saw his lifeless body with their own eyes." Seraphina said.

"Sera, it’s impossible anyone survived." Vivienne attempted to reason.

"No, Viv. There were many Elementals there, I won’t believe they had no means of escape. Max and I have been presumed dead before, but we’re still here, they must be as well. He must be." Seraphina said desperately.

Vivienne sighed, but didn’t oppose her. She changed the subject instead. "Maxwell’s making arrangements for tomorrow."

Seraphina nodded and hugged herself. What she wanted to admit was difficult for her. "Tonight was the first time I truly envied my brother." Having spent so much time around one another, she knew Vivienne wouldn’t push her for information. She hated touching sensitive subjects. So Seraphina continued without getting asked. "I was jealous of you. Your relationship. The comfort I knew you’d provide for him."

"We’ve never meant to upset you…" Vivienne said.

"Don’t feel bad. It’s nothing to apologise for." Seraphina cut her off. "I’m thankful even. It’s just that… I don’t know, tonight it got under my skin." She brought her hands behind her head. "Thank you for keeping him away by the way. I needed some time alone."

"First thing you taught me, have my people’s back." Vivienne said making Seraphina smile.

They let those be the last words spoken between the two of them and enjoyed the night air. Some time later, they heard heavy footsteps on the level below, so unlike Vivienne’s approach, before Maxwell poked his head out at the edge of the roof. "There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you." He climbed up and crawled his way over next to Vivienne, his weight making each tile he touched creak.

"Everything ready?" Seraphina asked sitting up.

"Sort of. If Clay follows through, we’ll be ready to go tomorrow morning." He answered seriously. "I have some suggestions as to where we should begin too. Care to listen?"

"Talonpass." Vivienne said and the twins both turned to her. "We have to see if there are others, you know that."

"Your mother took you away from that place for a reason…" Maxwell was first to say. It was obvious he still thought Vivienne to be a fragile, little flower, when thanks to their training she no longer was. A flower still, but one with thorns that could easily cut.

"There are hives along the way we can warn. Two birds with one stone." Seraphina supported, but looked troubled. "It’s too close a brush to the capital for my liking though, we’ll need to be very careful."

"I may not remember why my mother and I left that place, but I know it had something to do with what I am. There must be others or at the very least, someone who knows about this." Vivienne told them.

Maxwell was still unconvinced. "It could’ve been a man she was afraid of. You’re just connecting pieces you remember with what you’ve learned the last few months."

"Doesn’t make her assumptions less probable. Especially if we consider her lessons on how to blend in and not attract attention. Maybe someone even caught up to them in Ashbourne." Seraphina countered.

Maxwell remained unconvinced. "Viv, you told us your mom died due to a bad case of flue. No foul play, right?" She nodded before he resumed. "Unless you know of a way to cause someone the flue without poison, which would show, no one murdered her. Not to mention, they wouldn’t leave Vivienne alive if that were the case."

"I’ll admit the part of anyone following us was a stretch, but I’m with Sera on this one." Vivienne said looking up at him.

"You’re teaming up against me now?" Maxwell asked taken aback.

"You wanted us to be a team, didn’t you?" Seraphina challenged. There it was, she could see it in his eyes. Deep down he blamed her again. For their parents, for his life. He never had, nor would ever say a single word of that, but at times she could see it. Maybe that had been the reason behind her jealousy that night. Not Vivienne or them together, but the fact she couldn’t blame him for anything in their life, since he’d always been at his best.

As they stared at each other in challenge, Vivienne pushed her hands in front of their faces in order to catch their attention. When she did, she turned to Maxwell first. "No one’s against you, Max. We just disagree. That’s happened lots of times. Please go downstairs, I’ll be there in a minute."

If he said anything, Seraphina didn’t hear, but he did make a show of kissing Vivienne before he followed her request. Vivienne turned back to her, about to apologize, but Seraphina held up her hand. "Don’t. He did it on purpose to spite me."

"I can’t understand why, though." The younger woman replied.

"Because I’m at the very core of all his troubles and nights like these, his grief won’t let him overlook that." Seraphina said with tears in her eyes. "The worst part’s I know he’s right."

Vivienne sat quiet for a few short moments, seeming to contemplate, before she moved close to Seraphina, brushing up against her. "Your wish to get back at the empire for killing your mother is understandable, Sera. I would want the same."

Seraphina started shaking her head. "That’s not it, Vivienne. It’s my fault someone noticed mom was an Elemental. I was being childish, throwing a tantrum because Max took my toy and mom tried to entertain me. Her last attempt was to splash him with the water he was drinking. It made me laugh, both of us. It was the last day we spent with her. All because I wouldn’t drop a stupid pout."

"Sera…" Vivienne started and Seraphina got the irresistible urge to lean against her. She did as Vivienne wrapped an arm around her shoulders continued. "You were a child. You needed your mother’s comfort, but you didn’t ask her to …"

Seraphina couldn’t counter the point, for it held a partial truth, though she still held herself accountable. She let herself be cradled until she regained her senses, realizing their position and her own state. She pulled away abruptly. She looked back at Vivienne who sat perplexed. "You’re doing it again."

"I’m doing what?" Vivienne asked confused.

"I shouldn’t feel better. You’re doing that. That’s what you do with Max, isn’t it? Like that night he got hurt?" Seraphina pointed out.

"I’m not doing anything, Sera. Sometimes you need a little bit of comfort to feel better. That’s normal." Vivienne said with a soft smile. Seraphina wasn’t buying it. Normally, she never would’ve let herself be cradled as such. Not even by Maxwell.

She was trying to think of other times she had acted abnormally, when her eyes came into focus, finding Vivienne waving her hand in front of her. "Huh? Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked you a question. If you feel guilty about Max and the life you two lead, why do you keep on?" Seraphina knew that had she not showed such weakness only moments before, Vivienne would never have asked. Even then, she couldn’t stop fidgeting.

She considered not answering, but saw no point in it. Vivienne had worked hard the past months to become as good a teammate as she could. She deserved to know that, which hardly anyone truly knew. "It used to be because of mom. But now it’s for both my parents."

"You can’t spend your entire life seeking revenge." Vivienne repeated the words Maxwell often uttered in their early days as young protégés.

It had been a long time since she last heard them. Yet, her response was the same. "I can spend it trying to find them though."

“You think she’s still alive…” Vivienne looked at her astonished. "I thought it was denial, but you really…actually believe they’re alive."

"Yes. It doesn’t make sense that no one found her body. Or any other captured Elemental’s for that matter." Seraphina said indifferently.

"They could have burned or buried it. Sera, it’s been more than twenty cycles." Vivienne replied. Before Seraphina had any chance to speak, the two women felt the night air become chillier and dry, devoid of its humidity. Maxwell’s subtle touch didn’t go unnoticed by either of them. "I’d better go before he gets more delusional."

Seraphina didn’t respond. She just nodded, her gaze straight ahead sweeping the busy streets of Neverfall. While night had already descended upon the land, the night traffic was at its peak. Even the tavern below her was packed with people making serious effort to empty Clay’s ale resorts, but they only succeeded in filling his pockets.

A squeal caught Seraphina’s attention, coming from a nearby house. Through the open window, she could see three barely awake children running sleepily towards their father who had just entered their home. The man picked two of them up, while the third held on his neck tight, and went to greet his head-shaking wife.

Seraphina couldn’t stand the sweet sight. Not that night. So she moved away from the roof and headed to her room, hoping to get some rest before another journey began the next day. But sleep wouldn’t come. Only memories of her own last day with her mother. Despite the trauma, that memory was clear as day. Sometimes she wondered whether that was good or bad.

As usual their father had woken up before the break of dawn to leave for the mine. Maxwell and Seraphina, recently turned five, had then woken up their mother with their bickering. Their little fight had resulted in Maxwell getting brushed by a flame as Seraphina, still new to her element, had unintentionally called it to her.

Their mother hadn’t scolded her. Instead she’d made both her children sit down by the table while she explained to them one more time that Seraphina needed to be very careful with that new nature of hers.

Maxwell hadn’t manifested his own Elemental power at the time, so he was slightly bitter towards his sister when she hurt him. Their mother had been quick to tell him she needed time and support to tame her nature, like their father had. They both worshipped their parents, so Maxwell had accepted it, but as a child still, he’d often been upset.

In order to make them forget themselves a little bit, once their mother had tended Maxwell’s shoulder, she had taken them out of Larcbust, where there was little danger of anyone seeing them, should Seraphina ever cause any incidents. Her attunement had been basically nonexistent at the time, so there was no fear of her burning down anything, just being seen.

Their mother had taken them to the banks of Harmony Brook, a vast river between Larcbust and the Wastelands, a short walk, maybe a couple of hours away. She’d let them run around and play until well into midday while she’d been enjoying the water on her ankles. She’d joined them in their game of chase at some point and when she’d caught them, for they had grown tired already, they had all sat down for quick bite.

She hadn’t let them go back to running immediately after they’d eaten, so they had taken out their toys to play. That had been when Maxwell had decided to get back at his sister for earlier, by taking away her doll. Seraphina had yelled and stormed off in anger, but not too far away at her mother’s warning.

Seraphina had sat down by a towering tree with her head on her knees and soon her mother had plopped down next to her. She’d told her daughter how little boys were annoying and mischievous, how Maxwell’s silliness shouldn’t affect her. She’d tried making her laugh by telling her jokes and tickling her, but nothing would really work.

When Maxwell had gone close to the riverbank to quench his thirst, their mother had got an idea and as a long shot, she’d sprayed her son to his complete surprise. Seraphina couldn’t stop laughing and she’d turned to her mother asking her if she’d done that. Her mother had hugged her close and in a hushed voice had whispered in her ear. "Girls have to stick together, don’t we?" Then she’d kissed her daughter’s head and they’d returned to Maxwell.

But as they’d come upon the frustrated boy, their mother had looked up terrified and she’d made them pack their things quickly. The children couldn’t understand her hurry, but hadn’t objected or hassled. After a hasty walk back to Larcbust, their mother had taken them to some people she sometimes interacted with, who’d later turned out to be members of the League.

She had kneeled before the both of them and spoken. "Take good care of each other. You’re a team, okay? Always remember that. I love you both very much. I have to go now. I’ll see you later."

She’d kissed their heads and tied her necklace around Seraphina’s neck before leaving them behind, confused. But the people they had been left with soon diverted their attention with games and food. They’d fallen asleep before any questions had arisen in their young minds, so they hadn’t witnessed the hunt that had been going on for them and their father.

They had been fast asleep in a carefully concealed cellar of the resistance’s guild in the area and their father had been retrieved and lead away mere hours after his wife had left the children in safe hands. She herself had followed a roamer rushing to escape the clutches of the officers who’d been looking for her.

The plan had been to take her away quickly and then smuggle the children out as well, but the officers had caught up to her and the agent, killing him and capturing her. No one heard from her again.

Seraphina clutched her necklace tight. She would never believe her mother was dead, not without some kind of proof. A body, a valid account, something. She’d extend that courtesy to her father.

"I can’t stop…"