Nora slipped through the shadowy veins of Destiny’s temple with the quiet precision of a seasoned warrior. Her movements were deliberate, a silent testament to years of training, as she navigated the labyrinthine corridors beneath the moon’s watchful gaze. Each step was a calculated risk, her senses heightened to the faintest sound—the distant drip of water, the soft sigh of the night wind stirring the tapestries that hung like silent sentinels along the walls.
The stone beneath her boots was cool, the air tinged with the metallic scent of the evening’s lingering incense and freshly oiled weapons. She paused at a junction, her breath coming in quick, quiet, hisses. The familiar layout of the temple was etched into her bones.
She waited for the clink of armor and the flutter of a torch.
And waited.
Nora’s brows creased tightly as another minute passed, and yet the scheduled patrol was nowhere to be seen.
The shadows pooled deeper, the light from the courtyard’s lanterns casting long, stretching fingers that grasped at the edges of darkness where she hid.
A slight disturbance—a whisper of fabric against stone—alerted her to a presence just around the corner. Instinctively, her hand went to the hilt of her greatsword, her body coiled and ready. She exhaled slowly, merging her breath with the ambient silence, and peeked around the corner. Nothing but the echo of her own caution greeted her back.
She was ready.
Nora knew these rounds; she had set the guard rotations herself, embedding the patterns in her mind with meticulous care.
“This isn’t right,” Nora breathed as she moved toward the sirens’ living quarters.
Yet, there was no turning back. With each step, she drew closer to Evie’s quarters, she could feel the invisible weight around her neck increase. It felt like a dragon’s foot pressed down on her chest.
She was a thief.
A heretic.
A traitor.
But if it meant that Evie lived, then she would bear those curses—those titles whose bearers she had once executed as the sect leader. Now, the hunter would become the prey after this night.
Moving with a ghost’s grace, she crossed an open breezeway, where moonlight spilled over the columns, throwing bars of silver light across her path. The cool marble underfoot reflected the pale luminescence, illuminating the intricate mosaics of mythic battles—echoes of old victories and ancient warnings.
She skirted the edge of the light, a part of the night itself, her shadow blending seamlessly with the others cast by the columns. Ahead, the heavy oak door of Evie’s quarters loomed, its carvings of celestial beings and cosmic spirals a stark reminder of the divine gaze under which they all toiled.
Nora reached the door, her heart pounding not just from the exertion but from the gravity of what she was about to do. Drawing a slow, deep breath to steady her racing heart, she reminded herself of the stakes.
This wasn’t merely about defiance; it was about protection, about altering a path that had been wrongly set. Her fingers brushed against the cool wood, feeling the intricate carvings as if drawing strength from them.
With a gentle push, the door swung open silently on well-oiled hinges, revealing the room bathed in the soft glow of moonlight through sheer curtains. Nora found her amidst a chaos of preparations, her belongings scattered like leaves after a storm. Evie was carefully placing a tiara into a box, her movements gentle and deliberate, hiding the urgency pulsing through Nora.
“Evie, we need to move with purpose tonight,” Nora said, her voice low and steady. She began to sift through the pile, discarding the superfluous items with swift decisions.
Evie looked up, head tilted to the side in confusion. “But surely there’s time to pack properly? Prosperity’s court is so grand, and—”
“We’ll find all the grandeur you need waiting for you, Evie,” Nora interjected, and she even managed a reassuring smile. She handed Evie a more practical pack from the pile of half-filled ones. “Right now, speed is our ally.”
“But I want to make sure I have at least one gown for each day of the month. The winds insist I—” Evie started, but Nora cut her off.
“Please, Birdie. I need you to focus right now. We need to go. What you don’t have, Prosperity will provide. It’s in the name.” Nora waited, stress lengthening every moment into an eternity.
She studied her friend, who bit her lips as a silent contest took place in her mind. Finally, she nodded.
Nora helped her pack, shoving linen and silk dresses in until the single leather pack was filled to overflowing. She dismissed the dainty shoes Evie lifted up and instead tossed her a pair of sturdy riding boots. When she was finally ready, they left the opulent chambers behind. As they hastened through the corridors, the oppressive silence began to gnaw at Nora’s resolve. A suffocating stillness replaced the typical low conversations she expected to hear from the unconcerned guards.
Her hand moved toward her undrawn weapon.
“Nora, it’s eerily quiet tonight, isn’t it?” Evie’s voice barely rose above a whisper, a flicker of concern passing over her delicate features.
“Just the calm of the night, Evie,” Nora reassured her, though her eyes darted shadow to shadow, her hand never straying far from the hilt of her greatsword.
They emerged into the open space near the stables, the moon casting long, silver shadows across the ground, transforming the familiar path into a landscape of light and dark.
It was here that Lyla appeared, her golden armor catching the moonlight and throwing it back with a brilliance that seemed almost mocking.
An entire armed squadron flanked the golden paladin, their steel plated armor freshly polished for battle. All of them had their weapons drawn and pointed at the two escaping women.
“Fleeing so soon, Nora?” Lyla’s voice cut through the night, clear and sharp as the blade at her side. Her stance was relaxed, a predator sure of her prey. “Abandoning your post and your charge, how noble.”
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Nora stepped protectively in front of Evie, her voice calm but firm. “We’re not fleeing, Lyla. We are ensuring that Evie reaches her destination safely.”
Lyla’s laugh was a cold chime in the still air. “By sneaking out in the dead of night? Face it, Nora, you’re committing heresy, and you’ve dragged poor Evie into your mess.”
Evie’s eyes widened with dawning realization and fear. “Nora, what’s she talking about? Isn’t this trip sanctioned by Destiny?”
There was a heartbeat of silence before Nora could muster a response. “Evie, I—”
“Destiny knows nothing of this ’trip,’” Lyla interjected smoothly, stepping closer, her sword gleaming ominously in the moonlight. “Nora has deceived you, child, and now she means to steal you away from your rightful path.”
Nora’s grip on her sword tightened, and she subtly adjusted her stance into the first form of the cerulean wave technique. The air around her shimmered slightly. Determination swept over her like a tidal wave.
Faint tendrils of silver magic mixed with something darker than midnight wisped into the air around her. It was like a lever had been pulled. Fear and uncertainty rushed over the gathered warriors.
She witnessed it plainly in their eyes.
“My path has always been to protect those under my care,” Nora Lancaster countered, her voice a low growl.
The other paladins took a step back at her ferocity. Nora relaxed her grip on the hilt of her greatsword, yet every muscle in her body stood at attention.
“If that path now leads away from Destiny’s temple, so be it.” She let out a long breath, her world tunneling into this moment. This courtyard.
“Such dramatics,” Lyla scoffed, signaling her squadron. They hesitated, and she spared a withering glare for them. “Seize these traitors. Nora, for your betrayal, your life is indeed forfeit. Evie, sweetie, your fate is already sealed.”
Nora braced herself as Lyla’s squadron fanned out, encircling her with calculated precision. Their armor glinted under the moon’s gaze, each paladin a lethal shadow poised for battle.
She knew these men and women.
She’d trained alongside most of them. Yet, in that moment, there was no familiarity in their eyes—only quiet malice. Nora didn’t know what lies Lyla told to get them all here, but it couldn’t have been good.
The heretic’s hand tightened on Wavebreaker, its cool metal a familiar comfort. She could feel her heart pounding, a drumbeat of war in her veins. As the paladins surged forward, Nora’s mind raced through the Cerulean Wave Sword forms she had mastered. She inhaled slowly and dug her back heel into the dirt. Closing her eyes, she recited the first form.
Low Tide.
With a deft swing, Nora brought Wavebreaker low, slicing through the air. A ribbon of water unfurled from the blade. It swept across the cobblestones and tripped the first wave of attackers. The sound of clattering armor as they fell was satisfying but short-lived.
“Evie, the horses!” Nora called out, not daring to take her eyes off the advancing foes. Evie nodded, her eyes wide with fear, and dashed away toward the stables.
Whirlpool Guard.
Nora spun, her sword arcing in a wide circle above her head. The air thickened with moisture, drawing in droplets that spiraled into a protective barrier.
Two paladins who broke through met the swirling vortex, their cries muffled as they were forcibly pushed back, drenched and disoriented. She aimed for the thickest parts of their armor with the teal-green blade. She would not have their deaths on her conscience. That was one anvil she didn’t need tied around her neck today.
Lyla stepped forward, all grace and decorum gone.
“After her!” she commanded, and a bit of spittle flew from her mouth. She pointed a gloved hand toward Evie’s fleeing form.
Several paladins peeled off, but Nora was ready. She pivoted on her heel and adopted the next stance.
Surging Wave.
Planting her lead foot, Nora swung Wavebreaker with both hands, the blade humming with power. A massive wave erupted from the ground, barreling toward the splinter group. It caught them mid-stride, sweeping them off their feet and crashing them against the temple walls. Their groans filled the air, but Nora couldn’t spare a moment to watch.
She felt the sting of a blade grazing her arm, a line of fire that drew her focus back to the immediate threat.
Lyla advanced, her sword a flash of deadly intent. Nora parried with a grimace, feeling the impact vibrate through her bones. She tried to call the water to her, but Lyla pressed her advantage. She swung again and again, her own marauder’s blade a hammer against Wavebreaker’s defense.
“You will not take this away from me!” Lyla screamed as she cleaved downward.
There was a manicness to her gaze now. Nora was surprised she hadn’t seen it before. Lyla’s next swing drove her to her knees. She felt a crack in her left knee as the force of the blow tore through her knee-guard and padding like it was nothing.
Before she could react, Lyla pulled out a dagger and cut deep into Nora’s side, directly underneath her heavy chestplate. She felt warmth drain from the spot as hot blood seeped out of the wound and trickled down to her left hip and leg.
On Lyla’s next swing, she twisted her sword so that it rested against her pauldron, the force of the blow causing her attacker’s weapon to slide off with the sharp ring of steel against steel.
Lyla stumbled, and Nora took in another breath. She rose to her feet and glared toward her would-be executioners.
The darkness within her pushed again on her soul, and she gritted her teeth as she did her best to restrain the magic she had always kept buried so deeply within her. Wavebreaker had always helped to block the ebb and flow of the shadows in her veins, but this betrayal was almost too much to bear.
“I knew we weren’t friends, but I thought we were at least comrades, you snakes! You threw your lot in with her the first chance you had, didn’t you?” Nora snarled at the paladins, Wavebreaker pointed at Lyla’s chest. “I thought we had more honor than that in the Fateweavers. I guess I was wrong.”
She stood tall, anger and defiance lending new strength to her wearied bones.
Cresting Moon.
Nora swung down with a high arc, her sword trailing cerulean wisps of magic. Water droplets suspended in the air caught the moonlight, creating a blinding spray of prismatic light.
It was enough to give her a momentary advantage. Her blade met Lyla’s with a clash that sent sparks flying.
Nora’s muscles screamed. She was tiring, but her determination surged with each beat of her heart. Using so many techniques back to back strained her core, but with Evie nowhere to be seen, she had no choice.
“Enough,” Nora growled.
She didn’t need to yell. They all paused, feeling before knowing what was to come. There was a reason Nora was their sect leader instead of any of them. Expressions of terror raced over the gathered warriors as Nora raised Wavebreaker above her head.
Summoning the last reserves of her strength, Nora cried out the final form. “RISING TIDE!”
She swept Wavebreaker around her body and then upward, unleashing a towering column of spiraling water. It surged with the force of a tempest and enveloped Lyla and the remaining paladins, pushing them back with relentless force.
The sheer volume of water alone was staggering, but Nora used every ounce of willpower she had left to control the tide. Lyla screamed something unintelligible, but it was drowned out in the impromptu tsunami.
Dozens of feet away, Lyla struggled to regain her footing. She was soaked and furious, her weapon nowhere to be seen. Evie arrived, leading two horses by the reins. Nora’s side ached from the deep cut there, blood warm against her skin, but she forced herself to move. She leaped onto her horse and kicked her steed into a gallop.
“I will find you, Lancaster! I will find you!” Lyla screamed from behind them. The sound of their hooves thundering on the ground drowned out the other shouts of the paladins as they regrouped.
As they sped away from the temple, Nora didn’t dare look back. Her body ached, her mind raced, but she knew she made the right decision. They plunged into the darkness of the forest, the shadows swallowing them whole, the night air cooling the sweat on her brow and the blood on her skin.
“Now for the hard part,” Nora muttered as they sped into the darkness.
REJECTED NAMES FOR NORA'S SWORD TECHNIQUES (Wrong Answers Only)
