Regal and the rest of the group developed battle plans and attack formations in the week since they left Mandor. They hadn’t been needed thus far, as most of the fights were ended quickly. Sheena seemed to be a lot more active in the conversations when they revolved around fighting. She would tend to venture off when it came to silly stuff like, what did you do when you were a kid, or would you rather live by the ocean or by mountains? Lloyd wouldn’t say that Sheena was getting more friendly with Regal and Lloyd, but she seemed to be less perpetually angry. In the current moment Lloyd was debating with his brother about utilizing his powers to fly.

  “I mean, come on, think about it. Let’s say I pick up, I don’t know…” Lloyd said as he scanned his surroundings. “That log over there, right? I’ll step on it and control the log, and it will float me into the air wherever I need to go. That’d be frickin' sweet.” Lloyd said as he walked over to the log.

  Over the past week, Lloyd had worked not only to strengthen his powers but also to expand them. He knew he could pick things up and throw them, but that skill felt limited and wasn’t always helpful in combat. As he practiced, he discovered he could restrain and hold down Corrupted, though his Mana drained far too quickly for it to be a viable long-term tactic. Images flashed across his mind of him soaring above the battlefield. Heavy rocks and sharpened tree trunks sailed through the air as Lloyd flung them at his enemies. The devastation he could cause excited him, but reality soon brought him back down to earth—both literally and figuratively.

  Though he never shared it with Regal, Lloyd had tried to “fly” while gathering wood earlier in the week. He managed to levitate a rock and stand atop it about fifteen feet above the ground. However, focusing too much on the rock made him lose his balance. He slipped off the rock and landed hard on his right side, fracturing several bones in his arm and likely a rib or two. He stumbled back, wheezing as he walked, luckily finding Colette alone at camp. He had her heal him in secret, while making Colette promise not to tell Regal.

  “Oh, come on, man. Don’t pretend like you haven’t already tried this before. You don’t need to fall and break your arm again. Let’s leave the flying for those with actual flying powers,” Regal said as he shook his head.

  “Seriously?” Lloyd said to Colette.

  Colette smiled sheepishly before she responded. “Whoopsie.”

  “Yeah, yeah, she told me. Sure, you broke your arm, and we have a healer here who can mend it. What happens if you decide to start zooming through the forest and you lose focus, or something happens that you didn’t predict, and you fall off?” Regal asked.

  “I mean, that won’t…” Lloyd tried to interrupt him, but his brother raised his hand and cut Lloyd off.

  “No, that won’t happen, you’re right. That won’t happen because you won’t be trying that shit anymore. Seriously, man? I get that you’re trying to get your feet under these powers, but you can’t be trying stuff like that. We can’t lose you from something stupid like that. I can’t lose you,” Regal said with a sullen face, although the look quickly evaporated. “I mean, at least not something as silly as that. At least go out fighting a horde of dangerous beasts as you heroically protect us all,” Regal said as a smile returned to his face.

  Lloyd was happy to see his brother try to lighten the mood, but yet again, he was right. Even though the fights had not been challenging in the past week, Lloyd knew that in a moment, things could take a turn for the worst. Being able to fly on top of a rotten log was cool, but not very practical.

  “Deal, no flying,” Lloyd said.

  “How about running?” Sheena asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “There’s a nice waterfall and river up ahead. I suggest we head there and take a nice dip and breather.”

  “Okay. How about this? The last person to get to the river has to buy the first round of drinks when we get to The Citadel,” Lloyd said with a smirk.

  Lloyd turned to see his brother shaking his head, knowing full well that Lloyd had just proposed a guaranteed way for him to get a free drink.

  “We do all have a little extra coin now. I’m in,” Colette said.

  They didn't have nearly as much coin as Lloyd would have liked. Colette convinced the group to spend over half their money on Mana potions before they left Mandor.

  “Screw it, why not,” Regal chimed in.

  Sheena nodded, and the four of them, plus Milla, lined up in a row as Sheena directed them toward the water. Lloyd imagined a scenario where Milla was the last person to make it to the water. He laughed at the image of Milla placing her paws on the bar top and then dropping a bag of coin from her mouth onto the wood. The comical future quickly drifted away as he realized that there was no way that Milla was going to be the last there. She was probably the only one who was going to beat Lloyd in a foot race.

  “On your count?” Sheena asked as she hit Lloyd with a confident and ferocious gaze.

  “Three…two…one,” Lloyd said as his legs kicked forward rapidly. After a few seconds of running, Lloyd could swear he could feel somebody close behind him on the left.

  Against his better judgment, he tilted his head to see who might be there. It was a pointless motion. Milla came sprinting into his peripheral vision and out in front of him moments later. Lloyd choked out laughter that upset his steady breathing. The laughter came, not because the fox had already outpaced him, but because Milla had Colette on her back and the pair of them were easily going to win the race. Lloyd turned his head more to the left and saw that Sheena was also fairly close behind. He looked behind him to the right and saw that Regal was clearly falling behind.

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  “Not fair!” Regal yelled out.

  Sheena and Lloyd both had their hands on their knees as labored breaths came in and out. Regal indeed arrived last as he tumbled onto his back, huffing and puffing.

  Milla seemed no worse for wear despite carrying the passenger on her back. She jumped into the river, her fiery fur glimmering as it flowed in the water. Colette, nearby, had already removed her shoes and socks and was now dipping her feet into the clear, refreshing stream. The water glistened as it moved, its surface catching the light in delicate ripples.

  To the left, Lloyd’s gaze was drawn to a breathtaking sight—a waterfall cascading from the short cliffs above. It was about 15 feet high, the water tumbling down with a graceful force. Its mist rising and catching the sunlight in a soft, shimmering haze. The stream beneath them seemed a few feet deep at this point, its waters flowing steadily as it wove through the landscape.

  The waterfall spilled into a large pool, its diameter stretching roughly 50 feet. The water in the pool was crystal clear, but the surface churned with the constant movement of the cascading falls, creating frothy swirls and ripples. The air was filled with the light, steady roar of the water, a constant hum that seemed to vibrate in Lloyd’s bones. Neither Lloyd nor Regal had ever seen anything quite like it. Such natural, untouched and wild beauty, left them both momentarily speechless, caught in the awe of a scene neither of them had ever imagined in their lives.

  “This place is beautiful,” Regal said as he set down his pack and sword.

  “Yeah, it is,” Lloyd agreed.

  “Yeah, there is something wonderful about a waterfall. The way that Regal describes Breakwater makes the ocean seem so stunning, though. Do you miss being by the ocean?” Colette asked.

  “For sure. It is sort of a double-edged sword though. I love watching the storms come roll in. The darkened skies and gusts of wind cause the waters to get choppy. Sometimes the waves get so large that they momentarily make the docks disappear as the tide comes in. On other days, I just sit out there and watch the sunrise. The rhythmic waves become a gentle background of sound. It is quite beautiful in those moments. We don’t go in the ocean because we lost too many people to the Corrupted underneath the waves. I suppose what I mean to say is that there is a sense of awe and danger looking out into the ocean. The stream and waterfall here just inspire awe, no danger. I miss the ocean, but I’m more excited to see new things,” Lloyd said.

  “Yeah, same. You pretty much summed up exactly what I was thinking. Great minds think alike or something like that, huh?” Regal said.

  "Something like that," Lloyd said.

  “We will head to the trees over there and let you ladies jump in first. Let us know when it’s our turn," Regal said.

  “Oh, come on, we’re all friends here,” Colette said as she turned to Sheena, who raised an eyebrow and shrugged her shoulders but otherwise seemed to agree.

  “Well, some of us are more than friends,” Lloyd said with a sly smile as he looked at his brother and then Colette.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. It works for me,” Regal said as he stripped down to his underwear.

  Sheena and Colette dropped their gear and clothing at the riverbank before they ran off and jumped into the water. Lloyd was the last one left, still fully clothed. Light pink painted the canvas of his cheeks. He dropped his bag and robe onto the ground next to his brother’s stuff before walking into the water.

  The circular water basin, roughly fifty feet in diameter, held gently rippling water from the cascading falls. This oasis was parked in the middle of the dense forest that surrounded its shores. The group spread out to enjoy the pond, each getting an idea of the depth of the water. Lloyd watched as both Sheena and Collete dove down a few times to find the bottom and come back up. Lloyd was content with staying in a location where he could still stand. The water reached his shoulders as he looked down through the crystal-clear water to see a few small fish swimming past his feet. He looked up and briefly caught the attention of his brother. Regal was already scratching the back of his head as he sloshed through the water toward the women until he dropped into deep enough water that forced him to swim.

  “How deep is it?” Lloyd asked.

  “Probably closer to twenty feet near the falls,” Colette responded.

  Shit, pretty deep. Lloyd’s trepidation showed as he failed to approach the rest of the group that was now wading in the depths.

  “Wait, don’t tell me you are afraid of swimming?” Sheena said with a smirk. “Didn’t you two live next to the ocean?”

  Regal had already proved his bravery and now looked back at Lloyd.

  “I thought I just explained that. Sure, but that was because the water was deep as hell. Huge monsters were lurking in the water. There was no reason to risk it. You would just be asking to get eaten if you went in there.” Lloyd responded, thinking that he had laid out a fairly valid argument.

  “Waters not that deep here, you can mostly see all the way to the bottom,” Sheena said and then turned around to swim closer to the waterfall. A few butterfly strokes later, she turned around. “Although I can’t promise anything when it comes to the monsters,” Sheena said once again with a smirk.

  “Sweet. Thanks. Definitely makes me feel much better.” Lloyd said. Fuck it.

  Lloyd imagined the stories that his parents told him and Regal growing up. They'd talk of large sea creatures that came up and swallowed boats whole. Lloyd had never seen anything quite that large as he got older, but he still didn't want to test it. He could always telekinetically shove his brother into any trouble that might come; his skin could handle the attack. The thought made Lloyd smile as he swam toward the waterfall. When his feet were no longer firmly attached to the riverbed, his heart skipped a beat, but he pushed past the fear. He wondered if he could actually use his powers to help him if he needed to.

  As he very slowly swam towards the group, he looked up at one of the large boroughs from a walnut tree just on the shore. Up until this point, he always used his powers to throw things at the beasts. Now, he wondered if he could pull himself towards the objects. The tendrils of his magic gripped the wood, and instead of focusing on breaking the branch, he willed his powers to pull him out of the water. With slightly furrowed brows, Lloyd felt himself being lifted out of the water. In his excitement, he lost concentration and fell firmly back into the water. He submerged almost up to his mouth, which triggered him to start flailing around with his arms and legs, creating panicked wakes.

  Lloyd calmed his nerves and doggy-paddled over to join his friends. After a few quick swimming lessons, he began to get a bit more comfortable in the water. He still wasn’t willing to dive down into the depths, but he could tread water for a few minutes before making his way back to water in which he could stand. A smile spread across Lloyd’s face when the conversation finally shifted to the idea of jumping off the cliff. Heights he could definitely deal with. The perks of living in a house far up in a tree for most of my life.

  The four humans made their way up the side of the cliff, leaving their fiery fox friend behind. Lloyd let out a few soft “ows” and sharp inhales of breath as he stepped on sticks and stones with his bare feet. Regal didn’t seem to have issues with the rough terrain and even picked up and carried Colette up the hill. Lloyd looked back and saw that Sheena seemed to be handling the walk just fine. Lloyd gritted his teeth and kept following his brother. The four now stood on either side of the rushing water that overflowed beyond the cliff’s edge.

  Lloyd walked toward the edge of the cliff. His toes hooked the edge of the rock as looked out at the river below and the surrounding forest. He loved the perspective you could only get from standing somewhere up high. Turning around, Lloyd saw that Regal was standing near the edge, but both Colette and Sheena stood a few feet away. Sheena stood with her arms folded and her upper body was leaned back. Her face showed utter terror.