Clashing steel and stomping feet rattled the high walls of the Ashen Canyon. The mercenary Maria and the spear soldier Veronica were locked in combat with a sudden assailant: the Crypt Keeper Linette, and her two monstrous hounds.

  Maria landed on her feet after the last blow from Linette had sent her flying. The fight had only just started, but it was clear that her opponent was no slouch. The mercenary corrected her form and brandished one of her two curved blades at her opponent. “Come on!” she growled. “If you're going to hit me, then do it right!”

  Linette lowered herself into a crouching stance, leaping forward with such strength that the ground under her feet trembled. She let loose a bolt from her crossbow, trying to lay down pressure on the mercenary. Maria was quick to parry the bolt, swatting it away from her face. In the time it took to parry the bolt, Linette was already within striking range. She thrust her short blade at Maria’s chest, but Maria was able to parry the blow downward.

  “Too exposed,” Linette spat, murder in her eyes. Maria went to strike with her second blade, but Linette was strong. She planted her feet and used all her strength to heave her short blade into the air, despite Maria locking it down with her own sword. This action nearly destroyed Maria’s balance. Linette pulled her blade back and threw out a quick series of thrusts. Maria barely avoided each blow, her balance compromised.

  Linette threw out another thrust aimed at Maria’s head, but Maria used her stumble to her advantage. She let herself fall, twisting her form and pumping mana throughout her entire body at an accelerated rate. She forced herself to become a tilted, spinning top, her curved swords acting as a dangerous field of steel. Linette was able to block the first blade that came her way, but it nearly knocked her sword out of her hands. Maria had turned a fatal moment of vulnerability into an advantageous position. Linette could either back off and reset the neutral or risk catching a stray blade to the body, so she relented and jumped back to safety.

  Maria’s spinning was so violent it was indistinguishable from a tornado. Her entire body was nothing but a blur, and only the white streaks of steel could be discerned with any reliability. The winds created by her movement were so strong that not only did they keep her from falling, but they also straightened her position, putting her back on her feet. “They call me the Red Wind. Let me show you why.” The winds distorted and stretched her voice through the turbulence. Her red aura mixed with the thrashing winds to conjure up a bloody storm.

  Linette raised her crossbow to the heavens, using her mana to manifest and reload another bolt. She aimed it at the spinning tornado and took her time to concentrate. She focused her energy into the wire of the crossbow and sent it flying at Maria with a thunderous whip and crackle! The bolt streaked through the air, leaving Linette's blue magical essence in its wake.

  It crashed against the raging storm, its metal tip grinding against the razor winds. With a sudden pop, the bolt bounced back. Linette barely managed to weave out of the way. Her eyes followed the bolt as it flew past her, even faster than when she had shot it. But the ever-growing sound of wind tore her attention back to Maria. The rabid typhoon rushed toward her, threatening to shred her to pieces. The Crypt Keeper was quick to act, tearing a wide gash in the floor with her blade, causing an abhorrent outpouring of crying souls. In their bid to escape their ashy stone coffins, they formed a solid wall.

  Maria slammed against it, grinding her wind, mana, and blades against the souls. But their anguish was stronger and knocked her out of her whirlwind, sending her skipping across the ground. She quickly rolled over onto her stomach by instinct, dodging another crossbow shot in the process. "What an annoying bitch!"

  Just meters away, Veronica was locked in a frenzied flurry. The monstrous dogs attacking her knew no restraint. They lashed out one after the other, clawing and biting at her from both her left and right flanks. She was backpedaling to maintain distance, though she knew she would eventually run out of room. She threw out a sharp thrust to the dog on the right, only for it to weave her blow. In response, she swung her spear to her left, trying to slash the other across its face to punish its aggression. It ducked underneath her swipe and rushed her down, its maw open wide, hungry for flesh.

  Veronica countered with a sharp knee, snapping the dog's jaw shut with a deep crack! She reeled her spear back and brought it across the other dog's face. It ground against its white scales with a terrible screech.

  She backed off. One dog was rattled, but the other was still giving her trouble. It seemed to be acutely aware of her spear and circled her just outside of thrusting range. But Veronica knew she didn't have the time to be careful. The dog she had hit with her knee would recover at any moment.

  Veronica focused herself, drawing magical energy into her limbs. She let it flow through her legs and arms, letting it leak into her spear. She calculated her next move and then executed it. One foot forward, lean in, and thrust! It all happened so fast that it was a blur. By focusing all her mana into her limbs, she sacrificed all other enhancing aspects for pure speed and power. She couldn’t even perceive her own movements, but she had to have faith in herself. Blood splattered across her chainmail as the spear pierced the dog's white scales. It sounded like shattering glass as she tore through its body. She smiled, ripping the spear out and bringing her flow of magic back into regular circulation.

  Veronica turned her attention to the final dog with a ravenous grin. "I've never eaten Descended before. Let's hope you taste good!"

  Veronica honed in on her prey. Meanwhile, Maria was still locked in vicious combat. Maria had gone on the offensive, slashing and swiping with deranged passion. Linette weaved every blow with minimal movement. What she couldn’t dodge, she deflected using her sword or crossbow. The only problem was that the Crypt Keeper couldn’t find her opening to get in an attack. Her crossbow bolt hadn't been reloaded yet, and Maria was surprisingly nimble. Each attack was just a primer for the next one. Dodge or deflect, the next attack would come before Linette could find her grounds to riposte.

  It was an all-or-nothing gamble, but it had to be done. Maria came in with a horizontal slash to Linette's sword arm. Linette used the pommel of her short sword to lock down the curved blade with a twist. Maria came in with the other blade, and Linette countered by raising her crossbow, its nose pointed to the heavens. She tilted it, allowing Maria to cut through the string and hit the barrel. Linette yanked it down, snatching the scimitar with the limb of the crossbow. But Maria’s grip was strong; she chose to be pulled down rather than lose her weapon.

  Linette's sword arm was too busy locking down her other scimitar, so she improvised and crashed her knee into Maria's face with thunderous force! Maria lost her grip on her scimitars as her entire body rebounded from the blow. Linette took her opportunity and threw out a thrust aimed at her head. Maria, still dazed from the blow, put her guard up with her gauntlets. The sword glanced off her wrists with sparks flying. Linette was stunned that Maria could muster such a recovery. That confusion led to a moment's hesitation, which led to her getting punched directly in the face.

  The mana flowing through Maria's first, the metal rim that accented her knuckles, and the fact that Maria was at least a whole weight class above her led to Linette’s world being rocked. Linette was sent into a spiral, having to practically dance to keep herself from falling over. She stumbled back, eventually hitting the canyon wall and leaning on it for support.

  Maria picked up her sword and threw one at Linette. The blade sang through the air, spinning like a gear in motion. It barely missed the Crypt Keeper, grazing her shoulder and embedding into the wall. This caused another outburst of souls, throwing the Crypt Keeper to her knees. She watched in horror as the mercenary approached, her steps heavy and measured.

  "What, one good punch and you're down? You must be new to fighting." Maria raised her curved blade like a butcher preparing to handle a slab of meat. "Why don't you grab that crystal? Makes you mighty powerful. It worked for your friend back on the bridge."

  Linette eyed the wall behind her. There was a single crystal within arm's reach, but she refused. "I... you can't just use Azylith's deposits. If you aren't mentally sound, it will—"

  "—Consume you? I figured as much. My friend said something about hatred. Guessing it's too much for untrained minds to handle."

  Linette's eyes darted to her hounds for help, but she was met with bloody heaps of ivory scales. Veronica was checking their insides to determine if they were edible. She was alone now.

  "Damnit, don't think this is over!" Linette screamed, smashing the ground. She pumped as much mana as she could into the floor, causing a shockwave to spread and tear the ground apart. The restless dead came pouring out. Maria had to backpedal, jumping back to avoid getting caught up in the desperate typhoon.

  When the dust settled, Linette was gone, leaving the women alone. Veronica regrouped with Maria, carrying the carcasses under her wingspans. "She's gone..."

  "Yeah, tactical retreat, no doubt." Maria plucked her sword from the wall and tore off one of the crystals. Just holding it filled her with a desire to kill Veronica. Maria gritted her teeth and suppressed the emotions being forced upon her. "You were right, Veronica. These things are vile."

  "Then why are you still holding it?"

  "Because these things hold power, and power is useful. If I were that girl, I would have crushed one the moment I was cornered, even if it meant losing my mind."

  "You'd become a monster over a dying human?"

  "Course I would. I like living, and I'm gonna do what I gotta do to keep on. Besides, I'm sure I'd come back to normal eventually."

  "You're making a lot of assumptions. What if you're wrong and permanently lose control?"

  "Then it is what it is," Maria stated bluntly. "But at least I tried. At the end of the day, losing my mind or dying don't seem like different fates." She motioned for them to start moving. "Enough of that though, let's get those things back to base. I've never eaten Descended before. After that, we can try and come up with a plan. We might need to find somewhere better to hide."

  ***

  Linette scampered across the plateaus of the canyon with clenched fists and teary eyes. She couldn't believe she had lost. She had been running for what felt like hours. Already tired from her fight, her legs were still shaky from the close brush with death. She stopped just short of a canyon crevice. It was a long, narrow pathway that twisted in on itself into an uneven circle. Along the path was a small cave entrance. It was home. She slid down the canyon wall, letting it carry her into a light jog.

  Her mind flashed back to several hours earlier. She stood in attendance with her six sisters in arms as their leader, Hiri, gave them the rundown. Linette had never seen her so angry before.

  "The Opazyr have come to the canyon seeking Azylith's deposits," Hiri explained. "I shouldn't have to explain to you why we can't allow any more of those crystals to make it out of this canyon. We suspect the lone mage that came before them already made off with a small handful. That's an egregious error on our part, and one that we cannot repeat."

  Hiri paced back and forth, seemingly overcome with intense anger. "Those Opazyr are responsible for this cursed land. They are evil and cannot be allowed to have access to the maddening power of the crystals. Is that understood?!" She barked. Spit flew from her mouth like a rabid animal, and her dilated pupils seemed to whip between each member excessively.

  Silent nods were the only responses given.

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  "Good! Now, I want this place scrubbed from top to bottom! You find them, you kill them. Their bodies should be brought back to Azylith so she can confirm their deaths personally. Even the Descended have been made not to feast on their corpses, so you have no excuse! Now go!"

  The dark cave was lit by evenly spaced torches. The ground curved into a slope, and if one wasn't careful, they could easily lose their footing and be sent tumbling to the bottom. The bottom was a manmade clearing. Stone supports had been carefully left in place to keep the entire structure from collapsing. Smaller offshoots lined the perimeter, but there was no doubt this was the main component of the base.

  The smell of hot bread and a hunter's stew greeted Linette's nose and lulled her into a false sense of safety. That safety was ripped away by a harsh voice—Hiri’s.

  "Where are the hounds?" she asked, her voice cold and judgmental.

  Linette didn't want to turn around. She swallowed hard and steeled herself. "T-they're dead. They were defeated by the intruders."

  There was a long pause. The only thing breaking the silence was the crackling fire underneath the hunter’s stew. Linette could feel her own heart pounding, as if it were trying to break free from her ribcage.

  Hiri tapped her foot, waiting for Linette to turn around. But when the defeated Keeper continued to stare at the wall for what seemed like an eternity, she lost her patience. "Damnit, Linette! Would you at least look at me?"

  Linette turned around. Sweat ran down her face with such abundance that it seemed as though she were under a shower head. When she was suddenly grasped in a crushing grip, she let out a terrified whimper, before realizing she was being hugged tightly.

  "I'm just glad you're safe," murmured Hiri.

  The roller coaster of emotions led to hysterical, sputtering laughter from Linette. She returned her leader's embrace and fell to her knees. "I t-thought you were going to kill me..." she stuttered.

  Hiri looked shocked—no, offended—that her subordinate would say such a thing. "Why would I do that?!"

  "You were so rabid at the briefing. I've never seen a woman so angry in all my years. I thought you would lash out if I failed. I'm sure the others thought the same."

  "What are you—" The realization hit Hiri like a truck, and she immediately knelt to console Linette. "No, I was just under the influence of the crystal. I didn't even realize I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to instill fear in you all. I was not myself. After I spoke to Azylith, I just felt so stupid, and the crystal I used must have bolstered my emotions."

  "It's fine, but I think we should call a retreat before the others do something rash. Those women are not weak. We all spread out to look, and I'm certain that any one of us would lose if we attacked them by ourselves."

  Hiri put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll rally them before they do something stupid."

  ***

  Maria and Veronica dragged themselves back to the campsite. The fighting had caught up to them, and now they were feeling the exhaustion. Veronica was still holding both carcasses in her arms, while Maria dragged another cursed log, hoping to use it as kindling for a fire. The sun was setting, and their stomachs delivered sharp, painful blows—a war cry for sustenance.

  Maria spotted Lucy and Anise down by the riverbank and called out to them as she dropped the log onto the ashy ground. "Oi, chow's in!"

  They both looked back with starved eyes, thankful for food. But their faces contorted into horror as soon as they laid eyes on the dead Descended.

  Lucy pointed at the carcasses with a shaking finger. "W-we're not going to eat those, are we?"

  Veronica placed the dogs against the cavern wall and went to inspect the log Maria had brought in. "Of course we are. It was the only thing we could find."

  Maria joined the soldier, tearing off protruding branches to use as fire starters. "Yeah, luckily for us, one of those crazy broads in blue attacked us with some controlled Descended. Otherwise, we'd be shit out of luck."

  "Absolutely not!" Anise screeched. She stood in front of Lucy with a furious expression. "We cannot do something so barbaric as eating Descended! You don't know what could happen if you eat those filthy creatures!"

  "I know what will happen if I don't eat it," retorted Maria, "and I don't like starving, so..." She drew one of her curved blades and sized up the log, hoping that cutting it wouldn't make too much noise.

  "You're not listening to me! It's unacceptable for Lady Lucy to—"

  "—THEN SHE CAN FUCKING STARVE!" Maria yelled indignantly. The rawness of her scream sent Anise crashing to the ground. The mercenary stood up with her scimitar in hand and stomped over to the cowering pair.

  "I've had just about enough of you two! First, you get us trapped in here! Then you laze about while we find heat and food, literally fighting tooth and nail for it, and now you want to complain about the haul?!" Her magical aura flared up. Against the setting sun, its luminescent properties were barely visible. "Why are you upper class so fucking spoiled? Knights? Heralds? Don't play with me! If this one is a knight, then the entire order is fucking worthless!"

  Anise grabbed her wrist and lowered her blade. "How dare you speak to her like that. That is—"

  A gloved hand gripped Anise’s throat and lifted her off the floor. "I'm so sick of you. I despise dick-suckers. Why don't you let the girl speak for herself, huh? She's supposed to be a knight, right? A big girl. A real elite. So fucking treat her like it."

  She practically threw Anise to the side, tossing her into the sand. Veronica watched it all, unsure of what to do. She glanced at her spear. She would protect the Opazyr at any cost, as was her duty. But a part of her wanted Maria to send Lucy floating down the river.

  Maria lowered herself over Lucy, glaring at her while the veins on her face seemed ready to burst. Lucy backed up, fearful, but unable to summon the mental fortitude to reach for her blade.

  "I-I’m sorry. Just please calm down. I didn’t mean to offend," whimpered Lucy. "I’ll eat it. Your efforts shouldn’t be disrespected."

  Maria stared into her eyes. It was uncomfortably intense, but Lucy did not look away. Whether it was due to paralyzing fear or sudden bravery was unknown, and it didn’t matter. It was enough to make Maria back off.

  "Damn right you will," she grumbled, stomping back over to the log.

  Anise crawled over to Lucy, reaching out for her while gasping for air. "A-are you... alright, my lady?" Each breath was labored, bookended with wheezes and coughs.

  The knight pulled her into an embrace. "I’m fine, what about you?"

  "That damned ogre is stronger than I gave her credit for, but I’ll live. You should be careful, my lady. I feel she could do great harm if provoked."

  Veronica eyed the mercenary while they toiled over preparing the food. "Was that necessary?" she asked in her usual hushed tone.

  "Don’t know," Maria answered. "They were pissing me off, though. I had to do something."

  "You’re aware it’s my job to protect Lady Lucy, right? If you hurt her—"

  "—Relax, okay? It’s also my job to make sure the brat comes home alive. I’m not that dumb. Plus, it’s just that herald who keeps raking my nerves."

  "As long as we’re on the same page. I don’t have any particular orders about the herald either, but if Lucy were to command it—"

  "—Yeah, yeah, you’d have to step in and stop me from hurting her. I get it, alright. I know how these things work."

  "Just had to let you know."

  The two went back to preparing the meal as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, Anise and Lucy awkwardly waited for them to finish.

  Half an hour passed. The smell of roasting meat filled the funneling beach, invading Lucy’s nostrils and intensifying her hunger. Lucy’s stomach growled loud enough to startle Anise, who was still resting in her lap.

  "Sorry," Lucy chuckled. "I guess the meat won’t be as bad as I thought."

  Anise returned a spiteful gaze to the two roasting literal monsters on a stick. "It’s still not right. Descended are monsters corrupted by negative energy. Their flesh is probably full of it. It could turn us into Descended for all we know."

  "Well, the only other option we have is to try and fish from the river," Lucy said. She shivered against the breeze. It was night now, and the temperature had already dropped ten degrees. "But I don’t think I’d make it. That water is freezing, and the current is still raging. Even if we didn’t get swept away, I don’t think we’d be able to catch fish with our bare hands."

  "I still think those two could’ve found something better."

  "Well, I’ll be sure to eat your share then," Lucy traced a circle on the herald’s face. "I haven’t been this hungry in a while."

  Anise practically teleported upright. "Now hold on a second! Let’s not get carried away."

  "Oh, I thought you didn’t like the idea of eating the Descended?" Lucy covered her mouth like a schoolgirl trying to keep a secret.

  "I don’t, but if I don’t eat, I’ll be weak." Anise grabbed her arm and lowered it from her mouth. "I don’t exactly trust those two to keep you safe."

  Lucy snatched her hand away. "I’m a knight, you know? I can defend myself. Otherwise, what was all that training for?" She glared at Anise, her eyes full of skepticism. "You don’t believe in my strength either, huh?"

  Anise recoiled, retreating into herself. "O-of course I do, my lady. The training of the Opazyr knights cannot be bested."

  Her hollow words did nothing to reassure the knight, who simply stood up and walked away. "Yeah, truly convincing, Anise."

  Lucy approached the two chefs as they tended to the roast, conversing and debating whether the meat was fully cooked or close to burning. They stopped and stared at Lucy, her red eyes gleaming against the fire like rubies.

  "Meat’s not done yet, princess," said Maria. "If you eat now, you’ll regret it."

  "Be truthful," Lucy demanded, ignoring the quip. "Do you guys think I’m weak?"

  "Well, that depends on what we’re talking about here," Maria said. "If we’re talking about fighting skills, I have no idea. I’ve never seen you swing your sword. But you don’t seem too bright. Your adaptability seems garbage, and you’ve let that herald speak for you since we met. So your self-reliance is probably abysmal as well. If I had to guess, I’m pretty sure you’d be dead by now if you were on your own."

  Maria leaned over the fire, checking the tenderness of the meat with her finger. "But, there's also the fact that I just met you. So there’s still time to turn those first impressions around."

  Lucy whipped her head to Veronica, who seemed to be ignoring her existence in favor of her future meal. "Soldier, what about you?"

  "It's not my place to say," she replied.

  Lucy knelt down and placed a gentle hand on Veronica's shoulder. "Please, the truth. I need to know, Soldier."

  "Soft, like spoiled fruit," Veronica quietly sighed. She averted her eyes from Lucy as she spoke. "You might know your way around a sword. But you're still a little girl."

  Lucy fell back on her rear. This was the first time she had ever received such harsh words. She had grown up with nothing but praise for her accolades, but now it felt like all those words were lies, spoken to her status and not her as a person. "No way... But Lady Fia allowed me to go on this mission."

  "Allowed?" Maria scoffed. "Now it sounds like she didn't intend to send you on the mission at all."

  "I told her it would be a perfect opportunity to prove myself. She agreed. I thought she believed in me." The knight's words were distant, trapped in her own mind, reliving her conversation with her aunt.

  "If she believed in you, then I wouldn’t be here," Maria said, her tone cold as ice. She picked up a stick and tore herself a piece of meat to test if it was cooked. "People don't normally hire a street thug to protect knights."

  Veronica snatched the meat from the mercenary, who yelled in protest. She ignored her, taking the first test bite of the exotic flesh. "That's not exactly fair, Maria. You're not just some street thug. From what I understand, you've done every sort of job in every corner of the country. It's not right to compare a knight to a seasoned adventurer. Plus, you're an Opazyr now, just like Lucy. Stop calling yourself a thug." She cleaned the stick of its last bits of flesh. "Also, the meat’s definitely done. And it’s good."

  "Shit, for real? Gimme my stick back, you have your own!" Maria chirped, snatching back her tool.

  Lucy sat in disbelief. Nobody had believed in her from the start—neither her soldiers, her aunt, nor her two comrades, who were supposed to be her equals. She gripped the ash beneath her, her frazzled mind coming to one conclusion. "If none of you believe in me, then... then..."

  Maria and Veronica turned to her, their expressions mixed with curiosity and concern, respectively.

  "Then I’ll just have to become better!" she howled. She raised her fist defiantly, throwing ash into the air. "I’ll just have to become more adaptable, more intelligent, more independent! I—I can rough it with the best of them, you'll see! I stake my noble blood on it!"

  Maria's face twisted into a smug grin. "You're gonna put that on House Opazyr?"

  "Absolutely!" she exclaimed with determination. "I know that within me is a woman worthy of my family name. I’ll find that woman by the end of this expedition and become someone my aunt can place her full faith in!"

  Maria tore off a large chunk of meat. "Then eat up, kid. You can’t prove me wrong on an empty stomach."

  Lucy took the meat and started to chow down. She was so consumed by her determination that she forgot any apprehensions she might have had about eating the Descended meat.

  Veronica and Anise laughed as she ate away. "I’ll give you something, kid. You’ve got heart," complimented the mercenary.

  Anise crawled over to the fire, unable to resist the aroma of well-done meat. "Alright, I concede. Cut me a piece, will you?"

  Maria handed her one of her scimitars. "Cut it yourself. Try a leg or something. Mind the scales though. They're hard as hell."

  Soon the air was filled with greedy munching. Anise was the only one who tried to contain herself in the feeding frenzy. Lucy was so unchained in her feeding that she began to choke, skittering over to the stream to try and wash down her ill-chewed food while Maria laughed at her.

  Anise ran over to make sure she was okay, leaving the two grunts to their own meal.

  "What are we going to do?" Veronica asked. "We can't stay here. We're sitting ducks. I think we should try to move deeper into the canyon."

  "Can't," Maria countered. "I thought about it, but unless we find another source of running water, we're stuck here. Besides, unless we get really lucky, I don’t think there’s a place in this canyon where we won’t be surrounded. Worst comes to worst, we can jump in the river and float off to safety."

  Veronica looked up at the canyon walls. Its cold, smooth gray face seemed to stretch infinitely into the night sky. She couldn’t see the end of the ledge in the darkness, which only made her more uneasy. "I feel like we should at least move to the top of the canyon. I feel trapped down here."

  "You're probably right," Maria admitted between gulps of charred flesh. "Look, when the sun comes up, we’ll move the logs up to the flat-tops. Deal?"

  "I can work with that." Veronica squinted, seeing Anise trying desperately to give Lucy the Heimlich maneuver. She stood up and briskly walked over. "Step aside, you're doing it wrong!" she demanded calmly.

  Much to Maria's amusement, Veronica was quick to save Lucy from herself. The mercenary laid down by the fire, picking off bits of the roast and staring into the starry night sky. "Gods, is this gonna be every night with these girls?"