It All Comes Together [Ω Strength Training/Plot]

With the war approaching Reim, Ayero began to feel a sense of unease in more than one way. War was such a foreign feeling to the woman who had always tried to keep out of danger, preferring to occupy herself with her own goals rather than the affairs of whichever country she happened to be in. She didn’t know if finding Neem in Heliohapt had changed her way of thinking—especially considering that the damned man had run off in the chaos to god knows where—but she had gradually begun to let her walls down. Trying to remain impartial to others became more difficult when she had no clear goal to distract her, nothing to reign her in and remind her of her original purpose when she became too invested in something else.


Whenever Ayero thought about the string of events the lead her to where she was now she would lose herself in a tangle of emotions, ending up confused and unsure. Tired of feeling this way, she sought to remedy her mind by going back to something more familiar—solitude. After giving notice to Octavius that she was going on a short trip to visit family, the Fanalis woman headed toward the mountains where she had grown up.


After spending much of her time in the city, Ayero found the lone journey to the north pleasing. Though she had learned to be adaptive, she’d spent nearly five years traveling on her own and found being on her own comforting. At last she felt as if she could think freely without the threat of Kou hanging over her head, stifling her thoughts as it did in the city. Drawing in a deep breath of cold air, Ayero exhaled slowly in an attempt to settle her mind. She wanted her thoughts to flow naturally as forcing them would only leave her more insecure.


Ayero had not lied when she told Octavius that she was going to the northern mountains to visit her family—she intended to do exactly that. If nothing else, she wanted to see her family’s graves before the war got into full swing. She didn’t know how bad things would get or what would happen during it, but knowing that she visited with her family one last time would give her peace of mind. As she made her way towards the village where she was born, Ayero’s heart flutters in anticipation as if she would find something new there. But as she reached the clearing, everything had remained the same from what she had remembered during her last visit. A few of the charred houses had collapsed under the weight of the snow and any evidence of carnage was hidden under several coats of powder. Ayero frowned, she almost felt as if it was unfair. This had once been a quaint little village and now it looked as if there had never been life here at all. But there was nothing she could do about it now, so she moved on towards the clearing where the makeshift graveyard for her family had been made.

---

Seeing the white covered mounds of dirt was not easy, but Ayero was determined to leave here with peace of mind. As she settled in front of the small alter she had made her heart began to ache. Drawing in a deep breath, Ayero closed her eyes and tried to embrace the pain rather than fight it. She did not think it would be possible to get over their death, nor did she want to. But she did want her thoughts to be peaceful when she thought of her family. After sitting in silence for several long minutes, Ayero finally feels stable enough to open her eyes. Reaching into the pack behind her, she rummages around and retrieves a small wax candle along with a pair of flint rocks. After lighting the candle, she places it gingerly in the makeshift altar she had constructed from the intact wood of one of the collapsed houses. Looking out among the graves decorated with stones she had fished from the bank of a nearby stream, Ayero slowly recalled who was buried where. She was surprised that she had still remembered when Vin pointed out where each sibling and parent lay, but supposed that the information stuck due to its importance in her mind.


”I-I really miss you all.” Ayero’s voice cracked as soon as she started to speak and she inwardly cursed. But there was no one around to see, so she continued unhindered by her usual stubbornness.  


”I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for leaving and breaking mom’s heart. I only wanted to find Neem, I only wanted to…” She pauses and takes in a staggered breath. ”…Escape. I had to leave. I couldn’t stay in a place like this forever, isolated from the rest of the world! The world is too vast to be ignored. I’ve learned so much and met many different people, some of whom are very dear to me.”


She pauses after the burst of emotion, somehow not feeling any lighter after her confession. She had left home at 13 with the intention of searching for her brother, to bring him home. But that was a lie. Not a complete lie, but more of an excuse. In the wake of a tragedy she had seen an opportunity to leave and took it, leaving the only home she had ever known without so much as a parting word to her family. She joined a caravan that traveled between Reim and Balbadd and occasionally Heliohapt, ferrying and selling goods from place to place. She told herself the entire time that she was here to seek out her brother, to rescue him from slavery. But in the back of her mind she wanted her freedom more than anything and struggled between enjoying the experiences of her new life and dealing with the guilt of being selfish.

”What…what I did was selfish. I’m a selfish person. But I don’t regret leaving home. It was hard at first and I almost turned back a few times, but it was worth it. I’ve seen the republic of Balbadd, the desert country of Heliohapt and the great city of Remano. I’ve fought bandits and thieves, strange animals and talented fighters in the coliseum. I’ve become a skilled swordswoman and a beast tamer, and even managed to defeat Decimus the Immortal in the coliseum. He’s the strongest, you know. At least that’s what they said. It was the hardest fight of my life, but in the end I won…” She trails, her tone gradually become more casual as if she were talking to her still living family and they were listening.


”I’ve made some friends as well. Diego is a fanalis like me—like us—and is a skilled beast tamer even though he’s only 13. Yakuroro is a wise magician from Imuchakk with a beast companion of his own. Ariella is a magician from Magnostadt—I bet you would all like her. Azix…is a magician as well, one I’ve fought alongside in the coliseum several times. Oh, you would all like Jahangir too. He’s a halfling but has the energy of a pureblood. And then there’s Lagi, Bahir, Minerva, Merrze and Liber…” The last name causes her to give pause and she smiles at the memory of those she’s grown close to.


She opens her mouth to continue speaking but can’t seem to find words, her lower lip trembling as she struggles to unload the emotions that have been building up inside her for years. She allows herself to sink into her feelings, tears of both sorrow and relief at releasing her emotions trailing a wet path down her cheeks. ”All I want is for you to forgive me and be proud of what I’ve become. I understand…I know that it might take time, if it ever comes.” Her voice comes out in a low whisper, shaking with conviction.



[1332/3000]

That night Ayero laid awake in the small tent she had packed with her, not exactly willing to sleep under the stars and expose herself to the harsh mountain elements in the middle of winter. She didn’t know how long she intended to stay here after visiting her family and attempting to make peace with the guilt that raged inside her. What now? Ayero racked her brain trying to figure out what her direction was, what sort of path she’d take assuming she survived the war. She’d spent the majority of her travels keeping to herself as much as possible, only intervening in situations that did not involve her when she could afford to.

But she began to change, she realized. Though she was still somewhat standoffish by nature, there were those who had breached her walls and earned her trust and respect. Her own sense of justice grew and she used the skills she had cultivated through years of battle to help protect those who could not defend themselves. She allowed herself to feel her emotions more freely and grow close to others. She challenged herself by taking on many different opponents in the Coliseum, letting her Fanalis nature peek through and enjoy the rush of battle. She fought mage, archer, body manipulator, beast tamer and many different types of opponents within the great Coliseum’s walls, even going so far as to be able to defeat Decimus the Immortal. She met the great Fanalis General, Octavius who entrusted her with his men in leading them into battle against Kou forces. She laid still and wondered about her accomplishments thus far, looking back on them with curiosity. Where did she stand now? How did all of that shape her?


”I’m strong.” She realized suddenly, rolling her eyes towards the top of the tent. ”I can fight. I can protect people. I do fight. I do protect people. I’ve come so far…I don’t want anyone to have to experience what I’ve gone though. I don’t want anyone to experience what I’ve seen…” Her stomach twisted at the thought of the wicked General Kaito as he plowed his way towards Remano, sparing neither soldier nor civilian. ”This sort of evil shouldn’t exist.” She swallowed thickly as she couldn’t help but let her thoughts trail to darker times.

The Fate of Heliohapt:

Of Kin and Heritage:

Retaking Savona:

Ayero turned on her side, trying to will the painful memories away but they were insistent on staying. It was as if her mind was forcing her to relive those difficult times, to burn into her psyche so that she would never forget the depth of tragedy that evil could bring. And all at once she feels helpless, helpless as she had been in past situations to save people. She would come so far only to hit a wall, to be unable to prevent tragedy.


Suddenly, another memory occurs to her. It was not sorrowful, but curious and inspiring.

The Princess Diaries:

The power of a Dijnn…would something like that help her in preventing tragedy? Azix’s words resonate in her mind as she considered the option.




”The power of Kings…make a great change in the world…is this something I am deserving of? Could I use that sort of power to help guide the world?” Ayero asked herself this as she turned Azix’s words over in her head. Never had she thought that she’d be able to wield enough power to make a difference, but the orange magician seemed to have faith in her should she choose to walk that path. Grumbing, Ayero rubs her eyes with one hand before turning over onto her other side, fatigue from the day’s travels finally taking its toll on her.




Before she drifts into a fitful slumber, the last words she’d spoken at her family’s gravesite pop into her head along with a realization; she was not asking this of them, she was asking herself.


[2084/3000]
Flashbacks in spoilers were not used in the word count

The next morning Ayero had set out further into the mountains in search of game. She didn’t know long she planned to stay here, but she supposed it would be for at least a few more days. As such, the Fanalis intended to slay an animal that would provide her with at least a few days’ worth of food instead of hunting several times a day. There were few villages this far up and into the jagged mountains so she would have to make do with whatever beast she found.


She crept through the trees as stealthily as she could, not much of a hunter but hoping that she’d be able to sneak up on some unsuspecting animal. The sound of bleating nearby causes her head to swivel, and she notices a thickly muscled goat-like creature a short distance away. The beast had his back turned to her and was munching away at a patch of foliage. With eyes set on her target, Ayero slowly crept through the underbrush and drew her blade silently.




When at last she was close enough, Ayero dashed from the coverage of the trees and attempted to slice through her prey in once swift motion. However, the creature’s sensitive ears immediately picked up on the noise the woman made in sprinting towards him and let out a cry, scrambling out of the way of her blade before delivering a heavy kick to her chest with his hind legs. ”Oof!” Ayero grunted under the force of the beast’s powerful legs as he threw her back and she fell to the ground. The spooked goat-like creature bleated again and ran towards the edge of the clearing while continuing to cry. Ayero grunted as she struggled to return to her feet, recognizing that the blow to her midsection had probably cracked a rib or two. She froze in her movements when several creatures came crashing through the foliage on the other side of the clearing.




The men immediately drew their bows back at the sight of the Fanalis woman, their sharp eyes trained on the red headed warrior as she paused. They inched closer towards her, the three of them fanning out as they kept their weapons pointed at Ayero. ”Who are you?” One asked plainly, his tone suggesting that he would not hesitate to attack should she not answer.


”I’m a traveler.” She answered simply. The man grunted and drew back on his bow string a bit more. ”There are very few travelers this deep in the mountains. Where are you heading?” Ayero opened her mouth to respond and paused as she realized she didn’t quite know how to answer his question. ”I was visiting family.” She answers honestly, hoping that her answer would satisfy them and they would leave her be. But they moved closer still, sharp looks of apprehension on their faces and she realized that these men were likely not friendly to outsiders. Grunting, the man who had spoken to her sends a look to the other two while lowering his bow just slightly. ”Come with us.” His voice was stern, another reminder that disobedience would likely be met with arrows. Ayero responded with a grunt of her own, wincing as she slowly rose to her feet. She was starving and injured and did not want to risk trying to escape, hoping she’d be able to talk her way out of this.


The bow wielding men lead her through the woods until they came upon another clearing full of tents, people and animals. The people didn’t try to hide their looks and glances as several of their hunters lead a strange red haired woman through the camp. When they came upon the largest tent, one of the men signaled for the other three to stop. He went inside the tent and soft sounds of conversation could be heard. The two men that stayed with her had since put away their bows and drew their swords instead.


Ayero shifted on her feet, careful not to make any sudden movements that would inspire the two men guarding her. She lifted her head, taking the time to scan the camp. She didn’t think that people lived this far north, as there was little vegetation to subsist off of. The terrain was often treacherous and the climate harsh, why would these people be here? She gazes at the animal-skin tents and the beasts herded in a makeshift corral. ”Are these people…nomads?” Before she could ponder any further on their origins, the man who had disappeared into the tent reappeared.


”The Chief wishes to speak with you.” His stern voice rang through the camp as his eyes traveled down towards her waist where her sword hung. ”Give me your blade.” He held his hand out and gave her a pointed look. Ayero brought her hand to the hilt of her sword and hesitated before removing it from her belt and handing it to the man. She could feel her nerves spike at handing over her weapon, but she didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. As soon as she had handed Vipsania over to the man, he stepped aside and held the tent flap open for her.

---

As she entered the tent, Ayero was greeted with the site of a large man sitting cross legged on one of the many furs that covered the floor. He held what appeared to be a clay cup of spiced tea in one hand, the other resting in his lap as he took a long drink from the cup. His dress was that of a warrior nomad, similar to that of the men who had found her—animal furs and bits of armor. As he brought the cup down from his lips, the man swept his gaze over Ayero.


”So you are the one who tried to steal one of my Gemsbok bulls.” His voice rumbled with authority as he examined the woman who stood there nervously, unsure of what she should do. ”Sit.” He ordered, motioning for her to take a seat on the furs across from him.


Ayero dipped her head in a mock bow in response, seating herself on the furs as she was instructed to do. Though she was stubborn by nature, she was unarmed and in the presence of a leader. A leader who thought she had stolen from him. If she wanted to make it out alive, she would have to have humiliation and respect for this man.


”Please, Great Chief.” She took care to dip her head once more while addressing him. ”I had no—“ The Chief interrupted her words with a raised had a he took another drink. Sighing with refreshment, he spoke to her. ”What is your name? Or shall I just call you red-head thief girl?”


Ayero hesitated, taken aback. ”My name is Ayero Shiba. And I am not a thief, I—“ The Chief grunted before cutting her off again. ”You, an outsider, try to slay one of my Bulls and claim to me that you are no thief?” His voice rumbled and crescendoed loud enough for those in the surrounding area outside of the tent to hear and Ayero quieted. A few moments of silence passed before he spoke again. ”Do you know who I am?” When Ayero slowly shook her head, he continued. ”I am Kaidu, Chief of the Cambulac. My people have roamed across these mountains for centuries, living as nomads. The animal you tried to slay—steal—was one of my Gemsbok bulls. Do you know of the Gemsbok bulls?” When Ayero shook her head again, Kaidu continued speaking once more. ”They are a hardy breed of animal that lives in mountainous areas such as this. They are the backbone of our clan, without them we would not be able to move about the mountains as we do. They are bred by us and trained from birth to carry us across the jagged mountain ranges. The loss of even one bull would have a heavy impact on my people.”


Kaidu poured himself another cup of tea as he let his words sink in while observing the reactions of the woman before him. She wouldn’t meet his eyes, and a few heavy second passed before she threw herself on the ground, bowing before him.


”Great Chief Kaidu, I am sorry for attempting to steal one of your bulls. I am a traveler in need of food, so I sought the first game I could find. Had I known that the bull belonged to someone, I would have let it be.”


Ayero had her head pressed to the floor as she spoke, fighting to keep the shake out of her voice. She had heard of the Cambulac tribe, growing up she knew them to be vicious mountain warriors who survived in the not so friendly northern climate. They kept to themselves and were known for their swift and cruel punishments to those who broke tribal laws. She didn’t believe them to exist, writing them off as scary stories mothers told in order to keep their children in line. And now she was speaking with the very real, very scary leader of them. A leader who thought she was a thief. Ayero swallowed thickly, hoping that the man would believe her and she would not be trampled by a herd of bulls or have her limbs pulled apart, or any other frightening punishment these people were known for.


Kaidu continued to sip his tea while staring thoughtfully down at the woman as if contemplating his words. Though her crime was not as severe considering she had not harmed the animal, he considered making an example of her and having her executed. To him, the intention was just as important as the outcome. Her words rang true with him, but custom dictated that crime must be punished. He did not want to be seen as a weak leader, yet he believed rule was strong enough for his people to not question his decisions. After all, he was curious about the red headed woman who had stumbled this far north.


”Rise, Ayero Shiba. Tell me of the land you hail from.” Ayero blinked and slowly rose her body from her position on the floor, confusion and relief in her eyes that Kaidu had not yet taken her head. ”I’ve traveled here from Remano, the capital of this country.” She began hesitantly, continuing to speak of the city as Kaidu urged her on with a flick of his hand. She told him of the cobbled streets and the tall buildings, of the many merchants in the bazaar, the food and the coliseum. Kaidu remained largely silent, letting the woman relay what she knew of the outside world to him as he stroked his beard in thought.


[3000+/3000]

Kaidu had decided to spare the Fanalis woman, enthralled with her stories of Remano. The tribe was taken aback by his decision to keep the red haired foreigner alive but did not question it, trusting their leader’s choices. Kaidu had insisted that Ayero stay with them for a short while, wanting to share the Cambulac way of life with the strange woman as well as hear tales of the distant lands she had traveled to. Part of this reasoning came from his questioning of her looks, never having seen a head of crimson hair before. When Ayero explained about the Fanalis race, she discovered that the Cambulac had believed them to simply be legend as well. Wanting to test the supposed superior strength of the Fanalis race against their rugged way of life, Kaidu encouraged Ayero to help his people with their daily tasks.


Ayero spent the next week learning the ways of the labor-intensive Cambulac life. Despite being a Fanalis and in good shape it was a bit exhausting on Ayero who tended to use her muscles intensively for only short periods of time when fighting. The nomads were constantly moving, their bodies well-built to handle their rugged lifestyle. There was endless work to be done in the nomadic lifestyle, there were animals to tend to, food to slaughter and gather, clothes and tents to weave and repair. She also grew to admire the way Kaidu handled governing his people, though they were a small tribe he was a well-respected leader with his people’s best interests at heart.


After about a week of living the Cambulac ways, Kaidu had decided to send Ayero on a job of sorts. They were nearing a mountain peak that was known as the only source of Gemsbok moss—a fungus that served as an invaluable food source for the Gemsbok bulls which carried the tribe in more ways than one. Scaling the peak was considered a difficult chore—only those in peak physical condition were given the task, and a few had even perished during particularly bad weather. Curious about the strength of the Fanalis woman, Kaidu had requested that Ayero travel to this peak and collect the special moss for them.


”This can’t be that bad. I know how to climb. I grew up in these mountains. Well…not these specific mountains. But I can do this!” Ayero squinted upwards towards where the peak ascended into the sky, shrouded in a haze of clouds and snow. Nodding to the two men who had lead her there, Ayero quickly began the ascent up the rocky mountain face.


The first few hours went by rather easily. Ayero paced herself as she had been warned to do, though her body itched to burst up the mountainside in a fit of adrenaline an eagerness to prove herself. She had always though that she was strong, that the blood of the Fanalis was superior to that of humans when it came to pushing oneself to their physical limits. But these people with their strong bodies cultivated from a life of physical labor were as surprising as they were impressive to her. She could not allow herself to be seen as weak in their eyes. After a day of climbing, Ayero decided it was time to rest and pitched a tent, falling asleep quickly.


As the morning sunlight flittered through the thin walls of the tent, Ayero groaned awake and rolled over before wincing. Her arms, legs and shoulders were sore from climbing up the steep mountain, the inclines much more intense than the ones she had climbed for fun as a child. ”Shit…this isn’t good. I’ll just push past it.” After packing up the tent, Ayero set out once more. It would take several days to reach the snowy peak.

---

Ayero grunted in frustration as she gripped another chunk of rock, fitting her foot into the hold she’d found below it before hoisting herself upwards once more. The wind and snow whipped against her face but she could not afford to fix the hood and scarf that had fallen out of place lest she potentially fall. She was nearly to the peak and the journey had taken an unprecedented toll on her body—her muscles ached beyond belief, and not just in her limbs. Her back ached from the constant movement of her shoulders and her hips hurt from supporting her legs as she crawled slowly up the mountain, pushing past the burn of her screaming muscles. There were several times when she had thought about giving up, the strain on her body too much to bear. But she would always find the strength to keep moving, her stubbornness and drive to succeed pushing past the possibility of failure and the anger of her body.


At long last she had made it to the peak, exhaling an exaggerated sigh of relief and collapsing into the snow when she spotted bits of green peeking through the white snow. Knowing that the longer she allowed herself to rest on the ground the harder she would find it to get up, Ayero forced herself upwards and dragged herself over to the moss. She fished the sample of fungus she’d been given to ensure that she collect the correct moss out of her bag, her face lighting up when they matched. She never thought she’d be so happy to see moss. After stuffing as much of it as she could into her bag, the halfling moved to a more sheltered are and set up camp for the night.


Ayero began her descent at dawn, the pain in her muscles dampened from the adrenaline of her victory. Maneuvering back down the mountain proved to be just as painful and Ayero cautioned herself not to let her excitement get the better of her, lest she burn herself out. When she had arrived back to the Cambulac campsite, one of the women immediately put a thick blanket over her shoulders and ushered her into a tent before taking the bag containing moss from the Fanalis woman and handing it off. She then disappeared, leaving Ayero alone in the tent. Too exhausted to care or be confused, the halfling collapsed onto the floor of the tent and cuddled into the warmth of the fur blanket, grateful to finally be out of those frigid conditions. The warmth of the fire crackling in the center of the tent caused her to feel extremely drowsy, and she would have fallen into a deep sleep had the woman not return shortly after her departure.


”Wonderful news!” She exclaimed, grabbing Ayero’s arm and pulling her upright. The fatigued Fanalis only blinked in response, but the woman continued. ”The Chief wants to fight you in a duel!”. This news got Ayero’s attention, her eyes flaring wide and her body locking up. The woman laughed good-naturedly as Ayero’s face reflected the amount of horror she thought it would. ”But I—“ ”Now, don’t worry! This will help you. It’s a salve that will soothe the muscles and encourage them to repair. You’ll feel back to normal in the morning!” The other woman cheerily produced a wooden pot of earthen smelling cream and began applying it over Ayero’s body. The Fanalis was too tired to protest the application of the cream and narrowed her eyes. ”And if I’m not feeling better by tomorrow?” The Cambulac woman waved away her concern. ”Oh, you will. Trust me. And if you don’t, the Chief won’t fight you. He would never fight a duel with an injured person. None of us would.”


Ayero snorted and shook her head. At least this custom seemed honorable. And the more that she thought about it, the more eager she became to test her strength against the Chief of Cambulac.


[3000+/3000]

Ayero rose early the next morning before the sun had risen, surprised to find that the ache of her body had nearly died. What’s more is that she felt energized, fueled by the knowledge that she’d be fighting an opponent of unknown strength. As she stepped out of the tent after preparing for the fight, Ayero raised a hand to shield her eyes from the rising sun. Squinting through the glare, she was surprised to see that what appeared to be the entire Cambulac clan had gathered, excited at the prospect of a fight. ”Heh…they truly are a warrior people.” She could see in the distance, Kaidu’s silhouetted figure.


As she made her way towards her opponent, the hunter from before who had taken her sword stepped out in front of her to meet her. With a genuine smile and a small bow, he produced her blade and held it out to her. As Ayero reached down to wrap her right hand around the hilt, she felt almost a tingle of electricity jolt from the blade to her hand and up her arm. Staring down at the weapon, Ayero took in a heavy breath before nodding to the man. As he stepped out of her path, Ayero continued forward until she came within several meters of Kaidu. The man raised his head, his gaze piercing into her own for several moments. Both warriors said nothing during this time, Kaidu being the first to unsheathe his blade. Ayero followed suit, resting the weapon in front of her and raising a brow as if to beckon her opponent forward.


Kaidu charged, swinging his great sword over his shoulder and bringing it down vertically on the Fanalis woman. Ayero responded by moving her blade at a sharp upward angle, the weapons clashing and sending a rippling sensation through Ayero’s body. ”He’s strong…” With a low grunt, Ayero pushed against her opponent’s blade and sent it to the side before bringing her scimitar back down vertically as Kaidu had done in an attempt to deal some damage. But Kaidu’s sword was there to block hers, and the two began a dance of clashing blades. Ayero could practically feel sparks fly from the friction of the steel each time the weapons came together, neither warrior letting up on the amount of power they put behind their blades.


Ayero shifted her stance with each stroke of Kaidu’s blade, making minute movements to adjust for the angle and level of power of her opponent’s attack. Suddenly, the Cambulac Chief switched his footing, moving to the left side of the Fanalis woman and swinging her blade after parrying her blade to the left. Catching the movement out of the corner of her eye, Ayero drove her left fist upwards to meet the incoming blade, knocking it up and away from her. There where whistles from the crowd of spectators and Kaidu himself raised a brow; he thought that the Fanalis woman was getting lazy with their constant clashes, but it seems that he had misjudged her. Grunting, Ayero thrust her knee upwards with hopes of catching the man in the stomach, but Kaidu spun around her, dodging the halfling’s attack while sending his blade at her once more.


The dance of blades began again, the crowd watching in silence as the red headed outside matched their Chief blow for blow. When one attacked, the other parried without fail. Kaidu swung his sword in an wide arc to the side, testing his rough yet powerful movements against Ayero’s more refined swordplay. The Fanalis woman met his blade with her own, drawing it down and to the side in a circular motion, twisting her opponent’s hold on his blade as she did so. As she brought both blade upwards, Kaidu has lost his grip on his sword, the weapon flying to the air. Unfortunately so did Ayero, the sweat from her efforts trailing down her wrist and between her fingers. Had the Fanalis woman re-established her grip on the weapon, she still may have held it in her hands.


The crowd held their breath as both blades went flying and Ayero and Kaidu stared at eachother, both now suddenly unarmed. A few seconds of tension passed before the Chief began to chuckle before roaring in laughter and clasping the Fanalis woman on the shoulder roughly. ”Not bad for a Little Red Theif.”

---

There was a feast that night as Ayero announced that she would be leaving tomorrow morning, setting out back towards Remano. After the celebration had died down, the halfling went to seek out Kaidu to thank the man for his hospitality. She found him at the edge of the camp drinking from a cup of grog. She approached him slowly so as to not startle him, but he already knew she was there.


”You remind me of my daughter, Little Red Thief.” He began in a wistful tone, back turned to Ayero as he swirled his drink with a tilt of the hand. ”Her name was Khutulun. A real Cambulac beauty. She was a swordswoman and a skilled eagle huntress. Left a few months ago to travel to the city. She never wanted to stay here, that girl. Always wanted to explore more than these steep mountains. I suppose I can’t blame her, but…I miss her. And I worry.” He chuckles sadly and takes another drink, partially feeling guilty about unloading on the redhead but says nothing of it.


Ayero says nothing, eyes wide when Kaidu drops a familiar name. ”Khutulun…does he mean that woman from the coliseum?” Though she had never faced her in battle, she recalled seeing a few matches of the fierce mountain warrior woman, picturing the dark haired beauty in her mind and realizing that she fit the description of a Cambulac woman.


”I couldn’t keep her here forever, though. As much as it pains me to think about it, she’s not fated to wander the mountains like I was. She took her happiness into her own hands, that girl. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I forced her to stay. Some plants thrive in the cold, others in the sun.” A dream like smiles comes over his face as he thinks of his daughter. ”Come what may, but I will always be proud of my little girl.” At last he turns, grasping the bottle of grog in his free hand to offer Ayero some. He raises a brow at her shocked expression. ”Something wrong?”


Ayero gulp before meeting her gaze to Kaidu’s confused stare, unsure of how to go about this. ”Chief Kaidu…I know I should have realized it before, but I’ve seen your daughter in Remano.”

---

”I’m back, everyone.” Ayero couldn’t help but put on a gentle smile as she placed another lit candle at her family’s altar. She couldn’t help but stop on her way back, wanting to relay her adventure to her family. She spoke of her meeting with the fabled Cambulac tribe, her journey up the mountain and her duel with the Chief. At the end of the tale, Ayero sighed and squeezed the char, she had been given upon her departure. She had held it in her hand the entire time she’d spoken, as if holding the trinket would somehow bring her experience more to life. Kaidu had presented it to her, claiming that the eagle reminded him of his daughter, Khutulun.




”You know…I think I’ve decided. This trip did me some good to clear my head. I want to use my strength to try and guide the word into a more peaceful era. I can’t do it alone and I don’t even know if I’m going to survive this war, but…if I do, I will seek out one of these dungeons and use the power I may find within to change things.”


Giving the pendant one final squeeze, Ayero stood slowly to her feet. She smiles as she looks out over the graves of her family, a reflexive wave of sadness coming over her and mingling with her excitement.


”Just you wait, I’ll make you all proud.”


[3000+/3000]