A Show of Powers

by DRSurreal

Anduruna, 1221 AD. Powers have been officially banned for twenty years, and the City of Sharing is in a state of peace on the outside. But all laws have their detractors, dissenting voices who challenge the grounds on which those laws were established. In a dark corner of Anduruna's underground, one such voice has taken the stage to contest the powers ban, in his own unique way...

13. Chapter 13 - The Blade Martyr

Chapter 13 - The Blade Martyr

The scent of coffee filled the air, rousing Lucia from her slumber. She yawned, stretching her arms and flexing out her wings, then headed to the kitchen to get herself a mug of the drink whose smell served as her alarm for the morning.

Prefaced by another yawn, Lucia took a sip of coffee. As she did, her drowsiness faded and she began to think of the coming night. With that thought spurring her to motion, she quickly went through her morning routine and prepared to head to work.

The dull interior of the Hall of Records did little to hamper Lucia's mood as she sat at her usual seat in the lobby. She began checking the data-scroll to see whether there would be any appointments today. There were none, as expected, but that didn't bother her. Even Cato's daily ritual of dressing her down for her slightest mistakes wouldn't be able to bring her down today.

As if drawn by the thought, Cato emerged from the office. He moved at a slightly advanced pace compared to usual, until he came to a stop, standing still as a statue in front of the desk. Before she had so much as a chance to wonder what that could mean, he began speaking to her.

"Miss Santoro. I see you're quite full of energy again today. I imagine your plans for tonight are once again the source of this energy?"

"Oh, yes, Mr. Cato. I've been looking forward to it all week!" Even more now considering last night… she thought to herself.

Cato blinked slowly. "I see. It is good that you have something to look forward to for at least one day out of the week. Though I wonder, is what you're looking forward to tonight truly so life-affirming that you've lost the ability to carry that same energy throughout the rest of it?"

"I, well…"

"I take it from your slow response that I've struck on something you hadn't considered. I fear whatever it is you have been doing these past two weekends has become something of an obsession for you."

Lucia's brow furrowed. "Excuse me, sir, but I think what I do for fun is my business, really."

"You mistake what I'm saying. I won't fault you for finding value in activities outside of work. The problem as I see it is that your mood at work has been skewed towards looking forward to that singular event. Do you recall our discussion of repeating the mistakes of the past?"

"Are you suggesting I take up new hobbies to fill time over the week? That I've been making a mistake by not doing that?"

"No, no. Nothing so life-changing. In fact, it's quite the opposite."

"The opposite?"

"I believe I have been quite mistaken with how I have been handling you as an employee. You have clearly been languishing in your current position, and I believe it is time for a change."

Lucia froze. "You're… not thinking of…"

"Rest assured Miss Santoro, I have no intention of firing you." Cato said quickly.

Lucia breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"You have a deep passion for history, Miss Santoro. A passion which I have been neglecting its proper place in this establishment. Going forward, I plan to rectify that. You will be assigned to a station in the reading room tending to the scrolls. I will be hiring a new worker to take over your previous responsibilities."

"So I'll be tending to the scrolls? That's what I've… Ah, I mean, t-thank you, Mr. Cato!"

"There is no need for gratitude, Miss Santoro. The Hall has been direly understaffed as it is. But if you must thank me, do so by bringing the same energy to your coming duties as you have been these past weekends." Cato turned away, preparing to leave. "Oh, and one more thing."

"Y-yes, Mr. Cato?"

"Obsession can be quite a dangerous thing, and I honestly hope for your sake that you will be able to better balance your interests going forward."

"…Yes sir."

Cato left the lobby, and Lucia was left to her thoughts. She could almost cry out in excitement over the news. Her mood shifted up another notch as she considered the implications. Time passed quickly while she thought, making her shift much easier to sit through. However, before her shift could come to an end, one more thought pulled her out of her pleasant trance.

As great as this all is, it still feels like something's missing…

Lucia thought about her plans for tonight's show. Even with the good news, that disconnect with Azel and the others would still be there. She would finally be able to better explore her interest in history, but that wouldn't do anything to close that gap.

Spirits, I think Mr. Cato is right. I can't just have one part of my life be worth looking forward to. And if I can't close that gap, I'll just end up feeling the opposite way about the whole thing!

Thinking back to last night, the question of unlocking her power started occurring to Lucia once again.

Yes, my power, that's it! Unlocking it will be the thing that keeps me moving forward with Azel and everyone else!

With these thoughts in mind, Lucia smiled with determination as her shift came to an end and she made her way back home to prepare for her next trip to the Dry Vein.

—

Business at the Dry Vein had been pretty much the same as it had been for the past couple of weekends. Azel and Percy had been working in the Mirage, putting the finishing touches on the show and getting the bar ready for the night.

In the meantime, Mead was working with Petru in the cellar, taking care of the diony plants being grown for the pub's signature fermentae brews. She had been excited the entire week, and put that extra energy into tending to the plants.

"Okay! That should be enough for the spiced cider ones! Now which ones are next…"

Mead looked at a clipboard in her lower left hand, marking down the exact amount of cider given to each plant. As she did, she put the latest emptied pitchers she had been carrying in her upper hands onto a cart full of emptied containers.

"Huh. Looks like those were the last ones, Mister Laurent! I didn't even notice!"

Petru turned around as Mead spoke. "Good. That should take care of everything down here. Say, now that you're done, how about you go check up on Percy and Azel, see if they need any help with the Mirage."

"O-" Mead began, then smiled. "Is that an actual order or just an excuse to let me see Azel?"

"I have no idea what you mean by that, Mead." Petru lied, not even trying to hide it. "But after that, I need you to take the cart up to the kitchen for cleaning, then you can stay up there and take care of people asking about the Mirage."

"Okay! You've got it, Mister Laurent!"

Mead saluted Petru in a half joking manner, and left the shaft to tend to her "duties." In no time, she reached the entrance to the Mirage Bar. A familiar rhythmic knock on the door to the bar quickly produced Percy standing on the other side.

"Hey, Percy! Just checking to see if you and Azel need help with anything!"

"I see," Percy said with a chuckle. "And you're sure this isn't just an excuse to see Azel one more time tonight?"

"I have no idea what you mean by that, Percy." Mead lied, mirroring Petru's delivery of the line perfectly.

"Heh, well in that case I suppose Azel could use a little help getting ready for the show. Come on in."

Mead smiled as she stepped into the bar. Once inside she wasted no time heading over to the stage, where Azel was busy using his power to get the details of some scene organized. The moment he saw Mead, he gave her a friendly smile and waved to her as he dispelled his power.

"Hey Azel! Just came by to see if you needed any help getting ready!"

"Really? Well, I guess I could use a little help."

Azel started going into detail about the upcoming show. Mead latched on to every word he said, occasionally providing some comments on ways to improve a scene. Her eyes were practically glowing by the time Azel finished his synopsis.

"Wow, that all sounds great, Azel!"

"Thanks. I just wish I could show it to you in person instead of just talking about it…"

Mead got up on the stage with Azel and gave him a hug.

"It's okay, Azel. Even just hearing you talk about it is nice."

The two of them held each other for a moment longer before pulling away from the hug.

"Besides," Mead continued, "Lucia's still coming over to record it, right?"

"Ah, yeah… I still miss having you here in person though…"

"I miss seeing you too… at least we can still have moments like this before I have to leave!"

"Ha, I guess so!"

"Oh, on that note, I have to get back to work! Gotta let the customers come down so they can see what you've been working on!"

"Alright, see you tomorrow, then."

Mead gave Azel one last unexpected hug, then jumped down from the stage. Following an exchange of warm smiles, Mead left the bar. As she headed out, she remembered to grab the cart from the diony shaft to bring up with her. A stray thought passed through her mind as she did, giving her a moment's pause.

Fen likes to joke about Azel and me being a couple… with moments like that, I have to wonder if he could be on to something…

—

Later on into the night, Lucia arrived at the Dry Vein. Her excitement had not been diminished in the slightest by the now expected chill of Ruskol's nights. She waited in the pub for a few minutes for Mead to return from the cellar. She flashed her a friendly smile the moment their eyes met.

"Hey Lucia! Glad you're here!"

"Hey Mead. Glad to be here. You've still got some Diony Mirage down there, right?"

"Well, seeing as we have some special guests coming just for that, we made sure to prepare a lot! I can show you down right away!"

"Oh, so I guess those special guests haven't shown up yet?"

"Not just yet, but I think that…"

Before Mead could finish, the door to the pub opened wide, revealing a couple of dreamkeepers bundled up in winter clothes.

The taller one of two wore a thick brown coat with a white fur trim, the thickness of which paradoxically did nothing to hide her feminine figure. A face cover that seemed to be incorporated into her top covered all but her striking green eyes, and she wore a knit brown hat to obscure the rest of her head.

The shorter one of them wore a similarly thick dark red coat that lacked a trim. He had a gray scarf covering half his face and wore a tall thick cap that the tips of his horns were just barely sticking out of. He spoke up loudly, stretching as he did.

"Ah, finally some warmth! I fuckin' swear, Ruskol's too damn cold at night!"

"…They just got here." Mead said flatly.

"Do try to keep your voice down, love. We don't want to make a scene."

"Yeah, yeah. But I'm not as built fer tha cold as ya. Can ya really blame me fer wantin' ta bitch about it?"

"It is a bit much to have to deal with if you're new to it," Lucia said, walking over to Fen and Nadine. "Everyone says you just get used to it, but I still feel it pretty bad sometimes."

"Spirits, see, that's exactly what I'm talkin' about!"

Mead and Nadine could only stare as their respective friends started hitting it off over their reactions to the cold.

"So," Nadine asked Mead in a hushed voice, "I'm told there's Diony Mirage for sale here, is that true, love?"

"Oh, yeah! We keep it all down in the cellar if you and your friend want to take a look!"

"Excellent. In that case, then I suppose we should start making our way down there right now."

Nadine turned to get Fen and Lucia's attention, and the group started heading down into the cellar.

Once they were in the cellar, Mead took point on the way to the Mirage. Nadine followed quietly, taking in the sight of the mine shaft, while Lucia moved closer to Fen to speak with him again.

"So, Fen. You know how you taught Azel how to use a sword this week?"

"Yeah, he picked it up pretty damn well, too! Why'd ya ask though? Ya want ta be trained too?"

"Well, not in the sword per se, but, well…"

"Hey, tha sword's not fer everyone, I get it. Plenty a other weapons ya could learn ta use! Anythin' ya got in mind?"

"Oh, no! I didn't mean I wanted to learn how to use a weapon! I was wondering if you could teach me how to unlock my power."

"Oh. Ya wanna learn yer power. Y'know, I wish ya did just want ta learn a weapon, teachin' how ta use powers is a whole other story!"

Lucia frowned. "Is it really that hard to teach? Or even possible?"

"Oh, yeah, it's possible all right. Thing is, 'Dine's always been better than me with tha power stuff. Hang on a sec." Fen turned his head to Nadine. "Hey, 'Dine! Lucia here wants ta learn how ta use her power!"

"Oh? Well, I could certainly help with teaching, love."

Lucia's heart soared. "Really?"

"But of course! Your power is an extension of your very being! It would be a shame to want to use it and not be able to!"

"I, I don't know what to say. Thank you, really."

Mead spoke up. "Hey, if Lucia's learning her power, then could I learn mine too?"

"I don't see why not, love. I'd be happy to set some time aside for the both of you."

"Damn, look at that. Two students in no time at all. Ya'll have ta teach a whole class at this rate, 'Dine!"

"Well, actually… I kind of want Azel to teach me. We were talking about it the other day, and it would just seem wrong to leave him out of it."

"Anythin' fer more time with yer boyfriend, huh?" Fen joked, making Mead blush.

"Don't tease her like that, Fen." Nadine chided him. "It really is a good idea. With how different powers can be, three users would be much better for teaching than just two."

"Hey, yeah, ya got a point there. An' with three of us teachin', it's safer. We can control any outbursts better!"

Lucia paled. "Would that end up being a big problem?"

"It's not outta tha question. Problem with learnin' new powers is that ya don't know what yers is until tha halo's out an' it's already happenin'."

"I think I get it. Better safe than sorry, right?"

"Yeah, exactly!"

"Well, whatever the case," Nadine said, "it'll be something to discuss with Azel after the show. Looks like we're already here."

Without realizing it, the group had ended up at the door to the Mirage. In a short moment afterward, Mead gave the knock to open it, Petru let Lucia, Fen, and Nadine in, and Mead said her goodbyes and headed back to the pub.

"Wait, Mead's not comin' with? I thought she'd wanna see tha show tha most outta all of us!"

"It's a whole thing with her parents forcing a curfew on her." Lucia explained. "Part of why I'm here is to record the show so she can watch it later."

"Ah, shit, that's right. She mentioned somethin' like havin' ta watch a recordin'..."

Nadine gave Lucia a smile. "Well, that's very nice of you, love. A real shame she has to leave without seeing it in person though."

The group moved over to the bar counter to talk with Percy before the show. He handed Lucia the video camera and a bottle of Forreyd Summer Meadow, mentioning it was on the house for Mead's sake. Fen, hearing this, used his power to float himself a bottle of the same flavor from the shelf, justifying it by saying it was "so we can drink fer her twice over." Nadine also ordered the same drink, giving Percy enough to pay for both her and Fen.

After a few minutes had passed, the group found seating to better see the show in the middle of the bar, and sat down as Azel emerged from behind the stage's curtains.

—

"Twenty years ago, powers were banned from use in Anduruna on the pain of exile or worse punishment. Contesting this ban has been the primary focus of my shows thus far. Powers are an integral part of who we are as dreamkeepers, and my shows thus far have strove to express that.

"But powers haven't been the only resource dreamkeepers have used to defend themselves throughout history, and they are not the only defense that has been banned by the government. Weapons were also banned from civilian possession in Anduruna, at the same time as powers were banned, no less!

"The CCA's 'justice' doesn't seem to take the inevitability of violence into account at all. Nowadays, only their own authorized officers are allowed to wield even simple weapons, while innocents are at the mercy of them as well as those that would flaunt the law and carry their own weapons! And they can't even use their own powers for self defense, much less improvised weapons of their own without risking legal repercussions!

"Over this past week, I've had experience learning from someone who uses weapons as an extension of himself as naturally as he uses his power. The experience has given me insight into the importance of weapons alongside powers as tools of protection, which brings us to the story of tonight's show.

"This story takes place in the ancient past. A tale of rich metaphor, depicting overwhelming enemy forces as horrifying nightmares! The story was carried on by word of mouth through the Silent Centuries until it could finally be transcribed, and now it will be recreated in this very room! It is the story of a heroine who wielded power and blade in unison for the protection of others, until her life was extinguished in a valiant last stand! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the tale of the Blade Martyr!"

Azel activated his power, materializing the halo over his head. With a red flash and his trademark bow, the bar transformed into the main road passing through a small mountain village. Along the path, a few civilian dreamkeepers could be seen going about their daily routines in the village.

In the center of the room, there was a young blue-furred heraldic antelope woman. She had long serrated horns on her head and a short tusk at the end of her snout, and her tail was long and had a tuft at the end. She wore leather armor and carried a simple shortsword on a belt at her hip. She walked along the road, her eyes vigilant and serious.

The Blade Martyr was a peacekeeper, a warrior whose blade was wielded in the name of protecting others. She lived in a quiet mountain village along a path stretching to the far east. Having mastered the use of her power early in life, she quickly rose through the ranks of the village guard, where she learned the swordsmanship skills that would become her namesake.

Life in the village was peaceful for the most part, but for the few times that balance would be upset…

"Stop! Thief!"

A cry came out from a corner of the scene. A man in a ragged cloak started running down the road past the woman, carrying a small sack in his hand.

In a mere moment, the woman turned and struck out at the thief's back with the pommel of her sword. As he fell to the ground, she swiftly pinned him, holding her sword to his neck.

The Blade Martyr would quickly resolve the incident.

Another warrior, a rhino man wearing armor similar to the Blade Martyr's, appeared to take the thief into custody. Meanwhile, the Blade Martyr herself returned the sack to its rightful owner, exchanging smiles with her as she did.

Though most of her life in the village was quiet, the Blade Martyr was always diligent, continuing to hone her skills with both her blade and her power.

The scene transitioned to an area higher in the mountains. Large rocks were strewn about the landscape. The Blade Martyr stood in the middle of the area, practicing sword swings. When she finished, her attention shifted to one of the large rocks off to her side.

With a whirr, a light blue halo appeared over her head, as she stepped toward the rock, blade at the ready. A slash followed the approach, leaving a narrow cut in the rock. As the brightness of her halo increased, the cut began to glow blue and spread along the rock, lining it with new cuts until it shattered.

The Blade Martyr's power was uniquely suited to her weapon of choice. By focusing her power through the sword, she could amplify even modest damage done by it to devastating levels.

The Blade Martyr began running around the area, striking lightly at all the large rocks in the area. One after another, the same power effect began to take hold on each one in order, until the only rocks in the area were rubble from the aftermath of her training.

Life was simple for her, and continued in relative peace for a time. But one day, the rumblings of war began to sound in the village.

The scene shifted back to the mountain village. A teenage rabbit boy who appeared to be a courier with a green halo over his head ran in from the western road, moving at a blinding speed. He decelerated as his halo faded away, and he finished his run approaching the Blade Martyr and the guard who apprehended the thief.

"The nightmares! The nightmares are coming!" The courier cried, nearly out of breath as he approached the warriors. Some townsfolk who heard the message started speaking in hushed tones to each other, while others started to panic.

"Calm down! Everyone calm down! There are no nightmares here, this is all just a baseless rumor!" The other guard shouted, earning the silent attention of those of sound enough mind to listen.

As the chaos died down, he turned to the courier. "Now, boy. What's the meaning of this? Stirring unrest here by screaming about nightmares, honestly!"

"Captain, the kid's clearly terrified. I think there's more to what he has to say." The Blade Martyr said, earning a grateful look from the courier.

"Well, whatever the case, it could be done without terrifying half the village. Come, then, boy. Tell us what you have to say in private. If this talk of nightmares is true, the last thing we need is more chaos on top of that."

The courier sagged. "R-right, sorry sir…"

The scene transitioned to the interior of a crude stonework cabin. Spare armor and weapons were stored in a corner, and bedrolls for guards to sleep in lined the walls. The group of three sat down in the center of the room. The captain was the first to speak.

"Now then, boy. What's with all this talk of nightmares?"

"They've been coming from the far west! Whole hordes of spirits-damned monsters have been tearing through each village they've come across! People I knew and loved were torn apart, they didn't even have a chance! Oh spirits, all the blood…"

"Take it easy there, kid," the Blade Martyr said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to live through that. Spirits, it must've been terrible."

"They told me to run, so I did. I ran and ran for days with my power boosting my speed just to get here. I'm probably the only one from my village who survived…" He choked out his words on the verge of tears. "The least I could do is warn everyone before it happens again…"

The captain looked at the ground, then at the courier. "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier, boy. You were just trying to help. But now, we need to know how far these nightmares are from the village. If they're too close, we may not be able to evacuate in time."

"T-they should still be a few days away. If you start evacuating now, you could make it to the eastern seafront before they catch up!"

"Then there's no time to waste," the captain said. "I'll gather everyone I can to assist with evacuation. May the spirits preserve us…"

True to his word, the captain gathered every able-bodied dreamkeeper in the village. Time was their enemy as the evacuation proceeded. As the final day before the nightmares were predicted to appear approached, the Blade Martyr grew uncertain of her people's chance of escape.

The room shifted as Azel narrated, depicting scenes of the Blade Martyr, the captain, and other guards overseeing the evacuation procedures. Domesticated manekales and knossus would be burdened with the material objects necessary for the survival of the villagers. Anything not deemed strictly important was abandoned. Occasionally, guards and civilians would use their powers to assist with the process of moving supplies or securing the pack animals' loads.

From time to time, the Blade Martyr would look over at the western horizon, turning to the efforts in progress with a worried look on her face. As the day-moon set marking the end of the final day, she turned the worried look to the captain and the courier. Behind them, a caravan of villagers with whatever they could take with them was slowly heading out of the village on the road to the east.

"We've done all we can do to evacuate, captain. I fear it won't be enough though. If the nightmares will really be here by tomorrow, they'll end up catching up to the caravan in no time."

The captain frowned. "Hm. What do you propose we do then?"

"I hate to have to suggest it, but some of us will have to stay behind to keep the nightmares from catching up. I volunteer to be among the ones who stay behind."

"What? No, you can't! They'll tear you apart!" The courier cried.

"Perhaps they will, but for everyone else's survival, it's a risk I have to take. Besides that, my power is better suited for fighting a greater force than it is for guarding the caravan. Even if I die, I'll be sure to take plenty of them down before that."

The captain gave the Blade Martyr a firm nod. "You're a brave woman, braver than most for even volunteering the plan. I'll stand with you on the defense, and I can get you some of the guards and townsfolk with similar war-fighting powers to help you hold them off. Spirits willing, together we'll be able to do it and still get out alive."

"I-I'll stay with you too!" The courier said, trembling. "I know I can't do much in a fight, but with my power I'll be able to get back to the caravan and tell them what happened!"

"That's a good call, boy. The caravan will be better off knowing our status, whatever happens."

The Blade Martyr smiled. "Thank you. It'll be good to have you both for this."

With the plan in place, the Blade Martyr and her team prepared for the coming day, making their peace with the spirits and organizing a strategy. Soon enough, the following day came, and the dread horde of nightmares came with it.

The scene advanced to the next day. The caravan had long since departed overnight. In the middle of the road, the Blade Martyr and the captain stood with a group of armed and armored guards and civilians, all with halos of various colors over their respective heads. In a corner of the scene, the courier could be seen peeking out from a hiding place, his own power ready to help him run at a moment's notice.

In the moment that followed the transition, a hellish anthem of cries broke out from the western end of the road. Nightmares of all shapes and sizes rushed into the abandoned village seeking the blood of any dreamkeeper they could find. When they saw the group of defenders standing at the ready, they immediately tore forward to meet them in combat.

The Blade Martyr dashed to meet them, deftly swinging her sword to cut as many attackers as she could. Her movements were careful and precise as she moved through the horde, evading strikes while drawing her blade across numerous foes.

Any nightmare unfortunate enough to meet the blade for even a moment soon found themselves covered in glowing blue wounds. Weaker nightmares perished from the injuries while the sturdier ones were set upon by the rest of the defense force and swiftly dispatched with either weapon strikes or power use.

But the nightmares were not the only ones facing casualties. Occasionally, a defense fighter would get too bold facing an opponent and be struck down for their overconfidence.

Blasts of energy issuing from the side of the nightmares were also responsible for a number of dreamkeeper deaths. Noticing this, the Blade Martyr shifted focus to dealing with the nightmares responsible for the blasts.

Moving through the horde, her attacks were few and far between as she focused the nightmares' ranged attackers. Most of the nightmares she killed at this point were ones whose attacks were instinctively parried as she went, resulting in opportunistic nightmares being punished for trying to get a strike in.

The carnage continued for days until about half of the nightmare forces had been slain. With the battlefield strewn with the corpses of both sides, and the Blade Martyr confident the battle could be won, the nightmares took pause as a sickeningly songlike voice came from their side.

"Using only little cuts / Making nightmares spill their guts. / None of them immune to blade / All too easily they're slay'd."

The nightmares backed away from the Blade Martyr as the speaker approached. It was an amorphous creature with a body that seemed to be made of a deep dark inky substance. Two glowing beady green eyes stared out from the mass at the Blade Martyr, and a ghastly face emerged as it spoke.

"Helped your people get away / Swinging blade; nightmares must pay. / But now one comes no sword can slay, / Now it's your turn: your flesh to flay!"

As it recited its verses, the inky nightmare reached its body out in the form of numerous sharp points to strike at the Blade Martyr. She quickly intercepted the closest ones with her sword, her power activating to amplify each wound made to the creature.

"Heh, for all your flowery words, you weren't worth much…" she said, trailing off as she saw the effects of her attack.

While her power had been increasing the number of cuts on the nightmare, it did little to nothing to truly impact its liquidlike form. Even the parts that had been severed quickly rejoined the central mass.

"Victory's gotten to your head / As I said, you'll soon be dead! / Against me, this one cannot hope to win, / So go and kill the other ones, my kin!"

The remaining nightmares roared in renewed vigor as their amorphous champion sang. As ordered, they began focusing their attacks on the remaining members of the defense force. The inky fiend began surrounding the Blade Martyr, stabbing at her from all sides. She could only continue to make futile attacks against her seemingly immortal foe.

For the few glances she could spare at the rest of the fight, the Blade Martyr saw a bleak scene unfolding. Inspired by their rhyming comrade, they began to show much greater strategy than before. All around her, the nightmares were now targeting enemies whose powers their particular anatomy was proofed against, and dreamkeeper casualties began mounting as a result.

Her eyes lingered for a moment too long on the sight of her captain being struck dead by a much swifter nightmare. Before she could realize it, she was struck through the heart by one of the inky nightmare's appendages. The monster's form receded as it lifted the limb the Blade Martyr was impaled on.

Coughing up blood, the Blade Martyr turned her face to where the courier was hiding. With the last of her energy, she screamed to him.

"Kid! Run!"

With those two words, she fell limp and lifeless. The courier stared in shock as the nightmares celebrated the death of the one who took out so many of their own. The Blade Martyr's killer was the first to notice the courier, and began to sing out another verse to his brethren.

"Far too early now to cheer, / There's one more still living here! / End the life she hoped to save, / And send one more soul to the grave!"

Before the horde of nightmares could heed the killer's words, the courier began sprinting toward the eastern end of the village. His power carried him far from the reach of his assailants at a speed that seemed impossible. As he made his way out of the scene, audience members who managed to get a glimpse of his blurred figure could almost make out tears running down his face.

The courier ran faster than he ever had, reaching the caravan days before the diminished nightmare forces could. Thanks to the Blade Martyr and her defense force holding the nightmares back, the caravan eventually made it to the area we know today as Anduruna. Not one in the caravan would ever forget the courier's account of the horrors he saw that day, but they all carried on the story of the Blade Martyr's sacrifice, grateful she gave them the chance to make it to safety, if even for a moment.

The illusion of the village and nightmares faded away as Azel concluded his narration. The audience was largely quiet, leading to a brief moment of silence before he began speaking again, his voice low over the microphone.

"Sobering, isn't it? The Blade Martyr and her defense force gave their all, wielding weapons and powers alike to protect their own, but they were torn apart all the same. It's a hard thing to cheer for, but were it not for their sacrifice, there surely would have been no survivors in that attack.

"The story of the Blade Martyr may have ended in bleak despair, but it carries a message of hope and perseverance despite overwhelming odds. That desire to fight for something worth protecting is one worth carrying through the ages, just as this story has been!"

The crowd began talking amongst themselves. Azel saw the change, and continued speaking with vigor.

"The Blade Martyr was not the only hero of tonight's story! Even civilians were able to rise up to defend their loved ones thanks to the powers and weapons they had at their disposal! And even if they fell, they tried, damn it! They saw they had a chance, and they took it despite their fears!

"That is what powers are for! A fighting chance! Is it truly right to leave the responsibility of our protection in the hands of one group? If the CCA comes across a threat that they aren't prepared for, will we be able to pick up the slack, or to even try to, without powers and weapons of our own?"

The crowd was being whipped into a fervor. With full confidence, Azel concluded his speech.

"Against enemies that won't hold back, ones that seem impossible to fight, we as dreamkeepers cannot simply hold ourselves back! We cannot simply hope that defenses that are out of our hands will be enough! We are not helpless, we are not hopeless! We all have powers of our own, and we ought to be able to use them for our protection! Thank you, and good night!"

The crowd cheered. Azel hopped down from the stage and joined Lucia and the others at their table.

"Azel, spirits! I don't know what to say!"

"Holy fuck, man. Percy was right, ya really are a whole different person up on stage! An' that speech at tha end, just, holy fuck!"

"Ooh," Nadine breathed. "It really was something, love. Why, I had no idea you could get so passionate!"

"I take it that means I'm in?" Azel asked, still riding the high of his own speech.

"Yeah, no shit yer in!"

"But of course! I think you've more than proven yourself today! Let me be the first to say, welcome to Radiant Ring, Azel!"

"Oh, ah, thanks, both of you. I'm glad you liked the show, too."

Azel reached out a hand to shake with his new associates. Nadine shook first, smiling the whole time.

Fen stopped as he was about to grab Azel's hand. "Ah, there's just one thing though."

"Yeah?"

"Tha swordplay was top notch fer sure, but all tha other weapons ya showed were, well, they were kinda done like shit."

"Oh, well with just a week I didn't really have the chance to learn them, I wanted to at least get the sword stuff right…"

"I'm fuckin' with ya, Azel! Ya did good!" Fen laughed, grabbing Azel's hand and giving it a hearty shake. "Offer's still on tha table ta learn those weapons though, if yer interested!"

"Heh, I might have to take you up on that sometime."

"Oh, Azel! Speaking of learning," Lucia said, attracting everyone's attention. "I was wondering if you'd be interested in helping Mead and me learn our powers."

"Oh. Your powers? Really? I'd like to, but I'm not sure if I'd be a very good teacher…"

Nadine reached out and touched Azel's hand. "Well, it won't just be you, love. Fen and I will be helping them learn as well!"

"Yeah! With tha three of us teachin', it'll be great! An' don't tell me ya don't wanna help yer girlfriend unlock her power!"

Azel paused. "Huh. I think that could work actually…"

Lucia smiled. "Thanks, Azel. It means a lot to me, really."

"Okay then! It's decided! Tomorrow, we'll go over the scheduling plans. For tonight though, love, you should get some rest. You've more than earned it with your work on tonight's show."

Azel took a moment to consider everything. Joining Radiant Ring was one thing, but he'd also be going from simply speaking about powers to teaching others how to use them! And to top it all off, two of his best friends would be his students!

He thought about Mead, looked at Lucia, Fen, and Nadine, and smiled. In contrast to the dark end of his latest show, the future was looking brighter than ever.