5 --- 1

Anna weaved past the trees with blistering speed while trying to control her spiraling breath and tap into her will to be more aware of her surroundings. The latter wasn't going too well.

While still slipping around trees at breakneck speed she closed her eyes and focused on her will. A sudden chill ran down her spine and she opened her eyes too late as a stump caught her foot and she went stumbling down a slope of green vegetation.

She groaned, aware of her pain before she rolled to a stop. A twig snapped nearby. She got up in an instant. She focused her will into her eyes to search for the intruder.

Dry leaves crunched under the weight of a foot. Anna did not need her will to know that she was being hunted.

Sizzling energy arced from the treeline that missed her by mere inches. Panic spread through her as she replied with two balls of energy towards the source of assault.

Balls of energy came towards her from another direction. She barely had time to conjure up a shield before a mild beam hit her at the side. A small yelp escaped her mouth. The energy had burned through her pants. She was now looking at a red hot patch of her skin. If the beam had been more concentrated, it could have cut off her leg.

This wasn't a battle she could win. If she couldn't see her opponent, she was dead meat.

She stretched her hands upward and bathed the forest with blinding light.

Without warning, she darted out of her position. She hoped the bright light would distract her opponent enough for her to find a suitable area to defend herself better. Her injured leg hindered her speed drastically.

Another chill ran down her spine. She reacted slowly as something hit her hard in the back. She crashed into a tree. She shook her head to clear her vision and she saw her opponent in all his glory.

Energy crackled around him and his amber eyes glowed intensely.

In an act of pure panic. She unleashed a hail of fire on him. The fire hit an invisible barrier he had conjured and died out immediately.

He raised a glowing fist and she erected a shield instinctively. He punched the shield savagely and it cracked into splinters. She whimpered as she felt its weight shift. He punched it again and this time the shield exploded and exposed her.

She covered her face with her hands to protect her face from his next blow but it did not come and she remained in her awkard position for seconds.

"That's it?" Nate asked mockingly. "You are not even going to say some last words before I finish you off."

Anna slowly removed her hands to see his smirking face staring down at her. "That didn't stop you in our former training sessions."

"True." He extended a hand which she gingerly took he lifted her feet.

She winced as she applied weight on her injured leg. With the fading adrenaline, it was hurting more. "Fuck. That hurts. When is it going to heal?"

Nate looked down at her injured leg. "Well, you were hit by a mild blast. Say twenty hours or so."

"Twenty hours? How am I supposed to endure this pain for twenty hours? Can't you do anything to it?"

"I am not a healer but I guess I can try." He crouched to see her injury better. He gently put his hand and focused tiny bits of energy on it.

"Ow..ow..stop. stop you are making it worse."

The red patch was now wider and redder. How does Helen do it? "It's probably best if you left it alone to heal."

"Yeah, no shit. So how did I do?" She jerked her head to the cleared forest where they have trained a lot of times. It was far enough from any human habitation to conceal the fireworks they created when their fight heated up, which it always did.

"Well, same as always."

"Same as always, meaning I always do good or bad."

He looked down again at her blistered thigh. "I would let you be the judge of that."

Anna sighed heavily. "I tried to improve this time. I even focused on that inner danger warning thingy."

"Well I must admit you have started to tap into that instinct but your reaction time is too slow. It is one thing to know danger is coming, it is another to avoid it."

Anna sighed again. "You could at least try to compliment me on the things I did well."

"Oh, well that ploy to bring me out in the open with the bright light was nicely done."

She brightened up and bumped him in the shoulder. "See, it's not all that bad."

"You failed to capitalise on that too."

She groaned loudly. "Really, do you have to find fault in everything I do?"

"Sorry Anna but if you really want to be better than this, I can't cuddle you."

"Yeah, you are right. Keep them coming. What else did I do wrong?"

"You were still playing defence when you got me face to face."

"Well, there is not much for me to do. I am not as powerful as you are."

"You are right but you could have tapped into that well of strength in you."

"What are you talking about?" She asked, grateful that the conversation was taking her mind of the stinging pain in her leg.

"Every willer has the same basic qualities; speed, strength, flight, energy manipulation and so on but every willer also has an ability that is magnified than others. For some it is portaling or healing. For you it is your strength and the more you fail to use it, the more you are bound to fail."

"I guess you are right. Strength did always come easy to me." The memory of punching Bennie's heart out his body came into her mind but she quickly shoved it away. She covered the dark memory with a smile. "Wait, does this mean I am stronger than you."

"Theoretically, yes, you are stronger."

Her smile widened at his admission. "What of you? What is your special ability?"

"I am more intelligent than you."

It was like she was doused with cold water and slapped across the face. He smirked as he saw the reaction on her face. "Are you saying I am stupid?"

Nate chuckled as her eyes began to glow in simmering anger. "Knock it off Anna, I am just joking."

"That was not funny."

"Yes it was. You should have seen your face."

Despite Nate's jovial attitude. Anna was really angry and was surprised at it. Since her breakout, anger was another thing that came easy to her. She decided to change the subject.

"So my old landlady gave me some tickets to some concert she wasn't going to. I thought it would be nice to get out of the house for something other than training."

"That is thoughtful. When is the concert?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Sorry I can't do tomorrow night."

Her heart plummeted. "You got something else planned?"

"Not me. The elders have ordered a conclave and it is mandatory for Victor to attend. He is taking me along with the team."

"You seem rather cheerful to be going on one of Victor's assignments for once."

"Are you kidding?" I get to go to the citadel and see the greatest willers in the world."

"Sounds wonderful." She said, not meaning her words. She had been trying to find time to go to the concert. She had had those tickets for weeks now. She thought going to see something tribal would inject a sense of normalcy into her life and more importantly, she wanted to go with Nate.

After trying to go out of the house in a few occasions, she found out she she couldn't get over her paranoia of being watched or attacked but with Nate, she felt safe and secure.

"Every leader of every major territory in the world will be there." Nate rambled on, unaware that Anna was only half listening. "I mean don't get me wrong, I hate walking alongside a criminal like Victor but to see the elders and what the elders look like, it will be worth it."

"Aren't all willers criminals?"

Nate looked at her, dumbfounded by her reasoning. "No, where did you get that idea?"

"It is just that I heard that willers are like criminal bosses of the underworld."

"That is just how they choose to make their money. A leader's foremost duty is to control the willers in his or her territory."

"And these so called elders don't object?"

"As long as they do their jobs, no."

"Oh." She said and kept quiet.

"By the way, I am sorry I can't make it tomorrow. We could find another time to hang out together.

A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Sure."