“I’m fighting for someone else right now…”

The patients were never ending and, other than the sick old people who needed their bottled medicine replenished, the clinic would be filled with young warriors who were sent there after a brawl or training.

They reminded him of his own days back at home, but they were never this intense or brutal. The young warriors didn't seem to mind and only laughed when he said to take it easy next time. They were a fun bunch.

"My back has never felt better! Thank you very much, I'll come by later with some sweets as payment." the old man said, fixing his posture.

"It's really no problem, and please don't strain yourself," Jodeus said with a smile.

"Make sure you take a rest every now and then."

That was the last of his patients. He closed the door and stretched his arms, yawning. "Finally."

"Looks like Ali taught you well," Meradeath said, heating up a cup of coffee for them.

"You've been holding up quite well for a first-time apprentice."

"Thank you. The Alumnus is the best teacher we had in the kingdom. I was lucky enough to have him as my tutor. By the way, how's Brytos?" he paused. "I miss him. I miss everyone."

"Then you'll miss them longer."

"You don't mean-"

"I've been trying to undo every curse on him for the last few days." she sipped her coffee. "Whoever had done this to him must've hated him very much."

He sat down on the chair, leaving the cup of coffee untouched.

"Let me be clear, Jodeus. This is a matter of life and death. A single mistake would lead to him never waking up again. The only reason he's alive right now is that he's built differently." She placed her cup on the desk and passed by Jodeus, who listened intently, unmoving.

"One of the things I have managed to enchant for him is to put him in less pain."

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked, standing up and pushing his chair back.

"The only thing you can do is to keep doing your job while I do mine. Stay quiet while I work. And make sure no one else finds out about this whole thing. Got it?"

He looked down. Dejected

"M-may I see him at least?"

Meradeath contemplated but eventually sighed. "Don't touch anything."

…

Brytos lay on the cot, lips chapped and eyes rolled into the back of his head. He was paler than he had been the last time Jodeus had seen him, as though something was sapping all of his life essences.

Even more so, the room was lit in red and purple by the runes. He was covered with scarlet runes up to his neck, with the purple encircling him like vultures in the air.

Jodeus rushed to him, but Meradeath held him back. "I need to."

"You won't be able to do anything." she said, as a matter of fact. "Now watch. See those red runes? Those are the curses. Make one wrong move and he's a goner."

The runes resembled the ones on his chest, but they were burned onto his skin as opposed to being written on him. He recalled the wolf that had attacked him in the town and how it exploded into a ghastly beast. He recalled the fear when he saw his mother on her deathbed, and that same feeling worsened as he saw Brytos dying on the cot.

'Not again.' His knees weakened.

"H-How long does he have?"

"That's difficult to say. He shouldn't even be able to breathe right now." Meradeath placed a hand on his shoulder. "With that being said, he's not dead, so don't act like he is."

"Please, tell me what to do. I'll do anything!" he said. "No matter how difficult it is."

Even for those who were blessed by the Stones, mastering the creation of enchantments and curses required years of training. By the time he would've mastered it, Brytos would have long since passed away.

Meradeath was aware of that, and she'd been telling him that there was nothing he could really do since day one. But she couldn't help but feel pity for the boy. For both of them, despite…

'Damn you, Alumni, for having me carry such responsibility.' She sighed longer than usual.

She opened a drawer and pulled out several books without labels, all in different sizes and in different worn-out colors.

She patted the books, scattering away the dust. "Learning to do spells doesn't really require a teacher. I'm giving these to you even though they're not for novices," she said.

"Commit every rune from the Tanzanite and Azurite script to memory first. You have the advantage of already having a source of power that you can draw from. Learn to apply it on your own. And watch how I do it, silently. I can't work with a lot of noise."

"These are..." he skimmed through the page. There were illustrations and scriptures he couldn't understand, but there was one book that had the same characters as the Tanzanite script, only slightly different.

"Now rest first. You'll require a lot of energy and a clear mind. Don't forget, you still have patients for tomorrow."

He told her, "Of course, I'll give my everything." but it was directed more at Brytos. He carried the books and left the cellar, with Meradeath staying behind.

She closed the door with her power and stared down at the body in front of her.

Is it evil to give false hope? And to give a second chance to someone who had caused misery for many lives?

She stared down at him. "Avis Alkyone, you are one lucky man…

But a day will come when you'll suffer an even greater pain for all you've done. "

…

The past few days, Brytos and Meradeath had been tucked away in the cellar, and she wouldn't let him see behind the closed doors. Every day he would wait, anticipating the precise moment Brytos would walk out that door, alive and well. But he didn't, just like today.

And like always, he'd wait for tomorrow.

Often, he thought he could hear him scream, and he'd be leaving his work to head straight to the cellar door, leaving his patients upstairs baffled by this behavior. Meradeath would leave the room, with only a few seconds for him to peek at the opening of the door before he got a smack on the head and an order to get back to work. He'd look back as he gradually made his way to the patients.

"I have to trust her... she's doing her best and all I can do is wait," he said as he watched the light seeping from underneath the door. He sighed.

'I beg of you, Bry, come back to me. '

He sat down and double-checked the records and appointments for tomorrow, making a list of the supplies that needed to be restocked soon.

He stretched and groaned, and then glanced at the clock hanging above the door.

"It's still so early."

…

He went to the library for the evening after his shift.

The books he carried went above his chin; they were a mix of light and heavy books.

He knew he didn't have time to read through every single one, but these were all that had caught his eye. He slammed the books down on his table and winced at the sound, but since he chose a space that was secluded from the rest of the table, he didn't earn a single hush. He lined up the books in the order that they'd be read first.

Starting with the "Uvite History by R.A, 1st Edition". The edges had a yellowish tint, with a thin layer of dust in every corner. The leather cover had worn out from all the years, with the faded ink on the thin pages.

He carefully flipped the first page. There was only a map; the whole country was filled with hills and mountains, both in the inner lands and at the edges, with a scarcity of flat land. But much to his surprise, as he flipped to the next, there were only a few. The date written below was much older, about a hundred years prior. Interesting. He flipped to the next:

'The first blessing of the Uvite Stone was granted to twins, sharing the same power as one. Given that they were blessed equally, neither could use their blessings to dominate the other. Combining these powers served as full potential. And both shall rule their lands as they were chosen.'

"I don't remember seeing another King other than Malue..." he continued reading. Their history has had a lot of conflicts, both from within the country and from foreign lands.

'The Polems and the Kainz; the warriors and the scholars, were the two principal clans of the Uvite. Until an alliance was formed and they proved themselves useful. The Uvitians emerged victorious from the Carnelian's first attack.'

Jodeus was taken aback at that. He leaned in close to the page, smelling the oldness of the page and the dust.

'The Carnelians persisted in waging war with the other nations. The world took precautions after they came dangerously close to conquering the Uvite Stone. Those who were blessed by the stones protected their nation. The Uvite formed their mountains. The Azurites left the land and soared in the sky. The Tanzanites went into hiding. Some say the country has sunk into the sea…'

"That's why my great-grandfather created the boundary!" he leaned against his chair, taking a deep breath. "What does Carnelia want with the Stones?... It's not like they would abide by their wishes."

He grimaced. "Now I understand why Brytos ran. He never told me why." He scanned the pages and closed them when they were only about the author. "I shouldn't have pestered him so much back then."

"That book is outdated..." the librarian peeked over his shoulder. Jodeus flinched. "There hasn't been any other edition traded by the Azurites; the author probably passed away since the recent war,"

He relaxed and coughed. "There was a recent war?"

"Yes, it was only 5 years ago..." the librarian checked her watch. "If you'd like, we can talk about it tomorrow. I still need to make deliveries, and please put those back where you found them. We are about to close."

He nodded, watching her leave in a hurry.

'Five years ago...' he wondered. 'That was when I met Brytos.'

The sound of the clock snapped him out of his thoughts, he hastily stood up and gathered his things, placing the books back where he thought he found them.

…

"STAND UP!"

He couldn't hear a thing and clutched what was left of his leg, light-headed and cold.

When he saw the fiery red armor nearing, he bowed his head and closed his eyes as the mountains around him crumbled. But death refused to take him at that moment. He parted his eyes and saw a familiar figure standing in front of him, sheltering him.

And before he could utter a word, the figure's head rolled right before him as if it was a gift from death.

The now headless body sank to its knees, unveiling the murderous light behind it, whose fiery red eyes bore into him gravely.

Like a spell that urged him forward: he stood on his right leg, screamed at the top of his lungs, and begged for the blessing of the Stone in his heart, which was battering faster than it had ever done before. The Stone heard his cry and, at that moment, as he faced the bright light, the Stone blessed him once again.

King Malue woke up with a startle.

'That damn nightmare again. And that damn phoenix.'

He tousled his hair back and licked his cracked lips. He sat on the edge of his bed, peering at his missing leg, which seemed to daunt him. every single day.

Growling in annoyance, he snagged the mechanical leg from its stand just beside him and left his chambers, not bothering to dress accordingly.

His counselor followed alongside him in the halls as they made their way to the dining room, seemingly bent on telling him something but hesitating.

"OH SPIT IT OUT!" he roared, unable to stand his unease.

"I'm sorry, your excellency," he began, quivering at his king's anger. "But a message came back just this morning..." the counselor paused, thinking and biting his lips.

"Say it, man, before I cut your tongue for not using it!" he said, his patience not lasting any longer.

"Sire, Serus Alkyone has made a move. He seemed to have spared our spy to deliver a message…

He is offering a compromise."

…

Ε π ι δ ι ό ρ θ ω σ η

Jodeus traced the letters, becoming familiar with the characters he had written on paper and attached to the wall. He had been intently watching Meradeath at work and making mental notes about her enchantment-making process.

The scripts would emerge directly in front of her when she spoke them out, but when he did it, nothing occurred, so he practiced writing them himself.

On his hundredth try, he managed to draw out power and a dot of blue light appeared in front of him. He looked at it with awe, but the dot immediately vanished into thin air.

"I did it... but it's so useless." he groaned, looking at his fingertips. "It's like learning how to make ice marbles again, but also quite different."

The bell rang before he could even try again, signifying the start of his shift. He closed the current book he was using for reference and grabbed his coat, heading down the stairs. He was busy buttoning up and didn't notice the door open or the huge person in front of him until they bumped into each other.

The man in front of him didn't even budge.

He apologized, "Please take a seat in the waiting room. I'll come and fetch you."

"I'm the one who has come to fetch you, King's Orders," said the man in a stoic voice.

Jodeus opened his mouth to say something, but just by the tone, it was clear that this man wasn't accepting any excuse. He pressed his lips together and looked out the window. There were other men waiting outside, but they weren't patients.

They all wore similar uniforms with the Sixth Commander standing in front of him, but the way he dressed was only slightly different, a more polished one, wrapped in tiger fur. Also, one that isn't too unfamiliar. Looks like he'd been busy getting his own custom-tailored clothes.

"U-uhm…" he stuttered, cautiously stepping backward, he hadn't told Meradeath about the exchange for his freedom from the Prison Ring.

Meradeath, standing behind them and leaning against the doorway, said, "You may go with him. I'll go take care of everything."

Jodeus gave her a look that said, "Really?", and she only shrugged.

"Thank you for your consideration. We'll bring him back safely," said the commander.

The Hillock Ground was quite a distance from the town, and no ordinary civilians were allowed to be there. It served as a training ground for fresh enlistees. He walked closely just behind the commander, watching as the spears were hurled, swords clashed with shields, and arrows were deployed.

But the gathering of blessing users in another area is what really caught his interest. He made a mental note to speak with them later before catching up to follow 'Ektes Amothyllia', the sixth commander, who hadn't spoken much after he had introduced himself on the way.

He glanced everywhere, from the wrestling soldiers to beyond the jagged hills that surrounded this particular area. He was slowly coming to the conclusion of why they brought him here, although he was still suspicious that he'd risk his life once again. And finally, they stopped at an isolated spot with a worrying cliff on the side.

One of his men handed a shield and a chest piece to Jodeus as Ektes took off his cloak, his sword shining as the sunlight touched it. He put the sword on a rock, easing his nerves.

"I'll observe what you can do, starting with how fast you are."

Jodeus anticipated this and groaned inwardly, knowing that he couldn't really object or turn away. Instead, he merely nodded and slightly rolled his eyes. He put on the chest piece and the shield, fitting like a boy trying on his father's clothes.

He felt more at risk having this on.

"The goal is simple; dodge everything I throw at you."

Jodeus grinned. Knowing he was quick, he figured this would be simple enough for him to get a good assessment. He stretched his legs and warmed up.

"Alright, I'm ready."

"Good, come over here to get started,"

He walked over to Ektes, who, without wasting a second, raised his right foot and kicked him in the stomach. His leg dug so deeply into the armor that the air was forced out of Jodeus, and before he could even get the chance to breathe properly, Ektes swerved his other leg, kicking him with enough force down the cliff.

As the ground came dangerously closer, he drew up his power in a panic, conjuring up a pool of dense water to catch him. He surged through it in seconds, cushioning his fall before his back hit the harsh ground. He rolled over on all fours and coughed out the water he had accidentally swallowed. He clutched his stomach, taking off the dented chest piece, trying to regain his breathing.

If he wasn't wearing armor, his ribs would've definitely broken from that kick.

"Fast enough to save yourself at the last second, but not fast enough to dodge what's already in front of you," he said. Jodeus glared at him from below. But he was right.

"Don't get too comfortable down there. Also, you forgot your shield."

Jodeus got back on his feet, still clutching his stomach and this time on the lookout for more things coming his way.

He pulled back his wet hair that was in the way of his eyes, almost missing catching the shield Ektes threw at him, but he caught it with both his hands. He bent his knees, eyes darting in every possible direction.

Then came the first rock, then the second, and suddenly he found himself running around, holding his shield up over his head as the huge rocks dropped down on him. The shield proved itself useful, but he couldn't see beyond the shield as Ektes mercilessly stoned him.

Just when he thought it was never going to end, the heavy trashing and scraping on his shield stopped, and he lowered it down. This was a smart but slow decision, as a giant boulder had already made its way down ominously toward him. As it touched the tip of his nose, all he could do was gawk at it.

The boulder crashed down on him, pushing him hard against the ground.

And before he knew it, he was under a bulky pile of sand.

'Uhm.'

With a somewhat disappointed expression, Ektes approached his side and lifted him up, causing the sand to fall back to the ground. Some had stuck to his wet and sweaty skin as well as his clothing, but he was still trying to comprehend what had happened that he couldn't care less.

"I…I thought I was going to die."

"If that was a real boulder, then yes you would have. And we're not finished yet. The next one is your endurance." he said while picking up a handful of sand and turning them into rocks,

"I think I need a break, actually," he said, feeling the kick from earlier starting to bruise, and more so, he could still feel the fast beating of his heart.

"Already? It's only been seven minutes."

"SEVEN?"

"Stand," he simply said.

"Wait! You haven't even told me what the point of this is!" His stomach seemed to disagree with his yelling, the pain throbbed with every little movement and his hand would find its way back to caress it.

Ektes picked up the armor and blew away the sand. "As I said, these are the king's orders,"

"Yeah but care to tell me what exactly the orders were?" Jodeus scowled.

"You were given to me to train, and if I find you fit to join our battles, I won't stop until you are prepared to fight for us," he said simply.

"If you don't find me fit, may I go?"

Ektes ignored his question and gave Jodeus back his armor, who reluctantly took it. They resumed the training, there was no build-up nor easing into it.

He felt overwhelmed by the massive amounts of information and moves thrown at him. He tried to imitate what Ektes had shown him, but he was neither flexible enough to kick that high nor coordinated enough to do more than a single movement in one go.

Finally, it was time to rest. They sat on the ground and ate a boar they had hunted down from the mountains. He chowed down on it, hungrier than he had expected.

"Serus Alkyone, the youngest child of the Carnelian ruling family, has ascended the throne. We should be prepared to defend our nation when the time comes."

His eyes pierced through Jodeus, but that's just the way his eyes were. " If we don't, we'll all burn to death." he simply said, with no sign of prejudice.

Jodeus froze on the spot, mouth full.

"Do you understand me?"

He understood. The first things he had seen, even before entering the Capital Mountain, were the ferocity and bloodshed that this nation was rife with. However, there were also kind individuals, like his patients and the shopkeepers, who reminded him of his own people back home.

"Yes, I do…"

'but…' He looked the Sixth Commander in the eye.

"I can't."

"Why?" Ektes asked in a stoic tone. Even Jodeus couldn't tell what his current expression was conveying.

He pursed his lips, remembering what he had read in the library. If they ever found out about Brytos, they would undoubtedly march to the clinic and take his life. Not everyone would listen to his pleas that Brytos was innocent, if only they were like Meradeath.

"Why?" Ektes asked again.

He looked him in the eye and declared, "I'm fighting for someone else right now."

Much to his surprise, Ektes simply nodded, with no change in his demeanor.

Jodeus decided that he hated the way he couldn't read this man.

'How could someone be this stoic?' The only time he ever saw him with a slight change in his expression was when he was disappointed earlier. Disappointed that he failed? Or disappointed that he didn't die?

"These are the king's orders."

He groaned inwardly, and before he could retort, Ektes cut him off. "And you are weak; how could you fight for anyone?"

Jodeus didn't reply, only bit his tongue. He wasn't wrong after all.

Ektes stepped closer and continued, "That's why I'm here. To train you. I watched you in the Prison Ring. You were really impressive. And I know whatever you're hiding is giving you torment."

He looked up in a panic. Could he have known about Brytos? Was he too careless that they had already found out?

"If this troubles you so much, then I'm going to give you a choice, Jodeus. Be with me or not."

Earlier, he was certain that he'd rather get this over with and go back. Now he has a hard time deciding, and he doesn't know what would happen if he does refuse.

Would Ektes slit his throat at this moment? Maybe he'd murder Meradeath and Brytos if he said no. Perhaps they already did, and they're merely attempting to fool him into fighting for them.

But maybe.

"You said you'd train me until I'm prepared right?" Ektes nodded.

"Do you know how to enchant and curse?"

"Yes I do, I am a Kainz descendant after all, magic runs along my blood and so do my blessings," he remarked.

"Good. Then will you teach me?"

Ektes looked at his brilliant azure eyes. Before, it appeared doubtful, but now it was different, it was undaunted. The glint in his eyes had changed once again, and Ektes had seen it happen before.

"I won't be going easy on you, so be warned. You might die in this training, but of course, as long as I'm here, I won't let that happen. I'll turn you into a warrior. It's not like you have a choice in it, so be prepared." he said.

"That's perfect. It's exactly what I need."

"Good, from now on, we'll train after your shift in the clinic,"

"You'd still let me work?"

"Of course, that is your job. I have already prepared the schedules for your training, and if you need to adjust them for the sake of your patients, you are welcome to. Just make sure we come to an agreement. This is my job, after all. Even with a tight schedule, you won't disappoint me, will you?"

Jodeus looked at him agape but then felt relieved. He won't have to work around randomly as he did back at the Prison Ring with a schedule.

"I won't. I'll do my best," he said.

This was perfect.

'With Meradeath and Ektes both teaching me, I'll improve in no time, and then I'll be able to help in lifting the curses.' He smiled, and for the first time in a long time, his withering hope had begun to bloom once again.

All this time, the journey was filled with fear and waning resolve, but knowing he'd finally be able to do something rather than wait for a miracle and beg for someone to lend a hand, his heart rejoiced.

…

"You're alive," Meradeath remarked.

Jodeus took a seat across the table, beaten and bruised, eyeing the soup. "How's Brytos?"

"He started vomiting dark acid—before you panic, that's a normal reaction to lifting a curse. I've successfully gotten rid of some nasty ones," she pinched the bridge of her nose and squinted at the wooden surface of the table.

She continued, "So how was the Sixth Commander? I heard he enjoys breaking bones. All of yours seems intact."

"I climbed a mountain. I almost drowned in the sand. In the end, he said I was the best—the one who had the best fails." He banged his head on the table and sniffled.

"That's good."

He looked up, teary-eyed. "How?"

"Now you know what you're bad at. Go eat your food. We still have work tomorrow."

Jodeus took his spoon and ate begrudgingly, quite full from what he already ate.

…

The next training wasn't any better for Jodeus, and he was by no means a beginner in training. But he was never taught how to climb a mountain back at Tanzanite, nor how to fall off one. He eyed the people from down below, despite being told not to look down, and shook his head.

Ektes left Jodeus on his own and went back to his personal tent. So he was left to look around for a place to sit. Much to his delight, someone had waved for him. He recognized him as one of the soldiers who had visited their clinic.

The young man's name was Matthew, he recalled.

"Working hard?" asked Matthew as he took a bite of his bread.

He reminded him of Natiya, when they weren't on the training grounds, getting his ass handed to him.

Jodeus smiled. "Yes... it's only the third day and I'm already this exhausted."

"I've never seen anyone with special training under him," he said curiously.

"I'm his first!?" he gripped his bread tightly.

One of the men nodded. "I've also never seen his regime before. I pity you."

"Don't I have the same training as you guys?" he asked, frowning.

They laughed, and Jodeus sat there with an awkward smile. "We've never been kicked down the cliff before!" they said.

Jodeus choked on his bread.

With a tired grunt, he lifted himself and propped his feet up on a stone ledge while holding onto a little caved-in crevice. He stopped to take a short breath before resuming to climb.

"How is it that… I'm the — only one—risking my life," he heaved between sentences. "Just to get to the top of a mountain!"

He sighed and let his grip loosen before jumping off and conjuring up an ice slope, but the ice was a bit too watery, causing him to slide down faster than he had expected. A foot on his back halted his rolling on the grass; if he hadn't, he probably would have rolled down the hill.

"Good work," said Ektes, without a hint of pride. "You went higher than you did yesterday."

Jodeus got back to his feet, patting grass off his pants. "I think I've memorized half of the scripts you gave me."

Ektes widened his eyes at that, the only time Jodeus had seen his face contort into something other than disappointment. "Already?"

He nodded. Along with the Tanzanite and Azurite scripts that Meradeath had given him, he had been studying the Uvite scripts as well.

While they were all unique on their own at first glance, he saw many resemblances among the characters, which he found intriguing. He examined them all side by side and started to familiarize them in this manner. It doesn't make it any less difficult to enchant, though.

"Then we should begin by drawing a source from your blessing."

Ektes walked up to the mountain's rugged edge. He hovered his palm over it, and the surface crumbled, leaving it flat and smooth. He took a rectangular piece of charcoal out of his pocket and began to draw.

"What is that thing?" Jodeus peeked from behind him, seeing a disfigured monster.

"That's you."

Before Jodeus could say something, Ektes turned and faced him, charcoal still on the board. "Now, this is the 'Stone'." He pointed at a blob. "And this is 'you'." He drew an arrow toward the disfigured drawing and encircled what seemed to be the chest and the head.

"When the Stone gives you a blessing, you change a physical part of yourself. Most of the time, it's either your heart or your brain. Once that is removed from you, your blessings vanish and you die."

Jodeus sat down on the ground, listening intently and making mental notes.

"To draw from that power, you need to use either of them. It doesn't just happen out of nowhere—unless you're insane, or your mental or heart abilities function differently than normal, it's entirely up to you. And, not everyone is blessed by the Stones, only a chosen few or none at all if your Stone is selfish. And, all those who can enchant or curse, derive their power from minor stones or powerful artifacts that aren't sentient enough to give a blessing. But since we already have a source, we don't need any of those."

Jodeus raised his hand. "Is it easier to draw power from the minor Stones than your own?"

"As I said, they are easier to control, but they aren't as reliable as our blessings. And as I also said, we don't really need one. Now stand up and show me what you can do."

Ektes observed the line Jodeus had created, who appeared dejected when he couldn't even do half of a single character. But he persisted when Ektes didn't make a move to intervene.

Another line emerged out of his fingertips, and he felt lightheaded as he continued even longer. He reached the last character before dropping his hand and groaning, looking disappointed at the butchered script in the air that flickered away in a few seconds.

"I know," Jodeus started. "It's a bit inadequate..."

"A bit?"

He placed his fingers against Jodeus' back, and gently pushed his back to straighten him up from behind.

"Take a deep breath and grasp your source," he instructed, and Jodeus did just that and tried to raise his hand, but Ektes grabbed it and placed it back to his sides, continuing his instruction:

"Relax and think clearly about the enchantment you intend and how you intend it. Remember to hang on to that source, or it'll be gone before you can finish it," he said softly.

Jodeus took another breath and concentrated on his heart like he always did every time he conjured ice. Despite months of practice, he has never really come close to conjuring it as naturally as possible. How could he when he's always forced into using it in the direst situation?

Instead of ice or water, he thought of a specific enchantment. He felt lightheaded again then there was a sudden ache in his head, he pursed his lips.

"Don't force it," Ektes whispered in his ear. "Breathe in and breathe out, feel your source."

He inhaled through his nose, feeling the beat of his heart racing.

'Think. Think.'

Breathe out.

'Who are you doing this for?'

Breathe in.

'Be strong.'

Breathe out.

'Do it for them.'

Breathe in.

'For all of them.'

Breathe out.

It's been a few minutes but he couldn't seem to relax no matter what.

"What's plaguing you, Jodeus?"

He bowed his head and cast his eyes down at the dirt.

"Looks like I need to practice more." he stretched his arms outwards with a smile. He took out his watch. "My shift is starting, It's time for me to go back."

Ektes nodded. He picked up his fur coat and wrapped his baldric back to his waist. "We did agree on a schedule."

They both returned to the training camp after coming from the hills. Jodeus bid Matthew farewell before departing. Ektes observed Jodeus as he left by horse.

'You have a great deal of potential, Jodeus. That is beyond doubt. That is why, ever since you earned your pardon in the Colosseum, I have been determined to defend you. Because I can see that you're fighting for something that's steering you forward, something that I sincerely desire myself.

But the very thing that's steering you forward seems to be dragging you back.

I can see you're in anguish, but what are you hiding that's causing you so much grief?

You are unwell and full of burdens. I may not be of help unless you let me.'