Darkness Blossoms (Part 2)

After her experience going into wraith-form, Scathach was taken to undergo several exercises of physical conditioning. Her first of such was balancing herself on a series of tall wooden poles inside one of the castle's many chambers. Once she was situated, Scathach spoke down to her mentor who was watching her from below.

"I thought you were gunna train me," Scathach told The Shadow skeptically, so far not having a problem staying balanced on the center of the stilts. "I don't see what's so difficult about this..."

"Balance is easy when nothing's trying to throw you off your footing," The Shadow pointed out. "That's what those things above you are for..."

"What?"

Scathach looks up and sees a bunch of heavy metal weights and tumblers hooked up to chains assorted above her head, noting how some of them appeared to have spikes. Her eyes widen.

-What is this?! Some kind of torture device?!-

She heard The Shadow throw a switch, and before she knew it, the weights began falling and swinging at her randomly. Panicking, Scathach weaves between the tumblers trying to knock her off, forced to find her footing on a new wooden stilt every time she moved; not helped by the fact that she had to divide her attention between dodging and seeing where to place her feet lest she was to fall down below. She yelped as she barely scrapes by a spiked weight, almost slipping off her new perch.

"You're doing great," The Shadow said absently, almost enjoying the sight of his student struggling. "Don't look down..."

Scathach was hardly listening; too focused on staying balanced and avoiding getting bulldozed by the massive swinging weights.

-This is insane! Is this a sick game to him?!-

Scathach turns and pivots to avoid an incoming tumbler, only for it clip her shoulder and knock her sideways. She screams as she falls between the stilts and freefalls down to the chasm below.

(SPLASH!)

Thankfully, there was a pool of water to break her fall. The Shadow stood by the edge until Scathach resurfaced, gasping for breath.

"You lasted only ten seconds," he told her bluntly. "Not impressed..."

Scathach swam up to the water's edge and began pulling herself up, all while looking up at The Shadow with bitter frustration.

"You call this training?!" She yells, her wet outfit now pinching her in an uncomfortable place. "What am I supposed to take away from this?!"

"Coordination," The Shadow said, ignoring her angry tone. "Get back up and try again..."

Scathach huffed as she pulled herself fully out of the water, only for the Shadow to add:

"And don't be mad just yet. Wait until I make you do this blindfolded..."

"(grunt)…"

---

"Next test: Strength..."

The next day, The Shadow took Scathach on the roof of the fortress for another bout of outrageous physical conditioning. He had her carry a massive tray over her head while he kept adding weight in the form of stone blocks. At first, Scathach was surprised at how much she could lift for her size, deducing that it was due to her rebirth as a mage of the Void.

But she soon learned even that benefit had limits...

Scathach was straining and huffing under her breath as the Shadow kept adding more weight. She could feel her muscles stretching and her knees beginning to buckle as she struggled to hold back all of that weight from crushing her.

"You holding-up alright?"

Scathach, who was almost on one knee at this point, responds to the Shadow's condescending question with an angered:

"Do I look like I'm doing alright?!"

"Now that you say it, you seem to be at your limit, which means I can start doing this..."

Scathach stared agape as The Shadow suddenly fired a mild lightning spell at her feet.

"Oww!" Scathach recoiled as felt the spell sting her. Her brief lapse in concentration made the load on her upper body more strenuous to hold. "What are you doing?!"

"Keep that weight up, and don't let it fall on you..."

"HUH!?"

Scathach's outrage was answered with a volley of more spells. She braced herself as some spells she tried to shield herself from but nonetheless hit her. Scathach trembles as the stinging effect from all those spells was taking a toll on her already straining body.

-It hurts... I can't- let it- drop!-

As much as Scathach willed it, in the back of her mind she knew she was losing the battle. Sure enough, The Shadow then casted a rune that made the floor Scathach was standing on ripple like waves on a beach, which at last threw her off her feet and the several tons of stone that she carried over her shoulders.

(CRASH!)

When the dust cleared, broken blocks were spread everywhere, leaving Scathach half-buried and mangled beneath the mess. She groaned in pain as her enhanced healing kicked-in, filling the air with the sound of flesh and bone setting and mending together. Being a "gentleman", The Shadow pulled most of the debris off of her, revealing a battered and dizzy Scathach, who starts to stir.

"You alright lass?" He snaps his fingers in front of her, getting her attention. Scathach holds her hand up to head to ease a headache as The Shadow holds up two fingers with one hand. "How many am I holding up?"

The dazed Scathach stares and concentrates hard for a few seconds, then answered unsurely:

"Seven?"

Stumped, The Shadow then sighed and rolled his eyes with slight disappointment:

"Oh, you're fine..."

---

"Must you go so fast?!"

"Quit complaining and keep climbing. I'll wait at the top, IF you ever get there at the rate you're going..."

Scathach groans as she grabs a protruding rock and pulls herself up as the Shadow was way up ahead of her on the edge of a mountain, clearly having an easier time than she was...

-I HATE climbing!-

"Come on, lass... I climb double this height every morning before breakfast..."

His comment fails to alleviate Scathach's bitterness for making her do this. It was the middle of a new day since they started this new nightmare scenario that The Shadow cooked up, and to the girl's chagrin, it happened to be the one thing she didn't want to do since being taken under the Shadow's wing. Scathach was only just over halfway up while her mentor was near the top of cliff, just comfortably taking his time while she struggled. Her muscles strained and ached in protest as she pulled herself up each and every foot of elevation. Scathach was starting to get really sick of The Shadow's antics and his outrageous attempts to whip her into shape. What was going to all these extremes supposed to accomplish, besides making her have a rough time?

If it weren't for The Shadow's promise of sharing his knowledge and power with her, Scathach would've thought NONE of this experience was worth it.

-Maybe Fimir was right and I AM just plain mental. I suppose that I'm also a glutton for punishment it seems...-

Pushing on, Scathach finally made it up to the top of the cliff, after what felt like an eternity. The Shadow was patiently waiting for while doing some stretches. Scathach crests over in one last pull and collapses on the snow-laden ground trying to catch her breath. As cold as it was up here, that was the furthest from her mind as Scathach was exhausted and aching all over her body.

"What took you so long?" The Shadow remarked.

"Shut up..." Scathach said absently while out-of-breath, wanting just to give her body a rest. She tilts her head to the side and could see the peak of the mountain up a way from where they've stopped. She had to admit, it was quite serene up here away from the forest below. "Why did you bring me up here anyway?"

"I thought this summit would be a good place to get some speed in those legs of yours. It's harder to run in snow than it is in plain dirt."

"That's it?" Scathach found herself asking. A casual run down a mountain seemed like nothing compared to the climb up. Maybe he was at last giving her a break?

-No. Knowing him, that CAN'T be all there is to it...-

"More or less... In fact, I think I gave you enough time to catch your breath. Let's start right now..."

Scathach sat up as he starting forming a rune in his hand and his arm channeling fire.

"What are you doing?" She asked with suspicion.

"Providing you with motivation," The Shadow stated as-matter-of-fact. Scathach's eyes widened as he fired his spell far towards the snowy peak of the mountain. Scathach watched as the fireball traveled and exploded on impact. She looks back the Shadow and sees that he started running.

"What the-?!" Before she could finish, the Shadow casually called out over his shoulder as he got further away:

"Better start running!"

Dumfounded, Scathach quickly thought to herself:

-Did he just-?-

(RUMBLE)

Scathach's blood ran cold as soon as she heard it. She turned back at the peak of the mountain and saw a huge wall of snow crashing its way down towards her.

And her question was answered...

"Bastard!"

Panicking, Scathach darts up and runs frantically down in the Shadow's direction in desperation to outrun the avalanche. Her heart races and her lungs burned in the cold air as Scathach runs for her life, the deep snow making it difficult to move quickly. She dared not look back at the torrent rushing closer behind her, growing louder and louder. Scathach looks around frantically for a place where she can avoid getting swept off her feet, and she settles on the tree-line at the base of the mountain.

-It's not far! I can make it!-

Scathach yells and wills her body to move faster. She wasn't about to let herself be at the mercy of this cold, hellish barrage.

I CAN MAKE IT!

...

Meanwhile, The Shadow was waiting at the base of the mountain by the tree-line, on top of a ridge and out of the way of the incoming avalanche. Part of him was wondering if maybe doing this to his pupil might have been taking things a bit too far, but quickly dismissed it.

-No. She needs to learn just how unforgiving the world's forces can be. It will motivate her to become stronger. She's a tenacious little brat... I'm sure she will be alright...-

"waaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

The Shadow's eyes darted to the sound of screaming combined with the thunderous sound of crashing snow. He sees Scathach caught in the avalanche, being tossed around like a rag-doll as the avalanche carried her well past where the Shadow had been standing.

-Or maybe not...-

---

It didn't take long for The Shadow to fish Scathach out of the aftermath of the avalanche. He found her shivering violently and decided to take her back to the fortress to recover. She hardly said a word since coming back from the mountain, but she no doubt had nothing nice to say since the stunt he had pulled on her. Scathach was thankful that the Shadow had to go hunting that night, as she had almost had it with being his guinea pig to mess around with.

These training exercises were getting her nowhere... and she begrudgingly realized that he was only going to give her more in the coming days.

Between those, the Shadow was still training her to improve her expertise in using her spear. While the fights got more brutal and Scathach still failing to hit him, each round lasted slightly longer than the last. These were grating tests of discipline as well, yet despite her frustration, Scathach could sort of tell that she was improving with each bout, but it will still be a long while before she could hope to match him.

On the magic side of things, Scathach was still practicing on conditioning her circuits, trying to keep them active for as long as she could. Meanwhile, The Shadow had given her a role of parchment depicting strange symbols for her to merely memorize. Every night back at Fimir's hut she would spend between honing her spearman-ship and channeling mana while meditating. Her shadow-form was a real delight to use, even if not for the priceless response she got from Aife and Fimir the first time she showed them.

The one thing that still irked her was the fact that most of the village was still wary of her despite not making a scene since the day she woke up. Her new outfit made her stand out, which she tried mitigating by wearing her cloak over it. She also couldn't help but notice that everyone was struggling to sustain themselves in the rushed, run-down settlement. With all these villagers living in the middle of a forest full of monsters, hunts were less than fruitful, water was scarce, and resources were hard to acquire. Scathach had no reason to care for people whom were not welcoming of her, but could not help but feel some sympathy for those merely trying to survive.

So one day before returning to meet her mentor, Scathach decided to stay back for a bit and help around Fimir's hut. With Aife staying back helping while she underwent training, it was the least Scathach could do for her gracious host. Some gatherers rolled a wagon into the village and began handing out what little food they could acquire, and she joined Fimir in carrying some baskets-full back to the hut.

"It's a shame that they had no meat on that cart," Fimir eventually said. "I guess the hunters couldn't risk venturing too far in fear of those creatures..."

"They're right to be afraid," Scathach said sadly. "Me and Aife had a brush with countless of those things. They're the stuff of nightmares."

"I sure hope those barbarians are having nightmares of those...", Fimir's voice stained from the weight she was carrying. "Gods know they deserve them..."

"Here," Scathach offers after seeing Fimir struggle to lift two baskets filled with potatoes and assorted vegetables. "Allow me."

"Thank you, lass," Fimir put down the baskets and stretched her back. "I'm afraid this widow isn't as young as she used to be..."

"I can carry both. Move over," Scathach said as Fimir reluctantly moves aside.

"You sure about that lass?" the widow asks as the young girl reaches down to grab the baskets. "I mean those two are very heavy for a-"

Fimir stops as she sees Scathach stacks the two baskets full of food and effortlessly lifts them up over her shoulder.

"Never mind," she remarks as they start walking back. "I suppose it's easy to forget that you're not an ordinary child..."

"I sometimes feel that way too," Scathach humors her. Every day since she has started learning under The Shadow has her often surprised at what she was able to do. It affirmed that maybe her encounter with the Netherlyst was not so awful after all.

"By the way, I hope The Shadow isn't working you too hard all things considering," Fimir tells her. "You know it pains me to see you come back like you've just fought off a bear every night..."

"It hasn't been easy, and his ways of training me are quite... creative to put lightly," Scathach said, trying not to seem as if The Shadow was torturing her. She didn't want to picture Fimir's reaction to the fact that The Shadow tried making her outrun an avalanche.

She was still questioning if those tests were in any way beneficial to her...

"No kiddin'," Fimir lets out. "I've got to say, you and your sister are tough little youngsters. Where did you say you were from?"

"Me and Aife came from south of the Isle. The barbarians had us boarded on to boats and carried us across the loch and into cages pulled by horses. We managed to escape and found ourselves here..."

Scathach's face turns somber at the recollection. Not wanting to elaborate further, she asks Fimir:

"Where did you and Kihli come from?"

"We came further north from the edge of the sea; a town called Alba. It was a nice place until the invaders came and raided it, forced the populace to flee here into the forest. We were wary of this place, but no one dared ventured in until the invaders came. Makes me wonder what those charlatans are up to now..."

"Nothing good I'm sure. Some of them tried going into the forest after us, and I have no reason to believe that they won't try again-"

Scathach stops as they came back up to Fimir's hut, only to see half of it broken in shambles. They both put their baskets down and rush towards the remains of Fimir's home to see Aife and Kihli among the wreckage.

"I can't believe it! Those brats!"

Kihli was solemnly silent as Aife was fuming. Scathach and Fimir soon joined them, shocked at what happened in their absence.

"Kihli!" Fimir cried out worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, mother," Kihli tells her as Fimir hugs him protectively. Meanwhile, Scathach was stunned at the devastation and asks Aife:

"What in Lugh's name happened?"

"Me and Kihli just came back from getting water, and some boys were wrecking the hut!" Aife explains to her sister, trying to bite back her anger. "I managed to chase them off, but now there's almost nothing left!"

"Boys?" Scathach asks her with suspicion. It didn't take her very long to realize exactly who Aife was talking about, and when she did, the shame on her face was plain for Aife to see. "Oh no..."

"What is it?" Aife asks worriedly as Scathach turns away.

"This is my fault..." Scathach revealed. "It's because of me that those boys attacked this place. They knew I lived here, and wanted to harass me like they've been doing for days already..."

Aife was stunned at her sister as Fimir questioned her:

"Is that true lass?"

"Yes..." Scathach looks at her with growing guilt, and was the verge of tears. "Fimir... I'm so sorry-"

"No need to apologize," Fimir stops her. "This was nothing you did. Just remember that..."

Scathach wipes away a tear that escaped her eye. The widow continued hugging Kihli protectively while Aife walked up behind her sister and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Scathach could see that none of them blame her for what happened, and therefore she should not be blaming herself either. Despite her lingering guilt, she admitted to herself that Fimir was right. She was not at fault here...

Deep down, Scathach knew who really was...

She walked over the wreckage and retrieved her spear, anger and resolve were gradually replacing her shame and guilt. Her circuits glowed and pulsed in response, reminding Scathach of her newfound power; one she considered using on the perpetrators should she get a chance.

-It's one thing to attack me, it's another to hurt my friends... they just crossed a line.-

Scathach silently vowed to herself that the next time she saw those boys will be her last. For now, The Shadow was expecting her...

---

The Shadow sends a volley of swings and jabs at Scathach with his staff, making her stagger back as she frantically tries blocking each one. After a successful parry, Scathach then retaliates with a series of strikes with her spear. The Shadow calm and composed, merely blocked each one almost effortlessly. This round felt like it was going on for minutes now, and Scathach was slowly getting frustrated; not at all helped by the fact that today's earlier events weighing on her mind.

Little did Scathach notice; The Shadow was reading her face throughout their spar, and he got the suspicion that something was wrong with his student...

Every thrust, every deflection... every attempt to strike her opponent was fueled by her anger towards the group of boys who harassed her and destroyed Fimir's home. She found herself imagining that she was attacking them instead, and every failed attempt to land a hit made familiar jeers and taunts echo in Scathach's mind.

"Witch!"

"Hag!"

The words stung harder than they ever did until now. They were soon joined by the rest of the villagers from the fateful day she revealed herself. Scathach seethed at the memory:

"Demon!"

"Monster!"

She was now attacking furiously, throwing form and technique to the wind as she put more speed and strength behind her blows. Her circuits light-up, empowering her and she began driving The Shadow back. Scathach was no longer looking at him, but rather the whole village who had been against her since her arrival. The words... the insults... they just kept coming no matter how hard she fought.

"Stop it... Stop it! STOP IT!"

She starts yelling with each strike, no longer able to contain herself. The Shadow sidesteps an overhead strike, and his circuits light up in response. He grabs the hilt of Scathach's spear with a free-hand and forcibly wrenches it out of her grasp. He then pins her down to the floor with his staff after tossing away her spear.

"That's enough!"

Scathach tries wrenching herself free from the weight pressed on her, reason becoming lost on her as she screams:

"LET ME GO!"

"No! You need to calm yourself!"

"THEY WON'T STOP!" Scathach was thrashing about, not caring if she was injuring herself. "I HAVE TO MAKE THEM STOP!"

"Lass! Look at me!" The Shadow put a hand on her face as he raised his voice. Scathach stiffens while breathing heavily, her magic circuits still glowing. She eventually met her teacher's face and feebly made half-attempts to break free that gradually faltered; her grunts becoming mere pleading whimpers as The Shadow keeps her pinned.

"Look at me..."

His voice drops down to normal as Scathach stopped resisting. Breathing heavily, she eases her push against The Shadows staff. After silence hangs between them briefly, she began to breakdown. Tears escape her eyes as her circuits finally dim down.

"There..."

The Shadow eventually releases her, standing up to full height as Scathach laid on the floor sobbing.

"You lost control..." The Shadow said slowly. Scathach rolled to her side and curled herself up as she continued to cry.

"They all hate me so much..." She said to nobody in particular, but her teacher was listening. The Shadow looked down at her with a modicum of pity as her voice sounded frail and broken. "Why do they despise me so?"

"People fear most what they don't understand..." The Shadow replied, prompting Scathach to look at him. He then knelt down beside her, gently put his staff down. "Why do you think I don't go down there?"

His ill attempt at humor does little to make Scathach feel better. She holds her hand in front of her as she continued, some anger returning with the belief that her newfound powers will make right with might.

"They all had to drag Aife, Fimir, and Kihli into this..." She said in a low voice as she closes her hand into a fist. "I should've taught them a lesson when I had the chance..."

"And what would that have accomplished?" The Shadow asks her seriously. "If you bite back, then you become everything that they say you are. Is that what you really want?"

"If makes them stop hurting those close to me, then yes..."

"And before you know it, they and your own sister will see you as a monster," his response catches Scathach's attention again. "One's will is not to be exercised through wrath or intimidation like despot kings and warlords. That is NOT what we are. Our powers may make us extraordinary, but without discipline, without insight, it can be abused and twist us until we no longer recognize ourselves. So I ask you again lass... is this what you want?"

Scathach's eyes widened after the Shadow's speech. After mulling over his words, she relented and cast her head down shamefully.

"No."

She couldn't see, but The Shadow's head nodded. Scathach was internally scolding herself for even thinking about lashing out against the other villagers. The Shadow's words rang true, and had she not listened, Scathach would have done something that she'd regret. She couldn't stand at the thought of Aife, Fimir and Kihli looking at her different from the person she is.

Yet, what could she do instead? The incident at Fimir's hut would embolden other villagers into harassing her, and Scathach could not simply sit back and let it happen. Just what would it take to show everyone that she was not someone to fear?

The Shadow suddenly spoke said and sat down on the floor across from Scathach.

"Since we can't continue sparring with the way you're feeling now, we'll do something else," he told her before instructing: "Sit up."

Scathach obeyed and copied him as he continued.

"How are your circuits? If you've been stimulating them every day like I said, they should be plenty open by now..."

Scathach lets out an exasperated sigh.

"I still can't leave them on for very long..."

"And why is that?" The Shadow asks. His tone betrayed the fact that he knew something Scathach did not.

"I'm not gathering enough mana?" Scathach cautiously asks, only to be met with a curt response.

"No. It's got nothing to do with what's around you. There's plenty of mana going through this forest for you not to struggle."

Scathach sighs again, now believing the problem was how she was physically. She was too ashamed of herself from earlier to try and fight the bitter truth of her skills.

"Fine. My circuits aren't developed enough and my body is too weak to condition them. Is that what you want me to say?"

"Wrong again," he said with a smirk. Scathach was now feeling confused as to what he was now getting at. "The reason you are still feeling resistance is because your head is not in the right place."

"Huh?"

"Magic circuits are not a weapon that is merely crafted for somebody to use. They are directly a part of you. If your thoughts and feelings are in turmoil, they will not answer the way you want."

Scathach was perplexed. She stared at the Shadow as he demonstrated by forming a fire rune in his hand.

"See how simple this is? My circuits don't even have to glow for that to happen. I'm not casting because I'm knowledgeable OR powerful. Sometimes, all it takes is clarity."

"Clarity..." She repeated, not knowing what that meant.

"Show me your hands..."

Scathach complies and holds her hands out in front of her, for which the Shadow place his below hers. Her gaze is fixated on her mentor as their eyes never leave each other's.

"The reason you lost control is that you let all your woes, insecurities and fears overwhelm you. What I want you to do is let go..."

"Let go of what?"

"Everything" The Shadow's voice was low and commanding, making Scathach listen more intently than ever. "You are still constrained by the notion that you are a mortal at the mercy of the world around you, letting it decide for you what to do and avoid. To use magic is to let you influence the world. You can't hope to bend nature if you succumb and let it influence you."

"But-" She wanted to question, but The Shadow gripped her hands tighter making her stop.

"The times I was training you and making your exercises harder was all to snap you out of that mindset. You were clearing that chasm on our first day thinking you were all vulnerable. You feared falling to your death when you really had nothing to fear. It's an illusion to convince yourself that you are still a part of the world. "

Scathach was stunned by this revelation. The more she thought about it, the more The Shadow's words made sense to her. All while he was making her training so absurdly difficult was him trying to get her think beyond how she perceived the natural order of the world. Thinking back to when she climbed the broken steps, she remembered the fear of falling despite being immortal. How could she have been so afraid and careful when she didn't need to be?

It boiled down to simple natural instinct: the ingrained idea of life fighting to survive.

"They are all just obstacles," The Shadow continued. "The villagers rallying against you are no different. When you block out the noise, look beyond what you see, and push past pain and difficulty, then you will find that all that make you doubt, question, falter, are simply that: Obstacles."

Scathach was amazed. It seemed to her that the Shadow's words had never resonated with her as strong with her than before. As a hunter, Scathach was instilled with the idea that all life was in competition to survive, and she like all was not above the reality that everyday could be her last if she did not take mind of her surroundings and respect those that she killed or could kill her. Her and Aife's time in the forest solidified that belief.

Was the illusion of mortality what is holding her back this whole time? This being who was acting as her mentor had just blown how she thought of things wide open.

"Listen carefully... all those thoughts you have... whatever you find yourself dwelling on most... cast it out of your head and focus. When you elevate yourself beyond the physical world... let your mind, body, and soul open... only then can you bend the world itself. That is clarity..."

Scathach was speechless as she at last understood his words. She should never have let the words of the villagers get to her, and she should never have let the antics of those boys aggravate her. It was all just noise, and an illusion stopping her from seeing what she couldn't before.

She was a being with a will of her own, being tied down from all that was trying to hinder her capabilities. Scathach just had push past all of that to see the truth:

Magic was an exercise of one's will on the world. She was not riding the current... she was in control...

"You see it now?" The Shadow asked, seeing the look of wonder on her face. "Focus your circuits... Do not succumb to what you think you know, and embrace that which you do not. Can you do that?"

Scathach nods and readies herself with newfound determination. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Let go of what's in your mind," The Shadow instructs, and Scathach lets his words sink in. "Only when your mind is clear can you take everything in. Accept the Void, and it will accept you..."

The room then fell silent as Scathach ignored all that was around her and delved inwards to the dark recesses of her mind. She found herself in a vast, dark empty void and immediately recalled the sights and sounds of the villagers rejecting her.

"Witch! Demon! Monster!"

Scathach's face faltered only briefly when the hurtful words formed in her mind. She pushes them down, making them sound dim and distant. For words are only just words...

"Witch... Demon... … Monster... … … …- (Silence)"

And just like that, the nonexistent noise was gone, and the villagers faded from view. She herself standing before the broken stairs up to the fortress, the chasm where she feared falling to her death.

No.

The fall would never kill her. It was no obstacle to her anymore... just as the Shadow's trickery were merely tests of resolve.

A chasm is just a chasm... No matter how big, it can be crossed...

She took a step, and she walked over an invisible bridge that kept her from falling. The scene changed, and she found herself in the forest before a horde of Draugr. They rushed at her with their rustic weapons drawn, but Scathach kept walking until she was within 3 feet of them.

Even the most bloodthirsty creatures are still merely creatures: unable to think beyond their instinct for survival.

Scathach kept walking, and suddenly the Draugr quiver in fear and backed away from her. They parted as she walked past, all meeting her crimson red eyes and the power beneath. They could tell she was no ordinary human. She was One of the Void; a being they can't hurt and can only stay clear of. The Draugr were all but mere prey in her presence. A complete reversal of when they predated on her and her sister. They faded to dust as Scathach found herself in front of a familiar stone gate: the one she saw when the Shadow demonstrated his power. She stepped closer and looked up at the immense doorway. This was the precipice... the point of no return...

When she opened this door, the world as she knows it will completely change. Was she ready for it?

Scathach slowly ran her hand up the gate, feeling the smooth, polished stone. She stopped and began to push. When it didn't move, she then used both hands...

And it started to budge...

A violet light came poking through between the doors as Scathach pushed. She put all her effort into making this door open, wanting whatever was stored inside. Scathach pushed even harder and felt a great energy surging inside her. Her newfound clarity was driving her forward, letting herself open to this new level of power. Her voice strains as she forced the gates apart, until finally she put all her strength into one, mighty heave.

The gates flew open and engulfed Scathach in bright violet light that flooded her vision and made everything go white. Back in reality, she opened her eyes and looked down at herself; her circuits were glowing all over her body much brighter than they ever did before, and her hair was blowing in a nonexistent wind. She looked down at herself with her now glowing eyes, taking in the rush of mana and energy coursing through her now with absolutely no resistance. She was too engrossed in her newfound power that she didn't even notice the Shadow's satisfied smirk at the result of his instruction.

Scathach did not have to read his face to understand what just happened. It was all clear to her...

The Void accepted her... their connection was complete...

"How does it feel?" The Shadow asks.

"Like I can fly..." Scathach answers with fervor. She could not believe how empowering she felt now that she could almost effortlessly channel mana, and all it really took was for her to let go; sever the chains of mortality and doubt tying her down. There was nothing holding her back now, and Scathach would now only look forward.

She looked back at her mentor, whom she could tell from the look on his face that he already had a plan of testing her.

And she had a feeling that involved actual magecraft, which only made her eager with anticipation.

"Then let's spread your wings..."

---

Scathach spent the next several hours hands-on with the fundamentals on Runecraft provided by the Shadow's tutelage. Having memorized most of the runes, she found that by projecting them with channeled mana yielded a different effect depending on the shape of the rune. Runes can be combined to enhance the delivery and potency of the central rune in a chain; as the Shadow cautions, stacking more runes with speed up mana consumption and can lead to exhaustion. He then showed her that runes don't have to exclusively be projected, but can be drawn on to objects as a trap or enchantment, then all it would take to activate was a quick charge of mana. Projecting runes purely on memory took time, especially when you drew more at once, but Scathach found that writing down frequently used ones beforehand was a versatile way of bypassing that limitation.

The following days saw Scathach becoming more experimental with the power of the Runes; ranging from elemental effects like fire, ice, lightning, to more manipulative ones such as Arrangement (the ability to reshape inanimate objects), Kinetic (move, summon, or banish marked objects) and Reinforcement (making objects physically and structurally stronger or weaker). The Shadow even demonstrated that his tattoos were not just for show, but had Reinforcement runes etched on to himself should he himself needed a boost in strength, and had Kinetic runes to summon his red blades to his hands instantly as well banish them if he needed both hands to cast. Scathach tried this on her own spear, and to her amazement, it came before her whenever she summoned it, making the weapon seem even more a part of herself.

The Shadow's "physical" training sessions were as brutal as usual, and each iteration forced Scathach to push herself harder to overcome them. When it all seemed too much for her, Scathach would remember what the Shadow said about her needing to ignore her plights and focus on what she had to do. The Shadow's challenges were merely obstacles to be overcome, and feats are only impossible until they are done. With that belief cemented in her head since the awakening of her circuits, Scathach would pick herself up and meet his challenges harder than she did before. Seeing past the absurdity of the Shadow's attempts to make her exercises difficult, Scathach started to feel herself becoming stronger and faster than before.

She could balance herself no matter how hard the Shadow tried to knock her down...

She could lift a boulder no matter how hard the Shadow tried to make her drop it...

She could outrun an avalanche no matter how hard the Shadow tried to slow her down...

It all escalated to the point where The Shadow indirectly forced her to use her newly tested rune magic to enhance herself to overcome them; something the Shadow had foreseen and actively encouraged. It wasn't long until Scathach integrated her wraith-form and rune magic seamlessly into her spear-fighting, and her spars with The Shadow were turning into long, drawn out fights, nearly fighting the ancient warrior-mage to a stand-still, even when he still ended up winning. Determined to one day best him, Scathach continued training and conditioning herself at the village with single-minded focus, driven to one day be powerful enough to reclaim her lost home.

And for a moment, Scathach felt that all her work and dedication was starting to pay off.

"Focus," The Shadow said as he sent a strike of his staff towards Scathach. After she blocked it with her spear, he then sent a series of repeated strikes in response. Scathach staggers back but uses her wraith form to quickly reposition behind her opponent. The Shadow quickly turns and deflects an attack from Scathach's spear and sent one of his own down to her legs, sweeping her off her feet. Scathach lands with a thud and tries to get up.

"I just can't ever block that one..."

"That's because you're not focused," He tells her while waiting for to get back on her feet. "Learn to listen..."

-Listen?-

Scathach ponders as she takes her stance. Why would he tell her to listen during a fight? The Shadow starts and sends a barrage of strikes in Scathach's direction. As Scathach swiftly deflects each one after another, she decided to take his advice to heart. Time slowed their dance of death as Scathach used her enhanced senses and listened in on The Shadow's heartbeat, which was thundering resoundingly this whole time.

-No. That can't be it...-

She parries away a thrust, and spins to capitalize on an opening. The Shadow moves to block, and Scathach hears something different:

-Muscles tensing... bones and cartilage moving in tandem...-

It was an eerie thing to hear, but Scathach felt that she was on to something as her strike gets blocked and The Shadow begins to counter. Listening further, Scathach tries to deduce her opponent's next move... determine where he planned on striking her.

She narrowed down how he was going to move by listening to which muscles were tensing just before he made it. Sure enough, the sound of the The Shadow's waist muscles extending, followed by his legs told Scathach that he was going to spin for his next strike. She raises her spear as he spins to attack her in her upper body, only for her to hear his waist and knees bend, and his elbows pivot as his staff meets Scathach's spear and glances off.

-The attack was just a set-up! He's going low!-

She hears the muscles in The Shadow's arms flex as he re-positions his staff during his feigning spin. Scathach decisively pivots her spear as sure enough, the Shadow goes low to sweep her legs again.

Scathach was ready for it this time...

She extends her spear down to intercept and stops the Shadow's staff from hitting her right leg. It all happened in seconds, and once his staff made contact with Scathach's spear, the fight pauses as he remarks with an impressed tone:

"Now you're getting it..."

Scathach gave him a confident smirk. It didn't take her long to figure out that what he just told her moments ago was how he was always seemed untouchable during their spars. He could hear which muscles were in use in each combat maneuver, letting him know what his opponent was going to do before they even make it. If it were not for that hint he gave, Scathach was not sure if she ever could have blocked that leg-sweep that he always surprised her with. Even with perfect fighting form, she'd been telegraphing her moves to him without realizing that she could be doing what HE was.

With this secret discovered, her mentor was no longer a step-ahead of her.

-Time to end this...-

Wasting no time, the fight resumed with Scathach on the offensive. They continued trading blows, with neither seeming to get the upper-hand on the other. Deciding to get crafty, Scathach deliberately staggers back as The Shadow forcefully deflects her spear, only to take that break to cast an Ice Rune to freeze the floor by his feet as he steps forward to press an attack. His foot slips and he falls on one knee with a grunt. Scathach takes the opportunity to go into wraith-form and appear behind him and strike a decisive blow. The Shadow quickly spins to do a block a full-on rear-attack. Scathach however anticipated that move and swiftly changes direction. The Shadow's gaze darts as she swings her spear to cut against his head and he ducks his head in quick response...

But not quick enough to prevent Scathach's spear from slicing off a few strands of his long hair...

Scathach stops in pose as she looked at her opponent who froze and was holding the side of his face. She smirks in victory as The Shadow revealed the cut strands of his mane that were in his hand. He was speechless as he stared at them and then to Scathach.

"Is that a hit?" Scathach asks hopefully, The Shadow's expression unreadable as he continued to stare at her. A moment of silence passes until a smile forms on his face.

"Debatable," He remarked admirably before adding," But I'll allow it..."

Scathach breathed a sigh of relief and stood up straight. The Shadow gets up and walks past her sits down a stone step nearby, putting down his staff.

"Not bad lass," he complimented her as she soon took a seat next to him. "Don't feel too confident though. I let you use whatever you liked. Next time, I won't be limiting myself."

"If you say so" Scathach said, taking a stretch before drinking some water. "For now, I'll be celebrating my victory tonight."

"You should. You deserve it..."

His soft words hung in the air for a few seconds. Scathach was touched by what he said, and it seemed for a second that he was actually... proud of her. The Shadow must have realized this too and quickly corrected himself.

"I mean... After all your training, it helps to take a break once in a while..."

Scathach was briefly surprised before attempting to humor him.

"THAT might be the first thing you have said to me that is genuinely helpful..."

She giggles until she sees his mentor almost sulking, and her cheery expression falters. The Shadow had his head cast down as he stoically just stared at the floor, reflecting. Scathach felt the need to say something.

"Shadow?"

He doesn't respond. Then he suddenly spoke...

"You know lass," he starts off, uncertain of himself. "It's been a while since I genuinely had anyone to talk to. Let's just say my duty here doesn't allow for petty relationships. If it seemed like I was ever harsh on you, then I feel that I have to assure you... it's nothing personal."

Scathach was stunned. This moment, The Shadow seemed more vulnerable than she ever thought he'd ever be. She thought about his words, and how he seemed almost apologetic to her. There was a time in the past few weeks that she would have relished in this due to his questionable treatment of her, but since he showed her clarity, coupled with the fact that she was learning magic and finally landing a hit on him, Scathach just couldn't bring herself to do so.

It was all to make her stronger and believe in herself…

"I don't mind," she said before later admitting; "Alright, maybe I did at first. But after what you told me about not tying myself by what others say about me, I could tell you were actually trying to help me. In fact I- I..."

Scathach hesitates, casting her head trying to hide a blush. She says quickly:

"I want to thank you..."

The Shadow's head perks up and looks at her skeptically.

"For what?"

His question was met with Scathach openly confessing:

"Taking me in... Training me... Helping me cope with what I am now... It gave me something else to focus on..."

It wasn't a lie. Her commitment to improving herself helped her cope with the pain of losing her parents and village. She could only imagine the toll it was taking on her sister Aife, who stayed back to repay Fimir and Kihli for their hospitality. She'd bet that The Shadow would just scoff at her answer...

"I'm surprised..."

His response was completely unexpected and caught Scathach by surprise, and she sees the genuine look on his face.

"Why?"

"All this time, I thought you were a disrespectful, arrogant brat that would break under pressure if stressed enough."

His remark struck a nerve in Scathach before he then said light-heartedly:

"I guess instead of scaring you off, my training just seemed to push you on and toughen up. You are one brave little girl..."

Scathach's irritation faded upon hearing that, and she smiles slightly from that compliment. It seemed that the Shadow had preconceptions of her that she had just shattered in these last few days, and it stroked her pride to know that she managed to change his opinion of her for the better. Yet, this revelation left a burning question in her mind.

"Why DID you take me on?" Scathach asked, desperately needing to know. "You didn't have anything to gain by training me."

The Shadow looked away and looked deep in thought. He eventually tells her:

"I guess I thought there was a chance you could give me what I don't have. From what I saw from you just now, I might still be right."

"What would that be?" Scathach asks, unsure of what he could be referring to. The Shadow then gives a her this, with a most sincere look anyone like him could possibly have..

"Some semblance of what you call normal..."

Scathach was stunned. The word "normal" could mean all lot of things. Could it be that the Shadow wanted a life like Scathach had before everything changed? Did he secretly crave the mundane act of interaction between him and another person? Was sharing an experience with someone something he treasures despite his disposition as a god-like being tied to a duty he vaguely spoke of?

Was "normal" something that he had, and then lost or taken?

Just like herself?

Scathach's heart ached at the implications. She found herself sympathizing with her mentor in a way she could never have just a short time ago. Despite the way he treated her, the young girl turned powerful mage felt great empathy for him.

"Is that what you had before... all of this?" The question escaped Scathach's lips; her voice all but a whisper. The Shadow slowly nods.

"Aye. I had a wife... children... friends..."

"What happened to them?"

The Shadow took a deep breath and looked away, his eyes narrowing as he told Scathach:

"Nothing... Absolutely nothing..."

The answer confused her, yet from the way he said that, it was almost shameful to him. If nothing happened, then why was he so full of sorrow? Before she could ask anymore, The Shadow quickly stood up.

"I have to go hunting," he said, ending the conversation. Scathach just stared as he put his staff away and summoned his red blades before turning to her. "Go back to the village. Keep up the hard work..."

She could tell that he wasn't in the mood to talk anymore and decided to leave him be.

"I will," She tells him confidently. "I can take anything you throw at me!"

"That's what I like to hear..." He smiles at her before turning to leave. What she suddenly said to him next made him pause.

"Your crazy tests can't stop me. We're immortal after all. Like you said: pain is just an obstacle..."

Scathach cheerily grabs her spear before taking her leave. He stood still until she left the chamber, leaving the Shadow alone with his thoughts. His student so far had surprised him in ways he couldn't imagine and was amazed at how quickly she was progressing with her newfound power. He also felt a certain caring feeling for her, one akin to a parent wanting their child to grow and be protected. It was a feeling he had never felt in a while, and at this point in his life, any positive human interaction was a real boon to him.

But such feelings made the pain of knowing what this brave, determined girl did not left him conflicted inside. The man secretly knew what this girl's fate was to be, and try as she might, the sad reality of what she really is will dawn on her while at the same time ruin everything she knows.

When she came to him, after her life had changed forever, The Shadow felt it was his obligation to the gods that he prepare this innocent child for what would become an inevitability in her new life.

A lasting life...

-Poor girl... she has no idea what awaits her...-

---

///Later///

Coming back from the fortress, Scathach walked into the village wearing her usual cloak; hood over her head with her spear slung on her back. She appeared to be minding her own business as villagers around her either glared or tried to ignore her. It was very cold and started snowing, but it didn't bother Scathach as much as it did the other villagers, no doubt because of the nature of her powers. She continued walking towards Fimir's hut.

Then with her enhanced hearing, she heard them...

The group of boys were peering from behind a nearby hut, ready to throw rocks at her. They came out as the eldest of them reeled back to toss a particularly big stone at the unsuspecting witch.

Little did they know, Scathach was expecting them...

The elder boy let loose and threw his rock at her. It sailed through the air towards the witch, until to their surprise, Scathach had caught it in midair before it struck her head. The boys stared as she turned to calmly inspect the offending rock in her hand. One smaller-statured boy snapped out of his stupor and reeled back to throw another rock, but just as he raised it, Scathach casually flicked the stone in her hand at said boy with blazing speed. With perfect aim, the rock was knocked cleanly out of the boy's hand making him freeze in shock. Nearby villagers stopped to look at the scene, as the boys all looked back at Scathach in fright, and could tell she was glaring at them under her hood. The boys quivered in fear as she began to slowly approach them, frozen in their tracks.

"You are all quite troublesome... And very reckless..."

Her voice was eerily calm. Scathach at last stopped right in front of the group, and gazed at each of them with her crimson red eyes. She could hear all their hearts racing, but she stayed passive.

"Did no one ever teach you to pick your battles wisely? Even on a hunt, an animal as at its most dangerous when provoked. Could wound you even when wounded first..."

The boys were scared stiff, but that did not deter Scathach from giving them a piece of her mind. She needed to put an end to this once and for all... the RIGHT way...

"You should know that nothing good will come from you bothering me..." She told them sternly, staying composed despite her internal animosity towards these disrespectful kids. "Why not go home, and be with your parents?"

"W- we lost our parents..." One of the boys worked up the nerve to tell her, his tone becoming accusatory. This mildly surprised Scathach as some of the other boys started chiming in.

"Those invaders took everything from us..."

"We don't want some witch come and take everything again when we we're just trying to survive!"

"You'll bring misfortune on us like they did!"

"You should leave!"

Scathach's face stayed passive, yet she understood their words even if they were meant to hurt her. So this was how the entire village saw her... an entity who wanted to take everything these survivors took claim on despite just being scraps. With the power she accidently demonstrated on that day, everyone here feared she could take what she wanted. It wasn't like anybody could stop her if she did...

These young troublemakers were in the same boat as she, Aife, Fimir and Kihli. The last thing Scathach wanted was to make what some semblance of life here more difficult for everybody. Yet, she could not allow them to make her and her friends' time here difficult as well. She briefly looked over her shoulder to the growing crowd of people gathering behind her, and could see in the back that Aife and Fimir were watching her.

Scathach decided to make a statement...

"You are not the only ones who have lost everything," she tells them, aware that there were other villagers listening. "My sister and I came here to regain what was stolen from us just as you all are. But that doesn't mean that I want to take what little you have."

She grabbed a rock out of a stunned boy's grasp and made it glow in her hands. The villagers gasped in amazement.

"As you can see, I very well can if I wanted..."

The stone turned to dust in her hand, and Scathach poured it on to the ground beneath her feet. She was demonstrating her strength as much she was showing her restraint.

"But I won't," she said resolutely. Thanks to The Shadow's teaching of discipline and clarity, Scathach no longer cared what the whole village thought negatively about her. "I'm just here surviving just like ALL of you. Like it or not... you are stuck with me."

Scathach looked back at the boys, who were rendered speechless as was everybody else. She removed her hood and gazed upon them with her red eyes.

Anyone who looked on them now could see that there was no fear behind them anymore.

"Don't ever bother my sister or my friends again. Leave us alone, and I'll extend you the same courtesy."

She then relaxes her expression and calmly asks them with a smirk.

"Do we understand each other?"

The boys all nodded in unison, unwilling to antagonize her further.

"Good..."

Scathach turned and walked towards the stunned crowd who parted as she approached. She was breathing deeply trying to calm down after her speech. As she made her way back to Aife and Fimir, she caught sight of a very young boy beside her next to his mother and noticed that he was dressed rather lightly, had red cheeks and was shivering. When she stopped to look at him, the boy hid partially behind his mother. Scathach slowly came closer and knelt to meet him at eye-level.

"Are you cold, child?" she asks with a softened face of concern. The boy nods at her, still hiding. Scathach's heart broke for the boy, thinking that his family didn't have enough to keep him warm on a cold day like this. It further solidified how devastated these survivors were after losing their homes and possessions to the barbarians.

Pushing her sorrow down, Scathach puts down her spear and sheds her cloak, leaving her in her battle-attire. She offers the garment to the boy with a smile.

"Here. It's yours now..."

The child stared at the offering conflicted. Scathach was worried that the boy's mother was going to protest to her son accepting anything from a supposed witch, but that worry was soon evaporated when the boy slowly took the cloak out of her hands. The mother made no effort to stop him and let him wear the garment. Scathach's smile returned when the boy bundled himself up and stopped shivering. Satisfied, she stood up and continued towards Aife and Fimir, not waiting to see if she would get gratitude. Scathach was not expecting to receive it anyway as the villagers parted before her and stayed silent. She never kept that cloak to keep her warm in the first place, and it was fitting that she gave it away now of all times. Scathach didn't need the cloak anymore.

She was done hiding...