Cadence slowly circled the edge of the practice ring. Her footsteps left deep imprints in the loose, soft dirt, specially prepared for these training matches. She wore what she thought of as her hiking clothes - comfortable cotton leggings, a matching tunic, with a leather vest over her chest and hard leather guards on her shins and forearms. Her hair, the same bright blue as the clear sky overhead, was pulled back into a messy bun that complimented the intense look on her face as she and her foe slowly closed the distance, the circle their footprints traced shrinking with each step.

Brian was dressed much the same, though his own gear lacked the protective runes Storyteller had inscribed on the inside of hers. Rather than his signature ensouled spear, he held a long length of wood with a heavy, dull piece of iron on end. It, like the short weighted rod Cadence was wielding, was a practice weapon, designed to be more difficult to wield than his own weapon while also ensuring it couldn’t permanently hurt Cadence any more than she could hurt him. The bruises were still nasty though.

“Oh my Elder, just GO!” Ryme called from the sidelines, impatient with the long minutes of careful positioning that both Cadence and Brian preferred to open their bouts with. 

Brian’s eyes flicked to the fenceline, where the chief hunter of Felisen was watching with the rest of the village’s fighters. It was the moment Cadence had been waiting for, and her free hand flashed to her vest, grabbing one of the dull knives she used to practice knife throwing. The slender piece of scrap iron flew across the space between them, startling her foe.

Even taken by surprise, the gift of grace Brian had received from his ensouled weapon ensured that his reflexes were up to the task of deflecting the faux knife. His staff snapped up to bat the projectile away, but Cadence had been planning on that. Over the past few months she had noticed that if Brian wasn’t paying attention, his enhanced reflexes would react before his conscious mind did. So Cadence was moving as soon as her dagger was in the air, and when his staff shot up to deflect the harmless knife, she lunged in under his guard, stabbing out with the practice sword in her hand.

It still wasn’t enough. As her sword closed in, Brian’s entire body swayed with perfect timing, his balance shifting in an instant to pivot him to one side. Rather than prodding him in the gut, as she had planned, her sword stabbed through empty air, throwing her off balance.

She had just enough time to think damn it before the haft of Brian’s training spear slammed into her back from behind. The older boy must’ve stepped around her lunge after his Perfect Dodge let him avoid the attack, taking advantage of his new position to hit her from behind. Enhanced by another ability from his gift of grace, Mobile Strike, the attack threw Cadence down into the loose dirt of the practice ring - which didn’t feel very cushioned to her at the moment.

Two months before, that would’ve been it. She would’ve taken the hit and just stayed down to recover. But the weeks of training with people, nearly all of whom were bigger, stronger, and higher level than her, had given Cadence the sort of experience she needed. Instead of giving up, she rolled to her feet and activated Soul Surge to boost her speed attribute. 

Soul Surge - Active, Buff - Increase one attribute by five points. Duration of five minutes, moderate stamina and focus cost incurred when buff expires.

She was only just in time - the moment she got her feet under her, Brian’s spear was dancing at her in a dizzying series of jabs. Only the improved reflexes of the speed boost let her bat aside most of them, though she still received a couple hard hits to her arms and ribs before she was able to leap backwards.

Her eyes tracked Brian as she moved, and her mouth cocked in a little grin as she activated the other ability from the gift of the echo. What had once been a disorienting sensation flickered through her as the gift of the echo contorted in her soul, reflecting an aspect of Brian’s own gift of grace. She couldn’t copy his passive boosts - her Soul Surge had to act as a substitute for that - but she could mirror any of the four active abilities his two gifts granted him. She dismissed the hunter gift out of hand. Its abilities were potent in the field, but useless in a practice fight like this. Her usual choice was the same special attack he had used against only a few moments before.

Mobile Strike - Active, Attack - Make a fast attack with enhanced potency. Can only be moved while running, leaping, or otherwise in rapid motion. Moderate stamina cost.

Brian, as the closest hunter to her own age, was her most common training partner, and she had experimented with all of his abilities over the past two months. His Perfect Dodge was a powerful defensive tool against the precise attacks they both favored, but it had to be deployed with equally precise timing. His Mobile Strike, on the other hand, allowed him to deal additional damage with fast attacks while moving. Often, their fights turned into a glorified game of tag, both darting about and trying to land a decisive hit against the other. Cadence lost more often than not in those situations, since she couldn’t switch between the two abilities the way he could.

Frustrated, her eyes slid past Brian for a moment to the watching hunters, and locked on her mother - then on the big man standing next to her, Denning. Her lips curled into a smile as she made a plan, and a moment later, she darted forward again. Brian did the same, practice spear ready, clearly expecting them to transition to the usual rhythm of hit and run tactics. But when his spear flashed out, Cadence willingly took the stinging blow, allowing her to position herself properly, both hands at the base of the weighted rod she was using like a sword. As she swung it, it seemed to get heavier in her grip, and only the momentum of her speed-boosted charge was enough to keep the attack moving. 

Gift of the Brawler reflected

Heavy Strike - Active, Attack - Wielded weapon briefly but greatly increases in weight, making the next attack clumsy but extremely powerful. Moderate stamina cost.

The gift of the echo didn’t provide any outward sign when it was used, so Brian only realized at the last moment that she hadn’t used one of his gifts, instead copying an ability from Denning. Even as he jabbed her in the stomach, her own strike slammed into Brian’s midriff, sending the other hunter flying across the ring. He landed in a sprawl in the loose dirt, groaning, while the watching hunters cheered in appreciation.

“Was that my gift?” Denning asked through his amused chuckle.

“Yep,” Cadence confirmed with a proud nod, walking over to join the hunters. While she did, she cast a look in Brian’s direction. The boy was still laying on the ground, trying to recover. “Oh come on!” she teased him. “I didn’t hit you that hard, get up!”

“That hurt!” he complained from the ground.

“That’s the point,” Ryme cut in brusquely. “Now get up, unless you want to take Markey’s turn with Denning today.”

Brian groaned louder - but reluctantly rolled to his feet to clear the ring. Since Storyteller began training Felisen’s hunters, he and Ryme had set a firm practice schedule, expecting every hunter to fight at least once any day they weren’t actively patrolling. Denning had proven his place as Ryme’s second in those bouts, and even the chief hunter herself only managed to seize a victory half the time from the brawny man. He insisted that this was only because Ryme’s skillset, with the addition of her new gift of the archer, was too aligned to killing to perform well in practice. However, that didn’t stop him from consistently thrashing every other hunter in the village.

“C’mon then, boy.” Denning easily vaulted the fenceline, his strength boost more than enough to support even his large frame.

Markey sighed, resigned, and moved to join him, but Ryme smoothly interrupted the two men. “Actually Denning, I think it’s time we started pushing you a little more. Smith, go ahead and join Markey.”

The ragged hunters both looked up in surprise, before sharing a predatory smile that evoked the image of the same wolf reflected in their gifts. Smith joined Markey in jumping the fence, and the two of them faced off against the big hunter.

Rather than watching the show to come, Cadence’s eyes drifted over to Brian. The swarthy young man had staggered over to a low fieldstone and sat down, still clutching his stomach. She frowned in concern, and started to shift towards him before Storyteller’s hand landed on her shoulder. 

“That was good,” he told her. “Not many people will get used to the gift of the echo, but when they do, they’ll often expect you to reflect their own abilities - ones which they know inside and out. Surprising him with such a different attack was a smart move.”

“I know,” Cadence said. She chewed her bottom lip, still sneaking glances back at Brian. 

Storyteller finally took notice of her stare, and asked, “What is it?”

“I just… I’m worried I hurt him, that’s all.” 

“He’s fine,” Ryme interjected with a small, amused huff of breath. “I think his pride is hurt more than anything else.”

Storyteller snorted out a breath of agreement, and Cadence reluctantly nodded in acceptance. 

“Do you mind if I ask you something, Cadence?” Storyteller said, his voice quiet enough that only Cadence and Ryme could hear him.

Cadence peered up at him in confusion, but nodded. “Of course.”

“I get the sense you and him have a history.” 

Cadence blushed, but slowly nodded. “Uhm… yes. Yes we do.”

Storyteller just arched an eyebrow, clearly expecting more.

Cadence sighed in exasperation, and explained, “I had a crush on him for a long time. I was young and… and he was cute, okay?”

“You’re still young.” Ryme commented with an eye roll, her eyes still fixed on the fighting hunters in the ring.

Storyteller laughed dryly. “She’s right. And I’m pretty sure a crush doesn’t count as history.”

“We… We walked around together for a few months.” Cadence admitted, flushing even darker. 

“And then?”

Cadence fidgeted awkwardly before her mother saved her. “It turned out Brian didn’t like that his girlfriend was sometimes a boy.”

Storyteller arched an eyebrow, looking from mother to daughter, and cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I can’t help but feel I’m missing something.”

“Sometimes when caravans come through,” Cadence finally explained, “I like to dress up like a boy. They don’t know everyone in the village and… I don’t know, they treat me differently. It’s fun to be someone else sometimes. It’s…” She trailed off thoughtfully for a moment, then shrugged. “Comfortable.”

“Brian saw ‘Caden’ one night and responded poorly.” Ryme finished the story for Cadence, resting a supportive hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Which is his loss.”

Cadence smiled up at her mother, and Storyteller noticed that the blush was gone. While her relationship history embarrassed her, it was clear Cadence had no problems with her gender, or its nebulous nature.

Finally, Storyteller shrugged. “I happen to agree. And I think the gift of the echo may really have been the perfect gift for you. It happens to suit those of us who like to wear other faces sometimes.”

“Other faces… I like that.” Cadence said. A gentle flower of a smile slowly bloomed across her lips at the thought that her gift might match her identity so well one day. She didn’t even feel the need to press Storyteller for details.

“Ah…” In a rare display of hesitation, Storyteller paused, then carefully asked, “So is it still correct to think of you as a girl? Or…”

“For today.” Cadence told him. “Tomorrow… I guess we’ll see.”

#

To Cadence’s surprise, Markey and Smith together proved Denning’s equal, and scored their first win against the big man. Denning preferred an aggressive fighting style, taking advantage of the strength and ferocity of his brawler gift with a pair of matching hatchets. Smith and Markey fought much more nimbly, each wielding a longsword in one hand and the dangerous claws of their wolf gift in the other.

Despite their Apprentice level, Cadence had never been particularly impressed with the matched pair of ragged hunters when she fought against either one of them. They weren’t as fast or as mobile as Brian, and they lacked the sheer power of Ryme and Denning. But fighting together, their strengths were more obvious. The tricky feints and rapid dodges, which were easy enough for even Cadence to brute force through in a fair fight, became far more dangerous when there were two of them, and their natural weapons proved as dangerous as their swords. Denning simply couldn’t keep up, being blindsided whenever he pinned one of the duo down while they coordinated their attacks with the ruthless efficiency of the animal their shared gifts represented.

“Why do you think your mother put Denning in a fight like that?” Storyteller asked Cadence afterwards, while they walked back towards the village itself. The practice ring was just outside of Felisen, as it saw equal use as a corral for draft animals when the farmers outside the village would come to town, or when caravans passed through. There was even a small barn attached to it.

Cadence didn’t answer immediately, thinking it over. She knew the tone Storyteller was taking, and knew that if she looked up now he’d have the bright yellow eyes she thought of as his ‘smart eyes’. He was looking to teach her a lesson. 

Finally, she replied, “Denning has been winning too much lately. She wanted to make sure he didn’t get prideful.”

Storyteller made an interested hum. “Not a bad idea, but I think I disagree. I would say she wanted to put him in an unfair situation because that’s what he’s more likely to end up facing on the job.”

Cadence didn’t reply, instead frowning thoughtfully. After a moment, Storyteller continued, “If he came across any bone wolves, or frostfangs, or some other pack predator, they’d fight just the way those two did. Cruel, uncaring efficiency, taking every advantage their numbers offer them. Duels are good practice, but in the end…”

“Life isn’t fair.” Cadence nodded. Her own performance in the duels had been middling at best since she started participating in them. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.”

“Oh?” Storyteller arched an eyebrow. 

Cadence’s frown became less thoughtful and more irritated. “I get why mom wants me to practice like this… but I don’t think this is how I’d fight in the real world. I just don’t have the abilities for it.”

“You’re right,” Storyteller confirmed. “It’s more apparent because of your level, but the gift of the echo is never going to make you the equal of someone who has trained for years with their own gifts. The fact that your other gift is so utility focused only compounds the problem.”

“Exactly. Soul Surge helps, but it doesn’t even out everything.” Cadence pursed her lips thoughtfully. “That’s why I used Denning’s gift today instead. I can’t just play the same game as my opponent, or I’ll lose.”

“So how would you fight someone like Brian in real life?” Storyteller asked, sounding genuinely interested.

Cadence shrugged. She had been thinking about that for weeks now. “I’d take that Mobile Strike ability of his, give myself a speed boost, and hit him before he knew the fight was even happening. He doesn’t have any resilience boost, he’d fold fast.” 

Storyteller’s eyebrows went up in surprise, and Cadence felt a surge of glee just as powerful as any boost her ability could provide. Often, it seemed like Storyteller was this ominous figure who had all the answers but dodged most questions. After a couple weeks with him, she understood why Ryme got so frustrated with him so often. It was always fun to be able to surprise someone who seemed to know it all. 

Storyteller started to respond, but stopped abruptly. His eyes focused forward, and in an instant, they were the icy blue of his most intense personality. Cadence still didn’t get it - he had hinted, the few times she had asked about it, that it was a trait of his own echo gift, but refused to elaborate any further.

Cadence followed his gaze up ahead of their little party. Several concerned people had rushed up to Ryme as they approached town, and were speaking in hushed tones to the chief hunter. She studied their body language. Denning was making small patting motions in the air with his hands, clearly trying to soothe the villagers, while Ryme listened with a detached frown. Markey and Smith traded a look, and she doubted either of them noticed the casual way their hands already rested on their swords. Hunters were always armed, even if they didn’t use their weapons in the practice fights.

“Something’s wrong.” She observed. She watched Brian shoot an alarmed look from the villagers back to Cadence.

“Agreed. Let’s go see what.”

“Really?” Cadence had been asking “why” basically since Storyteller first announced that he was going to stay in Felisen, and now, she felt like she was finally going to get some answers. She hadn’t seen this version of Storyteller since his fight with the ogre.

“Yes. Stay close, and have your bow ready. It’s going to be a fight.”