The girl stared at the center of the clearing. Helbram and Leon were standing still, talking about something, but all that she could focus on were the sights that she had seen just moments before. Sword against sword, almost like a dance that neither men were willing to give ground on. It was… a duel? Yes, that’s what it was, though she did not know how she knew such things.

She did not know how she knew many things, despite her years of stillness in that shack.

The mystery of her knowledge was only present in her mind for a moment, however, for it was the wonder of the duel that had left her mouth agape. Echos of clashing steel still rung in her heart, and as she felt them she a hollowness in her chest began to grow.

A longing, but for what she did not know.

All she knew is that she wished to see more, hungered to see more of it; her now uninhibited curiosity blending with the longing in her heart. 

“Are you certain of this?” Leon asked, his eyes narrowed at Helbram.

The warrior nodded, “Indeed I am,” he held up three fingers, “three bouts, if you would be so kind.”

The Black Cloak peered at Helbram, then slipped on his hood again, the visor of his helmet forming as dark mist condensed over his face. It was an appearance that should have been frightening to the girl, yet she could only look upon it with curiosity. There was an intuition that she had developed in her time exploring Redhaven, observing its townsfolk, something that she had quickly realized as the villagers looked upon her with both fear and disdain. She did not know if it was part of the Cold that had taught her this intuition, or something that was innate to her own wits, but regardless of its origin it told her Leon was not as scary as he looked.

That the hollowness in his eyes was not due to a fear of her, but due to something buried deep within him.

It was only from his duel with Helbram that the Black Cloak showed a brighter expression, a glimpse at who Leon was beneath his gruff exterior.

She looked back to Helbram, catching the slight smile on his face. Where his opponent showed concern for the upcoming bout, she could see an energy to the warrior's eyes before he placed his helmet back on.

He was excited, though she was not sure why.

“Leaf,” Helbram held out his hand, “My shield, if you would be so kind.”

The girl, having almost forgotten the archer’s presence as she was immersed in the duel, turned her head towards Helbram’s companion. His sharp eyes were narrowed, studying Helbram as he walked closer to him. However, he handed the warrior his shield without a word, though his inquisitive expression remained.

She felt Jahora squeeze her, but the  woman’s eyes were fixed ahead just like hers were. The girl could feel  the small woman’s warmth around her, and grabbed one of the hands wrapped around her waist. Jahora turned to her then, but the girl’s eyes remained fixed ahead. Out of the corner of her eye, the girl could see Elly was focused on the upcoming bout as well, hand stroking her chin in calm contemplation.

Helbram shrugged his shoulders and placed his shield in front of him. As he did, a haze came over the girl’s vision. The warrior’s form began to blur, and behind him she could see someone else, or rather the outline of what she thought was someone else. It was a rough shape, but she could tell that the figure was also adorned in armor, wielding a sword and shield just like Helbram. His stance was different from the warrior’s however, and a there was a relaxation to his stance as well that was distinct from Helbram’s more tense posture.

Come now, we must put on quite the show for Her Majesty.

It was a man’s voice. Hollow, more akin to an echo than something that was said in front of her. Something stabbed at her chest then, a pain that flared, but made her eyes water as the words flowed through her.

She rubbed her eyes, and when she looked back at Helbram, the figure was gone.

The girl pulled her concentration from the dueling men and looked around. If anyone had seen the man, they showed no reaction to him. She squinted her eyes back at Helbram just to be sure, but the figure did not reappear. That pang of sadness in her chest had faded, and the excitement that she originally felt returned as Leon spoke.

“Ready?” The Black Cloak asked.

Helbram nodded, “Ready.”

The moment that the warrior spoke, Leon leapt forward. To say that he was fast would be an understatement, for the Black Cloak closed the distance in half a breath, placing him at Helbram’s exposed flank. His sword flared with golden light as he swung at Helbram’s side, but the warrior twisted just in time, intercepting blade with shield. As Leon’s sword struck the guard, Helbram’s arm was thrown back with enough force to make him stumble in retreat. Leon’s attack continued, flowing from the first strike to one aimed at Helbram’s chest. Where his movements before were quick a near blur as he moved, the ones that he showed now were distorted, almost unreadable were it not for the fact that, against all odds, Helbram blocked the follow up strike. The warrior caught the Black Cloak’s blade with his own, altering the sword’s path as he twisted his crossguard and forced the attack downwards. Helbram skipped back as he did so, managing to avoid the attack narrowly, but he was still unable to recover his guard.

Leon kept his blade locked with Helbram’s, and with a flick of his wrist a burst of golden light exploded from his sword, forcing Helbram to overextend his guard. He followed through with another strike, this time landing the blow against Helbram’s side. Helbram was knocked off of his feet as the attack landed and fell to the ground in a clatter.

Leon was the victor.

Helbram rolled onto his back with a groan, “Gods above that hurts.”

Leon walked up to the warrior and held a hand out, “It would do you a disservice to hold back after you made such a request.”

Helbram chuckled, the laugh faltering as he flinched and clutched at his side, “Bloody hell, I reap what I sow I suppose…” he grabbed Leon’s hand and allowed the Black Cloak to pull him to  his feet, “Two more bouts then?”

Leon’s face may be covered, but the girl could feel his frown from a distance.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” He asked,  “ Impressive as it was for you to block two strikes from me,  I cannot guarantee you will be free from injury if we continue.”

“I understand the risks,” Helbram said, “But allow me to entertain this whim for a moment longer.”

Leon stared at Helbram for a moment, but eventually nodded.

“Wonderful,” Helbram said, “But it would be truly foolish of me to believe that I would make any progress against you as I am now. Would you allow me the assistance of another?”

“Please,” the Black Cloak said, “Truth be told, I would like to be aware of your comrades’ capabilities as well.”

“Perfect,” Helbram said as he turned towards his comrades.

He was looking at her, or, she thought he was for a moment.

“Jahora, could you grant me your assistance?”

The girl looked to the woman who held her. Jahora had an uncertain expression on her face for a moment, but nodded. She let the girl go and placed a hand on her shoulder. A grin flashed across the woman’s face, an expression that made the girl feel warm even without Jahora’s hands around her. She joined her companion out in the clearing and they began to talk, though their tones were too low for her to make out what was being said.

Some childish instinct in her made her narrow her eyes as if that would somehow help her hear better, but she was brought out of her concentrated gaze by another hand resting on her shoulder. She looked up, seeing that Elly was now at her side. The taller woman had a small smile on her face when the girl looked up into her golden eyes, and while she did not exude the warmth that Jahora seemed to radiate with, there was a different kind of comfort that she felt in Elly’s presence. Where Jahora was a warm blanket, Elly was the cool pillow she could rest her head against, which is what the girl did as she leaned against the woman’s leg. Elly’s hand remained on her shoulder, but wandered occasionally to play with her hair, which the girl did not mind at all.

Helbram and Leon took their positions once again. There was no change to the Black Cloak’s appearance, but his opponent’s shield now sported a glyph that hovered over it’s surface, brimming with blue light. Jahora stood behind Helbram, her hands outstretched as light poured from her fingertips and towards the warrior. It was not the first time that she’d seen the Mage perform magic, but it still entranced her all the same.

Aether… yes, that’s what Jahora was using.

“Ready on your move,” Helbram said, keeping his sword in a lower position this time.

Leon nodded and, after a pause, charged ahead in a blur.

Directly at Helbram.

The warrior dropped his sword as Leon closed in and thrust his hand out.

“Spear!” he yelled.

As he did, a flash of purple light burst from his outstretched palm, materializing into a spear instantaneously as his hand wrapped around it. Leon twisted his head out of the way just in time to dodge the surprise thrust, but Helbram followed the attack by slamming his shield into the Black Cloak’s shoulder. As the shield’s glyph struck Leon, Helbram called out again.

“Burst!”

The glyph shifted from blue to red before a jet of flame exploded forth. The blast knocked Leon’s shoulder back and knocked him further off balance. His feet shifted to recover, but Helbram was already continuing the assault. The warrior dropped his spear and the girl saw that it was swallowed by purple light before disappearing, right as Helbram started to swing his hand.

“Sword!”

Another flash of purple light appeared, forming into the shape of his sword as he targeted Leon’s head. Before it could connect, a blade of solid gold light materialized in front of Leon’s face, catching Helbram’s sword. The blade flicked, knocking Helbram’s attack to the side before Leon reached up to grab the sword of light with his free hand. His swords danced as he shifted from defensive to offensive, forcing Helbram to raise his shield to block the blows. Leon skipped around to Helbram’s side, his speed once again allowing him strike at Helbram’s exposed flank.

“Tower!”

As Helbram yelled, the glyph shifted back to blue and expanded, changing from a circular shape to a rectangular form as it spread beyond his shield’s surface. Helbram brought his arm back as the glyph grew, the expanded sigil catching Leon’s attack before it could land. The glyph flashed flared with light as it absorbed the force behind the blow, allowing Helbram to maintain his footing as he spun around, swinging at Leon’s leg. The Black Cloak caught Helbram’s sword with his own and threw his arm up. Helbram could not fight against Leon’s strength and as he tried to maintain the grip on his sword his own arm was pulled up, creating enough of an opening for Leon to strike at with his blade of light. The attack struck Helbram’s side with a flare of golden energy, and the warrior let his arms fall in defeat.

Helbram tapped the side that was struck and hissed, “Is this how it feels, Leaf?” he called out to his companion.

Leaf laughed, “Yes it is. Maybe that’ll make you tone it down a bit?”

Helbram chuckled, “Not a chance,” he looked to Leon, most notable at the blade of light that rested in the Black Cloak’s hand, “That is an interesting Art.”

Leon held the sword of light out, “It is something we Black Cloaks are taught from initiation.”

“Part of your Technique then?” Helbram inquired.

Leon nodded, “Yes, though which weapon is manifested is dependent on the user. For simplicity's sake I refer to this sword as Fang.”

Fang dissipated into motes of golden light, leaving his hand empty. Leon looked to Helbram and Jahora as he let his arm fall to his side, “I would say that your own abilities are far more interesting, however.”

Helbram twirled his sword absentmindedly, “It is something we’ve been practicing for a while, though Jahora is doing most of the work.”

The Mage frowned, “That is not true and you know it,” she rested her chin in her hand, “I need to improve my reaction time so things are more seamless, and there has to be a better way to signal what enchantment to use. Shouting only goes so far and it is fairly obvious…”

“That is true,” Helbram admitted, “But refinement will only come with time. I would say it is functional at the moment. I need to improve on a few things of my own as well…”

He looked to Leon, “We have one more bout I believe.”

“Yes, that was the agreement,” the Black Cloak said, “Are you sure that you wish to continue?”

Helbram tapped his shield with his sword, Jahora raised her hands and the glyph reappeared over its surface, “I am certain. And please, do not hold back this time.”

Leon walked to his position and looked back at the warrior, “As you wish.”

Jahora and Helbram moved towards the opposite end of the clearing and Helbram raised his shield, “Ready.”

Right after the warrior spoke, Leon lowered his stance. As he did, Three Fangs formed around him, their shapes similar to the sword he held in his hand. They hovered in the air, and rather than reach out to grab them he pointed his free hand towards his opponent. The tips of the Fangs shifted towards Helbram, and when they were aligned they shot forward, leaving only steaks of light in their wake. The warrior barely got his shield in front of him in time, intercepting the Fangs as they clashed against the glyph. As the first Fang struck, the glyph flared with light but still maintained its structure, but as the second hit the sigil shattered, allowing the third Fang to strike Helbram’s shield directly. The force of the impact threw Helbram’s arm back. Leon had followed his Fangs the moment he loosed them at Helbram, and in that brief window of the warrior’s broken guard he struck Helbram at his side. The blow once again swept Helbram off of his feet, and the warrior landed on his side before rolling onto his back. A haze came over the girl’s vision again, and she could see the spectral knight on the floor next to Helbram.

Except, unlike the warrior, he wasn’t breathing.

Her hand reached out to the knight, but before she could say anything the vision was shattered by a laugh.

Helbram’s laugh.

“As expected,” he said through a groan. He pushed himself to his feet before Leon could make it to him, but Helbram held a hand out to him regardless, “I thank you for the demonstration, it appears that I have quite a ways to go before I can catch up.”

Leon took his hand and gave it a firm shake, “You should take comfort in where you are now. I know many among my peers that do not possess half the skill that you do.”

Helbram snorted, “I suppose you are right, but complacency is the enemy of progress, I shall see if I can survive your onslaught next time.”

Leon lowered his hood, exposing the smile that he wore on his face, “I look forward to it.”

Helbram removed his helmet as well and wiped his brow, “Likewise.”

Jahora came up to Helbram with concern in her eyes, “Are you alright?”

Helbram released Leon’s hand and nodded, “Yes, better than alright really, though I must admit I am exhausted, shall we return to the inn?”

 

---

 

Leon’s fatigue was gone by the time they returned to the inn. His opponent, however, quickly retired to his room by the time they got back, no doubt exhausted from the duel and following exhibition of the Black Cloak’s abilities. While Leon could have stayed in the tavern’s gathering hall, he also chose to retire to his room, with Ren following after him.

“I must admit, the swordsman’s skills were quite surprising,” The Cleric said as they entered their room, “I would not have expected one of such caliber to be spending his time in the Freemarks.”

“I imagine that is due to his condition,” Leon said, “Ether stagnation is quite the limitation for an adventurer, but it would not play as much a factor in a place as undeveloped as this.”

“Still, I imagine he would find a good amount of work as an instructor were he to pursue such things,” Ren said as he sat on his bed.

“The man challenged an Expert Awoken as a measure of his own capabilities,” Leon said in a matter-of-fact tone, “he may not have the body for adventuring, but his spirit could not fit it any better.”

Leon took a seat on his bed as well and looked at Ren, “That is… should his condition be true.”

Ren leaned back, resting his head against the wall, “I did not detect anything from him while the two of you fought. No fluctuation of Aether, or manipulation of any energy occurred around him,” he crossed his arms, “we’re he a Shade such observations could be the result of his abilities, but I can’t imagine it would be easy to maintain such a facade in such a heated duel.”

Leon nodded, “Yes, the way he moved as well… there was no way that was the result of a Shade.”

Ren quirked an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“There was a sharpness to his technique, one that can only be the result of rigorous training. Were he a Shade it is very possible that he would possess great skill, but in such a case there is a looseness to it, the feeling of one who is merely following the motions rather than executing them. This can of course be alleviated should the Shade decide to practice the motions over and over themselves, but with most Shades there is usually a complacency that comes with their ability that lends itself to such things being atypical. Helbram… he is different, driving to improve even should he experience defeat after defeat.”

Ren smiled, “Is that admiration I detect in your voice?”

Leon snorted, “How could I not? With power denied to him he instead chose to pursue technique, something which requires a drive and discipline that most do not possess. Most would have given up in such a situation, and there would be no reason to blame them for doing so. Yet here he is, accepting his condition, developing in spite of it with all of his might…”

As he spoke a memory flashed through his mind. That of a young boy with wild brown hair and brown eyes full of wonder.

I’m going to be the best swordsman in the world Leon! Just you wait!

The Black Cloak grit his teeth and shook his head, “What of his companions, did you detect anything from them as well?”

Ren looked at his companion with narrowed eyes, but answered, “Nothing, even during the last two bouts there was no oddity to the Aether that Jahora controlled, though it certainly was an unorthodox style of magic.”

“But it was effective,” Leon admitted, “With such abilities I can’t imagine them getting in our way should conflict come to pass,” he unlatched his sword from his hip, “as long as we agree they are free of suspicion.”

“Of that, I believe we can agree. Though their appearance lines up with the disappearance of our target, it truly does appear that their presence is purely from happenstance. One to our fortune, for once.”

Leon smiled, “Good to know,” he stifled a yawn, “it appears I am still fatigued from our travels. I will have to retire for the day.”

“Oh? So the duel drained you as well did it?”

Leon smirked, “Perhaps it did,” he tapped the center of his breastplate, where the emblem of Velendel lay embossed on the black steel with a shade of gold.  The symbol flared and his armor dissipated to mist, which funneled into the symbol as it shifted into the shape of a medallion that hung from a chain on his neck. His normal clothes remained, and he laid back in his bed with a grown as he kicked off his books.

“We shall continue in the morrow,” he said as he closed his eyes.

 

---

 

Leaf was already in the room by the time that Helbram returned. The archer sat on his bed, armor in a neat pile on the ground. His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell with the steady rhythms of deep breaths. A soft hum of red light flowed from his companion’s frame, flickering as his face started to twitch and his brow sheened with sweat.

Helbram moved silently as his friend continued to Cultivate, not wanting to disturb the archer’s focus. He had already taken his armor before they had even arrived to this inn, and sat the tied bundle down at the foot of his bed. Elly had done him the courtesy of casting a small cleansing spell, freeing him from the sweat and grime that accumulated during the duel. He took a seat at his bed and observed Leaf for a while, making sure that his companion was not in danger of entering Deviation, which he’d be able to minimize by smacking his companion from his trance. The thought of Leaf’s likely tirade in such a situation forced a snort from Helbram, but he made no further noise as he planted his feet and squared his shoulders.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Normally he would reach for his Core, spending what would seem like ages to locate it within, and even if he managed to succeed, pulling Ether from his Core would be like squeezing water from stone. There was a brief moment where he considered doing just that, but he held himself back and instead let his thoughts go as he breathed. He still searched inwards, but rather than try to reach for something he attempted to lose himself to the trance, much like he was dreaming.

Or rather, having a nightmare.

It was a phenomenon that had plagued him ever since he left the Academy. He would stand in a vast, black void, facing a mysterious figure in combat. He would lose, constantly, and with each defeat he would wake, the shock of death shaking him from the nightmare in a cold sweat. He’d grown to tolerate it over the years, and eventually the nightmares stopped altogether, ever since he met his companions. He’d thought that he had shaken a curse, and welcomed the peaceful sleep that took its place.

Now? He desired the nightmare.

Time within it was variable. On some nights it was like he’d been fighting for a day straight while on others it could go by in an instant. What he realized too late was that with each dream his form, his technique felt more refined. His sleep would suffer, but his muscle memory improved unconsciously, granting him an efficiency to his movements that he’d taken for granted. Recent foes, especially Leon, told his that he needed to get stronger, and where Ether and Aether denied him their boons he would have to rely on the one thing he knew gave him results, and so did his search for the nightmare begin.

He imagined the void, its tepid, uncaring air.

He imagined the faceless figure that waited within, its cold, dispassionate aura as it struck him down over and over again.

He remembered the last time that he had the nightmare, remembered the conviction that he’d shown to the nightmare that had finally banished it from his mind.

A conviction that he now had to get it back.

A minute passed, two minutes, and nothing happened, but he would continue to lose himself to his thoughts, feeling the sensations of the world around him begin to fade as the darkness of his mind started to feel more corporeal. He felt his head sink, and as it did his eyes opened.

Only to see nothing but darkness.

He looked around him, his heart quickening with excitement as he only found more endless space around him.

“And here I thought you were done with me,” a voice said.

His voice.

Helbram turned to the sound, coming face to face with himself. The two of them wore the exact same armor, wielded the same weapons, but where Helbram’s eyes were lit with excitement there was only amusement to his copy’s face.

“And excited no less,” the copy said, “though I should not be surprised. We are the same, after all.”

“Indeed we are,” Helbram said with an almost affectionate tone, “truth be told it took me quite some time to realize what a boon this was, the ability to train within my own mind, unburned by the passage of time.”

His copy shrugged, “Eventually sense prevailed, and you stand before me… or rather yourself, once again,” he gripped the sword at his waist and grinned, “we should not waste anymore time.”

Helbram smirked and drew his sword, “Indeed.”

“Before we begin, what form do you wish me to take?”

Helbram did not answer and instead closed his eyes. He thought back to the duel that he’d just had, recalling each of the movements that he’d gone through.

That Leon had shown him.

When he opened his eyes, the Black Cloak stood in front of him, sword drawn and a Fang already formed in his opposite hand.

“Well then,” the figure said, “Shall we begin?”

---

Author's Note: And we are back! Apologies for the delays again everyone, the holidays were a bit rough for me this year but I plan on being back on track with this. The goal will be for an update every Monday, and I aim to be as consistent as possible. Thank you again for your patience

So there are a few things I wanted to accomplish with this chapter. The first was to display some more of Leon's abilities and to properly demonstrate just how strong a well trained Awoken is. Helbram may have had a few victories against Awoken, but with the power disparity here I wanted to be somewhat realistic to how such a face off would go.

Second, I wanted to give Leon a bit more character beyond the gruff persona he was introduced with. He is a very blunt individual but I didn't want him to be a stereotypical jerk, and I think showcasing some of his admiration and respect for Helbram here goes someway to add another dimension to his character.

Third, I wanted to properly show how Helbram is trying to better himself despite his limitations. The obvious point to this would be the teamwork he demonstrates with Jahora, combining their ability that, for a moment, can stall an Expert Level Awoken despite Helbram not even having a Journeyman's worth of Ether. This is a concept I really fell in love with as I dig team attacks and movements immensely and I felt that Jahora's skill set was a natural fit for this type of enchanced fighting. In addition to this, I wanted to reintroduce the concept of the "nightmare" that he had in the first arc, which has now developed into something more akin to Image Training, a concept I think had a perfect fit in a fantasy story like this and is something emphasizes what Helbram is good at as a character: reflection and self improvement. Rather than it being a tormentor this time, however, I wanted to turn it to a boon to have the feeling that Helbam truly is using everything at his disposal to better himself. Its a "power boost" but in a way that better suits him at this point in the story.

Let me know how you felt I did! If there are any improvements you think I could have here let me know. I'm always looking to improve.