Alphonse waited with his back to the southern shore of Lake Ellnmoor. He observed the edge of the forest from his seated position on an exiled tree that reached out over the water. The shoreline itself was raised about a foot above the placid surface in an eroded arc like a sort of miniature cliff. The forest was twenty feet away from the lake's fringe, which gave Alphonse a clear view from east to west. This distance remained mostly consistent so that he could see about a half-mile in either direction.

At about a quarter mile to the northeast was a C-shaped area that arced naturally into the forest.

Alphonse saw his beastkin companion, Kirie, working with one of their new members of GRIM. When they had accepted the young duo, Liam and Emily, they had promised to work them hard to earn their keep. Kirie was holding them to that promise.

The training regiment was something that the young adventurers looked forward to. Their enthusiasm never wavered.

Liam's training involved different exercises with his glaive, and Kirie used large tree limbs as improvised weapons to resemble different polearms. Repetition was key to effective training and positive habits (as long as one didn't slack with the fundamentals). Kirie made sure their warm-ups consisted of thrusts, parries, braiding and blocks – which were all carried out in sets. They did this at the end of sparring as well until Liam could barely lift his arms. When it was clear that his stance and technique were starting to suffer due to fatigue, Kirie would have him stop. Her reasoning was that the point of the exercises was to maintain good form. If he was tired, then he would start developing bad habits. The body needed to learn on its own naturally without him having to put too much thought into it.

Alphonse was surprised by Kirie's ability to teach these fundamentals. She had astounding reflexes, plenty of discipline and crucial experience from her time at the Submerged Oasis. But knowing how to inherently do something and explain the 'hows' and 'whys' of it was an entirely different thing.

Alphonse was surprised by how competent Kirie was with a weapon other than her axe. She just seemed to have a natural talent for it. He watched as Kirie prodded Liam's defenses. Her shouts could be heard as she told him to circle in his stance and to stop crossing his feet.

She thrust forward with her imitation spear, and Liam shifted sideways in his stance as he deflected the weapon aside. She attacked again, and he was forced to retreat back a bit. He was clearly getting a grasp of her lessons. Instead of stepping straight back he brought his lead foot inwards and moved it at an angle. This allowed him to keep his center of gravity and maintain weight over his hips. The young adventurer pressed down on the tree limb with his glaive, curled his wrists slightly towards him and brought the handle of his weapon in a tight circle to manipulate Kirie's weapon.

Kirie also didn't use her large double-edged axe for their quick sparring bouts. It was far too dangerous to use bare blades, even if there was a healer like Asa on standby. One mistake could result in someone losing a finger, which was obviously something they weren't willing to risk.

Speaking of Asa, she was also in the middle of her own training with the other sibling, Emily.

Spells required envisioning the spell in question while also concentrating on one's mana flow. Spellcasters needed to monitor their mana usage so that not too much or too little was provided for a spell based on the situation. It was a far more complicated process compared to active skills that pulled relentlessly at mana like Kirie's Seat of Carnage skill.

Asa was currently peppering Emily with small, insignificant fire orbs while Emily created protection spells that filled only enough space to block the projectiles. Forming a protection spell in an area of five square feet would be a terrible waste of mana against something that wasn't even a fifth of that size. Emily observed the trajectory of the small fireballs and attempted to create basic protection barriers with enough mana to stop them without too much wasted space.

In a real battle, spellcasters wouldn't take a chance and try to make a protection barrier that is close to the exact size of an enemy spell like in training. There needed to be room for leeway in case of other factors on the battlefield. During battle there wasn't always time to think. It was the same for someone wielding an axe or a polearm. Training was about developing these positive habits.

Behind Emily were targets meant to simulate the members of her party that she needed to protect. Asa suddenly faced her palm away from Emily and launched one of the small fire orbs at a target. Emily turned on the ball of her back foot and brought her lead forward. The hem of her blue healers robe lifted slightly for freedom of movement. Her long red hair tied in twin ponytails flowed with her graceful step like she was a dancer. The protection spell of illuminated, melded hexagons appeared in front of the target and blocked the fireball spell.

There was the sound of applause from Kirie and Liam as they took a break from their own training to watch. Emily turned to her audience, crossed her legs and bowed with a dramatic flourish.

Alphonse felt a sense of pride for the members of his guild – almost like how a father might express approval when his child did a good deed for the day.

He remembered a time when his adoptive father beamed with satisfaction when Alphonse got a clean kill on a deer when they went out on one of their hunts. The arrow had struck true, right in the heart, and the poor creature couldn't have suffered. They needed to eat during those hard times in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. And if they wanted to eat, then they needed to kill. His father had even shown the same pride when Alphonse wasn't willing to loose the arrow the first time he was told.

Alphonse hadn't been able to take a life, and his father wasn't angry with him in the least. He had simply said, “You just understand that they also have the capacity to suffer.”

This was also what it felt like to be a leader, Alphonse reasoned.

He shifted his attention when he heard the rustling of foliage from the forest. He leaned forward a bit and rested a hand on the handle of the shortsword resting in his lap.

Alphonse relaxed when he saw the big warrior, Derek, stride out into the sun, his armor giving off a scintillating sheen despite its dark hue. The warrior raised his free hand as if to say, "I come in peace," but his weary demeanor didn't match the playful gesture. He propped his warhammer against the angled tree and leaned against it a few feet from where Alphonse sat.

“I'm guessing we're still clear,” Alphonse commented.

Derek took a deep drink from his waterskin. Some of it spilled onto his stubble of beard, and he ran a wrist over his mouth. “The insects are buzzing. Birds are chirping. Kind of weird how peaceful it is this far from the city. There aren't any outposts to dissuade goblins or deirgu. I expected more activity.”

Alphonse scanned over the shore again and watched his guild members continue their training.

“Probably the lack of dungeons,” Alphonse reasoned. “And I bet the Guild Union in La'abrine puts out quests if monsters are spotted here. Maybe the monsters started to figure it out and didn't bother anymore.”

Derek pursed his lips as he considered it. “Interesting theory. They seem to mostly move and kill on instinct, but when something pushes enough against their nature they have to adapt to survive.”

“That's my guess,” Alphonse said. “I could also be overthinking it. Maybe they just don't bother going all the way around the lake.”

Derek let out a quiet chuckle. “I'd say you're doing just the right amount of thinking.”

They sat there for a time contemplating in the silence. A light breeze prompted Alphonse to observe his surroundings again.

He noticed another individual further down the shore who appeared from the treeline. The woman was tying her brunette hair up into the customary, spiked ponytail. Her enthusiastic grin was palpable even from this distance as she joined the training session with her shortsword drawn. She was far more comfortable fighting from a distance with her bow, but there were always enemies that could slip into close range. Even an archer needed to know how to handle a sword.

“It's another guild outing,” Alphonse joked as he watched Anya join Liam and Kirie.

“Our old guild wasn't quite like this before it was taken into Forward Earth,” Derek said. “I guess that sense of real camaraderie was missing.”

Alphonse agreed. Some people just worked together like that. Some could develop cooperation and solid coordination out in the field, while others managed to mesh on a personal level as well. It became something far more sentient and valuable rather than just sharing a common goal or ideals.

Alphonse noticed that Derek's eyes were locked onto the space where Anya and company went through some more training exercises. He had a hard look about him.

“Something on your mind, Derek?” Alphonse asked.

Derek flexed his fingers a bit and cracked his knuckles as he pondered the question.

There was a long pause before he answered, “Yeah.”

It didn't seem like he was inclined to explain as the uncomfortable silence lingered once again. Alphonse moved to speak, but Derek seemed to sense it and came to a decision.

“Listen,” Derek drew the word out with a hiss of air. “Things are going to get real bad at some point.”

Alphonse nodded in understanding. He had told everyone about the situation with Councilman Altham Volkest and everything Jin Hanlon had investigated involving the deaths of adventurers. Calling them “murders” was far more accurate. The murders were disguised as a typical occupational hazard. Scouts were especially being targeted for reasons that were still unknown – especially outworlders, but having other adventurers die as collateral wasn't out of the picture either. Natives of Hovestile would still be understandably wary of people arriving from another world, but Alphonse thought that they had proven their worth and good intentions over the past half year.

That had been naive thinking.

There was something going on with Volkest and those that supported him. They had their misgivings that ran on a much deeper and more sinister level. Alphonse would have been a target anyway since he was an outworlder scout, but now he was the center of scrutiny just because of his association with two beastkin. This association alone brought exaggerated rumors and made him a symbol of something much greater. There were plenty of people who would prefer if he just disappeared.

Derek clearly understood this. He knew that it would do him and Anya no good to distance themselves from the issue. Joining Alphonse would lead them to the truth much faster, and he realized that the other alternative was a far more treacherous road.

The warrior parted his armored hands and clapped them together. The dull clank of steel echoed through the trees.

“I would like to make a request,” Derek said. “If people are targeting you, well, I suppose it will be us now, then I'm sure they will pull out all the stops at some point. I think it will be sooner rather than later. When shit really hits the fan, I want you to do everything you can to keep Anya out of it.”

Alphonse answered immediately, “Care to elaborate?”

“I won't beat around the bush,” Derek said. “You know I don't like talking about my past. I've seen plenty of atrocities carried out for countless reasons. I know what lengths desperate, violent men are willing to go, because I was put in situations that brought out the worst in me. People in power who don't see the suffering for themselves are capable of terrible things.” He gave Alphonse a measured look. “I have more than just the blood of monsters on my hands. I'm prepared for what needs to be done, should the need arise, but Anya isn't.”

Alphonse could see the man's big hands were shaking a bit. What he said made perfect sense.

Even Alphonse wasn't sure if he had the resolve to do what needed to be done. He was accustomed to killing deer and small animals for survival. Even killing goblins had left a bloated, sick feeling in his stomach when he had first arrived in Hovestile.

If he was put in the position, could he kill another human being? He always figured that in the heat of the moment there was no need for tenacity when it came to deciding whether it was him or the other person that got to walk away. If his comrades were threatened, he couldn't imagine himself hesitating. But in any other scenario, if he saw the other person's fear, desperation or a willingness to surrender...

Could I do it? Alphonse wondered.

Derek seemed to register the look on Alphonse's face. He took another deep breath before continuing, “I will do what needs to be done. The thing is...I'm afraid that the worst part of me will probably come out again. I don't want Anya to think differently of me.”

It didn't take long for Derek's words to fully register. Alphonse turned away from him and stared at nothing in particular. He reluctantly tore his gaze from the sky and watched as his guild continued their training. Anya gave Liam a jovial slap on the back as she swapped places to spar with Kirie.

Alphonse cleared his throat with as much subtly as he could and swallowed hard.

Killing humans, Alphonse thought. Derek was a soldier back on Earth.

Alphonse remembered the story Derek told him back at Forgedalk. The story about his squad under heavy mortar fire. Derek had been on many a battlefield. He had seen people killing people.

He had to wonder: What was it like for someone like Derek? He would never pry into his past, but if Derek was scared that Anya might change her opinion of him...then what was he truly capable of? Was it just easy for him now?

But Derek was right. If they continued to survive, then those who wanted them dead would resort to other means.

Alphonse thought back to when The Archer tried to kill him all those months ago. If Alphonse somehow managed to get ahold of the other human and had the opportunity to kill him – would he do it? He'd stood there on the natural bridge in the dungeon and didn't fire the arrow to exact revenge on the one who betrayed him. He reasoned that it was because he couldn't afford to waste an arrow on a lucky shot. But there might have been a lingering subconscious thought that urged him not to shoot because he was someone that just wasn't capable of it.

Alphonse remembered the loathsome sneer on the Archer's face. It was almost enough to convince him that, yes, he could certainly do it. He could kill him.

“I'll see what I can do when the time comes,” Alphonse said.

Derek clapped a hand on his shoulder and held it there. “I appreciate it, Leader.”

The two companions simultaneously looked up to observe the forest when they heard a faint disturbance. Their hands rested on the handles of their weapons. They didn't relax when they saw an individual appear like an apparition, as if she had been merged with the forest itself, concealed in her leather armor and cloak. Her hood was pulled up with the rabbit ears tied down with a bandanna. She glanced around for a moment without acknowledging them before removing the hood. She also let her black rabbit ears free. She parted the singular braid of hair over her shoulder in a casual stance and examined them with cold eyes.

Her expression softened a bit when they matched her intense expression.

“Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt you while you were having a heart to heart,” she said.

Alphonse kicked himself mentally. He knew he should've realized sooner that she might conceal her presence.

“How long were you there?” Alphonse asked.

She pressed a finger to her lips. “Oh, about a minute.”

“Shit,” Derek muttered off to the side. He gave Alphonse a playful punch on the shoulder and retrieved his warhammer. “Well, that's a little embarrassing. You have fun with your training, or whatever you wanna call it. I'll be with the gang.” He gave Mina a quick nod and left Alphonse to his fate.

When they were alone Alphonse asked, “So, did you use that selective perception on me or something?”

“No. Simple stealth will usually suffice,” Mina said.

“Guess I have a lot of work to do.”

Mina raised her hand in an obvious gesture. “Of course. I've been training as a Shin'ryen assassin for well over a decade. How can you possibly expect to compete even with those stats of yours? Having impressive perception always helps, but it means nothing if you don't also interpret and act quickly based off of that information.”

Alphonse folded his arms over his chest as he considered the explanation. “I suppose we also perceive things without really knowing it. Sometimes we can subconsciously dismiss things.”

“Precisely,” Mina said.

“Alright, I guess my first question is: Why help me?” Alphonse asked. “What do you stand to gain?”

Mina moved to join him against the tree that reached over the lake. Just like at the tavern, she stood uncomfortably close, but Alphonse refused to shy away this time.

“It's simple. You are an asset,” she answered. “You will use the lessons of the Shin'ryen to survive. All you need to know is that my organization shares a common goal with your guild. You are an opportunity.

“We were going to wait a little longer before revealing ourselves to you, but the attack at the demihuman district in Forgedalk pushed our plans ahead. Of course, Ash vouching for you gave us more confidence. This is an arrangement based solely on interest. If I believe you don't have the potential or capacity that is demanded of a Shin'ryen, then I will tell my superiors that you are only an expendable asset for the short term.”

Alphonse stared at her and kept his mouth firmly shut. He hadn't expected such a straightforward and merciless response. If he didn't reach their potential, then they would just leave him to the hostile environment of monsters and politics. There was no reason for them to risk their people for his sake. He imagined that he could survive without their assistance thanks to the help of his companions, but that would be a question of how long.

He couldn't waste this opportunity.

The whole point of this was that he was tired of just simply surviving. He wanted to take the offensive. He would not subject his comrades – his friends and family – to the constant punishment of enemies who had unlimited resources and zero mercy.

“Fair enough,” Alphonse said calmly. “You won't be disappointed.”

Mina smiled. “Good. Of course, I can't teach you everything in the span of a few weeks. I will make you at least somewhat competent in skills to keep you alive. You will develop them over time, and when you conquer all the trials thrown at you, we will consider the next phase of your training.”

She pushed herself away from the tree and separated herself from Alphonse by five paces. “The Shin'ryen watch Hovestile's progress from the shadows. We aren't guides who believe it is our duty to navigate the world. That's bullshit best left for governments and idealists. What we do is ensure that the world's course never leads to a potential collapse. Much like what happened to the ancient Dysians.”

Alphonse frowned at the obviously rehearsed speech. Mina spoke it in that forced way that he was starting to become accustomed to. It was like she was trying to put on a persona that she found distasteful but knew was necessary. She played with her hood a bit as she spoke and strode back and forth in front of him. Even those among the Shin'ryen had their weaknesses.

“Sounds like an admirable goal,” Alphonse commented dryly.

“Indeed,” Mina said. “It also means doing what is necessary, even if it is considered immoral. But not everyone in the Shin'ryen is trained to kill. We don't all wear dark clothes and skulk in alleyways waiting for prey. Some of us resort to other means.”

Her expression turned dead serious, and she stopped her pacing directly in front of Alphonse.

“I need to see who you are first,” Mina said. “I can't see in you what Ash did, but you shared an experience that led to her placing her full trust in you. Ash isn't that kind of person. You are special.” As if she performed some magic trick, a dagger suddenly flashed in each hand as she spread her arms out with the palms of her hands facing him.

Alphonse raised his short sword and took a step back.

“I'm not just here to teach you how to fight as a Shin'ryen. Right now, it is about survival. Survive long enough until you can strike at your enemies. Don't worry. I won't go all out.”