Somewhere in Heaven
Veyra sat perfectly still.
The screen before her showed Kael and the others walking along a forest road below.
Behind her, the door opened.
Eros walked in drinking something pink and sparkling.
"You're watching again," Eros said.
"I am monitoring."
"You've been monitoring for three days."
"I am identifying interference."
Eros leaned over her shoulder.
Below them Rai flew lazily in circles around Kael's head.
"Krrt!"
Eros smiled.
"He's adorable."
"He is a lightning dragon."
"Still adorable."
Veyra slowly turned.
"You used the jar."
Eros blinked.
"What jar?"
"The rose catalyst."
"Oh."
Eros took a sip.
"That jar."
"Yes. That jar."
"Well," Eros said casually, "in my defense they were progressing at the speed of geological erosion."
"You drugged the timeline."
"I accelerated emotional development."
"You interfered with my world."
"I helped."
"You manipulated Rael."
"I encouraged self-awareness."
"You are a bitch."
Eros burst out laughing.
"Wow."
"Straight to insults."
"You deserve it."
Eros pointed at the screen.
"Oh look."
Below them Kael tripped over a root.
Rai shrieked.
"KRRRT!"
Eros wiped a tear.
"Comedy."
Veyra pinched the bridge of her nose.
"What happens next is consequences."
Eros grinned.
"Oh good."
"I love consequences."
On the road outside Breth
The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Rael slowed her steps.
"…Someone's watching us."
I sighed.
"Bandits?"
"Bandits."
Senna lowered her book.
"They're above us."
"…Above us?"
Three crossbows fired.
TWANG
Bolts slammed into the dirt.
Rael's axe snapped upward.
CLANG
A bolt shattered against the blade.
Heat burst around her body.
FWOOM
Three men dropped from the trees.
Clean landings.
Weapons ready.
Leader in front.
Flankers spreading.
Professionals.
Then the leader noticed Rai sitting on my shoulder.
He froze.
"…Is that…"
The bandit beside him squinted.
"…A dragon?"
Rai tilted his head.
"Krrt."
The second bandit swallowed.
A dragon.
Small… but still a dragon.
The leader's thoughts raced.
Why would adventurers travel with a dragon?
Are they insane… or dangerous?
He looked at us again.
Four adventurers.
One dragon.
Then he made the calculation criminals always make.
Too late to back down.
He raised his sword.
"Kill the dragon first."
I blinked.
"Excuse me?"
Rai puffed up proudly.
"KRRRT!"
Rael grinned.
"Oh that was the wrong sentence."
The bandits attacked.
One rushed Mira.
The quiet one, he thought.
Easy target.
His sword thrust forward.
Mira stepped inside the attack.
Ki.
Her needle blade flashed.
SHHK
The steel cut across his ribs.
Pain exploded through him.
"AGH!"
He staggered back.
His hand grabbed his side.
That cut deep.
He looked down.
No blood.
No wound.
Nothing.
"…What?"
His fingers pressed his ribs again.
Perfect skin.
No.
I felt that.
The pain burned through his nerves.
He looked up at Mira.
"What did you do?!"
Mira said nothing.
Her blade moved again.
SHHK
Another cut.
Across the shoulder.
"AAAGH!"
He stumbled again.
Still no wound.
His thoughts spiraled.
Impossible.
She cut me.
I felt the blade.
Where is the injury?
Fear crept into his chest.
What kind of technique is this…
Across the road Rael met her opponent.
Their weapons collided.
BOOM
Heat blasted outward.
The bandit staggered.
"…What the hell—"
Rael kicked him in the chest.
THUD
He crashed into the dirt.
Meanwhile the leader rushed me.
Fast.
Too fast.
His sword crashed against mine.
CLANG
My arms shook.
"Oh fantastic," I muttered.
"A competent one."
He attacked again.
Precise.
Testing my guard.
Weak stance, the bandit leader thought.
Low Vein depth.
He's the weak one.
Rai suddenly launched off my shoulder.
"KRRRT!"
The dragon dive-bombed the bandit.
ZAP
Lightning cracked across his armor.
"GHH!"
The bandit staggered.
"You little—"
He swung his sword at Rai.
Rai zipped upward.
"KRRRT!"
I pointed at him.
"Good dragon!"
The bandit glared.
"Your pet won't save you."
"Yeah," I admitted nervously.
"I was kind of hoping it would."
He lunged again.
Too fast.
I barely blocked.
Behind me Senna shouted:
"Resonance!"
"Now?!" I yelled.
"Yes!"
"This is still a robbery!"
"Excellent testing conditions!"
I focused.
Ki first.
Feel the movement.
Feel the attack before it lands.
The bandit lunged.
The sword vibrated.
Something clicked.
Lightning exploded outward.
ZAAAAAP
The slash tore through the air.
The bandit froze.
Behind him—
The road split open.
A glowing line carved through the dirt.
The bandit leader stared at the cut.
That wasn't Vein output.
That was resonance.
He slowly lowered his sword.
"…We are leaving."
Smart man.
He grabbed his partner.
The last bandit scrambled away.
Rai launched after them.
"KRRRT!"
ZAP
"AAAH!"
Rael blinked.
"…Did the dragon just electrocute a retreating bandit?"
Rai landed proudly on my shoulder.
"Krrt."
"Traitor," I muttered.
Senna pointed at the glowing cut in the road.
"What do you call the technique?"
Lightning.
Resonance.
Sword.
"…Raisen."
Rai nodded proudly.
"Krrt!"
Rael grinned.
"Even the dragon approves."
I sighed.
"Great."
"First day learning Ki."
"Already committing lightning crimes."
Senna adjusted her glasses.
"Technically Vein resonance."
"Still feels illegal."
Behind us Mira's opponent still stared at his ribs.
She cut me.
I felt it.
But there's nothing there.
He looked at Mira again.
A chill ran through his body.
That woman…
She's not trying to kill me.
She's proving she can.
Somewhere above the clouds
Eros was laughing so hard she nearly fell out of her chair.
Veyra covered her face.
"This is going to become a disaster."
Eros wiped tears from her eyes.
"Oh absolutely."
She pointed at the screen.
"But admit it."
"You're enjoying it."
Veyra said nothing.
But she did not stop watching.