Saiya ran a hand through her bed-tangled hair as she got ready for the day. Though she wanted to comb it, she didn’t have the time. Dollanti expected them to be ready for training, and Saiya was already dragging her feet. She had to hurry. The last thing she wanted was more laps around camp. The exercises they were already expected to do were bad enough.

  It had become routine for her to be awakened by Dollanti’s morning incursions. It irritated Saiya that these daily attacks had become routine. She preferred to wake up on her own time. It allowed her some personal time away from all distractions. Time that she, and her hair, now missed.

  “Saiya. Are you done in there? We’re going to be late,” Zeltara said from outside the tent. Saiya jolted into action and put on her boots.

  “I’m fine. Head over without me.” She didn’t want them to get punished because of her laziness.

  Kaztos called out, “Nonsense! We’ll meet up with Dollanti together. Take however much time you need.” Despite the words of encouragement, Saiya continued to hurry. Why couldn’t they have just left her?

  Finishing her morning preparation, Saiya left her tent. Her friends softly conversed a few feet away. Zeltara was the first one to notice her and walked over. “Hey, Saiya. Are you feeling under the weather? You’re a bit slow today.” Zeltara then noticed her hair. She made a motion towards it. “Uh, your hair’s kinda messy.”

  Saiya scowled at the reminder and said, “It’s fine. I forgot to brush it the past few nights.” There wasn’t any time to fix it anyway.

  “How about you let me brush it after training? That way, it’ll be clean for the rest of the day,” Zeltara said. Saiya nodded, thankful for the help. The three left their campsite.

  Zeltara chuckled. “You know, I can’t imagine having that much hair. Those tangles are why I keep mine short. In fact, I probably need a trim at this point.” She pointed at her own hair. When they had first met, it had fallen just short of her shoulders. Now, Zeltara’s hair was an inch or two past it. Still, it paled compared to Saiya’s butt-length hair. “We could get haircuts together if you want.”

  “Sounds like a plan. My own locks are getting unruly,” Kaztos said, running a hand through his short hair. His bangs were now starting to fall over his eyes. Saiya unconsciously did the same, but her fingers got caught in a tangle. She winced at the pull on her scalp.

  “No, thank you. I prefer my hair like this.” Her parents always complimented her golden mane of hair. Saiya could still remember her mother brushing her hair every day. To cut it short like Zeltara was unthinkable. Even though it could sometimes get unruly.

  “Sure. Just ask for help whenever you need it. I had plenty of practice when I was younger. Father wasn’t exactly good at it,” Zeltara said. She then turned to Kaztos. “How about you? Did you ever wear a different hairstyle?”

  “Of course not. It wouldn’t be proper for a noble, after all. I’m not allowed to grow my hair out until I’m an adult.” The two fell into easy conversation, allowing Saiya to think about training today.

  The previous two days showed Saiya would receive personalized instruction. She didn’t know how to feel about it. Based on what Kaztos and Zeltara described, it wasn’t anything like either expected. It seemed to present a greater challenge to them than their usual physical conditioning. That wasn’t something she was looking forward to. Their current level of practice felt more than sufficient for her.

  Now that the immediate danger had passed, Saiya found herself drifting. Before, there was an ever-present threat of death hanging over them. Whether that be by starvation or from monsters, there was something to push the group forward. She had focused on their survival more than anything else. Now, they were safe, and their lives had fallen back into habit. Wake up, train, work, spend time together, and sleep. She found it dreary after just a short time.

  It reminded Saiya of her life back at the orphanage. Every day had been the same, leaving her feeling almost depressed. Meeting Zeltara and Kaztos brought variety to her life. It brought new experiences, new places, new people, and even new concepts. Before, a gray filter clouded her worldview. Her friends brought color and vibrancy back into her life.

  Now it felt like she was slowly slipping back. The lack of urgency brought complacency and routine back into her life. Already, thoughts wondering why she should even bother became invasive. Saiya knew she needed something new to liven her life. Something to let her continue onward with her friends. Perhaps the new training would help?

  Kaztos cut through her melancholic thoughts. “Hey Saiya?” She turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “Are you excited about training today? You’ll have personal training from Dollanti.” Kaztos chuckled. “I have to warn you. He is a taskmaster.”

  “Wonderful,” Saiya said deadpan. More training for her to drag her feet through.

  “Don’t be so down about it. This training will make you a better adventurer,” Zeltara said. “You’re the one always telling us to be careful. That we need to do things safely. Well, this training will make this safer for us.” Saiya nodded, accepting the point.

  The three reached Dollanti, who was standing there with his arms crossed. He glared at them and said, “You’re late.” Kaztos stepped forward with a grin.

  “Our apologies, sir. We were all a bit slow getting ready this morning.”

  “Is that so? Does anyone want to add anything?” Dollanti asked. The side-eye he was giving her almost made Saiya break out in a cold sweat, but she said nothing. Dollanti sighed. “Very well. You two, twenty-five laps around camp. Then double your exercises. Blondie, stay here.”

  Zeltara and Kaztos said nothing and turned to leave. As the two passed Saiya, they gave her goodbyes. She watched as the two ran off and then turned back to Dollanti. He stood there, arms still crossed. His piercing stare made her skin itch, but she tried not to show her nervousness. Instead, Saiya waited for him to start.

  But then a minute passed. Why wasn’t he doing anything? Another minute passed. The two stood there, staring at each other. Saiya fidgeted in place. What was he doing? She began to grind her teeth. They were just standing there.

  Five minutes had gone by when Saiya couldn’t take it anymore. “Are we going to do anything, or stare at each other all day?”

  “I don’t know; are we? I don’t really see the point,” Dollanti said.

  His answer confused her. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Are you even going to bother to try?” He raised his hand to stop her from answering. “Don’t. I already know the answer. You’ve made it abundantly clear since this started.”

  Saiya felt out of her depth. Where was this going? “I don’t understand.”

  “For over a week now, I’ve watched you put in the minimum effort. You go through the exercises with no urgency, dragging your feet the whole way. You’re not making any effort to push yourself. I don’t know why I should put in the effort when you won’t.” Saiya scowled.

  “I do all the exercises. I don’t see the problem.” Dollanti scoffed as he combed through his beard.

  “You’re not getting it. Let me explain. You and the elf are at least physically similar. You should complete your exercises and laps at about the same time. Yet you consistently finish several laps behind her. It’s been getting worse as the week goes on. I can see when someone isn’t trying. So I don’t know why I should even try.”

  Saiya tried to keep her growing temper in check. “I do everything you ask of me. Didn’t you get on Zeltara’s case for complaining all the time? I haven’t ever said anything.”

  “That was a problem, but do you want to know the difference? She may have had her complaints, but at least she still gave it her all. I could still tell that she wanted to improve. The same can’t be said about you,” Dollanti said. The two were glaring at each other, neither willing to back down. “But enough about that. We’re not talking about her. We’re talking about you.”

  Silence filled the field as the two stood off. Saiya didn’t know how to respond. Her anger waned as she saw the truth of his statements. It wasn’t something she didn’t notice within herself after all. Dollanti’s stare felt condemning.

  “Let me ask this again. Why should I bother training you?”

  She didn’t answer at first, feeling herself wilt under Dollanti’s scrutiny. “I want to do this. I want to train.” It’s what was expected of her. But even Saiya couldn’t fool herself with that half-hearted answer. The veteran adventurer shook his head.

  “Why do you want this training? Give me a reason.” Saiya couldn’t find an answer that she thought would satisfy him. “I already know the reason. It’s what your two friends want to do, isn’t it?” He had figured her out.

  It wasn’t something Saiya really thought about. The primary reason she was there revolved around Zeltara and Kaztos. Sure, a small part of her wanted to improve, but she wouldn’t have sought Dollanti out by herself. That had been all Zeltara and Kaztos’ idea. Saiya had just gone along with it because it’s what they wanted. She didn’t care either way.

  Dollanti interrupted her thoughts by saying, “Your friends are very driven. I can see that they have lofty ambitions. It’s shown through their actions. They’re willing to overcome any obstacle in their way. Hell, the Molinar kid let me beat him up in the name of training. That intensity is rare, and it’ll push them far.” He then sighed. “Assuming they’ll make it that far.”

  “I can be driven too,” Saiya said. Her actions through the wasteland and against the abominations proved it. “I have a goal to follow, too.” Saiya grimaced as she finished talking. The lie sounded unconvincing, even to her.

  “That’s the problem I’ve been talking about. Where’s the passion?” Saiya shrugged, not exactly knowing the answer. Kaztos and Zeltara were very goal-oriented people. It showed in how they interacted with the world. Saiya wasn’t like that and thought it wasn’t a problem, at least before now.

  Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Dollanti said, “You’re only doing this because your friends decided to. You don’t really care about any of this, and it shows. As it is, this is going nowhere fast.”

  “So what? Are you going to stop training me?” Saiya would almost welcome it. Anything to escape this dissection. All her anger was gone, leaving only an empty feeling. Was this it? Would Dollanti stop training her? Where would that leave her with Zeltara and Kaztos?

  “Not yet,” Dollanti said. “I meant it when I said that you three had potential. I still believe that now, but it’s buried under apathy. Where did that resolve go when your group first came here?” It had disappeared right as the danger had left. There had been no reason to keep it any longer. Saiya didn’t voice these thoughts. They wouldn’t be of any help.

  “Come on. Give me something to work with, kid. I’m threatening to stop training you. Don’t you care at all?” Saiya shrugged. Dollanti scoffed. “So you don’t then? I’ve had enough of this. All three of you will cease training today. I won’t bother with you anymore.”

  It was like an icy blade stabbed into Saiya’s heart. He couldn’t do that to them, over her mistake. It wasn’t fair to Kaztos and Zeltara. That chill spread as a chilled fury enveloped her. How dare he? Dollanti could threaten her all he wanted, but not them.

  Shooting him a glare, Saiya said, “Leave them out of this.” Dollanti raised an eyebrow, studying her. She was too angry to notice.

  “Yeah? And what will you do if I don’t?” Saiya took a step forward. Her hand had drifted to the knife settled within her cloak.

  “I’ll make sure you regret it.” Silence overtook the field as Dollanti examined her.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “Well, I’ll be damned. There it is. Fine, I’ll give you three one more chance.” Saiya perked up, her anger leaving. She would do anything to keep Zeltara and Kaztos from losing this.

  “What do I have to do?” Saiya asked.

  “You’re training is cancelled for today. Instead, I want you to actually think about yourself. What do you want out of life? What is something you will strive to achieve, to lay down your life for?” Siaya felt hopelessness creep in. It was the same as the last few times this came up.

  “I’ve tried, but I can’t. There’s nothing in my life anymore to push me like that.” Dollanti hummed in thought.

  “Not necessarily. Think back to a few moments ago. Remember that rage?” Saiya nodded. “Why did you feel that? Where did it come from? Because that missing resolve came through at that moment.” She tried to recall, but couldn’t pinpoint the reason. Sure, Kaztos and Zeltara had been threatened, but she thought Dollanti wanted more than that.

  Seeing that he was making headway, Dollanti said, “I’m giving you one more chance. Tomorrow, I better see a change within you. A reason to push yourself to the limit like the other two. If you can do that, then we’ll start your personal training then. If not, then I’ll stop training all three of you.”

  Saiya said, “That’s not fair!” Dollanti only shrugged, looking away disinterestedly.

  “I don’t care.” Dollanti pointed at the camp. “Go join your friends and finish your exercises with them. Think about what I said.” With that, Dollanti walked two dozen feet away and sat down on the ground. With nothing left to say, Saiya turned and ran to her teammates.

  Her mind was a heavy mix of conflicting emotions. Anguish, rage, and humiliation were at the forefront. What right did Dollanti have to berate her like that? So what if she didn’t have the drive or purpose her friends did? They were the ones who wanted to change the world. Saiya had no desire for anything like that. The world would continue on as it always did, whether or not she affected it. Even the recent cataclysm would probably only be a harsh but passable blip in the forward motion of the world.

  Yet, their trainer had different expectations in mind. Now, Saiya had to figure out some ambitious dream. A lofty goal to strive for in the future. Nevermind it not being her desire to do so. She scoffed to herself. This whole thing was ridiculous, but now she was now forced into it.

  She reached where Zeltara and Kaztos were jogging around camp. Neither saw her approach until she settled in beside them. They gave her a curious look.

  “What are you doing here, Saiya? Did something happen with the training?” Zeltara asked. Her curiosity turned to concern as she got a look at her dark expression. “What happened? Is everything okay?”

  Saiya could only shake her head in response. She had no desire to answer any of their questions. It would only make the hurt deepen, and Saiya wasn’t sure if she could explain her whirlwind of emotions. The humiliation of being called out by Dollanti. The self-hatred and distress brought about by her threatening their place in training. There was even a small flicker of anger directed at Kaztos and Zeltara. How with their larger than life ambitions, they made Saiya appear inadequate in comparison.

  “Please. Tell us what’s troubling you. We can help,” Kaztos said. The three had slowed down to a walk as her friends fretted over her. It only made Saiya feel worse. Maybe she was holding both back. Again, she shook her head.

  Zeltara growled, punching a fist into her palm. “Did Dollanti say something? That asshole really knows how to run his mouth. If you want, I can punch him when he isn’t expecting it?” Saiya couldn’t take their hovering anymore.

  “Shut up!” Saiya blurted out. “Leave me alone.” Zeltara and Kaztos flinched back as if struck. The verbal blow hit harder than any physical one she could manage. The three resumed their jogging pace in silence. Saiya almost immediately regretted her words. They didn’t deserve her vitriol. That belonged only to one person. But she couldn’t find the strength to apologize, so allowed the tense atmosphere to hang around them.

  As they continued their exercises, Saiya got lost in her head. Dark thoughts permeated her mind, and she found herself lagging behind. Despite having more laps to complete, Zeltara finished her run before her and moved on to other exercises. Kaztos finished well before them and was trying to talk to Dollanti while doing his. It only made Saiya feel worse. Not only did she fail to keep up with them, but they held themselves back in worry. It only deepened the mental pit she fell into.

  By the time Saiya completed her laps, Zeltara and Kaztos were finishing up their exercises. As much as they tried to question Dollanti, he gave them no answers. Soon, their training had finished, and Saiya had to abandon her half-completed exercises. They lined up before Dollanti, waiting for him to dismiss them.

  The veteran adventurer zeroed in on her and seemed ready to criticize her. Before he could, Zeltara and Kaztos closed ranks and shielded her from him. Through her turbulent emotions, Saiya felt a sense of gratitude for her friends. Dollanti took a step back and sighed. “Alright. She already knows what needs to be done. We’ll meet again tomorrow.” Before anyone could respond, Dollanti briskly made his way back to camp. He seemed to want to avoid a potential confrontation now. Though, based on the look Zeltara was sporting, Saiya would want to avoid one as well.

  Zeltara seemed to calm herself. She then turned to Saiya and asked, “I’ll ask again. Do you want to talk about it?” Again, Saiya shook her head. “Alright, we’ll be here if you need us.” Kaztos seemed ready to say something when Zeltara nudged him. The two exchanged a look.

  “Like she said. If you need help, just let us know,” he said. Their worried expressions filled Saiya with guilt. The three walked silently back to camp.

  Breakfast was a tense affair. Zeltara and Kaztos admirably tried to keep the conversation light, but Saiya’s mood was palpable to everyone. She shoveled food into her mouth as she brooded. Her mind kept replaying the earlier conversation. She needed an ambitious dream. Some higher calling to drive her to be like Zeltara and Kaztos. No matter how much she thought, Saiya couldn’t think of anything. Without realizing it, she finished her meal and continued to stare off into space.

  A hand shaking her shoulder knocked Saiya out of her revere. She looked up to see Zeltara looking down at her, concerned. She said, “It’s time for work. We’ll see you this evening, okay?” Saiya nodded and abruptly left. She couldn’t stand another moment of their concerned stares.

  While walking to the medical wagon, Saiya tried to get her head screwed on straight. Her work was important, and she couldn't afford to get distracted. Someone’s life hung in the balance. Worse, her emotions could end up distracting Yena. She couldn’t afford to let that happen. So, Saiya took a deep breath, and tried to push her turmoil to the back of her mind. She could deal with it tonight.

  Pulling open the fabric divider, Saiya climbed into the wagon interior. Except for the faint lamplight from the back wall table, the interior was dark. There, Yena silently worked not to disturb the two injured Al’Yanda men. Quietly, Saiya walked by them toward the older woman. As Saiya passed, she noted the condition of the two men sleeping.

  The man to her left had suffered a broken leg and lacerations from the abomination attack. From what Saiya had heard, it had happened while he was patrolling the perimeter that night. Fortunately, others were close by to help and pulled him to safety. Considering what could have happened to him, the man had gotten lucky.

  The same couldn’t be said for the other Al’Yanda man, Curn. His right arm was broken in three places, several of his ribs had cracked, and he suffered lacerations all over his body. But the worst of it was his shoulder. It was a mangled mess of torn muscle and nerves. She cringed at the memory of that night. The sound of Curn’s shoulder being chomped into and ripped away was still nauseating. Saiya knew that even if he made a full recovery, Curn was likely never have full use of that arm again. If he even survived with the complications he had been suffering.

  “You’re here. Come quickly, I need your help,” Yena said softly. Her voice carried a weariness that spoke of several sleepless nights. Saiya rushed over. Standing beside her, she could see Yena stirring a pot with a brown liquid inside. “Grab some ground sand root for me. I can’t allow this mixture to sit for too long.” Saiya nodded and stepped over to a side cabinet. Opening it, she grabbed a small container and handed it to Yena.

  Stealing a glance back at Curn, Saiya asked, “How is he?” Yena added the sand root to the pot with a tired sigh.

  “The infection is still progressing slowly. Nothing we’ve done has worked so far. Pass me some salt.” Saiya grimaced as she followed her instructions. As if this day weren’t bad enough. Yena grabbed the vial of salt and sprinkled a few pinches in. “I’m almost out of ideas. Normally, I’d decide to amputate. But the area of infection is on his shoulder. He wouldn’t survive the amount of cutting I’d need to do at this point. Now give me some troll oil.”

  Saiya picked up the container and scrunched up her nose at the smell. She never imagined alchemy could be so disgusting. The things that went into potions would make anyone go green. As she handed Yena the oil, Saiya looked back to the unmoving form of Curn. “So, what now?”

  “If I can’t find something, then I might need to have a talk with Dinaro. We need to decide if it would be better to put him out of his misery.” Saiya’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “Are you sure? Isn’t killing him extreme?” Saiya’s questioning ceased as Yena turned to look at her. The candlelight revealed tear-filled eyes framed by a face overcome with stress lines. The older woman nodded, then looked back at the pot.

  “Yes, but sometimes you have to make the hard decision for the benefit of everyone. I care about every person in this caravan. I want nothing more than to see them all happy and healthy. But sometimes, as a healer, you need to know when enough is enough. Tell me, is Curn getting any better?” Saiya looked over to the darkened form of Curn. Even in the dim light, she could see his unnatural stillness. If she concentrated, she could hear his wet gasps for air. Just a few days ago, he had been breathing normally.

  Saiya shook her head. “No, he’s getting worse. But wouldn’t it be better to keep helping him?” Yena’s shoulders sagged at the question.

  “Normally that would be the case, but it isn’t about him anymore. It’s about the safety of the whole caravan.” Yena stopped stirring and turned off the heating plate. Her hands glowed a dim teal as tried to pour mana into the potion.

  Saiya grabbed Yena’s wrists as she trembled. “Allow me. You’re tired enough as it is.” The older woman nodded appreciatively as Saiya channeled her mana into the pot. The mixture, which was a dull brown, glowed for a moment before turning into a warm honey color. She lowered her hands and turned back to Yena.

  “Thank you. I’ve been pushing myself too hard the past few days.” Yena poured the potion into a bottle. She then grabbed a needle and drew some of the liquid. Stepping over to Curn, Yena crouched down to administer the medicine. “He hasn't woken up since yesterday. I’ve had to inject his medication instead. Not as effective as ingestion, but hopefully it’ll be enough.”

  Curn gave no reaction to the injection. If it hadn’t been for his wheezing gasps and faint chest movements, Saiya would have thought him dead already. “What does his condition have to do with the caravan’s safety?” Yena stood up with a grown and faced her.

  “Yesterday, he began to vomit black liquid.” Saiya frowned. That sounded familiar. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I cleaned it up, but got some on me. Now I’ve been feeling ill.” Yena motioned to the other unconscious man. “Rubal mentioned feeling sick the last time he was awake. He’s been trying to sleep ever since, but it has been getting worse for him. I feel better if I spend time away.”

  Saiya saw the problem. “You believe that it’s contagious?” Yena sighed and rubbed her eyes.

  “Maybe? I can’t know for sure yet. But that’s not something we can risk. I’ve tried everything possible, but whatever affliction Curn is suffering from, I can’t treat it. If this spreads, then the whole caravan is in danger.” Yena trailed off, leaving Saiya to her own thoughts. She stared down at Curn.

  Now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkened interior, Saiya could see just how badly Curn was doing. His skin was pallid and covered in sweat. Ragged and shallow breaths came as he struggled to breathe. Now that she was looking, Saiya noticed his veins turning black around the injury on his shoulder. Black lines trailed down his arm and crept up his neck. She could only imagine how bad it was underneath the bandages. The corners of his mouth were stained black, likely from his earlier vomiting.

  Unbidden, her mind imagined Zeltara and Kaztos in his position. Their skin paled as black ink spread through their veins as they slowly wasted away. All because of the sick man dying beneath her. Anger filled her at the thought. No, she would make sure that didn’t happen. Still, Saiya felt conflicted. Curn had done nothing wrong. Did they have the right to end his life because of something out of his control?

  A hand on Saiya’s shoulder caught her attention. She looked up to see Yena gazing at her. As if reading her thoughts, Yena said, “Sometimes, we have to do something terrible to protect the ones we care about.” The corners of her eyes shone with unshed tears as she glanced down at Curn. “Even if they don’t deserve it.” Yena recomposed herself and walked to the back of the wagon. Saiya followed behind. “But let’s not think about that for now. Hopefully, Curn will show signs of improvement. If not, then I’ll talk to Dinaro tonight.”

  The two tried to work through the rest of the day, but got little done. For Saiya, her mind kept going back to what Yena said. She knew the world was a dark place, especially because of the cataclysm, but were such actions necessary to survive? She didn’t know.

  Both checked up on Curn throughout the day, but his condition only worsened. During the afternoon, he vomited that black liquid. Through her disgust, Saiya noted it was the same substance the abominations had. The reasoning behind that she could only guess at. The infection in Curn’s veins continued to spread as his breathing became increasingly labored. Not once did he regain consciousness.

  As the day passed, Saiya found herself getting tired faster than normal. A light feeling of nausea overtook her. A feeling of trepidation overcame her. Perhaps he was contagious? Did this work like an illness or was it based on exposure? Hopefully, it was the latter, or the caravan would be in trouble. Rubal had woken up once but expressed his feeling of continued sickness as well. Fortunately, he had eaten before going back to sleep. By the time they needed to begin dinner preparations, Saiya and Yena felt a sense of resignation overtake them.

  Yena motioned for her to exit the wagon with her. The fresh air helped to settle the feeling in Saiya’s stomach. Yena sighed in relief and said, “I guess that settles it. I’ll talk to Dinaro tonight. Hopefully, he’ll agree with me.”

  “Is there a reason he wouldn’t? Wouldn’t he want to keep the caravan safe?” Saiya asked. It was apparent that Curn was likely a danger. So, why would the Al’Yanda chief risk it? Yena ran a hand through her hair. She appeared to be searching for the right words to say.

  “It’s not that. The caravan’s safety is his highest priority. He just has a kind heart.” Yena smiled. “It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with him. He sees everyone in the caravan as his family.” The older woman then sighed. “But that’s why it’ll be so hard to convince him. He cares about Curn. Telling him he needs to be put out of his misery for the sake of the caravan? It’ll be hard.” Yena stared at Saiya intently. “For people like Dinaro, it’s hard to make choices like that. For some, they can’t make the right decision because of their kind hearts. That’s why I’ll be there for him. To convince him that this is the right choice.”

  Saiya understood. The family needed someone to make the hard decisions to protect them. Even if some would disagree with the actions. She nodded, causing Yena’s shoulders to sag in relief. The two made their way to the cooking wagon in silence. Both had too much on their minds now to have a proper conversation.

  The rest of the afternoon passed in a haze for her. Between training, work, and everything she learned, Saiya felt exhaustion settle over her. The outside world was a blur of action as she focused on making dinner. The sun had reached the far horizon by the time Yena dismissed her. Saiya gave a small wave goodbye, grabbed three plates of food, and left the wagon.

  Zeltara and Kaztos were sitting by their campfire as she approached. They spoke animatedly to each other, likely excited about how their days went. How those two had so much energy, she didn’t know. Kaztos noticed her first and stood up to greet her.

  “Saiya! I was just telling Zeltara about how my day went. How are you doing?” Saiya could only muster a halfhearted smile in response. She handed each a plate of food and wearily sat down. Both her friends noted her mood and looked at her, concerned.

  “Are you feeling okay, Saiya? I hope it wasn’t a rough day for you,” Kaztos said. If she had the energy, Saiya would have snorted. A rough day was one way to put it. Instead, she silently ate her dinner.

  “Is this about whatever was bothering you this morning?” Zeltara asked. Saiya gave a shrug in response. She didn’t feel like going into it right now. “Just remember, we’re here for you.”

  For the first time today, a smile found its way onto Saiya’s face. Those two just didn’t know when to quit. It was touching, to say the least, and she felt the temptation to share. But Saiya knew this was something she had to work through herself. Finishing her meal, she set her plate down and stood up.

  “I’m not feeling very well, so I’ll turn in early. See you tomorrow.” Without waiting for a response, Saiya turned and walked to her tent. She felt the stares of her friends as she entered and collapsed face first onto her sleeping mat. Finally alone, the day’s emotions washed over her. It made her want to cry, but she stopped herself. Tears never help with anything. They had never helped before.

  Dollanti’s harsh words echoed in Saiya’s mind as she thought about that morning. Of her lack of commitment to training. How she was holding the others back. Saiya tightened her hands into fists at the accusations playing in her head. As much as she tried to deny it, Dollanti had a point. Saiya had been drifting through life for a long time, always lacking any happiness. For a long time, it was hard to want to do anything. Even getting up in the morning sometimes felt like an impossible task. But recently, that had changed. Now, Saiya had found a reason to smile. She could now look forward to what tomorrow brought, and it was all because of Zeltara and Kaztos.

  Everything about them helped to lift her up. From their bright personalities to their genuine caring of her wellbeing. It was different coming from the caretakers at the orphanage. They tried to replace something Saiya wanted to keep to herself. Kaztos and Zeltara were something new. Something she never knew she needed. And now, Saiya found that she couldn’t bring herself to go back. To the days at the orphanage that repeated ad nauseam. Although she didn’t realize it then, that had been a hell all on its own. And she would be damned before going back to that. Fortunately, as long as her friends were by her side, Saiya felt there was nothing to worry about.

  But if her experience with them revealed anything, it was that those two ran into danger headfirst. Just Zeltara seemed to irritate Saiya at least once a week. Between her aggressive demeanor and penchant for explosives, there was no end to Zeltara’s recklessness. That doesn’t even go into the exasperation Kaztos brought to the table. He seemed all too willing to act first and think never. To charge into battle with nothing but that hammer of his to back him up. It would only be a matter of time until they found themselves dead at this rate. Then, Saiya would be all alone again. Back to drowning in that sea of apathy from before. The mere thought filled her with dread. No, that was unacceptable.

  Yena’s words from earlier that day came to the forefront of her mind. To protect the ones you cared about, sometimes you had to make the hard choices. Even if they might disagree, it’s for their own good. Saiya turned over and looked at her tent ceiling. Now, there’s a thought.

  Who better to protect her friends than herself? If they wouldn’t take precautions to protect themselves, then she would pick up the slack. While they forged on ahead towards their dreams, Saiya would be in the shadows protecting their backs. Who needed a grandiose dream when she had everything she needed already? For Saiya, the warm company of those that pulled her out of that dark place was more than enough. All she needed to do was protect it. No matter the cost. A new resolve filled her.

  Saiya smiled at the thought. Yes, she knew what needed to be done. It even lifted the weight that hung over her. Dollanti thought he could call her weak-willed. She’ll show him her true strength. Saiya drifted off to sleep, feeling very content. Tomorrow marked the beginning of her dedicated training. For the first time in a long while, Saiya couldn’t wait for the next day. She’d show Dollanti. He wouldn’t deny her a second time.

  Her resolve only deepened the next day, when she went to work after training and Curn was gone.