Xellie hadn’t taken time to share Tane’s information about the whereabouts of Ashmeviti with the group before she met them for breakfast that morning.

It seemed that they had been awake long before her. Tane had been out to the town and returned with a generous selection of bread and cured meats for breakfast.

Mattos and Ary sat at the table, still picking at the food occasionally as Xellie sat down and absent-mindedly chewed on the corner of some bread.

“Are you alright?” Tane asked, noting the lack of appetite.

“I’m fine.” She looked up from the table, making eye contact with Mattos and Ary. “I guess our plans have changed a bit.”

Mattos eyed Tane suspiciously when he heard this.

“No no, Mattos, it’s fine. Ashmeviti lives in Hafenstad, so Tane says.”

“Can you trust him?” Mattos pointed at Tane. “A few days ago, he was trying to abduct you for a demon lord.”

“Maybe you’re right!” Xellie exclaimed, standing up and slamming her hands on the table. “Maybe he’s lying, and maybe this is a trick. So we search the town. We either get ambushed if we don’t take this seriously, or disappear over the plains for no reason!”

“I can help with that.” Ary piped up. “I should be able to sense him if I put in the work.”

Tane lay a hand on Xellie’s shoulder and encouraged her to sit back down.

“Before you make plans, maybe you need to know what I know?” Tane suggested. “Ashmeviti lives in a pretty large manor house on the outskirts of the town... but... the portal he gets his power from. He’s kept that a secret from all of us. I just know it’s somewhere in the town, but I can’t see the flow of energy. Seems like you can?”

“I didn’t see anything like that when walking through the town,” Xellie replied. “It felt creepy, but normal.”

“She’s barely in tune with her power, Tane,” Mattos grumbled. “She doesn’t know what she can do.”

“I guess we’re searching the old-fashioned way then.” Xellie shrugged. “There should be cloaks in the basement with spirit masking enchants on them. Demons used to mark hunters so they could find and kill threats. My brother's scarf is like this... but I guess I’ll take an extra. Tane you should too.”

“Good call,” Tane said with a nod, walking off to the basement.

“I don’t want to leave him alone with you,” Mattos said bluntly, as soon as he thought Tane was out of earshot.

“He should go with you. I’ll search alone,” Xellie replied. “And Ary please stay here and see if you can give us any idea what we’re up against.”

Ary nodded.

“What do you mean, alone?” Mattos asked with an annoyed sigh. “Are you stupid?”

“He expects me to come with a group. I can’t hide if Tane is around me.” Xellie sunk her head into one hand, drumming her fingers on the table with the other. “I didn’t think this would come so soon.”

“It’s all a bit crazy, but you’re essentially cornered,” said Mattos. “Let’s just hope your family comes along to help out.”

“Probably not. They really want me to do this my own way.” She looked out of the window, hoping that Raye or even Vella could be seen listening in. “Ary, listen... You didn’t really sign up for any of this and I want you to stay safe.”

“You’re going to fight, not just search?” Ary asked, biting her thumb. “You...”

“I don’t know.” Xellie cut Ary off gently. “But, if I don’t return from the town, I want you to go northeast to Nordausa and tell Niko and Grau everything. It’s a small town, if you go to the sanctuary, someone will get them for you.”

“Hrmm..” Ary pouted, folded her arms and sunk down into the chair. “If that’s your wish.”

“It is. And Mattos, you should go too and ask them to help you.”

“Talking as if you lost before you started.” Tane chided her as he walked back into the room, dumping a heap of capes and cloaks on the floor. “I don’t know if I prefer this version of you, to the version that thinks she’s invincible.”

“What you prefer doesn’t matter!” She snapped back at Tane.

“Okay, okay...” Tane backed away.

“I’m going to clear my head,” Xellie announced, walking outside and slamming the door behind her, leaving Tane and Mattos exchanging concerned glances.

I need to be stronger. I need to be faster. I need to be able to do this alone.

She grabbed her sword, holding it horizontally across her body, bracing herself as she thought about Tane’s description of the sword as a soul shifter. Unlocking her Valkyrie soul and consuming her human one seemed to be the dirty truth behind Tane’s words, although he hadn’t quite phrased it that way.

“Screw it,” she told herself angrily, twisting the hilt to activate the sword.

The sword’s blade glowed gently, the aura not stretching past the tip. She held it pointing toward the cliff top and closed her eyes.

“I’ll kill him. For destroying so many lives, for destroying the land. For terrifying so many people. For violence, for sickness, for famine. For every orphan, for every widow, widower. For every lost friend, brother, sister, son, daughter. For everyone forced to grow up in our messed-up world of fighting and violence. For everyone who has never seen the real sun or tasted real food...”

She opened her eyes, fixating them on the tip of the sword, now much longer and glowing a golden white.

“AND YOU WILL NOT USE ME TO MAKE IT WORSE!” she screamed, the sword tearing through the air, doubling her height in its length, almost as broad as her shoulders.

She ran at a tree near the cliff top, jumping into the air, spinning to land on it with both feet and jumping off again to run in the direction she had approached from. She ran toward the rockery that ran down the side of the stronghold, jumping from rock to rock to stand on top of the building. And then back down.

With each jump and each run, she could feel energy building within her body. Each slash of the sword filled her with exhilaration as she savoured the wind through her hair, and the sound of her feet hitting the ground. She was moving faster than she could ever imagine, and it felt liberating.

She stopped by the cliff top, lowering her sword to take in the view. The sea glowed the brightest blue she had ever seen, topped with golden and red hues riding the wave crests. The grass below her appeared in thousands of shades of green and yellow, each blade crisp and clear in her view. Above her, the sky shimmered in iridescent hues of blue, green, and purple.

She turned to look at the town of Hafenstad. A black mist curled through the air into the sky, laced with orange and red sparks.

She could feel the energy vibrating through her sword, pulsing through her body, a warm, emboldening feeling.

It’s not time for this.

She shut off her sword.

The colours of the world around her lost their lustre, dull and faded, almost nothing but grey compared to moments ago.

As the energy from the sword fizzled and diffused into the air, her legs gave way and she fell backwards onto the grass, staring up at the sky. Every muscle in her body weighed her down as if made from lead.

Why am I not scared? What am I becoming?

She closed her eyes, focusing on every breath, feeling as if the weight of her body pinned her to the earth.

----

Xellie woke up to Mattos sitting next to her on the grass, watching out toward the sea.

“How long was I out?” she asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

“Long enough. You left yourself defenceless near Tane.”

“Yeah...” she yawned and climbed to her feet. “Where is he? Did he try anything?”

“No, he got pretty sulky when I wouldn’t leave him here alone with you and vanished indoors somewhere.”

Internally, Xellie gave a sigh of relief hearing that. She was mostly certain that Tane could beat Mattos in a one-on-one fight. An indication that Tane could be trusted as much as she was hoping?

“TANE!” she called toward the house, sitting down and untying her hair. “Thanks for watching me, Mattos,” she whispered. “There really is no choice but to trust his information at this stage.”

“I know.”

Tane came over to join them, sitting on the grass in the noon sunshine.

“I have to ask a favour, Tane,” Xellie said, sitting braiding her hair into 2 large plaits. “Can you make me some charcoal from that tree over there?”

Tane smiled and chuckled under his breath as he stood back up and walked off.

“I think you’d be better off with bleach. I’ll make everything you need.”

“What’s this then?” Mattos asked, feeling left out.

“When I was a kid, I used to get the coal from the fires at the local sanctuary and cover my hair in it, so I could sneak off around town for longer before I was caught,” Xellie explained. “Turns out, when your brother is employed by the church and pays for your board as an orphan, and they’re hiding your identity, they don’t like that kid to go wandering around alone.”

“You’re going to disguise yourself? Won’t he just see through that?”

“Probably!” Xellie shrugged with a forced smile. “But I think his minions won’t.”

Tane came back shortly after with a black paste in a pot, helping her apply it to her now braided hair. She added a small amount around her eyes and stood up confidently.

“Let's kit up and go.”