Boris enjoyed small towns. He loved the bustle of big cities and the many exciting things that came with it, but that wasn’t where his heart was. He might not have noticed it, but anytime he was in the cities he missed the quiet peace of a small town. It was the kind of environment he grew up in, and a part of him always felt at home there.

  For the past seven hours, he’d been sitting in a chair just a mile south of such a town, keeping watch on the forest edge. It was a nice break from the usual work.

  His pupil didn’t agree. In recent cycles the boy had hit puberty, and he was a lot more vocal about questioning his mentor and voicing his opinion than he had been when he was younger.

  “This is boring,” the sandy-haired boy groaned, dragging out the last word. “We aren’t even making good money for this.”

  “It’s about more than money, Justus. These people need help, and we have the power to help them. Adventuring isn’t just about making coin.”

  Justus sighed dramatically. “It’s about helping people in need, yeah I know. But we could be helping people in need who are willing to pay more, and actually need it.”

  “And I’m sure a lot of adventurers agree with you, which is why we took this job.”

  “So we have to be the suckers who take the shitty jobs?”

  “Watch your language. And yes. It’s our responsibility. We have the power to help, and with that comes the responsibility to do so. Especially when others won’t.”

  “We’re not even doing anything.”

  “We’re on watch,” Boris said.

  “Watching what? Nothing’s happened! Nothing’s going to happen.”

  “Hopefully, but we don’t know that. Do you remember the details of the job? And why it was rated as a Sapphire rank assignment?”

  “Because of the cedaracks. Some were seen in the forest near here,” Justus said.

  “But we weren’t sent to kill them. Why not?”

  “I know why.”

  He gave Justus a flat stare.

  Justus rolled his eyes. “We weren’t sent to kill them because they’re endangered and their eggshells are used in Spirit alchemy to create high quality healing potions. But they’re known to feed on sugarwheat, which just so happens to be this town’s main export. There's worry that the recent harvest will carry the smell far enough to attract them.”

  “So you did read the report.”

  “I also read that it was considered a low threat job because the cedaracks were seen migrating south, away from here.”

  “It’s not about the threat,” Boris explained. “It may be low, but to the townsfolk that low risk could mean losing their home or lives. I didn’t take this job because I thought I would get to fight off some cedaracks. I did it to give the people of this town peace of mind. They’ll sleep better knowing someone is here watching over them. And if something does happen, we’ll have prevented that low risk from becoming a disaster.”

  Justus huffed, but relaxed back into his chair.

  Boris leaned back. The boy was young and impatient, but he had a good heart. While he might complain and question, Boris knew he understood why even a job like this was important.

  Boris reached in his pocket and took out his guidestone. He spun it around in his fingers. The emerald shimmered in the red glow of the sunlight, refracting the light in a dazzling display.

  He noticed Justus eying the emerald from the corner of his vision.

  “It’s a little early to be wanting an upgrade. Your Jade stone will last you for a while,” he said.

  “I know. But you’ll reach Ruby rank soon, won’t you?”

  “If things go well,” Boris confirmed. “I’m starting to get a grasp on the barrier between Emerald and Ruby. It might take a few quarters, or another cycle. The timeframe is hard to guess with rank-ups.”

  “What will you do with it when that happens? You’ll have to upgrade.”

  “This Emerald stone was given to me by my father when I reached Jade rank near your age. I plan on giving it to my son as a graduation present, once he finally becomes an adventurer.”

  “Oh,” The boy said, unable to hide his disappointment.

  Justus was only Opal rank, the lowest rank of a Spirit artist. While he was physically tougher and faster than any unranked human and could use a couple basic skills, he wasn’t considered strong enough to be an official adventurer. That required him to reach the next rank: Jade. He was physically trained enough to reach the rank, but still needed some time before he could advance. Reaching Jade required a certain amount of mental maturity that the boy lacked.

  Boris was interrupted before he could respond. A faint rustle of grass came from behind them. Justus didn’t notice, as the sound was too quiet for anyone below Emerald to hear. Someone was coming. They huffed as they walked briskly across the grassy plain. The man was about twenty meters away when Boris stood and turned to face him. He waved.

  Justus turned to look. When he started to lean back in the chair again, Boris lightly kicked his chair’s leg. Justus grumbled and stood up.

  The man was older, a bit of white in his gray and brown hair and beard. He was holding a basket in his hand. When he got close enough, he set the basket down. He made two fists with his hands and brought them together in front of his chest, his left fist resting over his right. It was a gesture of respectful greeting in the region. Boris and Justus returned the gesture.

  The man bent down and picked the basket back up. He breathed heavy, clearly winded from his hurry over. “I meant to greet you earlier, but I had to get work done in the shop before I could. I’m the one who posted the job. I didn’t think anyone would actually take it, but I’m glad you did. I saw those cedaracks while hunting and couldn’t stop worrying about ‘em.”

  “We’re happy to help,” Boris said. “It’s been all quiet out here so far, so hopefully there’s no need to worry.”

  “That’s what I hoped, but you can’t be too sure. We had a cedarack stampede about forty cycles back, ya know? Most people here have forgotten about it, but it was bad. Dozens of the beasts ran out from the woods.

  “Half the town ruined, crops gutted. I was a younger lad than your boy here, but I still remember how devastated my father was. He was a farmer and nearly went into debt fixing up the damages to the farm. I know it might seem paranoid, but you only need to see something like that once for it to make you keep your guard up.

  “But I’m rambling. I just came here to say thanks. I also thought you two might want something to eat. I brought some bread, jam, and meat from my store.”

  The man offered the basket to Boris. He reached out, but paused. He lifted his hand, palm out. He realized the man might misconstrue the gesture as a rejection of the gift, so he brought a finger to his lips and shushed him.

  “Something's coming,” he said.

  He looked back to the forest. Its edge was a good hundred and fifty meters away, but with his enhanced perception Boris could see every detail clearly.

  A figure burst from the shadows of the trees. It was as tall as a man and a half, and nearly as broad. Its long scaly legs were thin compared to its fat and feathery body, but they were powerful and ended in claws as long as a man’s forearm. Its small wings flapped as it bolted into the clearing. Its head sat atop a long, thin neck, swiveling around in jerky motions with each gallop. Its three eyes were large and dark, two on each side of its face, and the larger third sat above its long curved beak. Smoke billowed from its nostril with each huff of breath.

  The beast shrieked as it jumped out of the forest edge. More followed behind it. Four, then six, then nine. As they ran, ripples of fire burst from their footsteps. The air around them shimmered with heat. Like most cedaracks, these had Spirits of fire Affinity. Something was wrong in the way they were stampeding.

  “Oh Gods! They’ve frenzied!” the old man yelled, taking a step back.

  “No. It’s worse,” Boris said, realization dawning. “They’re not charging; they’re running.” He looked to Justus. “Get to town! Tell everyone to evacuate.”

  Justus opened his mouth but was cut off by the sound of a deafening roar coming from beyond the treeline. The air crackled, popping with thin wisps of white-blue sparks every few meters.

  “Go! Now!” Boris yelled. “Get them to safety, then call the guild and tell them to send for backup! I’ll buy time.”

  “But what-”

  “Now Justus!”

  The boy turned and began to run, quickly overtaking the man who had started jogging away as soon as he’d heard the roar.

  Boris activated his guidance stone’s combat systems. Immediately his vision grew sharper, and the flock of eleven cedaracks were highlighted in yellow silhouettes. Threats, but not focused towards him.

  Boris tensed. Whatever was coming, he couldn’t go charging blindly into the forest to fight it. His fighting style worked best in open space and when he knew what he was fighting.

  Trees near the edge began to shake just before a massive figure charged out from the dark. It stood nearly as tall as the trees themselves, at least a dozen meters. Its long, scaly body was at least twice that length. It had no arms, only two large muscular legs. A thick tail ending with a spiked ball slashed through the air and tore one of the trees to splinters.

  The eel-like head was smooth and tapered to a rounded point, rows of teeth jutting out, visible even with its mouth shut. There were no ears, and the eyes were small and burned white. A frill behind its jaws was wide open, giving it a larger, more ferocious look.

  There were small spikes across the creature's spine, with a fleshy membrane connecting them. Arcs of lightning were spitting out of them, striking other nearby spikes or the air itself.

  It was a dire-beast, one of the strongest variants of monster on the planet. Only the worldshakers and apocalypse-beasts were more feared. Dire-beasts were more insidious though. There were always signs well in advance of worldshakers and apocalypse-beasts. But dire-beasts formed too quickly. In as little as half a quarter, they could manifest with virtually no prior warning. It was why, despite not being the most powerful category of spirit beast, they were responsible for killing more adventurers than any other.

  Boris mentally summoned his sword. The air around his hand shimmered before he felt the familiar weight. The weapon had a long handle and a thick, solid white blade nearly five feet long. Being made of solid Spirit, it was a weapon unmatched by any metal.

  The beast charged after the flock of cedaracks, which was heading straight for the town. The giant birds were intelligent and would hope to use the people in the town as a distraction.

  Boris tightened the grip on his sword. He looked back, watching the boy running back to town. A sense of regret rang through him. He worried what would become of the young man he’d taken in and raised for the past five cycles. The kid had been a typical street urchin back then, and the habits he’d had to learn to survive had never fully gone away. Boris had done his best to teach the boy what it meant to be an adventurer. Now he had to live up to those teachings.

  This is what a true adventurer did. Not the ones who were in it for the money or status. A true adventurer stood between danger and those in need, even if it meant risking everything. It was how his father had lived and died, and, if necessary, it was how Boris would too.

  The cedaracks ran past him, completely ignoring his presence. He turned back to face the dire-beast.

  The beast had halted its charge. It stood tall, almost majestic, less than thirty yards away from him. Its eyes were locked on him, its animalistic frenzy replaced with a cold, calculating stare.

  Spirit beasts weren’t all unintelligent monsters. He’d never seen it, but Boris had been told that the powerful ones were deceptively smart and strategic. As he faced down the monster before him, he knew it wasn’t just hearsay.

  Boris walked to the side, hoping to keep the monster's attention so he could angle the fight away from town. The beast didn’t move to attack. It just kept staring, watching him. He couldn’t be sure, but he could almost read an expression on the beast's face. Its mouth was slanted at the edges, its brow tightened, its nostrils flared. Its white eyes never left his. It looked like the thing was staring at him with utter contempt.

  He’d never admit how much the sight terrified him. He had to clench his fists to try to keep them from shaking. It didn’t work. He didn’t have a speed or movement Affinity, but he was still at peak Emerald. Boris could run and probably escape. The thought crossed his mind only for a moment. Then he thought of the old man and of all the faces he had seen when he’d arrived in the town. Of Justus. The trembling in his hands faded.

  Spirit Threshold Achieved

  New Rank Progression Achieved: Peak

  New Affinity Manifested: [Paragon]

  New [Paragon] Skill: [Dauntless]

  [Dauntless]: Your Spirit is no longer affected by spiritual pressure. You can infuse this Spirit aspect into allies within one hundred meters around you.

  Passive Skill

  New [Paragon] Active Skill: [Peerless Fighter]

  [Peerless Fighter]: For the next 45 seconds, you can sense hostile attacks before they strike.

  Cooldown Skill

  Cooldown: Two Minutes

  You are now eligible to advance to rank: Ruby.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Boris scanned the text box that appeared in front of him before dismissing it. He’d already known he was close to reaching Ruby. He just wished it had come a little sooner. Advancing left the Spirit weakened. Even at Ruby it would leave him vulnerable for a few minutes. With that power his chances of surviving would increase drastically, but it wasn’t an option. In those few minutes of weakness this beast could kill him and destroy the entire town.

  As he continued circling the creature, it continued to stare at him, turning so he was always in the center of its vision.

  “Why aren’t you attacking?” he wondered out loud. “What are you waiting for?”

  The beast didn’t answer, but to his surprise, it did respond. Its eyes narrowed as it dipped down and tilted its head slightly. It was a strangely human gesture. It was like the beast was urging him to make the first move. The beast opened its mouth. Lightning shot out as it snapped its jaws shut. It stomped one of its feet and let out a huff. The message was clear: “Make the first move, or I will.”

  Boris was now between the beast and the forest. It was facing away from the town. The time for buying time quietly was over.

  Boris kicked off the ground, kicking up dirt as he flew forward. The beast was quick. It ducked, protecting its neck while exposing its tough hide to the attack. He struck the beast with a strength that could have split a mountain. His sword struck the beast's back with all his strength. If the sword had been made of normal metal, it would have shattered.

  Boris expected the attack to do something. Instead, the glowing white blade recoiled violently. The vibration rang painfully through his arm, but Boris didn’t hesitate. He kicked off the beast, narrowly dodging the jaws that clamped down where he had been. Lightning spit from where the mouth snapped; the strength behind the bite was so powerful that it made a noise more like an explosion than the snap of jaws.

  Boris landed and charged the second his feet hit the ground. In that split second, he activated one of his skills.

  [Unbound Might]

  Infuse your strength with your Spirit. Your next physical attack is enhanced and inflicts Spiritual damage.

  Charges: 7 of 8 remaining

  Charge Cooldown: 30 seconds

  He thrust his weapon upwards, aiming it at the beast’s throat. In that same moment, the monster whipped its head down, knocking the blade aside. Boris kept his grip on the blade and used the deflection’s momentum to twist in the air. He spun the blade and brought the flat of it smashing against the beast’s snout.

  The monster staggered and roared in pain as lightning exploded from the side of its face. The Spiritual damage from his attack had disrupted its Spirit, inflicting an invisible wound not even a dire-beast could shrug off.

  Boris landed and backed away from the skirmish. The beast shook its head and locked its sight back on him. Its face held nothing but rage as it opened its mouth wide and let out a roar.

  This roar was far more powerful than the first. The air and ground both shook from its power. Black clouds spiraled out from above the beast, blanketing the sky and sending the world into darkness. Thousands of lightning bolts struck from the sky for miles around. Their flashes were the only light left. The thunder that clapped across the sky was barely audible over the beast’s own cries. The pressure of the roar ripped through Boris’ body. His skin and muscle vibrated against his bones, and his organs would have been turned to mush if not for his body’s Spiritual reinforcement.

  The beast didn’t stop. It kept roaring, staring at him with that same vitriol as it began walking closer. With each step, Boris felt the pain growing greater. He activated another skill.

  [Spirit Shield]

  Protect an area, ally, or self with a temporary Spirit shield that blocks most physical and Spiritual attacks. Shield lasts until its Spirit is depleted.

  Cooldown: 45 seconds

  The pain ceased as a shimmering veil appeared around him. Boris didn’t waste time. He leapt again, activating his Unbound Might skill once more.

  The monster was ready this time. As he shot through the air, the monster began to move. Boris grinned. He didn’t use a skill this time; he used a spell. His Emerald mind did the calculations in moments, formulating the change in reality his Spirit began to manifest.

  As the spell took place, he felt the world bend around him. It was simple but potent. In an instant, his mass increased over ten-thousandfold, but his momentum was preserved. Like a hundred-ton cannon, he flew through the air, straight towards the beast.

  Dire-beasts weren’t like normal monsters, unfortunately. It sensed the Spirit warping around him before it even took effect and knew the danger he posed. In the blink of an eye, the monster’s body shifted into pure lightning. The glowing mass flashed and zipped away.

  He cancelled his mass spell and used a different one to condense the air in front of him, bringing him to a halt midair.

  The beast reappeared behind him. Massive teeth lunged toward him. Boris kicked off the condensed air his spell created. He sailed over the jaws and swung his sword down with all his might.

  The Spirit-infused attack struck the beast on the forehead, cracking the thick scales but not penetrating to the flesh below. Lightning exploded at the point of impact.

  The beast didn’t waste time reacting or crying out in pain. It brought up its skull and slammed Boris with a headbutt that sent him flying through the air.

  The shield around Boris faltered but managed to endure the blow. One more hit and it would be gone. If he had any chance of surviving, he needed to end the fight quickly. He had only one idea that might work. The only spell that might put down the monster in his arsenal was his conflux skill. Even if it worked, it might cost him his life anyway. The Spirit needed would take everything he had.

  He thought through his plan even as he was hurtling toward the ground. He landed on his feet, creating a small crater where he impacted.

  Using a spell he’d practiced so often it was nearly instinct, the air around him shifted. A vacuum was formed above him, and pressure built underneath. The simultaneous push and pull sent him soaring into the air. Flying was usually something only Ruby ranks could do intuitively enough to use in a fight. He'd been doing it since Sapphire. Most Spirit Artists would be surprised at what they were capable of if they only bothered to study the fundamentals of the power they wielded. Too many relied on their skills alone.

  The monster let out a deep chittering noise as its eyes followed his path in the air. Bright lightning struck out from the side of the creature, arcing into a web that grew and connected. The lightning thickened and pulsed so quickly its shape soon became unmistakable: two massive wings, each over three times as long as the beast was tall.

  With a titanic flap of its wings and a leap, it launched into the air with the speed of a cannonball. In an instant, the monster was upon him, and only his peak Emerald speed, combined with decades of training, kept him from being torn apart right then and there.

  The air around him shifted as he altered his spell, sending him flying back just as the giant crackling teeth slashed through the air where he’d been floating. He launched himself forward, increasing the mass of his leg as he kicked at the beast’s teeth. The mouth vanished, becoming incorporeal plasma for the same fraction of a second his leg swept through it.

  It reformed just as quickly, and the beast lunged for him once more. The teeth crunched down on his Spirit shield. It shattered, but that bought him just enough time to kick off the creature and send himself flying back to relative safety. That was fine; he needed the cooldown for that shield to start anyway. He’d need it at full strength for his plan. All he had to do now was avoid dying for nearly a minute. Easier said than done.

  ***

  Justus hadn’t needed to convince the townsfolk to get the fuck away. Once the sky had turned black and lightning filled the air, the townspeople had been more than eager to listen to him and abandon the town.

  Justus should have done the same. It was clear something bad was going on. If someone didn’t get the message, it would be on them. But he knew he’d never hear the end of it if an innocent got hurt. So against all his instincts, he ran through the town, checking each house and yelling warnings in case any were left.

  After only a few minutes, another roar echoed through the valley. It was followed by a gust of wind strong enough to blow the roofs off of many of the town’s buildings. Justus covered his face with his forearms, keeping the dirt and debris out of his eyes.

  When the violent winds died down, he looked back to the forest. A massive, monstrous figure was in the air, carried by two giant, blinding wings of light.

  The beast teleported around in flashes. It appeared and disappeared so rapidly that it looked to Justus like there were at least two of the monsters teleporting around.

  For the first time since meeting him, Justus wondered if his mentor had the power to win such a fight. Dire-beasts weren’t called hero-killers without a reason, after all.

  Justus found himself running towards the battle. He had to help, didn’t he? He stopped on the edge of town, still over a mile out from the battle. He clenched his fist.

  He was too weak. There was nothing he could do. Even if every part of him screamed to help, he knew if he tried he would only get himself, and likely his mentor, killed.

  But not all of that was true. There was something he could do. Justus turned back to the town. If there was anyone left, he needed to find them and get them to safety. That’s what Boris had trusted him to do.

  Still, he glanced back at the battle. For the first time in cycles, he said a silent prayer to the gods. His mentor would win. He always had. If any Emerald had a chance against a dire-beast, it was Boris.

  Justus’s prayer was interrupted by an explosion. This one wasn’t the clap of thunder like before or a roar so powerful it hurt his ears even a mile away. This was a true explosion, one of fire and destruction.

  The clouds were blown back by the force of the blast, revealing a clear sky once more. The aerial battle erupted in a pillar of light so overwhelming it outshined the only recently revealed sun, casting the world in a brilliant white glow. Justus felt his skin prickle at the heat. He looked up to see the shockwave that carried the clouds through the sky rushing closer.

  The force reverberated through him, sending pain down to his very bones. The wind swept him off his feet through the air, and the wooden buildings around him toppled. He felt the sharp impact of the ground, and everything went dark.

  **

  It took every ounce of skill Boris had just to avoid the attacks. The beast was clearly getting tired of this fight and was no longer pulling punches. It zapped across the sky, appearing, striking, and vanishing multiple times a second. Boris had to pour his Spirit into his perception and reactions just to avoid getting torn in half by the beast’s jaws.

  During one of the brief moments between attacks, something drew his attention back to the town. Boris saw a small figure. His heightened perception gave him a clear view of who. Justus was there, fists clenched and eyes closed.

  Run, boy. He thought. This fight is beyond you.

  A notification popped into view at the top right of his vision. His shield was finally back up. Now that his Spirit was practically fully recovered, he could begin preparing his final attack.

  The air pressure around him shifted. Just before the jaws manifested around him, he kicked off the ground and dashed away from the attack. His sword, which he had dismissed while dodging, reappeared in his hand. He readied his conflux skill for the first time since he was Low Emerald, nearly seven cycles ago.

  [Deterrence Theory]

  Conflux Skill

  When charged, this skill manifests your Spirit in the physical dimension and forcibly fuses the fundamental particles of the universe.

  When activated, the potential energy of the unstable mass is released in a devastating explosion.

  WARNING!

  Reckless use of this skill is considered a category III violation of the Monarch Treaties. Use of this skill requires explicit permission from the Adventure’s Guild. Use without permission will result in extensive investigation.

  As he activated the skill, the large, thick blade began to glow hot and hum with energy. He could feel his Spirit pouring into the skill at an alarming rate. His reserves at this stage of advancement were oceanic, however, and he would need as much as possible to make sure the attack would finish the fight.

  The monster sensed the danger. It appeared in the sky ahead of him, its eyes focusing on the blade before meeting his own. Its intelligence still unnerved him. No other monster he fought had ever shown that kind of awareness. If it could think to such a degree, why attack him so relentlessly? What drove it to such violence without any provocation?

  The answer to those questions wouldn’t change what needed to happen. Boris increased the flow of Spirit into his blade as the monster charged. It cut through the air, dispersing into a field of lightning. A massive sphere, over a hundred meters across, filled the air and centered around him. Boris activated his newest skill.

  [Peerless Fighter]

  For the next 45 seconds, you can sense hostile attacks before they strike.

  Cooldown: Two Minutes

  Lightning pulsed through and about him. Some were real, and others were phantom projections that warned him of danger to come. He couldn’t dodge each strike but could avoid the major bolts. Boris gritted his teeth in pain and concentration. Part of him remained focused on charging his weapon, while the other weaved through the bolts of lightning.

  The attack was relentless and brutal, but clearly taxing. The sphere began to shrink, the lightning converging back into a plasmoid silhouette that charged toward him. The beast reformed and lunged at the same time.

  Its wings swept through the air, spinning the beast and granting it leverage as it whipped its tail toward him. Boris saw the phantom image strike him in the chest and rip him apart.

  He dodged just as the attack came thanks to the warning. The tail’s spiked end was more like a ball of white-hot sparks now. The light burst outward, sending hundreds of bolts as thick as his arm into the air.

  With a blast of wind, Boris sent a pressure wave out around his body, creating a vacuum around him that prevented the lightning from connecting with him. The air rushed back in with explosive power as the vacuum collapsed a split second after it formed, but the beast’s attack was over even sooner.

  Frustrated it wasn’t able to land a hit, the dire-beast howled before charging. It lunged for him, its movements faster than most eyes would be able to keep track of. It bit and swung at him over and over, growing more reckless with each passing second. The beast lunged again, opening its jaws.

  This time, Boris charged, not bothering to evade the attack. The jaws slammed down with the force of a volcanic eruption. He screamed as his sword arm was severed between two massive sharp teeth. He wrenched himself free. The stump that remained of his right arm sent a spray of red rain onto the grass below. He activated his Unbound Might skill and kicked the beast in the same teeth now stained with his blood. The kick pushed the beast away, leaving Boris's arm and sword behind, still inside the beast's mouth.

  While the beast reeled from his Spirit-enhanced strike, Boris surrounded it in a cylindrical Spirit shield. The bottom stretched all the way to the ground, and the top rose miles above, ending in an open top. It wouldn’t hold it back, but it might mitigate the damage.

  He kicked off the air, getting as much distance as he could in the brief moment before he struck. He activated his conflux skill. His sword, lodged inside the beast’s throat and infused with his Spirit, detonated.

  Pain exploded in his Spirit as it was used for the attack. Simultaneously, the cylinder filled with a fire brighter than the sun, engulfing the beast as it cried out in pain for the first time since the fight began. The sky was split apart from the force, and the clouds were cast away and dispersed like mist in a desert.

  The shield held for only a moment before it shattered. The white-hot blast struck him and sent him hurtling through the air. His body went numb immediately. He crashed into the ground. He didn’t feel it, despite leaving a crater some fifty feet across.

  His vision was blurry. There was physical pain, dull and distant. But the absent ache in his Spirit was worse. The smell was the first thing that told him something was wrong. It smelled like cooked meat gone rotten.

  He sat up and tried to lift his right hand. The hand was gone, but the stump that remained was ruined. The skin was melted off, exposing charred fat and muscle. As he looked down, he saw that almost his entire body was burned. The blast had nearly vaporized him. If it weren’t for the shield and his enhanced durability, he’d be nothing but ashes.

  He looked to the town. It was mostly ruins, but not on fire. Only the pressure wave had reached that far. He landed near the edge of a circle of ash where there had been grass. It stretched for nearly half a mile in each direction, centered around where the explosion had been.

  He began limping toward the town. There was no Spirit left over for him to fly, not that he had the focus left to do so. It was all he could do to put one foot in front of the other. The damage it was doing to his body wasn’t important. He knew it wouldn’t matter at this point.

  His vision darkened, the world splitting into two blurry images before coming back into focus in waves. Still, he kept moving. He had to make sure.

  He reached the edge of town. Between the rows of collapsed buildings he saw a small body. Tears burned his eyes. They ran down the exposed muscle of his face. He’d done the calculations three times over. The shield should have been enough. The blast shouldn’t have been lethal to an Opal rank so far out. Had he poured too much energy into the spell? Had it interacted with the monster’s Spirit and produced more energy than anticipated?

  He tried to call out, but only a hoarse whisper left his mouth. Even if his vocal cords weren’t fried, he didn’t have any lips left to form words. He stumbled forward. He couldn’t have been wrong. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—die before knowing for certain. The boy was all he had.

  His father was gone. His sister long passed. He’d never married, never reared a child of his own. He was married to his way of life. He’d always been content to go it alone. Until he’d met the small, starving boy who’d tried to rob him: the boy he took under his wing, convincing himself it was just a temporary arrangement until the kid could look after himself.

  He fell to his knees, unable to stand any longer. Something shone in his hand. Somehow, he’d kept ahold of his guidance stone. The Emerald dazzled just as brightly as it always did, a morbidly beautiful contrast against his charred flesh.

  A small movement caught his attention. Justus shifted on the ground. Slowly, so slowly, the boy stood up. Boris locked eyes with him one last time. He was alive. A terrified look that cut Boris deeper than any blade or monster’s teeth came over the boy. The world grew dark as he saw the boy scramble to his feet and start running toward him.

  He wished he could say sorry. He wished he could be there when the boy advanced to Jade and graduated from his training. He wished he’d be there to congratulate him and gift him the emerald guidestone the boy had tried stealing so many cycles ago.

  Boris fell. He was dead before he hit the ground.