Felix thew a quick jab forward, his fist caught by Reta's palm with ease. She locked eyes with him, calmly observing as he practiced throwing punches one jab at a time. Her almond-shaped eyes focused on the subtle quiver of his lip when he lunged with his right arm, his reaction repeating until she held his wrists.

  "Your arm has not yet healed," She stated, slowly running her hand along his right arm and brushing the dressing aside, unveiling the puncture wound on his bicep. Tracing her soft fingers around the wound, she kept her gaze fixated on his pained expression as he looked away. "There is no shame in this, Felix. A knife in the arm would hinder even the finest warrior. You mustn't push yourself past your limits, for you risk deying your recovery further."

  Felix pulled his arm back, gring back. "I don't want to hear it. There was a time when you insulted me for being zy and weak, and I ignored it. If I had been serious, I might have prevented this from happening."

  Reta raised her brow with a puzzled look. "Don't be foolish, neither one of us were prepared for him."

  "Listen to her, Felix!" Janette called out, leaning against the wagon and watching the pair train. She wrapped herself snuggly with a few bnkets, while standing beside the lit campfire. "Perdilius had an army of followers and the Monster Hunter following his orders. Honestly, it's nothing short of a miracle that we survived."

  Felix shook his head, rubbing his sore wound. "Is there any way to use Genki to heal faster by chance? There has to be something to hasten the process."

  His friend shook her head, her blue hair flowing like waves in the ocean. "Genki can be used for healing, but it is not a technique that I know of. If I had, I would have offered it to you before, and to your green friend. Perhaps it is best that we step back into meditation to harness our essence. Concentrate, clear your mind and gather around the energy surrounding us."

  Felix squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his palms together. He inhaled deep through his nose, his body beginning to shiver slightly from a cold gust of wind. Clear your head, that's what he tried to do. Deep breaths and a clear mind, it was a continuous process that they've repeated in the four days that they've spent traveling. But the stinging pain from his arm pulsed, and fshes of the girls came to mind. His face scrunched up, his palms trembling as he tried to push those thoughts away. Then he remembered Syri being captured, Reta losing herself as she transformed under the full moon, Janette's house burning down and Perdilius taunting him with that sneer as he began to crush him under his foot.

  Nyitzcha stepped around the carriage and reached out for the boiling pot hung over the fire, pouring herself a cup of tea. She offered a cup to Janette and stood beside her, quietly observing the others. Felix was struggling, but a spark of gold dust glowed from around his hands. It made the dwarf watch with curious interest. "Boy, he's gettin' d'ere."

  Janette smiled widely, taking a sip of her tea. "It's beautiful."

  Reta however noticed his spark flicker. "Stay focused, you're forcing the connection. Let it go and begin anew. You don't want to command it by force. Let it flow freely, feel its attraction toward you."

  "No, I can do it." He argued back, grinding his teeth as a bead of sweat ran down his head. His body felt tense as if suddenly he had run uphill with all of his strength, and his limbs felt ready to give. "I have to-!"

  "Felix, that's enough!" Reta warned him, stepping closer. "Let go!"

  "NNNGH!" He felt tears swell up as he remembered watching Zena's arm dangle lifelessly, her smile gone for good. The surge of emotions took its toll as the golden energy around his hands burst violently, dissipating into thin air. He toppled back, gasping for air and gazing up into the gray cloudy skies.

  "Felix!" Janette cried out, running to his side. She kneeled down, removing her glove to feel his forehead. No fever, but his face glistened with sweat. "What happened, you had it there."

  Reta sighed and approached them. "He tried to force that connection just as KuliKuli did before. Fool, understand that essence comes from around us and within. All living things attract essence, that includes us. Magic is a resource stemming from everything around us, and we harness it by creating an attraction so that we can use ourselves as a bridgeway to channel it through. Force it, and you end up using your own natural source in its pce."

  Felix wiped the sweat off his head. "That expins the tired feeling." He murmured, accepting Reta's hand as she lifted him up with a gre.

  "You need a clear mind if you wish to practice the form of Genki further. You are new to this, accept it and quit trying to hasten the learning process."

  "If I can't learn it in time then how am I to rescue them against him?" He argued back with a crossed look. "I wasn't even able to help against a single soldier without getting stabbed in the arm. If I can't push my weight, then I'm useless."

  Reta pinned him against the carriage, much to his shock. Janette gasped and dropped her cup, with Nyitzcha keeping silent.

  "What the hell?" Felix whined, trying to pull away. She reapplied her strength, keeping him pressed back as they locked eyes.

  "Don't you ever convince yourself to have no worth." She hissed, her eyes fring with anger. "Where is the man who looked a werewolf in the eyes and challenged her? The same man who inspired a bunch of cats to stand strong and united?"

  He choked, unable to respond. He watched as her eyes shifted from fury to one of sadness, her hands losing their grip on him. "You are an idiot, Felix. No man or woman is strong enough to face the world alone. You have something worth fighting for, we all do. I cannot speak for KuliKuli, but I can speak for myself. You do not fight alone, you have us. That is not why I stayed. I long to see the man who challenged my beliefs and accepted me through my curse. The man who held me tight and promised me that we will remove this curse, even if such words are in vain. It's that sense of hope and promise that I... that I admire in you."

  She released him, hanging her head down in shame. Having calmed down, Felix gazed up at her after listening to her words. He understood what she meant, but he hesitated to admit defeat. "Reta... what if I can't protect you just as I failed to protect her?"

  "I don't need you to be a warrior for me or for us, not if it means losing the person I love." She replied, her voice quivering with emotion. With her head down, she stepped aside, turning toward Janette and Nyitzcha. "Training is over. We leave now."

  Nyitzcha tossed her drink over the fire with a flick of her wrist. "Right, while the tracks remain fresh. 'Less we fancy freezing our arses off."

  Janette rubbed her hands together, following in agreement. Felix looked around as everyone picked up their belongings as silence hung in the air.

  Shortly after, they headed off following the same dirt path.

  Nyitzcha sat at the reins, steering the horses along. Janette sat with Felix inside, accompanied by Vardare. The owl fluttered his wings as he settled on Felix's p with a soft hoot.

  "Worry not, Felix. As your friend said, we are in this together."

  "And let's not forgot, the pn is to look for allies." Janette reminded him, leaning forward with her hand against his arm. "Remember what KuliKuli said, about finding Alma and her clutter at the forest."

  Felix nodded back, yet he was unable to lift his spirits. Reta's words wounded him, serving as a reminder of who he was. Even now, he was clenching his right hand, trying to prove to himself that he can overcome the pain. "I hate this feeling of helplessness inside. He tossed me aside like I was nothing, ughing while he did so."

  He gnced up to lock eyes with them. "I know there's no turning back from this. I just want to be ready when I see him again. And with her help, I might have a fighting chance."

  "What's wrong with handling this together?" Janette replied with a look of uncertainty, "Even KuliKuli said we could overcome this if we did so altogether."

  He sighed as his shoulders dropped, "Jay, I lost KuliKuli. I lost my family, and I lost Zena. But unlike them, I can't get Zena back. I-"

  He hesitated, cupping his mouth and looking out the window briefly, swallowing his fears. "I don't want to lose anyone else. I don't connect easy, because doing so means that... that there may come a time when that connection is lost. There's a feeling of warmth when holding one's hand but pulling away leaves you feeling cold."

  Janette nodded, reting to his pain. "You're not the only one who's lost someone to Perdilius, Felix. He took something from all of us. He takes and torments, then preaches to hear the sound of his voice. He's delusional and mad."

  "Young man." Vardare skipped forward, brushing Felix's hand away with his wing. "I have lived for centuries now. I've had loved ones, family, and friends carry on into the afterlife while I stay behind. Making friends is no easy feat, and yes there comes a time when you say your st goodbye's. But a connection isn't beautiful because it's forever. The mortality of man is beautiful because it gives life its shape, urgency and meaning. It's mortality that makes the sunset breathtaking, a kiss unforgettable, a goodbye so poignant."

  "We bloom because we are meant to wither. Death frames life like a border around a painting- It defines the edges, makes the colors more vivid."

  "Mortality connects us across time and culture. This life and the memories we leave behind are its greatest treasure." He paused, raising Felix by his chin to get a better look into his eyes, "I understand this burden you choose to carry with you but listen to your friends around you. You wish to be strong to protect them and that is noble. But true strength lies with them, not alone."

  "I-" Felix stuttered, unable to form any words. He looked to Janette for advice, but she offered a warm smile in return. "You're right, I know you're right. I just... how do I beat him then, Vardare? There's so many of them, and less of us."

  "You do so by taking great care in the few you have with you." He answered in a soft, fatherly voice. "Forgive me if I am speaking out of line, but you are not the only one with a lot on their mind. Reach out to your friends, Felix. Cherish them for the moments you share."

  He nodded when the carriage wobbled to an abrupt stop. Gncing between his friends, he stepped out and into the cold to find Nyitzcha hopping off the front seat. "Why have we stopped?"

  He paused, his mouth hanging open as they stopped at the presence of a thick wall of mist ahead of them. It looked unnatural, like some sort of presence that warned them to stay away.

  The dwarf knelt down, tracing her small hand along the grooves sketched in the dirt. "We're beginning to lose the trail, that's why. The fog is making it impossible to see."

  She raised her finger and dipped it into a nearby puddle, only to find the water frozen in ice. "Winter is here, and with it comes snowfall. Even if we turn back, we will freeze before reaching the nearest settlement."

  Reta sat at the front seat, watching. Felix licked his lips and exhaled. "Shouldn't we just keep moving forward?"

  "Boy, tell me 'ow far ye can see." She muttered as Janette and Vardare stepped out to join them. "This fog is only making things colder here."

  Vardare sat perched on Janette's shoulder, fpping his wings to get their attention. "I can be of assistance. You may recall that I have access to the same knowledge that Perdilius has. I can serve as your guide and navigate us through the mist."

  "You don't by chance happen to know where we can find Alma?" Janette asked with a hopeful tone.

  "I'm afraid that even the mad priest has no knowledge of their location," The owl replied, rubbing his beak. "But they are located in the same forest we are entering. That much I do know."

  "So, we risk losing ourselves in dat forest off a hunch from yer feline friend." Nyitzcha chuckled to herself, shaking her head in disbelief. Her eyes scrunched up, catching something in the dirt. Scooting forward, she reached out and snagged a square cracker. "Huh. Someone's been eatin' 'ere. Left some hardtack."

  "Well, that only tells us that they crossed through here." Said Janette.

  "Or perhaps someone's leavin' a trial fer us." The dwarf commented, standing upright with the cracker in hand.

  Vardare cocked his feathery head. "It's a reach, but not improbable."

  Felix grabbed the cracker off his friend's hand, then ran it under his nose. Taking a slight whiff sent a variety of different smells into his brain. A faint whiff of sweat and dirty hands pawing for this snack, mixed with a hint of horse. There was something else to it, he focused more on that smell as he took another sniff. Paws, little cat paws. It gave a familiar whiff of fur, but not from KuliKuli. It wasn't her mother either, or Dimyri or Syri.

  His eyes popped open. "Na'Vi!"

  "What?" Janette cried in disbelief.

  "Na'Vi dropped this here, I know of it."

  Reta leaned forward. impressed by his dispy.

  Nyitzcha pnted a hand on her hip, staring with a baffled look. "Ye got dat from sniffing hardtack?"

  "I know it sounds crazy but you have to believe me here. I know for certain she left this as a trail." He expined, turning to his friend. "Jay, think back. When Perdilius took the girls, did you see him take Na'Vi with them?"

  "N-No, but I figured since she was gone that she must have been taken with them."

  "Unless she stowed aboard without their knowledge." He smiled, feeling that sense of hope again.

  "Oi, mistah tracker." Nyitzcha bellowed, crossing her arms. "Then why don'ts you sits with yer wolf friend up front whilst I rest me bum and y down fer a change?"

  "Uh, sure." He agreed, looking to Reta for her thoughts. She simply leaned back, not expressing any support or agreement to him joining her. But she didn't seem bothered by it either, which he took as a good sign.

  Janette and the others climbed eagerly inside the carriage to keep warm, leaving Felix sitting with Reta in the front.

  "Have to say though, I can't see a damn thing through." Felix remarked, squinting his eyes.

  Reta gnced around. "There did appear to be signs warning people from crossing through."

  "Then it's fortunate for us that I can't read too well." Felix smirked, only for Reta to see annoyed. "Well, Jay was teaching me the letters at least. It's a work in progress."

  "Very well." Reta shrugged, passing the reins to him. "You lead; I follow."

  With a determined glint to his eye, he directed the horses to push through the mist. Reta sat back, watching him with a side gnce. He had much to learn, but small moments like these reminded her of why she stayed with them. It brought a bit of warmth to her heart, seeing him more confident again. It showed in the smile she tried to hide from him.