I'd been running near full speed for hours, trying to keep up with Gramps ahead of me.
"How you doing back there, Atlas? Not getting tired already, are you?" he called over his shoulder.
A grin spread across my face. That's Gramps for you, always joking around. Even on the way to a battle he never looks nervous.
I knew he was curious how I was holding up, though. He was always looking out for me. Even now he wasn't running at full speed, so I could handle the trip.
"Of course I'm fine. We train for this much every day," I shouted back.
Immediately he picked up the pace. My shoulders slumped. I should have known he would do that.
It suited me anyway. I couldn't wait to reach our destination. It hadn't been easy convincing my uncle, the king, to let me take this mission, but Gramps had supported me, and he finally agreed.
I'd been looking for a chance to prove myself, and here it was. A wyvern had been terrorizing a small farming village in the Northern Day dominion of Magmel, and I was going to take it down.
Lately, a few of the other kids I'd been training with had started to develop their Nexus.
A Nexus is a person's connection to the Spirits, it was what let them use the elements in battle. Anyone could obtain one if they trained for it. Except me, apparently.
That wasn't even the worst part. Noble children usually developed theirs around age eight, and I came from the most powerful family there was: the Magmels. We descended from the Original Fire Sage, Magmel himself, and had ruled this nation for millennia. My father was the current Fire Sage, and people said he was the strongest in the world.
And yet there I was, almost ten, with no Nexus at all and no sign of one developing. The other kids brought it up every time we trained, telling me I didn't stand a chance without a Nexus.
Well, that day I would finally show them. I didn't need a Nexus to be strong. I'd been training with Gramps for years, and he'd taught me how to fight. I was going to prove I deserved my spot.
Being trained by Gramps was something I took great pride in. After all, he was Magnus Magmel, the revered Strength Sage and former king of Magmel, well respected among the people of the land.
Ahead of me, he hadn't slowed once. I pushed harder to close the gap, and together we crested the hill overlooking the village.
It was smaller than I'd expected. The fields around it were uneven, tools left lying in the dirt as if the work had been abandoned midway.
A fence surrounded the village. At first it looked like any other fence I'd seen, but the closer we got, the more problems I noticed. It had been put together in a rush, and by amateurs. Crooked boards, holes, gaps where there shouldn't have been any.
A cold sweat ran down my back. Did the wyvern really do all this? I'd heard it attacked the village, but the local guards had pushed it back. Had it truly terrified these people into abandoning their work and throwing up a fence for protection?
In my experience wyverns weren't much of a threat, honestly. Not that I'd ever fought one myself, but I'd watched my older brother, Boreas, deal with one when he was younger than I was now. The towering beast had loomed over us, and I remember being terrified. Boreas had stepped forward fearlessly and blasted it back. The wyvern took off, flapping its wings and running away like it was the one that was scared.
I'd taken this mission thinking it would go like that. Now I was starting to feel a little nervous about it.
I must have slowed down without realizing it. Gramps called out to me again. "Something wrong, boy? You're moving differently."
"I am?" I said, confused. I didn't think I was running any differently than usual.
"You usually rush ahead."
He was right about that. Usually I couldn't wait to get started on a mission.
"Well, I just want to take it all in this time," I said eventually.
Gramps glanced at me from the corner of his eye for the first time all day. "You asked for this, remember?"
"I know. I'm not backing out." It came out faster than I meant it to.
"Didn't say you were."
My face went hot. He'd seen right through me.
He was always telling me I had nothing to prove. Not to the other kids, not to my father, not even to him. I knew he meant well, but he didn't see the mocking faces. He didn't hear the laughter every time I failed to use my Nexus in training. Things would change if I could just prove I didn't need a Nexus to be strong.
"You've been watching your father very closely lately," Gramps said.
"Dad's the strongest, and everyone looks up to him. He never fails like I do."
That made Gramps stop and look me in the eye. I stopped too, surprised at how serious he looked.
"You aren't him, and that's not a weakness. Don't be so eager to become strong that you forget what that power is for."
He started toward the village. I stood for a moment, then shook it off. Gramps always had a lesson ready. This wasn't the time to compare myself to my father. It was time to slay this beast and prove myself.
We walked a little longer before the path widened and I caught sight of the guards standing at the gate. One of them must have noticed us, because he called inside, probably for the captain.
By the time we reached the gate, another man had come out to join them. Three guards stood to meet us. The newcomer stepped forward.
"Lord Magnus, what an honor." He bowed his head deeply. "Thank you for coming."
Gramps raised a hand. "At ease. We're all warriors here today."
I smiled a little. Just like usual, Gramps spoke to the guards as equals. They looked shocked for a moment, then their shoulders eased.
"You've done well to keep the people safe this long," Gramps said.
The captain's jaw tightened. "We did what we could."
Behind him, one of the guards looked away.
The captain went on, quieter now, "Two nights ago that beast came from the lake and started taking our cattle. We moved to stop it when it got close to the village." He stopped, glancing out at the fallen tools in the field. "One of my men fell in the battle."
The easy mission I'd pictured in my head grew heavier with every word. A group of trained guards had fought this wyvern, and one of them had died.
Boreas had made it look so easy, though, turning the beast back with his Nexus. I slowed my breathing so Gramps wouldn't see me panicking.
Gramps looked the captain in the eye. "His name?"
"Cato, sir." The guard's voice was low.
Gramps nodded and looked toward the sky. "He faced it and protected the villagers. That takes more heart than most will ever know."
The guard nodded slowly. "He'd have been honored to hear that."
Nobody spoke. I stared at the field nearby, and now I noticed the churned ground and the dark stains I hadn't seen before. I thought of the man, Cato, and the choice he'd made here. Could I make the same one? Gramps would, without hesitating.
I looked past the gate to the village. The shutters were drawn on every window. No children played in the yards, and nobody stood by the well. Even the animals were gone, the pens standing empty.
This was no story of conquest like the ones my father told. Somebody had died here.
Gramps set a hand on my shoulder, pulling me back to the conversation.
"My grandson, Atlas, is leading the mission today. I ask that you give him your support. Go ahead, Atlas."
The captain looked at me expectantly. I tensed up.
"Prince Atlas," he said, before I could speak. "I've heard much about you. I look forward to seeing a member of the royal family in action."
My hands felt strangely cold. I closed them into fists.
"I won't disappoint you. I'm here to protect this village as a Magmel."
"We're glad you both accepted our request for help. I'm Challn, by the way."
He held out his hand and I shook it. The look in his eyes was sincere.
"Chief, are we really going to let this kid fight that monster?" one of the other guards burst out. "You saw how powerful it was. It killed Cato!"
My stomach clenched. I'd been wondering the same thing. I glanced at Gramps for his reaction. He caught my eye and gave me a small smile.
It was Challn who answered. "I know you're worried about the village, but we're in good hands." His eyes stayed on Gramps. "Most men go their whole lives without ever seeing a Sage. Lord Magnus is one, and his family has been producing them since the Original Fire Sage. There's nothing like that in our blood." He shook his head. "It's night and day. Don't forget to show them respect."
"Yes, sir. My apologies." The man bowed toward us.
He'd said it like it was simply how the world worked. Everyone told me my blood should make me strong. I had the blood, yet I still didn't have a Nexus.
I glanced at Gramps. He simply nodded at me.
"Alright then, I'm ready to take this beast down," I said, louder than I needed to. "Where did you last see the wyvern?"
"It headed back toward the lake. We believe it's nesting there."
"How far?"
"Just over the ridge to the north"
Not far at all. My mouth had gone dry. I swallowed and turned toward the lake before anyone could notice.
"Keep up the good work around here," Gramps told Challn, clapping him on the back. Then he followed after me.
I kept repeating the words in my head: Magmel blood. Sages. Night and day.
I started down the path to the north with a quicker pace than I intended. My breath felt shakier with each step.
Gramps caught up and ran beside me. He glanced over, and his eyes stayed on me a moment longer than they needed to.
"Save your energy for the fight, boy."
I nodded and kept my eyes on the road.
After a few minutes of running, the ground began to change. The packed road gave way to mud, and the smell of wet earth filled my nose. We were close now.
I slowed to a walk, and Gramps fell in beside me.
"What's your plan, then, boy?"
"My plan is to kill it." I kept my voice level. It was the only part of me that was.
"Atlas."
Gramps' voice had changed. I turned. He'd stopped following me at some point.
"Yeah?"
"Remember the faces of those guards. Remember who they lost. Don't take this lightly."
I didn't need the reminder. I'd been seeing their faces since the gate.
"Right." I met his eyes.
"That being said, don't get so stiff you forget how to fight either."
Gramps laughed and turned away into the trees. I watched him go. I was on my own from here. Don't take it lightly, but don't lock up either. Just like training.
I closed my eyes and let out a slow breath, clearing the noise from my head. Track the wyvern. Kill it quickly, before it can hurt anyone else. Easier said than done.
I pushed on down the muddy trail, and soon I saw the edge of the treeline at the shore.
I needed to be careful from here. Gramps had warned me about wyverns on the way over. They were massive, with claws sharp enough to rip through plate armor and, depending on the species, breath attacks as strong as a Nexus. Quick and deadly, with excellent senses.
So I'd track it quietly and sneak up on it. I'd hit it with one quick strike, before it knew I was there.
I'd trained for years to hunt beasts. It was what Nexus users did: protect people and put down the dangerous creatures that roamed the land. I'd fought some before, though never anything like a wyvern. Mostly wolves.
I made my way slowly along the treeline with my spear in hand, my shield on my back, my knife at my belt. Down on the beach I could see claw marks and bones half buried in the sand. It was clear the guards were right about it nesting here.
I crept around the lake until I found a pile of bones near the water. Its feeding spot.
I sank into the treeline downwind of the pile. Then I waited.
The lake lapped at the shore. My legs started to ache from staying crouched. Then a shadow slid across the sand, and something dropped out of the sky and landed on the beach with a thud I felt in my knees.
My breath caught. The creature was massive, bigger than the one Boreas had fought years ago.
A carcass hung from its jaws. It dropped the meat onto the sand and lowered its head to eat, right out in the open.
My fingers went numb around my spear. Magmel blood. Sages. Night and day. The words didn't sound as reassuring as they had on the road.
I could still slip back into the trees. I could find Gramps, tell him it was bigger than I'd thought.
But I'd told my father I could handle this. I'd told Gramps. The guards had left it to me.
I took a slow breath, the way Gramps had taught me. No more overthinking.
The wyvern hadn't lifted its head once. Perfect. I'd hit it now, while it was distracted.
I readied the spear and set my feet in a throwing stance. I drew back, then lunged forward, throwing with everything I had.
The spear ripped through the air, straight on target, and buried itself in the creature's ribcage.
The wyvern reared up, roaring loud enough to send ripples across the lake.
But it didn't fall. The spear hadn't gone deep enough.
Then its head snapped toward me. Our eyes met. It took to the air and came straight for me.
I turned and ran deeper into the trees. A second later I heard a crack as the first trunk went down.
I caught glimpses of it behind me, a blur between the trunks. It was so much bigger than I'd expected. The trees barely slowed it.
My thoughts scattered, and I couldn't hold on to a single one. My vision blurred, and my feet felt heavy.
The wyvern leaped from beside me, teeth snapping shut in front of my face. I threw myself back on instinct and felt its breath on my skin as the jaws closed on empty air.
That knocked some sense into me. I needed better ground, somewhere I could get my bearings. I leaped into a tree and went for the upper branches.
The wyvern clawed its way after me, knocking down trees as I jumped between them.
A thick trunk ahead caught my eye. It might buy me some time. I gathered myself for a jump.
The wyvern lunged up between the trees in front of me. It slammed into me just as I took off, driving the air from my lungs and sending me tumbling out of the branches. I hit a trunk hard, then fell to the ground.
I came up wheezing, my lungs refusing to take in air.
There was no time to recover. A torrent of steaming water shot down from above. I threw myself aside and it missed me, but the heat rolled over me, and the droplets that hit my skin burned on contact.
The wyvern crashed down behind me and towered over me, ready to strike.
My eyes caught my spear, still jutting from its side. I moved before I could think. I lunged, grabbed the shaft in both hands, and dragged it down along its flank with everything I had.
Blood sprayed across my vision as the handle of the spear cracked and split in my hands.
The wyvern let out a screech so loud it rattled my skull. Its body convulsed, and a wing swung out before I could react. It hit me with crushing force and tore what was left of the spear from my hands.
My feet left the ground. The world spun, and I crashed into the dirt. Pain ran up through my arms and back.
The wyvern reared again. Its throat swelled.
"No..." I started to yell, but the water was already coming.
I jumped for the branches, but I wasn't fast enough. The blast caught my left leg, tearing off my boot and the skin beneath it. Agony screamed through my leg. I barely stayed conscious.
I had no choice. I dragged myself higher, my hands shaking on the branches. My leg throbbed, and blood soaked through my pants.
I couldn't take another hit like that. What had I been thinking? I was in over my head.
Below me, the wyvern lashed out in fury, unable to find me. It roared and fired bursts of water into the trees at random. Branches shattered, and leaves rained down in flurries.
My hands wouldn't stop shaking on the bark. I pressed my forehead against the trunk and forced my breathing to slow down. Deep, steady breaths, just like Gramps had taught me.
I turned my attention to the wyvern. Blast. Pause. Blast. Pause.
There it was, the pause. It had to inhale before it could shoot.
The beast stepped closer to my tree. By its foot, half sunk in the mud, lay the pieces of my spear. An idea hit me, a dangerous one.
There was no time to think. The moment it inhaled, I moved. I darted sideways through the branches, and it caught the movement at once and aimed the blast straight at me. I grabbed the next trunk and swung my weight around it. The water slammed into the far side and sprayed wild.
I dropped to the ground and dashed toward the beast. It was still drawing breath when my hand closed on the half of the spear that still had its blade. I drove it upward with everything I had left.
It punched through the snout and out the top of the jaw with a crunch. The wyvern howled and threw itself back, whipping its head from side to side.
I couldn't let the moment slip. I dove in, ripped my knife from my belt, and stabbed at its belly again and again.
Before I could do real damage, its tail swept around in a long arc and caught me full on. I flew again. I barely managed to roll and get back to my feet. Pain and fear surged through me as I looked up.
The wyvern was already drawing breath.
I pulled the small wooden shield off my back and raised it just as the blast hit.
It hit harder than any attack yet. The air was pulled out of my lungs in a burning gasp. The force flung me out of the trees and across open ground, and I skidded to a stop on my shield, which cracked under the strain.
The ringing in my head slowly faded, and I heard shouting behind me. I looked back. The village stood a short way off, and the guards were running toward me with their weapons drawn.
"Run!" I shouted, scrambling to my feet. "Get out of here, now!"
They froze as the wyvern stepped out of the treeline. The spear half was still lodged in its jaw, and bloody water steamed from its mouth.
I turned to face it. If I couldn't win, I could at least keep it from the guards. I wouldn't survive this. I knew it.
I thought of Cato. The churned ground, the dark stains in the field. He'd stood where I was standing now, afraid, and he'd stood anyway.
I raised my shield.
The wyvern didn't bother with breath attacks this time. It came thundering toward me, ready to trample me and then the guards. It was even faster in the open space, closing the gap rapidly. The ground shook under its weight.
I started to run at it, swallowing my fear. The shield wouldn't hold. I couldn't stop this beast. I stepped forward anyway.
It towered over me now. I could see its fangs coming straight for my head.
Then something fell from the sky between us. It struck the ground hard enough to send dirt and debris flying in every direction, and I stumbled but stayed on my feet.
Gramps glanced back at me, his cloak still settling behind him. He turned to the beast with calm, practiced movements and drew the sword from his back so smoothly I hadn't even noticed him reach for it. Then he stepped forward and swung.
There was no wasted motion, and no rush. The wyvern didn't make a sound. Neither did the blade as it passed through.
The two halves of the beast hit the ground with a thud and slid a little before they stopped.
Silence settled over the clearing. All I could hear was my own heartbeat.
I stood frozen, staring at the remains. Just like that, it was over.
I looked back at Gramps. He rested his sword on his shoulder, the blade still dripping. He looked out over the village and the guards, and then, finally, at me.
I didn't know what to say. I'd begged him to let me take this mission, and I'd failed.
"Still standing." That was all he said. Not praise or judgment, just the truth.
The exhaustion hit all at once. My knees threatened to buckle, and my burned leg throbbed. I stayed upright, but I couldn't meet his eyes.
He stepped beside me and set a firm hand on my shoulder. "Atlas. You held the line."
"Barely. I almost died. I would have, if not for you."
Gramps shook his head. "You stood up to that beast, and you were ready to give your life for these people. That was brave."
"But Gramps, I'm a Magmel. I should be able to slay beasts and save people. Instead you had to save me. I failed."
"No, Atlas." Gramps nodded back toward the village. "Everyone standing behind you is safe right now."
I turned to look back. The guards were crossing the open ground, slowing as they took in the scene. Their eyes went from Gramps to the two halves of the wyvern behind us.
Challn stepped forward, disbelief on his face. "It's... It's dead."
Gramps nodded. "It won't be bothering you anymore."
A breath seemed to leave the whole group at once. One of the guards laughed softly. Another sank to his knees.
"Sir," Challn said. "That was..."
He couldn't find the words.
"We all played our roles," Gramps said, looking over the group.
Challn squared his shoulders and bowed deeply. "Thank you, sir. We couldn't have done it without you."
"Now see to the people. Tell them they're safe. They can live in peace again."
The guards smiled. "Aye, sir."
I stayed where I was as they left. The adrenaline drained out of me, and I felt like I could sleep standing up.
I found myself leaning into Gramps' hand more and more.
"You should rest," he said in a softer tone than he'd used with the guards.
"I'm fine." I started toward home.
My injured leg buckled at once, and I lurched toward the ground. Gramps caught me with ease and steadied me upright.
"You've got nothing left to prove here today. Rest is part of the work too, boy."
The guards had all gone back to the village. It was just the two of us. I let out a breath and finally stopped holding myself rigid.
The forest felt different now. Peaceful, like it had let its breath out with me. Fires were already rising from the village, a celebration feast probably.
A feeling washed over me that I couldn't name. It felt like pride, but I couldn't accept that. I hadn't really done anything at all.
"That's what it's all for," Gramps said quietly, with a nod toward the fires rising over the village.
I watched the smoke. "I need to be stronger, Gramps. Like you. Like Dad."
He looked at me a moment longer, then broke into a wide grin. "If you want to get as strong as me, we'd better get home and get back to training."
I cracked a smile, the tension in my shoulders easing up a bit.
"Let's get you to your mom and get that leg healed first, though." Gramps said as he hoisted me up onto his shoulders.
After a few moments, I spoke up. "Thank you, Gramps. For bringing me here today."
He grunted and kept a steady pace toward home.