Ves looked upon the pyre where Yujiro’s body lay. As the whole community solemnly stood around him. While no one spoke, Ves could see more than a few dragonewts quietly sobbing. A few just looked resigned. While a first for her, she knew this was just one more in a long string of farewells for the dragonewts. She was currently standing next to Ryuko in support, holding the woman’s trembling hand as she held back tears.

  From a break in the crowd, Setsu approached, torch in hand. As she drew near, a low guttural rumble emerged from the throats of all the dragonewts. It was a song, but unlike any she had heard before. Nor in any words she could understand. Still within its odd mix of lows and highs, she could feel their pain, their grief. As it felt like the song was hitting its climax, Setsu lit the pyre aflame. As the smoke and flames carried the fallen off into the sky. As the pyre burned, the dragonewts continued with their strange dirge until there was naught left but ash.

  As the crowd started to thin, Ryuko left to have some time to herself. After she was out of sight, Ves fell to her knees.

  “I’m sorry.”

  This was her fault. If she had only been stronger. Strong enough to at least hold her own, so Yujiro wouldn’t have needed to risk himself saving her. At the end of the day though, all they were, were what ifs. Add on the fact that they knew who she was. She may not have been the target this time, but what about the next? Was her very presence a threat?

  And now she finds out Nell was some void-sent escapee? Not that she could blame Nell. She wasn’t even two months old. Even Ves recalled a few vague stories of the void-sent invasion after the dragon jogged her memory. She should have connected the dots. It was all the more reason their very presence was a threat. Slavers were bad enough, what if a proper army came after them? She couldn’t let these people get caught up in that.

  ‘Ves…’

  ‘Ves, please talk to me.’

  “It's all my fault.”

  Ves just continued to sit there as she wrapped her arms around her knees and cried.

  “Hiroko told me Yujiro’s final words. He doesn’t blame you, nor does anyone else.”

  Ves looked up from her knees to see Setsu standing beside her.

  “They knew who I was, they could have just as easily been after me. I already know half the people here are scared of us. Now, to top it off, I learn we are some sort of void-sent…”

  “Yujiro gave his life defending his people, don’t sully his sacrifice by thinking this is all about you.”

  Ves wasn’t sure how to reply to that as she looked up at Setsu blankly.

  “We were attacked before we met you, and I am certain we will be attacked again. It’s a cruel world, and these are crueler times.”

  Setsu padded her dress under her legs and sat beside Ves.

  “Remember, were not for you, most of us would be in collars by now. Without you, he would have died long before now. You gave him a chance to reunite with his loved ones. It is sad that the time was short, but we are all thankful to have had the chance at all.”

  “As to Nell’s potential origins, let’s keep that under wraps and see what Queen Senotraxia has to say when she returns.”

  Eventually, Setsu left. The woman had countless duties as the leader of her clan. Still, despite Setsu’s words, Yujiro’s death was not something she could forgive herself for. It was in no small part due to his good word that she was even allowed to live among the dragonewts. Without meeting him herself, Nell would likely still be barely surviving naked and alone in the forest. Still, no matter how much she regretted what happened at the end of the day, he was gone. He died to protect her, to protect his clan, to protect his little sister.

  For now, she could at least honor him, keep the promise she made. To pick up the mantle he left behind and protect those he cared for. She owed him that much. To do that, though she needed to be stronger. She was so sick of how weak she felt. It was pure luck that they managed to defeat the cultivator at the slaver’s base. Then, against the horned bear and later the gnoll, despite giving their all, she found herself and Nell outmatched. This had to stop. If she were to honor Yujiro, she would have to step up and be the one to save others. Or at the very least, no longer feel like a liability that needed saving.

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  For that, she needed to grow stronger, much stronger. Apparently, only a handful of void-sent like Nell were able to wipe out an entire country. If so, her and Nell working together should at least be able to defend this small refuge.

  “Nell, let's do it.”

  ‘Do what?’

  “Let’s do as the dragon suggested, let's push ourselves. Let’s see how far your abilities go. Not for the dragon but for everyone here. I want to protect them, but I can’t do it alone. Will you help?”

  ‘Of course I will, we are in this together. I can feel how Yujiro’s death has shaken you. And while not to the same extent as you, I also feel guilt for it. It’s clear the latest attack was just the beginning. So, I am with you, let’s get stronger, together.’

  “Thank you, Nell,” Ves said as the hints of a smile began to return. For now, though, she and Nell had a more fundamental problem at hand. Despite their physical strength on par with a lower ranked cultivator, they were still a complete novice at fighting. They needed practice. They needed someone to train them.

  Pulling herself to her feet, Ves began to look for the only person she could think of to ask, Hiroko. She supposed Ryuko was also a cultivator, but her skill was with a bow, not locked in a melee. Besides, she figured the woman needed time to grieve.

  A short time later, after asking a few of the dragonewt’s Ves was able to find Hiroko in a small clearing near their camp. She was wondering how to even bring up the idea to him. In retrospect, she realized the day of Yujiro’s funeral was likely not the best idea, but as soon as she saw him, she knew now was the best time.

  Shirt off, drenched in sweat, and axe in hand, the same one he looted from the slavers, he was currently going through practice swings with the same large axe Yujiro had used. For a moment, Ves thought the man actually cut a rather dashing figure as the beads of sweat glistened against his muscles, shame he was well, a he.

  “Ves, did you need something, or are you just going to keep standing there gawking?” He asked without stopping his practice.

  “Don’t flatter yourself, you’re not my type. I actually came here to ask you a question. Well, a favor more like it…”

  At this point, Hiroko finally stopped, resting his weapon at his side, “Go on.”

  “Train me”

  “Train you? At what? From what I hear, you’re already a lost cause at hunting, and Ryuko would be better at it anyway. Just give her space for a few days before you ask.”

  “A few days? Her brother died in her arms. That’s not something you get over in a few days like you caught a cold.”

  “No, no, it's not. But it’s something my clan has been forced to get good at. Grieving while still carrying on”

  An awkward silence descended between the two for a moment. Ves was reminded Yujiro was far from the first the dragonewts had to say their goodbyes to. The journey north had already cost them so much.

  “That’s not what I wanted to ask. We want to learn how to fight. Me and Nell are strong, but we realize that’s not enough. We swing around our claw, solely relying on our brute strength. Sure, it’s enough for a few deadbeat lackeys, but the raid on the slavers and against this recent attack have shown us that brute strength alone isn’t enough.”

  Hiroko just stared at them for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. “I see your point, but Ves, you assume I even know what I’m doing. I was raised to be a hunter. I was never properly taught to fight. My entire style is just something I made up along the way out of sheer desperation to protect my clan.”

  “Are you saying you can’t help?”

  Hiroko shook is head, “No, I can. At least a little.” Then with a laugh, “Really, you’re so bad that even an amateur like me can see it. I think if we spar, you would learn a thing or two.”

  “Thank you”

  “Don’t thank me yet, like I said, I’m an amateur. I honestly think we need help. Aside Ryuko, whom is a prodigy with a bow, we lack any skilled fighters. If we are to survive out here, we need to fix that.”

  “Any ideas?”

  “I’m not sure, I know Farren wants to trade with settlements on the border if the dragons give us permission to live here. Maybe we could hire mercenaries or something. Even if just to teach us. Still, who knows how long it will be before we get the chance. So, for now, I’ll help you best I can. I think the practice would do both of us some good.” After he was finished speaking, Hiroko swung his axe into the air, assuming a stance.

  “Wait, you want to start now?”

  “May as well. Yujiro died to protect us. I can’t think of a better way to honor him on the day of his funeral than to grow stronger and ensure his death was not in vain.”

  Looks like she wasn’t the only one feeling frustrated after the attack. “Sounds good to me,” she replied as she walked to join Hiroko in the clearing, claw out and ready. “No need to hold back!”

  Hiroko gave Ves a deadpan look, “Ves, this is a friendly spar for training, not a duel. Besides, even I have heard how many sets of clothes you go through, I don’t want to be yelled at by our weavers if you need yet another new set of clothing.”

  Ves felt a tinge of fear at that, even outside of battle, general clumsiness with her claw had ruined more than one set of clothing, to the point where Alice had scolded Ves when she yet again had to ask the woman to mend a tear only a few days ago. Changing with a giant claw for a hand was hard. Now properly deflated, Ves looked to Hiroko, “Ok then, what do we do?”

  “As I said, just a simple spar, let’s take it slow and focus on little things like your footwork. Strong as your arm is, I can also see it throws your balance off.”

  Ves and Hiroko then proceed to spend the rest of the day in practice, with Nell joining occasionally. Even if Hiroko claimed to be an amateur, he pointed out endless mistakes that Ves didn’t even realize she was making. Things that left her open to attacks slowed down her recovery after a swing, etcetera. It was bad to the point that they realized it wouldn’t even take a cultivator to take Ves down, only someone of sufficient skill could do the job just fine. She just left far too many needless openings by relying on their ability to heal from almost anything. It was rather humbling and only went to show how far she needed to go.

  By the time it was dusk, they decided to head back, only for Ves to find herself greeted by a litany of new distrustful glances. With one word floating around on all the onlookers’ lips, void-sent.