Autumn's breath swept Valdorne's training grove, stirring crimson and gold leaves into slow spirals. It was here, beneath towering maples and the muted hush of dawn, that Laverna awaited her challenger.
She rolled her shoulders, feeling the warmth of elemental mana curl along her spine. Jamadhars gleamed at her sides, eager to taste the crisp air.
High above, Zera descended the stone steps flanking the grove's terrace. Clarent shimmered bright sapphire on her hip, and the mirrored gauntlet Shin had gifted her caught slivers of sun.
"Early for a rematch," Zera called, voice steady.
"Late, if you ask me," Laverna replied, a sly grin tugging her lips. "First blood?"
Zera's hand rested on Clarent. "First blood."
From the hillside, Shin watched with arms folded. Maika, Tessara, and Alexandra flanked him in silent support.
The leaves fell in gentle flurries as Laverna leapt forward, jamadhars crossing in a blazing X. Zera met her charge with Clarent's flat side, turning the strike aside before twisting into a back-cut aimed at Laverna's ribs.
Wind whistled around Laverna's ankles as she slid beneath the strike, fire trailing her blades in twin arcs that clipped Zera's cloak but failed to mark flesh.
They separated, eyes locked. Laverna's breath plumed; Zera's gloved fingers flexed.
Clarent came alive, striking in fluid, shining crescents. Laverna pivoted through a rain of autumn leaves, her jamadhars flickering between flame bursts and cutting gusts. Sparks flew each time metal kissed metal. The tempo quickened, a masterclass of clash and footwork.
Tessara inhaled, the hum of mana and momentum pulsing into her Moonflower Mask like music. Her breath caught with each elegant motion—two flames dancing, neither trying to consume the other, only to rise higher.
Alexandra stood taller, her sigils pulsing gently as she observed the duel with awe. "Their hearts are in harmony," she murmured. "This is what happens when pride yields to purpose."
Maika folded her arms tightly, smirking despite herself. "Damn," she whispered, "I wouldn't want to be caught between those two. They're poetry with blades."
From the hillside, Shin's expression was unreadable, yet his eyes tracked every motion. The rhythm of trust, forged through pain and perseverance, had become a visible thing.
But this was not a fight for intervention.
It was a rite.
Midway through their duel, Zera's mirrored gauntlet pulsed—first in silver, then in blue. Laverna's own crest flared golden across her abdomen.
A hum vibrated through the grove. At first, it was subtle, like the quiet song of bees, but then an arcing corona of light connected the two women—crests to gauntlet.
Shin's heart thudded. "They're synchronizing," he murmured.
Energy threaded from Laverna's element‑infused jamadhars to the mirrored gauntlet. Zera felt it—heat and wind weaving into a lattice over her forearm. Clarent's blade glowed brighter.
Zera stamped forward, unleashing a diagonal slash. Laverna answered not by dodging, but by twisting wind around Clarent's path, slowing it just enough to redirect. At that moment, she launched a fire‑laced kick that skimmed Zera's shoulder.
A faint red line blossomed on the knight's pauldron—first blood.
They froze.
Zera touched the shallow cut and smiled. "Captain," she said, saluting with Clarent.
Laverna blinked. "Captain?"
"You lead us in the field," Zera declared. "It's only fitting."
The grove was silent save the rustling canopy, leaves falling like blessings.
A beat of stunned quiet passed, then Laverna laughed—a bright, genuine sound none of them had heard since Orahm. Zera joined in, rolling her shoulders.
"Thought you'd be angry to lose," Laverna teased.
"I won something better," Zera said, glancing at the glowing link still flickering between their crests. "A shared technique."
They both knelt and pressed palms—a burst of light etched temporary sigils into the dirt: crossed blades within a circle of flame and gust.
"Let this be ours," Zera said.
Laverna nodded. "Together."
Shin approached, offering a waterskin containing cool water and towels. Tessara hummed a soft blessing while Alexandra inspected the shallow cut.
Maika clapped both on the shoulder. "Field leader and knight‑princess… I'd follow that charge."
Zera gestured to Laverna. "Captain."
Laverna sheathed her jamadhars, then it disappeared in the ether, cheeks warm. "Then we march."
Shin smiled. "You two just forged more than a technique. You forged trust."
The twin moons dipped behind the treeline. Leaves continued to fall—slow, steady, golden.
War loomed, but beneath that canopy, laughter and new unity rose.
That night, Laverna sat by the barracks balcony, watching lanterns flicker across Valdorne. Zera joined her.
"For what it's worth," Zera said, "I never envied you. I respected you."
Laverna exhaled. "Respect looks a lot like rivalry."
"Sometimes," Zera agreed. She held up the mirrored gauntlet, flexing the fingers. "But now it's strength."
They shared a quiet moment. In the distance, Shin's silhouette moved among night scouts.
"I'll protect him," Zera said.
"We will protect each other," Laverna corrected.
"Captain's orders?"
A small smile. "Captain's promise."