I check to be sure I have my sword on hand as I stop by the checkpoint guards. I didn’t want to dawdle on collecting any items I could use and trusted my skill with this blade. The guards both look at each other and back to me in confusion.

“...Rin? The new greenie? Please don’t tell me they're just sending you out there as the first line of defense.” He held an exasperated look which fit my mood pretty well.

“If the rest of the Reaction Squad had any spine that would be great.” My anger showed greatly as I huffed breath out of me. It certainly helped mask the other emotions rising to my head. They open up the gates to bring a gust of wind through it, pelting us with rain. “Promise me the base will buy me drinks if I come back alive.” The serious look I gave them brought a laugh out of them.

“You can't even legally drink Rin, you still have two years to go.” The mirth in his voice is betrayed by the fear in those eyes.

I shrug casually at the two of them to feign my own fears.

“I think if I survived this I deserved an early chance.”

I continue out of the gate before they could respond and walk out a couple of yards before the gates behind me shut, causing tears to well in my eyes. I was absolutely scared stiff. Walking felt awkward as my mind barraged me with reminders that I was more than likely going to just be blown up on sight. I climb a small steep hill while trying to dry my eyes with the angled rain making it difficult. Once at the crown I catch my first glimpse of real Fire Kraeka standing before me. I had never actually seen one except in advertisements for women's skin products. Our society may dislike them in general but we revered them for their natural beauty for some reason or another. Their skin held various shades of reds ranging from pink to deep maroon. The leather armor most of them wore clung to their skin to show off their curves and hissed from the rain falling above. The steam was actually intimidating as it created a small cloud of fog making the main body of their group a bit difficult to see. Sweat formed only to be washed away as the group of Kraeka come to a halt at the base of the hill. Breath escaped from my mouth as I realized I was actually holding it. I close my eyes, bring more air into my lungs and re-open my eyes as I take my sheathed sword and set it into the ground beside me.

“Fire Kraeka who stand before me, say your reason for trespassing on this land!” I felt stupid as soon as the words came out of my mouth but the release had me on a high.

The Kraeka on the front line stopped their actions, which at the moment looked like a prepared charge, and looked amongst each other in confusion. I wasn’t here to immediately fight them and was hoping I could avoid such a dangerous conflict. Their laughter told me another story as the noise traveled through their group. I shook certain thoughts out of my head and straightened my back.

“I will only repeat myself this one time! What reason are you trespassing this land for?!”

The overhead clouds brought sounds of distant thunder reminding me another big shower was on the way. Only these sounds of the wind or rain kept the silence from creeping up my spine. Cackling laughter erupted. Not from the main body of the Kraeka in front of me, but from deep in the back of their formation. An immense bonfire had sprung up from behind them to touch the base of the clouds above, creating a mist as the rain pelted it. Even though I could feel its heat from this distance I still shivered out of fear. The group began to separate orderly as a sole being walked to the front, all the while still laughing. After reaching the front of their ranks the enraged flames surrounding her dulled and I was able to get a really good look at her. Unlike those around her, she had actual metalwork for armor. It did not cling to her body but still gave a figure to it all the same. Other than the dents and battle scars on the armor she also donned a large variety of medals. None of which made any sense to me, of course, other than my odds of surviving decreasing. I try not to flinch or show a change of composure in her presence.

“Your eyes betray you… human.” The armored Kraeka smirks over at me. Her voice felt rough and yet it seemed to travel smoothly to my ears. “You show unwavering confidence and bravery but yet…” her gaze washes over me, her eyes blazing. “I see your nervousness in you. An understanding of 'what ifs', but a will to try anyway.” She spits to her side in a disgusted manner. “Your comrades are cowardly to send one like you to their death. I am here to conquer this land on orders from the king himself and I will not simply let a brave one like you try to stop me.” Her military roar in approval around her as she brandishes a halberd about twice her height. “What say you, human! Fight or flight before me!”

I take up my sword’s hilt from the ground and point it towards the armored Kraeka. “You speak as if I know and fear you. All I see is a weathered, respectable armor on a being before me. However, I cannot budge.” I crouch down into a more prepared position, readying my hand to unsheath my sword. “By your hand, I may lose my life, but I shall not budge either way!”

If it was something one must always remember about the Fire Kraeka is that they respect honor above almost all else. I was shaking horribly when I spoke those words. My hands sweat as she only mouthed the words ‘good’ to me with a smirk. Her halberd was raised into the air and swiftly slammed back down in flames to signal the start of the battle.

The first Kraeka to rush me wasted no time getting to me. I was being underestimated as they weren't using any abilities from the start. Clicking my sword a little from the sheath I waited for any kind of attack. The Kraeka was overly aggressive, raising a blade high over their head to slash down. Once she got in range of me I made one swift motion to unsheath my sword to slash horizontally. As the blade began to touch skin I focused more on our surrounding aura. I beckoned her aura, pulling it to me and draining the aggressor of their strength. My blade made a clean cut as shock overtook her face before collapsing. At the bottom of the hill, I see the armored one scowl and more climb up to rush me. Now that I had someone else's aura it was hard to contain its powers within me. I sheath my sword again and concentrated on changing the element I had pulled from the Kraeka. I decided Air was a better use than Fire in this instance and focused back on those coming at me. This time I don't allow them to get near me as I release my blade again. The winds pick up around me as a booming slice is sent towards my foes. The time they had to react was as thin as the line they now had at their midsection. I decide now is a time to get aggressive before the Kraeka also starts to throw abilities at me and chase the sonic wave towards them. I still had some overflow of aura so I use it to increase my speed and clash with the line of Kraeka below. My blade collides with one of them as she looked at me dumbfounded. It was then I realized I was actually matching her strength. I kick out at her to knock her back a few feet and bring the point into her chest. I get another surge of power into me. Thinking of what element I wanted to use now I catch a glimpse of a blade coming at my head. I narrowly duck under it, kicking out the feet of the Kraeka who swung. I finally thought of what I wanted, feeling a surge in my right hand before bringing it to their face and discharging. The potency of their aura was like molasses so it felt sluggish when it was used, but the sheer power it brought to my body was euphoric, to say the least.

Now overpowering the grunts the Armored Kraeka had sent at me I fought them with more confidence and no hesitation. I kept slicing them down while releasing the aura I had gained to keep pace. After being surrounded I released my aura as Earth to slam the ground with a shockwave to knock them over. After recovering from this action a sharp pain in my right side reaches my sense as I was sent flying several meters away. I roll across the soggy ground and push up in time to see a halberd come down where my head was. The armored Kraeka lifts it up, revealing a burned scar in the earth. She motions for the few survivors to stay back. I was cocky at this point after fighting the weaker ones, so I charged into the range of her halberd only to have to defend against her blow. The impact alone caused me to sink into the earth. Fear crawled into my mind again as I realized her strength so I try to hop back, but she was faster. Using the halberd as leverage she slings herself at me to deliver her foot squarely into my jaw. I almost blacked out from the blow alone, just managing to keep consciousness by absorbing some of her aura while we made contact. I couldn't tell how far I was launched off my feet or slid on the ground. Head reeling from the blow, I try to get up only to struggle on shaky arms.

“That technique of yours is annoying human.” The armored Kraeka was flexing her hand on her halberd while scowling. “I only faced it once and felt weak. I’m curious about how you obtained a lost skill but I'm afraid I don't have time for that.”

She charges at me with incredible speed putting me into a panic. I had no time to focus the aura into a different element so I discharge it as Fire into the surrounding puddles to create a mist. A gust of wind as the halberd slams the ground at my side is the only indication I got that she had lost vision of me for a moment and I go in to make a few cuts along her joints. Even with all the aura I had gained I wasn't able to cut her defenses well, but anything was better than nothing. She curses to herself and circles her blade with enough force to send the mist elsewhere, once again revealing my location. We eye each other warily, which gives me the time I needed to switch around my energies. I charge in for a final attempt to deal real damage to her. She swings the halberd across at me but with all the power I had received while fighting gave me enough strength to properly deflect it. This caught her off guard as I bring an electric aura to my blade and thrust at her head.