As they left the examination room, Em could barely contain her excitement.

“I can’t believe I did that well!”

“What do you mean? You are one of the best Berserkers Nuitetoilée has!”

“Thanks for being there for me, sis.”

“Anytime!”

“Will you come to my final examination?”

“Of course, I will.”

Em couldn’t wait to tell Olympe what happened in the examination. The two sisters made their way to their mother’s quarters. Em told Olympe with zeal of the pre-examination. How she knocked over each dummy during her conjuring and how they had to set them up again for her weapons examination.

“I used daggers because I kicked a- er - butt.”

“I couldn’t be more proud of you, my love,” Olympe kissed the top of her head and Mai scrunched her face. “I’m sorry but I have much to do. See you girls at dinner.”

Since the capture of their father, Olympe ran the clan on her own. Mai recalls that night when the knights came back to tell their mother of Rainier’s capture. She put on a brave face for her daughters but they could hear her cries from their bedroom.

Nuitetoilée was nestled against Biennuit Forest. Filled with mystical beasts, the forest was thick and stopped at the foot of the Montaceline mountain range. This meant the Dark Knights filled it to capture the beasts for their blood. Nuitetoilée is the home of the Trivett clan and Rainier’s line had been in charge of the clan since the Goddess Celine herself appointed the first Paladin.

“What’s on the agenda now?” Mai asked Em.

“Unlike you, I have classes to attend. I suppose you’ll be heading to the library?”

“Perhaps.”

Em laughed. “You’re such a nerd. See you later.”

“See you.”

The library was the most precious place in Nuitetoilée to Maiolaine. The young Paladin inhaled the intoxicating scent of leather and old parchment and it filled her senses. Books comforted her. They did not judge and they only offered the information that Mai wanted.

She walked the aisles, touching the spines gently. The sisters were in the last year of her formal Paladin training. Even though she was in her final year, she noticed that she lacked the natural talent that her sister Em possessed. Mai had no issues with her written exams. Not great but not terrible either. Em excels in every course and practicums with minimal study or preparation. Attempting the things Em is capable of at her age boggled Mai’s mind. Em is on a whole different level and Mai often wondered if they really were twins.

Em is even doing advanced coursework. Mainly, to protect the other students and instructors. When Em’s bored, it’s not good for anyone.

Mai stood in front of the large volumes of manuals trying to uncover the mysteries of the Jovial conjuration. With a sigh, motivation left her body, but she knew she had to do this. She no longer wanted to be a mediocre Paladin trainee. The people of Aeris relied on her.

“’Fueling Your Conjuring: Unlocking the Power with Diet.’ Hmmm. Interesting. ‘Traditional Herbal Remedies for Jovial Block.’ Is that an actual thing?”

Mai thumbed through it. “I’m pretty sure herbal teas won’t help me.”

Her finger stopped at “The Natural Jovial.” She noticed a common theme. She picked up the book and began to read it.

“Meditation in nature, huh?”

They taught meditation in her coursework but she could never focus. Even her mother, one of the most powerful Jovials in Aeris, scolded her for not focusing on her meditation. Mai’s brain could not keep quiet for even five seconds. Their coming of age ceremony is in just a few short months. She had to pass her practicals, or the Council has the authority to strip her of her powers.

The sun began to set. She grabbed the book and ran out of the library towards the dining hall.

Maiolaine walked into the dining hall out of breath with her book titled “The Natural Jovial”. The contents were how to harness nature into the Jovial conjuring to amplify its power. She found studies that explained how to amplify her powers fascinating. This was by far one of her favorite books.

“So glad you decided to join us, Maiolaine.”

Maiolaine looked up from her book and saw that the whole Trivett clan was waiting for her to eat. Her mother was looking unimpressed by the tardiness of her daughter. Maiolaine's cheeks turned bright red as she took her seat next to her sister.

“At the library again, I see,” Olympe looked at Maiolaine.

“Yes.”

Now that the last member of the Trivett clan sat at the table, everyone began eating. Maiolaine didn’t know why they had to wait for everyone before they ate. She didn’t mind if they ate without her.

“Whatcha find in there tonight?” Emmaline said as she took a bite of her roast beef.

“’The Natural Jovial’ It focuses on harnessing the powers of nature to amplify my conjuration.”

“You should focus on your weapons training.”

Maiolaine rolled her eyes.

“I’m not trying to be mean,” Emmaline clarified. “You’ve focused so much on your conjuration that you’ll end up lopsided.”

“Em, Mai needs to focus more on controlling her conjuration. She needs more power within it. I’m glad you’re listening to your Maman.” Olympe kissed the top of her head. “And it only took two years.”

Mai stuck her tongue out at her sister.

“What are you? Five?”

“Yes.” Mai put her books next to her.

Emmaline knew that Maiolaine took none of her advice. She had always been jealous of her since she showed great promise at a young age. To top it off, Emmaline was a Berserker. She was a rare breed within the Paladins. The numbers for Berserkers diminished over the years to the point of extinction. It overjoyed their parents when they found out Emmaline’s power. As for Jovials, well, you could throw a stone in any direction to hit one.

“How was weapon training, dear?” Olympe asked Maiolaine.

“Fine, mother.”

“You should try switching weapons for a while. You might be bored with the Falchion.”

“Maybe,” Maiolaine said, stabbing her fried potatoes with her fork.

“I think I might try the Mace or the Flail,” Emmaline told her mother.

“I loved training with the Mace,” Olympe recalled.

Maiolaine tuned the two of them out. Her book called to her and she couldn’t care less for stupid weapons training. She started fidgeting and gulped her food so she could get back to reading.

“Use your manners, Maiolaine,” Olympe said as she saw Maiolaine nearly choking on her asparagus.

“Sorry, Maman. I need to study. I gotta get back to reading.”

“Oh. Okay,” Olympe said as she reached out to her daughter but Maiolaine had left with her nose in the book.

“You need to do something with that daughter of yours,” their uncle Arber said to Olympe.

“Thanks for the advice, Arber. But I can handle my own children.”

Arber looked dumbfounded at the fact of Olympe standing up to him. He was a big, strong man with opinions of how women should and should not act. Olympe had put him in his place to let him know that sort of disrespect was not tolerated amongst their clan. Emmaline snickered every time that happened.

“Oh, Uncle Arber,” Emmaline said with a smile and patted him on the arm as she left the table.

Mai flung herself on the bed. As she did her picture of her family fell to the floor, breaking the glass to shards. Lifting herself off the bed with great effort, she picked up the shards of glass. One sliced through her thumb. Mai hissed and sucked off the blood that dripped from her injury.

“It is very important that you do not spill your blood or the blood of your Paladin sisters and brothers.”

She heard her fathers voice as distinct as if he stood right next to her. She walked to the sink and ran the water.

“It’s too precious.”

She looked up at her reflection and frowned. She ran her wounded finger under the water. The blood circled in the sink with the water and down the drain.

“It’s too powerful. Power runs through your veins.”

Mai did not feel powerful. Perhaps the goddesses made a mistake, and she was not meant to be born into this family. Everyone else had the natural talent. Why couldn’t she tap into it? What was missing? She wrapped her wounded thumb up with a bandage to stop the bleeding.

She missed her father more than ever. The promise of seeing her father one day was the only thing that kept her going. She wanted to make him proud. That was what kept her going.

She picked up the largest of the volumes she borrowed and began to read.

“To the Jovial, being connected to nature is of the utmost importance. You must gain trust from the Earth and the Goddess of Celine to whom have entrusted the Jovial powers upon you.”

Mai’s eyes became heavy with each sentence she read. The book was not the most captivating read and at the times she did finally try to focus her thoughts were off in the distance.

“Ugh! Why can’t I focus?” Mai threw her book next to her on the bed. She rubbed her temples and took in a deep breath. “What is wrong with my brain?”

“You use it too much.”

Mai looked up from her bed to see her sister’s shadow in her doorway.

“Did you follow me to my room just to insult me?”

“No. I’m bored.”

“Why don’t you go train or something?”

“Do you not want my company, sis?”

“No. To be honest.”

“Well, that’s just rude.” Em walked around Mai’s room and surveyed it.

Mai sat up and watched her sister.

“You act as if this is your first time in my room.”

“Sometimes I can pick out something new. Something I’ve not seen before until I rummage through everything.”

“You mean something you can use as ammunition?”

Em stopped in her tracks and looked at her sister. “What is with you lately? You are oddly defensive at every sentence I speak.”

Mai combed her long white curls with her fingers and groaned. “I’m sorry. I’m just stressed with the practicals coming up soon.”

“I suppose I will take that as an excuse.”

“The Peers could take my powers from me, Em. This is serious business.”

“And you waited until you had three months left to worry?”

“I don’t know!” Mai fell back into her bed. “Can I say it was because of teenage angst?”

Em climbed up into the bed with her sister. “Excuses. So many excuses, my dear sister.”

“Sorry. Not everyone can be as naturally talented as you.”

“And there we have it!” Em poked her sister. “There is the true root of your problem. You need to stop comparing yourself with others. Especially me. I’m in a totally different category than you. You need to focus on your strengths.”

“I don’t have any.”

“I call bullshit.”

“Language. And I don’t.”

“You are focusing too strongly on your weaknesses and not your strengths. If the only thing you think of is your weaknesses, you will just believe you’re weak.”

“I honestly do not know what my strengths are.”

“You should try to focus your energy on what you want your strengths to be.”

Mai sighed. Conversations with her sister go around in circles as of late.

“You are forgetting the most important thing in your life.”

Mai looked at her sister, puzzled. “What is that?”

“Our mother is the strongest Jovial in Aeris. Why aren’t you asking for help from her?”

“She has enough on her plate with leading the clan and everything.”

“More excuses. Our mother knows her limits and if she’s not available to help you, she can give you the resources to help you. She does not want us to fail or lose our powers. She goes out to meditate every morning. It’s not like it would take up any of her time if you tag along. You study that anyway.”

“Wow, Em. That’s a good idea.”

She ran her hand through her thick, straight auburn hair. “It’s been known to happen. Well, I guess I’ll go. You’re boring. Don’t forget. We have weapons training in an hour.”

“I love you, too.”

Em stuck her tongue out at her sister on the way out the door.

“What are you? Five?” Mai yelled after her.