Mai heaved a sigh as she rose from her bed. Weapons training was her least favorite thing to do. Being a Jovial, she didn’t see the point in weapons training. She was in the back lines. Usually far away from the battle. She put on her training gear and grabbed her book as she left her room.

The training grounds were on the ground level of the stronghold. The indoor training opened up to outside grounds that held various obstacles for different battle situations. Her eyes caught the arrogant figure of her uncle and the one thing Mai disliked more than weapons training was her uncle.

Their father’s brother, Arber, oversaw their weapons training. Often, he caught Maiolaine off in one of her tactical daydreams and yelled at her to keep her head out of the clouds. He told her to stop daydreaming of rainbows and unicorns and kittens. It took every bit of her will to not punch his face. His comments didn’t bother Emmaline. She rolled her eyes at him which made him furious and he told their mother of her behavior.

“Why must you grate on your uncle’s nerves?” Olympe asked Emmaline once.

Emmaline’s response was just a shrug. No matter how many meetings she had with her mother, Emmaline did not change her manner. Family or not.

“So glad that you could grace us with your presence, Maiolaine,” Arber said.

“I would not want you to miss the chance to see me, Uncle.”

“Your sass will only get you in more trouble,” Arber spat.

Maiolaine rolled her eyes. She sat down near her sister who was training with a lance. Emmaline handled the lance like it was her second arm. She rolled through the training dummies better than any young Paladin that was years older than she. She was even better than the ones that had been training longer. When she set her sights on the target, it was over. The dummies had no chance.

Maiolaine settled in with her book. Mai was usually found in the library with a stack of books in her arms. Training manuals, romance novels, documentaries, and everything else in between. She didn’t have a knack for weapons and battle training. She’d rather be reading.

Maiolaine heard a whir of a small blade fast approaching her. She grabbed it before it hit the book. She looked up at her sister wearing a mischievous grin.

“Must you throw daggers at my books?”

“Must you read those things in the training quarters?”

“I’m waiting for my turn. This is how I pass my time.” She dropped the dagger to the floor.

Emmaline approached her sister as she dried the sweat off her face with a towel. “Well, the quarters are all yours, bookworm.”

“Thanks,” Maiolaine made a face at her.

Maiolaine chose the Falchion sword as her weapon years ago. She had always liked the looks of it and it was the lightest out of all the weapons the Paladins train with. She was graceful with her swordplay, but her heart was never into weapons training. She rather train her conjuration than her weapon.

“Why do you always look so bored during training?” Em asked as she sat down to observe her sister.

“Why do you always look so bored when you’re made to read?”

“’Cause I don’t like it.”

Mai pointed her sword at Em and gave her a knowing look. “Training is not something I enjoy. I don’t even know why I have to do it.”

“You have to be able to defend yourself no matter what,” a familiar unpleasant voice said behind her. “You need to be prepared for anything.”

Mai whirled and was easily disarmed by her uncle. He snorted as Em groaned in embarrassment.

“Your books won’t be able to teach you how to defend yourself.”

“Actually, there are some self-defense books that are quite good.”

“They didn’t help you just then,” her uncle pointed out.

“You caught me off guard,” Mai said.

“Because in battle, the enemy will not wait until you're ready,” Arber scoffed.

Arber threw her sword back and came at her again. She crossed his sword, but just barely. He bounded on her with no mercy. Mai knew this sparring session would not be easy. Arber took advantage of these moments to punish his nieces. Mai wanted to improve her weapon skill, if only to wipe that smug look off of his face when a woman finally defeated him.

Mai sparred with Arber until the afternoon. Everyone then dispersed from the training quarters to the dining hall. She was exhausted and dripping with sweat. She sat down at a table with her lunch. She was ravenous. Mai felt a slap on the back which almost made her choke her food.

“Great job, sis,” Em smiled as she walked around to take a seat in front of her sister.

Mai just grunted as she shoveled food into her mouth.

“You may even overtake him someday.”

Mai laughed. “Were you watching the same spar?”

“Yeah. Honestly, that was the best I have ever seen you do.”

“I just hate him so much. That's the only reason I would ever consider trying to get better.”

“Ah. Anger. It’s a powerful motivator. And you should do it. He needs to be put in check.”

“Why don’t you do it?”

“You know I don’t want to be barred from the training grounds. You could also see this as a win;win. You defeat the evil uncle plus you won’t be allowed to set foot in there ever again.”

Mai laughed and shoveled more stew in her mouth. She let that thought marinate in her mind. That wasn’t the worst idea that Em has had.

“Perhaps, I’ll consider it.”

“But you realize he’s right. If we go into battle-”

“There has been no whispers or rumors of a battle brewing. There hasn’t been one since-”

“They got Papa.”

“Yeah.”

“Why does he have to be such an insensitive jerk?” Maiolaine asked as she dried herself off with a towel. “How could our father ever be close to someone like that?”

“He’s family. That’s why,” Emmaline said.

“He’s my family and I don’t want to be close to him.”

“Maybe Papa was like him and maybe he had the same views as Arber does.”

Maiolaine couldn’t wrap her head around that possibility. Her father was and will always be her hero. It was inconceivable to think he would have the same backwards thoughts as Arber.

“There’s no way Papa was like that.”

“We don’t know that. They took him when we were young. We didn’t know what he was like outside of being our father and the leader of our clan.”

“Our father was,” Mai corrected herself. “-is a great man.”

“It must be so exhausting to be so naïve.”

“And it must be so exhausting for you to be so callous.”

They stared at each other until Em relented and began to speak again.

“Admit that it has been way too quiet. The Dark Knights are up to something. And with the last battle being years ago, who knows how many Paladins and Dark Knights they’ve injected with Beast Blood.”

Maiolaine hated talk of the battle in which the Dark Knights ambushed their father’s company. Maiolaine always felt that he was still alive. They never recovered his body. She hoped he would come through those doors. But again, there were whispers and rumors. Talk of Papa being injected with beast blood. Maiolaine never accepted rumors as truth. Her heart couldn’t handle it.

“Can we please change the subject?”

“Fine. But changing the subject will not make you more prepared.”

“Noted.”

“I guess since you’re making me change the subject, how’s your book going?”

“Which one? I’m reading four right now.”

“Four? At the same time?”

“Yes. Why is that so hard to believe?”

Emmaline shrugged. “I meant the nature one. Do you have to be one with the trees or something?”

“You’re so funny! But yes. I need to go out to the forest and in-tune myself with the trees and streams.”

“How do you do that?”

“Meditation, mostly. I have to let their spirits enter mine.”

“That sounds nutty.”

“I don’t know why I tell you anything.”

“I’m sorry. I am. I’ll go with you after lunch.”

“No, I need to go alone. I can’t have any distractions and it would be weird with you there watching me.”

“Are you sure? I don’t think Maman will let you leave the fortress alone.”

“Well, what Maman doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

Her sister’s defiance shocked Emmaline.

“You’ll really sneak out?”

“I want to see if this stuff works on my conjuring. I need to pass my practicums.”

“You needn’t be one with the forest for that. You need to focus more on your training.”

“OK. Thanks, Uncle Arber.”

“Look. I won’t stop you from going out there. Just be careful when you’re off being one with the trees and fish and the river or whatever.”

“Thanks for your concern. But I’ll be fine. I might not be a weapon’s master like you, but I can hold my own.”

“All right. But if you’re not back by dinner, I’m telling Maman.”

“I will be fine,” Maiolaine said as she closed her book and headed out the door.

“You better be.”

Mai made her way out of the stronghold after washing up from training. As she walked towards the forest, her mind circled back to what Em had said. Her father was a saint. No question. Maiolaine realized that inner peace would not be found while she was angry. She took deep cleansing breaths and began her walk again.

She felt a strange pull towards the Biennuit Forest and she didn't know why. The clan considered the forest a danger zone because of the beasts within and not to mention the Dark Knights that hunt them to infuse their blood with their own warriors in the past. Since the activities of the Dark Knights have been quiet, they allowed Aerians back into the forest as long as they stayed away from the deep parts of the forest.

Mai felt no fear. She walked to the forest like it was a morning stroll. She walked along the bubbling stream and touched the trees that were near it. The trees were huge and covered in green lush moss. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling very confident about her decision.

The sun shone through the canopy of leaves lighting a clearing in the thick forest. Although the text specifically calls for complete connection with nature, she brought a blanket to sit on. She sat in the grass with her legs crossed in a lotus position and closed her eyes.

She heard a cracking of a twig about a couple feet away from her. She squinted one eye open to see what the source of the noise was but she only saw a deer munching on some leaves nearby.

“OK, Maiolaine, focus.”

She closed her eyes once more and this time she heard a buzzing of a bee near her ear. She jumped to escape the insect and soon realized this was going to be harder than she anticipated. Failing at this was not an option. She made a vow to herself that she was completely invested in this for hours upon hours and days upon days. She was going to be in-tuned with nature. There was no other option.

She dusted the mud off of her skirt and sat back down in the grass. She closed her eyes for a third time and began focusing on her breaths as instructed in the book. She visualized the auras of the trees entering her lungs and then she felt something crawling on her leg. She looked down and it was a centipede. She let out a shriek and jumped.

“OK. I think that is enough for today.”

She decided on her way back to the stronghold that she should really wear pants while sitting in the grass.

“So, how did it go?” Em asked, leaning up against foyer as Mai entered the stronghold.

“Have you been waiting for me?”

“No. I just happened to be here at the same time.”

Mai made a face of disbelief. Of course, she was checking up on her sister.

“It went… okay.”

“Something crawled up your skirt, didn’t it?” Emmaline laughed.

“It was so gross,” Maiolaine laughed along. “I will wear pants the next time.”

“You’re going to go back out?”

“Not tonight. But yeah. I’m not failing at this.”

“Alright. Be careful, would ya?”

“I seriously don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal about this. The Biennuit Forest is completely safe.”

“That’s not what the word is around the dining hall. Maybe I should accompany you.”

“No. I had enough trouble keeping focused with the sounds of nature. I don’t need you groaning in the background about how bored you are.”

Em opened her mouth to argue but just shrugged in agreement.

“I guess we should hurry on down to the dining hall and grab a snack. We have Musical Arts in an hour.”

Maiolaine grinned from ear to ear. She loved Musical Arts. She would get lost in the compositions. The Nuitetoilée Paladins took pride in their well rounded education. They were required to take courses in music, art, and dance along with their traditional studies. An educated mind is a powerful mind is what their father would always say.

“I wonder what we’ll be learning,” Maiolaine beamed as they walked down to the dining hall.

“Ugh. Who knows? And why do you need to take anymore classes? It's not long until we’re set free.”

It was like a ton of bricks hit Maiolaine in the chest. They will be coming of age soon. How did this thought pass her by? No more formal education. At least she will still have access to the library. She began thinking of the restricted section and she began to giggle excitedly.

“What is wrong with you?” Em looked at her like she was growing a hand from her forehead.

“Oh nothing! I just was thinking that I’ll have access to the restricted section in the library soon.”

“You truly are not right in the head.”

“Whatever,” Mai stuck her tongue out at her sister.

Mai was finally excited about her future and nothing could bring her down from that cloud. Not even their uncle’s sour face as they approached the kitchen to grab their breakfast plates. She will no longer have to take lessons from that inconsiderate slime of a human being. How someone like that is brothers with her father is beyond her.

“What were you giggling at?”

“Why do you concern yourself with our every move, uncle?” Mai questioned.

“Since your father left us, I am responsible-”

Mai cut him off before he could finish his statement. “You will never be responsible for us. We are none of your concern.”

Em just smiled at Arber mischievously and shrugged when he looked down at her. “What spirit! That one.” Em ran off to chase after her.

“You are going to get expelled from lessons, sis, if you’re not careful.” Em said.

“He just makes me so angry. I mean doesn’t he make you angry?”

“Of course he does. But since I am a Berserker, I was taught at a very young age how to control my anger. Cuz that would not be good for anyone if I lost control in the dining hall.”

“You should teach me your ways.”

“You couldn’t afford the private lessons.”

Mai rolled her eyes. Her mood began to lighten more and more as time for Musical Arts class drew near. It was the only lesson that she excelled at and the only subject that she was better than Em. Mai would rub that in her sister’s face every chance she had, but she refrains herself because Em loves to hear Mai play the piano. There have been several occasions that Em would request Mai to play for her.

After they filled their bellies, they made their way to the Arts studio. Mai and Em parted ways as they were in different music classes. Mai entered the room that had a grand piano in front of floor to ceiling windows. She touched the wood of the piano and then traced her fingers across the ivories. She loved playing the piano so much and could not wait to play.