Ratchet watched as Christi stood above the large Fheitgr warrior. Her arm was stained red with the blood of the man who lay dead before her. The girl had blood on her hands and she was… smiling.

He hadn’t even a moment to react, one moment he was staring death right in the eye, the next he watched as Christi pummeled the warrior from behind. 

She had been merciless in her assault, reigning down brutal hammers on her foe. It was frankly disturbing how ruthless Christi had been. 

Ratchet gathered himself.

“Christi, are you ok?”

She turned, a grin sat comfortably on her face. Her metal fingers squeezed into a fist.

Christi let the warmth embrace her, she felt the flame within her.

What is this? I feel so free, so strong. This is what I wanted, the strength to change who I am. 

Then before she knew it her newfound power began to fade.

No! Don’t leave me!

Christi sparked her affinity, igniting her flames hoping that the flame would envelop her again. Nothing. The cold chill of the rain drops reminded her harshly of the reality she had temporarily departed.

Why? I had it, the strength I need. Please come back.

Sam ran to Piotr’s side, he helped the man to his feet. 

“Great heavens my boy are you alright?” Sam asked.

“Nothing a little rest can’t fix,” chuckled Piotr.

A sharp pain seared his side as he did so. He winced, his lower abdomen was bruised but relatively unscathed considering the punishment Korill had inflicted. He was lucky, had it not been for his attunement throughout the fight, he would’ve died to even one strong strike from Korill.

Piotr watched Christi, he noticed her smile fading, falling into a frown.

“Did the girl?” Sam quietly said to Piotr.

“Briefly achieve attunement? Yes she did,” Piotr finished Sam’s sentence. 

“I see,” said Sam.

This was far from a surprise for those who knew about attunement like Piotr. The power itself was linked to strong emotions, negative emotions often yielded the greatest results. The drawback was that attunement usage led to a wearied body. Fheitgr specialised in the power due to their strengthened bodies. 

Sam and Piotr approached Christi and Ratchet. Sam looked conflicted, it was obvious how death irked him even those who deserve it Piotr thought. Yet he still cared deeply for the girl. Ratchet, however, looked like he was about to boil over.

Perhaps I should say something, Piotr sighed to himself. 

“Christi..”

“Why did you do that?!” Ratchet interjected fiercely.

Christi’s face soured,

“Huh?! I just saved you, he was going to kill you.” 

“You didn’t have to kill the man, one blow would’ve been enough!” Ratchet continued his shouting.

“You want me to spare the man who just a moment ago was actively trying to kill us? Are you hearing yourself right now?” Christi snapped back.

“You don’t get to decide who lives and dies. There’s blood on your hands and believe me it doesn’t wash off so easily.”

The last part sounded so weak yet so sincere, ‘Ratchet must have quite the past’, Piotr thought. 

“I don’t care, I finally had it. The strength I needed and now it’s gone. You just don’t understand.”

Christi sprinted off away from Ratchet, Piotr and Sam. 

“Christi! Christi!” Ratchet yelled after her.

“Save your breath Ratchet, we’ll find her later. Don’t worry. Like I said before, she's a capable girl. For now I suggest we discuss matters with Adriana.” Piotr patted the elderly man on the back.

“Let’s get out of this rain, shall we?” Sam asked Ratchet as he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, let’s.” Ratchet dejectedly responded.

The trio knocked on the door of house number three on Valence Street. A rather plain looking man opened the door. He scanned the group from head to toe. 

“Come in, she’s waiting inside.”

He pulled the door back and stepped aside to allow their entry.

“Thank you my good man,” said Piotr as he hobbled inside clutching his side. 

They entered a room that was lavished with all sorts of furniture and items. The mantle piece above the fireplace was filled with family photos and portraits of a young blond girl. Adriana sat in an armchair by the lit fireplace. A pleasant aroma floated through the area, and Piotr recognised it.

Bourne wood, one of the first major imports here in Barakat. Piotr thought to himself.

Adriana held a glass of wine in her right hand, she stared blankly into the dancing fire oblivious to the group.

“Miss Adriana?” asked Sam, breaking the silence. 

She turned and flashed a meek smile.

“Ah apologies I was lost in thought, please make yourselves at home. Welcome to my humble abode.”

Ratchet plopped himself down onto one of the couches, Sam and Piotr perched themselves with more tact. Adriana swirled her glass around before finishing the last few sips. She stood and raised her glass, tilting it in the direction of her guests.

“Anyone care for a drink? I have an exquisite red wine imported from Tivero.”

Piotr waved a dismissive hand, Ratchet grunted which signaled no, Sam however gladly accepted his host’s offer.

“How gracious a host you are, I would love a glass. I’m afraid it’s difficult for me to say no to a good wine.”

Adriana smirked,

“A man after my own heart.”

She grabbed Sam a glass and poured, her hand shook slightly as she did so. Adriana walked over to the mantlepiece and picked up one of the family photos on display. She rubbed the edges of the frame before setting it gently back down. Without turning she asked,

“Do you know why I created the Finders?”

“Why?” Piotr humored her.

Adriana picked up a fire poker and began thrusting it into the fire sparking it further.

“I grew up here. Life was simple but I was happy. As a child we would often experience Fheitgr attacks. Granted they never killed those they viewed as unworthy opponents. About two years ago however the Fheitgr began to do something they hadn’t before. They intercepted cargo ships on their route here and ransacked them. Trade is life in Barakat so you can imagine how crippling that would be for us. I sent word to your Pioneers, explaining the gravity of the situation. A letter arrived, it read ‘We are very sorry but current matters in Prominence take precedence’. We weren’t even considered a part of the continent they so eagerly protect, just a town that could be of convenience when needed. That’s when I decided that we needed to look after ourselves. The Fheitgr were growing more bold under the Kydawn family rule and The Pioneers refused help. So I created the Finders.”

Adriana sipped her wine and pivoted towards the group.

“I believe you can understand now why this town and I need your help. Today especially was proof of that, one warrior and we couldn’t do a thing. I’m truly grateful for your presence.”

“No need to be grateful, had I not been there that man would not have shown up in the first place,” Piotr responded.

Adriana raised an eyebrow,

“Whatever happened to that warrior?”

“Dead. Christi killed him,” Piotr said.

“The girl killed him? I’m glad she’s on our side, nobody is better at killing Fheitgr than themselves.”

Ratchet stood up and left the room.

“I’m going to find Christi,” he said as the door slammed behind him.

“Did I say something to offend him?” Adriana asked Piotr.

“He’s just worried about the girl, frankly we all are,” Piotr dismissed her concern.

Piotr sat forward as much as his bruises would allow.

“Let’s get to the point, how do you propose we tackle this matter now with all that has occurred so recently?”

“Why we’ll return our Fheitgr friends visit in kind with a visit of our own.”

Piotr stared at Adriana. Sam paused and placed his glass down. He, like Piotr, looked flabbergasted at the recklessness Adriana was proposing.

“You can’t be serious, we don’t have the firepower nor men for that. Such a reckless approach will only yield casualties for Barakat.”

Adriana shrugged her shoulders,

“Oh I don’t know about all that, after we have been blessed by an exalted member of the Pioneers coming to the aid of our town. I believe that Piotr Henlein, The Clock Faced Genius is all the firepower we need. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Why did I agree to this?, Piotr sighed.

Christi took shelter underneath a large rock formation. The hard assortment of pebbles and stones prodded her from below. The sea twisted and churned wildly, each passing wave crashing with a roar. Gathering some driftwood she piled the flammable material up. A small ember flickered to life in the palm of her left hand, the flame caught and ignited the wood. Like always, she couldn’t feel the sensation of the flame burning in her hand. 

The flame extinguished. How could she attain that state again? That comforting feeling of warmth and the power that accompanied it? Ratchet’s words echoed in her head, anger rose in her. She saved him, why did the death of one man anger him so greatly? 

He just didn’t understand her, none of them did. She saw the way they looked at her. She was Fheitgr, she was different. Perhaps I’ll always be an outcast, neither Fheitgr nor a citizen of this country. The old Barakat lighthouse to her right reached to the grey sky. 

“Hello Child,” an unfamiliar voice emerged from her left.

She turned, a darkly tanned man, baby blue eyes, murky green hair and a bushy black beard. He was like her, she thought.