"Just focus, Tara," Ryder's voice bounced throughout my mind as I kept my eyes shut tight.
"I am focusing, Ryder," I snapped, feeling the weight of four hours worth of training putting a strain on my patience.
"Hey, you're the one who asked me to help you develop your magic," he reminded me.
"Actually, it was the Master who asked you to help me," I corrected.
"No idea why. There are so many other more advanced mages that could have helped..." he muttered under his breath.
That's when I opened my eyes and gave him a look when I saw he had his eyes down scanning over the book in his lap. It had been a little over a week and he had been working really hard to do his best as my Handler and I was doing my best to be a good student, but forming the Handler-Guardian connection between us was proving to be harder than either of us expected.
"I thought it was pretty obvious why he chose you," I told him honestly and it just made him glance up at me with a confused expression. "You're the reason why I'm here in the first place. Without you I never would have even imagined being able to join a Guild. Sure, you kind of forced my hand, but it didn't go to waste. I'm learning a lot here. The Master probably just figured you knew me better than the others did and since being able to establish a Guardian-Handler connection depends on trust, you were the obvious choice. Plus, it was also probably the fact that you're the reason why I was able to use magic in the first place, opening my valve and all..." I rambled on but my voice trailed off when I felt the heat rush to my cheeks because of how lame I sounded. It was like I was a child who was trying way too hard to make friends. But the heat I felt washed away immediately when I saw that he started to blush as well.
"I have no idea how I even did that though..." he murmured under his breath, sounding even more frustrated than before.
My pep talk seemed to get lost in translation and it was very possible that I accidentally put even more pressure on him.
"Maybe you should try what you did last time. What triggered your magic? Were you thinking about anything specific?" he wondered as he continued to flip through the pages, his eyes scanning the words vigorously.
"Well..." I started to say but stopped myself, even more embarrassed by how just thinking about him and the rest of the Guild is what triggered it for me. "It's just not working," I sighed instead as I laid down fast onto my back and stared helplessly up at the clouds.
Silently, he moved to lay beside me. "Don't give up. It's only been a few days. Mastering magic can take years," he tried to encourage me.
"Yeah, well, you'd think that since I'm a Guardian it would just be easier. How hard could mastering my own magic really be?"
He started to laugh under his breath.
"What?"
"Nothing. You just sound like a Guardian."
I shot up in my spot and looked over at him. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
He laughed harder. "Nothing. It just means that because you're a Guardian it'll be a little harder. You've gone through most of your life thinking you had no magic inside you and no one really bothered to teach you this stuff before. It's not your fault that you don't know the first thing of how to conjure your own power."
"Spoken just like a real Handler. Look at you," I mocked and huffed, crossing my arms as I faced forward again.
"Plus, you've lived a privileged life until now so you're acting a little spoiled," he added and I just scoffed at him.
I had never experienced something as frustrating as this. Being in control of your magic meant you had a solid grasp of who you are and what your intentions were in life. So the only question I kept asking myself was: What was I really doing here? What was my purpose?
Ryder reached up to grab the top of my head and he pulled me back down beside him. When he released his grip he put both his hands behind his head and kept his focus on the blue sky. It was evident how he was back to being Ryder again and not my Handler
"You're thinking too much. It'll happen when it happens. Just give it time, Ace," was all he said.
I took a deep breath and chose to accept his advice. Since it was I who accepted his help in the first place I had to also just trust him and his instincts. So if he was telling me to give it time then I guess I had no choice but to listen.
Focus, Tara...feel the breeze...smell the salted air...hear the villagers and city-goers...see the trigger...envision what sets off my magic antenna...
As a Guardian I was an expert at tuning into my surroundings and into the magic essence of others but I couldn't even tap into my own magic essence? What kind of sense did that make?
"What was it like living at the Guardian Estate?" Ryder suddenly asked, pulling me out of the silence.
"You tell me to concentrate and yet you interrupt my concentration?"
"Humor me," was all he said.
I looked over at him but he continued to keep his eyes trained on the sky and I realized that his question was part of the training. It took me a second to answer him as flashbacks of Guardian-Council meetings and intensive training on my body and mind flooded my memory.
"Well it was definitely boring," I tried to joke with him but I saw no amusement in his eyes.
I thought about my trips to different villages and how I helped a lot of people and gave them hope for a better future. "But it wasn't all bad..."
And then I remembered when Caleb and I tried to sneak out into town to play with the kids in the villages and they were scolded for being informal toward me even though it was my fault. Caleb would also get in trouble all the time because I wanted to explore outside my quarters. And there was a time when I found out a handful of soldiers were left to starve to death because they weren't sent with enough rations and they ended up pillaging a nearby town. And there were also the times the Dodeca treated all of the Sprites so poorly they would end up incapacitated for days. The Dodeca was corrupt and they made me feel helpless, useless even.
"But it was more bad than it was good..." I pulled out some blades of grass and felt a lump get stuck in my throat. "Why are you asking?"
"I'm wondering if you're unable to connect to your magic essence because you're blocking your valve on purpose."
"Why would I do that on purpose? I want to be able to fight alongside the Sprites. I'm tired of feeling helpless," I scrutinized as I sat up quickly and turned to face him while he remained unfazed.
"I believe you. But I think that maybe you choose not to use your power to spite the Dodeca. You seem to be conflicted about whether or not this is what you should be doing. Are you doing more bad than good? Or vice versa. The conflict and contradiction you feel could be what's preventing you from being able to progress forward. It even sounds like you want to like and enjoy being a Guardian but you're so set in your ways that you refuse to see the good in your position."
He spoke so simply as if he knew everything there was to know about my life and about the Dodeca. It really pissed me off.
"Did you get along with the other Guardians?" he continued as I gritted my teeth to hold back from snapping.
"I guess for the most part we all got along. We had little to no interaction with one another. But when we were able to spend some down time together, it was fun..." I found myself smiling at some fond memories that I had with the rest of the Guardians.
It was rare, but some days they had made Guardianship more tolerable.
And just like that I wasn't pissed anymore.
"Wow, you're good," I glared at him as he turned over and away from me.
"I know," he shrugged and I clenched my fist, resisting the urge to just punch him in the face.
"How's the lesson going today?" Serena asked as she and Iris flew over to us.
"She's getting better," he told them as Serena settled in my lap while Iris sat on Ryder's hip, facing us.
"Really?" they made a face.
"Not at all," he snickered and I just scoffed as the girls laughed.
"Where's Trinkette?" I wondered.
"She went into the city with Dillon and Bella because they promised to show her the best tool and gear shops, or something like that," Iris waved it off.
"It seems you three have taken a liking to them," I acknowledged happily.
"Yeah, Dillon's awesome!" Iris cheered. "Bella isn't too bad either. She's just a little quiet for my taste."
"Bella is good for Dillon. She keeps him grounded. And whenever you're too busy, Tara, they always offer to take us places we haven't seen and they know the best places to find new crystals!" Serena grinned up at me.
"Hey, I'm never too busy to take you guys anywhere," I pouted, kind of feeling left out of their endeavors.
"Well we knew how important it was for you to tune into your magic valve so we didn't want to bother you," she assured me but I think them going to Dillon and Bella instead of me bothered me even more.
"Yeah. Plus, Dillon knows the area better than anyone around here! Did you know he grew up on the streets?!" Iris exclaimed as if 'growing up on the streets' was the coolest thing she had ever heard.
I didn't have the heart to tell her that most of the people in Nexus had 'grown up on the streets'. I also didn't want to ruin the bond that was clearly forming between them so I just smiled, grateful to Dillon and Bella for taking the Sprites under their wings in my absence.
I knew Dillon, Bella, Cooper, Hazel, and even Naudia had been entertaining the sprites more than usual by taking them into the village and into the city, but I didn't realize how much I had been missing.
"I guess it's a good thing Bella went with them then to keep Dillon in line," I teased, gently poking Iris' stomach.
"Bella is super responsible for her age. She's a bit timid and she doesn't have a lot of magic power, but she has a clear head on her shoulders so I don't think we should worry," Serena established.
"Better watch yourself, Ace, or else you'll be replaced," Ryder sang with his back still facing us.
"Yeah, right. Like Tara could ever be replaced," Serena scoffed at him and I just laughed.
"Rena, one day I'll win you over," he swore to her.
"It's Ser-ena," she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Okay, that's enough you two," I chided and then took a whiff of the air. "Smells like it's dinner time."
"I wonder what Chef made tonight!" Iris' eyes lit up as her stomach growled.
Ryder scooped Iris up into his hands and spun his legs around to jump up to his feet. Then he set her down on his shoulder before turning to offer his hand to me with that stupid grin on his face.
Such a destructive power...an impulsive personality...and yet so thoughtful and gentle...
"Ryder! Tara!"
The panic in Trinkettes voice made my hair stand up as she flew as fast as she could in our direction and there was a ping in my chest when I saw how distressed she was, barely able to hold herself up. I quickly lunged forward to catch her before she made a crash landing.
"Trinkette, what's wrong? What happened to you?" I asked, inspecting her exhausted body.
"It's Dillon and Bella! They're in trouble! Hazel is already there, trying to help, but..." she panted.
"Wait, what?!" Iris and Serena exclaimed.
"Take us to them, Trinkette," I ordered as Ryder and I both jumped forward to follow Trinkette while she led us back around to the front of the Guild.
"Hey, where's the fire?!" I heard a voice call and I looked over my shoulder to see Cooper and Naudia about to head up the front steps.
"Dillon and Bella need help!" was all Ryder said to them and they didn't ask any questions. They just followed us on instinct at the sound of their friends in need.
My thoughts were racing as Trinkette pushed herself harder and harder to remain calm and trace her path back to the kids. Why couldn't I sense her distress signals sooner and why couldn't I feel that she needed me? Trinkette could only do limited magic and spells without me to give her a Command.
She needed me and I wasn't there.
I could feel the ground shaking the closer we got to the center of the city and instantly I got a sense of Hazel's magic essence growing the closer we got. But suddenly Ryder threw his arm out in front of us and Cooper grabbed my wrist to pull me back, making me stumble behind him.
"Cooper, take Tara and hide." Ryder's voice was rough but then he smiled up at Trinkette. "Trinkette, you did good. Let us take it from here," he patted her head as she slowly fell into his hands.
He handed her off to Cooper before taking off down the street with Naudia at his side. Then, Cooper gently handed me Trinkette and I held her close as another explosion went off and I saw Dillon was sent flying into the dirt. My first instinct was to run to his aid but then fear rose up in my throat forcing me to stand still while Ryder's flaming fist knocked the first soldier off his feet.
The Council Knights. They found us.
Cooper grabbed my hand and dragged me down the closest alleyway. I tried to resist but his grip tightened. He hid me behind a few barrels as the girls huddled together in my arms and Iris and Serena began to work on Trinkette's wounds.
"Stay here," Cooper ordered before racing out of the alley to go help our friends.
I peeked my head out from around the corner and saw Naudia shooting icicles from all different directions to try and scare off the cheetah-horses while Ryder and Hazel fought the Knights, their essences raging all over the place, and Cooper raced to Dillon's side to assess the damage.
"Why are you terrorizing our city?" Naudia demanded with power filling her entire being.
"We do not wish to hurt you. We've only come for the Guardian you are harboring. We've gotten word that she is with an Outcast Guild in Amaryllis. If you do not hand her over then we will have to use force," a Knight spoke up.
"And what do you call this?!" Ryder roared, not once slowing his movements
What concerned me at that moment was that Bella was nowhere in sight among all the fighting. But, when I leaned further out of the alley I saw she was kneeling behind a merchant cart, trembling in fear.
"I'm done playing with you, boy!" another voice thundered and I scanned the chaos to find General Garreth at the center of it all, wielding an oversized halberd.
I got chills just from his essence alone.
His ability was weapon magic so he was able to conjure any kind of weapon across the country. And his choice of weapons were never subtle.
He used the end of his weapon of choice to knock Ryder off to the side like he was a piece of trash. Then, he slammed it down into the stone pavement, causing a rumble to ripple throughout the city. My eyes followed a crack in the ground that led up the side of a building that Bella was hiding behind and as it traveled up, some bricks came loose overhead.
"Serena, ice arrows. Iris, fire dome," I Commanded quickly and they jumped into action.
Without wasting another second Serena shot multiple icicles at the bricks to break them into smaller pieces as Iris formed a fire shield above Bella so that excess debris would incinerate before making contact. Then, I raced to her side, picked her up and brought her back to our hiding spot in the alley.
"Are you alright?"
"I think so," she cried softly. "They came out of nowhere, Tara. Dillon was only trying to protect me."
"I know. It's going to be okay," I promised her and then peered back out at the others.
"Are you planning on blowing the entire city off the map?!" Cooper's voice suddenly exclaimed.
In the middle of all the chaos I took a moment to take note of the way the Knights and the General were pretty meticulous with their attacks. They were hyper aware of their surroundings, of how much damage the city would be able to handle and they just wanted to scare everyone. However, my stomach dropped at the sight of the magic cannon that the General was now wielding while aiming it right for Dillon and Cooper and I wasn't sure how contained the situation would be after using a cannon as large as this one.
"Cooper!" Naudia screamed out to him but was being held back by other soldiers.
"Dillon!" Hazel gasped from her spot on the pavement because she was unable to move from the pain she was in.
Ryder tried to jump in front of the cannon but Garreth stomped his foot down on Ryder's back, crushing him even further into the pavement beneath him. He grunted as he lifted his eyes to meet mine and I think he was trying to tell me something but there was no time to think about it.
My body moved on its own as I jumped out from the alleyway with the Sprites at my side. "Trinkette, Serena and Iris, split up and help Dillon, Naudia and Hazel with their wounds and get them to safety."
"What about Ryder?" Iris asked but I didn't answer her so they were forced to do as they were Commanded.
I couldn't allow the Sprites to get that close to the General. It wasn't safe. So I was forced to believe that Ryder would be okay.
Iris and Serena raced over to Naudia and Hazel and while Iris shot a few fireballs at the Knights to make them release Naudia, Serena helped Hazel back to her feet. I planted myself directly in front of Cooper and Dillon, separating them from the cannon's wrath while the magic build up was beginning to burst and Trinkette got to work on a healing potion for Dillon's wounds.
"Tara, you can't take that thing head on!" I heard Dillon heave from behind me.
"Everything is going to be okay," I flashed a smile at him from over my shoulder.
My eyes met Cooper's and he gave me a reassuring nod as I watched him use his affinity for water to manipulate Trinkette's potion into spreading over the parts of Dillon's body that needed healing the most. He was trusting me to buy them some time before he would be able to move Dillon out of harm's way and I was prepared to take on whatever damage was heading my way. I wasn't about to let anyone get any more hurt than they already were. But me taking a stand was more of me trying to prove a point.
I wasn't going back with them. I wasn't running away. I was standing my ground.
With my arm held up in front of me and my palm facing out I kept in mind what magic absorption had looked like last time I witnessed it in action at the Estate and it didn't seem too hard to do. But then again, I had never needed to do it before.
When the magic from the canon released itself into a narrow beam of energy I cringed as it shot out in my direction. But I didn't look away. And I'm glad I didn't because if I had even blinked I would have missed Master Ventis appearing in front of me and crushing the light in the palm of his hand as if it were a bug.
"Master!" the others exclaimed.
"Tara, are you hurt?" he asked without even turning to face me.
"N-no, I'm okay," I stammered from the amount of magic pressure I felt radiating off of him.
"Guardian," the General sounded breathless as if he was the one fighting for his life while he placed a fist over his heart and bowed his head. The Knights followed his actions.
When he lifted his head again, his eyes widened. "So it's true. You did join an Outcast Guild," General Garreth murmured but it was loud enough to earn a glare from the Master.
I took a small step forward, curious to get a better look at what kind of face the Master was giving the General and even though it wasn't directed at me, it still gave me goosebumps.
"General Garreth, if you don't take your shoe off of my guildmate there then we are going to have more problems than you can handle," the Master threatened and at first I wasn't sure what he meant.
I couldn't really see him encouraging violence. But then I felt multiple strong magic presences and when I looked around I saw the rest of the Guild gathering around us. Bella had raced to Dillon's side and helped Cooper get him back up to his feet as Hazel now stood on her own two feet beside Naudia. I looked back at Ryder who was visibly shaking from the rage that filled him and I wondered why he didn't fight back against the General. It wasn't like him to stay down and take it.
But when our eyes met I could see the concern written all over his face mixed in with the will to resist. That's when I realized he didn't want to get me in further trouble with the Dodeca which is exactly what would happen if he showed any disobedience. Fighting against the Knights was one thing, but directly defying and attacking a General with a high societal status was a much harsher punishment. And I wouldn't be the only one to be in trouble. The entire Guild would get in trouble and then the Dodeca would condemn their building and force them to disband. The Dodeca frowned upon Outcast Guilds and so the only thing keeping them alive was the law.
And to the Dodeca I was the law.
"Oh? Are you challenging me?" General Garreth smirked at the Master as he leaned more of his weight onto Ryder.
The flaring magic pressures swirling around me were ready to pounce when given the order. But, as soon as I stepped in front of the Master I instantly felt everyone back off. I couldn't let these people get forced into a war because of me. They had all been so kind, giving me a home, giving me freedom to do as I please. They didn't deserve such treatment.
"General, take your foot off of my friend's back and tell your soldiers to stand down. Now." I kept my voice even and calm while I continued to eye the few Knights that kept their weapons trained on us.
He immediately leaned off Ryder and he snapped his head around to stare down his men. "Are you all insane?! Holster your weapons now! You could be committed for treason if ever caught threatening a Guardian!" He scolded his troops.
Iris took this chance to race to Ryder's side and helped him stand up as they slowly made their way back over to us. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked to see it was Hazel who was giving me a reassuring smile and then I turned to see Ryder standing tall on my other side with the Sprites hovering in front of me with Naudia, Cooper and Dillon standing beside the Master who stood directly behind me and who had the rest of the Guild behind them. Suddenly it was our small army against their big one. The funny thing was that even though they had strength in numbers, we had strength in will power.
The General turned back to me and took a second to acknowledge the situation. "Guardian..."
"I did not give you permission to speak," I snapped and he closed his lips tight.
At this moment I was Tara the Guardian. It was the only way to get through to him and have him back down.
"Are you aware that you are terrorizing the locals and that you would have cost them thousands of jewels if the Master of Nexus did not step in when he did?"
"My Lady, I was given strict orders to do whatever means necessary..."
"I don't care what kind of orders you were given. The people you protect should come first. Always. Firing at a Guardian is a serious offense, General. I don't think I have to tell you what the Council would do to you if your beam had reached me. In reality, you owe Master Ventis a great deal. Otherwise, well, you already know what would happen to you if this insane plan of yours succeeded," I crossed my arms.
"My apologies, Guardian. But the boy gave me no other choice," he glared at Dillon but I swiveled my head so that his attention remained focused on me.
"Did he attack you?" I inquired.
"Well, no..."
"Did he threaten to attack you?"
His cheeks puffed out. "No, Miss."
"Did he hurt your pride?" I pouted my lips at him and the others snickered at the redness that was now all over the General's face.
"My Lady, you have to understand that you are considered to be a Rogue Guardian. The council is concerned that if you continue to go alone, remain unsupervised, wreaking havoc..."
"You're the one wreaking havoc!" Naudia snarled uncharacteristically.
The General glared at her but then ignored her presence entirely as he continued. "If these Outcasts are harboring you then..."
"Then you have to do whatever means necessary. Understood." I let my arms fall to my side. "So, let me ask you something, General. Do you plan to take me against my will? You are aware of the Guardian's Code of Free Will, aren't you?"
"Well, I didn't know if..."
"That's right. You didn't know. Page 246, paragraph 5, subsection 3, line 262. A Guardian is free to journey wherever the Stars may guide him or her and no one should interfere with said journey, for it would surely set off the balance of the universe." His face began to pale. "Yeah, that's right, General. You're interfering with some major cosmic forces here. You wouldn't want to set off the balance of the Universe now, would you?"
"Of course not, Guardian, but my orders..." he shook his head.
"My orders are absolute, are they not?" I barked, feeling an echo in my own voice.
He froze in his spot, knowing his place.
"Then I suggest you leave this city and never bother these innocent people ever again," I gritted my teeth. "Now that you know my location, you can inform the Council that I am not being held against my will. I am happy here and I choose to continue out my Guardianship while stationed here at Nexus. I am no longer a Rogue Guardian."
"Yes, of course," he bowed his head and I could see the sweat dripping off his forehead.
It took every ounce of energy for him to face me again and then turn his back on me. He was scared to go back to the Council empty handed and I understood that but there was no way he could make me go with him.
We all stood there as the confused Knights followed their leader out of the city and the Guild let out a cheer, letting the townspeople know it was okay to come out of hiding.
I released a deep breath that I didn't even realize I was holding as I turned to face my friends.
"So...what's this Guardian's Code of Free Will again? Sounds like a good read," Cooper smirked at me.
"Oh it is. As long as you're gullible enough to believe it's real," I laughed lightly.
"You lied to the Dodeca's army? That was a bit bold of you," Naudia narrowed her eyes at me but the tips of her lips were curved up.
"Yeah well, luckily it was only General Garreth. He's strong but he isn't the brightest star in the constellation," I forced a smile and hung my head.
"Hey, what's wrong? This was a win," Ryder grinned, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I could barely look at him though. He could have gotten seriously hurt. Dillon and Hazel did get seriously hurt and they made Bella cry.
"The Dodeca is persistent. They won't stop..."
"Then neither will we," Hazel assured me.
"Maybe we can plan for their next attack. Do you know how they'll come at us next?" Dillon asked and my eyes met his.
He was beaten and battered but he still managed a smile as he gave Trinkette an appreciative nod while she rested on his shoulder.
"The Dodeca is all about manipulating the situation to their advantage. It's a psychological battle. They sent their bronze, next they'll send their brain. Someone who will try to talk some sense into me," I used air quotes. "One of their lackeys. Someone who knows me. They'll try to get inside my head. Possibly try to pit us all against each other."
"Do you know who exactly they'll send?" Cooper asked.
"I have an idea. That's not what worries me though. What worries me is what they'll do when talking me down doesn't work."
"One challenge at a time," Miranda's voice sang as she made her way through the crowd. "For now, let's get everyone back to the Guild and have some dinner. I hear some growling stomachs that must be fed immediately," she teased, patting Dillon and Bella's heads and he just shook away her hand while Bella leaned into her touch.
"Don't worry, Tara. For as long as you view Nexus as your home, you will always find safety, solace and protection with us," Master Ventis promised before he walked away with his wife and the rest of the Guild.
But I'll never forget that look in his eye. It was a look that told me he was ready to fight, not just for me, but for the Guild, for the people of Lucerne and Amaryllis and for everything he believed in.
The city life returned back to the way it was moments before the army's intrusion and I could see how much this city depended on Nexus. They were their beacon of hope when the situation seemed helpless. They were this city's light.
I looked up to Ryder who seemed to be suddenly deep in thought. "Ryder..."
"Everyone's right. It's because of me that you're here in this situation..." his voice was rough as it trailed off for a second and he glared into the distance. "All you wanted was to be left alone and to keep adventuring and never be found. But I'm the reason why they found you."
"Well living a life on the run isn't exactly appealing either..." I attempted to joke but his expression remained serious. "Ryder, none of this is your fault..." I tried assuring him but it didn't seem like he could even hear me.
When he snapped his gaze at me I jumped a little from the intensity in his expression. "From today on I take full responsibility for you."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "What's that even supposed to mean?"
"It means whatever happens to you from this moment on is on me."
My eyes widened. "Ryder, there's no way you can just..."
"I'm your Handler, aren't I? And that means I will always be there when you need me. I go where you go. If you fight then we both fight. We win or lose as one. We're in this together," he promised me I was so taken aback I didn't even know what to say.
Then, he turned away and started to walk, leaving me stunned. I could tell he was really taking his duties as Handler seriously and he was fully prepared to take responsibility for both my actions and his own. It was as if he had this epiphany where he finally understood what my Title meant, what I stood for, and the amount of willpower it took to just go from day to day, and knowing that he was more than willing to stand beside me through it all made me feel more relieved than I had felt in years. He was now sharing the weight that I had been carrying for all these years on my own.
"Hey, Ace. You coming?" his voice shook me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm coming," I smiled at him and then looked at the Sprites to give them the nod to follow.
"Last one there has to give the winner their second helping," Dillon challenged.
"You're on!" Ryder accepted and they took off.
"Dillon! You should take it easy! You're still pretty injured!" Trinkette tried to get him to slow down.
"She's right! You have to be careful!" Serena worried.
"Hey! No way am I giving up my seconds!" Iris yelled.
"Me either!" I laughed and took off after all of them.
"Wait for me!" Hazel jogged beside me.
"Better pick up the pace, Naudia, or else you'll miss out," Cooper warned her.
"I never agreed to this!" she scoffed. "Hey! Are any of you listening to me? I'm not part of your stupid game!" she yelled, chasing after us.
It was incredible how they were all able to go from battle mode to play mode in a matter of seconds. I couldn't remember the last time I felt so lighthearted and carefree around so many individuals that wielded such magic power and yet had no interest in wanting to use it for self gain. It was really nice.