-Sylphiette-

  The moment I saw her, I knew she had to be Eris Boreas Greyrat. Her long red hair would have been enough to identify her, but what made me certain was her coat. It was the mark of a Sword God Saint, just like Norn had. Aside from that, she looked far more rebellious than I expected. Her thigh high boots and shorts, alongside her form-fitting top, worked to emphasize her curves. What little skin she showed revealed well toned muscles. She looked more like a professional mercenary than the daughter of a noble.

  The first thing she did when she showed up was try to join our party. If it had been someone else, I still wouldn't have liked it, but I would have allowed them to join. Eris was the one person I refused to accept though. I knew it was senseless, but I couldn't help but imagine the worst. Roxy in danger, saved by her long-lost student, who so perfectly fit her ideal. If Roxy could accept a woman over a man, then Eris would doubtless steal her away. If she rejected Eris, it would only confirm I had no hope of being her wife. I couldn't risk either heartbreak, so I acted rashly.

  On the outskirts of town, we faced each other, each wielding a wooden sword. Roxy stood between us, ready to officiate. “First to land a clean strike wins. We don't want to delay our dive, so avoid causing any serious injuries.” She looked between us, clearly worried either of us could take things too far. Trotting a good distance away, she pointed her staff towards the sky, then launched a fireball into the air. The duel began.

  With a quick step towards me, Eris drew her sword and raised it overhead. Holding the blade with both hands, her intention was clear. The Long Sword of Light was the technique all Sword Saints relied on. If I wasn't careful, she'd finish me in a split second. Luckily, sparring with Norn had made it quite predictable, as there was still a limit to the technique's reach. I distanced myself, as she brought the blade down.

  If I had been a second later in realizing, I would have lost. I hadn't considered Eris was a good deal taller than Norn, so my muscle memory was inefficient. Cursing at myself for such carelessness, I used a silent spell to blow myself backwards, gaining the distance I needed to avoid defeat. Eris didn't hesitate, following her failed opening with a charge.

  She aimed to disarm me, coming at every angle she could manage, attempting to strike at my hand or wrist. As she assailed me, I used a shortened spell to coat my blade in wind. The next time Eris struck my sword, it tried to rip itself from her grasp. I attempted to exploit her momentary confusion with a swipe, but she was quick to withdraw outside of my range.

  “Magic, huh?” Eris looked at Roxy, although I couldn't tell why. It was inadmissible to look away from your opponent when in a fight. Taking the chance, I went in low, trying to trip her up while she was distracted. It was a fruitless assault, as Eris blocked the strike, forcing me back with her own retaliation. Then, she started to chant.

  With her off hand, she began conjuring a fire ball. I tried to take advantage of her weakened stance, but she stood firm. Even one handed, she was able to fend off my barrage of blows. As her spell progressed, something felt wrong. I recognized the spell, what should have been a simple fireball, but the chant was bastardized. Some words were close enough to be confused with the proper chant, but others were simply inaccurate. Despite this, the spell was being cast, but it was frightening. The fiery reds and yellows I expected were mixed with an ominous black. The simple sphere that should have formed was instead a spiraling seed of energy. I hate to admit it, but I was scared.

  Recognizing that the spell must be close to ending, I distanced myself as fast as I could. No sooner had I exited the range of her sword, she launched the spell at me. It wasn't as fast as I'd expected, but the way it pulsed sent shivers down my spine. When I noticed it was expanding, I decided I couldn't take the risk. For the second time, I was forced to use silent casting. I created a blast of wind upwards, shooting the corrupted fireball into the air. Mere seconds later, it exploded. What looked like pedals of fire blossomed, increasing in temperature to the point I could feel the heat from meters away, until they dissipated in a white flash. Had I not reacted fast enough, I would have been seriously burned.

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  I gasped, as I realized I had let the spell distract me. Eris was nearly on me. I barely managed to block her sword, locking her in a stalemate. Then, she began chanting the same defiled spell. I tried to break the binding of swords, but Eris wouldn't let me run this time. I desperately chanted a spell, but quickly realized I wouldn't finish before her. Frustrated, I forced myself to the limit, casting a third silent spell. A sphere of wind engulfed our blades. Both unprepared for the spiraling magic, our swords were ripped from our hands, as Eris and I were blasted back.

  I couldn't avoid losing my balance, falling to one knee from the force of my own winds. Looking up, I saw our blades spinning. One landed a good bit away from us, while the other came to rest just outside my reach. This was my chance to win. I reached for my sword.

  And Eris pounced. I expected her to grab for the sword, but it went ignored. Fist raised, she was a second away from punching me straight in the face. Time seemed to slow as I frantically sought a way out. The sword was too far. Magic would take too long. If I tried to force a fourth silent spell, I'd simply exhaust myself. With no chance of escape, I reflexively closed my eyes, as if not seeing the impact would reduce its damage.

  “Halt!”

  Eris's punch sent currents of air rushing past me. My hair and clothes were tousled by the force. Opening my eyes, I saw her fist centimeters from my face. If that strike had landed, I would have been lucky to survive.

  “Attention!” With the practiced movements of a soldier, Eris snapped into a salute, facing the source of the voice. Looking towards my savior, I saw a beautiful woman. Her modest dress seemed ill-suited to someone so elegant. When she spoke, it was as if I was being forced to listen. “Eris, what are you doing?”

  “I was challenged to a duel.” The wild beast I had just fought was gone. Now, Eris seemed to be a loyal pup. In spite of this, she still spoke with excitement. “If I won, I'd be allowed to join them when they go to the labyrinth.”

  The woman sighed deeply. “And how would you join them if you had crushed the girl's skull?” Now, Eris seemed confused. Had she not realized how deadly her strike would have been? “Besides, we have a mission. One you are vital for.”

  Lowering her head, Eris seemed to understand. “My apologies, ma'am.”

  “Shouldn't you be apologizing to someone else as well?” The woman motioned towards me.

  Breaking her stance, Eris offered her hand to me. “I'm sorry for taking things too far.”

  “It's fine.” I lied. I was burning with contempt. I took her hand and rose, resisting the urge to spurn her aid.

  “Very impressive, you two.” Roxy rejoined us. She carried both swords, which she must have been recovering. “Eris, you must let me know where you learned that spell. It was unlike any I have ever seen.”

  Eris looked at Roxy, confusion clear on her face. “It's the spell you taught me.”

  Now it was Roxy's turn to look confused. “I taught you no such spell.”

  Confusion lingered in the air, until the woman commanding Eris cleared her throat. “If that is all, I'll be reclaiming my lion.”

  “Understood.” Eris marched off. Frustration filled me. I had gotten what I wanted, my rival forced to retreat, but I had lost. Eris was a force I couldn't measure up to. As I clenched my fists, digging my fingers into my palms, she turned back to me. “Good match.” Then, her and her master were gone.

  Roxy, put her hand on my shoulder, giving it a soft rub. “Let's get you back to the guild. You'll need plenty of rest for tomorrow.”

  I felt so weak, making Roxy worry about me. This whole debacle was a product of my jealousy and weakness. As we made our way back to town, I felt my envy turn to rage, but not at Eris. At myself.

  -Eris-

  The woman known as Aerial was at her wits end. Of her entourage, Eris was unquestionably the strongest combatant. On most days, she was calm and tempered, but at the worst possible moments, she went off her leash. “We're running out of time. I need you to be focused.”

  “Right.”

  Eris replied, but her mind was elsewhere. She had gotten scolded, which annoyed her, but it was well worth it. She was able to see her teacher after so many years, and even showed her that she had remembered her magic lessons. Eris assumed Roxy had simply forgot which spell she had taught her, not understanding that years of misremembering on her part had produced a tainted mockery of the magic. She also got to meet her partner, Sylphie. Eris hadn't expected the duel, but she felt it was necessary. Not only as a way to force her way into their party, but so she could test this girl.

  The fight was longer than she anticipated. North Gods always gave her trouble, but this was on a whole other level. Being able to use magic without chanting was one of the deadliest technique she could imagine. Eris knew she would have won if they weren't interrupted, but only because Sylphie was unprepared. In an unregulated battle, where Sylphie could retreat and plan around the information gathered, Eris was certain the North Saint would have had a good chance of winning. She was excited to face Sylphie again in the future, as she doubted she'd be accepted into their party without a fight.

  Smirking to herself, she made a silent demand of Sylphie. 'Survive until we meet again, and keep Roxy safe.'