Ignis' First Firesday of Harvestfall, 1442, Bitterwind Approach, Dreadfrost Highlands.

Kohana stood still, gripping her war hammer tighter as she watched Elyssia blink, her freckled face scrunching slightly in that way she always did when she was thinking too hard about something. She was not saying anything, just staring, and Kohana felt an unfamiliar nervousness creep up her spine.

Oh, no! What must she be thinking? I must smell like wyvern guts!

She opened her mouth to say something, but her throat felt dry, and all that came out was a soft, "Em-em?"

The nickname hung awkwardly in the icy air, and Kohana cursed herself for how small her voice sounded. She cleared her throat quickly, trying to shake it off. What was she doing, hesitating like some rookie?

"I thought you'd be with your friends somewhere in the Silvergale Strand…" she said, her tone more casual this time, but her tail flicked behind her, betraying her unease.

Elyssia did not answer right away. She blinked, her lips pressing together as if she were trying to decide whether this was real. Her gaze flicked between Kohana's face, the gore-covered hammer she held in her hands and the shredded armour barely holding itself together across her bloodied chest. Finally, her brows knitted together, and she shook her head.

"Soraya?" Elyssia's voice was soft at first, unsteady, as if she did not quite trust her own senses. Then she continued, louder. "Just what happened to you? Why are you all bloodied and nearly dead?" Her voice carried a sharp edge of concern, her freckled face frowning, split between frustration and worry.

Kohana blinked, momentarily surprised. She half-expected the sylvani to burst out laughing at her current state, or maybe to tease her for the absurdity of fighting a wyvern alone. Instead, Elyssia's reaction threw her off balance entirely.

She's worried? About me?

"What am I doing here?" Kohana asked, raising her arms slightly and wincing as the motion pulled at the gashes across her chest. "I could ask you the same thing! This is a level twenty zone. What are you doing, wandering around here all alone?"

"I was just passing through on my way north," Elyssia said, her eyes narrowing. She gestured at Kohana's blood-smeared form with an exasperated wave of her hand. "And then I see this! You look like you just walked out of a meat grinder. Just what tore your armour to shreds?"

Kohana's lips twitched into a grin despite herself. "Wyvern," she said, pointing her thumb at the still-dissolving corpse behind her. "Zone boss, Elite. Took it on solo—Don't tell me you're impressed?"

"Impressed?!" Elyssia threw her arms up in disbelief, the green locks of her hair bouncing as she glared at Kohana. "You look like you were half-dead! Were you keeping your health low on purpose? You have self-heals in your kit, you know?"

Kohana could not help it—she laughed. A low, rumbling laugh that sent a fresh jolt of pain through her ribs, but was well worth it. "Aw, come on, Em. I'm fine. Look—I had what.. five percent health left at the end? As long as you're still in the double digits, it's practically a victory lap." She shrugged, as if that somehow proved her point.

Elyssia let out a sigh and pressed a hand to her temple, closing her eyes for a moment as though she were praying for patience. "You're impossible," she said, her voice a mutter. But when she looked up again, there was something softer in her gaze, a flicker of relief breaking through the storm of her frustration. "You really are okay, though? Not just putting on a tough act?"

Kohana softened at the question, her teasing expression fading just slightly. "I'm okay," she said, her voice quieter this time. "A little beat up, sure, but nothing I can't handle. You don't have to worry about me, Em."

Elyssia crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced, but unwilling to press the issue further. She exhaled sharply, her shoulders relaxing just a little. "I can't believe I ran into you here," she said, shaking her head. "I would have never recognised you if you hadn't used my name. Your outfit's quite the contrast to our NEURASphere's mandated business suits."

Kohana agreed with her. Under all the frozen blood and ice, her armour was little more than a collection of furs, tight leather, with some rare and strategically placed pieces of metal. It left a lot of exposed skin and scales. She thought it suited her Kindred dracan's aesthetics very well.

She planted her war hammer on the ground and shrugged. "I could say the same about yours. Are you still in level one starting gear? Not complaining, it looks totally adorbs on you, girl."

Kohana looked the other girl over. She examined the white tunic and linen breeches. A little dirty, but still in great condition. The dark leather gloves and boots showed much more signs of wear. Elyssia's outfit matched that traditional elven archer look. And she meant what she said; she really thought it was a charming look. "Anyway, care to share what takes you all the way here up north?"

"I was heading to Frostspire to pick up crafting professions," Elyssia said, her voice still tinged with disbelief. "Figured I'd grind my way to level fifteen as I went."

"Level to fifteen?" Kohana smirked. "You're in starter gear, below fifteen, in a level twenty zone, and you're planning to grind, not run past enemies, and not even quest…?"

Elyssia gave her a pointed look, but there was the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips. She pointed at the wyvern body. "You're one to talk, miss 'I just soloed a zone boss.' It's just the way I roll."

"Hey, I saw the big stupid thing. Alarms bells went off in my head, and every instinct told me I couldn't possibly win." Kohana grinned. She picked her hammer and twirling it over her shoulder with far more energy than someone in her condition had any right to. "So… it was a 'hold my beer' moment, you know?"

"Heh. 'Challenge accepted'?" Elyssia raised an eyebrow, her arms still crossed. She sighed. "You know what? I totally get it. Not joking; I essentially did the same down south."

Kohana chuckled, taking a step closer despite the ache in her legs. "See?! Birds of a feather."

Elyssia sighed again, but this time, the corners of her mouth quirked upward. "Flock together."

"Since we're both headed to my place, want some company on the way home?" Kohana asked, her tone light and teasing. The words left her mouth before she could think better of them, and for a split second, she hesitated, watching Elyssia's reaction.

The sylvani blinked, the faint blush of green tinging her cheeks as she turned away quickly, clearing her throat. "Who exactly is escorting who in this setup? Are you going to jump in to protect me against the monsters, or am I protecting you against yourself?"

Kohana smiled, balancing her hammer on her shoulders. "Yes?"

Elyssia groaned, putting her hands on her hips. "Can't believe I just fell into an /r/InclusiveOr trap. Thanks, Professor Logic."

Oh, this is going to be fun!

Kohana chuckled. She tried to picture how the sylvani might handle herself in a fight. The potential of well-timed counter-attacks in the hands of an expert martial artist was undeniable—Kohana's own class had a similar mechanic, after all. But what intrigued her even more was how this shy, almost self-conscious creature might transform in the heat of battle. There was a spark in Elyssia, a kind of restrained ferocity Kohana just had to see unleashed.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"All right, then." Kohana gestured to the path winding up the foothills, where the trees grew sparse and the ground grew rockier. "There's a trail leading through the foothills up to Frostmark, then we cut through Grimstone Pass. There're a few spots where the beasts like to ambush travellers, but nothing we can't handle."

As they started walking, the silence stretched between them, broken only by the crunch of boots on frozen ground and the distant howl of a wolf. Kohana's fingers drummed lightly on the haft of her hammer. The quiet was unbearable—she just had to say something. Anything.

She stole a glance at Elyssia, who was scanning their surroundings with sharp, attentive eyes. "So," she said, a hint of a grin playing on her lips. "I'm sure you already figured it all out. What's the battle plan if we get into a fight?"

Elyssia tilted her head, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I only know one way to go—fast! You up for some serious action? Ready to maximise our damage?"

Kohana let out a bark of laughter. This was why she liked Em. Small, fierce, and a bit of a smartass when she wanted to be. "You should be able to guess the answer to that, my sweet sylvani. I'm up for anything if you are." She glanced down at her war hammer, running a scaled thumb over the cold metal. "Now spill it. What have you got for us?"

Elyssia did not hesitate. "Use Presence to draw aggro at first. Don't use self-heals or tanking cooldowns. When you drop below fifteen percent, drop the tanking stance and let me take over. I do more damage if I'm tanking thanks to all the counter-attacks I'll get, so I should be the one they're trying to beat up. You do more damage if you're near death, so it's better if you're not the target. If I have aggro, you're not gonna be in any danger. You can always peel one mob off me with Spiked Chain when Brace is off-cooldown, if you want to abuse the damage from Fracture."

Kohana let that all sink in. She did not know if Elyssia came up with that strategy on the fly, or if she had already figured out the best way to team up a brute and a martial artist, but she had to admit, she liked the sound of it. "If I'm constantly that close to death, my damage output will be stupidly high. Are you seriously saying you'll hold aggro against a fully buffed, geared up damage dealer who's over six levels above you?"

Elyssia beamed a smile. "I suppose we'll just have to see."

They reached a narrow ravine, where the path wound between jagged cliffs that loomed overhead. The place made Kohana's instincts hum with alertness—perfect for an ambush. She gestured for Elyssia to fall back, and the sylvani moved instinctively, her stance shifting into readiness as they advanced into the shadows. She noticed flames harmlessly wreathing her hands. Damage stance, I see.

They did not have to wait long. With a shriek, a pack of frostlings—small, wiry creatures with sharp claws and icicle-like fangs—burst from the shadows, rushing toward them in a frenzy.

Kohana's smile widened. Finally, something to hit. And there were lots! Normally when she saw those enemies, they only came to her one or two at a time. What had changed?

Whatever—lucky break. Time for answers later.

She hefted her war hammer with both hands, planting her feet wide. As the frostlings closed in, she used Blood Rage, letting out a battle cry that echoed off the cliffs and reverberated through the narrow pass. She felt the familiar surge of energy as her health bar dipped slightly, a controlled sliver of pain that sharpened her senses, igniting the fire in her veins.

The first frostling leaped at her, claws outstretched, and she met it with a swing of her war hammer, smashing it into the cliff side. It left behind a smear of frost and blood. Another lunged at her from the left, and she pivoted smoothly, bringing her weapon down in a brutal overhead arc, sending the creature sprawling.

Elyssia darted past her in a blur, appearing near a frostling trying to flank her. Her movements were fluid, precise and efficient as she slipped past the creature's attack effortlessly and hammered it with an elbow strike, quickly followed by a palm strike, sending it flying.

Kohana could not help but feel a surge of pride. The little sylvani was no slouch in a fight. She made mental note of every hit Elyssia landed, watching the way her attacks flowed seamlessly, each movement calculated to maximise damage with the least amount of wasted energy.

As the frostlings swarmed, Elyssia darted to the side, drawing one creature away with a sharp whistle. Kohana grinned, slamming her hammer into the ground and sending three of them scattering. "You take the flank?" she called over her shoulder, already raising her weapon for another swing.

Elyssia did not need to answer; she was already moving, her elbow colliding with a frostling's jaw in a fluid motion before following up with a kick, sending it tumbling into the snow. Watching her fight was like watching water flow—graceful, controlled, and relentless. Kohana chuckled to herself.

This was going to be fun!

Meanwhile, the bulk of the frostlings relentlessly slashed and clawed at Kohana—their attacks slowly chipping at her health bar. But the more she bled, the stronger she got. She felt her strikes hitting harder, her defence improving, becoming nearly impenetrable as her passive came into play. Each swing of her hammer sent several frostlings flying, their shrieks mixing with her own low, almost feral growl.

One of the creature darted low, its claws aiming for Kohana's legs. She brought her hammer down hard, but the creature was quicker, ducking beneath. She tensed, realising too late it was going for the exposed gap in her armour along her calf. Before she could react, Elyssia's voice cut through the chaos like a whip. "Duck!"

Kohana dropped instinctively as Elyssia flipped over her, striking the frostling mid-air with a spinning kick, sending it careening into the cliff side. The sylvani landed lightly beside her, a faint smirk on her freckled face. "You're welcome."

Kohana snorted, rolling her shoulders. "Coming to my rescue? Rude. I was about to tank it with my shin—adds to my damage, remember?"

The dance of claws, hammers and fists continued for several minutes, a veritable horde of the critters charging at them relentlessly. As the last one fell, Kohana exhaled, wiping a spatter of blood off her cheek with the back of her scaled hand.

Kohana let the silence settle for a moment as they trudged forward, the adrenaline slowly bleeding out of her system. Elyssia's shoulder brushed hers. She turned to face her, breathing heavily but grinning widely. "That was too easy."

The sylvani rolled her eyes, though she was smiling too. "Alright, from this point, you can just keep hurting yourself with Blood Rage. Next battles, I'll be the one doing the tanking."

Kohana just laughed as she dropped her tanking stance. "All yours."

The two of them kept walking, casually strolling through the icy canyon, surrounded by the remains of the enemies who thought they had got the jump on them. Kohana slung her hammer over her shoulder and shot Elyssia a playful look. "Any idea why they came in such big numbers?"

Elyssia nodded and pointed at her own chest with a thumb. "My level. They aggro from much farther away when they detect 'easy prey'." She mimicked air quotes with her fingers as she said the words.

Kohana laughed. "Oh, so you're an aggro magnet, and you're going to pull the whole zone to us all the way home?"

"It's the plan, yes."

Kohana shook her head in disbelief. They fell into a companionable silence as they walked, but she could feel a question building up in her. She tried to push it down, tried to focus on the path ahead, but eventually, could not resist. "So… Em," Kohana said, fingers drumming lightly on her hammer, trying to hide how nervous she was at asking her this question. "We talked about it during lunch, but… your divorce. It was with a woman, right?"

Elyssia's steps faltered for a moment, her cheeks flushing greenish-pink. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Kohana's tail flicked once behind her, betraying the nerves she had tried to swallow. "I mean, you were obviously into women, back then…" She let her gaze linger on Elyssia for a beat longer than necessary. "Was wondering if that means I have a chance."

"Wait, are you asking if I'm into you?"

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to…" Kohana let her eyes roam up and down Elyssia's slight frame. "Was wondering if it still… means something."

Elyssia looked at her in surprise. "But, Soraya… You've known me for a while… You know what I really look like…?"

Kohana hesitated, casting a sidelong glance at Elyssia. "Look," she said finally, her voice softer than usual. "You're a very beautiful woman. That's all I'm saying." She beamed, trying to mask the sudden tightness in her chest with a cocky shrug. "What, did you think I'd let that slide without saying something?"

Kohana caught the way Elyssia's cheeks flushed, a faint greenish-pink colour flustered sylvani got. The sight made something warm twist in her chest—adorable did not even cover it. But Elyssia was not looking at her anymore; instead, she fidgeted with the straps of her glove; her gaze darting somewhere over Kohana's shoulder. Was she avoiding eye contact? Did I push too hard? Kohana's smile faltered for a split second, but she forced herself to keep it light.

"Beautiful, huh? Guess that's a step up from 'adorbs,'" Elyssia said, laughing awkwardly. The sound was shaky, but Kohana decided not to call it out. She did not want to scare her off, not now.

Still, she could not help noticing the way Elyssia's fingers trembled as she fussed with her gloves. She all but vibrated with nervous energy.

Adorable? Worrying? Maybe both.

Kohana suddenly felt the urge to tease her way through the tension. "Careful, Em—keep blushing like that and the frostlings will think you're on fire," she said, letting her grin return wider this time.

Elyssia groaned, and Kohana swore she saw her blush deepen before the sylvani turned away again, muttering something under her breath. It was hard to tell in the cold, but Kohana thought she saw the faintest flicker of a smile on her lips.

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