“Sakura, come on! He’s not coming today~!” Sakiri complained as she looked back to the rest of her friends playing down by the riverside. “We need you to play so there's a Demon.”

  Sakura flattened her ears in annoyance and looked over her shoulder at her twin. “He's just running late. He'll be here soon…”

  She turned back the way she had looked before and rested her chin in the palm of her socked hand. She liked her spot, perched atop what was now a partially standing wall left over from the collapse of a building. If she sat the way she was now, she had a clear view down the old street, but if she sat the other way, she had a pleasant view of the river that cut through the city nearly as far as she could see. This spot was also a place where the others could not easily reach her and only had enough room for one—legs dangling over one side and her blonde tail draping over the other.

  “Besides,” Sakura grumbled, “I said that I don't like playing that game. I'm always the demon. Somebody else can be it for once.”

  “Because none of us can be the demon! You know that they can't use Spirit arts like the rest of us,” Sakiri complained further, her voice growing more and more whiny. “If any of us were to play, it would be breaking the rules.”

  “I can use Spirit arts too, you know!” Sakura retaliated.

  “Yes, but having a good memory and the Healing skill isn't much of a combat art,” Sakiri said, before looking up to see her sister’s peering, blue-eyed glaze cutting down toward her. “But that's what makes you a great demon! Besides, everyone else is too slow, so the game ends quickly. Pleeeeeaaaassssse—”

  “No…”

  “Come on!”

  “No…”

  “UGH!” Sakiri turned in frustration and began to storm back to the group. She stopped after a couple of steps as one of the other Saiyakin girls in the group paused her playing and stepped forward. The smug look on her face hinted at trouble brewing.

  “Don't worry about your sister, Sakiri,” the girl said teasingly. “It isn't the game she doesn't want to play. She just wants to wait for her boyfriend~.”

  Sakura craned her head around so fast and so far that her neck threatened to snap. “W-What!?”

  All of the other kids burst into laughter.

  “Look!” one of the Trojan boys laughed. “Her face is so red now…”

  “No, it's not!” Sakura argued, becoming more angry than embarrassed.

  “Is too!”

  Sakura bared her teeth with flattened ears, but before she could lash out, she caught a glimpse of the figure standing up from a pile of crates stacked against the side of a building a few paces away from the group.

  “That's enough,” the figure said, his words rolling off his tongue with a subtle growl hidden within them. It was apparent he wore the same fur skins and cloth as Sakura and Sakiri, but the only real details that could be made out were the piercing blue of his irises, shining brightly in the darkness. And with them came a sense of weight across all the kids in the group, both Saiyakin and Trojan, making them all fall silent as they watched the figure step closer.

  “I'm not in the mood for all your bickering today,” Relker continued as he walked out of the shadows toward the girl who had first stepped out of the group. His taller and more toned stature gave a sense of security to the kids when they played together each day. However, his birth defect cursed him with a bad limp in his left leg, forcing him to rely on a wooden brace that squeaked like the wheels of a cart with each step. It was something he was constantly made fun of for, but he rarely took it to heart.

  The closer he got to her, the more she leaned back onto her heels. “W-What…? Do you want me to apologize to her or something?”

  Relker stopped just before her, his eyes closed and his socked hand raised in front of him, bare fingers straight. “Yes, I do, Sakaya,” he said, right before dropping his hand in a chopping motion straight to the center of the girl's head.

  “Ack!”

  Sakaya grasped the top of her head, ears flattening and tail tucking for a moment, before realizing that the chop was not nearly as painful as she had expected—or made it out to be. If anything, it just annoyed her more.

  “Well, she's your sister. Could you at least tell her to come and play!?” she argued, turning her eyes back up to Relker’s with fury.

  “If she wants to sit up on the wall the entire time, that's her prerogative,” Relker said, his tone a lot gentler as he looked down at the girl—the loose strands of his blond hair, escaping his twine tie, falling around his face. “I'm not going to force her to play something you all always drag her into. You could apologize and play something else that she enjoys as well if you want her to be part of it.”

  Sakaya sighed audibly before turning back toward Sakura sitting on the wall. “…Huh? She's gone.”

  Relker and Sakiri both looked back, along with the rest of the kids in the group, to see that Sakura was missing from her perch high on the wall.

  Relker let out a deep sigh of dread. “Not again…”

  Sakura cut her way through the side streets and alleyways toward the main strip. She was upset but tried not to let the anger get the best of her.

  “Healing is a combat art. Every fight needs a healer…” she said to herself before jumping over a puddle of partially melted snow. “They would all be lost without me, always coming and asking for help.”

  Sakura made her way up to the main strip, shielding her eyes from the last bit of sunlight that passed over the middle wall. The number of people was immense, even at this time of day, causing her anxiety to rise a little. She hated large crowds but seemed to get a little more used to them the older she got. Still, she was one to avoid them if at all possible.

  She looked to her left at the large entrance to the metal ring and began making her way toward it, keeping to herself as much as she could. She nearly hugged the many stalls erected at the base of the buildings.

  I'm sure he's already here. Probably hung up helping somebody, she thought with a little giggle—recalling a time when she caught Naem giving a begging mother with a crying child a couple of loaves of bread and a pocket pouch full of silver shekels. She remembered the tears of gratitude that streamed down the Trojan mother's face as she thanked Naem and the smile on his face that he usually kept hidden.

  “I wonder if he even knows how much money that was that he gave her?” she asked herself, her smile slowly softening as her mind flooded with more memories of Naem.

  She started digging into the folds of her clothes, trying not to elbow anybody as they passed by her. It didn’t take her long to find the relic she was after. Pulling her socked hand out from under the fur shawl, she peeked open her bare fingers just enough to see the large silver coin that took up most of the space in her palm.

  Her smile returned. “Though, he's never really been one to care.”

  She read the words Silver Talent engraved around the outer edge of the coin’s face and then closed her fist again to conceal it. It was hard for her to believe sometimes that something so small could be worth so much. A thousand times more valuable than a silver shekel, this coin alone could feed her and the rest of her family for months. But that fact alone made her feel guilty for keeping it all to herself. There was just something about this coin that made her feel like it was worth more than gold.

  Sakura stuffed the coin back into her clothes and forced herself to pay attention to where she was going. The last thing she wanted was for Relker to jump down her throat again about how dangerous it was to run off alone.

  However, her focus didn’t last too long.

  The sight of several wooden figures on the vendor’s stall up ahead quickly drew her attention. She quickly ran over and leaned across the front of the booth to get a closer look.

  “Wow! They're all so pretty…! And detailed!”

  The Trojan man running the booth turned away from his whittling to greet Sakura, but he laughed at the sight of her tail wagging furiously back and forth before he could say anything. He stepped forward, controlling himself as he bent down to rest the palms of his hands on his booth.

  “Why, thank you, little lady. I carved them myself,” he said with a proud smile.

  Sakura’s blue eyes beamed, her ears standing high on her head as she looked up at the vendor in awe. “Amazing! You're really talented.”

  “I suppose you get better at something the more you do it,” the man said as he stood up straight, taking one of the figures Sakura was marveling over and studying it with pride. “Though, I also believe the Spirits help you in what you're doing, as long as it’s for them and their best interests.”

  Sakura’s smile grew wide as she looked back down at the figures in front of her. “I believe that too.”

  Four statues represented the Four Great Spirits, each one resembling one of the four Greater Beast races. Isla, the spirit of water, nurturement, and life, looked like a beautiful Saiyakin woman walking along a river's edge as she lovingly cradled a baby in her arms.

  Veyrin, the spirit of air, sanctuary, and loyalty, looked like a Vegan man dressed in robes and metal armor as he hovered in the sky with his sword drawn to the side and an enlarged shield held out before him.

  Sylvara, the spirit of earth, abundance, and growth, also resembled a Trojan woman, her pointed ears peeking out around the beautiful long hair that blew in the wind as she walked through a meadow, flowers, shrubs, and vines growing tall behind her.

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  The last of the four figures was Vulcan, the spirit of fire, power, and honor. He resembled a man dressed in armor and cloth, though he bore giant outstretched wings like that of a dragon and held out a ball of fire that was intricately crafted to look as if it was floating above his open palm. He was meant to represent the Rameshians, the fourth race of Greater Beasts that dwelled in the arid south. Though, Sakura had never seen one with her own eyes—only in books she had read.

  She watched as the Trojan man set back down the fifth figure he was holding in the center of the other four, but it was not nearly as intricate as them. It resembled just a large stone, a little taller than the rest of the figures, with the simple inscription ‘GOD’ engraved into its front. There were several more lines of wording engraved toward the bottom of the figure, but they were too fine for Sakura to make out. Her best guess was that it was a passage of scripture.

  “You know,” the Trojan man started, crossing his arms in front of himself, “you can take one of them home with you. They cost three silver shekels each, but if you wanted to buy the entire set, I would knock them down to two silvers each.”

  A gold shekel for all five of them!? Mother and Father would kill me! Sakura thought as she bounced herself off the man’s booth and bowed in respect.

  “Oh no, I’m sorry. I don't have any money on me,” she said before lifting her head. “Would you mind if I just prayed to them?”

  The vendor arched a brow at Sakura’s request, his gnarled fingers tapping a slow rhythm against the wooden countertop. His green eyes, sharp and weathered from years spent haggling in the market, softened slightly as he took in the sincerity on the young Saiyakin’s face. A bitterly cold gust of wind, thick with the scent of roasting meat and fresh bread, passed between them, fluttering the edges of her fur-lined shawl.

  “Pray, huh?” he murmured, leaning onto the counter. The candlelight from his stall flickered across his features, casting deep grooves in his tanned skin. After a moment’s hesitation, he let out a short chuckle and gestured to the statues. “Go on then, little lady. Just don’t take too long, alright? I don't want you keeping away potential customers...”

  Sakura’s ears perked up with a smile. “Of course! Thank you.”

  She clasped her hands together in gratitude before stepping closer to the wooden figures. Standing up straight, she brought her hands close to her chest and bowed her head. The surrounding noise of the marketplace dulled in her ears, drowned beneath the quiet rhythm of her breathing.

  “God, Creator of all things,” she began, her voice steady but quiet, “I give thanks for the strength You have given me, for the breath in my lungs, the warmth of my family, and the friends You have given to me.”

  She drew in a slow breath, focusing her thoughts and remembering the prayer that had been passed down through many generations of her family. “God, I am but a humble servant of Your will. I don’t ask for my strength but for Your guidance through those You have appointed to aid me. May the Great Spirits, Your devoted servants, act as instruments of Your wisdom. May Isla teach me patience and serenity; may Veyrin grant me clarity and steadfastness; may Sylvara nurture compassion and resilience within me; and may Vulcan instill courage and honor in my heart. Let them not shape me for my own sake, but so that I may serve You better and walk in Your light with purpose and humility…”

  She remained still for a few lingering moments, absorbing the peace that settled in the wake of her words. Then, raising her head, she bowed once more before looking up at the vendor. “Thank you for letting me pray,” she said softly.

  The Trojan man merely grunted, though there was an unmistakable glint of approval in his gaze. “Go on now,” he said with a flick of his wrist. “Before the crowd swallows you whole.”

  With a grateful nod, Sakura turned, slipping back into the stream of bustling bodies. She needed to find Naem and get back before Relker got too mad.

  The market was growing thicker with the evening rush. Merchants shouted over one another, advertising their products, the mingling scents of spiced meats, sweet treats, and strong perfumes all twisting through the crisp winter air. She maneuvered carefully between the people, keeping her ears perked for any familiar voice or figure. But just as she moved around a cluster of merchants and customers, her shoulder collided with something solid.

  She had walked into something—or rather, someone—unmovable.

  A sharp intake of breath hit her ears, followed by an immediate, irritated scoff. She barely had time to step back before a firm hand gripped her upper arm.

  “Watch where you’re going, beast!” a cold voice sneered.

  Sakura’s breath locked in her throat as she looked up. A human man stood before her, dressed in finely woven fabrics lined with silver embroidery. His face carried the weight of arrogance and authority, his brown eyes pinning her down like an insect beneath his boot.

  “I—I’m sorry,” she said quickly, lowering her gaze. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  “Obviously.” His grip tightened. “You creatures have no sense of respect. Walking around here like you belong, brushing against people like me without a second thought.”

  Sakura said nothing, keeping her posture submissive, ears flat against the top of her head and her tail tucked between her legs, forcing herself to remain still. The crowd had taken notice—humans watching with entertained smirks, while the few Greater Beasts present stood in uncomfortable silence. She could see a Saiyakin woman at the edge of the market, clutching her child close, her expression one of conflicted worry.

  The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Filthy animals should know their place.”

  Then, without warning, a loud pop rang throughout the area.

  Sakura yelped, mostly in surprise, as the man’s hand struck hard against the side of her face. The sharp, stinging pain that coursed through her cold skin burned enough to bring tears to her eyes. She refused to react any more than she already had. Refused to meet his gaze. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, but she forced herself to steady it.

  Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t show them weakness. It will just get worse if they see you crying... She screamed to herself inside her mind, recalling several past incidents similar to this one all too well.

  “Please, sir. She didn’t mean it. It was just an accident.” A small, trembling voice broke through the tension.

  Sakura barely turned her head in time to see the Saiyakin woman step forward hesitantly, her furred ears low against her head. “She apologized. There’s no need for this.”

  The humans in the crowd responded with immediate disdain, their jeers cutting through the cold air.

  “Oh, look at this—another one stepping out of line,” one of them laughed.

  “Keep talking, mutt, and you’ll be next.”

  The woman froze, then quickly bowed her head and retreated into the shadows of the market like the others.

  The man exhaled sharply as if she’d wasted his time, then shoved Sakura hard enough to send her stumbling back through the street until she fell.

  “Get lost before I decide against letting you go.” The man sneered before turning on his heel and disappearing into the sea of people.

  Sakura swallowed down the tightness in her throat, turned, and ran, passing through the crowd that began to stir back to life as if nothing had happened. Her feet eventually slowed as she neared the edge of the city. She sighed shakily, lifting her gaze—just in time to see a familiar figure slipping into an alleyway.

  Naem! she thought, her chest tightening with relief. She could make out the white of his wings in an instant, even against the snow-covered backdrop that painted the remainder of the city before her.

  “Naem!” she called, but he was too far; her voice was swallowed by the chaos around her.

  She pushed forward, her breath growing ragged as she weaved through the thickening crowd, her heart pounding in her chest. She slipped between clusters of merchants and customers, dipping her shoulders to avoid knocking into anyone, her body moving low, carefully, and deliberately before following him into the alley.

  Cutting through several side streets, she ran down an alleyway, getting closer and closer to where she thought he was each time. After sprinting through several more streets, she finally spotted him at the other end of the last alleyway.

  He wasn’t in a hurry. His steps were steady—in fact, almost too slow—as if his mind was elsewhere. That was good. That meant she could catch up.

  She cleared the length of the alleyway in little time, sneaky thoughts starting to run through her head the closer she got to him. She recalled all the times before when he had managed to sneak up behind her—surprisingly good at it—and get the jump on her. This was the perfect opportunity for revenge.

  He would never expect me here, Sakura thought as she took in a breath, nearing closer. Just a little closer...

  Then, suddenly, he stopped.

  Right at the mouth of a narrow alleyway, his figure stilled, his posture stiff as she watched two little Saiyakin kids cut in front of him. But instead of continuing, he just stood there, staring down the street. Something about his stillness sent a chill up her spine.

  Did he notice me? Sakura thought briefly before dismissing the idea. Nah, there’s no way. I was too quiet. He couldn’t have noticed me.

  Sakura adjusted her stance, instincts taking over. She slowed her breathing and carefully placed her footsteps. Just like before. Just like the countless times she had thought of sneaking up behind him and laughing when he’d spin around too late, scolding her for being too quiet.

  Almost there...

  After a moment, Naem sighed, his breath curling into a puff of steam. “I’ll just meet up with them tomorrow.”

  Sakura’s body locked up as he turned back toward her. She was still too far away to jump-scare him but too far out in the open to retreat to cover. CRAP!

  She watched as Naem’s eyes widened in shock, his body jolting back with his white wings flaring. She couldn’t help but laugh at her failed attack before watching his expression settle into something more neutral.

  “Sakura?” His gaze flickered over her face, and his expression darkened. “What happened to your face?”

  She hesitated, reaching up instinctively to her cheek. She had forgotten to heal herself.

  “It’s nothing,” she lied, the sting on her cheek suddenly returning as if it were still fresh. With a small pulse of magic, the bruise faded away before his eyes.

  “What about you?” she continued, gesturing toward the bright purple and nearly black bruises across his face.

  Naem exhaled deeply through his nose, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m fine.”

  Sakura’s face grew somber as she stood in silence for a moment. “Was it the humans again...?”

  She watched Naem’s frown deepen as he looked away, though only with his eyes. That alone was enough of an answer.

  The humans seemed to be the source of most of their pain lately. Still, Sakura felt privileged to live inside the walls of Veltra. She knew that wasn’t something Naem or the rest of her friends could feel at their age, but the terrors she had lived through because of the demons—before moving here with the rest of her family—were not something she could forget.

  It was something she could only share with Relker and her parents. Sakiri had long forgotten those memories five years ago, and Naem would never understand. That was why she never tried to reason with him about the humans.

  “It was that stupid captain,” Naem started in a low voice, pulling Sakura out of her thoughts. “There have been some things happening here in the city lately, and as soon as it involves the humans, he has a problem with it. He came trying to put the blame on my father and the rest of us... and I ended up in the middle of it.”

  Sakura listened quietly as he spoke until he finished. He did not look like he wanted any words of comfort or reasoning. She had learned from the last time he opened up and talked about what had happened to him that he was not looking for anything in return. He merely wanted an ear to listen, which Sakura always felt she was good at giving to people.

  You are still hurting, though... she thought while studying him for a long moment. The way he held his arm and seemed to favor his left leg over his right, she knew he was still in pain no matter how much he would try to deny it.

  Sakura swallowed deeply before stepping closer, gently reaching out her hands toward his face. “Let me heal you.”

  “I said I’m fine,” he said quickly, stepping back away from her. “My sister helped with all the bad bruises. I just want to go play with the others now... it’s already late.”

  Sakura frowned but didn’t press too hard. “At least let me take the worst of it away from your face. You know the others will be asking about it and won’t play until they get an answer.”

  Naem furrowed his brow. “Is it really that bad?”

  “Worst...” Sakura said without hesitation. “It looks like you fell into a blackberry bush.”

  Naem hesitated, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Finally, he sighed. “Fine. But please make it quick.”

  Sakura’s expression dropped, her ears drooping.

  “You know I am not that good at Manacalling and the other arts,” she said before leading Naem over to a pile of crates off to the side of the street. “So don’t rush me when I’m trying to help you.”

  Naem followed her in silence and sat on the crate with her. Crossing her legs, she reached out with both of her hands and held them to either side of his face, hovering close but not touching. She closed her eyes and concentrated, and after a few seconds, the small space between her palms and Naem’s cheeks began to glow with a brilliant green light.

  After a moment of concentration, feeling like she was in control, Sakura opened her eyes and began to move her hands slowly over all the spots that she felt needed healing on Naem. Still trying not to let her mind wander, she could not help but watch the tension slowly leave her friend’s face. His eyes closed as he began to relax back into his spine. She couldn’t hold back her shy smile.