The crowd shouted cheerfully in response. Jeremy laughed with excitement and Braden narrowed his eyes with a smirk. Victoria giggled and crossed her arms while Wade chuckled and clapped his hands.

            "That's the spirit, Mallory!" Liam cheered, raising a fist in the air.

            "You got this!" Grace shouted, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

            Rod looked back at Daryl with a curious smile, as if he wanted to know how Daryl felt about the girl's proclamation.

            Seeing his apprentice stand so fearless against her towering opponent brought him a sort of peace. He sighed with relief, knowing that even though she misread Garrison's disposition, she still had plenty of fight left in her. Keep going, Mallory.

            Garrison's eyes darted wildly to both sides of the crowd, his grin dropping into an ugly grimace. The swordsmen quieted down upon realizing how their chanting was provoking the beast. After quelling the noise with his nasty glare, Garrison directed his attention back down to Mallory with even more contempt for her in his eyes. "What is it with you people always tryin' to steal my glory?" he hissed. He grabbed the neckline of the bear pelt over his chest and claimed, "I'm the best this guild's ever seen! And I'm the best it ever will see!" With a jerk of his arm, he ripped off the pelt and tossed it on the ground, revealing his bulky torso. Then, he gripped his weapon with both hands and widened his stance. "I'd take a loss from the crow before losin' to some mud-faced wench!"

            Mallory huffed and grasped her own weapon with both hands, ignoring the stinging sensation that ran through her limbs. She took a step forward, ready to make her last stand against the top swordsman and prove her worth to the guild.

            "Ya think you're tough with all your fancy flips, huh?" Garrison challenged, stomping towards her. "All you can do is dodge and try to wear me out! Let's see how weak you are when ya take me head on!"

            Mallory growled from her throat and pressed forward, moving faster with each step despite the aching that sprang through her muscles with each stride. Her form was shaky, and she could not go as fast as she would have been able to at the start of the fight, but she knew she had to put her all into her next attack if Garrison no longer planned on holding back.

            In response to the girl's desperate approach, Garrison smirked and lifted his sword over his head. "Time to lose, brat!" With his boisterous taunt, he drove his weapon downwards with the vehement strength of both his arms.

            Not yet! The girl stamped her right foot into the sand about half a foot ahead of the beast, held her sword out to the side, and slashed upwards flexing every muscle she had for the blow. The wooden swords clashed with an echoing clack, and in spite of her best effort, his hold on his weapon did not budge. On the contrary, Mallory almost crumpled under the immense pressure of the giant's swing, leaning backwards at nearly a ninety-degree angle. The looseness of the sand made her slide back slightly. It was through her grit and equilibrium alone that she did not collapse under what felt like his full weight.

            Face to face with the girl, the giant chuckled at her strained expression as she tried to hold him back. "Not so strong now, are ya?" he yelled, unleashing another surge of might by leaning forward a bit.

            Her muscles screamed in agony so much so that it felt like her bones would crack. She leaned back even farther, squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her teeth so hard they could have shattered. Under the pressure, she released a faint squeal as she curled her toes to stay on her feet. I won't fall...I won't fall!

            "C'mon!" Garrison roared, pressing harder against her. "I heard ya squeal! Now I wanna hear you scream!"

            The girl choked back the scream he demanded, her biceps threatening to break out of her skin while she continued to hold him back. Her eyelids fluttered open to meet his gaze again. The sadistic giddiness in his eyes was enough to make her want to fight back no matter how harshly her body responded.

            Liam gripped his wife's hand tighter as he balled his other hand into a fist at his side. He was frightened for Mallory's health, but at the same time he wanted her to come out on top somehow. After all, seeing the girl, who must have been less than half the giant's weight, hold Garrison back at all was a feat in its own right. She continued to astound Liam, and he wanted to see even more from her. Win, Mallory!

            Grace watched and saw a ferocity beginning to form in Mallory's countenance that sent a chill down her spine. Even though that look surprised Grace, she knew that it was directed at her opponent, and it was clear that she was gaining the drive she needed in order to fight back. With her husband's grasp tight on hers, Grace gave his hand a shake to get his attention. Once his troubled eyes locked on hers, Grace granted him a reassuring smile and nod. His expression calmed down a bit and he nodded back at her. Grace redirected her attention back on the girl she had cared for like a sister for several years. Her heart raced with anticipation for her victory over the giant. Win, Mallory!

            Daryl looked around at all the others and noticed that not only all of the sorcerers, but the vast majority of the swordsmen were silent, some murmuring to themselves. It dawned on Daryl that if Garrison had been fighting against anyone else, the swordsmen would have all been cheering for the giant at that point of the fight, yet their eyes were fixed on Mallory. Never before had it been so clear to Daryl that the swordsmen were rooting against Garrison.

            Although Rod was supposed to remain unbiased, Daryl could see even from his obscured view of the side of the old man's face that there was some tension in his brow. Daryl looked down at his trainee and recognized the piercing glower that molded her countenance in that moment. It was the look she had when he was slandering her father's name during a sparring session. That is how he knew Mallory was getting ready to unleash her full potential. He tilted his head upwards and took a breath. Win, Mallory!

            Garrison leaned over farther and pressed more against Mallory's blade, grinning so widely at the strain in her face that the skin at the corners of his mouth wrinkled back. "I can't hear you!" he boomed.

            Her muscles wailed with the added pressure, causing her arms to shake and her facial features to wince and twitch. There was an audible creaking coming from within her wooden blade. Her brow furrowed as holding Garrison back started to become unbearable, and with his effortless exertion of might, she felt that maybe the beast was too strong for her to fight after all.

            Right before her knees could buckle, though, she thought back to why she challenged Garrison in the first place. Not only did she want to prove to the guild how much she had grown in her seven years there, but she wanted to stop bloodthirsty lunatics like him from getting their way again. She had to know that she could defeat Garrison and any other dangers that awaited her in the future. I have to fight back, no matter how much it hurts!

            Mallory hardened her raging gaze once more and started to rise back up, pressing back against Garrison's blade in the process. Her arms and back felt like they were set ablaze, but she managed to press back hard enough so that she was almost in an upright position again. The giant winced with annoyance, and Mallory responded with even further resistance. She met his seething gaze with an ardent glare of her own, and she could hear her friends from above cheering her on along with the other spectators. I'll never give up, not while they're counting on me! Not while my father's counting on me!

            Garrison groaned loudly, attempting to push the girl back down with more force, but to no avail. Instead, she forced him back up so that they were both standing upright again. "You little...!" he hissed, cutting himself short to strengthen his hold on the false weapon.

            "You wanna hear me scream?" Mallory growled through bared teeth. The giant narrowed his eyes with expectant indignation. "Then how's this?" Mallory shouted, jerking her sword forward with such force that it caused Garrison to falter backwards. With a robust cry, the girl pivoted away from the giant in a swift rotation. From the soles of her feet up through every muscle in her torso, Mallory swung her sword at her opponent using the might of her whole body, unleashing a strike that she felt could have severed a log twice as thick as the ones at the training grounds. The word that formed in her head three years ago when she sliced through her first log permeated her mind in that moment. Burst!

            Garrison gasped sharply and regained his balance. He held up his sword in a downward diagonal position to guard the impending blow.

            Once the girl's sword clashed with the giant's, there was a sharp crack as Mallory's wooden sword split in two, the faux blade sailing through the air and over the crowd's heads. The force of Mallory's attack caused Garrison to stagger backwards, almost falling over as he took two steps back and his sword arm flailed towards the air, the perfect opening for her finishing hit. The swordsmen gasped in suspense.

            Daryl's eyes got wide at the sight of his apprentice breaking the wooden weapon. Those swords are an inch thick, and she broke it...? He turned his attention to Garrison's vulnerable position and was taken aback by the girl's performance even further. It looked like the prime moment to strike, but it seemed that his apprentice had barely acknowledged the fact that her weapon had become much shorter in length. How will she finish him?

Mallory's eyes flashed at the opportunity. Now's my... Just as her weapon had finally given out from the fierce battle, however, so did her body. An intense throb coursed its way through her being after putting her all into that slash, and her countenance went slack. With every ounce of effort that she had left, she took a groggy step forward, and then she dropped to one knee. No...not yet... Her eyelids went heavy, and she fell into the sand, landing on the side of her face as her eyes closed.

"Mallory!" Grace and Liam yelped simultaneously, releasing their grasp on one another.

Daryl's eyebrows shot upwards, stepping toward the edge of the stage and leaning forward to get a look at his apprentice. She had gone completely limp, with only the rising and falling of her chest indicating that she was still breathing. The swordsman knit his eyebrows and sighed silently. As long as you're alright... Then, he shifted his focus to the giant, unsure how he would react to her.

Garrison exhaled and lowered his sword to his side. He had an unusually flabbergasted expression on his face as he looked down on his fallen opponent. After taking a moment to realize that she had fainted, a sickening grin spread on his face as his chest raised up and down with an uproarious chuckle. "She's out!" he bellowed, his eyes roaming around the crowd. His grin began to lower once he realized that everyone's attention was on Mallory. The air was filled with disappointment from the multiple looks of concern and sadness for the girl. Garrison snarled at the mob at his right and barked, "Well? I won! Clap!"

A few of the men shuddered at his voice and began clapping for him. Many of the men ignored him though, some even returning his attitude with a glare. Jeremy, still standing in the lineup of swordsmen to Garrison's left, appeared intimidated, but refused to clap for him. Braden narrowed his eyes at Mallory, and then aimed his attention at the giant with a grunt.

Garrison noticed the silence from his left and stared down the lineup of swordsmen. "What's the matter with you idiots? You all gone stupid while I was away?"

The men looked around at each other, seemingly hesitant to celebrate his victory as well. It was like they were all trying to make sure they were refusing to clap instead of conceding. Garrison winced at their disapproval and looked up at the spectators on the stage. The only person up there who still appeared intimidated was Phoebus, who shuddered behind a concerned Wade. The boy's hand was clasped over his mouth as he took shaky breaths, looking down at his unconscious friend. Sophia tried to go down and help the girl, but William grabbed her wrist and told her to wait, his eyes fixated on the hostile ogre. Victoria gazed at Mallory with a furrowed brow, and then she shot daggers at the giant, crossing her arms.

Garrison lowered his chin and met their indifference with a seething glower. Then, he met eyes with Rod, softening his expression to a less infuriated and more demanding look. "Boss, the mud-face is out cold! Tell 'em I won!"

Rod glanced back at Mallory, checking to make sure that she really was unconscious before making his call. After taking a moment to give the girl a second chance at getting back up, Rod sighed and declared to the guild, "Due to his opponent's incapacitation, the winner of this duel is Garrison the Gargantuan."

The ogre chuckled with satisfaction and threw a proud fist in the air. "That's right! Nobody beats me!" A disgruntled murmur formed amongst the crowd, which seemed to interrupt Garrison's moment of glory since he shot the men a glare in response. "What are you morons focused on her for?" He turned his attention to Mallory and growled with a mixture of resentment and jealousy. "This girl..." he hissed through bared teeth, taking a step towards her and grabbing the hilt of his real sword strapped to his back, "...is nothing—"

Before he could make any further advances, the air crackled as a bolt of lightning shot into the sky. Garrison's gaze shot towards the source of the sound to find Liam with his arm towards the sky. The sorcerer glared down at the giant and lowered his arm so that his sparking palm was facing Garrison. He swallowed back the last of his fear for the beast who attacked him those years ago, and warned, "If you take another step towards her, you'll be my next target!"

Grace smiled widely at her husband with a nod, remembering when she threatened the giant herself in order to protect Mallory. Following in my footsteps, eh, bud?

Daryl sighed with relief and nodded in Liam's direction. Thank you, Liam. I was right to trust you.

Garrison locked eyes with the sorcerer, his gaze enormous with both bewilderment and rage. "You...! You're that redheaded bug from..." He shot his head up towards the sky and looked around, releasing his grasp on his sword. Then, he looked back at Liam. "Was that lightning? From your hand?"

"I can show you more if you'd like!" Victoria volunteered, waving a hand at him with a devious smirk.

"Settle down, everyone," Rod ordered, rubbing his temple with two fingers. The old man then focused his attention on the fuming ogre. "Garrison, a lot's changed since you were last here. We've allied ourselves with the Sorcerers' Guild."

"Sorcerers?" Garrison barked, jerking his head back in shock. His eyes darted to those who were total strangers to him on the stage, realizing that the cloaks they wore were representative of sorcery. He met eyes with Rod again and started, "Sir, why would—"

"I can explain later," Rod interrupted, "for now, we'll be focusing on our latest change to the guild..." The leader turned his head towards Mallory with an air of decisiveness.

With that, all heads turned to Rod, as he suggested delivering the news that they had been hoping for. Daryl had a softer expression on his face as the old man glanced back at him with a smirk. The dark swordsman took a breath as he started down the stairs towards the beach. On his way down, he kept his eyes on his apprentice, a sense of pride growing in his chest.

Garrison shot his gaze towards Daryl. "What do ya think you're doin', crow?"

Daryl ignored his long-time rival, quickening his pace to go and see about his apprentice.

"I imagine he's ensuring the safety of our newest member, Garrison," Rod answered.

There was an instant exclamation from the crowd as Garrison whipped his attention to the old man. "What?" the giant barked. "Boss, what are you sayin'?"

Once Daryl stopped his stride and stood over Mallory, he could feel the giant's glare return to him, but he kept his eyes on his young apprentice. Her breathing looked much shakier to him as he watched her up close, and her fingers were repeatedly opening and closing around the hilt of her wooden sword. Her eyebrows twitched every three seconds, and it was clear to Daryl that even in her collapse, she was still fighting.

He sighed and kneeled down to pick her up, much like he did three years before that night when she cut through all those logs, lifting under her knees and at the back of her head. He rose to his feet with the girl in his arms, the broken sword falling out of her grasp and onto the ground. The swordsman turned to face the loathsome Garrison, giving him a look that seemed to tell the giant that his efforts to prove that Mallory was weak were in vain. Then, he turned to face the rest of the guild to his left, a stern look of confidence on his face.

"Swordsmen," Rod continued, his voice loud and clear for the announcement, "I'd like to present to you, along with one of our finest members, Daryl the Dauntless, the newest addition to the guild: Mallory."

"Yeah, Mallory!" Grace hopped up with her arms in the air, being the first of the spectators to erupt in a cheer. Swordsmen and sorcerers alike were animated with the news of the girl's entrance into the guild, making the night loud with their celebration. Only the most traditionally closed-minded ones of the bunch were stilted and sour.

Daryl furrowed his brow and looked down at the girl's closed eyes. Just as I thought. This wasn't a loss, Mallory. Not in the slightest.

Their celebrating was cut short, however, when Garrison hurled his false weapon at the cliff he came down from. The weapon shattered into chunks of lumber as bystanders shielded themselves from the debris. Garrison stamped a foot in the ground and glanced up at Liam, apparently still wary of the sorcerer's threat, even though the redhead looked more startled than prepared. The ogre turned his attention to Rod and yelled, "No! I won! Not her, me!"

"I already recognized that you won the duel, Garrison!" Rod yelled, exasperation molding his face.

Garrison jerked his head back, seemingly threatened by his leader's countenance, yet he continued, "But sir, can't ya see you're turnin' this guild into a—"

"Quiet!" Rod ordered. "You caused nothing but trouble the last time you were here, and I won't have anymore of it!" The old man thrust a finger towards the cliff from which Garrison slid down earlier and commanded, "Now go and cool off! I am not changing my mind!"

Garrison sneered at Daryl and the girl one last time, and then slumped his shoulders as his facial expression dropped. "Yes, sir..." he grumbled, stomping away towards the cliff. He stopped abruptly, and then turned around to pick up the bear skin he had thrown onto the ground earlier. Since he was too big to take the stairs without breaking them, he went to casually climb the cliff and disappeared into the night.

There was a collective sigh of relief with the monster gone, and with their source of tension gone, Liam restarted the cheer with, "Let's give it up for Mallory!"

The guild chanted with enthusiasm once more, with the rest of the spectators on the stage coming down to see about their champion. Although the noise was giving Rod a headache, he could not help but crack a smile as well, following the others down to the beach.

Daryl looked around at the crowd forming around him and his apprentice. He winced at their disregard for her condition and ordered, "Give her some space, please." The swordsmen obeyed and quieted down, taking a few steps back. Daryl then stood with Mallory in his arms at the center of the guild as they formed a circle around them.

"Daryl?" a meek voice called through the crowd.

Daryl looked to his right to see that it was Sophia stepping forward.

She tucked her hair behind her ear and asked, "May I take a look at her?" The swordsman glanced at his apprentice, still trembling in his arms, and he nodded at the sorceress. Sophia stepped up to place a hand on Mallory's forehead, and then trailed her fingertips down her arms. Then, she lifted her hand to hover over the girl's head as an emerald glow emitted from her palm. She frowned with concentration and straightened her lips. A bead of sweat formed at her hairline as the glow flashed brighter when she flexed her fingers. As a result of her exertion, Mallory's eyes started to flutter open. Upon seeing that, Sophia exhaled and dropped her arm to her side, smiling and stepping back towards her husband.

Once Mallory's eyes were open, the first thing she saw was Wade's smile across from her. She returned his beam with a smile of her own, but it vanished as soon as she realized that she had passed out. She looked around at the mob around her, finding no sign of Garrison. The pain in her arms was somewhat alleviated, which made her even more confused. Then, she looked up at Daryl, who had a softer look on his face. Everyone looks so happy...even Daryl. What happened? She knit her eyebrows and stammered, "Did...did I beat him?"

Some of the expressions in the crowd dropped, sorry to give her the impression that she had defeated the giant and that was what they were celebrating. She looked around and noticed the change in their faces, realizing for herself the answer to her question. With a furrowed brow, she looked down.

Daryl observed the difference in the air, too, but knew that it was no time for sorrow after what the girl just accomplished. He looked down at Mallory with a raised brow. "No," he answered softly, "you didn't beat Garrison."

"Daryl!" Liam scolded through his teeth, quiet enough only for his wife to hear.

"Shh!" she hushed, pressing a finger to her lips and squeezing his hand. She suppressed an excited laugh and told him, "Let him finish!"

She looked back up at Daryl, noticing that the tone of his voice did not reflect the grim information he was providing her.

Gazing into her expecting eyes that reminded him so much of how she looked when he first met her, Daryl finished, "But you won, Mallory."

Mallory blinked a bit, and then she scanned the proud faces surrounding her, understanding what her teacher meant by those words in their looks of approval. She caught eye of Rod sluggishly approaching her with his hands pressed against his back. There was a look of acceptance on his smile that she recognized from the first day that she met the old man, and seeing it is when she knew that in spite of the outcome of the duel, she was being welcomed as a member of the Swordsmen's Guild.

Rod stopped in front of Daryl to face her and started, "Mallory, you've presented your talent and skill for us in a tremendous display tonight. Not only were you brave enough to challenge our most esteemed swordsman, but you were strong enough to hold your own against him." He extended a hand towards her and straightened his back a bit. "It's my pleasure to welcome you into the Swordsmen's Guild."

Even though it was hard for her to believe Rod would have ever refused her entry into the guild, especially with all the skill she demonstrated throughout her time training, there was something so soothing about hearing the confirmation from the man's mouth for the first time. Her heart swelled in her chest, thoughts of her father returning to mind. I'm in, Daddy...I'm so close to being able to save you... The girl reached out to Rod and shook his hand with a limp grip, her elbow dipping as her vision became blurry. There was a sharp twinge in her temple and she slipped back out of consciousness in Daryl's arms.

Rod knit his eyebrows with concern. "Mallory?" When he received no response and saw that she had passed out again, he looked back at Sophia. "Is she gonna be alright?" he asked, still unsure of how her healing powers worked.

"She's incredibly fatigued," Sophia explained. She stared down at her palm begrudgingly. "My sorcery still isn't very effective. It seems I was only able to bring her back for a brief moment." She sighed and looked back at the old man and the girl's guardian with a reassuring smile. "She'll be fine, though. All she needs now is plenty of rest. I wish I could've done more..."

"You've done enough, Sophia, thank you," Rod replied with a nod, looking back at Mallory and clasping her hand in both of his. "I'm glad I was able to let her know her efforts weren't in vain." The old man gave her hand a pat and rested it to her side, and then he turned his attention back up to Daryl. There was a subtle sternness in his diminished smile that appeared to be warning the swordsman of something when he said, "I trust you'll continue to keep a good eye on her, Daryl."

Daryl narrowed his eyes for a split second, trying to read the old man's expression, and then it dawned on him. It was evident to Daryl that Rod was still apprehensive about the rage that Mallory held in her eyes at times. The look he was giving Daryl was a reminder to make certain that he would not repeat his past mistakes with her. With that in mind, Daryl took a breath and nodded. "Of course, sir."

Rod turned around and started walking off with a long, silent yawn. "Now then, let's all go get some sleep. Lord knows I gotta sleep off this headache."

There was a light chuckle as the swordsmen began to walk off towards the stairs with their leader. The men patted Daryl on the back and glanced at Mallory with a smirk as they passed him by.

Before Daryl followed them up to the workshop, he looked down at his former apprentice one more time. He noticed that her brow kept twitching, even though she seemed much more at ease when she found out that she had made into the guild. Don't fret. We'll search for your father soon, Mallory.

When Mallory slipped out of consciousness that time, her eyes opened to a world of darkness, being pulled towards a familiar entity. She could not move, suspended in the confines of his control. Unlike the last time she was in that void, she did not feel afraid, for she was no longer the little girl from then. Instead, she felt prepared, ready to receive answers that time. She lowered her chin, glowering at the fiery, violet eyes that were forming before her. Once they were fully realized, his voice filled the dimension, greeting her with, "Hello again, Mallory."