Nivara fought the urge to roll her eyes, stifling her own laughter at the sight of Jester’s saviour emerging from the darkness.

“Kamikaze.” Nivara said, her voice anything but friendly. “Always nice to see you lurking about on a night like this.”

Her mist lingered close to the walls, her fear of small spaces greatly increased by the arrival of another Trait, more volatile than any other Captain when put under such strain. The electricity leapt from all directions, carving a precision path straight through the darkness. Jester was slumped on the ground, knocked unconscious from the blast of uncontrollable Trait.

“I take it you and your coward of a Regent are here to persuade Ethros and I to forfeit the Trial?” Nivara began, illuminated by the constant lightning Trait in the room.

Kamikaze raised an unamused eyebrow, her Trait clinging to the air like a bad smell. She wore blindingly golden armour trimmed with white, the opposite colours to the proud noble house of Excelliar. It was the house of Thundreign a clan of purely Lightning Traited which traced back over several hundred generations. A proud thunderbird soaring above the heavens was etched within the metal, Kamikaze’s Trait causing lightning to rush along its surface.

It was tradition for every member of Thundreign to Oath with a Boltstrike dragon, the namesake of their house through an ceremony claiming them as part of the cycle of Lightning. Being Oathed was a celebration. Choosing to remain Agared was banishment. Every leader of the clan was Oathed to a purebred dragon and possessed the thunderbirds' might to control lightning beyond any other. All except one.

“What of it?” Kamikaze snapped, unamused by her tactics.

Nivara ignored her impatience, planting her feet despite the terrifying outcome of being electrocuted. The vials of Trait which had shattered on the floor from Jester’s earlier blast still lingered within the room, dangerously close to erupting once again. It was the only thing keeping her alive. She intended to keep it that way.

“The same way you tried to convince the Elders to move the date of the Trial forward to catch me off guard?” Nivara said, eying the overturned shelf beside her.

Jester lay beside her feet as she dared to get in between a Captain and their Regent. As exhausted as she was, Nivara still had the upper hand thanks to her opponents lack of control when it came to using her Trait indoors. That, paired with the fact she did not solely rely on her Trait to defend herself in a tight spot meant she could execute her interrogation as tentatively as she dared when up against a raging storm wielder trapped by a Trait complication.

“I don’t think I need to explain myself to you, Mist Maiden. Get out of my way,” she demanded, her cold blue eyes lighting up with fury.

The static in the air sent shivers down her spine as Nivara took a confident step forward, her Trait slinking around the numerous discarded vials of Trait like a snake choosing its next meal. The constant flashes of lightning outside sent her vision spinning but she continued with her tirade undeterred.

“As such, you not only attempted to sway the odds of the Trial in your favour but your imbecilic Regent also let slip that he knew about my Throneholders recent demands. Simply put, he’s a fucking spy. A shite one, but hey, who am I to judge?” Nivara said, raising her chin high as she hid one hand behind her back.

Kamikaze’s Lightning Trait sparked erratically, contained against the hard metallic armour, her hands balling into fists. Nivara kept her face blank, her plan moving forwards exactly the way she wanted.

Her exit was blocked by someone she had no intention of fighting without being fully healed. She could not deny that Jester had succeeded, but allowing the Third Order to get away scot free without justice was unforgivable. Nivara’s mist coiled around the neck of the bottle, avoiding the rest of the scattered glass as a mass of Trait lingered amongst the mist causing it to meld into a mess of colour. She’d only have a few minutes to get her answers before lightning could strike her down.

Suddenly, Kamikaze began to laugh.

“As you so often say in your meetings, Nivara. Speculation doesn’t get results. So where is your proof?”

Nivara bit her tongue, knowing full well of her own words being thrown back in her face from the Throneholder council only a little while ago. Kamikaze had a temper that could rival any dragon but trying to exploit that was proving more difficult that she thought. Especially with how much Kamikaze hated being bested by her own Traits destructive nature.

“I don’t need proof to have Ethros tell whether you and your snivelling excuse of an apprentice are lying. You of all people should know you cannot lie to a dragon. Especially one who is Oathed.”

Kamikaze smirked, a stray bolt of lightning dancing on her palms as it grew larger and larger before flickering out at the last possible second. She was toying with her. She knew damn well her feeble bluff wouldn’t last long enough until the Trait around them dissipated. The Third Order was known for their tenacity, after all.

She couldn’t let them go without paying a price. Jester was her only chance at redeeming herself enough to convince Ethros she was worthy of being his Regent. If he wasn’t around to see it then in his eyes, it did not happen. If only she could contact him through her grimoire just like she’d seen Aria do hundreds of times.

“Is that it? Placing your trust in a dragon who is already suspicious enough of you? He is of Jester’s homeland, a true wielder of the Wrath of Tarragon. He will bring you to your knees, where the weak minded belong.”

Nivara faltered a little, gingerly stepping back only to realise how much Kamikaze’s words betrayed her. She had the proof she wanted. They had eavesdropped without permission, they knew of her own doubts and fears and still dared to return to the scene of the crime to taunt her further. She was done listening to the whims of a two bit Captain with no honour among Traited.

“My trust as Regent is valued unlike your position as Third Order, Kamikaze.” Nivara said, with cold finality.

With a wave of her hand, the lone mist tendril flung the remaining vials of Trait straight at her, sending glass towards her like thousands of broken stars. It caused the earlier explosion to double in size, Kamikaze dodging each vial but with her bulky armour she missed what was really important. The explosions had clouded her vision in a sea of Trait. In a matter of milliseconds Nivara’s strengthened mist tendril sent her slamming through the gap in the wall and into the bottom cluster of steps.

Nivara ran for the exit, her hood flying off her shoulders as her mist pushed the injured Kamikaze out of the way and wrapped around the bulk of her Regent, dragging him behind her like a ragdoll. He was still asleep, clinging to a single vial like it was his only lifeline as the mist snuffed it out of view. She was tiring fast, the adrenaline of the attack still pumping through her system as she scrambled up the winding steps, paying no mind to the broken columns and chipped steps of the blindingly white stone.

“Ethros!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, not caring how crazy she sounded.

She was utterly lost, barely able to see against the interchanging darkness which lit up the sky with endless lightning enough to attract a whole horde of Boltstrike dragons. Her mist clung to her for dear life, cocooning Jester the best way it could as the streaks of lightning came closer and closer as she sprinted for the nearest corridor, the throne room beckoning. Just a minute more and she’d be alright. She slammed open the door, as all her fears came rushing in at once.

It was empty.  

Ethros was gone.

…………………………….

The lightning crashed through the ceiling and into the room below, flinging Nivara head first into the adjacent wall. She groaned pitifully, her mist dwindling to mere threads as it struggled to move, her joints aching in agony.

“You!”

Kamikaze let out a cry of fury, ending this charade of a chase as she summoned a tremendous bolt of lightning from her fingertips, clasping them together as they protruded up and away from the beam of amber light to produce cold hard steel.

Nivara barely had time to react before the trident struck her in the chest.

She screamed in agony, the rumbling of thunder ringing in her ears as the storm raged endlessly with every strike of the trident. Nivara rolled away desperately, trying to edge herself away from the sparking prongs as she tried to shield herself with what little Trait she had left. Sweat clung to her skin as her hands struggled to use any ounce of her power, constantly spasming with each blow from Kamikaze’s vicious attacks.

“You’re nothing, you hear me? Nothing without your Trait!”

She slammed the weapon down into Nivara’s chest as she hollered in pain, still attempting to slip out of her constricting cloak. Kamikaze grabbed the frail edges and pulled her up with one hand, electricity fizzing through her veins.

“You don’t deserve the Sixth Order. You will NEVER be equal to Aria, Ethros OR to me!”

Kamikaze flung her down as Nivara skidded against the floor only to follow up with a bolt of lightning aimed at her as she struggled to get up. It was larger than her dragon and very unstable as it began shooting towards the injured Mist Maiden in a blaze of fury.

Nivara barely managed to avoid it, finally wrenching herself free from her binds and throwing her cloak into its path. It spun and warped as the blue material which had gave her comfort for so long, turned into a blackened, singed mess. It dropped pitifully out of Kamikaze’s range, Nivara limping away from the crumbling walls, her last defense now wasted.

“So much for the wrath of the Everchange cloak.” Kamizake said, kicking the mystical object aside in annoyance.

Nivara wheezed in pain, exhausted from the effort as Kamikaze sent another barrage of Trait rushing towards her, only just managing to dodge only to be met full force once again. The Thundreign armour slammed against her face, Kamizake’s Trait filled punch sending her stumbling back the way she came. She may have been faster without much armour weighing her down but the light dragon scale on her shoulders only did so much.

She coughed loudly, trying to fight against Kamikaze's brute force, blocking and weaving wherever she could, still on her knees, trying to do anything to delay her. Soon Kamikaze had had enough. She flung her trident into the air as Nivara narrowly dodged its three pronged blades which acted as lightning rods.

“Give up.” Kamikaze demanded, trying to protect herself from her own weapon.

Nivara gave her a grim smile as she stood up and pushed Kamikaze back with the remnants of her strength, her backhanded jabs slowly whittling away at the powerful Captain’s defences.

“I will not!” Nivara said, giving out a roar of anguish as rubble continued to crash into the room.

It was then that the Recaller returned to strike her in the back.

She dropped to the floor, paralysed by the weapon as the electricity tore through her skin, unable to scream out at the sheer pain of the Trait. The tridents stored up kinetic energy had been released in a tremendous blast, sending a final bolt of lightning to erupt once more into the room. The Trait weapon surged back towards its creator like a magnet as Kamikaze lashed out one last kick for good measure.

“I warned you, Nivara. No one can beat a Lightning Traited. Especially in a storm like this one.”

A thunderclap of sound erupted as the lightning halted in one final jolt of energy, Kamikaze retrieving her prize as she hauled Jester onto her back, still empowered by the endless storm as she gripped her Recaller tight in the other.

Then, silence.

Kamikaze turned slowly back around, expecting to see a smouldering corpse but what she saw was nothing of the sort. Nivara’s body hung in midair, suspended by strings of effervescent mist which sliced through the trident in the Captain’s hand, sending the pieces skittering onto the marbled floor along with its owners balance.

Kamikaze fell to the ground, instantly drained of energy as she tried to register what was happening. Jester’s weakened body crashed to the floor, barely breathing from the lack of his Trait. She looked towards the heavens, the blast of lightning from before had caused the upper floors to crumble away and reveal a dark, clearless sky. The storm was no more. Her power source now gone.

Nivara floated to the floor, mist billowing all around her as the storm clouds settled, the clouds now turning to rain as she let out a gasp of air, holding her arms close to her chest. Her eyes fixed on Kamikaze's shocked face, her hands now empty without her weapon, swiveling round to stare at the broken trident beside her, still sparking away dimly next to Jester.

“What did you do to me?” Kamikaze demanded, her anger flaring but no Trait emerged from her arms.

To sever a Trait weapon from its owners hands was unheard of, especially after just being summoned. It was like trying to cut off someone’s hands with a toothpick, utterly useless to try. Not without summoning a weapon of your own.

“What happened?” Nivara said, retreating slowly backwards as the rain began to fall, soothing her skin.

“What do you mean, what happened? The storm has stopped and my Trait is worse than a bloody Truant's!” Kamikaze said, slamming her fist into the wall next to her.

Nivara’s mask slipped as she realised she had done. The true properties of her Trait had emerged after all that work to subdue it from Ethros. If Kamikaze knew then there was no choice but to change her tactics. The Order would do anything to get her hands on her Regency, the Sixth Order, her position as a upstanding citizen of Opalis would be revoked all because her Trait was more than they could handle. More than anyone would ever think was possible.

Her hands shook as she took a deep breath and forced herself to take on a new role. There was no point hiding it now. She had to embrace it, just like she did when she became Aria’s Regent. Just like she did when Shuriken was destroyed. She could not let anyone use her for her Trait ever again.

“Curious, are you? I’m surprised a Thundreign would allow herself to panic so quickly over a little Water Trait technique,” she mocked, her demeanour changing as she summoned her grimoire effortlessly.

The deep undertones of the tome of Trait melded amongst the slowly rising mist, streaking its way across the room as it embraced Nivara’s arms and back, reforming her beloved Everchange cloak as easy as breathing.

Didn’t you know lightning never strikes twice?” Nivara said, giving her a cruel smile before a wave of mist pushed the Lightning Traited back away from her Regent once again.

Kamikaze grit her teeth and clung to the cracks in the floor, growling in exertion as she tried to cling on to her dwindling advantage.

“No, but I’ve always been lucky like that. Recall!” Kamikaze shouted, her trident reforming into her hand as she planted it into the floor, good as new.

The Recaller slammed into the marble like it was clay, shocking the ground and upending it just like before. Whips of pure lightning tangled with a wall of mist, scattering it back to where it came from as Nivara reined her mist back towards her, nimbly avoiding the path of the lightning.

“You’re insane!” Kamikaze called out, vaulting herself into the air to cover more ground.

Nivara laughed, whipping her Trait behind her as she blocked the tridents strikes with her cloak, being careful to watch her hold on Jester. Possession over him was the only thing left fighting for. Without it, she had no proof and Ethros would destroy her once and for all. No one wanted an untrustworthy Regent. She knew that all too well.

“I believe they call you the Wardog for a reason? What a shame it would be if someone let it slip that your chosen methods of persuasion were less than honourable...I wonder what would happen to your precious Regent, hmm?” Nivara said, as her opponent faltered for the last time.

Her mist swarmed Kamikaze into submission, ending the fight in a matter of seconds. She was trapped in a spider web of tendrils, out of energy and out of ideas but still she relentlessly fought against the restraints like the mad dog she was. Kamikaze’s proud golden armour was tainted by smears of suffocating indigo, its bright sheen dulling despite the glow from her trident stuck a few metres above her. She didn’t have enough Trait left to recall it for a second time. Nivara had finally succeeded. Now the hard part began.

“What do you want, Mist Maiden?” Kamikaze snapped, trying to disguise how defeated she felt.

Nivara’s rage was at its breaking point, her focus pinpointed on every strand of mist slicing into the cold hard steel, strangling every ounce of life from her attackers. Soon that focus became too poignant for rage, she could see how close to death Jester was, how determined his Captain was to reach him, not out of spite but out of necessity for her Order.

Exactly what she would have done.

Nivara let out a growl of frustration as her mist slowly dulled its sharp edge, betraying her emotions. Instead she pulled the Trait taught, her hands outstretched as its constricting binds were just enough to keep them from escaping. She kicked the ground, annoyed at herself, at Ethros and at how this stupid chain of events had led her to this unsolvable point in time.

“Convince the Elders that Ethros is a capable leader, more than suitable to oversee not only my Trial but the protection of Opalis. Do that and I will let you go, agreeing to the terms of the Order Trial against you, changed date or not.” she demanded at last, as Kamikaze’s rage continued.

As angry as Nivara was about the whole situation, this would not have happened had Ethros not ordered the Excelliars away. Jester would have still gotten in but at least she’d have some kind of backup when it came to dealing with his Captain. Their relationships with other countries were frail at best, almost acquaintance like but now without a Captain of their own to vouch for them, they had nothing.

It pained her to do it, but she had to increase his standing before any amount of accusations could be given freely. She was merely a Regent without a Captain. Negotiations was all she could do to stop the entire Thundreign clan from war and taking Opalis for themselves.

“Never. You’re a fool to think anyone will ever trust you. Mist Maiden or not, you’re still a Caldorian.” Kamikaze said, expecting nothing more than a lie.

Nivara eyes widened, hurt by the cutting remark but her resolve could not break so easily, regardless of her lineage. As much as she would like to have seen those two in a prison cell, the clans would see the whole event as a betrayal against the dragons. The Elder Trials were there for a reason and if either of them were caught fighting so soon beforehand they’d both be penalised.

“That may be so, but at least I know where my loyalties lie. I’d suggest you agree to my terms before I show you what a Caldorian does to trespassers.” Nivara scowled, her mist tightening around their necks.

“And what would that be? Die out like the rest of your miserable race?” Kamikaze sneered, her voice getting quieter and quieter as she finally began to show the cracks in her facade.

Nivara recognised the bravado for what it was, a distraction. Kamikaze tried to produce a small enough spark between her fingertips, but her binds wrenched her hands away from summoning her grimoire. She sighed, not just out of exhaustion but out of pity for the power hungry Captain who saw nothing but their own Trait in front of them. No wonder Jester ended up the way he did.

“I really didn’t want to use this.” Nivara said, the folds of her cloak revealing her grimoire no longer hidden, a torrent of mist swarming into the room above them.

Kamikaze’s reply died alongside her voice as she stared wide eyed at the sheer mass of power quietly culminating into a tumultuous wave of Trait. It was then that the headstrong Captain realised her mistake. The object emerging from the yellow tinged mist only proved her suspicions. Things would not end the way she had hoped. The bottle sparked much like her own Trait did as she recalled Jester’s bound hands holding a Trait vial from before and her heart sank.

This teeny bottle of lightning was ten times as violent.

“You dare use my own Trait against me?” Kamikaze said, her loud, brash nature replaced with a quiet confidence.

Nivara smiled, grateful her Trait was so resourceful. She had kept her strength hidden away from view until the very end, sparingly using her mist. It was a good plan until her grimoire decided to provide her with a backup, just in case. Using all your Trait in one go was a rookie mistake, one the the Thundreign clan had not yet learned. She herself could not deny her own misgivings but this was not the time nor place for regret.

“No. Not you. Him. If you don’t agree to my terms then I will shock him til he’s nothing more than a burnt husk.”

To prove her point even further, Nivara directed her mist behind her as the now slightly conscious Jester lay aware of his fate, muffled by mist. He panicked, finally awake but still submerged in Nivara’s cloying Trait, trapped in a cocoon of mist. She avoided his green eyed gaze, angered by his sudden attempt to use his power as she remembered what he had tried to do to her. Her mist coiled around his eyes, squeezing the life out of him as he struggled against his bindings, coughing and spluttering.

The cap on the bottle slowly began to turn.

“Go ahead. He can handle a few burns.” Kamikaze said, her feeble attempt at lying feeling all too familiar to Nivara.

“Is that what you think this is? You’ve seen your own Trait first hand, you know what you can do to a Fire Traited when you have some semblance of control. This is pure, relentless Trait forced into a container. What do you think will happen when I unleash it?” Nivara said, folding her arms at the foolish Traited.

Kamikaze looked away from her Regent despite her shaking hands showing more than her words ever could. The lightning forged in glass began to warp and shift relentlessly trying to escape its prison.

“No. You’re lying. You wouldn’t dare at such close range. The storm’s power would kill us all!

Nivara stepped forward into the path of the lightning stopping inches away from her enemy. She guided her mist forwards to part like the seas, Kamikaze struggling to resist its pull. Despite her mask, the Captain of Thundreign could see the conviction in Nivara’s eyes, unable to look away as if she, in that moment became a Tarragon herself. A monster.

“If it means taking him out to save my Throneholder’s legacy, then yes I would.”

Kamikaze looked up at her Regent, trapped just like she was as Nivara walked away from her, slowly and deliberately as she counted the beats in her head.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

“All right, Nivara. You win.”

Nivara let out the breath she was holding and raised her arms to the sky, causing the mist to be washed away by the rain as the two infiltrators fell to the floor before her. She smirked, half tempted to laugh aloud as the Captain and her Regent struggled to stand without the blitzing heat of their lightning. The bottle of pure Trait fizzled dangerously as their attention remained on Nivara’s earlier threat.

“ I swear on my Trait. Just let us go and I’ll get the Elders off your back. For good. Just don’t hurt my Regent.” Kamikaze said, her hair now drenched by the continuous rain.

She let out a hand to Nivara as she stared at her in shock, the fearsome Captain still shivering, her hand outstretched in promise. Unbroken by those permitted to speak of it. Not even an Oath could detect one as this ancient technique was used long before grimoires even existed. The Lockbind was an unforgiving promise, but to keep their clans from killing each other it was a necessary risk to take.

“Very well. I will inform Ethros of the intruders and their Traits not, how foolishly you used them.”

She shook her hand as mist and lightning intertwined, causing their grimoires to return side by side, indigo shining against gold as a lock formed to seal the agreement only to disappear into the night. Kamikaze gave a small smile, her eyes lighting up with Trait as her lightning returned to her. Nivara gave her a brief nod in confirmation as Jester slowly stood to his feet, his Captain’s Trait stabilising him once again.

“Now get out of my sight before I change my mind.” Nivara said, breaking away from them as soon as she could.

She headed back the way she came, the storm now aligning with the Divide as Nivara felt a pang of sadness. Through the reflection of the water pooling below her, Kamikaze embraced her Regent tightly, desperately checking whether he was alright as she embarrassingly coddled him to the point where his complaining received a nasty swat on the head.

Nivara couldn’t help but chuckle, pulling her hood down as the rain soothed her anguish. She had wanted that camaraderie, that connection with her Captain, with Aria ever since she had been assigned to the role. But that’s all it was, an assignment.

A flash of light burst out from behind her as the glimpse of a true Captain and her Regent faded away like her own foolhardy wish. To travel by lightning was a flashy trick, but still necessary when it came to retreating a destroyed stronghold. Nivara longed to do the same but her job was not yet done.

She pulled out her grimoire, the fading streaks of indigo revealing the darkness of her past cast in a blackened sigil, much like the forgotten lone wolves of the Mediators. Nivara slumped on the ground beneath the broken archway, the fatigue flooding through her as she sifted through the pages, her hand pausing on a small opening.

The small silver bottle, no bigger than her palm shined like glass as it became her only saviour in her decade long mission. Glancing behind her, eying the surrounding area she unscrewed the bottle, taking off her mask for the first time in years. Raising the bottle in the air as if giving the signal to a batallion to fire, she sat alone quietly whispering the words that would once ignite change. No longer. She downed the bottle in sorrow, throwing it aside as she placed her mask over her eyes once more.

Now she had to not only convince Ethros of his mistake but cover up her own in the process.