Hello everyone! I'm back! The final uni exams for the semester are clearing up and there's a forecast of clear skies and updates! Now, I know I said I'd edit before updating but it's taking too long and I'm getting bored - so here's an update. Should probably mention that at this current time in the book, the gang have finished up in the Necropolis and are headed to Vaizel. Should have mentioned that earlier *claps*ANYWAY read onwards!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yah!" I roared. Slashed and stabbed, only to dance away seconds later with sword raised in defence. A wooden sword crashed down on my blade with considerable force, driving me to a knee. I threw it off with another roar, twisting quickly and sending a few quick parries the wooden dummy's way.

Grand Holy Knight Hendrickson watched over me. His face, when I snuck glances at it in between slashes, betrayed no emotion nor even twitched in response to anything I did.

I delivered a powerful backhand, cleanly slicing through the wooden stalk. The dummy balanced precariously before toppling over in the dust.

Panting with exertion, I stood still for several minutes, gathering myself. While I was happy to follow Hendrickson's orders, what I didn't understand was his need for me to bash the living daylights out of a dummy.

"Done," I called out, sheathing my weapon. I proceeded to fan myself with a hand, cursing the man for making me slave out in the sun for so long.

"Excellent. Now it's time to move on with the second phase of training."

"But I'm absolutely buggered."

"So?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "In a battle, you'll most likely be tired when it comes to using your magic."

I bit back my retort and swallowed my pride. It wouldn't do well to be on the wrong side of a Grand Holy Knight. Instead, I retied my hair and adjusted my gauntlets.

There was a smirk on his lips when he said, "follow me," and it took all my willpower not to punch him. While everyone thought I was Hendrickson's pet and obeyed his every command, little did they know that this relationship we had was entirely one sided.

I did not tolerate the man. At all. There was something about him that just grated on my every nerve.

Yet I still did as he commanded. He brought me to another section of the training grounds, three walls enclosing me in. On one wall was painted a large target, the bullseye brilliant red.

"You won't need your sword for this training session," Hendrickson's explained, holding out his hand for my sword.

I was hesitant to relinquish it. The weapon was an extension of my body; everything I've done to reach this moment in my life, I've done it with my sword. Especially my magic – it helped to amplify my fire and static abilities.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of it. Today's training is all about using your magic as a final resort," he added soothingly but the twitch in his eyebrow told me he was getting impatient.

I unbuckled the scabbard and slapped the hilt into his hand. Our eyes locked so I sent him a glare.

"Your abilities are a bit different to most recruits and Holy Knights. Not only do you use your own mana but you have the ability to absorb or take mana from your environment such as the trees and plants."

I stiffened. No one knew I could do that. The only people who did know were dead now. Hendrickson's cunning and prowess still continued to frighten me. This man always seemed to know everything about me and I had the sickening feeling that it was a power he held over me with great joy.

"Do you use key words for it?" he asked and I shook my head slightly to dispel the thoughts. There was no point dwelling on this point; he was expecting an answer.

"Yes. One's to amplify the absorption rate as well as draw small amounts of mana from the air, while the other draws the strength and power from whatever I choose." A move I loathe to use because it is too much like my enemy's.

"Good. Then you're going to use them now. Once you've acquired enough mana, we'll move onto the next stage." Then he stood perfectly still, a blank look to his eyes.

Telepathy?

There came the sound of running footsteps and I turned to meet a red-faced recruit, blue and green hair spiked in all directions. He was out of breath, clutching tightly at his chest, but a large smile was on his lips.

"Grand Master Hendrickson, you summoned me!" He saluted. His enthusiasm was one I'd seen all too often displayed in the presence of the Grand Masters. It was enthusiasm I had once had myself.

"Yes. I require an opponent for Estra. She's learning to develop her magic further." Hendrickson waved a hand towards me and for the first time, the recruit noticed me.

His green eyes bulged. Oh, here we go. A groan gurgled in my throat as the recruit suddenly clapped his hands together like he was preparing to pray, eyes shimmering with tears of joy.

"I get to face off against Estra? The Estra who took down Jericho, one of the strongest recruits by far? I can't believe it! I've been waiting so long to meet you! You're an inspiration, a master with sword and at bare hand combat," he babbled on and on, closing the distance between us and taking my hand to shake it with vigour I didn't know existed in such a small person.

My irritability was only slightly curbed by the awe and wonder rolling off the recruit. I allowed the bit of pride in me some wiggle room and smiled at him.

He went as pale as a ghost and almost keeled over. Holy mother of gods, if all my opponents were like this wonderstruck boy, I'd have no trouble defeating them.

"What's your name?" I asked to try and bring him back to the world of the living. I still kept his hand firmly clasped in mine in case he kicked the bucket trying to say his name.

"Emanuel," he whispered in a squeaky voice. "I can't believe I'm talking to you! I can't wait to tell all my friends. They'll be so jealous that I'm actually training with you...." And he was off again. I sent an imploring look to Hendrickson to start the damn training.

Hendrickson clapped his hands and Emanuel instantly went silent. I released his hand and stepped back from him.

"Emanuel, all you'll need to do is stand over near the target." He did as Hendrickson asked without a single hesitation. My skin prickled at his willingness and my own panic rose. I had a bad feeling about what Hendrickson would ask me to do.

"Now, Estra, do it."

I looked between smiling Emanuel and grim faced Hendrickson. I knew it. He wanted me to take his power.

"Don't worry. Emanuel has enough mana to last him hours in a battle. Now do it."

My fists clenched. The amount of mana inside a person didn't matter when I used my power. I could drain everything from him in under a minute. But I couldn't disobey Hendrickson.

Shifting my stance, I faced Emanuel, who was several metres away, and raised a hand towards his face. Hendrickson didn't need to know I wasn't performing the spell he wanted me to.

"Kitsune," I commanded. Power began to flow into my veins from the air, strengthening me. The air inside the battle grounds was always writhing with mana, residue from the many Holy Knights practicing their powers. Now I could just pretend that I was taking it from Emanuel; all I had to do was make him weak in the knees to mimic the drain—

"Estra, we are here to develop your powers. Pitying the weak will get you nowhere. I'll only ask once more. Do it."

"No!" I dropped my hand, turning my angry gaze on Hendrickson. "He's barely a man and Mana stored in a person means jack-shit when I use this power. What happens if I accidentally kill him?" A squeak from Emanuel. "What then? What would you tell his parents and friends – that he got the life sucked out of him by an ally?"

Hendrickson's eyes bore into mine and I held his stare as long as I could before I lowered my eyes in submission. Fear caressed my spine. My will to resist and deny was destroyed by those turquoise eyes.

"I'm sorry," I choked out as I turned back to Emanuel and held up my arm, fingers clawed as if I was grabbing at something in the air. "Thief."

I told myself to only take a little, enough to satisfy Hendrickson but when the rush of magic entered my veins, I lost all restraint. Euphoria washed over me. Emanuel's magic was like clear water to a thirsty traveller, crisp and sweet and flowing freely into my fingertips.

He twitched and his face contorted into pain but all I could taste was his magic. A small part of me was repulsed by my actions but the feel of his strength filling me drove the doubt from mind. As more and more mana flew into me, my smile grew larger and larger.

"S-s-stop," Emanuel gasped, falling to his knees. I only squeezed tighter, draining him. Magic thrummed in my veins. "P-P-Please." His pitiful cries barely reached me.

The feeling, the power! Hendrickson wasn't kidding when he said Emanuel had so much mana! His frail form collapsed face first into the ground and my lips curled in disgust when the mana went from a fast flowing current to barely a trickle.

A large hand clamped down on my outstretched arm. My connection to Emanuel broke and I stumbled back. Suddenly, I was brought back to reality, the ecstasy bubbling away to horror. Emanuel didn't even so much as twitch and Hendrickson still held tight to my arm.

"Let me go!" I shook free his hand and rushed over to the poor boy.

My hands were shaking when I rolled him over and pressed my fingers to his neck. His weak pulse fluttered under my touch. The acrid taste of bile filled my throat. I knew this would happen. It was just like what happened to my friends back when I was younger. I was a monster, a reflected image of my mortal enemies.

If I could, I would give him back his mana, but that wasn't how my magic worked. I turned to Hendrickson for help but he merely stared down at us. He toed the recruit. "You did an excellent job."

"Excellent? Excellent?! What part of this is excellent?" I cradled the recruit's head to my chest.

"Your powers have matured a lot more than they had the first time we met."

"Damn you! I don't care if they have matured! I almost killed this poor boy! I want to be able to use my magic to help, not to incapacitate and kill the people I'm expected to protect." Tears formed in my eyes.

"And you will, Estra," Hendrickson stated, kneeling down before me. "What you just showed me fills me with hope. You are one of the strongest Holy Knight's I have ever seen and with your power, we will be able to annihilate all those who dare defy the King, all those who dare harm the citizens of the kingdom." His hand rested on my shuddering shoulder. "I think that's enough for today."

I gazed down at the boy in my arms. Would I truly be able to save them? All I seemed to be doing was hurting those I was meant to protect.

~~~~~

A/N: Comments people! I like comments so send them this way!