"Yeah, right? One of the seven Core Traits? That's an old Laia's tale!"

Charmer's laughter echoed loudly around the mist filled arena, its density blocking the Flarestorm phoenix from view. Nivara completely expected such a response from the young Glass Traited but The Mist Maiden remained impassive as Charmer's cackling became hollow and her uncertainty slowly caused her voice to falter and eventually drift away.

"You truly think so?" Nivara asked, her voice was calm but defiant, as if daring her to prove otherwise.

Nivara could feel the discord in the air as her mist clung between her palms. Silencing all who doubted her she clasped her fingers together in a cage of Trait. Nivara's hands shook slightly but still she unleashed the storm in a powerful display of undeniable proof. The rumbles of thunder echoed in her ears started to give way to the flash of lightning which could put even Kamikaze's Trait to shame.

No mere Water Traited could do what she could do. They had lost that ability long ago when they extinguished the possibility of having fellow Storm Traited to unite beside. Still, the fear of the unknown of her Trait rose from the surface of her turmoil, mist chilling into ice and back into a tempest far stronger than the paltry trick she had used outside the throne room so long ago.

Things had changed. She had to do the same.

The lightning erupted as her arms spread wide, forging a chain of unrelenting power as it moulded into a cobalt grimoire not created through anger or deception but resilience and justice. For too long it had been bathed in a haze of false indigo, a constant reminder of who she was and what she was striving for. Nivara never really changed her Trait, only hid its capabilities to survive a little longer for a Traited who was too strong, too different to be seen as anything but...Abnormal.

"This is my real grimoire. Retribution."

Nivara's chaotic Trait and grimoire summoning sent a jolt of fear and awe through the young girl. Charmer's wide eyed expression gave way to fear and then confusion, horrified at the destruction curling in the palm of a Regents hand. It was almost impossible to look away, luring Charmer closer in a daze of power longing to reach out and grab it. The Mist Maiden, closed her palm and snuffed out the storm instantly. It left no traces of Trait left to linger like mist in the wind. It was like it never existed.

But the grimoire in front of her however was unmistakable: a deep, endless blue giving way to a vortex of grey, purple and sparks of yellow within. It only took a moment for Charmer to realise, her awe turning to disgust at the realisation.

"You're a necromancer. You're a bloody fiend from Shuriken just like-"

"No, I am not."

Nivara's command was absolute, shutting the Traited down once again. Charmer couldn't stop her hands from shaking, hiding them behind her back as the aforementioned Storm Traited seethed beneath her cloak. Nivara could feel the pull of the Timekeepers Trait searing through her, the connection of their conflicting Traits of Storm and Fire sending her head reeling and her mist wall swaying in trepidation.

"Just because I possess an Abnormal grimoire does not mean I come from Shuriken. I am still the last Mist Maiden of Caldor and I intend to keep it that way."

Nivara grit her teeth, her grimoire now tugged snug under the crook of her arm, teeming with primal energy bound by a single coil of chain continuously sending Fire Trait ebbing and flowing around her peripheral vision. Hells teeth it hurt but it was necessary to hold her ground and undo what had been foretold. It was why she was the Stormkeeper, why she had fought so hard to get here, to this very moment. She had to make these ten minutes count.

"So how...how is that Trait so strong? Were the Mist Maidens really that powerful?"

Nivara fought the urge to laugh, just as Charmer had done, the elusive fate of her predecessors haunting her to this very day. She shook her head, the fire against her skin lessening as she was given permission to speak freely. Her Trait burst from her fingertips, forming a familiar scene made from dark clouds. She was sure the Glass Traited had been told this story just like she had many times as a child. But much like the necromancers ban, the origin of Trait always differed depending on who told it.

"Long ago the four original grimoires of Trait helped our people to thrive in a vast wasteland. But one day, when a group of young Traited begged for three new grimoires direct from the Laia herself, the rest of them shunned it and forced us into the situation we know now. Why do you think that is?"

Charmer hesitated as Nivara's Trait depicted the tale, different coloured misty clouds forming into the four easily recognisable types of Traited.

A reddish blaze of mist figures formed the Fire Traited who burned like an endless inferno. The freezing fog of Water Traited came next, a blitz of electric blue surrounding their cloak like spectres. The Air Traited arrived as if from nothing, their incorporeal forms half in view as they flickered in and out of visibility. The Earth Traited were the most densely built and difficult to depict as the four Traited mixed and meshed with one another despite their differences.

Then one by one they broke off from the rest, forming followers of like minded Trait and very similar views and personalities. They formed clans and continents, villages and seas, deserts and cities of their own. They all lived within their own desired ecosystem, their own rules and structure but not all fit into the roles provided for them.

"They were afraid. They were afraid of the destruction, of the havoc it could cause if improperly used. Obviously our ancestors thought long and hard about the consequences." Charmer said confidently, recalling her aunts words.

This time Nivara couldn't help herself. She laughed at Charmer's bias, spinning her Trait into one large scene as the mist people began to fight and separate once more. It showed more mist people breaking off from the original four Traits, eventually becoming more and more secluded until finally they begged Laia to change their fate.

"Or maybe, they didn't think at all. People fear what they don't understand, after all. Not all of us fit into the same, perfect mould. You of all people should know how that feels, Charmer."

The young Glass Traited seethed at the retort, knowing full well what the Regent of Opalis was referring to. Nivara wasn't the only one who lied about her Trait. The Mist Maiden stepped to the side just as her Trait mirage was sliced by needle like glass. She smiled wanly, deciding to call back her mist and draw it back towards her colossal wall, becoming part of a much larger structure.

"Enough of your lies, Mist Maiden. It's pointless discussing ancient history so tell me already, why did you do this?" Charmer demanded, her patience growing thin as shards of corrugated glass began sprouting all around them.

Nivara raised an eyebrow, ignoring the outburst of steadily growing glass as she undid her braid a little, her mist lazily curling around her arms like a snake. Whether or not she required its aid, there was no point casting it away just yet. She hid the urge to smile as Charmer's anger skyrocketed with every slow, purposeful movement. It only proved her theory even more thanks to Charmer's constant defensive reactions. Her Trait was no different.

"I know you truly care for your Agar. It's why I tried to get past your...stubbornness issues. But when you attacked Flitter yourself it triggered the true nature of my Trait, so to speak. I had no choice but to surround you with it until it settled." Nivara explained, deciding to humour the young Traited by changing the topic.

"So what? Your Trait makes you some kind of vigilante justice seeker?" Charmer retorted, folding her arms and scoffing at such a ridiculous thought.

Nivara couldn't help but chuckle, the irony clear only to her. Giving her a wan smile, she allowed the Glass Traited to feel a sense of achievement at riling her up.

"I prefer Stormkeeper."

Nivara felt the cold chill of ice crawling up her skin as the reminder of her wide elemental range gave her goosebumps. She had used her mist for so long she had forgotten the pull of the flood, the soothing yet bracing rain, the command of the cloud cover sending shearing hail enough to shatter rooftops.

But the thought of using the lightning pierced her heart with fear. It felt wrong to use such a power when those who now did the same were an entirely different Trait. Nivara felt a traitor to the water and a coward to the skies, an unrelenting battle with herself as the only descendant who possessed the deadly edge of a tempest. Only when her anger spiked did it truly show the heart of the storm.

"How fitting." Charmer said, unfazed by the response. "So what you're a Master of Trait? A destroyer of evil sent to rain down justice and truth on those who wronged you? I never knew the Regent of Opalis had a hero complex."

Nivara struggled to avoid reacting to the sarcasm, her hands twitching with longing to unleash her Trait once again. Charmer was referring to plenty of other kid stories and legends retaining to necromancy and Trait. She dared to suggest that her half finished retelling of the true origins of Trait were just as false as the stories she referenced.

"I don't." Nivara snapped, her thoughts drifting for a moment before realising.

Of course she had. She was the Stormkeeper of Caldor, the Principle of Versatility and the holder of the Storm Key. It was the essence of her grimoire and it was her duty to help others and seek out the truth to find peace for others. Retribution was more than vengeance. It was about finding a second chance for those who needed it most.

"Normally." She admitted bashfully, only to be reminded of Flitter. "But lately I've been finding it hard to stop myself from reacting to idiots who harm their own dragons."

Nivara's blunt response was harsher than she expected, causing the young Fleetfoot to become restless on her darkening cloud of mist. Even Charmer flinched, her eyes softening at the thought of her mistake before she clenched her fists and retaliated the only way she knew how.

"Well, I guess your true nature is to get really angry over nothing. Are you sure you shouldn't have been born a Fire Traited?" Charmer mocked, igniting fuel to the fire of their arguing from before.

"At least I don't go charging blindly into situations without thinking or did a certain Fire Traited tell you to do that too?"

Voices grew louder and harsher as Flitter stirred from her sleep, a little dazed as to the scene in front of her. Nivara paid her no mind, her vicious hold over her Storm Trait slipping with each barbed word from her mouth. Charmer was faring no better, the spot she stood now scalding hot as burnt sawdust streaked the ground.

Nivara knew she should have known better. Fire and Storm rarely got along. It took work to form relationships with each other. Both volatile and stubborn elements, they wanted to be the one to show off, to be strongest and the two personalities always at odds no matter how little Trait you had in comparison with another. Every Traited was different regardless of Trait but damn being reckless made it hard to listen to reason.

She knew Water Traited who could be calm in the harshest of situations, Fire Traited who could be a voice of reason and a guiding light in dark times. But as soon as the two came together it was like two opposing dragons gunning for the same position. It wasn't who they were, it was just...that threat. That underlying fury matched only by her grimoire. Charmer had good points but Hell's teeth did she have to say it so patronising? It pissed her off to no end.

"That's enough, the both of you!"

Flitter's voice broke through the cloying air like a summer's breeze, but still the two Traits lingered still desperate to fight against each other. Nivara had to fight hard to reign in her control, even if Charmer was only a partial Fire Traited from her parentage she knew from the heat in the air and the fire in her eyes demanding to be listened to. But trusting each other could break through even the harshest of divides.

"Arguing like children isn't gonna get us out of here. Actually...where are we?" Flitter pondered, her reaction slightly delayed by the impending clash of Traits.

Charmer reluctantly folded her arms, the shards of glass jutting out from the ground now much smaller pinpricks. Nivara took a deep breath in and out, rolling her shoulders a little as the storm returned from an angry grey to a calmer blue. Colour helped her visualise her mood far clearer than words or gestures.

"Same place as earlier. Problem is, Miss Righteous over there got mad over a simple Trait mix up and now we're stuck in some sort of misty time lock." The Glass Traited ranted to her slightly sleepy partner, who was surprisingly unfazed by the sudden mist wall on both sides.

Nivara turned away from the duo, frustrated and mentally exhausted at the thought of having to reiterate what she had just said. Rubbing her temples she felt the urge to remove her mask within this safe haven of Trait. Deciding it wasn't worth the risk, Nivara slid her hands down the spine of her grimoire and tentatively changed the cover from blue to indigo again.

Quietly opening the cover as not to disturb the two she flicked through the pages and felt her heart swell at the sight of Scout's scrawls of messages only for them to disappear like ink left on a waterlogged page. Nivara couldn't help but feel guilty as she read through the pages, his worry torn responses turning into fear for his own life until one last message hung in the air like the first ray of sunlight peeking through a rainstorm.

I trust you.

The message burned a bright orange, a tale tale sign of a sneaky Timekeeper had seen the message through her interchanging cover colour and had bled through the page to make the response even more poignant. Nivara smiled, sniffing as the tears she hid were wiped away by a stray hand and filtered back into mist once more.

"If you don't mind me asking, Lady Nivara."

Nivara's head jerked towards the noise, a quiet but curious Fleetfoot dragon staring up at her as if she were a new discovery yet to be fully understood. Nivara fought the urge to smile, still annoyed at Charmer's constant arguing but she knew dragons had always been gluttons for information, even if they didn't want to admit it themselves.

"How was that grimoire colour change you just did even possible? I thought your Mist grimoire was indigo?"

Nivara sighed tiredly, giving Flitter an apologetic smile and closed Retribution as it changed from a mottled purple to a deep regal blue inlay with gold. Had it not been a grimoire it could have easily have been sold for a large sum to any noble household. It truly embodied the phrase 'looks can be deceiving.'

"My grimoire is as interchangeable as my Trait. It can take many forms and allude to having many abilities to fool others to what may seem like a simple colour change. But it only ever has one true meaning. Just like every Abnormal grimoire."

The Fleetfoot dragon noted the hidden barbs in her words disguised in her attempt to be civil to the young dragon. Nivara was struggling to keep her exhaustion in check and that unravelled a lot of unseen feelings about a lot of controversial topics which she normally kept to herself. A Regent couldn't have strong opinions when one false slip of a comment could mean the ire of an angry dragon on the other end.

"I see. You're saying there's more than one and all have names?" Flitter asked, keeping her voice even as if starting a secret interrogation.

Nivara caught on quickly to her tone, acting defensive against the possibility of being outwitted. Choosing her words as carefully as she dared, the best thing to do about a curious dragon is overload them with enough information to keep them sated and the questions controlled in the direction she wanted. This was her conversation. No amount of tiredness would prevent her from taking hold of this situation. She was the Unyielding Regent for a reason and in a battle of words and wits, not even a dragon like Flitter would lessen her guard.

"Yes. All of them are part of the Laia's origin story and they all have names passed down through generations of Traited. Once they are passed down they stay within the family until death."

Charmer shifted her feet, overhearing the conversation while seemingly analysing her mist walls. Nivara could have sworn she saw a flicker of guilt for a moment before an angry death glare crossed her gaze.

"Passed down? How?" Flitter continued on with no signs of stopping.

Nivara's ears went red at the thought, turning her gaze away from the dragon despite her mask covering her blush. This had never been asked by a dragon before. No Traited had known since she was very young and they were unlikely to speak of it now.

"Well, if I have children my grimoire may not manifest to them directly but I can pass it down if I have no other choice. If they cannot take it due to their Trait then it goes to my next of kin, then friends, family, those I truly trust with my life, even their Oathed or Agar can obtain it if aligned with the right Core Trait. In case all that fails, the grimoire chooses another host at random. But it must be accepted by drawing blood. That is key."

Nivara hoped the hint went right over Flitter's head, cursing her ability to speak freely within this suspended realm she had created. It had a name, she knew it did but for the life of her she couldn't remember what it was called. It created a temporary space to allow conversations to take place unheard even those tabooed by the existence of other means.

Although there was always a limit to how much it could allow, even people and goods could be transported through here but like any complex technique it had been lost to the whims of the Throneholder. Knowledge had never been more limited than it had been before and Nivara intended to find out why.

"You mean after all that work it could go to some stranger who doesn't know it exists? What are the chances?" Charmer said, turning her head as if unable to avoid staying quiet any longer.

Nivara raised an eyebrow, aware of the touch of sarcasm but decided to explain for Flitter's sake. It would be far easier to personalise this situation instead of being hypothetical about it but the gnawing feeling in her throat wouldn't go away. It had been years since she had told anyone about herself. But she had to start somewhere.

"It's higher than you might think, actually." She began in a small voice, fidgeting as she struggled to find the right words. "In my situation, I would want my grimoire to be given to an entirely new line of Water Traited as I have no family or friends who are at the moment."

The young dragons' features fell, their casual stance slumping at the thought of being so secluded that they would go so far as to pass the baton to someone else so easily. That was the burden of an Abnormal grimoire. Whereas Flitter was a quiet ball of morose, Nivara could almost see the cogs turning behind the falsely fear stricken Glass Traited. She had worn that mask many times before. That expression hid the old friend of greed.

"Not even one?" Flitter asked, her eyes wide with longing.

A jolt of embarrassment shot through the Mist Maiden, turning her head away before she even realised it.

"Even if I did tell them I doubt they'd want it passed on to them. Not even my partner can accept it. She is not in tune with the storm as I am. The power...it would be too much. Her soul and the soul of the grimoire would tear in two. I'd...never forgive myself if that happened."

The duo didn't know what to say and Nivara had nothing left but her own thoughts. Her mind drifted to the memories of other Water Traited, hazy and vague like a rippling pool of water but still they all ended the same. Bathing at a public pool when she was young caused Traited to stare and jeer only to find their corpses frozen by the midsummer lake days later. Travelling with a boy who could create artful paintings left him beaten and brain dead while she fled after fetching water from the stream.

There was more than that though. Water Traited had an uncanny way of picking apart her facade. Whether it was her Trait, her Abnormal grimoire or just her false personality they didn't like, it was only a matter of time before they demanded to see her grimoire to give to an elder or 'suggested' to use her Trait in a 'more suitable' way than just flimsy, old mist.

It infuriated her how society treated her mist like some kind of false Trait. Nivara of all people knew how devastating it could be and it wasn't until the promotion to a Regent did they truly understand why. Her mist reminded them of darker times so she used her Trait to undermine the ranks of the elite and overthrow them while their back was turned. They had sabotaged her training, snatched away her only apprentice and named her the Unwanted Master until finally she had her chance.

With the Trait they had banned and marked as useless became their undoing as it coiled around their limbs, snuffing out their Trait and broke every ounce of their strength with just a few clean movements. It lasted seconds. But her suffering had lasted an eternity. Nivara's ways were never accepted. But they wouldn't dare to say so now.

Nivara banished the thoughts from her mind, the memories clashed into one another into a battle of Traits. A wide eyed smile became twisted in a haze of green, a cloak of red became drenched in blood unseen only to her. Tendrils of mist clung to countless casualties before they dropped reverently in front of the Throneholder. The very same woman who had made her Regent. The same woman who had saved her from her apprentice, her Trait and her unending guilt towards what had happened. Lady Aria had done all of that and more.

A flash of brilliant light made her head spin as the memories shattered like glass, the Mist Maidens gaze transfixed on the ground below her. Everything was blank after that, like it didn't matter anymore for some reason. The answer was on the tip of her tongue but the wary eyes of the two in front of her brought her back to her senses.

"Go ahead, Charmer. I know you want to ask."

Charmer was fidgeting, her head lowered in a much more bashful expression but her eyes burned to know more of the hidden secrets bound by her kind. It was a pitiful act for one so young, especially with how hard she had fought to say her own opinion. Even Flitter's tightened jaw expressed the urge to growl or snap at her to get on with it and Nivara couldn't help but feel the same kind of irritation when looking at her.

"How would the next Stormkeeper be chosen, then? Surely it would be more than just dumb luck?" Charmer asked, half demure and half smugly.

Nivara resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she made a big show of putting her hand on her hip and tapping her foot in thought. Her grimoire floated between them, emitting small flashes of light just to goad the young Traited. She knew why Charmer wanted the power. It was obvious how one sided her relationship with Domino was even if she didn't want to admit it.

The cobalt grimoire would be an easy weapon to eradicate a single Fire Traited brat. Heck, even Chimera would have to reconsider against such a formidable display of unrelenting strength. Alas, Charmer had proven to have the listening skills of a Soundboom dragon with a cold. Utterly useless to even try.

The Storm Trait, no her Storm Trait could not be given to anything but a Water Traited. She had tried the sirens, dared to suggest to the Neridian Stormspell elves and even ventured to find the fabled water nymphs guarding endangered Sea Screamer dragons deep within the Emerald Islands bordering Tarragon. All of it had turned up nothing but rejection. No Folka, Enchantment, Blood Arts, Crafter or Caster could take what wasn't there's. Charmer was on a fool's gambit and Nivara didn't have the time nor patience to reiterate it any longer.

"Well...it's based on different qualities, personalities and overall embodiment of the Seven Principles, the seven rules we Traited once strived to achieve. Not anymore." Nivara said, sighing dramatically for Charmer to latch on with a grin.

Nivara couldn't help but pity the Fleetfoot for such a gullible, reckless, oblivious fool of a partner. Thankfully they were only Agars so there was some hope for the duo if Flitter ever copped herself on and found a more...competent Agar. But alas, dragons were loyal and undeniably stubborn thanks to their innate reliance on truth telling but whoever said a dragon never lied to themselves? Flitter wasn't the first and would most certainly not be the last.

"Seven Principles...I've heard of that before."

Nivara paled instantly, completely forgetting the dire implications of her words. She wasn't the only one striving to bring back the past. To return the world to what it was. Her informants, allies, secret supporters and sympathisers kept a binding promise to avoid suspicion. Nivara was no exception. She had to keep Kaldra safe. Even if she wasn't here to guide her forwards.

"Whether you were powerful or intellectual, creative or quick on your feet: all of it mattered equally. All of these grimoires exist and will continue to do so until balance is achieved." Nivara said, explaining for more than Flitter's sake as her mist lingered closer with a frosty tinge covering the edges.

"So, what happened to these rules? Why weren't they taught to us?" Flitter said, her voice more desperate to know and understand with every passing word.

"Because of necromancy."

Charmer's blunt interruption startled the young dragon and would have done the same to Nivara had she not been trained to disguise her shock as best she could. It didn't always work but she was grateful for it's reminder every time.

"Exactly." Nivara confirmed her voice even despite the shock.

The fact Charmer knew that necromancy was involved let alone was willing to speak of it worried her. If she knew it no longer happened because of necromancy, did that mean she knew of the Seven Principles too? It could have been a lucky guess, but Nivara didn't want to take that chance.

"Necromancy has always been seen as a dark art originated from Shuriken. In turn, the Seven Principles: Trust, Knowledge, Versatility, Strength, Understanding, Realism and Capability have all been lost to the archives." Nivara took the time to go through the vague history, waiting for Charmer's reaction to any of them.

To add further pressure on the Glass Traited her mist gently created the old symbols once carved and decorated all around monuments in every country that had once believed in them. The flames of trust adorned in a coil of rope. The air currents of knowledge spiralled in opposite directions. The waves of versatility rose like steps to freedom. The light of strength split the waves, jaws open wide in victory. The shadows of understanding nestled between the light, coiling up in scrolls of endless black. The earth of reality climbed up the shadowy dam cracks forming beneath it. The lightning of capability combined with all other symbols, shining brighter than any other.

"So you want to bring them all back? You're more insane than Domino is." Charmer said, scoffing as the distracting mist filtered away.

"Perhaps."

Nivara shrugged, clapping her hands together to send her grimoire back into the void of Trait.

"Perhaps not. You can already see the damage already done to those who don't fit into the criteria of a typical combat based Traited." She hinted, glaring at Charmer with unfaltering resolve.

The Glass Traited took a hesitant step back for the first time, wary of the implications Nivara was alluding to. It was about more than just one Traited. It was about all of them. Every single one of them were suffering at the hands of Truancy, the consequences of neglect for more than one kind of learning, teaching and improving a Trait that could fit in. Abnormal or not.

"That's ridiculous. See, Flitter? I told you there was something off about her. Just because you're some prophesied Stormkeeper doesn't mean shit to me. It just proves how you shouldn't be Regent and shouldn't even be a Traited in the first place! Lady Aria was right to cull those necromancers and your stupid ideals because just like you they are worth nothing!"

Charmer's annoyance was more than simply abnormal. It was vengeance and spite as spiked shards covered her shadow as her face twisted into a sneer of discontempt for every word that had come from her Regents mouth. Nivara had prepared herself for the baseless anger cut close to the heart of the matter and her past itself.

But this feeling was beyond pure anger.

This was Retribution. For her family. For her people. For herself. Most importantly, for her pride in knocking down a self centred teen who could barely handle herself when she was calm. Anger didn't come close. This was a quiet fury born from generations of hate and malice, separation and strife and by hells unholy name Nivara would make sure they'd know what she'd been through.

"No. I wasn't foretold or prophesied or destined for this. They chose to believe I was the Stormkeeper. I had no choice in the matter. I had to take on the responsibility because I was the only one left."

Charmer scoffed.

"So what? It's just a title, it doesn't mean-"

Nivara shut her down.

"It drove my Trait wild changing to suit the Storm. I had to keep my distance from everyone and even then it doesn't always work. Water Traited are always the first to figure it out. It's why I use mist. It seems useless but the illusions help hide what I can do. It's the whole reason I'm a Mist Maiden. It's easier that way. It's easier for everyone...that way." Nivara recalled, her Trait responding in kind.

"On what proof?"

Charmer snapped and Nivara's last thread of patience evaporated.

"Proof? Proof! Proof never mattered to people like you! My family were murdered, my friends segregated and enslaved along with me all because I was a Water Traited who became something more! I never wanted this! I never wanted to watch them die!"

Charmer stopped, open mouthed at the confession. Her hand was over her mouth before she could even speak but it was far too late for that. The silver lined clouds plummeted into dark omens of ire as Nivara projected every memory she could, combining the mist wall into one clear stream of thought and past events. Nivara's eyes were shut tight, lightning spinning off her hair in streams of electric blue as the young Fleetfoot was strangely calm at the sight of it. She knew it was not directed at her. All Flitter did was confirm the truth for the broken Mist Maiden before her.

"I hide my Trait because the power over the storm is all people want from me. It's all they ever need for me. That is enough proof for me, Charmer Bardith. You have no right to insult my Trait. You have no right to insult who I am." Nivara screamed, tears flying away in the wind.

She stood frozen as she thought of all she had lost, drowning them in countless memories. The trio watched as a young, bright eyed Nivara stood on the clifftop with her family, stargazing on her birthday before being gifted with a book of constellations made from tablets of azure blue flax. The flower of Caldor. Nivara hugged her parents and grandparents tight, taking her little brother in one had and baby sister in the crook of her arm and shut themselves safely within a small round clay house covered in sand.

In a matter of minutes, Nivara's entire family suffocated within the tiny clay house, her grandmother strangled by a deadly noose of Trait as the oldest child fought to save her family. She threw the door open wide but this was not the desert winds doing. This was a power she had never seen before. In her grandmother's dying breath she cupped her hand over her book of contsellations and seared it within Nivara's chest, fusing her with the storm and leaving her alone to be surrounded by bodies. Her grandmother had gifted her with the storm grimoire of Retribution and forced her into this life of solitude.

All of those innocent lives were taken just because of Trait. She did not blame herself, no. Being surrounded by corpses had focused her young mind, forcing her to remember every painful detail. Her baby sister lying in her own coffin. Her little brother clinging to his throat. The sound of her parents begging the Laia to save them and eventually for demons to claim them.

But it was hard to ignore a path she had tread for so long and stay in the same place. Revenge coiled in her veins from the very moment the murderers targeted her home, her family. It was here she took refuge from her homeland and it was here she stayed. Disloyal to all except a lucky few with a changed name and a hardened heart none could claim. It would always belong to them.

Charmer lay encroached by Flitter's much larger frame as she shook from head to toe. Her skin paler than her Agars embrace she responded in no more than a whisper, Nivara still menacingly tall beneath the foreboding backdrop.

"I knew the stories of Caldor from...but I didn't want to believe it. I'm sorry they did that to you, truly I am. I'm sorry, so sorry for what I said. Just...no, no more. Please." She whimpered, hiding her face behind Flitter's large wingspan.

"Sorry, don't bring them back. It doesn't help heal my country. It doesn't change what happened or what they did to me."

What do you mean, they?" Flitter dared to ask, her curiosity pushing past her fears.

"Haven't you guessed it yet?" Nivara said, her hands firmly on her hips as if to stop herself shaking in anger.

The Mist Maiden's wheezy breaths were a mantra for the young Fleetfoot. Her mind was an endless current of thought, wincing at the magnitude of horrors she had seen but throughout all of it, one thing stayed absolutely the same. Mist.

Flitter's eyes went wide in a tumultuous amount of emotions as she dared not speak the words but Nivara's gaze held her fast even without being a dreaded Tarragon. For the first time in a long time, the Regent of Opalis couldn't help but smile. It was a crooked grin of madness, icy cold and without any trace of fear or regret in what she had done and what she had vowed to do. That was all the proof Flitter would get as Nivara awaited the fateful words that would set her free.

"You don't wear that cloak to hide, do you?"

Nivara spoke quietly, both her words and the storm a chilling threat above them.

"Only one who has both been hunted and the hunter would understand how I feel. Only they would understand why I wear the cobalt cloak of a Mist Maiden. It's never been because of the Trait I wield. Both of those things are a touch of irony on my part, I admit."

Charmer noted the confusing, playful tone and whispered to her Agar.

"I don't understand..."

Nivara let out a harsh bark of laughter, cackling at the mere thought of someone who had dared to lace their words with hate and leave them dripping with intention without ever truly experiencing what vengeance was.

"Of course you don't. But how else do you expect me to kill the filthy traitors who slaughtered my family?"