Gramps and Atlas walked through the city toward the arena. The crowd flowed in the same direction around them, and as people noticed the former king they dipped their heads in respect. Gramps nodded back to each of them.
Atlas walked beside him, forcing himself to match the old man's pace.
"Gramps, let's go. We're going to miss it."
"Be patient, Atlas. We won't miss a thing." He kept his leisurely stride. "You're certainly excited for the fighting."
"I'm excited to watch Boreas destroy everyone and win the tournament!" Atlas said, grinning.
He thought of his brother and his powerful nexus. He had felt Boreas's capabilities firsthand in training enough times to know it. Nobody in this tournament could match him.
"Confident in your brother, aren't you?" Gramps said with a chuckle.
"Of course I am. You've seen him lately. Even Dad has praised him." The last part came out a little quieter.
"Yes, he's grown. I have seen him lately. He has room yet to grow." Gramps was amused, a slight smile on his face.
Atlas noticed the grin. "What's funny about that?"
"Nothing, nothing." Gramps waved a hand and walked on.
Atlas was quiet for a few paces, then spoke up again. "When I'm his age, I'll compete in one of these tournaments. I'll be ready by then. I'll be at the top of my class, just like Boreas."
Gramps glanced down at him, warmth in his eyes. Then he shoved Atlas forward by the shoulder. "Come on then, top of the class." They had arrived in front of the arena.
—
The royal section sat high above the arena floor, separated from the crowd below by a carved stone barrier bearing the Magmel crest. From up here the full sweep of the arena opened out, the pit where the matches would be fought, the flags of every noble dominion hanging still from the rafters. Atlas counted them as they climbed the last few steps.
Myra spotted him before he'd cleared the top. She launched off her chair and crashed into him at full speed. Atlas caught her, barely, which was a closer thing than it should have been for someone her size.
"Easy," he said lightly.
"Did you train today?" She pulled back to look at him, eyes wide. "I trained with Dad. He showed me the first stance again and I got it right. He even said so."
"Yeah? That's great." He flashed a grin. "You finally got it."
"I got it right the first time," she said, indignant. "Dad just wanted me to do it again."
"Sure he did."
"He did." She stood straighter, chin up. "I'm going to get strong. Like you and Boreas."
Something warm settled in Atlas's chest, the way it always did when she said that. He gave her a look like she'd said something ridiculous, then grabbed her and yanked her into a headlock, rubbing his knuckles across the top of her head until she shrieked and kicked and finally wrenched herself free.
Their mother, Sarnai, walked out from behind Myra. Atlas walked toward her. She opened her arms without saying anything, and he didn't pretend he was too old for it.
"How was training?" she asked, pulling back to look at him properly.
"Good." Atlas straightened. "I landed a real hit on him."
She raised an eyebrow and looked past him to Gramps. "A real hit on the Strength Sage?"
Gramps laughed and rested a hand on Atlas's shoulder. "It's true, Sarnai. Your boy's a fierce opponent. Don't let him tell you otherwise."
She looked back at Atlas with that expression, proud and amused.
"Just don't let it go to your head," she said softly.
"Too late," Myra said from behind him.
Atlas turned to glare at her. She grinned.
They settled into their seats. Gramps on one side, Mom on the other, Myra wedged in beside Atlas because she'd decided that was where she was sitting regardless of available space.
Gramps leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "So. Who here is going to give Boreas the best fight?"
Atlas didn't hesitate. "No one's beating Boreas. But there are a few who are strong. They'll be good fights to watch, even if they won't win."
"Oh?" Gramps pressed.
"Seraphine." He said. "She uses a poison nexus. Her clan's technique is nasty. In the right situation she could slow someone down fast. But not in a straight fight, not against Boreas."
"And the other?"
"Candidus." Atlas glanced at Gramps. "You know his family. Uncle said they're the only clan that even comes close to ours in raw strength. They have the fire nexus too. He's strong."
Gramps leaned back and laughed, a real one. "I love your enthusiasm, boy. Let's see if you know what you're talking about."
"I know what I'm talking about!"
Gramps smiled and said nothing. Which was somehow worse than if he'd argued.
The crowd erupted before Atlas saw the reason for it. A roar rolled through the stands of a kind he knew could only be made for a handful of people in all of Magmel.
He looked up to see his uncle. King Etzaron walked into the royal section, his bearing confident and regal as always. Atlas straightened without meaning to. Beside him, Veyra, the king's Guardian and wife, swept the section once with her eyes, quiet and thorough.
Etzaron saw them immediately. His whole face shifted. He crossed over and dropped a hand onto Atlas's head and the other onto Myra's, ruffling both at once. "My two favourites. Don't tell Boreas I said that."
Myra giggled. Atlas reached up to fix his hair.
"Uncle Etzaron." He couldn't help himself. "Myra said you went to fight a beast. Did you handle it?"
Etzaron straightened and gave him a look. "How did she know about that?"
"Dad told her."
"Ragnar." He let out a breath. "He wasn't supposed to say anything. But yes, it's been handled."
"Was it strong?" Myra asked, eyes bright.
"Strong enough." He said it simply, his words carrying more weight than Atlas expected, though Myra didn't seem to notice. Then he glanced across at Gramps and sat down.
"Now," his voice was back to normal, "are we ready to watch Boreas embarrass himself in front of the entire country?"
"You always pick on Boreas like that. You know he's going to win." Atlas said, smiling along anyway.
"Probably." Etzaron settled back. "But it makes it more interesting when you're all riled up."
Atlas reached forward and hit him on his shoulder playfully.
Gramps cleared his throat. "Your cousins competed a few years back, if you remember. Kael and Solenne. They faced each other in the final."
Atlas nodded, remembering the fight vividly. "Solenne won."
"She did." Gramps glanced at Etzaron. "Despite what most expected. Kael's lava against Solenne's wood. Most would have called that in his favour."
Etzaron looked at Veyra. Something in his expression softened. "She's truly strong. Like her mother."
Veyra's mouth curved slightly. "And Kael takes after you. Just slightly less so."
Etzaron put a hand to his chest like she'd struck him.
The laughter was still settling when the arena lighting shifted.
The hush came slowly, the intensity building through the crowd below. Atlas leaned forward.
At the centre of the floor, a woman stepped forward.
Master of the academy, Calendra. She stood the way the academy stood, proud and unyielding. Her robes were dark, trimmed with silver. When she raised one hand the last of the noise fell away completely.
Her voice carried without effort. "Citizens of Magmel. Noble clans of the country. Members of the royal family." A pause. "Welcome to the Academy Graduation Tournament."
Calendra let the silence hold for a moment before continuing.
"It is my honour to first acknowledge the royal family of Magmel. His Majesty, King Etzaron and Her Majesty, Queen Veyra, Guardian of Magmel. And the members of the royal house."
The crowd answered with a roar. Atlas felt it in his chest. Etzaron raised a hand once, easy and unhurried. The noise swelled further before settling.
Calendra continued. "All eight dominions of Magmel are gathered here today to watch their graduating class compete. This is their chance to show what a year of growth has given them. Not what their family has built or what their name carries. What they themselves have shaped. How they have made their nexus their own, and how it fares when tested against others their age."
Atlas leaned forward slightly without realising it.
The introductions came one after another. Calendra named each student and the dominion they hailed from. Atlas listened with half his attention and let the other half wander across the floor below, watching the students as they were named. He recognised every fighter in the academy, had seen them all compete, knew who held the advantage over whom.
The battles began. Atlas loved every moment as he and Myra cheered along. They got especially excited when Boreas fought, and like Atlas had predicted, he won match after match.
There was just one thing off. Atlas finally had to ask. "Gramps, who's that fighter who keeps winning? Calendra hasn't announced where he's from or his family name. Just 'Velox.' I've never heard of him. How is he in this tournament?"
"I think that will be revealed soon enough. For now let's just focus on Boreas. His semi-final is next. You said yourself that Candidus will give him a good match."
"Alright. It doesn't matter who this guy is anyway, he still has to face Boreas even if he makes the final." Atlas turned back to the arena.
Calendra walked to the centre of the floor and the arena went still. "Our next match is the first semi-final."
"A timeless battle. Fire against water." She paused. "Representing Magmel: Prince Boreas."
The crowd erupted. Atlas was already on his feet before he knew he'd stood. Beside him Myra was yelling something he couldn't hear over the noise. Even Gramps was smiling, arms folded, watching the floor below with quiet satisfaction.
Boreas walked out from beneath the stands and into the light, unhurried, shoulders back. He raised a hand once toward the royal section, toward them, and Atlas felt something swell in his chest that he didn't have a name for.
"And representing the Eastern Night Dominion: Candidus Aurelius."
The responding cheer was smaller but not quiet. Candidus stepped onto the floor and the white flame flickering along his knuckles caught the light immediately. A few people nearby in the crowd murmured.
Calendra descended to the centre of the floor as the two students took their positions.
"The rules are as follows. A time limit of twenty minutes. No lethal strikes. No killing blows. Victory is achieved when your opponent is rendered unconscious or unable to continue." She looked between them both. "Is this understood?"
Boreas nodded once. Candidus inclined his head.
Calendra stepped back. "Then begin when ready."
The two fighters bumped fists. Then they broke apart fast.
Boreas dropped low and swept both arms back, water surging beneath him and launching him across the floor to his corner in a single fluid motion. On the other side, white flame bloomed from Candidus's feet and carried him backward just as quickly, the heat of it warping the air around his ankles.
They faced each other from across the floor. The arena held its breath.
Candidus made the first move, blasting himself into the air on a burst of flame. He shot across the arena and aimed a kick straight at Boreas's head.
Boreas dropped, folding beneath the kick in the same instant it arrived, already moving, sweeping his leg low along the ground toward Candidus's landing. Candidus read it and pushed off backward before he touched the floor, white flame bursting from his feet to carry him back toward his starting position.
He didn't make it. Boreas rose as Candidus crossed the air between them. Both hands came together in front of his chest, then he opened them and fired.
The water beam hit Candidus square before his feet touched the ground. The force of it kept him up and then drove him backward hard into the arena wall. The crowd gasped.
Candidus peeled himself off the stone, looking across the floor to where Boreas stood. He hadn't moved. He was watching, waiting, arms loose at his sides, weight settled, patient in a way that said he could do that again whenever he felt like it.
Something flickered across Candidus's face. Then the white flame began to build. It came up slow at first, pressed tight to his skin, a faint halo of condensed heat that made the air around him shimmer. He lowered his hands to his sides and two daggers formed, white flame pulling into shape and holding there, burning clean and steady.
He set his feet and charged. Boreas sent another stream the moment Candidus moved. Candidus slipped it and stepped inside the beam at the last second, closing the distance fast, dagger already swinging.
Boreas pulled his neck back. The blade caught his cheek anyway. A thin line of red opened across the bone. The crowd made a sound.
Boreas was already moving backward, putting space between them. Candidus followed without hesitation, the second dagger swinging down hard as he closed in again.
Boreas brought his forearm up and drove his fist into Candidus's wrist, killing the strike. The other arm came around from below. Boreas caught it on his knee, the impact landing with a dull crack.
The opening was there. Boreas took it. His right fist came across fast, water surging behind the knuckle, and it connected hard with Candidus's cheek. The sound reached the stands a half second later. Candidus went down to one knee.
Boreas didn't wait. Another blast, direct and heavy.
White flame snapped into a shield in front of Candidus at the last second. The water hammered against it and held, the shield bowing under the pressure but not breaking. Candidus rolled sideways. Boreas tracked him, moving the beam, but Candidus was already inside the angle of it, back on his feet and closing fast, with no space left between them.
Candidus launched an uppercut from the floor, catching Boreas clean under the chin and lifting him off his feet. He flew back, arms wide, the crowd lurching to its feet around him.
The water caught him as it rose from the floor in a controlled surge, absorbing the momentum, setting him down on his feet with his hands already coming up in front of him again.
Boreas looked across at Candidus. Candidus charged. He came straight with his fist aimed at Boreas's face, no feint, no setup. Boreas brought his forearm up and caught it cleanly. For a split second they were close enough that Candidus could see the intensity in his eyes.
Boreas's other arm was already moving. Candidus blasted his feet and threw himself backward before it connected, the white flame launching him clear. He hadn't even touched the ground when Boreas's arm swept down in a wide, heavy arc and a curved blade of pressurised water followed and hit Candidus head on.
The force took him off his feet. He rolled across the floor and caught himself on one knee, head down. He didn't get a breath.
The second shot came before he was up. It struck him square and sent him skidding hard into the barrier wall. The impact shook the stone.
Candidus bounced off the wall and turned to find a fist coming at his face. White flame surged and a helmet formed over his skull just in time. The punch rang off it, Boreas's knuckles catching the curved surface. He adapted without pausing, hitting Candidus with a hook to the flank. Candidus got his arms down to block. Another shot to the other side and Candidus pulled his knee up and braced, catching it on the joint.
Candidus threw a jab back into the gap. Boreas shifted his body sideways and let the arm go past his face, close enough to feel the air of it, then grabbed it. He turned and threw Candidus back toward the centre of the floor.
Candidus hit the ground and came up fast. Something had changed in him. His jaw was set, chest heaving, the adrenaline coming through now in the way he moved. White flame surged from his feet and he launched himself directly at Boreas.
Boreas launched too. Water drove him forward and they met in the centre, forearms slamming together before both hit the ground hard. They were back on their feet almost immediately. Candidus swung. Boreas weaved and put a jab into the side of his face. Candidus shook it off and swung up for an uppercut.
Boreas pulled his head back and it missed. Then Candidus stomped his foot down onto Boreas's, pinning him in place, and threw a straight punch directly into his nose.
The crowd made a sound. Candidus swung again. Boreas ducked, dropped his shoulder and drove it forward, wrapping both arms around Candidus and taking him to the ground. He came up on top and swung down.
Right. Left. Right.
Then he stopped and stood.
Candidus lay on the arena floor, chest rising and falling, nose dark with blood. He tried to push himself up once. His arms gave. He tried again and stayed down.
Calendra walked onto the floor. She looked at Candidus for a moment. Then she raised her hand toward Boreas.
"The winner is Boreas Magmel."
Atlas and Myra jumped from their seats, cheering.
"That was amazing! Boreas blasted him around like nothing!" Myra exclaimed.
"He adapted well in the end. That was decisive." Gramps said.
"The end of the fight wasn't the problem. He overcommitted at the start and it cost him. He was trying to throw his power around." Etzaron spoke from his role as Boreas's mentor.
"That's his father's influence," Gramps replied.
"I saw some of his grandfather in that fight as well," a new voice said as someone ascended the stairs. Veyra started to rise but Gramps laid a hand on her arm and gave a small shake of his head.
A woman came into view at the top of the stairs, one Atlas didn't recognise. "Who are you?" he asked.
"Atlas! That was rude." His mother scolded him.
Gramps rose with a laugh. "This is my sister I've told you about. Vinda."
He walked to her and wrapped her in a tight hug, lifting her off the ground. "It's good to see you."
Vinda jokingly pushed him away. "It's good to see you too, Magnus. Put me down."
"It's been too long, Aunt Vinda. I can barely remember you from when I was a boy." Etzaron said.
"Indeed it has, Etzaron. I see you've grown into a fine man, and a fine leader for Magmel's people." Vinda replied.
Etzaron smiled. "Thank you, that means a lot to me."
Vinda smiled at him for a moment longer, then added, "Your father taught you well."
She looked next at the young girl sitting beside Atlas and smiled even wider. "And you must be Myra!"
"I'm Atlas," Atlas said, not wanting to be left out.
Vinda addressed him without looking at him. "Yes, the rude one who can't wait for an introduction."
Atlas shrank back into his chair. "Sorry," he said quietly.
She turned to him then. "I've heard much about you, Atlas. Magnus says you are a determined young warrior."
"Gramps said that?" Atlas perked right back up.
"Indeed. If you train hard enough perhaps you could even be as strong as..." a smile pulled at the corner of her mouth, "Gramps."
"So, did you come to watch Boreas fight, Gran-" Atlas started.
Before he could finish the word a finger pressed to his lips. Vinda had appeared before him so suddenly he hadn't even registered her moving.
"You may get away with calling your grandfather Gramps. You will not be calling me Granny."
Atlas nodded rapidly without making a sound.
"Magnus and I aren't even halfway through a sage's lifespan," Vinda said.
Atlas considered that for a moment, then said, "...but you're old."
Vinda stared at him, a long flat look, almost disbelieving. Then she started to laugh. "Magnus, he's just like our little sister was."
The grin on Gramps' face grew even larger.
"Look at you, Magnus, grinning away over there. It's good to see you so happy." Sarnai said warmly.
"I'm just happy you all get to finally meet each other." Gramps said, settling back into his seat.
—
Calendra spoke when the fighters had both exited the arena. "Our other semi-final matchup is next! Keraunia Astrape against Velox!"
"The Astrape girl made the semi-finals. I'd say she's faster than Boreas, actually. How come you didn't mention her when I asked who could challenge him, Atlas?" Gramps asked, probing.
"Well, she's on the other side of the bracket so it doesn't really count. But I suppose in certain conditions she'd stand a good chance against Boreas." Atlas said, refusing to make eye contact with Gramps. He became particularly interested in Calendra's introductions.
"Is that so?" Gramps asked, not expecting an answer.
Atlas spoke up anyway. "I'm more interested in Velox. They still haven't announced where he's from, and I've never seen him before today. He made it to the semi-finals without breaking a sweat. He's fast, I can't even gauge how fast yet. I think this match will tell us."
Gramps nodded at that.
The fighters took the ring and bumped fists, as customary.
The match began, Velox walking forward with unhurried confidence. Keraunia drew her blade and pointed it toward him. She exhaled slowly. Atlas could see her nervousness from afar. She was clearly unsettled by the unfamiliar face.
Velox picked up speed then, flashing forward and firing a kick at her head.
With lightning quick reflexes she managed to raise an arm and block the kick, but the impact still sent her stumbling back. She brought her sword up hurriedly, prepared for the next attack.
It didn't come. Velox stood where he had kicked her, an unhurried look on his face. Keraunia's eyes narrowed as she lowered her stance.
He appeared in front of her again and she took a swipe at him. The attack found nothing. He was already shifting behind her, landing a hard punch to her liver. She stumbled but grit her teeth.
She raised her sword above her head and swung it down in his direction. Lightning burst from the blade, arcing forward in a swarm.
He was gone before it arrived, standing off to the side, watching to see what she would do next.
She stepped into a deep lunge and thrust forward, sending a bolt streaming across the arena, but she didn't stop there. She swung her sword out in a wide arc around her body, the bolt sweeping along the wall and leaving a scorch mark where it touched.
The attack was blinding, a massive amount of energy coursing through the lightning. Yet Velox was untouched. He was standing beside her on the opposite side of her attack. She barely had time to register him before his punch sent her into the wall.
She tried to rise, but he closed the gap and delivered a decisive blow. As she slumped against the wall the referee stepped in.
"It's over. The winner is Velox!"
"I've never seen anyone so fast," Atlas said, eyes still on Velox as he calmly walked out of the arena and disappeared into the corridors.
"You trained him well, Vinda." Gramps praised his sister.
"No way, you trained him?" Atlas said.
Vinda grinned. "Yeah, I did. He's my grandson. I've trained him since he was a boy."
"You must be just as good a master as Gramps, training someone like that." Atlas said, clearly impressed.
Gramps chuckled beside him. Vinda glanced at Atlas sideways. "Some would say better."
Atlas looked at her straight on. "Are you as strong as him? Could you beat him? You're his older sister, you must have beaten him all the time growing up."
Vinda smiled, just slightly. "Of course I have. Where do you think he got it from?" She let that sit for a moment. "I taught him the strength nexus."
Atlas stared at her. "Wait. Really?"
"It's true," Gramps said, unbothered. "She didn't just teach it to me. She discovered both the strength and speed nexus." He paused. "But don't let that fool you. She hasn't beaten me since I fully realised my nexus."
Vinda folded her arms. "We could step down there right now and settle that. Though," her gaze drifted to the floor where Velox was taking his position, "I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of your own people. I'll let the boy handle it."
Gramps laughed at that, easy and bright.
Atlas watched a crew of cleaners repair the scorch marks where Keraunia's lighting had struck the arena. He waited with anticipation for the final match, counting the minutes down, until enough time passed that Calendra took the floor once again.
Her voice settled over the arena. "And now the final match." She let the weight of it sit for a moment. "To see who has truly grown the furthest in their nexus." She turned slightly. "Prince Boreas Magmel."
The stadium roared. Atlas and Myra cheered loudly for their brother.
"Will face," Calendra announced. "Velox Magmel."
The crowd didn't cheer. A low murmur moved through the stands instead, confused and growing.
Atlas turned. "Why didn't they announce he was a Magmel in his other fights?"
Gramps folded his hands in his lap. "Because I asked them not to." He kept his eyes on the floor below. "I arranged to have Velox compete in the tournament knowing he'd likely make the final. Knowing who he'd face."
Atlas stared at him. "But why?"
"Just watch, boy."
Below, Boreas stood at his corner. Something had shifted in his posture, subtle, but Atlas knew his brother well enough to see it. He was staring across the floor at Velox with an expression Atlas couldn't quite read.
Calendra raised her hand and the match began.
Boreas hadn't moved when Velox was already there. No wind-up. No charge. One moment he was across the floor, the next his fist was buried in Boreas's gut, and Boreas was already flying backward with no time to catch himself, no time to do anything at all. He hit the ground and rolled, skidding to a stop on one knee.
Atlas grabbed the barrier in front of him. "I could barely see him. It was like he just appeared."
Gramps chuckled and said nothing.
Boreas got to his feet. Water surged from the ground beneath him, massive and immediate, launching him forward like a cannon shot. He crossed the floor in an instant and swung.
Velox stepped to the side. Boreas threw another punch, then a kick, then a combination. Velox moved through all of it without taking damage.
"I honestly expected more," Velox said.
He moved before Boreas could close his guard, straight through the middle, no hesitation, and the uppercut came from the floor, connecting with Boreas's jaw and lifting him off his feet.
The ground beneath the arena shuddered. A geyser tore through the floor below Boreas while he was still in the air, catching him and holding him above the arena floor. He hung there for just a moment, both arms raised, palms open and aimed downward at Velox.
Boreas unleashed. It wasn't like the shots in the earlier fight. This was something else entirely, a torrent, the geyser feeding it from below, the whole thing widening until it filled the width of the arena floor. When it hit the walls the entire structure shook. Up in the royal section Atlas felt it move through his seat.
His eyes went wide. Then wider. Velox was angled above Boreas, coming from behind and above, foot driving straight down into the back of his skull.
The beam collapsed all at once. Boreas dropped from the air and hit the arena floor with a sound that silenced the crowd.
Velox landed in front of him. Boreas was barely moving, arms shaking as he pushed himself up onto his knees, head hanging.
"I'll hand it to you," Velox said. "Your sheer output is immense."
Atlas watched his brother. Something small, almost invisible, was happening. Droplets of water running off Boreas's skin, off the floor around him, pulling upward. Rising toward his mouth.
Velox tilted his head slightly. "To be honest-"
Boreas's head snapped up. A single condensed bullet of water fired from his mouth. Velox had just enough time to turn, the shot grazed his shoulder and kept going, punching through the barrier wall behind him.
The wound was still opening when Velox moved. Boreas saw the bullet leave his own mouth, saw Velox move, and then there was nothing.
Calendra walked onto the floor. She looked at Boreas, motionless on the ground. Then she turned and raised her hand toward Velox.
"Winner: Velox Magmel." She let a breath pass. "And champion of this year's Academy Graduation Tournament."
The crowd took a moment. Then they began to cheer, loud and real.
Velox stood in the centre of the floor and looked out at all of it. Something moved across his face that he didn't seem to know what to do with. He had grown up away from this, away from crowds and names and recognition. The sound of it landed differently than he'd expected. He stood there and let it wash over him.
—
Boreas came back to himself on the sidelines. He was lying on a low bench, the noise of the arena filtering through the walls around him, a herbalist working quietly at the side of his head. The woman's hands moved with the ease of someone who had done this many times, plant matter threading through her fingers, something cool pressing against the back of his skull.
He heard Calendra's voice carry through the walls, announcing the winner. A small smile came to his face.
—
The royal entrance at the back of the arena was quiet after everything, a wide corridor of pale stone, away from the crowd and the noise. Atlas got there first, Gramps and Vinda just behind him. Boreas arrived a few minutes later, still moving carefully, a cloth pressed to the back of his head.
"Boreas." Atlas met him at the door. "I've never seen you lose like that. You took a beating out there."
"Yeah, I did. There's no denying it. He was fast, faster than I had any way of dealing with. I wasn't prepared at all." Boreas said. Atlas frowned. It wasn't like Boreas to sound like that after a loss.
"But next time I will be."
The frown disappeared when Atlas saw the resolve in his brother's eyes. He meant those words completely. That meant training was going to be brutal going forward. Atlas couldn't help but smile.
"You fought well, Boreas. I hope you're inspired to aim for even greater heights." Gramps offered the praise simply.
"Thank you. Of course I am. I can get even stronger now." A smile broke through. "I get the feeling you had something to do with that, so thank you, Grandfather."
"Just keep working hard toward your goals." Gramps held his gaze for a moment.
Boreas glanced at the unfamiliar woman beside Gramps. "Oh, this is my sister, Vinda," Gramps said.
"It's nice to finally meet you. Gramps has always spoken of you highly." Boreas said, extending his hand.
Vinda took it. "Likewise. That was well fought out there. Not many know how to deal with Velox's speed, but you adapted quickly, even managing to land a blow."
"I appreciate that. I hope next time I can land one that counts." They smiled at each other.
Footsteps echoed from the doorway as Velox entered. There was a stunned look on his face.
"It's something, isn't it? Having thousands of people chanting your name." Vinda said to him.
"I can't believe it. They're all cheering for me." His voice was quiet, like he still couldn't quite reconcile it.
"Well, don't let it go to your head. Get too full of yourself and next time Boreas might just beat you."
Velox looked around until he spotted Boreas. He seemed to come back to himself. "Great match, Boreas. I was shocked. Nobody but Grandma has ever been fast enough to hit me before."
"I was the one who was shocked," Boreas said. "I've never seen anyone move like you. I couldn't track you at all. You were in control from the start." He paused. "You're going to stick around for a while, right? I want to train with you."
"About that..." Velox looked over at Vinda.
"I understand, Velox. You want to stay. I trained you to fight and to protect, you're ready. I won't try to stop you. I just want you to be certain. It's not all arenas and crowds. It won't always be easy. People get hurt, people die. You have to be ready to face that." Vinda said to him.
"I'm ready, Grandma. I've always been ready."
Vinda went still.
Stop worrying, Vinda. I was born ready for this.
She was back in the corridor a moment later, looking at her grandson. The same certainty in his eyes. The same grin.
"I thought I was ready too," she said quietly. Gramps rested a hand on her shoulder.
"I was set to lead Magmel. I had trained my whole life for it. And then our younger sister fell in battle, and I didn't know how to continue. It broke me, broke my will. I left Magmel and its wars behind. I was incredibly lucky that Magnus had my back." She took a moment to glance at him, then exhaled.
"So, Velox. You may stay here if you believe that is your path. Just promise me that you'll rely on the people you care for and do all you can to be there when they need you."
"Of course. I promise." Velox had tears in his eyes as he stepped forward and embraced her.
—
As they made their way toward the exit Atlas was already talking. "I can't wait to train with you, Velox. You have to show me how you got so fast!"
"There's time for training tomorrow, Atlas." Gramps said. "Let Velox rest tonight."
"Alright, I guess." He sounded defeated.
A smile snuck onto Gramps's face. "He can take your room, and you can have the guest quarters."
"But I already have all my stuff in my room. Why does he get it?" Atlas said.
"Do you two just spend all day hitting each other in the head?" Vinda asked her brother.
Finally, they reached the outer gates of the city. Velox gave his grandmother one last hug as she prepared to depart.
Vinda turned to Gramps, reaching out to shake his hand. "It was very good to see you again, Magnus. I'm glad for the chance to meet everyone, you have a lovely family. I'm entrusting Velox to you. Keep him safe, and make sure he pulls his weight around here."
"You have my word, Vinda. Take care of yourself out there. You know how to reach me, if any trouble should arise."
With that she set off, not turning back to look. Velox waved to her back just once, before turning to look at the group.
"I'm ready," His words were simple.
"Let's go then," Gramps spoke as he turned and started walking towards home.