• PM To Join • [Sweetwine Woods] Snowfall and Stardust (Merces)

[Sephira]

Afternoon ~ 26th of Cylus, Arc 718

It was beautifully calm within the borders of Sweetwine Woods. Storms had hit the island heavily in the last few trials, however it seemed that finally a gentler side of nature was being revealed. There were several downed trees within the woodland but a gentle snowfall had begun to cloak the damage. Sephira walked silently down a well-trodden path as snow lightly collected in her hair and on her lashes. Pulling her new scarlet wool coat tighter to her body she kept counting her steps softly under her breath as she proceeded down the footpath. The mage had begun her counting a little under a half a kilometer ago to the west from the direction of Scalvoris Town.

She had been given the trial off from her duties as an Element so she had spent the day blissfully alone and working to improve her grasp on her magic. The Rupturer was aware that she could push her portals farther than her line of sight; her master had explained that long distance travel was indeed possible. Granted the mage in question had to be meticulous in remembering minute details of the desired destination or they would run the risk of being killed or maimed after entering their portal. The level of compression would be pushed to an extreme; to the point that she would be pressing two distant points in space together into an area the width of a piece of parchment. The math was boggling, but that was the nature of magic; it defied all rules of natural law.

That morning Sephira had started at the very edge of the woods, spending a couple of breaks studying the area and marking it carefully with a ring of stones to help guide her visualization later that trial. The walk to her current location had been a peaceful respite compared to the weeks spent in the crowded streets of Scalvoris Town and Almund.

An elegant snowy fox skittered across the path ahead, pausing only briefly to survey the woman before slinking into the frost laced grass lining the path. The bits passed as she continued walking and softly counting her steps. Sephira was terribly close to reaching her desired eight-hundred steps when she came upon a massive storm damaged oak that was collapsed across the footpath. The mage was fairly sure that no one was watching nearby and did not hesitate to reach into the surrounding ether to open a blink portal. The effervescent energy shivered at her touch and she felt her rupturing spark flex like a lazy housecat as the portal opened with a flick her wrist. It would appear as nothing more than a flash of crimson star flecked light accompanied by a soft thrumming boom as she entered the blink and instantly appeared on the other side of the downed tree. Exhaling slowly, vapor spilling from her lips, Sephira continued counting the gentle crunching sound of her footfalls.

Her count would need to be fairly accurate if she wanted to create a functional portal back to her starting point...hopefully she would not be interrupted.

Dialogue|Thoughts

[Mercedes]

There, The Sorcerer stood in between two trees that towered far above his new, Muscular and strange frame. The male formerly known by the name of “Merces” had taken on a new identity, and become “Mercedes”. Previously, he had been a zealous, overly ambitious, passionate, and strongly opinionated person. However, the course of action that had been taken by what he assumed to have been vigilantes warped his view of reality. Before, Mercedes had been nothing more than a Sorcerer out to make a quick nel with little regard for any single individual he stepped on. Where Merces failed to become a productive member of society, Mercedes needed to succeed. Whilst Merces would have made one choice; Mercedes needed to do the opposite. Yet, simply because he took on the form of another person did not, nor would it change who he truly was.

After all, what was the true definition of change, and how could it be taken advantage of trial by trial? Who was Merces, and why did he choose to take extreme courses of action when things could be resolved simply? The chain of chronological, and philosophical thoughts broke at the sound of several footsteps being taken. Mercedes felt the need to destroy the being that impeded upon his attempt at meditation. The trial had been young, and perhaps the creature that broke the “silence” had been an animal.

Previously he had been ambushed, and struck with crossbow bolts in various non lethal areas. Should he chance the presence of another person in exchange for silence? Perhaps he could get away with being inattentive; this was a new body after all. However, on the off chance that Mercedes did encounter someone during Cylus. The Sorcerer elected to peek around the circumference of the large tree. However, what he saw had not been a person, but a beautiful fox? A fox well equipped to deal with the cool temperatures of Cylus? Only a fool would not take the opportunity to have a chance at acquiring the totem of such a beautiful, well adapted creature.

Yet, when he looked beyond the fox; what he saw had not only interested him, but shook him to the core. A loud sound like the roar of thunder, and a strangely distorted portion of space seemed to warp. This was no natural occurrence; this was magic, and it had not even been hidden well enough for one to assume otherwise. The Sorcerer did not hesitate to approach the female; although she certainly had been beautiful.

From around the radius of the Tree; Mercedes approached black clad in his leather attire, and lengthy extravagant feather cloak. The idiosyncratic cloak waved about within the dim wind that accompanied a large portion of Cylus. However, due to his innate increase in bodily temperature, and multitude of mutations he did not experience the effects of Cylus. Not to mention his new body had been that of a half-ellune with various patches of grayish skin. The body sported a five o'clock shadow, hazel eyes, and somewhat tanned skin with dark, curly hair.

“Hello there, love. Mind telling me about what sort of magic that is?”

[Sephira]

The mage slid to a sudden halt, her black leather boots kicking up a soft spray of snow as she paused right as she hit six hundred steps according to her count. However, Sephira was not stopping because she had reached her destination but rather because she realized to her horror that she had not been alone. Pulling her the scarlet wool collar of her coat tightly to her body the mage resisted the urge to reach for the gleaming saber at her hip as a man appeared just ahead of her along the snow laden path. His unexpected appearance all on its own nearly led her to drawing her weapon, but the rippling cascade of his cloak made him appear all the more threatening to the young woman.

Sephira’s master had often cautioned her about allowing others to see what she was. Of course, the Elements were aware of her identity as a mage but she had always taken special care to use her magic sparingly when she suspected unfamiliar onlookers. Regardless of that caution, clearly this man had seen her blink across the path. It had been a stupid, feckless move on her part, all because she allowed herself to forget the dangers she risked in toying with her magic. It was a curious paradox that while Rupturing was perhaps one of the most freeing of magics in Idalos, Sephira could not afford to enjoy it even in her own personal time for fear of being found out. Her master Elias had rarely spoken of his past, but from all his many warnings given to her, she had gleaned that he had once been taken advantage of because of his skills, perhaps in most unsavory ways.

Pushing away the memories of her late master, Sephira focused on the leather clad man in her path, her eyes rippling between silver, blue and black as her emotions shifted like a storm roiled ocean. He had been so very direct as to ask her about the nature of her magic that the question left her stunned into silence for several trills.

Sephira peered at his face, meeting his hazel eyes with a detectable wariness. “I had presumed myself to be alone.” She said crisply, falling back on her military training to lend her voice and posture strength.

“Clearly I was not.” The mage said while bluntly ignoring the stranger’s question for the moment to buy herself some time to consider her options. She was alone in the woods with a man who could very well be of foul intent...or perhaps he was harmless. It still begged the question as to why he was prowling Sweetwine woods in the heart of Cylus. That said, Sephira herself had been doing the same thing, perhaps their purposes for being there were not so different after all. The stranger had clearly understood that her use of Rupturing had been domain magic, which was a far cry from how the majority of Scalvoris’s citizens would have reacted. Many would have jumped to superstition or simply have ran away screaming.

But he had not.

Sephira crossed her arms and glanced over the stranger again. His clothing was rather light for the brutal cold of Cylus, though she could appreciate a sharp sense of style when she saw it. The dark leathers and feathered cloak set a striking silhouette. It was easy to see at a glance that the mage herself enjoyed partaking in fashion, her crimson coat bearing attractive gold embroidery at the lapels before the deep red fabric flowed back at her waist to fall just behind her knees before ending in an angular asymmetrical cut.

Indeed perhaps they were not so different.

“Rupturing” she said with a subtle smile. “It’s called Rupturing.”

Dialogue|Thoughts

[Mercedes]

The woman admitted that she had made an honest mistake, and carried on without worry. However, The Sorcerer continued to approach despite her lack of fear. She had to have been powerful; much like himself with no reason to fear much of anything. Much like himself she was a practicioner of magic, and therefore outclassed any mundane fool instantaneously. However, just like any mortal being she made mistakes carelessly. What sort of mage had she been, and why did she isolate herself in the center of the forest during Cylus? Mercedes could care less for the answers to his mental ocean of questions. She had been far too beautiful, and difficult not to notice with her splendid sense of fashion.

Where Merces should have turned and left; he continued to move forward as he felt like she did not intend to engage in combat with him. Thus when he finally reached a close distance to her; with only approximately four feet to spare. His lips parted and he spoke in response to her ability to reveal what sort of magic she used with such ease. In her defense she had nothing to hide from Mercedes that had not already been witnessed. The Sorcerer watched as she seemed to virtually destroy reality before his eyes.

The young woman wore a striking crimson cloak with a gold embroidery at the lapels. She possessed the extravagant appearance of a noble. Had she been someone of high importance, and if she was why would she have been here? The Sweetwine woods were more often than not unforgiving; predators lurked on every corner. One could simply shed a bead of sweat, and a large animal certainly would come running. Perhaps she needed a moment to practice her magic without the risk of destruction. The Sorcerers mind ran rampant with questions, and finally he asked one.

“Rupturing, that sounds interesting enough considering that I practically watched you destroy reality before my eyes. That is a new one to me, and I have never heard of it love. However, aside from all of the other questions I would like to ask about the magic. I would much rather ask one about you.” Mercedes delivered the statements with a silver tongue. Although he had not been quite so experienced with the art of seduction; he did know the basics.

“What is your name? Typically I would not ask the question, but a woman as well endowed and talented as you are is worth the time. “ The Sorcerer beckoned the young woman, and extended a hand simultaneously. If she were to look closely enough; she could observe the iridescent cerulean flame as it danced within his irises. They were alike in multiple ways, and had only just crossed paths. Perhaps this encounter had not been one of chance, but of destiny.

Never before had he encountered someone like her, and not even Max could contend with her level of beauty.

“My name, is Mercedes and I much like yourself practice the usage of magic.” He spoke with a warm, inviting smile.

[Sephira]

The mage visibly flinched, stepping back with one foot, her booted toe crunching in the snow as the stranger approached. Sephira had not thought past answering his question to the possibility of him approaching her. Suddenly she was faced with the fact that she was poorly versed with the talent of conversation, along with the possibility that he was not as harmless as he appeared.

A cloud of vapor poured from her lips, the woman reflecting critically on the situation as he came to a stop only a few paces from her. Sephira’s time with the Elements had been plagued with danger and surprises that she could have never anticipated, so it was no surprise that she maintained a wary expression that paired all too well with her frosty demeanor. Trust was not given easily, and certainly not by her. Even if the stranger was not afraid of what she was, it did not mean that he was not a danger. Still, there was an ease to his posture and mannerisms that spoke to an unthreatening nature...at least for now.

The woman’s eyes faded back and forth from a pale gray to a robust blue, her gaze snapping around the immediate area simply out of habit. It always behooved a rupturer to know which paths would be most suitable to escape. Her silent machinations were dashed aside when he spoke, noting that he was unfamiliar with her magic but that he was more interested in her name. The question took the mage aback for a trill, she had not been anticipating his interest in her, but rather in what she was. Maybe she had been right in guessing that he knew enough of magic not to be frightened or overly intrigued by it. To a non-mage a display of magic might inspire either fear or awe, but to a mage it was like breathing. It was such an intrinsic part of themselves and their relationship with their spark that even turning pools of ether into rips in reality might seem somewhat mundane. It was at this moment that Sephira felt a tendril of suspicion tangle itself with her thoughts. Was this man like her? After all there was a curious glimmer to his eyes, like the flickering of distant flames on the darkest of nights. Perhaps it was an illusion of the light reflecting off the snow, Sephira could not be quite sure.

There was an almost awkward silence when he asked her name, trills passing as the woman wordlessly debated within her mind about who he was and why whether or not it was wise to exchange pleasantries, given the circumstances.

Curiosity won out.

Sephira really had no one in her life to share her experiences with magic with; her master was gone, so she was alone in the pursuit of her craft. It was an integral part of who she was, it brought her joy, worries, and thrills that she had no one else to share with.

The mage stared at his proffered hand curiously as she examined it, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes at his flattery. She was not one to be swayed so easily.

“Flattery will win you nothing stranger.” The mage quipped with a tug of a smile at the corner of her lips before reaching toward the ambient ether behind him, her spark prickling in excitement. Sephira’s witchbrand burst alight in her eyes and cast a scarlet glow over her pupils; cloaking her natural eye color. A blink portal warped the air just to her right with shuddering ripples of subtle crimson radiance that she swiftly stepped through. The mage appeared a split-trill later, a low shuddering boom marking her emergence from the second portal five paces or so behind the stranger. The magic dissipated along with her witchbrand, her normal shifting eye color returning.

“But since you asked.” The woman said as she straightened her coat from the maneuver.

“My name is Sephira.” She uttered with a small laugh, the wariness in her eyes softening only faintly. It felt strange to be so free with her abilities around another person. People were so afraid of her kind, and maybe rightly so but it was like chaining a bird to the ground and only being allowed to fly according to the whims of others.

There was a moment of welcome relief when Mercedes introduced himself as a mage after her small display. It seemed that there was some sincerity in his words; an earnest nature that she felt she could invest some of her trust.

“So what sort of mage are you Mercedes?” Sephira asked, a bit more warmly that her words from before.
“You’ve seen a bit of my magic, lets see some of yours.”

Dialogue|Thoughts

[Mercedes]

She had spunk, and the ability to resist his not so subtle advances unlike majority of women in Scalvoris. Mercedes could only respect her decision to tease him further with the use of her magic, but what he did notice had been the dramatic shift in the color of her irises. When she used her magic her irises changed hues. Her magical ability had been not only to make use of these strange warps she created, but to step through them and use them for the purposes of travel. Mercedes continued to observe her every action. She could have killed him in an instant if she were armed with a bladed weapon. This “Rupturing” had been an incredibly powerful ability that he felt compelled to understand. Sephira had become open in to bold displays of magic the moment that she understood that Mercedes posed no immediate threat.

She spoke aloud about how flattery would not assist him, but she had been curious about his use of magic too. Unlike hers; his could do nothing outside the means of tasks already performed by the elements. His magic unlike the others consisted of building a relationship; rather than simply making use of the ether to control the outcome. However, unlike many of his defier-kin; Merces did not believe in such a “Relationship”. The elements may “talk”, but they have no tongues to do so with and as such are obviously incapable of actual speech. The Sorcerer was no fool, and understood this situation for what it had been. She was not simply curious about his magic, but wanted to assess how strong he was in comparison to her. Yet, what she had not known was that her sudden movement somewhat startled Merces, and forced the “Guardian” to lash out.

From what one would assume was nothing; a small sphere of flame reared its cerulean head. In a split-trill the sphere of fire burst into a massive torrent of flames. Luckily, the witch remained outside the radius of the spontaneous eruption of fire. A large column of fire surrounded The Sorcerer, and rocketed toward the heavens. A violent series of sounds exited the surrounding area, as the snow beneath his feet had been destroyed. The guardian dissipated and returned to its small spherical state and rotated about the circumference of his frame. Merces sighed as the guardian drained a somewhat large amount of ether from his resource pool.

“My god you woke it up! I did not even get the opportunity to showcase my magic myself that was involuntary. Sometimes fire gets aggressive my apologies, but your magic seems to be very powerful. It seems to be mere transportation magic, but I am certain you have and will continuously find more uses for this.. “Rupturing” than that". Merces spoke with the same expression as he had before; a smile that remained inviting.

“Anyway, I am not a man of flattery. I simply speak the truth, and have no trouble with speaking my mind aloud. “ The Sorcerer spoke, and hoped that she would not ask why he had not been engulfed in flames. Firstly, wind did not touch him and thus no matter how harsh the breeze of Cylus came his hair did not move an inch.

[Sephira]

Heat blossomed across the snow, melting a rough circle around Mercedes as azure flames erupted around him. The mage nearly stumbled back from the glare of light, taking two healthy steps away from the pillar of flame encircling the sorcerer. In that single trill she gleaned some insight into what her new acquaintance was; Mercedes was a Defier, a wielder of the elements.

Sephira had seen the work of a defier before, so she knew well the damage they could invoke upon others. For the briefest of trill, the memory of her last moments with her master played through her mind. Elias lying slumped against the wall of his home with a wicked still-smoldering burn wrapped around his torso, begging her to run, to leave Faldrass. The stench of burned flesh still clung to her mind; it took the full force of her will to push away the thoughts.

Defier’s were undeniably deadly, as she knew first hand. Sephira herself had trained with a Defiance mage on a couple occasions early in her time with the Elements. Learning how to defeat them was something she had been training to do since she joined the Scalvoris military, simply out of the wish to one day face Elias’s killer. They were likely the mages most adept at laying waste to large areas and swaths of enemies, but they could also burn themselves out quickly. Sephira was unfamiliar with the defensive nature of the elements around a Defier however she was quite familiar with her own spark’s tendency to open blink portals when she was fearful or stressed. She could only guess that the reaction of his own magic had been something similar.

Thankfully she kept those emotions in check when the flames leapt to Mercedes’s defense, though she could surely feel her spark shivering in response to her surprise.

“You’re a Defier.” She said sternly; it was a statement not a question. The mage’s voice was somewhat icier than before and the wariness had returned to her eyes.

“I’ve seen the work of your kind before.” Sephira spoke as she circled a few steps to the left, examining the orbiting cerulean orb of flame with narrowed eyes. There was a depth to her words, a sadness hidden behind her unyielding exterior. The shadow of some unmentioned memory clung to her eyes like cobwebs before she visibly shook her head faintly to bring herself back to the present.

“My apologies if I startled you, it was a foolish move on my part.” The mage held out her hand in a passive gesture before crossing her arms again, seeming to be more than a little irritated at her loss of control.

“I’ve never really met a mage outside of the Elements; I suppose I got carried away.” Sephira laughed halfheartedly, it was a poor excuse but it was quite true. There were several mages within the Elements but so far she had met none outside the military. She was unsure if this was because magic was so very rare or because the mages of Scalvoris sought to keep their abilities a secret. Sephira could understand the latter reasoning from experience. People tended to keep their distance from mages. They were famously dangerous; it was a truth that the Defier had just given a fantastic display of.

Sephira wondered to herself if Mercedes ever felt the sting of being avoided or hated because of what he was.

Dialogue|Thoughts

[Mercedes]

Surprised when Sephira so easily identified precisely which magic he used; Merces gave her a strange look. She spoke in a tone much more cold, and heinous than the one she previously used. Sephira spoke of Defiers as if they were creatures. With the words “Your kind”, The sorcerer interpreted that as he was not welcome in her presence. Did she hate him for the practice of his magic; perhaps he scared her with the violent display of his Guardian? Never before had he encountered a woman so alluring yet strange simultaneously. However, she turned a new leaf in an instant with an apology, and held out her hand only to fold her arms. She recognized that she had been the one to lose control, and seemed aggravated with herself.

Mercedes did not bother to listen to the specifics of the equation. Never before had she seen a mage outside of “The Elements”. She got carried away because of the excitement, and had never experienced such a thing before. The sorcerer thought to himself; were the many practitioners of magic in Scalvoris very secretive? From what he understood there were multiple people like him; defiers were not uncommon in his eyes. However, that could have simply been because he was part of that community of magic. Magic came in various shapes, forms and sizes; those who did not understand it feared it. Those who chose to be fearful of magic were the ones who did not respect its presence. What made defiers any different from rupturers?

The spark had essentially been the same, and no matter what sort of mage one was; they all used the spark. While he certainly had been despised in the past, and understood the level of danger he brought about every trial. He did not allow the opinions of other minuscule beings that had to both live, and breathe alongside his “kind” to affect him. She had been no different than him, aside from the fact that her magic tore open portals. Whereas his magic simply manipulated the elements at his will, and could be considered far more “Dangerous”. Natural forces were always more powerful than those of unnatural proportions. How much more powerful could Mercedes become, and why had he chosen to simply remain at his current level of discipline?

“Indeed I am a defier, but please don't refer to all defiers as “Your kind.” I am far different from any of those you may have encountered in the past. The others speak to the elements, as if they are friends with them. The relationship does not matter, and that is an illusion; how can an element speak If it is not alive?” Mercedes spoke to the woman, and with a soft sigh he concluded his speech.

“Aside from that, you and I are very similar in the aspect of magical practice. I would love a partner to train with, and perhaps you fit the bill. That “Rupturing” of yours seems incredible at closing gaps, and perhaps leads to successful assassinations. My weakness is melee combat, as I am obviously not well versed in that art. However, I do have something for close ranged opponents too.. what do you say?” Mercedes spoke as to make a deal with the young woman.

[Sephira]

Her expression remained steely, like a frightfully serene cloud that concealed a storm within. Sephira understood better than most, the dangers that come to everything a mage touches. Even mages similar to her that strive uphold the law and protect the helpless can be forces of destruction. Magic is unpredictable, only a fool would claim to have utter control over it. Regardless of the precise nature of Rupturing and her care in using it, Sephira knew how easily even her magic could get out of hand. One distracting thought while casting a portal could mean severed limbs or death to the Element, and those around her. Even if somehow she was in perfect control of her abilities, Sephira knew that there were people out there in the world that worked to abused and take advantage of mages. Her own master had likely been killed for this reason; pursued to a remote corner of Faldrass before being put down like an animal.

“A Defier killed my master.” Sephira stated bluntly as Mercedes finished explaining his magic and his relationship with it. There was a haunted look in her eyes, a hollowness that ate away at her core. She had been forced to run, to abandon Elias because she had not had the experience and knowledge that she possessed now. Sephira had specifically trained with a fellow Element to begin learning the basics of fighting Defiance Mages. True, they were vastly more powerful than she, but they burned out quickly if they committed too much Ether in their attacks. Keim’an had explained that while a Defier could best the Rupturer in raw strength, that she was just as capable of defeating them if she relied on her speed and maneuverability. Sephira had the advantage of being able to close nearly any distance on a battlefield in an instant, and her saber did the rest. She could become the perfect implement for destroying a Defiance mage if she continued her training.

Her icy exterior melted faintly when Mercedes offered to train with her. It was true that they could both learn a great deal from each other. All the better for her if she could learn from someone outside the Elements. Every mage was a little different from the next, perhaps there was something she could learn from him that she could not learn elsewhere. Her current trainer was a military trained Defier, it was reasonable to assume that Mercedes had been trained in a less structured environment. Sephira was not sure who her master’s killer was, if he was trained similar to Keim’an or if his past was more similar to the mage standing across from her. Regardless, there was certainly knowledge to be gained from her new acquaintance that she would not be able to find elsewhere.

“If you are offering to teach me how to combat Defiance, then I accept. I have been training to fight Defiers since I joined the Elements, I would appreciate the chance at learning from a less...traditional instructor.” Sephira’s eyes glimmered with a wary hopefulness. They could both learn from each other. She had experience in melee combat that she could pass on to him, and he could help provide some illumination as to how Defiance worked and how to defeat it.

“In exchange I can teach you a bit about more mundane combat.” The Element rested her left hand on the hilt of the saber at her hip. Wyvern‘s brass hilt gleamed darkly in the dim light of Cylus.

“So, we have a deal?”

Dialogue|Thoughts

[Mercedes]

A Defier had been the one who took someone important away from her. However, what truly brought him interest had been that she gave away information. The elements trained her to fight against practitioners of his magic. Had Defiance truly been seen as such a wicked, and powerful force of nature? He truly felt outcast by society; especially being that the military themselves disliked those who practiced Defiance. Were they simply common enough to become a threat on a regular basis? Had the elements been attacked by defiers before? There were far too many questions to be asked in regards to her statements. However, the true question had been; in exchange for his training her to combat magic what would he receive?

Practice against a non-traditional combat instructor would be incredibly useful. He practically talked away his right to combat her properly. Mercedes knew that he was far stronger than she, and understood that in a moments notice he could set her ablaze. Yet, with this “rupturing” she had; he would likely be incapable of murdering her as he pleased. She was powerful as well, but not in the same fashion that he was. She could bring death not by purely destroying an opponent, but by making use of her ability to transport herself quickly. The military certainly did find an exceptional one in Sephira. He truly was the opposite of what she would want to work alongside; a criminal, a thief, a liar, and a murderer. Yet, she did not know of any such facts being that she knew nothing of him, nor what he had accomplished.

She spoke again in regards to the offer of training. In exchange she wanted to teach Mercedes more about mundane combat. Why would he require the usage of a blade when he could fissure the earth itself? Mundane combat was no interest of his; he wanted to learn how to combat rupturing just as much as she did Defiance. Perhaps she wanted to persuade him in the wrong direction, and make him believe that he training would be of any use to him. Combat with fists or blades were easily learned over time. Mercedes had the power of the elements at his side, and could offer her better instruction than the military.

She had the ability to teleport as she pleased, and Mercedes simply could not accept such an offer. Mundane combat was nothing in the eyes of a Defiance practitioner like himself. What he wanted was to learn how to combat rupturing. With parted lips; he made an offer too and ignored the exchange of deals before the offer could be accepted.

“No, I cannot accept the deal as is. You wanted to learn how to combat Defiance; a magic that once killed your master from an instructor not like those of the military. I can ensure you that with my training you will learn to slaughter my kind. Mundane combat is of no use to a man like myself. What I want is to learn just how to combat this “Rupturing” of yours. If you are willing to grant me that wish only then will I agree to train you. “ Mercedes spoke aloud.