Chapter 30: Chapter 30

“A bigger sword can't wipe away blood that's already been spilled. This changes nothing,” Serina grunted. Kalista pushes upwards with her blade, causing Serina to leap backwards.

“You're half right. I needed to win before, and I still do now.” Kalista raised her sword in front of her. “Price of Life,” she chanted. The blood which covered her body began to seep through cracks in her armor and drifted towards her blade, swirling around and coating it.

“Pilgram's Charge!” Serina quickly covered the distance between the two, leading with a thrust.

With an impressive amount of strength, Kalista jabbed the sword forward as far as she could into Serina's path, causing her to divert her skill lest she find herself skewered.

Serina gritted her teeth and raised her weapon. “Judgement!”

Kalista spun around in a wide arc and slashed. “Vengeance!” Her blow managed to connect first, piercing Serina's chest plate and sending her flying. Serina's blood which now stained the edge of the blade was quickly absorbed by the coating, making the crimson aura even more intense. While the blade developed its ominous appearance, Kalista's injuries began to heal.

Serina stood back up and began to run towards Kalista, letting out a battle cry.

Kalista pointed the tip of her sword towards Serina, and chanted, “Wave”, while thrusting into the air.

A fast-moving red crescent shot out from Kalista's sword, slightly wider than her sword. Only with her speed, Serina narrowly managed to avoid being hit by it. Once close enough, Serina began to spin. “Divine Storm!”

Kalista back-stepped while swinging her sword through the air. “Wave!” A large red crescent shot out from her swing and sailed through the air, this one slower than the one from before. Serina stopped her ability and attempted to get out of the way, but the wave was so large it slammed along her right hip and stomach, cutting through the armor and piercing the skin underneath. The coating on Kalista's sword faded before vanishing completely.

Serina fell on one knee, failing to seal her wounds with her fingers as the other hand gripped her sword to prevent herself from completely falling over. Serina's breaths grew heavier as Kalista approached her. “How the tables have turned. Do you think I'll evolve now?” Serina asked.

Kalista smirked. “Peter originally thought you were a Templar gone mad. If that was true, then I suppose it's possible.”

Serina laughed. “You primals have no idea the danger you pose to humans. In a manner of minutes you went from laying on your back accepting death to looking down on me. You get to keep your Peter safe, while everyone else must try to feel at ease while feigning ignorance of what you could do to them if he commanded it.”

Kalista silently pondered her words for a moment, before sighing. “Do you yield?”

Serina looked angrily towards the ground before nodding her head slightly. “I surrender!” She suddenly shouted, loud enough that the spectators could hear. “The victory is yours! Though the Church condemns your very existence, we still honor our agreements! You are free to go.”

A mixture of clapping and disappointed breaths came from the bleachers where the tamers had been sitting. A priestess rushed over to begin healing Serina, as Peter and Gaia ran over towards Kalista with Gaia healing whatever remaining damage she had.

“You did it Kalista!” Peter shouted as he neared.

Kalista rushed towards Peter. Lifting him off a few inches from the ground as she tightly embraced him. “We did it. I had given up, but you never stopped believing. I... I feel proud, that I could make you proud.”

“We... we should celebrate!” Peter said as Kalista put him down, he then pulled her and Gaia towards him. “All of us! All these weeks of hard work... we got past our first challenge, and we beat Serina!”

“I have an idea for a reward... one that Gaia I'm sure would like as well.” Kalista smirked.

After stopping by the guild to inform Evans of the good news and to thank him for all his help, the group went back to the inn. The rest of the day was spent with Kalista and Gaia ravaging Peter. The trio only took breaks to grab food and replenish their energy. By the third of such breaks, Peter had been too tired to even walk down the stairs to the inn, so they had food delivered to their room and consumed it there. When they were finally finished for the night, it was no surprise that Peter immediately drifted off to sleep.

---

The next morning, Kalista awoke to find Gaia gently running her fingers through Peter's hair. Looking at his expression, Kalista realized he was still resting. She thought for a moment, and signaled for Gaia to follow her without waking Peter. Gaia appeared hesitant, but eventually ended up going with her.

They went downstairs to the inn, where tamers and their primals had just begun to wake up and get ready to start the day. Kalista found an empty table and directed Gaia to join her on a nearby seat. They ordered some food, and sat in silence for a while.

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Gaia's posture was upright and tight, her hands resting together on her thighs as she stared at the table. Kalista sighed, and Gaia glanced at her. Kalista pursed her lips, then finally nodded her head.

“Gaia, I'm sorry.”

Gaia's brows furrowed. “Umm, excuse me?”

“I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you these past few months.”

Gaia's eyes opened wide. “Wha-, where is this coming from?”

“Myself. When you first joined us... I...” Kalista shook her head, then gulped. “I did not treat you well. I threatened you. Played with your feelings. And tried to demean you. I... I know it does not justify what I did. But every time I looked at you, I felt so... so angry. You... you looked like them. The Dryads, which took Peter away from me. I nearly lost him. And every-time I saw you, it felt like you were still going to take him from me somehow.” Kalista sighed. “And then I had this stupid battle with Serina. The world felt like a cruel joke. A fight with someone I had already lost to before just to keep my tamer. All while I had to live under the same roof with you who, frankly, I had wished he had gotten rid of.”

“I...” Gaia paused. “I was, one of them. I was one of the Dryads which had captured him. The things you hate me for, I am guilty.”

“No, you weren't.”

Gaia looked confused. “What?”

“That wasn't, hmm. I don't see it that way anymore, I suppose. Maybe it's an attempt to clear myself of guilt. Did Peter ever tell you how I became his?” Gaia shook her head. Kalista smirked. “He told me that before we had bonded, I had apparently been a troublesome primal. Something about other people trying to tame me, and me beating every single guy up. Then comes along Peter, who asked to be put in a room with me, by himself, and he tries to fight me on his own. With his fists. Not even using a weapon!” Kalista rolls her eyes and then laughs. “What an idiot.” She speaks the words not with malice, but with endearment. “But I guess it worked since the first thing I remember is sucking on his lips before riding him halfway to death.”

“That... sounds very like you.” Gaia remarked.

“Doesn't it? But I don't remember any of it. Not fighting him. Not beating up other tamers. None of it. I've come to the conclusion that it wasn't me. Maybe it was a primal that was very similar to me. But that Squire wouldn't have been able to sit down and talk with Peter's Dryad over breakfast. She wouldn't break down crying about how worthless she was in a restaurant. And she would have never learned how to beat Serina on her own. So it's not me. And that means the Dryads that took Peter away from me... you're not one of them either.”

“What if I...” Gaia hesitated. “What if I told you I remember him being captured. And him nearly dying?”

Kalista raised her eyebrows in surprise and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. For a moment, Gaia cursed herself for bringing up such a thing. She could not remember anything up until the point when she was bonded and on top of him, and he was about to die, where she instantly began to heal him. Kalista finally seemed to have a favorable view of her... But she needed assurance. What if Kalista changed her mind on this? Would she go back to hating her?

“Well...” Kalista finally started. “I want to joke and say even feral, you had good taste in men. But if you really did remember...” Kalista's head bobbed up and down. “You haven't done anything to endanger him since. Besides our fun all yesterday afternoon, I mean, but we are both guilty there. I didn't want to see it at first, but you care for him. In your own way, separate from mine. As long as you didn't plan to kidnap him and return with him into the forest...”

“Of course not!” Gaia quickly said, bringing her fists to her chest.

“Then I guess it doesn't really matter whether you remember or not. What matters is whether you care for him or not, and you do. And he cares about you too. Before, that made me a bit mad. Honestly, I still sometimes want to just monopolize him all day. I guess I am possessive after all. But I think it's better having you around. You can help him with things that I can't. You have strengths that I don't. We have been fighting together and protecting him since you joined the team. It's nice finally having someone else prioritizing him. Deric and Kean...” Kalista shook her head. “Ugh. I don't want to think about those guys. Either way, if you remember, well, it doesn't bother me. And I would still want to say sorry, so... sorry. I don't expect you to immediately forgive me. But I hope we can keep working together as a team, and protect Peter together. And take the world on with him.”

Gaia was momentarily at a loss for words. “I... I hated you too. My first meeting with you was you almost killing me. When you brought Peter outside, there was so much blood everywhere. And the corpses of the Dryads... I remember being scared, thinking I was about to join them. With the way the church members looked at me, I think if I hadn't stayed so close to you at the time they might have attacked me too. But you looked at me with so much anger, even when I was trying to help heal Peter. The man I realized we were both bonded to. And then, once in the hospital, even though I cared for him. Maybe not as much as you, but I still did. You wouldn't let me near him. I was terrified.”

Gaia shivered as she recalled the painful memories. Kalista appeared remorseful but remained silent. “I... wanted you to leave too. I even thought of different ways to do it. But over time, especially recently, I realized you had just been scared too. There were so many changes going on. And so much on your mind. Up until now, I had accepted, but not forgiven. But to hear you say all this to me. I... I forgive you, Kalista. But only if you forgive me too.”

“Of course, I forgive you, Gaia.”

“And I forgive you, Kalista. Want to hug on it?”

“Sure.” The two stood up and embraced each other. By the time they finished, their food had just arrived. “You have,” Kalista was blushing a little, “very impactful hugs. I feel a little jealous, and I'm worried I'm not sure of whom.”

Gaia let out a cute laugh. The two casually chatted as they finished their food, and afterwards brought some upstairs for Peter to eat once he woke up.

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