Vivi paused. Someone wanted to talk to her in Paradise? An ether hunter, of course. Nobody else could enter. “Is it Andre or Serena?”

  “I’m not certain,” Lucius said. “I just know that someone sent us a request to talk. They’re present right now.”

  Vivi sat down to think.

  “Should we go?” Lucius asked. “I’ll take you there if you wish.”

  “I’m not tired yet,” Vivi said. “Falling asleep will be a struggle.”

  “I can make you pass out by starting a connection to Paradise,” Lucius said. “You’ve been awake for a long time anyway. Sleep would be a good idea.”

  Vivi sighed. Just the idea of visiting Ythar’s dreamland again made her frown. Challenging ether hunters to duels was a good way of gaining practice. Vivi knew she should have visited more often to make use of the time spent asleep. She just didn’t want to… The moment she entered Ythar’s island, the hunters looked at her as if a rat had entered. Entering Paradise was as pleasant as throwing herself into a well of mud.

  “The meetup request is outside the island off on some field,” Lucius said. “There’s just one hunter and their spirit. Alone.”

  “Fine,” Vivi said. “Let’s hear what they have to say. But if things go wrong, sever the connection immediately. Can you promise me that?”

  “Of course,” Lucius said. “Lie down and I’ll send you there.”

  Vivi nodded. Lucius looked serious enough. He wasn’t grinning like an idiot trying to send Vivi to danger. The signal made him react seriously.

  “Let’s take your skill with us as well,” Lucius said. An ether container appeared from his spatial storage. The same one that kept Vivi’s skill.

  Vivi raised her eyebrows. “You’ve been holding that in storage?”

  “Of course,” Lucius said. “I can hide it inside myself just as well. What if we need it in emergencies?”

  Vivi rolled her eyes, but collected the skill back to her core. She lay down next to her anvil and closed her eyes.

  ***

  “Welcome, Vivian,” a man’s voice said the moment Vivi regained consciousness.

  The bright sunlight made her squint. She pushed herself up—hands touching the green clean grass—and was disappointed to find Andre and his blue spirit standing beside her.

  Andre wore his best outfit. A white regal suit, embroidered with black lace-patterns. His hair was trimmed and smoothly combed. In the sixth realm, his presence was calm and elegant. His ether didn’t ooze outward. Rather, he coated his skin with a subtle glowing layer, like a calm tide moving the sea.

  “What do you want?” Vivi asked.

  Andre smiled. “I’m here to discuss weapons with you.”

  “I’m not smithing any more swords for you,” Vivi said. “And I’m not taking offers.”

  “That is a shame,” Andre said. “But I’m not asking for your weapons. I’m here to talk about yourself.”

  Vivi frowned.

  “It’s clear that your profession has been neglected by the ether hunters. Runeswords show clear potential again. Perhaps enough potential to rival the spirit blades in specific situations.”

  “Yes,” Vivi said. “That’s what my Grandpa has been trying to prove for decades.”

  “I could help you,” Andre said. “By teaming up with me, your runeswords’ worth could be proven to the ether hunters.”

  Vivi watched his expression. Andre looked genuine, as he always did. He wasn’t just holding a straight face; he really looked serious about his offer.

  “Is my grandpa alive?” Vivi asked.

  “Thomas Warren's Son is alive and well,” Andre said. “I know this for certain. Though, he is imprisoned.”

  “Then you should free him,” Vivi said. “If you truly wish to prove that runeswords are great again, discuss with Grandpa. Test out one of his swords. So far, none of the hunters have as much as glanced in his direction. Nobody has once given him a fair chance. Proving the power of my runeswords won’t take more than a few minutes.”

  “You don’t get it,” Andre said. “The hunters’ obsession over Ythar’s spirits has grown beyond facts. Ever since the spirits became a thing, the hunters have tangled themselves in a totally new culture. One that rejects outsiders like the plague. You have witnessed this first hand. The hunters hate you.”

  “They have nothing better to do, it seems,” Vivi said.

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  “The hunters don’t care whether the runeswords are better or not,” Andre said. “Spending resources on some old smith’s weapons is the last thing they want. The spirit blades are reliable, and they’re cheap. And best of all, they’re exclusive to ether hunters. Spirit wielders have a monopoly of weapons and power. No human can rival the hunters in strength.”

  “Yes,” Vivi agreed.

  “However,” Andre said. “The hunters are also eager to expand territory. Hunts on the fourth level are incredibly profitable. If your runeswords can prove themselves worthy of being useful on the fourth level, you and your Grandpa might have a future working underneath a hunting company. I can convince the Greenwitch company to hire you.”

  “And what do you want in return?” Vivi asked.

  “Your cooperation,” Andre said. “Your runeswords. The powers of your spirit. I want you to become an ally.”

  A slave, Vivi thought.

  Andre’s proposal was good. He knew what Vivi wanted. Grandpa’s dream, throughout his life, was to prove the runeswords’ worth to the ether hunters. Andre proposed to help Vivi with exactly that. Working with him could have been the quickest way to save Grandpa.

  “Einord failed to craft the swords, huh?” Vivi asked.

  Andre’s brows twitched.

  “Inside-carving is not just some joke,” Vivi said. “You’ll need years of practice before you can make it work. More years if you want to actually make a good sword, not just an operational one.”

  “You read me well,” Andre said. “Work with me, craft me swords. Help me escape. In return, I will hire you and your grandpa..”

  Vivi bit her lip, thinking. Lucius… Have I grown selfish?

  “What do you mean?” Lucius asked.

  I really don’t want to accept his offer. Working with him means we’ll be enslaved in his smithy. We might prove the worth of our runeswords to the hunters, but we’ll be tied down by some contract, performing labor for the rest of our lives. Is that any better than working for Ingfried? Not to mention… We’d need to betray Aang.

  Lucius looked confused. “You’re considering this scammer’s offer? Why?”

  Vivi bit her lip. If Andre was honest, he had the resources to free Grandpa. Vivi could work in a smithy with her mentor once again. Perfecting the craft of runesmithing, working on the swords of their dreams.

  “What do you say?” Andre asked. “Help me in Zand, and I will make your business thrive.”

  Vivi raised her head and glared at him. “I would never smith a single sword for the Greenwitch company. You’re horrible. I could not sleep at night, knowing what you’re doing with my swords.”

  “You would refuse my offer even if it meant keeping your grandpa imprisoned?”

  “I can prove my worth alone,” Vivi said. “I will duel the best hunters, defeating them with runeswords. I will force them to acknowledge their mistakes, and I will force them to adapt. Not all hunting companies can be evil. I will find trustworthy allies, and I will free Grandpa with them. I will never work with you.”

  Andre wore that same annoyed expression of his, the same one he’d given Vivi just before attempting to murder her.

  “A futile hope,” Andre said. He held out his palm, and his spirit turned into a sword. “Let us duel.”

  Vivi frowned. Lucius, get us out of here.

  “No,” Lucius said. “Let’s accept the duel. Put Andre in his place.”

  Andre didn’t attempt to assassinate Vivi like before. He stood calmly, waiting for her to go into stance. “I have praised runeswords today,” Andre said. “And I admit, I was caught off-guard by their power in our earlier fight. The truth, however, is still clear. A runesmith will never defeat the ether hunters.”

  “We’ve been practicing,” Lucius said. He evolved Vivi’s left hand to claws. “Let’s fight him.”

  He’s just looking to gain information, Vivi thought. To look for weaknesses in our weapons and style.

  “So what?” Lucius asked. “We’ll do the same to him.”

  Vivi sighed. Fine. Let’s do it.

  She called forth her one-runed crystal mithril sword. The same one she’d crafted in Andre’s basement-like smithy. Most of her swords were currently in spatial storage, as Aang considered that the safest place to keep spare swords in, but Vivi didn’t use her best swords.

  Still, Vivi didn’t use her skill or call forth a stronger sword. She didn’t want to reveal any more information than necessary. She went into stance with her one-runed sword.

  Andre attacked immediately. His footwork was solid, and his movements were swift. Vivi haphazardly defended. The spirit blade blinked upon impact, already pushing its limits. Vivi’s sword had no trouble taking blows.

  But Andre was fast. He was an ether hunter with years of practice. He was strong enough to be involved in a mining operation on the fourth level. The Stewards had likely stripped him of his skill wisps, but his swordsmanship was still top notch.

  Vivi struggled to keep up. She defended, but she was constantly pushed back. Her footwork was put to the test. She nearly fell over multiple times. Andre wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

  “What are you doing, Vivi!” Lucius shouted. “You’re not even trying! This is not how we usually fight! Use my claws!”

  Vivi bit her lip. She needed to get an offensive advantage somehow.

  With a grimace, Vivi swung into Andre’s attack, blades clashing. She threw a claw swipe.

  Andre was forced back to avoid the claws. Finally, Vivi had an opportunity to initiate a charge.

  She sent a ranged claw attack forth. Andre swiped it with his sword. Vivi shot another immediately after. Andre blocked.

  She swung with her sword, aiming for Andre’s left side.

  Suddenly, Andre’s spirit blade glowed brighter. The shape switched into a rapier. Andre’s movements became swift. He met Vivi’s eyes and grinned, as if Vivi had fallen into a trap. She felt a chill.

  Andre parried her blow, and the crystal mithril sword flung off of her hands. Andre read her attack completely.

  But he didn’t kill her. “This,” he said, “is the weakness of runeswords. A runesword cannot adapt. A strength rune might make a sword powerful, but once you craft the runes, your options are locked. A versatile opponent can adapt and defeat you. Your runeswords might be more powerful in a direct blow, against monsters, but a runesword will never defeat a spirit wielder.”

  His spirit blade turned into a greatsword, brimming with ether. “A spirit can shape ether however they want. A light sword to mimic a swiftness rune? A heavy greatsword to cut down tougher opponents? Spirits can counter everything.”

  Vivi bit her lip.

  Lucius was pissed. Totally furious. He shouted in her head. “Was that all you got? After all our practice, we can’t even defeat a clumsy idiot?”

  That was pathetic, I know, Vivi thought. I can do much better than that.

  Lucius was about to scold her more, but Vivi lifted her head, looking Andre in the eyes. “You’re correct in that runeswords can’t change their runes mid-fight. Runeswords are solid. However… A runesmith can adapt.”

  Vivi called forth her dark mithril greatsword and activated her skill. Spikes grew on the sword, coating it with a layer of red ether. She scowled up at Andre and took a step forward. “Have you ever seen a runesword like this before?”