-A New Chance?

The feeling of soft grass was vivid to Lia, who could at this point, barely open her eyes more than a few winks.

The feeling of the wet dew under her fingertips, that rested on the tips of the blades, and the feeling of mist and fog gave her the feeling of an early morning day.

Carefully, she lifted herself up, the coming moments before her sudden departure rang out in her head, as they came back to her like a thunderbolt to the brain.

She sucked in a deep breath, trying to ignore the groggy feeling she was having, and pay attention to her own surroundings. But she couldn't.

The memories of her times when she would end up drunk, and the hangover feeling she got, vividly reminded her of this time. But even still, during one of her hangovers, she could at least be aware of where she was and what she was doing. All this felt like was the nausea from being drunk, mixed with the headache feeling of a hangover.

She hated it.

"You're finally awake?"

Lia turned slowly, already knowing who the owner of that voice was.

Not too far away, through the mist, Lia could finally see the figure of Cain, whose body was shadowed by the mist.

"How long was I out?"

Lia asked, holding her head in her hand, as she tried to stand up.

Cain saw this but made no motion to help her, allowing her to take a few minutes before finally standing up.

"A few hours. I wouldn't blame you though. I've seen others out for days after the use of my teleportation skill."

"Teleportation?"

Lia's mind was still groggy, and so she did not really hear the words Cain spoke.

"A small skill that's only accessible via an Assassin, Scholar, or Wizard class. But even then they would have to be at least S rank to use even the smallest forms of teleportation."

Now Lia was aware of everything Cain said, word for word, and it spiked her curiosity.

"But you're not part of those classes, are you?"

Cain glanced back at her.

"Hm? Did you not see me use fire magic in the forest?"

Lia nodded her head as she neared Cain.

"I did, but I also heard you say you took care of an ogre. Alone at that, which made me think you weren't just a Warrior class."

Lia thought for a minute, as he mind passed through all the different classes and their abilities, learned from Al Shir himself.

"Could you be a Commander class?"

She asked with full confidence, but was disappointed by Cain's laugh.

"Haha. No. Try again."

'He's not commander class either? Then what is he?'

Lia thought. True, there was the possibility of intelligent summons learning skills from other classes, but nothing as large as teleportation.

Sure a Commander class would have the keen ability to learn skills at a faster rate than any other summons, but even then, the chance of them learning a teleportation skill was one in one thousand.

It was just that rare to learn skills from other classes.

Seeing Lia's struggle to identify his class, Cain decided to step in and help.

"I'm classless."

"Classless?"

To say Lia was confused would be an understatement. You never got summons that weren't classed, since it was almost like a trait they were born with.

To be born without a class, and without that trait, made Cain even stranger than she had once thought.

"I have too many powers from too many classes that I can't be honed to one class or the other."

Interrupting her thoughts, Cain explained the meaning to his words, and it eventually clicked for Lia.

"So, you just have that many skills?"

Cain frowned, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yes. I thought you knew that?"

Lia shook her head.

"No, I didn't know that."

Cain hopped off the rock, now standing before her with his growing frown.

"Didn't you see the samurai? Couldn't you have put two and two together?"

Lia placed her hand on her chin, deep in thought.

"The samurai…I just thought that was a bystander. Someone who was passing by."

The realization that Lia was dumb enough to make such a connection with no proof or evidence, hit Cain like a rock.

In the end, he couldn't help himself from face palming.

"Lia, you're smart, charming and above all, incredibly resourceful."

Lia tilted her head in surprise at the sudden praise she was getting from Cain.

"But dear gods you are an airhead."

She snapped her head back, anger beginning to boil up inside and rise to her lungs.

"Just what do you mean I'm an airhead!?"

In response, Cain pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Lia, there was no one else there, the samurai was on your side, so he couldn't have been one of the Phantom's summons. So who could it be? Simple deduction Lia. Think."

However, Lia was concerned with something else Cain had said, completely ignoring him.

"There were Phantoms there?"

Cain instantly groaned and began walking away. His actions clearly betray his annoyance.

"Cain. Cain, wait."

Lia called after him as they both entered deeper into the mist and fog, keeping Lia from seeing anything but the outline of Cain as he sped away.

"Cain, stop."

Lia pushed on, and eventually, she broke through the mist.

Appearing before her, was the sight of vast and open plains, as the sun rose behind the far mountains, casting a golden hue over the horizon and the fields of grass that swayed.

From her position, high up on a mountain, all Lia could do was stare in awe. Everything else was forgotten, now fully focused on what lied before her.

"Beautiful."

Was all Lia could say as she dared not take her eyes off the scene before her.

The majestic outcrop of the view looked straight out of a story book, or painting. Not a detail missed with such beauty.

"That is the border."

Cain stood next to Lia, having secretly snuck up, he now looked across the horizon with her, marveling in its beauty.

He pointed to the mountain ridge where the sun peaked along the horizon.

"The border?"

"The border between Rovsta and the Barbarian Lands. We're on the latters side."

Cain took notice of Lia's sudden change in demeanor as she tried her best to keep from shaking. Though he couldn't blame her, he secretly shook his head in disappointment.

'I've got to make her stronger.'

Taking one last glance at Lia, Cain walked back, farther from the edge where Lia still stood.

He sat down near a burnt section of grass that had been charged in the form of some runic symbols, gathered in a circle.

"The Barbarian Lands aren't as scary as you think they are. I used to have a summoner here, back when the place still had its original name."

In Cain's attempt to calm Lia's fear, he spiked her interest at the mention of his past.

"What was its name then?"

She asked, turning to join him in the center of the rune circle.

"Morden. A country fertile with farmland and rich soil. It was a paradise when countries were still being founded, and everyone was trying desperately to grapple for any form of power they could. It's still beautiful, but shrouded with fear."

"What happened?"

Cain sighed deeply, as Lia could see the past had inflicted deep mental fatigue.

"When monsters and beasts started becoming commonplace, they invaded this land for its soil, and lush forests. The perfect place for the deadliest of monsters. When the people of these lands tried fighting back, they suddenly found themselves fighting a war on two fronts."

Lia slightly gasped, the pieces finally clicking for her, as she whispered, barely audible.

"The invasion of 300."

"Correct."

The invasion of the year 300 was a rigorous war between the countries of Lilack and Baltazar. Two countries that had both set their sights on the barbarian lands as a chance for expansion. However, coming in at opposite ends of each other's goals, a war took place within the lands they both sought after, destroying large portions of the space and turning it into a barren wasteland.

This was the view Lia had of the barbarian lands, as they were what she was taught from a young age.

However, the two countries Lilack and Baltazar no longer existed as in the year 400, a century later, their war had made them weak, allowing them to be conquered by the now kingdoms of Rovsta and Cizila.

"The invasion of 300 is a shortened term to call the invasion of Morden. It did not end well."

Cain continued talking as he looked out on the vast landscape, a trace of sadness in his eyes.

"The war on two fronts caused the Morden people to evolve into a war bread race. Now, they live only for strength."

Lia fell into deep thought, as he mind poured through the history she knew so well. She was hit with a wave of sadness in her heart as she thought of how much those people must have gone through.

Of course she was taught that things went a different way, she couldn't deny one fact. The Barbarian lands- or Morden as Cain had called it, was truly a war torn place.

"But what does this have to do with me?"

It took Lia a moment, but soon she realized that she had thought out loud, speaking her doubts and questions to Cain.

"Good question."

However, instead of being annoyed, Cain just nodded his head and continued on.

"This place focuses more on strength and getting stronger than anywhere else in the world. Where most kingdoms or republics focus on military might, summons, or just plain political power, this place stand out amongst them all."

"I get that, but won't they look down on me for being weak?"

This was Lia's main worry. She could already understand that Cain was sending her here in some attempt at making her stronger, but she was still hesitant.

What if they didn't like her? What if they called her weak and moved on? What if they figured out who I was?

These were only some of the many worries she had, but it was clear to her that the number of worries out weighed the number of possibilities she could look forward to.

Afterall, the people of these lands were famous for holding a grudge. Especially to their long time enemies.

"There's nothing to worry about."

Thankfully, Cain quelled her worries with ease.

"The people here value potential more than they do pure and raw strength. They won't kill you for being weak, but if you have no potential, they just treat you like your normal rather than with respect."

Lia wanted to laugh but held it in, when she heard his words.

Of course this was not missed by Cain, who raised his eyebrow in question.

"I don't know if you've noticed Cain, but the only 'potential' I have is the potential for being utterly useless. Especially when I'm over here, away from everyone I could rely on."

Cain remained silent, not saying a word.

He got up, and as he got up, Lia felt something fall into her lap. It was light, soft and not too big.

"The contract."

Cain said as he stood before her, his shadow casted over her as if he was the sun itself.

"The contract. If you sign it, I'll give you that little stamp of approval. Showing them that you have potential."

"But I'd just be using your power."

Cain shook his head, annoyance growing once again at her failed attempt to put all the pieces together.

"Lia, when the Phantoms come back, and they will, they'll look to you, not me. If they want something, they'll do whatever they have to, to get it."

Now Lia stood, feeling the threat and its weight on her back.

"So you're saying I'll be put in danger again, because of something you did? I'll have to walk on eggshells for the rest of my life?"

"You already were."

"Not with a knife to my back at every turn."

Now Cain was getting frustrated, his voice rising.

"You already had knives at your back!"

He yelled, stopping Lia before she could say anything else.

"You've been walking around with knife after knife after knife against your neck."

With each word he took a step closer, forcing Lia to take a step back as he got in her face.

She clutched the contract in anger, but kept herself from saying anything, knowing it would not end well.

"Tell me Lia. What's one more knife against your neck? If you fail, you're still going to die whether you have one, two, or even a dozen knives there."

His anger had left him, but now his tone carried a weight that Lia saw as worse than anger. A calm and cool rage, channeled exactly where he wanted it.

"Sign the contract Lia, and I will give you everything you could have asked for."

Lia couldn't help herself, so she dared to ask.

"Like what?"

Wrong question.

Her mind screamed as she saw the wicked smile now plastered over Cain's face. Even as she saw it she wondered to herself why she had bothered to speak at all and not just sign the damn contract.

The mist that they had come out from began changing its course, now moving to cover over them.

A cold breeze blew by, sending goosebumps up and down Lia's arms and legs. And, in a fit of ignorance, she turned from Cain to peer deeper into the mist, sensing something beyond its cold, gray grasp.

And what she saw froze her in terror.

Before her floated two pure yellow eyes, that peered from the near vast expanse of mist. She could hear the sound of shuffling as the beast moved around, yet its eyes never left hers, and she knew it then and there.

It was the predator, she was the prey.

But, even knowing this, she could not move. Her feet were as heavy as stone and frozen in place, as if she was encased in ice.

"Fear. It's the greatest weapon any hunter can have."

Snapping her out of the expansive silence, was Cain's calm and crisp voice as he slowly stepped around her, now before the same beast, its eyes now shifting to him.

Lia wanted to cry out and scream. Run away in terror and hide somewhere small where the monster could not find her.

And even a small sliver of feeling traced down her spine and pierced her heart. She felt she had to warn Cain, tell him to run with her, or do something to distract the monster so that they could run.

But before she could say anything, any form of warning, Cain spoke.

"Fear, Lia."

The monster and Cain continued their stare off, Cain never backing down. And to Lia utter shock, she could see the monster wavering as its eyes changed from its round predatory eyes, to form eyes of worry.

And soon, she could feel the mist that had encased them, to disperse and leave, allowing the sun to pierce through, creating small rays of sunshine.

As the last forms of noise left her surroundings, and any notice of the beast that had once stared her down was gone, Lia was left utterly shocked, her mouth hanging open in gape.

Cain, ignoring this, turned to her, not smirking, nor arrogant, and no form of any sense of pride could be seen on him.

What she saw however, made her even more afraid.

Pure seriousness was plastered over his face, in such a calm demeanor, Lia swore she would never see someone as calm as that again.

"Fear is a weapon you can never be without. That is what I can offer you Lia. The power to assert that fear, and turn it into a weapon."

It was then and there that Lia vowed she would never doubt that man again.