“Maribelle. Please. ” The petite elven woman beside Maribelle begged while tugging at her wrist. “You’re the only one I can trust to watch her.”

  “Haaaah...” Maribelle slowly let out her exhaustion while rubbing circles into her brow. “Elira, you know I have work too.”

  The sound of spshing in the background graced her ears. Loud, repeated. And getting on her nerves.

  “I’ll pick her up tonight,” the elf said, quickly turning to keep track of the source of the raucous. “Just for today. Please...”

  Maribelle followed her gaze.

  A small white-haired child waded in a shallow pond. Her sleeves were sloppily rolled up, and water had already soaked half of her dress. Luna swung a wooden bucket with both hands and brought it down into the water with a triumphant spsh.

  The fish beneath the surface scattered.

  “Got you!” Luna shouted. She giggled even as the bucket came up empty.

  Maribelle shifted on the wooden bench and locked eyes with the person seated to her left. Elira looked back with her most practiced pleading expression already firmly in pce.

  Maribelle wouldn’t fall for it this time. She wasn't a babysitter. She closed her eyes. “Look at her. She’s terrorizing the wildlife.”

  Elira chuckled. “She’s just pying. She’s seven. You used to behave just like her when we were kids, you know.”

  Luna lunged again. She slipped.

  The bucket went flying out of her hands as she tumbled backward into the water with a big spsh. She ughed even harder than before, despite being entirely soaked head to toe.

  Maribelle opened one eye. “...Alright. Fine. But no compints if she comes back crying. Okay?”

  Elira’s relief was immediate. She quickly sat up, csping her hands together. “Thank you, Maribelle. I owe you.”

  “You do,” Maribelle replied.

  “I—what?”

  Maribelle tilted her head and tapped a finger on her cheek.

  Elira stared at her. Her ears flushed followed by her cheeks. “M-Maribelle...” She hesitated, gnced toward the pond, then leaned in and pressed a quick, flustered peck to Maribelle’s cheek.

  “Thank you,” she muttered, immediately straightening again. “I love you.”

  Maribelle smirked. “I love you too.”

  Wet footsteps approached, spping against the cobblestone walkway. “Me too!”

  They both turned.

  Luna stood at the edge of the pond. Water dripped from her sleeves, and the bucket was hugged tightly to her chest. She looked between them, then beamed as if this were a perfectly reasonable addition to the exchange.

  “Kiss,” Luna said.

  Elira made a choked sound while Maribelle ughed. Elira crouched. Her hands hovered before settling on Luna’s shoulders. She pressed a gentle kiss to the girl’s forehead. “Behave,” she whispered. “Listen to Big Sis Maribelle.”

  “I will!”

  Elira rose.

  “Maybe,” Luna added right after.

  Elira grimaced. She waved and hurried off down the path. Her posture was rigid. Maribelle concluded that she would be stressed about Luna for the rest of the day.

  Maribelle watched her go until she disappeared into the crowd. Then she turned her attention back toward the little disaster.

  Luna was already tottering back toward the pond.

  “...Hold on a minute,” Maribelle called.

  Luna stopped and looked back, expectant.

  “Stop trying to drown the fish. We’ve got errands to run.”

  Luna grinned and lifted the bucket. “That’s stupid. Fish don’t drown.”

  “Smart observation. Now come along.” She held out her hand.

  Luna complied. She tched onto Maribelle’s sleeve with one hand, with the other gripping the bucket. Maribelle still wasn’t sure where she’d found it since she was empty-handed when she arrived. But Maribelle didn’t want to risk taking it from her and causing a meltdown.

  The rest of the morning passed with them in and out of shops. A tailor where Luna hid behind Maribelle’s legs and peeked out at mannequins like they might spontaneously animate. A grocer, where she was given a piece of dried fruit, then went on a tirade of questions about where the food started. A book stall where she threw a fit about wanting an illustrated book. Maribelle purchased it, of course.

  Everywhere they went, Luna was a constant headache, but she stayed close most of the time. Holding Maribelle’s hand, her sleeve, or skipping a dozen steps ahead and daring Maribelle to keep up.

  Their st stop was the bcksmith. Heat greeted them as they stepped inside. The air smelled of metals and oil. Soot clung to every surface.

  Luna froze in front of the weapon racks with wide eyes. Maribelle also scanned the racks. Wooden training weapons leaned against the far wall. Practice swords, worn smooth by hands much rger than Luna’s.

  She walked over, knelt, and sorted through them until she found the smallest one in the shop. Even then, it was still taller than Luna.

  Maribelle took it and held it out to her. “Try this one.”

  Luna gawked. Her bucket dropped to her feet.

  Maribelle shoved the wooden sword into the girl’s chest. Unintentionally, the force was a little too much and nearly sent Luna to the floor. “Oops. Sorry, dear.” She put a hand over her mouth to hide her snigger.

  Luna cradled the weapon between her arms. The weight seemed to be a bit heavy for her, but she steadied herself. She adjusted her grip on it and looked up. Her eyes were bright and focused for a child her age. “...It’s heavy,” she said.

  Maribelle ruffled her hair. “It’s the smallest one they have, though? If you don’t want it, we can just put it back.”

  “No! I want it!”

  “Good. Let’s pay for it, then we can go py, okay?”

  Maribelle paid the bcksmith for the wooden sword and finalized an order for her own equipment. She made sure to scoop up Luna’s discarded bucket before heading back out into the bustling street.

  She corralled the girl through the dense market crowds and hired a carriage waiting in the central pza.

  “Where are we going?” Luna asked. She dragged the oversized wooden sword behind her, letting the tip scrape on the ground.

  “We are going to test your new weapon,” Maribelle answered as she hoisted Luna onto the carriage bench.

  They rode north for an hour. Maribelle tossed the coachman extra coins for him to wait by the tree line, then stepped down into the wild grass. She guided Luna away from the dirt road and into the dense undergrowth of the forest.

  The endless stream of yapping Luna had delivered all morning died down. She’d gone silent as they walked further into the forest. Every time a bird disturbed the canopy or a twig snapped in the distance, she’d cling to Maribelle’s leg with her tiny fingers.

  “Wait here,” Maribelle whispered.

  Luna shook her head. Panic widened her eyes. “No.”

  “I’ll be right back. Do. Not. Move.”

  Luna reached to grab her, but Maribelle slipped past and headed deeper into the forest. She halted fifty steps away from her target. A lone goblin scavenging near a rotting log. Digging through the moss with elongated, filthy fingernails.

  Maribelle snuck through the brush with Luna’s wooden bucket in hand. She moved around to the goblin’s fnk by weaving through the thick tree trunks and keeping her approach silent.

  She darted from the trees. The goblin’s head snapped to her in recognition, a second too te. Maribelle released her Aura, no longer needing to conceal herself. The goblin shrieked and snatched up the club resting at its feet. Maribelle snickered at the thought. A fitting weapon for a goblin, made from a splintered branch.

  It wildly swung the club before Maribelle had even gotten into its range. She stepped sideways and moved to fnk it again while it filed about.

  She refused to y hands on such a disgusting creature. She pivoted on one foot, driving the other into the goblin's wrist. The branch was unched from its cws. While it stumbled to recover its bance, she sent another kick into its temple.

  The goblin’s body was smashed against the base of a fallen tree, then colpsed into the dirt, unconscious.

  Maribelle searched around and found a sturdy vine clinging to the edge of a small cliff. She worked quickly to finish before the goblin awoke. She jammed the wooden bucket over the goblin’s oversized ears, making sure to push it down until its entire head was covered. The vines were then shed around its neck and the bucket to secure it tightly.

  She patted the dirt off her hands and called out. “Luna! Come here, dear.”

  Bushes rustled. Luna burst into the clearing, lugging the wooden sword behind her with one hand while the other scrubbed at the tears running down her cheeks. She giggled despite her state. “I’m here!”

  Maribelle pointed to the slumped monster. “Hit it.”

  Luna looked at the bucket-head goblin. Her eyes widened, and she jerked back, startled. She scrambled behind Maribelle and wrapped both arms around her thigh.

  Maribelle took the sword from her and jabbed the goblin’s ribs. The creature jolted back to life, thrashing and screeching inside the wooden confines of the bucket, cwing at the vines holding its senses hostage.

  Maribelle quickly peeled the girl off her thighs and handed the sword back. “Get it, Luna! Strike it before it recovers!” She nudged her forward, projecting a bright, overly enthusiastic tone to get past the girl’s hesitation.

  Luna squeezed her eyes shut, lifted the comparatively heavy sword, and swung. The weight and momentum dragged her forward. She missed the goblin entirely, lost her footing, and pnted her face into a wet patch of dirt.

  “Guh...” She sat back up and used the hem of her dress to wipe her face. The front of her dress was already stained with mud. Maribelle winced. Luna had only managed to smear the mud across her cheeks and into her hair.

  “Keep your eyes open, Luna!” Maribelle cpped and cheered Luna on as she rose to her feet, making a mental note to bathe her and change her clothes before Elira arrived to pick her up.

  The blind goblin threw itself forward and bumped into Luna’s back. She twisted to steady herself, but the impact pushed her off bance. Gravity won, and she tipped over, nding on her butt.

  Luna scrambled back up. Her lips trembled in fear, but she pressed on. The visible frustration on her face drove her forward. She stomped her foot into the dirt.

  A pulse of Aura pressure rippled from the seven-year-old. Maribelle squinted and pushed her gsses up her nose. She focused on the sensation coming from Luna. The density of the Aura’s output defied her understanding of childhood development. It carried the same pressure as a Spark stage practitioner. Children her age rarely exhibited anything more than embers in the Void stage. She’s nearly at the level I didn’t reach until I was sixteen. What a little monster. Where in Seraphia did Elira pluck this kid from? She’s going to be a real handful when she gets older.

  Luna heaved the sword up again. She frantically swung it around. The weight acted as a pendulum that dragged her tiny frame with each arc. She still had little control over the weapon, but she was improving by the second.

  Maribelle stepped back and flicked a pebble with her thumb. The stone cracked against the back of the goblin’s knee, buckling its leg. Luna’s uncontrolled swing bounced off its bucketed head.

  “Heh—ahem. Good Job! Keep it up!” Maribelle cheered through her ughter.

  Luna’s face turned serious. She set her stance wide. She began to swing the weapon around with intent, using the momentum to pivot with it and counterbance her own body. She spun into a horizontal ssh.

  The wooden sword connected with the goblin’s stomach. The hit was still weak, but she’d nded it all on her own.

  “Excellent form!” Maribelle shouted.

  The goblin screamed and charged toward the direction of the impact. Maribelle spent the next three minutes managing the chaos. She continued to flick pebbles at the goblin’s exposed limbs whenever it came too close or when Luna prepared a strike.

  After a tough fight, Luna’s shoulders began to slump. Her chest heaved with exhaustion. The goblin swayed, equally drained by its blind panic.

  “Finish it,” Maribelle instructed. She raised her own empty hands, demonstrating the grip. “Overhead. Bring it straight down.”

  Luna gritted her teeth and scowled. Her legs wobbled as she hoisted the sword above her head. Her arms strained to hold it up.

  Maribelle focused a spike of her own Aura pressure, aiming it directly at the goblin. Fear locked the creature’s muscles and stunned it in pce.

  Luna’s sword dropped. The wooden bde thudded against the top of the bucket.

  The goblin reeled, but it remained standing.

  Maribelle scooped a heavier stone from the dirt, channeled Aura into her forearm, and she hurled it. The rock cracked into the back of the bucket, crushing it into splinters.

  The goblin fell forward into the dirt, knocked unconscious for a second time. Never to wake again.

  “I did it!” Luna’s sword hit the dirt. She threw her arms up. A massive, dirt-streaked grin split her face. “Did you see that?” She pointed to the sleeping goblin and did a cute dance.

  Maribelle looked at the gloating, filthy child, then at the bruised and battered monster. A fleeting thought crossed her mind—mentoring a child had a distinct, fulfilling appeal. She might even enjoy teaching one of her own someday. Then she remembered the morning's endless tantrums, the ruined clothing, and the sheer frequency of Luna’s compints.

  Maribelle picked up the dropped wooden sword, handed it back to Luna, and pointed toward the tree line. “Take your weapon, Hero Luna. We march back to the carriage. Then, we give you a bath when we get back.”