The full moon hung high in the night sky. Two shadows darted through Boundless Heaven Sect, exiting out the main entrance.

　　What are those two up to at this hour?` Ying Yue wondered as she veiled herself in moonlight. She pursued the two shadows southward, through the forested path and past Mount Churei. She cursed them under her breath, wondering what the best course of punishment would be. After an hour of pursuit, the two shadows sought refuge in a cove of twisted trees. Maintaining her technique, she waited for them to reappear.

　　The two shadows burst from the cover of the trees at a speed far beyond what they had shown. Was this his Maneuver at work? Ying Yue pounced toward a rattling tree one hundred meters away. She released her technique as she descended from the treetops. "I finally caught you two. What do you think you`re doing outside at this hour?" She scanned the area and found no one, yet she was certain this was the tree that had been struck. Two small squirrels darted up the tree, some twine wrapped around them and stone dust mixed in their fur.

　　She brought a hand to her head, recalling Enril`s knowledge of crafting Technique Tokens. Her heart sank in an instant. She dashed back to the twisted cove of trees, shouting, "Where are you boys?" and tearing through the foliage.

　　There was no one present. She let out a frustrated scream.

　　"I can`t believe that worked. How did you guess she would follow us?" asked Zelek.

　　"Vice Master Ling may have over-shared information about Sect Master. She scouts all of the disciples by using her MoonLight Shroud Technique. That`s how she appeared out of thin air all those times. She was always there, but we couldn`t see her." Enril looked toward where the squirrels had bolted off. "Those two critters will be alright, won`t they?"

　　"I think so. We should move, it`s less than a kilometer to the barrier`s edge." Zelek dashed off, with Enril following just a half-step behind. They sprinted with their enhanced speed, covering the distance in less than a minute. As they approached the barrier`s edge, they spied the thinned portion. A scream echoed out behind them. They stepped through the barrier with haste.

　　The moment their feet touched the ground outside of Heaven`s Vale a wicked shiver ran down their spines, and ominous silence filled their ears. "Is it me, or is it colder out here?" Zelek rubbed his sleeved arms.

　　"Maybe the barrier provides more than protection? I`d prefer to spend as little time outside as possible." Enril glanced side to side as if expecting an army to ambush them.

　　The area outside the barrier was a continuation of the forested landscape. Bright moonlight pierced through the dense canopy, casting scattered beams onto the woodland floor. Although it appeared identical to the inside, an inexplicable difference hung in the air.

　　Zelek took the lead, hopping from tree branch to tree branch, scanning for any sign of their destination. Two hours elapsed, and the boys remained empty-handed, without any leads to guide them.

　　"Brother, should we just head back?" Enril asked, a slight panic in his voice.

　　"I feel like we`re close. There`s this tugging sensation like the riken is drawing me somewhere." Zelek cupped a hand to his ear.

　　"Are you expecting it to call out?" Enril gave a nervous laugh.

　　Zelek pressed a finger to his lips and Enril fell silent. They put their backs to the tree they were standing on and waited. After a minute, Zelek waved his hand. "I must`ve heard an animal or something. Let`s continue. If we find nothing in half an hour we leave. Deal?" He held a fist to Enril.

　　"Deal." Their fists met, and they resumed their search. With each leap, leaves rustled from the branches and floated to the ground. After twenty minutes, they emerged from the vibrant forest into a desolate expanse of charred woodlands. Trees stood twisted and contorted in eerie shapes. The once-thriving ecosystem had succumbed to a disaster of some sort. Undeterred by the ominous atmosphere, they pressed onward.

　　Enril paused, "Brother, it`s time. We should hea-"

　　"I found it!" Zelek yelled and dashed between two trees that stood perfectly straight.

　　Enril joined him, and as he crossed the threshold of the two trees, he felt something shift. The grass beyond was lush and green, tall and untrimmed. The trees were full of life. A pond sat in the center of the ring of trees, the canopy opened up to allow the moonlight to glimmer off the pond.

　　"It`s a fortune, there`s got to be hundreds of them in there." Zelek jumped into the pond and shoved fistfuls of the flower into his pouch.

　　Enril cautioned, "Brother, you`ll damage them if you rush. You must be delicate." He waded into the pond and cupped a Lily in his hands.

　　They dedicated an entire hour to harvesting the spoils of their adventure. Zelek paused when he saw Enril fill a flask with water. "What are you doing with that, Brother?"

　　"The MoonLight Lily is rare and precious but grows in this pond. Could this water be the secret? Since I can`t harvest moonlight, I may as well take some water, yes?" He shrugged.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

　　"Your logic is always so brilliant. No wonder I`m always behind you, Brother. You think of everything." Zelek smiled and nudged Enril`s shoulder.

　　"I have to think so far ahead because you`re the one who`s always out of reach. You`re a genius in battle and have the Reserve of someone ten years my senior. How am I supposed to keep up with a star like yourself?" Enril gave him a playful shove in return.

　　"No way, because you`ve been there to motivate me is the true key to my success. We`re brothers, we have come this far together, and that`s how it always will be." Zelek grabbed one more Lily from the pond and stuffed it in his pouch.

　　"We`ve taken half the pond, why don`t we head back? If we take all of them, the MoonLight Lily may cease to grow," Enril suggested.

　　"Yeah, sounds goo-" Zelek spun around, drawing his katana in one swift motion. His eyes darted from side to side. "Who`s there?"

　　"Looks like you`ve done the work for us," an unseen voice called out. Enril put his back to Zelek`s and scanned the area. He drew his hanbos and readied himself. "Drop your pouches, and perhaps I`ll spare your lives," the voice called out again.

　　"How do you propose we deal with a voice in the wind?" Zelek shouted back.

　　On the rim of the pond, a gush of wind, a burst of water, and a flash of fire came into view. Three people appeared out of the elements on the opposite side from where the boys entered. "Satisfied? Now, the pouches or your lives." The woman in the middle stepped forward with an outstretched hand. A twinblade rested on her back. An odd snake tattoo wrapped around her eye. Two men flanked her, both over three meters tall, the same snake tattoo adorning their eyes. One held an over-sized glaive and the other shouldered a scythe.

　　"The minute we drop our pouches we`ve lost our usefulness to you. You`ll just kill us anyway," Zelek replied. Out of the corner of his mouth, he whispered to Enril, "Use your Maneuver. Get out of here. I`ll be right behind."

　　Enril turned to face the group of Seekers. "I can`t do that, I won`t leave without you," He whispered back.

　　"Not very trusting, are you? I`ll make it simple. Nothing would please me more than to torture you and savor that delicious, agonizing scream for mercy from your lips," she said, clasping her hands together and looking up at the red moon. "A true delight on a blood-moon night." The boys both wore disgusted snarls. "In exchange for not having to waste my time picking flowers, I`ll forgo the pleasure I could reap from you," she said. "You two are worth far less than the MoonLight Lilies." She wagged her fingers. "Hand them over."

　　Enril was the first to speak, "I`ll untie my pouch and toss it to you. Please don`t perceive it as an act of hostility." He reached his hands and began to untie the knot that held the pouch. Zelek stopped him before he could finish.

　　"I`ll hand mine over first." Zelek untied the pouch and chucked it at the tattooed woman. She ripped it open and pulled a Lily out.

　　"What is this? They`re trashed. Do these even have any efficacy left in them?" She threw the pouch on the ground and stomped it. "You," she pointed to Enril. "You better hope yours are better."

　　Enril withdrew one from his pouch and gave it a gentle toss to her. "In my pouch, they are all of this quality. If I`m not careful, the other things in my pouch may harm them. If I`m not careful, the other things in my pouch may harm them. I need a moment to remove those extra items and ensure the quality of the Lilies." He held the pouch close to his chest.

　　"Just toss the pouch before I change my mind. I`ve already promised I won`t touch a hair on your head if you don`t waste my time." Her voice fell flat, "Hurry up." With shaking hands, Enril tossed his pouch over. The woman inspected the contents and cinched the pouch shut. "Alright, that should suffice," she said, bouncing the pouch up and down in one hand while resting the other on her hip.

　　"So we can go?" Enril asked.

　　"Whatever," she shooed them off, the pouch continuing to bounce up and down in her palm.

　　Enril turned to walk away, and Zelek pulled him close. A blade of wind slashed through where he had been about to step. "Darn, that one seems pretty perceptive. He sensed that attack the second I formed it." The scythe-wielder drew his scythe back and prepared to swing again.

　　"What`s the deal, I thought you said we could leave?" Zelek accused. His knuckles whitened around the hilt of his sword.

　　"Yes, I did say that. I don`t speak for them, though. They are their own people, are they not?" She covered her mouth and giggled. "Oops." She turned and disappeared in a splash of water.

　　"We need to get out, Brother. These guys are far stronger than Brogle was," Zelek said, cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck.

　　"I don`t have any Technique Tokens with my Maneuver for you. I can carry you, but it`s going to drain me faster," Enril gnashed his teeth. "It`s worth it. We must escape."

　　"You two talk too much. What are those pitiful weapons, anyway? A sword and a pair of sticks? You should have learned to wield a real weapon like my glaive." The man brandished his weapon high and thrust it into the air. A ripple, like a sonic boom, tore through the air.

　　Zelek started inching backward, pushing Enril with him. "Brother, do it, everything you`ve got. Run."

　　"Ok, hang on ti-" Enril was forced under the water. He scrambled to regain his footing. The crystalline clear water grew murky. After his head emerged, he was greeted by the laughter of the two giants playing with something. Enril looked at Zelek and gasped. "B-Brother&" He reached out to where Zelek`s left arm had once been, a bloodied stump replaced it.

　　"I thought I told you to run," Zelek grunted, his body heaving with each breath as he staggered back through the water. "Please, run," he begged.

　　The two giants were too busy playing with the arm to notice the boys had waded to the edge of the pond. "I guess we should finish up and catch up to the Mistress," the glaive-wielder said and took a single step that brought him across the entire pond. Enril tried to rush Zelek out with his Maneuver, but the water`s viscosity interrupted his focus, slowing the movement to just a few meters. Zelek shoved Enril to the ground.

　　"Guess this one wanted to have his turn first. Fine by me. Now for the other." The glaive-wielder removed his weapon from the center of Zelek`s chest. Zelek dropped to his knees in a fit of bloody coughs.

　　Enril felt time slow down, his vision locked on Zelek. Dread and fear flooded his heart the same as when Elder Winryu had sacrificed himself. His brain shut down and shifted into pure instinct. As if he were a passenger in his own body, he took action. With one swift motion, he hoisted Zelek over his shoulder and Maneuvered away. The strain on his Stream didn`t faze him as he pushed farther and farther with each step. Ten meters, then twenty, and thirty more after that. With each step, he pushed himself farther and farther, even with the added burden on his Stream.

　　Rain and lightning poured from the clouds above as he made his escape. Inclement weather wasn`t enough to rob him of the solitary thought coursing through his mind as instinct pushed his body: Save Zelek.`