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“Aether! Vexa!” the girl called out with a wave. She wore all black. The fabric was cotton but it was clear she was trying to mimic the garb of the Umbra with a few belts that held no purpose wrapped around her waist.

Aether was ruffling the hair of the younger boy that had collided into him. A semblance of a smile crossed his lips, causing a dimple to appear.

As much as I tried, I couldn’t look away.

“Me and Lael have been practicing all day. You should see how good we’ve gotten.” Carden grinned up at him with admiration.

“Is that so? Maybe you can show me before we head back.” Aether looked towards Lael and nodded. The attention put a crack in his stoic facade, causing a boyish grin to appear.

“Do you think I will be able to work with you Aether?” He looked hopeful.

“I would rather you help around the fortress,” Aether spoke with indifference but the intensity of his eyes told me he meant it.

“I’m not honing my skills to stay locked in the fortress,” Uma chimed in, leaning into a fighting stance and narrowing her eyes.

“Our tethers are way too cool for that,” Carden added.

“You’re not using your tethers too much are you?” Vexa’s voice chided.

“We’re saving them, don’t worry,” Lael said. “As hard as that is.”

I had to admit it was strange to see these two go into such parental roles.

“Who is she?” Carden pointed at me, still glued to Aether’s side.

“Why does she look like that?” Uma mused.

Vexa snorted, but it was Aether who responded.

“Our new friend.” The sarcasm in his words was not lost on me. I fought back a grimace.

Uma tugged on her hair while looking at mine in fascination. “You’re pretty,” she hummed.

“Thank you,” I replied awkwardly. It seemed I would never be able to take a compliment well. Even from a child.

Aether clapped his hands, making a sharp echo through the vaulted room.

“How about you all show me what you’ve been practicing?” His dimples appeared again when he smiled at the three of them bouncing with energy.

It took Vexa grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the seats along the edge to break my trance.

“Who are these children?” I asked once we were far enough away.

Vexa threw a glance back over her shoulder, eyes going soft. “Orphans from across the realm,” she said. “When cities were evacuated, the Umbra took them in and gave them places to stay within our lodging. Clothes. Food. Uma and Carden are siblings, but Lael—we found him alone.”

We watched them spar, Aether instructing from the sidelines with his hands clasped loosely behind his back. He gave encouragement and pointers every few movements.

“So, the Strykka? Is this a way to join the Umbra?”

“It’s one of them. A set of trials one must complete to enter the elite units,” Vexa murmured vacantly, fully focused on the spar happening in front of us.

“Don’t you think they are a little too young?” My stomach churned at the thought of these kids becoming ruthless killers. They seemed too innocent for what they would surely be trained to do.

“Of course they’re too young. They’re children. But we don’t have much of a choice these days. At first, people joined the Umbra in hordes when the drought began, knowing it was the easiest source of regular meals and a place to live, but even that slowed down after a while. Kalfar don’t see a purpose in it anymore. They’d rather die with their loved ones, not on a battlefield a world away. We’re lucky to get a few recruits per year.”

“It feels wrong,” I whispered, almost to myself.

“Yes, it does, doesn’t it?” she said, not really a question. “A land ravaged by war is always brutal. Difficult decisions have to be made… but this–this is different.”