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Mara

Crash!

Mara jolted out of sleep. That was not the New Day bell. Could the Fishers be…? There were rumors, after all. She stepped forward in the dark, reaching out for where her brother should be, safe in bed — and found only empty space. Panic shot through her veins. Crashing noises continued to emanate from some room that shouldn’t exist. Her brother’s absence and the strangeness of it all inspired the sort of terror that always forced her to fall back on her training. Again and again, circumstances reminded her that nothing was so certain, so useful as the skills of a Protector.

She felt around till she found a wall, which she then crept alongside, listening for anything that could reveal what lay ahead. Shouts, buzzing, metal clashing with metal. Definitely some sort of fight. Lucky that Mara had slept with her toolbelt on because of the ever-increasing danger in Benevola. Light grew and flickered in colors both icy white and fiery red. When she drew near to a corner, she reached down to her belt. Cool metal reassured her fingers that she could handle whatever lay ahead. She’d trained for them all: savages, rebels, and invading soldiers alike.

Therefore, upon seeing a motley assortment of children, insects, and alien-looking people all clustered around two dueling figures, one dark and yet flaming, the other white and cold as moonlit snow, Mara hesitated. This didn’t look like home. This didn’t look like her people, or even like her enemies. A fight was all well and good, but who would she fight for? No one was there to give her orders, and no uniforms distinguished the sides.

Then Mara saw that pale giant held a boy, perhaps using him as a hostage. She caught a glimpse of the child’s face. His expression decided everything for her. She slunk through the shadows toward the pale giant.