Taimane, groaning as she stretched, looked around the village of Volsa. It was rather busy as people was getting the Autumn Festival ready. Smiling at people who waved, excitement was rising in her very being, at what was going to happen in the middle of the festival. She wondered if Avery was just as ready for this year. It would be their final year to be in this and boy was her determination high to beat their main rival, the Fredrick brothers, after their lost last year.

Like a game of cat and mouse with them, each year was a different winner and this year, Tai wanted them to take the very last win. She looked at her new swords. During the last month before the festival, she had a friend of hers from a far away villge make these sowrds with her with these strange glowing crystals and boy they made a awesome weapon.

Deciding it was time to track down her friend, she began to follow the brick trail that would lead her to her childhood friend's home.

Avery was almost shaking with excitement, or was that anxiety? She couldn't figure that one out. Only once a year this opportunity came at her doorstep just like the others who also shared the passion of a victorious feat over physical trials. She was eager to show what she could do with all of her hard training and effort and show to her mortal comrades that she could be just as powerful without her little magic tricks to be worthy of an opponent. Especially after the loss of the last competition of last year, which left her in shambles about the whole thing for months, maybe even the whole year if she was being truthful to herself.

Regardless of her overwhelming dread and nervousness she was confident that her and Tai could really rattle the cage of victory this time. Determination was building up deep inside Avery, this was a long and awaited competition that was well-known and gossiped about through out the year. For the villagers it was the best time to enjoy their mead and rejoice the power and health their hometown had possessed. It has surely grown since in the last few years and the spirit of the town could not be any brighter. This was not just a festival to rough-house and jester their fun, but to prove the blood lines in this village were prepared and skilled for the world outside them.

There are plentiful amount of books inside their hometown, many lined on the shelves of their library or hidden away inside homes passed down from generation. These great books were binded with storys and legends of the outside world and held many great intriguing facts that left children in awe. Avery grew up adoring these storys and maybe even folklores, she found most of the secrets of magic were in it, and outside the walls of their great prospering town.

The mercenary snatched her cowhide leather gauntlets up, sliding them over her hands and squeezing to assure a tight fit. She thought to herself; "This is it, gotta make it big this time. We are more than this town can be." She had love for her village just like many others, but deep inside she felt she was worth more than this and the world was too great to be waiting. Little did she know what would be awaiting them if this challenge played out right.

Avery grabbed her favored barrette from a leather pouch that was sewn into her woven leather belt. The clip was a sturdy metal and embellished with silver adornments, polished with stones of various quartz. Making her way outside she rested the barrette in her mouth while grabbing her hair up and around to updo her fair silver hair into a sloppy but tight half-bun and pin it with the clip.

Her eyes lit up peering down her front yard, "Tai!" she made a small smile to show her glee. "It's almost time." It was relieving to be able to say that. These brothers surely weren't gonna have a chance this year.

Walking down the street, Tai looked at the familar buildings around her. It felt nice to go back to the one place she could call home. Regardless of all the dark memories that she had as a little kid, it didn't outdo the best ones. She saved to more people who waved back.

Reaching her best friend's home, she stood there knowing her friend will be out soon. Letting her nose twitch discreetly, she could already smell Mary's homemade bred from down the way. Licking her lips, she had to remember to get a taste of the delicious morsel after the fight.

"Tai!" Turning her head to her friend as she came out of her house, a smile on her lips. "It's almost time"

"I know. We still have a couple hours before the fight. Perhaps we can think of a plan on taking out those brothers this year"Tai said.

"I know. We still have a couple hours before the fight. Perhaps we can think of a plan on taking out those brothers this year." Avery sighed light heartedly at her close friend after listening in to her response. Her heart made a flutter trying to remember what it was she's been scheming for all these months.

Avery had a pretty good idea that she wasn't the only one happy the time of the year has finally arrived, she knew Tai had to have been just as eager and honestly it comforted her. It felt like forever when they were months, to weeks, days away, but now that it was here Avery believed it felt it came too fast; But seeing her entrusted best friend gave her the hope that she yearned for.

"Well," Avery began unsure, "I've been thinking of counter moves in the past few months and my mind is drawing a blank now." she gently giggled to show Tai that she wasn't being too serious about it, but nervous enough to find it amusing.

"Oh!" the silver haired maiden grimaced calmly, "Lets think about what happened last year round, about what weaknesses we have against them, instead of theirs." She blinked getting inspired. "Get what I'm saying?"

Avery tucked her arms together across her chest and cocked a lean and rested her body weight on her right leg. "On a more serious note; we still need to focus on their weaknesses regardless, but we should only do that when they focus in on ours; That way when they are so caught up in the moment expecting to deceive us, we'll strike them down." keeping her arms folded she pulled her hand out to rest on her chin.

"Tai." She paused, laying her own deep green orbs on her best friend's eyes, "This isn't going to be easy." her tone turning grim. "We both worked too hard." A warmness washed over her face, "And that's how I know we'll win this time." A grin crept along her glossed, rosey pink lips.

Avery dropped her arms and stood tall with a strong posture to assure her confidence to her buddy, it was amazing how much Tai could fill her insecurities and doubts by just being around her presence.

"I know. We still have a couple hours before the fight. Perhaps we can think of a plan on taking out those brothers this year." Tai smiled and nodded.

"I cannot believe it. The very last years we can actually fight" Tai said. She heard her best friend's half heartedly sigh and smiled at her. The thought gave her a sense of nostalgia. Soon the feeling vanished to the back of mind to focus on the situation at hand. Seeing her best friend thought reminded her to the fact home much she truly missed seeing her every day. She felt like Avery was the only one she trusted in this whole world.

"Well," Avery began unsure, "I've been thinking of counter moves in the past few months and my mind is drawing a blank now." She heard Avery say followed by a soft giggle.

"Oh really now. Just give me a basic idea of what you were thinking these last few months" She said sitting on the grass, stretching out her somewhat sore legs. The last training mission she had was harsh, but hey, she had to do it. She was determined to beat these brothers once and for all.

"Oh!" seeing the grimace, she paid close attention to what she said next."Lets think about what happened last year round, about what weaknesses we have against them, instead of theirs." She blinked getting inspired. "Get what I'm saying?"

Tai thought about it and nodded. She seemed to be getting somewhere. If they just focused on their own weakenesses against them, then the other brothers would be stupid enough to do the same and leave themselves wide open for the losing. Tai let a smirk lay on her lips.

"I do get what you are saying there Ave, its brilliant" she said.

"Tai." Tai looked into her best friend's eyes, looking worried for her "This isn't going to be easy." her tone had turned grim. "We both worked too hard." the grimace was replaced with warmness "And that's how I know we'll win this time." A grinned passed on her lips. Tai nodded and stood with her.

"Let's win for the last time" She said holding out her fist.

Avery kept receiving a kick of excitement when Tai responded to her, it was more than good to see her again. Being separated that long from her practical soul mate was too difficult and near agonizing. They were used to spending large amounts of time together and usually in big spurts, she only had fond memories of Tai and re-familiarizing herself was even better than the memories. Avery didn't do too well being all by herself, sure she had friends in their home town but none were near as close as her and Tai were. She wasn't exactly a lone wolf but she needed her space as well.

"I cannot believe it. The very last years we can actually fight" Tai said, causing Avery to straighten up her back anxious to tell her, her own opinion on that. "Oh!" She said almost upset, "I know! That's why we can't let this year slip past us."

It was filling Avery with a warm sensation in her chest while exchanging these mutual feelings with her friend, she knew Tai was the only one that could relate to her like they were doing now. 'I've pushed myself hard while Tai was gone, I've done more than a fair share of studying and bleeding, I wonder if she improved herself just as much...'

Avery's cloudy green eyes lit up at Tai's fist, "Hell yea! Well said!" with a large grin on her face she punted Tai's fist with her gloved hand.

"Geez that pie smells sooo good though." Avery felt herself salivating at the delicious smell wafting over from the freshly prepared meal next door. "Mary outdone herself this time, I can practically taste the blackberry's right now!" She beamed a smile at Tai, "Ooh, that's gonna be the perfect reward after this, especially if it turns into a victory pie!"

Tai smiled at her friend and looked up at the sky. It was perfect. The sun was out and there was not a single cloud in site, it was like someone was shining down on them to win this one last time. 'I been training for this very moment all year long. I eve got new swords to help me out.' She thought as she clenched her fist, determination filling her eyes. She tuned in when her friend spoke again.

"Oh!" her best frind almost sounded upset, "I know! That's why we can't let this year slip past us." Tai smirked and nodded.

"Those brother's won't know what will hit them when we are done" She said with a grin as her friend finally met fists with her saying.

"Hell yea! Well said!" Tai smirked seeing her friend practically drooling at the smell of the pie that was finally hitting her noses. "Mary outdone herself this time, I can practically taste the blackberry's right now!" She saw Ave beam that beautiful smile at her as she said, "Ooh, that's gonna be the perfect reward after this, especially if it turns into a victory pie!"

"Good idea Ave. I love me some good pie at the end of a fight, even if we lose, but the victory we will take will make the pie taste even better"